Song · XTC
“Ball and Chain” by XTC
From the album English Settlement (1982)
“Ball and Chain” by XTC appears on 10 radio countdowns from 1 station between 1999 and 2009. It was first released in 1982 on the album English Settlement. Its best result is #980 on the CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,405 alternative song of all time.
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"Ball and Chain" is Colin Moulding's song on XTC's English Settlement, pulled as the album's second single in early 1982, hot on the heels of the band's biggest hit, "Senses Working Overtime". Moulding called it a football-terrace chant about the redevelopment of Swindon's town centre, and he pointed to the 1978 demolition of the Baptist Tabernacle to make way for a car park as a case in point. Andy Partridge said the music was modelled on the Beatles' "Getting Better".
Hugh Padgham produced it with the band, engineered it and even chipped in a guest vocal. Moulding sings lead over his own fretless bass, Dave Gregory adds 12-string guitar and synth, Partridge plays electric guitar and Terry Chambers keeps the jaunty, music-hall bounce that Allmusic's Ned Raggett heard in it. It was first recorded at The Townhouse and Air Studios in March 1981. Moulding himself later waved it off as a weak song.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 980 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 1031 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 1032 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2002 | 1032 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2003 | 1017 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) | 2004 |
| 2004 | 1017 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 2005 |
| 2005 | 1017 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 1994 |
| 2007 | 1982 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) | 2008 |
| 2008 | 1964 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) | 2009 |
| 2009 | 1989 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) | 2010 |
Also listed as: Ball And Chain.
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