The most-charted alternative rock songs
Every song in the archive ranked by its combined results across all 597 countdowns: year-end lists, all-time lists and decade lists alike. A song rises here by appearing often and placing high. For rankings by year see songs by year; for the listener-voted all-time lists only, see the greatest songs of all time.
| # | Song | Lists | Stations | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | Here Comes The RainEurythmics | 13 | 3 | #82 | – | 1988–2005 |
| 1902 | Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)Chevelle | 18 | 9 | #4 | – | 2004–2014 |
| 1903 | Dimdada | 14 | 1 | #440 | – | 1999–2014 |
| 1904 | Talking Seattle Grunge Rock BluesTodd Snider | 14 | 1 | #796 | – | 1999–2014 |
| 1905 | Shadow of the DayLinkin Park | 15 | 9 | #9 | – | 2007–2009 |
| 1906 | DianeTherapy | 19 | 1 | #16 | – | 1995–2013 |
| 1907 | Deacon BluesSteely Dan | 12 | 4 | #139 | – | 1996–2025 |
| 1908 | TNTAC/DC | 17 | 8 | #40 | – | 1990–2026 |
| 1909 | On CallKings of Leon | 13 | 6 | #3 | – | 2007–2014 |
| 1910 | WhyAnnie Lennox | 13 | 5 | #19 | – | 1992–2020 |
| 1911 | And You and IYes | 13 | 4 | #50 | – | 1976–2025 |
| 1912 | 505Arctic Monkeys | 11 | 1 | #13 | – | 2008–2025 |
| 1913 | Drift and DiePuddle of Mudd | 13 | 13 | #2 | – | 2002 |
| 1914 | Take Me I'm YoursSqueeze | 18 | 4 | #306 | – | 1989–2014 |
| 1915 | You Give Love a Bad NameBon Jovi | 16 | 7 | #33 | – | 1990–2026 |
| 1916 | Satellite of LoveLou Reed | 17 | 3 | #633 | – | 1999–2020 |
| 1917 | I Go CrazyFlesh for Lulu | 22 | 8 | #21 | – | 1987–2003 |
| 1918 | Sonic ReducerThe Dead Boys | 16 | 2 | #867 | – | 1999–2014 |
| 1919 | Fall at Your FeetCrowded House | 16 | 7 | #12 | – | 1991–2023 |
| 1920 | What's Going OnMarvin Gaye | 9 | 4 | #13 | – | 2004–2026 |
| 1921 | DecemberCollective Soul | 16 | 12 | #8 | – | 1995–2025 |
| 1922 | Gimme Three StepsLynyrd Skynyrd | 15 | 6 | #130 | – | 1996–2026 |
| 1923 | Hot for TeacherVan Halen | 15 | 8 | #49 | – | 1990–2026 |
| 1924 | Edie (Ciao Baby)The Cult | 16 | 7 | #15 | – | 1989–2009 |
| 1925 | Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1The Flaming Lips | 11 | 4 | #222 | – | 2007–2026 |
| 1926 | Behind the Wall of SleepThe Smithereens | 22 | 6 | #62 | – | 1986–2005 |
| 1927 | Cinnamon GirlNeil Young | 13 | 6 | #101 | – | 2004–2026 |
| 1928 | A Praise ChorusJimmy Eat World | 24 | 13 | #28 | – | 2002–2014 |
| 1929 | Look SharpJoe Jackson | 16 | 5 | #269 | – | 1988–2005 |
| 1930 | All alongBrutus | 10 | 1 | #1 | 1 | 2017–2026 |
| 1931 | Bat CountryAvenged Sevenfold | 17 | 10 | #13 | – | 2005–2006 |
| 1932 | Just Play MusicBig Audio Dynamite | 19 | 5 | #8 | – | 1988–2013 |
| 1933 | When Love Comes To TownU2 | 17 | 4 | #73 | – | 1988–2014 |
| 1934 | The Way You Do The Things You DoUB40 | 22 | 7 | #20 | – | 1990–2014 |
| 1935 | Moonage Day DreamDavid Bowie | 21 | 4 | #231 | – | 1999–2020 |
| 1936 | what's So Funny (About Peace, Love, and Understanding)?Elvis Costello | 11 | 6 | #25 | – | 2004–2026 |
| 1937 | 1963New Order | 14 | 7 | #15 | – | 1987–1996 |
| 1938 | Busload of FaithLou Reed | 15 | 2 | #410 | – | 1999–2014 |
| 1939 | BikoPeter Gabriel | 25 | 8 | #21 | – | 1987–2020 |
| 1940 | Something's Always WrongToad The Wet Sprocket | 22 | 8 | #38 | – | 1994–2014 |
| 1941 | ThoughtlessKorn | 13 | 13 | #5 | – | 2002 |
| 1942 | Sometimes (Lestor Piggott)James | 15 | 2 | #68 | – | 1999–2025 |
| 1943 | Runnin' With The DevilVan Halen | 14 | 7 | #5 | – | 1990–2026 |
| 1944 | A Million WaysOK Go | 10 | 3 | #16 | – | 2005–2014 |
| 1945 | PiecesSum 41 | 15 | 12 | #1 | 1 | 2004–2012 |
| 1946 | I'm The ManJoe Jackson | 29 | 5 | #178 | – | 1989–2014 |
| 1947 | Say SomethingJames | 22 | 9 | #61 | – | 1994–2026 |
| 1948 | BelieveLenny Kravitz | 13 | 6 | #45 | – | 1993–2005 |
| 1949 | WalkFoo Fighters | 12 | 7 | #1 | 1 | 2011–2025 |
| 1950 | I Still Believe (Great Design)The Call | 16 | 2 | #728 | – | 1999–2014 |
| 1951 | Ramblin' ManAllman Brothers Band | 12 | 4 | #7 | – | 2010–2026 |
| 1952 | Combat BabyMetric | 11 | 3 | #38 | – | 2004–2014 |
| 1953 | Parallel UniverseRed Hot Chili Peppers | 14 | 8 | #5 | – | 2000–2023 |
| 1954 | OutshinedSoundgarden | 19 | 13 | #12 | – | 1992–2023 |
| 1955 | GoodbyeThe Sundays | 14 | 1 | #734 | – | 1999–2014 |
| 1956 | Power and the PassionMidnight Oil | 23 | 9 | #29 | – | 1983–2025 |
| 1957 | ParalyzedRock Kills Kid | 19 | 11 | #27 | – | 2006–2014 |
| 1958 | I'm So Bored With The U.S.A.The Clash | 16 | 2 | #338 | – | 1999–2014 |
| 1959 | Bell Bottom BluesDerek and the Dominos | 11 | 3 | #112 | – | 1991–2025 |
| 1960 | Blitzkreig BopThe Ramones | 9 | 3 | #123 | – | 1999–2014 |
| 1961 | Poison ArrowABC | 17 | 8 | #63 | – | 1988–2003 |
| 1962 | Mrs. RobinsonSimon and Garfunkel | 12 | 5 | #40 | – | 1991–2025 |
| 1963 | Here I Am (Come and Take Me)UB40 | 17 | 6 | #18 | – | 1990–2005 |
| 1964 | RhiannonFleetwood Mac | 14 | 6 | #96 | – | 1991–2025 |
| 1965 | AjaSteely Dan | 12 | 4 | #47 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 1966 | FlatheadThe Fratellis | 13 | 5 | #9 | – | 2007–2014 |
| 1967 | PainkillerJudas Priest | 19 | 2 | #20 | – | 1990–2026 |
| 1968 | AnimalNeon Trees | 10 | 6 | #3 | – | 2010–2014 |
| 1969 | All I KnowScreaming Trees | 20 | 6 | #5 | – | 1996–2014 |
| 1970 | Promised You a MiracleSimple Minds | 15 | 9 | #30 | – | 1982–2003 |
| 1971 | My Favourite GameThe Cardigans | 22 | 13 | #10 | – | 1998–2023 |
| 1972 | For What It's WorthBuffalo Springfield | 16 | 7 | #65 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 1973 | A Spy in the House of LoveThe Db's | 16 | 3 | #126 | – | 1989–2005 |
| 1974 | What Have I Done To Deserve This?Pet Shop Boys | 17 | 8 | #36 | – | 1987–2005 |
| 1975 | Be My Yoko OnoBarenaked Ladies | 17 | 3 | #50 | – | 1991–2005 |
| 1976 | Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (Are Made of This)Eurythmics | 11 | 4 | #61 | – | 1989–2006 |
| 1977 | Here Comes The Rain AgainEurythmics | 18 | 8 | #145 | – | 1996–2026 |
| 1978 | OutsideStaind | 12 | 8 | #1 | 2 | 2001–2009 |
| 1979 | You LearnAlanis Morissette | 20 | 11 | #7 | – | 1996–2023 |
| 1980 | Wasting My TimeDefault | 17 | 12 | #7 | – | 2001–2010 |
| 1981 | AmericaSimon and Garfunkel | 12 | 4 | #9 | – | 2004–2026 |
| 1982 | In Too DeepSum 41 | 19 | 13 | #24 | – | 2001–2012 |
| 1983 | You Woke Up My NeighborhoodBilly Bragg | 16 | 3 | #51 | – | 1991–2023 |
| 1984 | SurvivalismNine Inch Nails | 16 | 9 | #23 | – | 2007–2014 |
| 1985 | BotherStone Sour | 14 | 13 | #6 | – | 2002–2003 |
| 1986 | Midlife CrisisFaith No More | 18 | 10 | #12 | – | 1992–2023 |
| 1987 | Takin' Care of BusinessBachman Turner Overdrive | 15 | 6 | #49 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 1988 | Donna EverywhereToo Much Joy | 17 | 3 | #40 | – | 1992–2014 |
| 1989 | BuenaMorphine | 17 | 4 | #424 | – | 1999–2023 |
| 1990 | WonderNatalie Merchant | 20 | 7 | #43 | – | 1995–2023 |
| 1991 | Straight LinesSilverchair | 15 | 12 | #2 | – | 2007–2025 |
| 1992 | CourageThe Tragically Hip | 20 | 5 | #42 | – | 1999–2023 |
| 1993 | Call Me When You're SoberEvanescence | 12 | 10 | #9 | – | 2006–2007 |
| 1994 | I DisappearMetallica | 13 | 13 | #3 | – | 2000–2004 |
| 1995 | InfectedThe The | 23 | 7 | #75 | – | 1987–2006 |
| 1996 | Our FrankMorrissey | 18 | 4 | #30 | – | 1991–2014 |
| 1997 | Johnny AppleseedJoe Strummer and the Mescaleros | 14 | 1 | #5 | – | 2001–2014 |
| 1998 | Dirty Blvd.Lou Reed | 12 | 5 | #70 | – | 1988–2014 |
| 1999 | WinonaMatthew Sweet | 14 | 1 | #776 | – | 1999–2014 |
| 2000 | Honey WhiteMorphine | 17 | 4 | #99 | – | 1995–2024 |