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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 501 | GirlsBeastie Boys | 30 | 12 | #6 | – | 1994–2014 |
| 502 | DareGorillaz | 32 | 17 | #1 | 1 | 2005–2025 |
| 503 | Rockin' In The Free WorldNeil Young | 51 | 9 | #31 | – | 1991–2025 |
| 504 | Dizz Knee Landdada | 33 | 10 | #7 | – | 1992–2023 |
| 505 | Devil's HaircutBeck | 39 | 14 | #29 | – | 1996–2024 |
| 506 | TalkColdplay | 33 | 17 | #7 | – | 2005–2014 |
| 507 | This Is The DayThe The | 36 | 7 | #45 | – | 1988–2022 |
| 508 | Down With the SicknessDisturbed | 34 | 13 | #3 | – | 2001–2025 |
| 509 | Sour TimesPortishead | 39 | 14 | #8 | – | 1994–2023 |
| 510 | Sweet JaneThe Velvet Underground | 29 | 10 | #24 | – | 1990–2020 |
| 511 | Bad LuckSocial Distortion | 37 | 10 | #22 | – | 1992–2014 |
| 512 | Sure ShotBeastie Boys | 34 | 14 | #12 | – | 1994–2024 |
| 513 | Inside OutEve 6 | 41 | 13 | #2 | – | 1998–2024 |
| 514 | Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)The Offspring | 38 | 14 | #1 | 1 | 1998–2014 |
| 515 | You Can't Always Get What You WantThe Rolling Stones | 32 | 10 | #50 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 516 | All I WantToad The Wet Sprocket | 35 | 11 | #6 | – | 1992–2023 |
| 517 | GloriaU2 | 41 | 12 | #51 | – | 1988–2024 |
| 518 | I Fought the LawThe Clash | 47 | 17 | #84 | – | 1988–2025 |
| 519 | How You Remind MeNickelback | 29 | 17 | #2 | – | 2001–2012 |
| 520 | Not An AddictK's Choice | 38 | 11 | #15 | – | 1995–2023 |
| 521 | AvalonRoxy Music | 39 | 13 | #33 | – | 1987–2020 |
| 522 | In The MeantimeSpacehog | 38 | 15 | #7 | – | 1996–2026 |
| 523 | Summer of '69Bryan Adams | 33 | 7 | #16 | – | 1988–2026 |
| 524 | RioDuran Duran | 39 | 16 | #18 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 525 | Won't Get Fooled AgainThe Who | 26 | 10 | #10 | – | 1976–2026 |
| 526 | Head Over HeelsTears for Fears | 33 | 11 | #16 | – | 1985–2023 |
| 527 | FameDavid Bowie | 36 | 14 | #34 | – | 1994–2025 |
| 528 | All I Want Is YouU2 | 36 | 10 | #32 | – | 1991–2025 |
| 529 | American PieDon McLean | 24 | 7 | #12 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 530 | All Over YouLive | 37 | 15 | #9 | – | 1995–2014 |
| 531 | Step OnHappy Mondays | 38 | 11 | #8 | – | 1990–2019 |
| 532 | I ConfessThe English Beat | 35 | 8 | #10 | – | 1983–2024 |
| 533 | A Little RespectErasure | 41 | 13 | #4 | – | 1988–2024 |
| 534 | One Step BeyondMadness | 40 | 11 | #4 | – | 1988–2024 |
| 535 | Take The Skinheads BowlingCamper Van Beethoven | 34 | 9 | #21 | – | 1986–2019 |
| 536 | Smoke on the WaterDeep Purple | 35 | 9 | #14 | – | 1987–2026 |
| 537 | The Hardest Button to ButtonThe White Stripes | 32 | 18 | #10 | – | 2003–2014 |
| 538 | Ring of FireSocial Distortion | 28 | 10 | #29 | – | 1999–2023 |
| 539 | Closer To FineThe Indigo Girls | 28 | 8 | #38 | – | 1989–2024 |
| 540 | West End GirlsPet Shop Boys | 42 | 15 | #11 | – | 1984–2022 |
| 541 | Shake the DiseaseDepeche Mode | 37 | 10 | #1 | 1 | 1985–2014 |
| 542 | I Will DareThe Replacements | 35 | 7 | #50 | – | 1989–2024 |
| 543 | So LonelyThe Police | 44 | 13 | #94 | – | 1989–2026 |
| 544 | My FriendsRed Hot Chili Peppers | 30 | 12 | #7 | – | 1995–2014 |
| 545 | Round HereCounting Crows | 36 | 15 | #20 | – | 1994–2024 |
| 546 | Time Is Running OutMuse | 33 | 16 | #6 | – | 2003–2014 |
| 547 | Amber311 | 30 | 14 | #2 | – | 2002–2024 |
| 548 | There's No Other WayBlur | 39 | 13 | #20 | – | 1991–2023 |
| 549 | King Without a CrownMatisyahu | 33 | 13 | #5 | – | 2005–2024 |
| 550 | Take On Mea-ha | 33 | 13 | #7 | – | 1985–2020 |
| 551 | Love Song311 | 28 | 15 | #5 | – | 2004–2024 |
| 552 | CrazyGnarls Barkley | 29 | 19 | #1 | 1 | 2006–2026 |
| 553 | DualitySlipknot | 31 | 13 | #4 | – | 2004–2026 |
| 554 | Time BombRancid | 43 | 16 | #24 | – | 1995–2023 |
| 555 | Everything to EveryoneEverclear | 41 | 16 | #8 | – | 1997–2014 |
| 556 | Thunder RoadBruce Springsteen | 21 | 6 | #1 | 4 | 1991–2026 |
| 557 | NookieLimp Bizkit | 26 | 15 | #1 | 2 | 1999–2009 |
| 558 | High and DryRadiohead | 38 | 14 | #55 | – | 1996–2026 |
| 559 | Celebrity SkinHole | 38 | 16 | #4 | – | 1998–2024 |
| 560 | SweetnessJimmy Eat World | 30 | 16 | #2 | – | 2001–2024 |
| 561 | Lost In The SupermarketThe Clash | 33 | 7 | #75 | – | 1989–2026 |
| 562 | Island in the SunWeezer | 33 | 17 | #4 | – | 2001–2024 |
| 563 | Pardon MeIncubus | 30 | 14 | #1 | 1 | 1999–2011 |
| 564 | Fools GoldThe Stone Roses | 41 | 12 | #1 | 1 | 1990–2010 |
| 565 | Punk Rock GirlDead Milkmen | 36 | 11 | #69 | – | 1991–2019 |
| 566 | E-ProBeck | 28 | 18 | #4 | – | 2005–2024 |
| 567 | Tell Me BabyRed Hot Chili Peppers | 30 | 15 | #8 | – | 2006–2014 |
| 568 | CandyIggy Pop | 29 | 11 | #3 | – | 1990–2026 |
| 569 | Wake Me Up When September EndsGreen Day | 29 | 19 | #2 | – | 2004–2024 |
| 570 | People Who DiedJim Carroll Band | 28 | 9 | #17 | – | 1988–2012 |
| 571 | She Drives Me CrazyFine Young Cannibals | 42 | 13 | #4 | – | 1989–2024 |
| 572 | Blue Sky MineMidnight Oil | 36 | 12 | #9 | – | 1990–2025 |
| 573 | Oh L'AmourErasure | 27 | 8 | #3 | – | 1986–2003 |
| 574 | The ScientistColdplay | 46 | 20 | #1 | 1 | 2003–2024 |
| 575 | Money for NothingDire Straits | 38 | 10 | #7 | – | 1985–2026 |
| 576 | New SlangThe Shins | 34 | 14 | #3 | – | 2001–2024 |
| 577 | Black Coffee in BedSqueeze | 44 | 12 | #55 | – | 1988–2026 |
| 578 | Rape MeNirvana | 31 | 11 | #18 | – | 1993–2014 |
| 579 | GoodBetter Than Ezra | 33 | 15 | #3 | – | 1995–2023 |
| 580 | While My Guitar Gently WeepsThe Beatles | 23 | 8 | #14 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 581 | Cut Your HairPavement | 41 | 15 | #34 | – | 1994–2026 |
| 582 | Mountain SongJane's Addiction | 33 | 8 | #58 | – | 1989–2018 |
| 583 | More than a FeelingBoston | 26 | 11 | #27 | – | 1988–2026 |
| 584 | I Touch MyselfThe Divinyls | 34 | 16 | #12 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 585 | New SensationINXS | 38 | 13 | #6 | – | 1987–2021 |
| 586 | IrisGoo Goo Dolls | 30 | 18 | #2 | – | 1998–2025 |
| 587 | Brass MonkeyBeastie Boys | 31 | 13 | #2 | – | 1992–2014 |
| 588 | SpiderwebsNo Doubt | 37 | 12 | #3 | – | 1996–2024 |
| 589 | Tom SawyerRush | 23 | 12 | #8 | – | 1981–2026 |
| 590 | Rebellion (Lies)The Arcade Fire | 38 | 11 | #6 | – | 2005–2024 |
| 591 | The Man Who Sold the WorldNirvana | 36 | 19 | #10 | – | 1994–2026 |
| 592 | Got the LifeKorn | 32 | 13 | #1 | 1 | 1998–2009 |
| 593 | The GlobeBig Audio Dynamite II | 29 | 9 | #9 | – | 1991–2014 |
| 594 | Even Better Than The Real ThingU2 | 37 | 13 | #23 | – | 1992–2023 |
| 595 | The FlyU2 | 27 | 10 | #10 | – | 1991–2023 |
| 596 | Black MetallicCatherine Wheel | 45 | 16 | #15 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 597 | Whole Lotta RosieAC/DC | 47 | 4 | #6 | – | 1990–2025 |
| 598 | Strawberry Fields ForeverThe Beatles | 26 | 9 | #17 | – | 1976–2026 |
| 599 | Goody Two ShoesAdam Ant | 40 | 10 | #25 | – | 1982–2014 |
| 600 | What Difference Does It Make?The Smiths | 34 | 11 | #17 | – | 1984–2019 |