Over Memorial Day weekend Woxy counted down the 2008 edition of their Modern Rock 500. (That’s the first time I’ve written “Modern Rock” since the early ’90s.) The songs don’t have to be from 2008, but there are newer tracks that made it on there, as well as some that are not new … like Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper’s “Elvis Is Everywhere.” Woxy’s The Futurist blog has the list posted in its entirety, but we’re just giving you the top 100. Of course, we’re always game to split hairs beyond that. For instance, it’s probably worth noting “Under The Bridge” came in at 101, Feist’s “My Moon My Man” debuted at 500, and the National’s “Mistaken For Strangers” showed up for the first time at 452. Also: Still no songs by Vampire Weekend.
100 Weezer – “Undone – The Sweater Song”
99 Portishead – “Sour Times”
98 Nine Inch Nails – “Head Like A Hole”
97 The Ramones – “Blitzkrieg Bop”
96 Dead Milkmen – “Bitchin’ Camaro”
95 Interpol – “PDA”
94 Oasis – “Wonderwall”
93 David Bowie – “Suffragette City”
92 Buzzcocks – “Ever Fallen In Love”
91 R.E.M. – “Pretty Persuasion”
90 The Jam – “Town Called Malice”
89 Blondie – “Heart Of Glass”
88 Depeche Mode – “People Are People”
87 The Shins – “New Slang”
86 Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Cities In Dust”
85 The Postal Service – “Such Great Heights”
84 Blondie – “Rapture”
83 Franz Ferdinand – “Take Me Out”
82 The White Stripes – “Fell In Love With A Girl”
81 The Replacements – “The Ledge”
80 Camper Van Beethoven – “Take The Skinheads Bowling”
79 Pixies – “Gigantic”
78 Pearl Jam – “Alive”
77 XTC – “Dear God”
76 Radiohead – “Just”
75 The Velvet Underground – “Pale Blue Eyes”
74 The Stooges – “I Wanna Be Your Dog”
73 Joy Division – “She’s Lost Control”
72 The Cure – “Love Song”
71 The Stone Roses – “I Wanna Be Adored”
70 Modest Mouse – “Float On”
69 Nirvana – “In Bloom”
68 The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
67 The Clash – “Train In Vain”
66 Echo & The Bunnymen – “Lips Like Sugar”
65 Beck – “Where It’s At”
64 Violent Femmes – “Kiss Off”
63 Blur – “Song 2″
62 Beastie Boys – “Fight For Your Right”
61 The B-52′s – “Rock Lobster”
60 Bauhaus – “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”
59 Radiohead – “Fake Plastic Trees”
58 Pearl Jam – “Jeremy”
57 U2 – “Pride (In The Name Of Love)”
56 Pixies – Here Comes Your Man”
55 Iggy Pop – “Lust For Life”
54 The Police – “Roxanne”
53 Husker Du – “Makes No Sense At All”
52 Pavement – “Cut Your Hair”
51 New Order – “Bizarre Love Triangle”
50 Kate Bush – “Running Up That Hill”
49 R.E.M. – “Losing My Religion”
48 Nirvana – “All Apologies”
47 Bjork – “Human Behaviour”
46 The Police – “Message In A Bottle”
45 Elvis Costello – “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding”
44 The Clash – “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?”
43 Beastie Boys – “Sabotage”
42 Jeff Buckley – “Last Goodbye”
41 James – “Laid”
40 Jane’s Addiction – “Been Caught Stealing”
39 R.E.M. – “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”
38 David Bowie – “Changes”
37 The Breeders – “Cannonball”
36 U2 – “New Year’s Day”
35 Patti Smith – “Gloria”
34 Nirvana – “Come As You Are”
33 The Cure – “Just Like Heaven”
32 Radiohead – “Karma Police”
31 Lou Reed – “Walk On The Wild Side”
30 The Jesus And Mary Chain – “Just Like Honey”
29 Talking Heads – “Burning Down The House”
28 Sex Pistols – “Anarchy In The UK”
27 The Clash – “Rock The Casbah”
26 Sonic Youth – “Teenage Riot”
25 Pixies – “Monkey Gone To Heaven”
24 Jane’s Addiction – “Jane Says”
23 New Order – “Blue Monday”
22 Depeche Mode – “Personal Jesus”
21 My Bloody Valentine – “Only Shallow”
20 David Bowie – “Space Oddity”
19 Television – “Marquee Moon”
18 Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer”
17 The Ramones – “I Wanna Be Sedated”
16 Fugazi – “Waiting Room”
15 Beck – “Loser”
14 The Cure – “Boys Don’t Cry”
13 The Replacements – “Alex Chilton”
12 Elvis Costello – “Radio Radio”
11 Sex Pistols – “God Save The Queen”
10 U2 – “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
09 Radiohead – “Paranoid Android”
08 Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
07 The Clash – “London Calling”
06 Pixies – “Where Is My Mind?”
05 R.E.M. – “Radio Free Europe”
04 The Smiths – “How Soon Is Now?”
03 Violent Femmes – “Blister In The Sun”
02 Joy Division – “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
01 Radiohead – “Creep”
The Top 10 has some solid tracks, but it’s hard to figure out where “Smells Like Teen Spirit” should be … Maybe switch with “Where Is My Mind?” Because we know you were wondering: G. Love’s “Cold Beverage” holds forth at number 406. See for yourself at The Futurist.
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1.) woxy is the best
2.) They do this every year, so they change up the roster of songs. You know, to keep from being boring. Ergo, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has probably not always been behind “Where is My Mind?” Although that is the correct order.
Yeah, this is a good point. Maybe an ambitious soul will eventually toss all the past years into an Excel spreadsheet and figure out the ultimate 500. Anyone?
why do all the ‘top whatever’ lists always have to choose the bands’ singles?
This countdown was a tradition from when we were a commercial FM radio station. It’s really a collection of the most played/requested/influential songs that the station has played since it began in 1983.
Some of the older lists are found here: http://rocklists.com/woxy.html
The station has evolved over time and now that we’re an internet radio station, we try to combine the history of the station’s library along with the bands and songs that have influenced our playlists the most since leaving the FM dial in 2004.
It’s really just meant to be a lot of fun to listen to over the Memorial Day weekend. We’ll be reairing the entire 36-hour countdown beginning next Monday on our WOXY Vintage stream for those who’d like to hear it again…
It’s a glorious thing that woxy still exists.
WOXY was nearly gone forever but has rebounded nicely. Been listening to this annual list since I was a child in cincinnati…97X…BAM…The future of rock ‘n roll.
Wow, someone (radio station) is hoping for some credibility pats on the back. This countdown should have been titled “Top 500 modern rock songs (approved by bloggers/blog commenters) Dead Milkman in front of “Under The Bridge”? Give me a break…
If you knew even the most basic info about WOXY, you would know they don’t need to try and gain “credibility” from anyone.
Don’t you just love it when the snark turns itself on the snarkee? It’s like an ISD – Implemented Snark Device – that blows in a dude’s face on the table. HI-larious!
some of these songs are 30 years old. what qualifies them as “modern”? i’ve heard the clash being played on classic rock radio, for example.
This was the 19th year of WOXY’s countdown (and the station, even with their ups and downs, is celebrating their 25th year as a station. They were the 6th “Modern Rock” formatted station in the U.S. and the name is probably more tradition than anything else. It would really fit to call it the “Indie 500″ because so many of those older songs were huge hits in their day.
I have been listening to WOXY for years, they were a staple of my childhood growing up in Ohio. And now that I live in Nashville they get me through my work day via their webcast. I am glad to see that they have finally received the national recognition that they deserve.
It’s a glorious thing that woxy still exists.WOXY was nearly gone forever but has rebounded nicely. some young and handsome men @ WEALTHY CHAT.com are interested in it as well. Meanwhile, they want to find a rich woman to support and pamper with. Go @ WEALTHY CHAT.com
Not horrendous at all. Although I would like to see more pavement, and not “cut your hair”, which wasnt even one of their best 15 or 20 songs.
“Stereo”, “Shady Lane” and “Rattled By The Rush” also fall in the list!
Yeah, but where’s summer babe or range life? Or anything else off the first three records? I guess this is a “single” list, which can be good or bad. Good for people hearing of the songs before, bad for finding the best songs.
I adore Pavement, and “Cut Your Hair” is one of their best songs.
And way too much white stripes for my taste (eww). Missing some of guided by voices’ better tracks too, but hey, whatever.
i’m happy to see “sucked out” by superdrag in the top 500.
the entire list is a fun read.
oh, and stfu about “cut your hair”.. all you wannabe hardcore pavement fans are always bashing “cut your hair” and “gold soundz” and “spit on a stranger”. those are some of their best songs.. get over it.
Um, idiot, I never said it was a bad song. But is it their best? Absolutely not even close, so why is it the first song by them? Learn your shit, nub.
Wow. Teen Age Riot, guys. This list has no meaning whatsoever…
Oh there it is. Nevermind.
No Foo Fighters in the top 500? what?
Has anybody outside of Philly/Boston actually heard of G. Love? I thought he was mostly a regional phenomenon.
They were sort of popular in South Mississippi when I lived there several years ago. As I recall, String Cheese kids and Spreadheads liked themselves some special sauce.
yeah, a lot of kids in colorado who are really into string cheese (and dave matthews?) really like g. love and special sauce.
the countdown is just an excuse to keep the station running while shiv lays around the pool in a banana hammock drinking mojitos all weekend. I kid you not.
How is it possible that there isn’t one song by Material Issue on this countdown?
Let’s hear it for David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” coasting on a rocket at #26. The older song on this list by what, almost 10 years? Who says the 60′s aren’t relevant anymore?
Wait ……. forgot about VU – my bad! I was so surprised when I saw “Space Oddity” that I forgot other relevant bands to this list could’ve existed in the 60′s. Though “Pale Blue Eyes” could be ranked a little higher.
What… no Bush? No Better than Ezra? No C&C Music Factory? Fuck this list.
I love how upset some people get over lists. I mean, it’s all in good fun, right folks? Anyway, WOXY’s a great station. I’ve been a fan for some time, and even if this isn’t MY personal top 500 songs or whatever, it’s a fun listen.
also no green day or presidents of the united states or cranberries or rage against the machine. which i’m somewhat ok with… but a “memorial day” countdown without “you don’t know how it feels” or “free falling?” i mean is that possible? at least fugazi is in the top 20 and there’s no aerosmith to be seen.
Some of you guys are taking this thing a little too seriously. It’s supposed to be fun! You know it’s a matter of opinion how great “Cut Your Hair” is. It’s kind of silly to say one Pavement song is greater than another as if it were FACT. So your favorite indie rock song didn’t make the list. Boohoo. This isn’t a”look-how-indie-we-are-contest”
Lists spin the indie-world round.
You have to admit, G Love is pretty fun, and Cold Beverages is a perfect Memorial Day through Labor Day song.
Music lists. Last week Big tried to convince me that “Blood Sweat and Tears” is a good musical group. If only he could commit to me. Are music lists like relationships? And if they are, could I still afford my spacious apartment in NYC on a writer’s salary? Meanwhile, across town, Charlotte was compiling her own “list”.