The Top 100 Alternative Songs of All-Time

[Griftor]

Ok. A few people have asked about this since I first joined the forum a couple of weeks ago. I have a database where I have ranked every song that has ever appeared on the Billboard Alternative (formerly Modern Rock) Chart. The songs were given 40 points for each week spent at #1, 39 points for #2, and so on, all the way down to 1 point for #40.

A few quirks: The chart started out as only a top 30, rather than a top 40. So for those years, the least amount of points you could receive was 11 points for #30. This keeps the points constant across the board.

Second: My database begins with the first chart of 1992. I have not researched any further back at this point. However, very few songs from the early to mid 90s are in contention for a high ranking, simply because the shrinking of radio playlists means songs remain on the chart much longer nowadays than they used to. It's very difficult for older songs to compete.

So here's the complete listing of the top 100 alternative songs since 1992. I'll include title, artist, peak position/year it peaked on the chart, and point total. (Ties were broken first by peak position then by weeks on the chart.)

* denotes songs still on the chart

100 - Beverly Hills - Weezer - 1/05 - 913
99 - When I'm Gone - 3 Doors Down - 2/03 - 918
98 - By The Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers - 1/02 - 918
97 - Ain't No Rest For The Wicked - Cage The Elephant - 3/09 - 920
96 - All The Small Things - Blink-182 - 1/99 - 920
95 - Higher - Creed - 1/99 - 922
94 - Crawling - Linkin Park - 5/01 - 925
93 - Everything To Everyone - Everclear - 1/97 - 930
92 - Pork And Beans - Weezer - 1/08 - 931
91 - One - Creed - 2/99 - 938

90 - Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers - 1/99 - 940
89 - Fine Again - Seether - 6/03 - 946
88 - Inside The Fire - Disturbed - 4/08 - 949
87 - For You - Staind - 3/02 - 955
86 - Sometime Around Midnight - The Airborne Toxic Event - 4/09 - 956
85 - Shimmer - Fuel - 2/98 - 957
84 - Fly - Sugar Ray f/ Super Cat - 1/97 - 960
83 - One Step Closer - Linkin Park - 5/01 - 969
82 - Back Against The Wall - Cage The Elephant - 1/10 - 969
81 - Pain - Jimmy Eat World - 1/04 - 970

80 - Just Like You - Three Days Grace - 1/04 - 972
79 - Schism - Tool - 2/01 - 973
78 - Shadow Of The Day - Linkin Park - 2/08 - 974
77 - Only - Nine Inch Nails - 1/05 - 975
76 - The Hand That Feeds - Nine Inch Nails - 1/05 - 983
75 - Re-Arranged - Limp Bizkit - 1/99 - 985
74 - Welcome To The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance - 1/06 - 985
73 - Love Hurts - Incubus - 1/09 - 987
72 - Icky Thump - The White Stripes - 1/07 - 991
71 - Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind - 1/97 - 996

70 - Numb - Linkin Park - 1/03 - 1001
69 - Believe - The Bravery - 4/08 - 1002
68 - So Far Away - Staind - 1/08 - 1006
67 - From Yesterday - 30 Seconds To Mars - 1/07 - 1007
66 - What's My Age Again? - Blink-182 - 2/99 - 1013
65 - Best Of You - Foo Fighters - 1/05 - 1013
64 - Loser - 3 Doors Down - 2/00 - 1028
63 - Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz - 1/98 - 1047
62 - Psycho - Puddle Of Mudd - 1/08 - 1047
61 - It's Been Awhile - Staind - 1/01 - 1048

60 - Send The Pain Below - Chevelle - 1/03 - 1053
59 - Wasting My Time - Default - 3/02 - 1061
58 - The Red - Chevelle - 4/02 - 1072
57 - Walkin' On The Sun - Smash Mouth - 1/97 - 1073
56 - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - Green Day - 1/04 - 1075
55 - Never There - Cake - 1/98 - 1075
54 - The Middle - Jimmy Eat World - 1/02 - 1079
53 - Addicted - Saving Abel - 7/08 - 1084
52 - Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down - 1/00 - 1086
51 - Like A Stone - Audioslave - 1/03 - 1094

50 - What It's Like - Everlast - 1/98 - 1099
49 - Last Resort - Papa Roach - 1/00 - 1101
48 - Wasteland - 10 Years - 1/06 - 1111
47 - Crawling In The Dark - Hoobastank - 1/02 - 1113
46 - What I've Done - Linkin Park - 1/07 - 1115
45 - No One Knows - Queens Of The Stone Age - 1/03 - 1118
44 - Breath - Breaking Benjamin - 3/07 - 1121
43 - Pardon Me - Incubus - 3/00 - 1124
42 - So Cold - Breaking Benjamin - 3/04 - 1125
41 - The Diary Of Jane - Breaking Benjamin - 4/06 - 1127

40 - Forever - Papa Roach - 2/07 - 1127
39 - All My Life - Foo Fighters - 1/02 - 1127
38 - Let It Die - Foo Fighters - 1/08 - 1136
37 - Faint - Linkin Park - 1/03 - 1139
36 - Bleed It Out - Linkin Park - 2/07 - 1143
35 - Hanging By A Moment - Lifehouse - 1/01 - 1146
34 - Mr. Brightside - The Killers - 3/05 - 1155
33 - Sex And Candy - Marcy Playground - 1/97 - 1158
32 - Through Glass - Stone Sour - 2/06 - 1166
31 - Blurry - Puddle Of Mudd - 1/02 - 1183

30 - Fake It - Seether - 1/07 - 1186
29 - You're Gonna Go Far, Kid - The Offspring - 1/08 - 1191
28 - Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes - 1/03 - 1198
27 - (I Hate) Everything About You - Three Days Grace - 2/03 - 1204
26 - Wish You Were Here - Incubus - 2/01 - 1219
25 - My Own Worst Enemy - Lit - 1/99 - 1219
24 - How You Remind Me - Nickelback - 1/01 - 1244
23 - Headstrong - Trapt - 1/03 - 1245
22 - Cold - Crossfade - 2/05 - 1249
21 - Animal I Have Become - Three Days Grace - 1/06 - 1255

20 - Never Too Late - Three Days Grace - 2/07 - 1260
19 - Inside Out - Eve 6 - 1/98 - 1272
18 - (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To - Weezer - 2/09 - 1282
17 - Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz f/ De La Soul - 1/05 - 1317
16 - 1901 - Phoenix - 1/10 - 1317*
15 - The Kill - 30 Seconds To Mars - 3/06 - 1321
14 - Drive - Incubus - 1/01 - 1345
13 - Hemorrhage (In My Hands) - Fuel - 1/00 - 1357
12 - In The End - Linkin Park - 1/01 - 1360
11 - Second Chance - Shinedown - 1/09 - 1391

10 - Face Down - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - 3/07 - 1408
9 - I Don't Care - Apocalyptica f/ Adam Gontier - 2/08 - 1445
8 - Panic Switch - Silversun Pickups - 1/09 - 1491
7 - Feel Good Drag - Anberlin - 1/09 - 1538
6 - Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon - 1/08 - 1549
5 - Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon - 1/09 - 1576
4 - Paralyzer - Finger Eleven - 1/07 - 1580
3 - The Pretender - Foo Fighters - 1/07 - 1593
2 - Uprising - Muse - 1/09 - 1605*
1 - Savior - Rise Against - 3/09 - 1680*

[PHOBES]

Jun 13, 2010 16:51:01 GMT -5 Griftor said:

44 - Breath - Breaking Benjamin - 3/07 - 1121
42 - So Cold - Breaking Benjamin - 3/04 - 1125
41 - The Diary Of Jane - Breaking Benjamin - 4/06 - 1127

At least they're consistent.

[Rich P.]

Very interesting post, thanks. Top 10 is all 2007 and later, have radio playlists shrunk that much since before 2007? One recommendation, should the chart samples be restricted to numbers 1 to 20 since songs go recurrent after they drop below 20? Thanks.

[alexcuse]

Thanks, very interesting list

[thisbeautifulmess]

Jun 13, 2010 16:51:01 GMT -5 Griftor said:

Second: My database begins with the first chart of 1992. I have not researched any further back at this point. However, very few songs from the early to mid 90s are in contention for a high ranking, simply because the shrinking of radio playlists means songs remain on the chart much longer nowadays than they used to. It's very difficult for older songs to compete.

"Smells like teen spirit" would be the highest with 651 points.