Making list rankings is probably the favorite pastime for many music aficionados.
Do they mean anything in the general scheme of things? No. Should they be taken seriously and used to form your own opinion on the songs in questions? Absolutely not.
But they are fun to make and lead to (usually) fun discussions with fellow music lovers.
There seems to be 136 official songs released by Spoon, not including demos. While most would believe it a fool’s errand to attempt to rank all 136 of them, we (KAXE producers Malachy Koons and Andrew Dziengel) thought it was a worthy cause, and we're even more excited to see Spoon than we were before.
Spoon will be headlining Grand Rapid Riverfest on Saturday, Sept. 7. Get your tickets at the Grand Rapids Riverfest website.
Some rules that we set before beginning this endeavor.
- The song rankings are determined by the average ratings both of us gave.
- The songs are judged by catchiness/bop level category and creativity/uniqueness in the Spoon catalog and overall music world.
- This is all for fun. Both of us are Spoon fans, and it’s all love for what they do. Even the songs at the bottom are ones we enjoy.
The very official super-duper song rankings
Listed here are the song followed by the album or EP on which it appeared. Click here if you want to skip to the Top Ten.
136. "Tweakers" - Got Nuffin (2009)
135. "Staring at the Board" – A Series of Sneaks (1998)
134. "Primary" – Telephono (1996)
133. "Chloroform" – A Series of Sneaks
132. "Wanted to be Your" – Telephono
131. "The Government Darling" – Telephono
130. "Claws Tracking" – Telephono
129. "Stroke Their Brains" – A Series of Sneaks
128. "All the Negatives Have Been Destroyed" – Telephono
127. "The Figures of Art" – Love Ways (2000)
126. "Not Turning Off" – Telephono
125. "June’s Foreign Spell" – A Series of Sneaks
124. "This Book is a Movie" – Girls Can Tell (2001)
123. "Get Out the State" – Soft Effects (1997)
122. "Utilitarian" – A Series of Sneaks
121. "Theme to Wendel Stivers" – Telephono
120. "The Agony of Laffitte" – The Agony of Laffitte (1999 single)
119. "Cvantez" – Telephono
118. "She’s Fine, She’s Mine" – Memory Dust (2023)
117. "Jealousy" – Love Ways
116. "Shake It Off" – Shake It Off (2019)
115. "Chips and Dip" – Love Ways
114. "Waiting for the Kid to Come Out" – Soft Effects
113. "Back to the Life" – Kill the Moonlight (2002)
112. "I Could See the Dude" – Soft Effects
111. "First Caress" – Hot Thoughts (2017)
110. "Paper Tiger" – Kill the Moonlight
109. "1020 AM" – Girls Can Tell
108. "Metal School" – A Series of Sneaks
107. "Take the Fifth" – Girls Can Tell
106. "Towner" – Telephono
105. "Take a Walk" – Girls Can Tell
104. "The Infinite Pet" – Gimmie Fiction (2005)
103. "TV Set" – TV Set (2015 single)
102. "Stay Don’t Go" – Kill the Moonlight
101. "Don’t Buy the Realistic" – Telephono
100. "Someone Something" – Kill the Moonlight
99. "30 Gallon Tank" – A Series of Sneaks
98. "The Fitted Shirt" – Girls Can Tell
97. "The Ghost of You Lingers" – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007)
96. "The Delicate Place" – Gimmie Fiction
95. "Us" – Hot Thoughts
94. "Idiot Driver" – Telephono
93. "Tear It Down" – Hot Thoughts
92. "Loss Leaders" – Soft Effects
91. "Nefarious" – Telephono
90. "Plastic Mylar" – Telephono
89. "Mountain to Sound" – Soft Effects
88. "Is This the Last Time" – Is This the Last Time (2002)
87. "Don’t Let It Get You Down" – Kill the Moonlight
86. "No You’re Not" – A Series of Sneaks
85. "Merchants of Soul" – Gimmie Fiction
84. "I Saw the Light" – Transference (2010)
83. "Revenge" – 30 Gallon Tank (1998)
82. "Reservations" – A Series of Sneaks
81. "Me and the Bean" – Girls Can Tell
80. "I Ain’t the One" – Hot Thoughts
79. "My Mathematical Mind" – Gimmie Fiction
78. "I Didn’t Come Here to Die" – Love Ways
77. "Laffitte Don’t Fail Me Now" – The Agony of Laffitte
76. "Before Destruction" – Transference
75. "All I Got is Me" – Don't You Evah (2008)
74. "Dismember" – Telephono
73. "Goodnight Laura" – Transference
72. "Eddie’s Ragga" – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
71. "Change My Life" – Love Ways
70. "Finer Feelings" – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
69. "Pink Up" – Hot Thoughts
68. "Sister Jack" – Gimmie Fiction
67. "Car Radio" – A Series of Sneaks
66. "Black Like Me" – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
65. "Feels Alright" – Lucifer on the Sofa (2022)
64. "Knock Knock Knock" – They Want My Soul (2014)
63. "Small Stakes" – Kill the Moonlight
62. "Execution" – A Series of Sneaks
61. "Is Love Forever" – Transference
60. "Satellite" – Lucifer on the Sofa
59. "No Bullets Spent" – Everything Hits at Once (2019)
58. "Rhythm and Soul" – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
57. "You Gotta Feel It" – Kill the Moonlight
56. "They Never Got You" – Gimmie Fiction
55. "Vittorio E." - Kill the Moonlight
54. "Metal Detektor" – A Series of Sneaks
53. "Lines in the Suit" – Girls Can Tell
52. "Astral Jacket" – Lucifer on the Sofa
51. "I Turn My Camera On" – Gimmie Fiction
50. "The Devil and Mister Jones" – Lucifer on the Sofa
49. "The Minor Tough" – A Series of Sneaks
48. "Who Makes Your Money" – Transference
47. Sugar Babies – Memory Dust (2023)
46. "The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine" – Gimmie Fiction
45. "They Want My Soul" – They Want My Soul
44. "Trouble Comes Running" – Transference
43. "Believing is Art" – Girls Can Tell
42. "Advance Cassette" – A Series of Sneaks
41. "Quincy Punk Episode" – A Series of Sneaks
40. "Was it You?" - Gimmie Fiction
39. "Let Me Be Mine" – They Want My Soul
38. "Out Go the Lights" – Transference
37. "On the Radio" – Lucifer on the Sofa
36. "Held" – Lucifer on the Sofa
35. "My Little Japanese Cigarette Case" – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
34. "I Just Don’t Understand" – They Want My Soul
33. "Do You" – They Want My Soul
32. "Chicago at Night" – Girls Can Tell
31. "Something to Look Forward To" – Kill the Moonlight
30. "Rent I Pay" – They Want My Soul
29. "Silver Girl" – Memory Dust
28. "Written in Reverse" – Transference
27. "Outlier" – They Want My Soul
26. "Hot Thoughts" – Hot Thoughts
25. "The Mystery Zone" – Transference
24. "Lucifer on the Sofa" – Lucifer on the Sofa
23. "Can I Sit Next to You" – Hot Thoughts
22. "Anything You Want" – Girls Can Tell
21. "Jonathan Fisk" – Kill the Moonlight
20. "Do I Have to Talk You Into It" – Hot Thoughts
19. "All the Pretty Girls Go to the City" – Kill the Moonlight
18. "Don’t Make Me a Target" – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
17. "Shotgun" – Hot Thoughts
16. "I Summon You" – Gimmie Fiction
15. "WhisperI’lllistentohearit" - Hot Thoughts
14. "Inside Out" – They Want My Soul
13. "The Hardest Cut" – Lucifer on the Sofa
12. "Rainy Taxi" – They Want My Soul
11. "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Now for the Top 10
10. "My Babe" – Lucifer on the Sofa
This song stands out in the Spoon catalog, particularly the Britt Daniel body of lyrics. Gone are the layers of distance between narrator and love interest, gone is the uneasy feeling of a relationship beginning to sour. It’s a heart on your sleeve description of being deeply and presently in love, and all the things you would do for that special someone. - Malachy
9. "The Underdog" – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Never has scolding someone sounded so fun. Taking a book out of a Van Morrison or Paul Simon song, Spoon add some horns to their fiery lyrics. Spoon doesn’t come off angry on a lot of their songs, and they usually don’t sound this festive either. (This song was my introduction to Spoon, so it rates high in my opinion). - Andrew
8. "Nobody Gets Me But You" – Transference
Closing out Transference, this song is unique in the Spoon catalog. It almost sounds post-punk with its catchy bass line. With Daniel’s yelps and the wild instrumentation at the end of the song, you feel a sense of frustration. “Why can’t people understand me?” Who hasn’t felt that way at some point in their lives? - Andrew
7. "The Way We Get By" – Kill the Moonlight
Spoon at their minimalist best. Built around a descending piano riff that never leaves the song, “The Way We Get By” is exactly that. Daniel singing about the things (vices, bad habits, eccentricities, Iggy Pop and The Stooges songs) that help to get you through the mundaneness of modern life. Be honest, did you catch all the Stooges references until you read this? - Malachy
6. "Beast and Dragon, Adored" – Gimmie Fiction
Prior to settling on Gimme Fiction as an album title, “The Beast and Dragon, Adored” was planned as the title track to Spoon’s fifth album. It makes sense that it is our highest scoring song from the album and the only one appearing in the Top 10.
Daniel muses about maintaining creativity and finding that spark to make music. Maybe it was the classic writer's strategy of holing up in a beautiful location (which the singer actually did do as the numerous references to the ocean and water show), but Daniel seems to think it has more to do with rock 'n' roll as a mythical force that needs to be surrendered to. We’re glad he did. - Malachy
5. "New York Kiss" – They Want My Soul
Another album closer that almost feels like a perfect song for a montage of memories of a wild night out. That end of the night melancholy feeling where you start wondering is this how I thought I would end up? Good times seem far away, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop moving. - Andrew
4. "Don’t You Evah" – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Is this the coolest-sounding Spoon song? It definitely has the most swagger. This is the kind of song you want to hear while getting ready for a night on the town, or at least playing on the jukebox when you arrive at the bar. It serves as a great reminder that rock and roll is cool, and Spoon is one of the best to ever do it. - Andrew
3. "Wild" – Lucifer on the Sofa
Have you ever experienced something that pulled you out of a funk and opened your eyes to a world that is vast and teeming with endless possibilities? Daniel has, and thankfully for us, he was able to capture that feeling in a song. - Malachy
2. "Got Nuffin" – Transference
Arguably Spoon’s hardest-rocking song. Continuing the grand tradition started by artists like Little Richard, Gene Vincent or Wanda Jackson. Daniel can barely contain himself in this song. That energy is missing so much in modern music, it’s nice to be served a reminder by Spoon what the ROCK in rock 'n' roll means. - Andrew
1. "Everything Hits at Once" – Girls Can Tell
In the days after a relationship ends, there are long stretches of detachment before the realization has fully sunk in. Like a phone ringing in the back of your mind or going to sleep and thinking there is someone on the other side of the bed.
Then there are the moments where it all suddenly crashes through and “hits at once.” The opening track from Girls Can Tell is a master class in songwriting that manages to evoke both feelings. During the chorus, everything briefly snaps into place for one beat before returning to the mellow mood of the verses. - Malachy
