Elvis Costello: His Top 50 Songs

Elvis Costello Top 50 Songs

Singer/songwriter Elvis Costello was born Declan McManus in Paddington, London, England, on August 25, 1954. He changed his name to Elvis Costello in 1976. He came out of the British punk/new wave scene in 1977 and became one of the most celebrated musicians of all time with his diverse abilities for dipping his toe into multiple musical genres including R&B, country, and classical. Click here to see other best-of lists from other performers, including best albums or songs by specific acts.

Awards:

Top 50 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. DMDB Top 2%: 1. Alison (1977) DMDB Top 5%: 2. Radio Radio (1978) 3. What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding (1978) 4. Pump It Up (1978) 5. Watching the Detectives (1977) 6. Oliver’s Army (1979) 7. Veronica (1989) DMDB Top 10%: 8. Everyday I Write the Book (1983) 9. Accidents Will Happen (1979) DMDB Top 20%: 10. I Don’t Want to Go to Chelsea (1978) 11. A Good Year for the Roses (1981) 12. I Want You (1986) 13. The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes (1977) 14. I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down (1980) 15. Less Than Zero (1977) 16. Clubland (1981) 17. The Other Side of Summer (1991) 18. The Only Flame in Town (1984) 19. Man Out of Time (1982) 20. High Fidelity (1980) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 21. Shipbuilding (1983) 22. Pills and Soap (1983) 23. Party Party (1982) 24. 13 Steps Lead Down (1994) 25. Monkey to Man (2004) 26. Watch Your Step (1981) 27. This Town (1989) 28. Baby Plays Around (1989) 29. From a Whisper to a Scream (1981) 30. Unwanted Number (2018) 31. New Amsterdam (1980) 32. Let Him Dangle (1989) 33. Tramp the Dirt Down (1989) 34. Green Shirt (1979) 35. Lipstick Vogue (1978) 36. Sweet Dreams of You (1981) 37. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (1986) 38. Psycho (1979) 39. Brilliant Mistake (1986) 40. Welcome to the Working Week (1977) 41. I’m Your Toy (1981) 42. I’m Not Angry (1977) 43. I Wanna Be Loved (1984) 44. Tokyo Storm Warning (1986) 45. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror (1989) 46. Let Them All Talk (1983) 47. All This Useless Beauty (1996) 48. Six Months in Kansas City (2014) 49. From Head to Toe (1982) 50. You Little Fool (1982) Related Links: First posted 8/25/2017; last updated 4/24/2026.

Elvis Costello: His Top 20 Albums

Elvis Costello Top 20 Albums

Singer/songwriter Elvis Costello was born Declan McManus in Paddington, London, England, on August 25, 1954. He changed his name to Elvis Costello in 1976. He came out of the British punk/new wave scene in 1977 and became one of the most celebrated musicians of all time with his diverse abilities for dipping his toe into multiple musical genres including R&B, country, and classical. While these lists reflect a definite emphasis on his work from the ‘70s and ‘80s, Costello continues to make adventurous music. His fans never know just where he might go on his next album. Click here to see other best-of lists from other performers, including best albums or songs by specific acts.

Awards:

Top 20 Albums Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by album’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, critics’ ratings, and awards. This list focuses only on studio releases, not on compilations, live recordings, or archival collections. This Year’s Model (1978) My Aim Is True (1977) Armed Forces (1979) Imperial Bedroom (1982) Get Happy!! (1980) King of America (1986) Blood and Chocolate (1986) Trust (1981) Spike (1989) The Delivery Man (2004) Punch the Clock (1983) When I Was Cruel (2002) National Ransom (2010) Almost Blue (1981) Look Now (2018) Brutal Youth (1994) Painted from Memory (with Burt Bacharach, 1998) Mighty Like a Rose (1991) Secret, Profane and Sugarcane (2009) All This Useless Beauty (1996) Related Links: First posted 8/25/2012; last updated 4/24/2026.

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Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists

Acts: Profile Pages and Best-of Lists

This page lists those acts who have devoted pages within Dave’s Music Database. Such pages highlight the acts’ discography, focusing primarily on the studio albums and significant songs from them. Some of these pages are specifically devoted to compilations released by the act, highlighting the songs featured on the different compilations with a retrospective that highlights all the studio efforts released within the covered years. You can see an act’s profile page by clicking on the name of the act. This page also indicates those acts which have best-of lists featured within Dave’s Music Database. The majority of these lists are focused on songs by featured acts, but there are also some lists devoted to albums. Sometimes the best-of lists incorporate related artists. For example, a best-of Fleetwood Mac list includes songs not just by the group but solo efforts as well. Click on the word SONGS after an act to see its song list and ALBUMS to see its album list. A Adele – songs Aha – songs Damon Albarn – songs Tori Amos – songs Arcade Fire – songs Louis Armstrong – songs Asia - songs B Burt Bacharach – songs David Baerwald Bangles – songs Jeff Barry – songs Dave Bartholomew – songs Eric Bazilian – songs The Beach Boys – songs The Beatles – songs, albums Jeff Beck – songs Bee Gees – songs Pat Benatar – songs Irving Berlin - songs Chuck Berry – songs Beyoncé – songs Black Sabbath – songs Boston David Bowie – songs, albums Garth Brooks – songs James Brown songs Lindsey Buckingham – songs Henry Burr – songs The Byrds C Mariah Carey – songs Paul Carrack – songs Johnny Cash Ray Charles – songs Chicago Desmond Child – songs Eric Clapton songs, albums Gene Clark Michael Clarke George M. Cohan – songs Leonard Cohen – songs Arthur Collins – songs Phil Collins songs Commodores – songs Chris Cornell – songs Elvis Costello – songs, albums Bing Crosby songs David Crosby – songs Crosby, Stills & Nash – songs Sheryl Crow – songs Crowded House – songs Justin Currie – songs D Hal David – songs Miles Davis Def Leppard – songs Del Amitri - songs Destiny’s Child – songs Buddy DeSylva – songs Dennis DeYoung songs Neil Diamond – songs Chris Difford – songs Ronnie James Dio – songs The Doors – songs Tommy Dorsey – songs Dr. Luke – songs Drake – songs Bob Dylan – songs, albums E Eagles – songs Duke Ellington – songs Eminem – songs Brian Eno – albums Melissa Etheridge Eurythmics – songs F Neil Finn – songs Tim Finn – songs Fish – songs, albums Fleetwood Mac – songs Aretha Franklin – songs Foo Fighters – songs Glenn Frey – songs G Peter Gabriel – songs Marvin Gaye – songs Genesis – songs George Gershwin – songs Ira Gershwin – songs Kevin Gilbert – songs Giraffe Gerry Goffin – songs Benny Goodman – songs Green Day – songs Ellie Greenwich – songs Guns N’ Roses – songs H Oscar Hammerstein II – songs Byron Harlan – songs Jimi Hendrix songs Don Henley – songs Chris Hillman Holland-Dozier-Holland – songs Buddy Holly Hooters – songs Whitney Houston – songs I-J The Jackson 5/The Jacksons – songs Michael Jackson – songs Jay-Z – songs Jimmy Jam – songs Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship Billy Joel – songs Elton John – songs George Jones – songs Journey – songs Quincy Jones – songs K Jerome Kern – songs The Killers – songs Carole King – songs Kiss – songs L Mutt Lange – songs, albums Led Zeppelin – songs, albums Jerry Leiber – songs John Lennon – songs Annie Lennox – songs Jerry Lee Lewis – songs Terry Lewis – songs Frank Loesser – songs Guy Lombardo – songs Lyle Lovett – songs Loretta Lynn – songs Lynyrd Skynyrd – songs M-N Madonna – songs Barry Mann – songs Marillion: The Fish Era (1981-1988) and Marillion: The Hogarth Era (1989-2022) – songs, albums Bob Marley Maroon 5 Max Martin – songs Paul McCartney – songs Roger McGuinn Christine McVie – songs John Mellencamp – songs Metallica – songs Mike + the Mechanics – songs Glenn Miller – songs The Miracles – songs Joni Mitchell – songs Morrissey – songs Billy Murray – songs N-O Graham Nash – songs Willie Nelson – songs Olivia Newton-John – songs Stevie Nicks – songs Oasis – songs Sinéad O’Connor – songs Ozzy Osbourne – songs P Alan Parsons – songs Alan Parsons Project – songs Gram Parsons – songs Dolly Parton – songs Pearl Jam – songs Tom Petty – songs Pink Floyd – songs, albums Robert Plant – songs, albums The Police – songs Post Malone – songs Elvis Presley – songs Prince – songs, songs: covers Q-R Queen – songs, albums Radiohead – songs The Rainmakers songs Phil Ramone Red Hot Chili Peppers – songs Lou Reed – songs, albums R.E.M. – songs Lionel Richie – songs Rihanna – songs Smokey Robinson – songs Richard Rodgers – songs Kenny Rogers – songs The Rolling Stones, 1962-1971, 1972-2002 – songs, albums Linda Ronstadt – songs Diana Ross – songs Rick Rubin – albums Rush – songs, albums S Carole Bayer Sager – songs Tommy Shaw – songs Ed Sheeran – songs Simon & Garfunkel – songs Paul Simon – songs Simple Minds – songs Frank Sinatra – songs Slash Smashing Pumpkins – songs The Smiths – songs Soundgarden – songs Phil Spector – songs Split Enz – songs Bruce Springsteen – songs, albums Squeeze – songs Starship Jim Steinman – songs Rod Stewart – songs Stephen Stills – songs Sting – songs Mike Stoller – songs Stone Temple Pilots – songs Barbra Streisand – songs Styx – songs Donna Summer – songs Supertramp The Supremes – songs Taylor Swift – songs T-U Tears for Fears – songs Glenn Tilbrook – songs Tuesday Night Music Club Tina Turner – songs Shania Twain – songs U2 – songs V-W Velvet Underground – songs, albums Harry Von Tilzer – songs Bob Walkenhorst – songs Diane Warren – songs Roger Waters songs Cynthia Weil – songs Scott Weiland – songs Jann Wenner Jack White – songs The White Stripes – songs Paul Whiteman – songs The Who – songs, albums Steve Winwood Stevie Wonder – songs Eric Woolfson X-Y-Z Yardbirds Yes – songs, albums Neil Young – songs, albums Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Top 100 Acts of All Time” (groups + individual music makers) Dave’s Music Database: “All-Time Top 100 Groups” First posted 6/4/2022; last updated 4/23/2026.