Today we unveil the results of Round 6 of our Slicing Up Eyeballs artist poll series, a ranking of all 176 songs officially released by goth/post-punk icons Siouxsie and the Banshees over the band’s decades-spanning career, from their debut single “Hong Kong Garden” in 1978 to the scattered once-unreleased tracks that have trickled out in the 2000s.
A little refresher: We asked readers to vote for up to 25 of their favorite songs recorded by the Banshees, choosing from a ballot that listed all 176 of the band’s singles, album tracks, soundtrack cuts (“Batman Returns”! “Showgirls”!) and cover songs. We didn’t include live versions or remixes.
RELATED: Playlist of all 176 Siouxsie and the Banshees songs, ranked — minus 48 not on Spotify
Based on a total of about 27,000 votes, the full results are presented below. As you can see, the No. 1 selection — not surprisingly, one of the Banshees’ bigger alt-rock radio singles — topped the list by about 40 votes over the No. 2 song, a perhaps more surprising selection in the runner-up spot.
PREVIOUS POLLS: The Cure | The Smiths | R.E.M. | Depeche Mode | New Order
As always, thank you all so much for participating.
And now, the results:
BEST OF SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES: ALL 176 SONGS, RANKED
1. “Cities in Dust”
Single; appears on Tinderbox (1986) | 957 votes
2. “Spellbound”
Single; appears on Juju (1981) | 918 votes
3. “Christine”
Single; appears on Kaleidoscope (1980) | 826 votes
4. “Israel”
Non-album single (1980) | 759 votes
5. “Hong Kong Garden”
Non-album single (1978) | 745 votes
6. “Happy House”
Single; appears on Kaleidoscope (1980) | 719 votes
7. “Kiss Them For Me”
Single; appears on Superstition (1991) | 713 votes
8. “Dear Prudence”
Non-album single (1983) | 684 votes
9. “Peek-a-Boo”
Single; appears on Peepshow (1988) | 680 votes
10. “Arabian Knights”
Single; appears on Juju (1981) | 673 votes
11. “Dazzle”
Single; appears on Hyæna (1984) | 655 votes
12. “The Killing Jar”
Single; appears on Peepshow (1988) | 538 votes
13. “Slowdive”
Single; appears on A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982) | 522 votes
14. “The Passenger”
Single; appears on Through the Looking Glass (1987) | 517 votes
15. “Melt!”
Single; appears on A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982) | 453 votes
16. “Night Shift”
Appears on Juju (1981) | 426 votes
17. “Candyman”
Single; appears on Tinderbox (1986) | 417 votes
18. “Swimming Horses”
Single; appears on Hyæna (1984) | 400 votes
19. “Face to Face”
Single; appears on “Batman Returns” soundtrack (1992) | 399 votes
20. “The Last Beat of My Heart”
Single; appears on Peepshow (1988) | 393 votes
21. “This Wheel’s On Fire”
Single; appears on Through the Looking Glass (1987) | 374 votes
22. “Fireworks”
Non-album single (1982) | 368 votes
23. “Halloween”
Appears on Juju (1981) | 367 votes
24. “Love in a Void”
B-side of “Mittageisen” (1979) | 347 votes
25. “Cascade”
Appears on A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982) | 346 votes
26. “Into the Light”
Appears on Juju (1981) | 344 votes
27. “Red Light”
Appears on Kaleidoscope (1980) | 330 votes
28. “Monitor”
Appears on Juju (1981) | 314 votes
29. “Helter Skelter”
Appears on The Scream (1978) | 274 votes
30. “Sin in My Heart”
Appears on Juju (1981) | 262 votes
31. “Painted Bird”
Appears on A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982) | 244 votes
32. “Shadowtime”
Single; appears on Superstition (1991) | 235 votes
33. “The Sweetest Chill”
Appears on Tinderbox (1986) | 214 votes
34. “Ornaments of Gold”
Appears on Peepshow (1988) | 200 votes
35. “Fear (Of the Unknown)”
Single; appears on Superstition (1991) | 192 votes
36. “The Staircase (Mystery)”
Non-album single (1979) | 190 votes
37. “Playground Twist” (TIE)
Single; appears on Join Hands (1979) | 187 votes
37. “Rhapsody” (TIE)
Appears on Peepshow (1988) | 187 votes
39. “Mirage”
Appears on The Scream (1978) | 182 votes
40. “Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)”
Appears on The Scream (1978) | 176 votes
41. “Voodoo Dolly”
Appears on Juju (1981) | 172 votes
42. “92°” (TIE)
Appears on Tinderbox (1986) | 171 votes
42. “Song From the Edge of the World” (TIE)
Non-album single (1987) | 171 votes
44. “Jigsaw Feeling”
Appears on The Scream (1978) | 169 votes
45. “Icon”
Appears on Join Hands (1979) | 166 votes
46. “Belladona”
Appears on Hyæna (1984) | 164 votes
47. “Bring Me the Head of the Preacher Man”
Appears on Hyæna (1984) | 160 votes
48. “Scarecrow”
Appears on Peepshow (1988) | 158 votes
49. “The Ghost in You”
Appears on Superstition (1991) | 157 votes
50. “Overground”
Re-recorded version on The Thorn EP (1984) | 156 votes
51. “Trust In Me”
Appears on Through the Looking Glass (1987) | 153 votes
52. “Switch” (TIE)
Appears on The Scream (1978) | 152 votes
52. “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us” (TIE)
Appears on Through the Looking Glass (1987) | 152 votes
54. “Desert Kisses”
Appears on Kaledioscope (1980) | 148 votes
55. “Land’s End”
Appears on Tinderbox (1986) | 145 votes
56. “Carousel”
Appears on Peepshow (1988) | 144 votes
57. “Overground”
Appears on The Scream (1981) | 143 votes
58. “Green Fingers”
Appears on A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982) | 142 votes
59. “Cannons” (TIE)
Appears on Tinderbox (1986) | 138 votes
59. “Stargazer” (TIE)
Single; appears on The Rapture (1994) | 138 votes
61. “She’s a Carnival”
Appears on A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982) | 137 votes
62. “Party’s Fall”
Appears on Tinderbox (1986) | 134 votes
63. “Eve White/Eve Black” (TIE)
B-side of “Christine” (1980) | 132 votes
63. “Hall of Mirrors” (TIE)
Appears on Through the Looking Glass (1987) | 132 votes
65. “The Rapture”
Appears on The Rapture (1994) | 126 votes
66. “Blow the House Down” (TIE)
Appears on Hyæna (1984) | 124 votes
66. “You’re Lost Little Girl” (TIE)
Appears on Through the Looking Glass (1987) | 124 votes
68. “Placebo Effect” (TIE)
Appears on Join Hands (1979) | 122 votes
68. “This Unrest” (TIE)
Appears on Tinderbox (1981) | 122 votes
70. “Carcass”
Appears on The Scream (1978) | 118 votes
71. “Head Cut” (TIE)
Appears on Juju (1981) | 117 votes
71. “Pulled to Bits” (TIE)
B-side of “Playground Twist” (1979) | 117 votes
73. “Obsession”
Appears on A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982) | 106 votes
74. “Paradise Place” (TIE)
Appears on Kaleidoscope (1980) | 105 votes
74. “Turn to Stone” (TIE)
Appears on Peepshow (1988) | 105 votes
76. “Suburban Relapse”
Appears on The Scream (1978) | 102 votes
77. “Tenant” (TIE)
Appears on Kaleidoscope (1980) | 101 votes
77. “We Hunger” (TIE)
Appears on Hyaena (1984) | 101 votes
79. “Lullaby”
B-side of “Candyman” (1986) | 100 votes
80. “Tattoo”
B-side of “Dear Prudence” (1983) | 99 votes
81. “Red Over White”
Re-recorded version on The Thorn EP (1984) | 93 votes
82. “Strange Fruit”
Appears on Through the Looking Glass (1987) | 89 votes
83. “Little Sister”
Appears on Superstition (1991) | 84 votes
84. “Forever” (TIE)
Appears on The Rapture (1995) | 82 votes
84. “Nicotine Stain” (TIE)
Appears on The Scream (1979) | 82 votes
86. “Rawhead and Bloodybones”
Appears on Peepshow (1988) | 78 votes
87. “Dizzy”
Appears on The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees (2002) | 77 votes
88. “O Baby”
Single; appears on The Rapture (1995) | 75 votes
89. “Skin”
Appears on Kaleidoscope (1980) | 73 votes
90. “Burn-Up” (TIE)
Appears on Peepshow (1988) | 72 votes
90. “Hybird” (TIE)
Appears on Kaleidoscope (1980) | 72 votes
92. “Silver Waterfalls”
Appears on Superstition (1991) | 71 votes
93. “Are You Still Dying Darling?”
B-side of “The Killing Jar” (1988) | 68 votes
94. “Lunar Camel” (TIE)
Appears on Kaleidoscope (1980) | 67 votes
94. “Something Wicked (This Way Comes)” (TIE)
B-side of “The Killing Jar” (1988) | 67 votes
96. “Shooting Sun”
B-side of “This Wheel’s On Fire” (1987) | 66 votes
97. “Take Me Back”
Appears on Hyaena (1984) | 65 votes
98. “El Dia de Los Muertos” (TIE)
B-side of “The Last Beat of My Heart” (1988) | 63 votes
98. “Little Johnny Jewel” (TIE)
Appears on Through the Looking Glass (1987) | 63 votes
100. “Trophy”
Appears on Kaleidoscope (1980) | 62 votes
101. “20th Century Boy” (TIE)
B-side of “The Staircase (Mystery)” (1979) | 61 votes
101. “Cry” (TIE)
Appears on Superstition (1991) | 61 votes
101. “Red Over White” (TIE)
B-side of “Israel” (1980) | 61 votes
104. “Circle” (TIE)
Appears on A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982) | 59 votes
104. “Clockface” (TIE)
Appears on Kaleidoscope (1980) | 59 votes
106. “Love Out Me” (TIE)
Appears on The Rapture (1995) | 58 votes
106. “Regal Zone” (TIE)
Appears on Join Hands (1979) | 58 votes
108. “Drop Dead/Celebration” (TIE)
B-side of “Happy House” (1980) | 57 votes
108. “Placebo Effect” (TIE)
Re-recorded version on The Thorn EP (1984) | 57 votes
108. “Sleepwalking (On the High Wire)” (TIE)
B-side of “This Wheel’s On Fire” (1987) | 57 votes
111. “Gun”
Appears on Through the Looking Glass (1987) | 56 votes
112. “I Could Be Again”
B-side of “Fear (Of the Unknown) (1991) | 55 votes
113. “Return” (TIE)
B-side of “Kiss Them For Me” (1991) | 54 votes
113. “The Lord’s Prayer” (TIE)
Appears on Join Hands (1979) | 54 votes
115. “Drifter” (TIE)
Appears on Superstition (1991) | 53 votes
115. “Not Forgotten” (TIE)
Appears on The Rapture (1995) | 53 votes
117. “Tearing Apart” (TIE)
Appears on The Rapture (1995) | 52 votes
117. “The Quarterdrawing of the Dog” (TIE)
B-side of “Cities in Dust” (1985) | 52 votes
119. “Running Town”
Appears on Hyaena (1984) | 50 votes
120. “Coal Mind” (TIE)
B-side of “Fireworks” (1982) | 49 votes
120. “Cocoon” (TIE)
Appears on A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982) | 49 votes
120. “Mittageisen” (TIE)
Non-album single (1979) | 49 votes
123. “I Promise”
B-side of “Dazzle” (1984) | 47 votes
124. “Il est né, le divin Enfant”
Non-album single (1982) | 46 votes
125. “Fall From Grace” (TIE)
Appears on The Rapture (1995) | 42 votes
125. “Something Else” (TIE)
B-side of “The Passenger” (1987) | 42 votes
127. “Poppy Day” (TIE)
Appears on Join Hands (1979) | 40 votes
127. “Sick Child” (TIE)
Appears on The Rapture (1995) | 40 votes
129. “Got to Get Up”
Appears on Superstition (1991) | 39 votes
130. “B Side Ourselves” (TIE)
B-side of “O Baby” (1994) | 38 votes
130. “Premature Burial” (TIE)
Appears on Join Hands (1979) | 38 votes
132. “She’s Cuckoo” (TIE)
B-side of “The Passenger” (1987) | 37 votes
132. “Silly Thing” (TIE)
Appears on Superstition (1991) | 37 votes
134. “An Execution” (TIE)
B-side of “Cities in Dust” (1985) | 36 votes
134. “Catwalk” (TIE)
B-side of “Peek-a-Boo” (1988) | 36 votes
134. “New Skin” (TIE)
Appears on “Showgirls” soundtrack (1995) | 36 votes
137. “Softly”
Appears on Superstition (1991) | 35 votes
138. “Conga Conga” (TIE)
B-side of “Arabian Nights” (1981) | 34 votes
138. “The Double Life” (TIE)
Appears on The Rapture (1995) | 34 votes
140. “Pointing Bone”
Appears on Hyaena (1984) | 33 votes
141. “Let Go”
B-side of “Swimming Horses” (1984) | 31 votes
142. “Umbrella”
B-side of “Candyman” (1986) | 30 votes
143. “Follow the Sun” (TIE)
B-side of “Spellbound” (1981) | 29 votes
143. “Pure” (TIE)
Appears on The Scream (1978) | 29 votes
145. “Voices (On the Air)” (TIE)
B-side of “Hong Kong Garden” (1978) | 28 votes
145. “Cannibal Roses” (TIE)
B-side of “Slowdive” (1982) | 28 votes
145. “Voices (On the Air)” (TIE)
Re-recorded version on The Thorn EP (1984) | 28 votes
148. “Sea of Light” (TIE)
B-side of “Shadowtime” (1991) | 27 votes
148. “Staring Back” (TIE)
B-side of “Kiss Them for Me” (1991) | 27 votes
150. “Supernatural Thing”
B-side of “Arabian Nights” (1981) | 25 votes
151. “Black Sun” (TIE)
B-side of “Stargazer” (1995) | 24 votes
151. “The Humming Wires” (TIE)
B-side of “Swimming Horses” (1984) | 24 votes
153. “Hang Me High” (TIE)
B-side of “Stargazer” (1995) | 23 votes
153. “Starcrossed Lovers” (TIE)
Bonus track on Tinderbox reissue (2009) | 23 votes
155. “Sea Breezes”
Appears on Through the Looking Glass (1987) | 22 votes
156. “She Cracked”
B-side of “This Wheel’s On Fire” (1987) | 20 votes
157. “Falling Down” (TIE)
Appears on The Rapture (1995) | 19 votes
157. “Mother/Oh Mein Papa” (TIE)
Appears on Join Hands (1979) | 19 votes
157. “Spiral Twist” (TIE)
B-side of “Shadowtime” (1991) | 19 votes
160. “Make Up to Break Up”
Appears on The Scream reissue (2005) | 18 votes
161. “False Face” (TIE)
B-side of “Peek-a-Boo” (1988) | 17 votes
161. “Throw Them to the Lions” (TIE)
B-side of “Dazzle” (1984) | 17 votes
163. “A Sleeping Rain” (TIE)
B-side of “Melt!” (1982) | 12 votes
163. “The Lonely One” (TIE)
Appears on The Rapture (1995) | 12 votes
163. “(There’s A) Planet in My Kitchen” (TIE)
B-side of “Dear Prudence” (1983) | 12 votes
166. “We Fall”
B-side of “Fireworks” (1982) | 11 votes
167. “Baby Piano (Part 1)”
Bonus track on Hyaena reissue (2009) | 10 votes
168. “Baby Piano (Part 2)” (TIE)
Bonus track on Hyaena reissue (2009) | 10 votes
168. “Mechanical Eyes” (TIE)
B-side of “Song From the Edge of the World” (1987) | 9 votes
168. “Sitting Room” (TIE)
Bonus track on Kaleidoscope reissue (2006) | 9 votes
168. “Sunless” (TIE)
B-side of “The Last Beat of My Heart” (1988) | 9 votes
172. “Obsession II” (TIE)
B-side of “Slowdive” (1982) | 8 votes
172. “Slap Dash Snap” (TIE)
B-side of “Spellbound” (1981) | 8 votes
172. “The Whole Price of Blood” (TIE)
B-side of “Song From the Edge of the World” (1987) | 8 votes
175. “Hothead” (TIE)
B-side of “Face to Face” (1992) | 3 votes
175. “Infantry” (TIE)
Bonus track on Join Hands reissue (2006) | 3 votes
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Vintage Video: Leg in a cast, Siouxsie takes a seat to lead the Banshees through 1985 set
- Vintage Video: Watch a 40-minute ‘Juju’-era Siouxsie and the Banshees set from 1981
- Banshees’ Steven Severin releases new ambient album, gives away 23-minute track
- Siouxsie and the Banshees to reissue ‘Join Hands’ on vinyl with original artwork, tracklist
- Siouxsie and the Banshees to release new ‘Spellbound’ 18-track best-of in January
I wonder what it would have been like if we could only vote for the b-sides…I know I left too many of them off the list because of limitations. Can’t say I blame anyone else for doing it, maybe I’m just surprised how low “I Promise” and “Let Go” ranked.
With a couple exceptions, that whole list is a great playlist. The Banshees has such high quality output.
@ the website.
If we had known that you would pigeonhole the group as “goth/post-punk icons” in your presentation, so they are more icons to you than a seminal band, we would have never taken part to the vote. And you chose the worst ever un-glamourous picture of her whereas for the Cure poll, 1) you didn’t mention any tag or labelled the Cure as “goth/post-punk”, you didn’t name a genre for them and 2) you chose a cool picture of Robert Smith from the late 1990s whereas you could have put a picture of him looking bad – equality of treatment.
For Siouxsie, a bad image plus pigeonholing the group. Don’t you know that Steven Severin was the only other constant band member with Siouxsie, so logically you should have put a picture of “Siouxsie with Severin” !
This is a really odd criticism.
Agreed, SUE!
A round of applause to Slicing Up Eyeballs for this great site and for all the time and work that goes into doing these polls. I can’t wait for the next one!
go away. This guy puts in a ton of work for this website. He then goes the extra mile by providing these types of polls pretty much every month. And you are bitching about the pix and the label? Why don’t you try operating a website like this? Or are you too busy registering mindless complaints? And, by the way, “goth/post-punk” pretty much fits Siouxsie and the Banchees to a T. And, as a “super-fan” who is so aggrieved by this website’s treatment of S&tBs, you should know that THERE ARE NO UN-GLAMOUROUS pictures of Siouxsie!!!!
Well put. Just like there’s no such thing as a bad Banshees song.
Matt, thank you for a perfect poll. Don’t change a thing! We appreciate all the work you do!
Agreed. Thank you for the poll. Ignore this absurd comment.
He has a point: the punk/goth icon label isn’t needed and yes, should’ve included a pic of the banshees too. The poll wasn’t based purely on Siouxsie.
Sad to see “Return” wasn’t in the top spot. Not ever in the top ten let alone top 100. How bout we all all listen to it and vote again?
Agree 100% – ‘Return’ is a mesmerising and beautiful song, really should have been an A side!
Finally I meet someone else who gets it!!
Spellbound was my top pick, followed by Arabian Nights – why is Spellbound a surprise? It is phenomenal in every way! Cities in Dust is haunting too and up there but those two are the duo that blew my mind. It looks like their live multi-album with Quarks artwork wasn’t in the balloting but several versions from that collection would be my 3,4,5 I think; much more energetic and manic than the album versions!
Agreed. I really wanted to vote for the live version of Paradise Place over the album version. The big surprises for me are Israel placing so high (snoozefest to me, I never listen to it by choice) and Arabian Knights not in the top 5.
Spellbound was the first Banshees song I ever heard – I saw the video on MTV before a lot of pop bands were making videos. I would guess this was a common entry point for the band.
Spellbound was my entry point into the Banshees – I saw the video on MTV in the early 80’s (maybe on IRS The Cutting Edge?) and was immediately taken. I would guess some other long-time fans started there as well.
Matt, Love the website, great to have you back, much love, The sweetest Chill at 33, has 314 votes. should this not be #28/29?. The sweetest Chill is my favorite Souxsie Song.
Thanks for catching that. It’s a typo. Should be 214 votes for “The Sweetest Chill.”
Matt. THANKS SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS…..MY FAVOUTITE BAND OF ALL TIME. I FELT THEY WERE OFTEN TIMES OVERLOOKED AS A RESULT OF LESSER BANDS (THE SMITHS, NEW ORDER, JOY DIVISION, U2). THE QUEEN!!
Into The Light is my #1, followed by Switch, then a whole lot more Ju Ju & Kaleidoscope tracks.
Completely agree with you Ben. Into the Light # 1, then Switch, and Carcass , and… there is soooo many!
I could swear I came up with 181 songs by siouxsie and the banshees. Maybe I over counted?
To JB70: since I cannot directly reply.
Idk about there not being a bad siouxsie and the banshees song. There’s a planet in my kitchen isn’t all that great, and neither is Pulled to bits. ;)