The Magnetic Fields

The Magnetic Fields (read more)

11,010,279 plays scrobbled on Last.fm

The Magnetic Fields is a New York-based group fronted by Stephin Merritt. Recent albums released under the name “The Magnetic Fields” usually consist of synth-pop music in a 1980s style underlying clever lyrics which are often heavily ironic.

The band was originally formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1990 by friends Merritt and (percussionist/pianist) Claudia Gonson. While 1991’s Distant Plastic Trees and 1992’s The Wayward Bus (now most easily available together as a compilation, The Wayward Bus / Distant Plastic Trees) are sung by Susan Anway, all subsequent albums are principally sung by Merritt himself.

Longtime members include: Gonson, (cellist) Sam Davol, and (banjo player/guitarist) John Woo. Contributors include (but are not limited to) the singers Susan Anway, Dudley Klute, Shirley Simms, and LD Beghtol, and the accordionist/writer Daniel Handler (famous for writing the childrens’ books A Series of Unfortunate Events under the alias Lemony Snicket).

Their most popular and best-selling album to date is 69 Love Songs issued on Merge Records as a triple album filled with many fairly short songs that are reminiscent of early Beatles productions.
The album is notable for its employment of many unorthodox musical arrangements and downright impressive quantity of material presented. Instruments used on this album include the ukulele, banjo, accordion, cello, mandolin, piano, flute, xylophone guitars, various percussion instruments, and a standard setup of synths and effects. It features several guest vocalists on several different tracks. The album is a three CD set, released in the US as three separate albums (also available as a boxed set) and in the UK as a triple album.
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69 Love Songs

Top Tracks, Last Week

–	1	Add this track to your playlist California Girls	1,062
1	2	Add this track to your playlist I Think I Need A New Heart	1,026
1	3	Add this track to your playlist Absolutely Cuckoo	1,011
2	4	Add this track to your playlist All My Little Words	994
–	5	Add this track to your playlist Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits	970
2	6	Add this track to your playlist I Don't Want to Get Over You	968
–	7	Add this track to your playlist I Don't Believe in the Sun	955
–	8	Add this track to your playlist A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off	916
–	9	Add this track to your playlist The Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side	855
3	10	Add this track to your playlist Come Back From San Francisco	843
–	11	Add this track to your playlist Too Drunk To Dream	791
2	12	Add this track to your playlist Three-Way	782
1	13	Add this track to your playlist The Book of Love	780
–	14	Add this track to your playlist Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long	768
1	15	Add this track to your playlist Reno Dakota	727
1	16	Add this track to your playlist Epitaph For My Heart	676
1	16	Add this track to your playlist Old Fools	676
1	18	Add this track to your playlist Please Stop Dancing	626
1	19	Add this track to your playlist Xavier Says	623
2	20	Add this track to your playlist How Fucking Romantic	611

Number of listeners for the last week More top tracks…

Top Tracks, Last Six Months

–	1	Add this track to your playlist California Girls	21,609
–	2	Add this track to your playlist Three-Way	19,321
–	3	Add this track to your playlist Old Fools	16,613
–	4	Add this track to your playlist Too Drunk To Dream	16,471
–	5	Add this track to your playlist Xavier Says	16,027
2	6	Add this track to your playlist Please Stop Dancing	15,157
2	7	Add this track to your playlist Drive On, Driver	14,979
2	8	Add this track to your playlist Mr. Mistletoe	14,531
3	9	Add this track to your playlist Absolutely Cuckoo	14,386
3	10	Add this track to your playlist Till The Bitter End	14,020
4	11	Add this track to your playlist I Think I Need A New Heart	13,995
2	12	Add this track to your playlist The Nun's Litany	13,865
2	13	Add this track to your playlist I'll Dream Alone	13,542
3	14	Add this track to your playlist I Don't Want to Get Over You	13,512
3	15	Add this track to your playlist All My Little Words	13,430
–	16	Add this track to your playlist Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits	12,938
2	17	Add this track to your playlist Zombie Boy	12,822
3	18	Add this track to your playlist Courtesans	12,805
1	19	Add this track to your playlist I Don't Believe in the Sun	12,763
–	20	Add this track to your playlist A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off	12,579
4	21	Add this track to your playlist The Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side	12,157
–	22	Add this track to your playlist The Book of Love	11,593
1	23	Add this track to your playlist Come Back From San Francisco	11,592
1	24	Add this track to your playlist Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long	10,914
2	25	Add this track to your playlist Reno Dakota	10,867
–	26	Add this track to your playlist How Fucking Romantic	9,900
2	27	Add this track to your playlist I Thought You Were My Boyfriend	9,577
2	28	Add this track to your playlist I Don't Believe You	9,464
2	29	Add this track to your playlist The One You Really Love	9,205
4	30	Add this track to your playlist Epitaph For My Heart	8,933
2	31	Add this track to your playlist Abigail, Belle of Kilronan	8,864
4	32	Add this track to your playlist The Cactus Where Your Heart Should Be	8,829
4	33	Add this track to your playlist Long-Forgotten Fairytale	8,620
3	34	Add this track to your playlist Nothing Matters When We're Dancing	8,590
4	35	Add this track to your playlist The Things We Did and Didn't Do	8,485
4	36	Add this track to your playlist No One Will Ever Love You	8,476
1	37	Add this track to your playlist Asleep and Dreaming	8,436
3	38	Add this track to your playlist Boa Constrictor	8,160
5	39	Add this track to your playlist I Don't Really Love You Anymore	8,114
2	40	Add this track to your playlist You're My Only Home	8,092
5	41	Add this track to your playlist Punk Love	7,948
2	42	Add this track to your playlist Parades Go By	7,817
2	43	Add this track to your playlist My Sentimental Melody	7,706
1	44	Add this track to your playlist When My Boy Walks Down the Street	7,584
1	45	Add this track to your playlist Grand Canyon	7,250
5	46	Add this track to your playlist I Wish I Had an Evil Twin	7,211
–	47	Add this track to your playlist Papa Was a Rodeo	7,162
8	48	Add this track to your playlist Washington, D.C.	7,121
1	49	Add this track to your playlist Sweet-Lovin' Man	7,087
7	50	Add this track to your playlist Promises of Eternity	7,031