The 100 Greatest Songs of All Time
The Top 100 Songs Ever Recorded
100. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve (1997)
Album: Urban Hymns
Genre: Britpop
Label: Hut
Songwriters: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Richard Ashcroft
Producers: Martin "Youth" Glover, The Verve
The alternative revolution was an important one, and I wanted Britpop—England's reaction to American grunge—to be represented on the list. Hard to go wrong with "Bitter Sweet Symphony," right?
Recommended Listening
The Stone Roses, "She Bangs the Drums" (1989)
Suede, "Animal Nitrate" (1993)
Blur, "Girls & Boys" (1994)
Oasis, "Live Forever" (1994)
The Verve, "Sonnet" (1997)
99. "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield (1967)
Album: Buffalo Springfield
Genre: Folk Rock
Label: Atco
Songwriter: Stephen Stills
Producers: Charles Greene, Brian Stone
Before Neil Young was on his own—and, briefly, in CSNY—he played in Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills. This protest song is their most lasting cut.
Recommended Listening
Crosby, Stills & Nash, "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" (1969)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, "Ohio" (1970)
Neil Young, "Heart of Gold" (1972)
Neil Young, "Cortez the Killer" (1975)
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)" (1979)
98. "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor (1970)
Album: Sweet Baby James
Genre: Folk
Label: Warner Bros.
Songwriter: James Taylor
Producer: Peter Asher
This song is so good. It pretty much defines James Taylor, though that isn't necessarily a good thing. Meanwhile, none other than Carole King plays the piano on the recording; she worked as a songwriter/session musician before hitting it big with her 'Tapestry' album in '71.
Recommended Listening
Joni Mitchell, "Both Sides, Now" (1969)
Carole King, "I Feel the Earth Move" (1971)
Carole King, "It's Too Late" (1971)
Joni Mitchell, "All I Want" (1971)
Tracy Chapman, "Fast Car" (1988)
97. "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele (2011)
Album: 21
Genre: Pop
Label: XL [UK] / Columbia [US]
Songwriters: Adele, Paul Epworth
Producer: Paul Epworth
Adele is already considered something of a generational figure to us Millennials, and I am confident that years from now both "Rolling in the Deep" and her diamond-selling album 21 will be considered once-in-a-generation phenomena, like Nirvana's Nevermind and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" were for Generation X.
Recommended Listening
Adele, "Chasing Pavements" (2008)
Adele, "Hometown Glory" (2008)
Adele, "Lovesong" (2011)
Adele, "Rumour Has It" (2011)
Adele, "Someone Like You" (2011)
96. "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets (1954)
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Label: Decca
Songwriters: Max C. Freedman, James E. Myers
Producer: Milt Gabler
There were three candidates for the birth of rock 'n' roll slot: "Rock Around the Clock" and two Elvis Presley cuts from his Sun Records tenure, “That’s All Right” and “Mystery Train.”
In the end I picked this one, since Elvis has other appearances later on the list and, relatively speaking, “That’s All Right” and “Mystery Train” aren’t as good as his later material, even if they—especially “That’s All Right”—were crucial.
Recommended Listening
Hank Williams, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (1949)
Muddy Waters, "Rollin' Stone" (1950)
Elvis Presley, "That's All Right" (1954)
Elvis Presley, "Mystery Train" (1955)
Johnny Cash, "I Walk the Line" (1956)
95. "Midnight in a Perfect World" by DJ Shadow (1996)
Album: Endtroducing...
Genre: Trip-Hop
Label: Mo' Wax
Songwriters: Josh Davis, Baraka, Pekka Pohjola
Producer: DJ Shadow
Endtroducing..., the album on which "Midnight" appears, is considered a breakthrough in popular music, as it was created entirely from samples stitched together in a finely textured and complex 63-minute narrative. Most of its tracks are too unwieldy for such a list as this one, but "Midnight in a Perfect World" is a—indeed, perhaps the—glorious exception.
Recommended Listening
DJ Shadow, "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt" (1996)
DJ Shadow, "Changeling" (1996)
DJ Shadow, "Napalm Brain / Scatter Brain" (1996)
DJ Shadow, "Stem / Long Stem" (1996)
DJ Shadow, "What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1 - Blue Sky Revisit)" (1996)
94. "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits (1978)
Album: Dire Straits
Genre: Roots Rock
Label: Vertigo
Songwriter: Mark Knopfler
Producer: Muff Winwood
There were three songs on this list that I simply couldn’t part with because they’re just too good. This is one of them. A lot of the entries on my list can probably be filed under “classic rock,” but only this one marries the slick fingerpicking of guitarist Mark Knopfler with the impeccable production of Muff Winwood and Dire Straits.
Recommended Listening
Steely Dan, "Reelin' in the Years" (1972)
Steely Dan, "Show Biz Kids" (1973)
Steely Dan, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" (1974)
Dire Straits, "Southbound Again" (1978)
Dire Straits, "Money for Nothing" (1985)
93. "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and the Papas (1966)
Album: If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
Genre: Pop
Label: Dunhill
Songwriters: John Phillips, Michelle Phillips
Producer: Lou Adler
Any kid who grew up on the east coast can relate to this one. Something that I didn’t notice until a friend pointed it out—though it’s kind of hidden in plain sight—when the Mamas repeat each line during the verses, they’re actually singing an entirely different melody. They don’t harmonize with the Papas except sporadically during the chorus. It’s what gives the song its driving momentum.
Recommended Listening
The Byrds, "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" (1965)
The Byrds, "Mr. Tambourine Man" (1965)
The Byrds, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (1965)
The Mamas and the Papas, "Monday, Monday" (1966)
The Byrds, "Hickory Wind" (1968)
#92 "Lose Yourself" by Eminem (2002)
Album: 8 Mile: Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: Shady
Songwriters: Marshall Mathers, Luis Resto, Jeff Bass
Producer(s): Eminem, Jeff Bass
I remember this one quite well. It caught fire instantly, topping the charts across the globe within weeks, and it’s still a blast to listen to even now. Excessive overplay has rendered “Lose Yourself” somewhat trite, to put it mildly, but I remain bullish on its greatness. Listening to it for the first time in a while always gets the adrenaline pumping all over again.
Recommended Listening
Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg, "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" (1992)
Snoop Doggy Dogg, "Gin and Juice" (1993)
2Pac feat. Dr. Dre, "California Love" (1995)
Eminem, "Stan" (2000)
OutKast, "Hey Ya!" (2003)
91. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 (1987)
Album: The Joshua Tree
Genre: Rock
Label: Island
Songwriters: U2
Producer(s): Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois
There isn’t a single weak track—or even a song that falls short of pretty great—on The Joshua Tree, so just picking one cut from it was tough. A good case can be made for any of the first three tracks, but personally, I have always been partial to this one.
Recommended Listening
U2, "I Will Follow" (1980)
U2, "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (1983)
U2,"Pride (In the Name of Love)" (1984)
U2, "Where the Streets Have No Name" (1987)
U2, "With Or Without You" (1987)
90. "Baba O'Riley" by The Who (1971)
Album: Who's Next
Genre: Rock
Labels: Decca [U.S.] / Polydor [U.K.]
Songwriter: Pete Townshend
Producer(s): Glyn Johns, The Who
This is another album slot. I used to have both “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” from Who’s Next on here, but I only had room for one, and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” got the boot.
Recommended Listening
The Who, "Behind Blue Eyes" (1971)
The Who, "Won't Get Fooled Again" (1971)
The Who, "Love, Reign O'er Me" (1973)
The Who, "Who Are You?" (1978)
The Who, "Eminence Front" (1981)
89. "Everything in its Right Place" by Radiohead (2000)
Album: Kid A
Genre: Electronic
Labels: Capitol [US] / Parlophone [UK]
Songwriters: Radiohead
Producer(s): Nigel Godrich, Radiohead
Radiohead is obviously very popular and highly acclaimed, so I felt like they should be represented. After surveying their catalog, I settled on “Everything in Its Right Place” from Kid A.
It was never released as a single—no singles were released from Kid A, actually—but, in addition to being killer good, the song showcases the band at its most ambitiously experimental, as they fully absorb electronica into their alt-rock repertoire.
Recommended Listening
Radiohead, "Creep" (1993)
Radiohead, "Fake Plastic Trees" (1995)
Radiohead, "Paranoid Android" (1997)
Radiohead, "Pyramid Song" (2001)
Radiohead, "There There" (2003)
88. "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty (1989)
Album: Full Moon Fever
Genre: Heartland Rock
Label: MCA
Songwriters: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne
Producer(s): Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Mike Campbell
You’ve all heard the song countless times, I’m sure. It’s the best pure acoustic rock song of the past 25 years, plain and simple.
Recommended Listening
Bob Seger, "Night Moves" (1976)
Steve Miller Band, "Rock'n Me" (1976)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "American Girl" (1976)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Refugee" (1979)
Tom Petty, "Runnin' Down a Dream" (1989)
87. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones (1969)
Album: Let It Bleed
Genre: Rock
Labels: Decca [U.K.] / London [U.S.]
Songwriters: Mick Jagger, Keith Richard
Producer: Jimmy Miller
John Lennon accused this song of being the Stones’ answer to “Hey Jude,” but whether or not that’s true, it’s still a pretty damn awesome song. It's one of the definitive album closers, for sure, and one of the few times the Stones stretch a song past seven minutes.
Recommended Listening
Rolling Stones, "Brown Sugar" (1971)
Rolling Stones,"Tumbling Dice" (1972)
Rolling Stones, "Miss You" (1978)
Rolling Stones, "Beast of Burden" (1978)
Rolling Stones, "Start Me Up" (1981)
86. "Paid in Full" by Eric B. & Rakim (1987)
Album: Paid in Full
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: 4th & B'way
Songwriters: Eric Barrier, Rakim Allah
Producers: Eric B. & Rakim
Before Randy Moss enlightened the world to the phrase “straight cash, homie,” turntablist Eric B. and master of the mic Rakim cut this title track of their debut record. Featuring what would become hip-hop’s most distinctive loop as its beat and the vocal stylings of rap’s greatest MC, this is a song everyone can enjoy.
Recommended Listening
EPMD, "Strictly Business" (1988)
Eric B. & Rakim, "Microphone Fiend" (1988)
Slick Rick, "Children's Story" (1988)
De La Soul, "Me Myself And I" (1989)
A Tribe Called Quest, "Award Tour" (1993)
85. "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac (1977)
Album: Rumours
Genre: Rock
Label: Warner Bros.
Songwriter: Lindsey Buckingham
Producer(s): Fleetwood Mac, Richard Dashut, Ken Caillat
Anyone who has heard Rumours knows that record is loaded with great songs, but when it comes to choosing one for greatest songs lists, “Go Your Own Way” always gets picked because it has that kind of feel to it. It’s certainly not my favorite song on the album—which is “Dreams”—or even the best—which is probably “Gold Dust Woman”—but those songs don’t fit on this list.
Recommended Listening
Fleetwood Mac, "Rhiannon" (1975)
Fleetwood Mac, "Dreams" (1977)
Fleetwood Mac, "Gold Dust Woman" (1977)
Fleetwood Mac, "Sara" (1979)
Stevie Nicks, "Edge of Seventeen" (1981)
#84: "California Girls" by The Beach Boys (1965)
Album: Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!
Genre: Pop
Label: Capitol
Songwriters: Brian Wilson, Mike Love
Producer: Brian Wilson
Listen carefully to “California Girls” and you’ll hear the roots of their seminal album Pet Sounds, released the following year. Lyrically, it’s a little more in line with their pre-Pet Sounds work, which makes sense. But then again, “I wish they all could be California Girls” isn’t all that different from, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we were married,” now is it?
Recommended Listening
Dick Dale, "Misirlou" (1962)
Beach Boys, "In My Room" (1963)
Beach Boys, "Surfin' U.S.A." (1963)
Beach Boys, "Don't Worry Baby" (1964)
Beach Boys, "I Get Around" (1964)
83. "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses (1987)
Album: Appetite for Destruction
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Label: Geffen
Songwriters: Guns N' Roses
Producer: Mike Clink
There aren't really any standout metal tracks from the '80s aside from this one, and the production for Appetite for Destruction—which actually doesn't sound very '80s, relatively —kind of sounds like a grunge precursor, so its popularity makes sense in retrospect.
Pop/hair metal was in, but GNR weren't cheesy. They were just plain nasty and didn't fit into that crowd... and yet the album sold 28 million copies anyway.
Recommended Listening
Iron Maiden, "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (1982)
Metallica, "Fade to Black" (1984)
Guns N' Roses, "Welcome to the Jungle" (1987)
Guns N' Roses, "November Rain" (1991)
Metallica, "Nothing Else Matters" (1991)
82. "Good Golly Miss Molly" by Little Richard (1958)
Album: Little Richard
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Label: Specialty
Songwriters: John Marascalco, Robert "Bumps" Blackwell
Producer: Robert "Bumps" Blackwell
I’m swapping in “Good Golly Miss Molly” for “Tutti Frutti,” which used to make the list, but is more a song with great moments—namely, the killer intro/outro—than a great song. (I like “GGMM” more. Simple as that.) Early rock 'n' roll doesn’t get much better than this.
Recommended Listening
Little Richard, "Tutti Frutti" (1955)
Carl Perkins, "Blue Suede Shoes" (1956)
Little Richard, "Long Tall Sally" (1956)
Jerry Lee Lewis, "Great Balls of Fire" (1957)
Jerry Lee Lewis, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (1957)
81. "Heroes" by David Bowie (1977)
Album: Heroes
Genre: Rock
Label: RCA
Songwriters: David Bowie, Brian Eno
Producers: David Bowie, Tony Visconti
I only had room for one Bowie song—he’s more expressive in the album format—so of course I picked “Heroes.” I have a lot of favorite Bowie songs though; he’s got an amazing body of work.
Recommended Listening
David Bowie, "Space Oddity" (1969)
David Bowie, "Changes" (1971)
David Bowie, "Ziggy Stardust" (1972)
David Bowie, "Rebel Rebel" (1974)
Queen & David Bowie, "Under Pressure" (1981)
80. "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
Album: Bayou Country
Genre: Roots Rock
Label: Fantasy
Songwriter: John Fogerty
Producers: John Fogerty
CCR has so many good songs, but "Proud Mary" is probably the most timeless of their many hits. "Fortunate Son" has more artistic merit, but "Proud Mary" has collected more cultural capital—for one thing, it gets sung/butchered during the audition episodes of American Idol every year, for better or worse.
Recommended Listening
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Bad Moon Rising" (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Born on the Bayou" (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Down on the Corner" (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Green River" (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Lodi" (1969)
79. "Walk This Way" by Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith (1986)
Album: Raising Hell
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: Profile
Songwriters: Steven Tyler, Joe Perry
Producers: Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons
I’m killing two birds with one stone here. "Walk This Way" fills an early, pivotal hip-hop slot and an Aerosmith hole. Plus, it's a damn fun song to boot! (And yes, this means I had to part with “Dream On.”)
Recommended Listening
Run-D.M.C., "It's Like That" (1984)
LL Cool J, "I Can't Live Without My Radio" (1985)
Run-D.M.C., "It's Tricky" (1986)
Beastie Boys, "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" (1986)
Beastie Boys, "High Plains Drifter" (1989)
78. "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane (1967)
Album: Surrealistic Pillow
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Label: RCA Victor
Songwriter: Grace Slick
Producer: Rick Jarrard
I had a tough time choosing between “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love,” which both appear on 1967’s Surrealistic Pillow. I’m trying to cover more ground this time genre-wise, so I have avoided “duplicate picks” wherever possible. I like “White Rabbit” more and feel that, of the two, it is the more representative of the psychedelic era.
Recommended Listening
The Byrds, "Eight Miles High" (1966)
Jefferson Airplane,"Somebody to Love" (1967)
Love, "Alone Again Or" (1967)
Big Brother and the Holding Company, "Piece of My Heart" (1968)
Janis Joplin, "Me and Bobby McGee" (1971)
77. "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley (1969)
Genre: Blue-Eyed Soul
Label: RCA Victor
Songwriter: Mark James
Producers: Chips Moman, Felton Jarvis
Elvis disappeared from the music scene in 1958 after he was drafted by the military—with no war going on—and stationed in Germany for two years. Upon his return to the States, he made a great living as a Hollywood hack for several years before reinventing himself as a blue-eyed (read: white) soul act.
“Suspicious Minds,” featuring much more elaborate production techniques than Presley’s ‘50s work, shot to #1 upon its release in 1969.
Recommended Listening
Elvis Presley, "Bossa Nova Baby" (1963)
Dusty Springfield, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (1968)
Dusty Springfield, "Son of a Preacher Man" (1969)
Elvis Presley, "In the Ghetto" (1969)
Elvis Presley, "Burning Love" (1972)
76. "I'm Waiting for the Man" by The Velvet Underground (1967)
Album: The Velvet Underground & Nico
Genre: Rock
Label: Verve
Songwriter: Lou Reed
Producer: Tom Wilson (Andy Warhol officially credited)
It’s been a severe oversight on my part not to have included a song by the Velvet Underground on the list until now. “I’m Waiting for the Man” has the same punk-ish, garage rock-ish rhythm and crazy mystique that encapsulates the entire Velvet Underground & Nico experience.
In this case, Lou Reed, with 26 dollars in his hand, is literally waiting for a drug dealer to show up. What a strange place 1960s New York City must have been.
Recommended Listening
Velvet Underground, "Heroin" (1967)
Velvet Underground, "Venus in Furs" (1967)
Velvet Underground, "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" (1970)
Velvet Underground, "Rock and Roll" (1970)
Velvet Underground, "Sweet Jane" (1970)
75. "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley and The Wailers (1973)
Album: Burnin'
Genre: Reggae
Labels: Tuff Gong/Island
Songwriters: Bob Marley, Peter Tosh
Producers: Chris Blackwell, the Wailers
I used to have two different Bob Marley songs on the list: “No Woman, No Cry” and “Redemption Song.” The inclusion of “No Woman, No Cry” kind of bothered me since I have never particularly liked the studio version—the version from Live! which appears on the Legend compilation is superior—and I wanted my Bob Marley pick to come from the early part of his career. That meant curtains for “Redemption Song.” “Get Up, Stand Up” seemed like the most logical choice.
Recommended Listening
The Wailers, "Concrete Jungle" (1973)
The Wailers, "I Shot the Sheriff" (1973)
Bob Marley and the Wailers, "No Woman, No Cry" (1974)
Bob Marley and the Wailers, "Exodus" (1977)
Bob Marley and the Wailers, "Redemption Song" (1980)
74. "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas
Album: Dance Party (1965)
Genre: Soul
Label: Gordy
Songwriters: Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter
Producer: William "Mickey" Stevenson
Vintage Motown. Seven years before Marvin Gaye did “What’s Going On,” he co-wrote—and played drums on—this party song that would later be cited as a key track in the American civil rights movement after protesters frequently played “Dancing in the Street” during demonstrations.
Recommended Listening
Martha and the Vandellas, "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave" (1963)
Mary Wells,"My Guy" (1964)
The Supremes, "Baby Love" (1964)
Martha and the Vandellas, "Nowhere to Run" (1965)
The Supremes, "Stop! In the Name of Love" (1965)
73. "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.
Album: Out of Time (1991)
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Warner Bros.
Songwriters: R.E.M.
Producers: Scott Litt, R.E.M.
R.E.M. was, by far, the greatest and most important alternative rock band. No other alternative artist’s catalog compares to R.E.M. from 1983–92. They were the tip of the alternative underground spear in the 1980s, and jumped from indie label I.R.S. to major label Warner Bros. after the success of 1987’s Document.
“Losing My Religion” was released in early 1991 and was a pop smash, hitting #4 on the Hot 100. The success of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” followed later that year, but there’s no underestimating the importance of what R.E.M. did to prime the pump beforehand.
Recommended Listening
R.E.M., "Radio Free Europe" (1983)
R.E.M., "Time After Time (Annelise)" (1984)
R.E.M., "The One I Love" (1987)
R.E.M., "Orange Crush" (1988)
R.E.M., "Man on the Moon" (1992)
72. "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath (1970)
Album: Paranoid
Genre: Heavy Metal
Label: Vertigo
Songwriters: Black Sabbath
Producer: Rodger Bain
I didn’t really have room for much metal on the list, so why not pick one from the beginning? Although the title track from Sabbath’s second record isn’t exactly the first heavy metal song, its influence is ridiculously self-evident.
“Paranoid,” a hybrid of distorted metal and down-stroked punk, contains everything the grunge movement—a hybrid of distorted metal and down-stroked punk—ever needed.
Recommended Listening
Jeff Beck, "I Ain't Superstitious" (1968)
MC5, "Kick Out the Jams" (1969)
Black Sabbath, "Iron Man" (1970)
Black Sabbath, "N.I.B." (1970)
Black Sabbath, "War Pigs" (1970)
71. "Bo Diddley" by Bo Diddley (1955)
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Label: Checker
Songwriter: Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley)
Producers: Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Bo Diddley
Give “Bo Diddley” a spin and you’ll immediately recognize the rhythm. Known simply as the Bo Diddley Beat, it has been copped repeatedly over the course of the last six decades by other artists, from the Who (1968's "Magic Bus") to George Michael (1987’s “Faith”) to U2 (1988’s “Desire”). Unfortunately for Bo Diddley's bank account, rhythms can’t be copyrighted.
Recommended Listening
Muddy Waters, "Hoochie Coochie Man" (1954)
Bo Diddley, "I'm a Man" (1955)
Muddy Waters, "Mannish Boy" (1955)
Bo Diddley, "Who Do You Love?" (1956)
Muddy Waters, "Got My Mojo Working" (1957)
70. "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" by The Beatles (1965)
Album: Rubber Soul
Genre: Folk Rock
Labels: Capitol [U.S.] / Parlophone [U.K.]
Songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
Rubber Soul ushered in the psychedelic era, and its most otherworldly track is the sitar-laden “Norwegian Wood.” Even though they had just done “Yesterday”—arguably the Beatles’ finest song—Rubber Soul was a giant leap forward for the Fab Four. “Norwegian Wood” narrowly edges out “In My Life” and “Girl” as the standout track.
Recommended Listening
Beatles, "Girl" (1965)
Beatles, "I'm Looking Through You" (1965)
Beatles, "If I Needed Someone" (1965)
Beatles, "In My Life" (1965)
Beatles, "What Goes On" (1965)
69. "Walk on By" by Dionne Warwick (1964)
Album: Make Way for Dionne Warwick
Genre: Pop
Label: Scepter
Songwriters: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Producers: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Another treasure from the most exciting time in the history of pop music. The production isn’t great —hey, it was 1964—but "Walk on By" is nevertheless a slice of pop perfection. It has a really effortless quality to it.
Recommended Listening
Etta James, "At Last" (1960)
Patsy Cline, "Crazy" (1961)
Nancy Sinatra, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (1966)
Percy Sledge, "When a Man Loves a Woman" (1966)
Procol Harum, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (1967)
68. "Sign O' the Times" by Prince (1987)
Album: Sign "O" the Times
Genre: Rock
Label: Paisley Park
Songwriter: Prince
Producer: Prince
"Purple Rain" used to routinely make this list, but this time around I had a hard time choosing between "Purple Rain" and "When Doves Cry." So I picked "Sign 'O' the Times," the title track from Prince's 1987 double album that's frequently cited as one of the best albums of the '80s. It's an excellent song and was the album's lead single and lead track. I don't think it's out of place here as the sole entry from Prince's catalogue.
Recommended Listening
Prince and The Revolution, "Little Red Corvette" (1982)
Prince and The Revolution, "1999" (1982)
Prince and The Revolution, "Purple Rain" (1984)
Prince and The Revolution, "When Doves Cry" (1984)
Prince and The Revolution, "Kiss" (1986)
67. "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone (1969)
Album: Stand!
Genre: Psychedelic Soul
Label: Epic
Songwriter: Sly Stone
Producer: Sly Stone
Sly and the Family Stone have a ton of great tunes, but this one has always been the standout. t’s probably the best example of a post-James Brown, ‘60s-funk-with-social-commentary song in popular music.
Recommended Listening
Sly and the Family Stone, "Dance to the Music" (1968)
Sly and the Family Stone, "I Want to Take You Higher" (1969)
Sly and the Family Stone, "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)" (1969)
Sly and the Family Stone, "You Can Make It If You Try" (1969)
Sly and the Family Stone, "Family Affair" (1971)
66. "Light My Fire" by The Doors (1967)
Album: The Doors
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Label: Elektra
Songwriters: The Doors
Producer: Paul A. Rothchild
It wasn’t the first single by the Doors—“Break on Through (To the Other Side)” has that honor—but it nevertheless summarizes the band’s early work and the psychedelic era more generally.
Recommended Listening
The Doors, "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" (1967)
The Doors, "The End" (1967)
The Doors, "Hello, I Love You" (1968)
The Doors, "Roadhouse Blues" (1970)
The Doors, "Riders on the Storm" (1971)
65. "I Fought the Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four (1966)
Album: I Fought the Law
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Label: Mustang
Songwriter: Sonny Curtis
Producer: Bob Keane
After Buddy Holly died in the infamous 1959 plane crash that was later called “the day the music died,” Sonny Curtis took his place in the Crickets. One of the songs he wrote was “I Fought the Law.” This version by Bobby Fuller Four is the most popular, although for the generation who grew up on punk, the Clash version from 1979 is definitive.
Recommended Listening
Eddie Cochran, "C'mon Everybody" (1958)
Eddie Cochran, "Summertime Blues" (1958)
Dion, "The Wanderer" (1961)
The Troggs, "Wild Thing" (1966)
The Clash, "I Fought the Law" (1979)
64. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles (1968)
Album: The Beatles (aka The White Album)
Genre: Rock
Label: Apple
Songwriter: George Harrison
Producer: George Martin
John Lennon and Paul McCartney overshadowed George Harrison throughout the Beatles’ run, restricting him to one song per side on just about every album. In the band’s early days, Harrison simply wasn’t as good (or prolific) at songwriting. However, by the time The White Album and Abbey Road were recorded, there was no question that George was on equal footing with John and Paul.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” appears on The White Album and is Harrison’s best track. It also features Eric Clapton on lead guitar in one of the few guest appearances on a Beatles song (Billy Preston is another).
Recommended Listening
Beatles, "Long, Long, Long" (1968)
Beatles, "Savoy Truffle" (1968)
Beatles, "Here Comes the Sun" (1969)
Beatles,"Something" (1969)
George Harrison, "My Sweet Lord" (1970)
63. "Waterloo Sunset" by The Kinks (1967)
Album: Something Else by the Kinks
Genre: Rock
Labels: Pye [U.K.] / Reprise [U.S.]
Songwriter: Ray Davies
Producer: Ray Davies
“You Really Got Me,” which used to make this list, is an undeniably great early rock 'n' roll song, but there are plenty of early rock 'n' roll songs on this list. I only have room for one Kinks cut and I’m going to switch my vote to the achingly beautiful “Waterloo Sunset.”
Recommended Listening
The Animals, "The House of the Rising Sun" (1964)
The Kinks, "All Day and All of the Night" (1964)
The Kinks, "You Really Got Me" (1964)
The Animals, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" (1965)
The Kinks, "Lola" (1970)
62. "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry (1955)
Genre: Rock & Roll
Label: Chess
Songwriter: Chuck Berry
Producers: Leonard Chess, Phil Chess
Every Chuck Berry song is more or less the same, but “Maybellene” towers above the rest—aside from “Johnny B. Goode,” of course—as one of the most stunning debut singles in rock & roll history. Rock stars existed before Chuck Berry, but guitar gods did not. Indeed, “Maybellene” put flinging violent noise through electric guitar amps on the map.
Recommended Listening
Chuck Berry, "Thirty Days" (1955)
Chuck Berry, "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956)
Chuck Berry, "Too Much Monkey Business" (1956)
Chuck Berry, "Oh Baby Doll" (1957)
Chuck Berry, "School Days" (1957)
61. "One" by U2 (1991)
Album: Achtung Baby
Genre: Rock
Label: Island
Songwriters: U2
Producers: Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno
U2 rose out of the post-punk muck to become superstars. With 1987’s The Joshua Tree, they had gotten everything right. The 1988 black-and-white concert documentary/live album, Rattle and Hum, however? Not so much.
The sessions for Achtung Baby were hostile as hell, and pulling “One”—a personal song about Bono’s relationship with his father—out of the hat was reportedly the only thing that kept U2 from parting ways.
Rarely has a song so personal been so universally applicable. It perfectly encapsulates how the band members were feeling towards each other at the time, and was released as a benefit single, with all profits going to AIDS research.
Recommended Listening
U2, "Even Better Than the Real Thing" (1991)
U2, "Mysterious Ways" (1991)
U2, "Beautiful Day" (2000)
U2, "Elevation" (2000)
U2, "Vertigo" (2004)
60. "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green (1971)
Album: Let's Stay Together
Genre: R&B
Label: Hi
Songwriters: Al Green, Willie Mitchell, Al Jackson, Jr.
Producers: Al Green, Willie Mitchell
Choosing one Al Green song is a tall order, since “Love and Happiness” and especially “Take Me to the River” are two of my favorites—and “Tired of Being Alone” is really good, too. But, “Let’s Stay Together” is amazing and Green’s best-known song.
Recommended Listening
Al Green, "Tired of Being Alone" (1971)
Bill Withers, "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971)
Al Green, "Love and Happiness" (1972)
Bill Withers, "Lean on Me" (1972)
Al Green, "Take Me to the River" (1974)
59. "Hey Joe" by the Jimi Hendrix Experience (1966)
Genre: Rock
Label: Reprise (U.S.) / Polydor (U.K.)
Songwriter: Billy Roberts
Producer: Chas Chandler
"Purple Haze” was the first Hendrix single released in the U.S., but his first single ever was “Hey Joe,” released in the U.K. at the tail end of 1966. In July of that year, producer Chas Chandler saw Hendrix cover “Hey Joe” at the Cafe Wha? in New York City.
Chandler surmised that if he found the right bassist (Noel Redding) and drummer (Mitch Mitchell) to play with Jimi, he'd have a winning formula. He was correct. (As a side note, I also happen to like “Hey Joe” a lot more than “Purple Haze.”)
Recommended Listening
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Are You Experienced?" (1967)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Fire" (1967)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Foxey Lady" (1967)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Purple Haze" (1967)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "The Wind Cries Mary" (1967)
58. "Smokestack Lightnin'" by Howlin' Wolf (1956)
Genre: Blues
Label: Chess
Writer: Chester Burnett (Howlin Wolf)
Producers: Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Willie Dixon
One of many, many important blues songs that finally got recorded once the rock 'n' roll era was underway. “Smokestack Lightnin'” continues to serve as an important piece of the popular music/roots music vocabulary.
Recommended Listening
Robert Johnson, "Kindhearted Woman Blues" (1937)
Howlin' Wolf, "Spoonful" (1960)
John Lee Hooker, "Boom Boom" (1961)
B.B. King, "The Thrill Is Gone" (1969)
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, "Pride and Joy" (1983)
57. “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd (1979)
Album: The Wall
Genre: Progressive Rock
Labels: Columbia (U.S.) / Harvest (U.K.)
Songwriters: David Gilmour, Roger Waters
Producers: Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, James Guthrie, Roger Waters
It’s easy to cast “Comfortably Numb” aside as “just another classic rock song,” but this track has the greatest guitar solo of all time, so it’s by definition anything but that. Plus, this masterpiece has a painterly quality to it, with rich sonic detail.
Recommended Listening
Pink Floyd, "Dogs" (1977)
Pink Floyd, "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" (1979)
Pink Floyd, "Hey You" (1979)
Pink Floyd, "Mother" (1979)
Pink Floyd, "Run Like Hell" (1979)
56. "Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack (1991)
Album: Blue Lines
Genre: Trip-Hop
Label: Virgin
Songwriters: Massive Attack, Jonathan Sharp, Shara Nelson
Producers: Massive Attack, Jonny Dollar
Three different strands of pop music broke through in the early '90s: alternative rock, hip-hop, and electronica. Massive Attack's debut album Blue Lines didn't just introduce the world to the electronic sub-genre trip-hop, it put electronic music on the map more broadly. "Unfinished Sympathy" is Massive Attack's biggest hit and best song.
Recommended Listening
Massive Attack, "Be Thankful for What You've Got" (1991)
Massive Attack, "Daydreaming" (1991)
Massive Attack, "Safe from Harm" (1991)
My Bloody Valentine, "Only Shallow" (1991)
Massive Attack, "Teardrop" (1998)
55. "Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream (1967)
Album: Disraeli Gears
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Labels: Atco [U.S.] / Polydor [U.K.]
Songwriters: Jack Bruce, Pete Brown, Eric Clapton
Producer: Felix Pappalardi
One of the most definitive guitar songs ever recorded: unforgettable lick, incredible solo, and a really weird drum pattern. The production’s not very good, but that hardly matters.
Recommended Listening
Cream, "I Feel Free" (1966)
Cream, "SWLABR" (1967)
Cream, "Tales of Brave Ulysses" (1967)
Cream, "Crossroads" (1968)
Cream, "White Room" (1968)
54. "London Calling" by The Clash (1979)
Album: London Calling
Genre: Punk
Labels: Columbia [U.S.] / CBS [U.K.]
Songwriters: Joe Strummer, Mick Jones
Producer: Guy Stevens
The album's a much better achievement than the song, but "London Calling" nevertheless represents—on this list, at least, since I only have room for one Clash song—everything punk can be.
Recommended Listening
The Clash, "Death or Glory" (1979)
The Clash, "Lost in the Supermarket" (1979)
The Clash, "Train in Vain" (1979)
The Clash, "Rock the Casbah" (1982)
The Clash, "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (1982)
53. "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen (1975)
Album: Born to Run
Genre: Rock
Label: Columbia
Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen
Producers: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau
“Thunder Road” was never released as a single, which is doubly surprising considering a legal battle with manager Mike Appel would sideline Bruce until 1978’s Darkness on the Edge of Town.
Alas, only two singles were released from Born to Run, the title track and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” Nevertheless, “Thunder Road” remains an incredible opener to one of rock’s great opuses, weaving together ‘50s and ‘60s rock and pop influences to create a feel that’s simultaneously old-timey and timeless.
Recommended Listening
Bruce Springsteen, "Blinded by the Light" (1973)
Bruce Springsteen, "New York City Serenade" (1973)
Bruce Springsteen, "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" (1973)
Bruce Springsteen, "Backstreets" (1975)
Bruce Springsteen, "Jungleland" (1975)
52. "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson (1982)
Album: Thriller
Genre: Dance Pop
Label: Epic
Songwriter: Michael Jackson
Producers: Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones
Pop, funk, dance—whatever you want to call it, it works. Thriller did too, to the tune of over 50 million copies sold worldwide. Jackson worked with producer Quincy Jones to make music that's as infectious as hell, and it’s safe to say they succeeded.
Recommended Listening
Michael Jackson, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (1979)
Michael Jackson, "Beat It" (1982)
Michael Jackson, "Thriller" (1982)
Michael Jackson, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (1982)
Michael Jackson, "Smooth Criminal" (1987)
51. "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin (1969)
Album: Led Zeppelin II
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Atlantic
Songwriters: Led Zeppelin, Willie Dixon
Producer: Jimmy Page
I really wish more Zeppelin could have made the list, but unfortunately, “Whole Lotta Love” is going to have to stand in for a whole lotta songs on their first three albums: “Heartbreaker,” “Ramble On,” “How Many More Times,” “Immigrant Song,” etc.
Recommended Listening
Led Zeppelin, "Heartbreaker" (1969)
Led Zeppelin, "How Many More Times" (1969)
Led Zeppelin, "Ramble On" (1969)
Led Zeppelin, "Immigrant Song" (1970)
Led Zeppelin, "Since I've Been Loving You" (1970)
50. "Shake, Rattle and Roll" by Big Joe Turner (1954)
Genre: Rock & Roll
Label: Atlantic
Songwriter: Jesse Stone (aka Charles E. Calhoun)
Producers: Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler
The oldest song on the list, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” was released in April 1954, but it’s still a blast to listen to nearly six full decades after its recording. Rock 'n' roll novices need to incorporate this track into their repertoire. Now.
Recommended Listening
The Dominoes, "Sixty Minute Man" (1951)
Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters, "Money Honey" (1953)
Fats Domino, "Ain't That a Shame" (1955)
Johnny Cash, "Folsom Prison Blues" (1955)
Fats Domino, "Blueberry Hill" (1956)
49. "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy (1989)
Album: Do the Right Thing soundtrack
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: Motown
Songwriters: Carlton Ridenhour, Eric Sadler, Hank Boxley, Keith Boxley
Producers: The Bomb Squad
Although “Fight the Power” closed out their third album, 1990’s Fear of a Black Planet, it appeared in Spike Lee’s groundbreaking film Do the Right Thing the year prior. Although “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” remains my favorite PE tune, “Fight the Power” is clearly their finest song.
Recommended Listening
Boogie Down Productions, "South Bronx" (1986)
Public Enemy, "Bring the Noise" (1987)
N.W.A., "Straight Outta Compton" (1988)
Public Enemy, "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" (1988)
LL Cool J, "Mama Said Knock You Out" (1990)
48. "A Day in the Life" by The Beatles (1967)
Album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Genre: Rock
Labels: Capitol [U.S.] / Parlophone [U.K.]
Songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
A well-reasoned case can be made that “A Day in the Life” belongs in the #1 spot. It is, after all, the crown jewel of the greatest album of all time, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
On a related note, it’s hard to imagine any other song besting it on a list of greatest album closers. But listen to “A Day in the Life” outside the context of Sgt. Pepper and you’ll surely notice that it’s not quite the same; the magic just isn’t there. Nevertheless, it remains a towering achievement.
Recommended Listening
Beatles, "Eleanor Rigby" (1966)
Beatles, "Here, There and Everywhere" (1966)
Beatles, "Tomorrow Never Knows" (1966)
Beatles, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1967)
Beatles, "With a Little Help from My Friends" (1967)
47. "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen (1963)
Album: The Kingsmen in Person
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Labels: Jerden, Wand
Songwriter: Richard Berry
Producers: Ken Chase, Jerry Dennon
I honestly don’t know a single word of this song, and clearly, neither does the singer. Nevertheless, this song is still tons of fun no matter how many times you have heard it and is another great early rock 'n' roll track.
Recommended Listening
Barrett Strong, "Money (That's What I Want)" (1959)
Chubby Checker, "The Twist" (1960)
The Beatles, "I Saw Her Standing There" (1963)
The Beatles, "Twist and Shout" (1963)
Johnny Cash, "Ring of Fire" (1963)
46. "The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff (1972)
Album: The Harder They Come soundtrack
Genre: Reggae
Label: Island
Songwriter: Jimmy Cliff
Producer: Jimmy Cliff
Though Bob Marley would later fully embody reggae, the world was first introduced to reggae through the film The Harder They Come, which featured a dynamite lineup of songs by Jimmy Cliff and a handful of other artists on its soundtrack. Marley’s great albums would follow, beginning with Catch a Fire in ’73.
Recommended Listening
Jimmy Cliff, "Many Rivers to Cross" (1969)
The Maytals, "Pressure Drop" (1970)
Jimmy Cliff, "Sitting in Limbo" (1972)
Jimmy Cliff, "You Can Get It If You Really Want" (1972)
The Wailers, "Rasta Man Chant" (1973)
45. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones (1965)
Album: Out of Our Heads
Genre: Rock
Labels: London [U.S.] / Decca [U.K.]
Songwriters: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham
The reason why I always put "Satisfaction" so low on my list—compared to other lists, at least, where it frequently cracks the top five—is because the Stones would produce thoroughly superior work in just a few years.
Nevertheless, this song was pretty monumental. It established the Rolling Stones as the band we now know and love after a few years of being a solid R&B cover band.
Recommended Listening
Rolling Stones, "Get Off My Cloud" (1965)
Rolling Stones, "The Last Time" (1965)
Rolling Stones, "Under My Thumb" (1966)
Rolling Stones, "Ruby Tuesday" (1967)
Rolling Stones, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1968)
44. "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder (1972)
Album: Talking Book
Genre: Funk
Label: Tamla
Songwriter: Stevie Wonder
Producer: Stevie Wonder
Stevie really had a great run during the early-to-mid ‘70s, crafting six magnificent albums in a row during a five-year period. Countless songs could be chosen for the Stevie Wonder slot, but for me “Superstition” and “Higher Ground” have always been the standout tracks. Alas, “Higher Ground,” we hardly knew ye.
Recommended Listening
Stevie Wonder, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (1972)
Stevie Wonder, "Higher Ground" (1973)
Stevie Wonder, "Living for the City" (1973)
Stevie Wonder, "Black Man" (1976)
Stevie Wonder, "Isn't She Lovely" (1976)
43. "Don't Be Cruel" by Elvis Presley (1956)
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Label: RCA Victor
Songwriter: Otis Blackwell
Producer: Steve Sholes
Even with its use of obviously primitive recording technology, “Don’t Be Cruel” has a springy step. It’s simply one of Elvis’ best tunes and, frankly, it’s too hard to leave it off the list.
Recommended Listening
Elvis Presley, "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (1954)
Elvis Presley, "Baby, Let's Play House" (1955)
Elvis Presley, "Blue Suede Shoes" (1956)
Elvis Presley, "Love Me Tender" (1956)
Elvis Presley, "All Shook Up" (1957)
42. "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles (1967)
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Labels: Capitol [U.S.] / Parlophone [U.K.]
Songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
The legacy of “Strawberry Fields Forever” has always been somewhat short-changed. It was originally intended for inclusion on Sgt. Pepper—released on June 1, 1967—but instead came out as a double A-side single with “Penny Lane” in February 1967.
It's hard to know how its placement on Sgt. Pepper might have affected things, but “Strawberry Fields” now stands proudly with “A Day in the Life” as one of the twin towers of the Beatles' ’67 psychedelic peak.
Recommended Listening
Beatles," All You Need Is Love" (1967)
Beatles, "I Am the Walrus" (1967)
Beatles, "Penny Lane" (1967)
Beatles, "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" (1968)
Beatles, "Revolution" (1968)
41. "That'll Be the Day" by Buddy Holly and The Crickets (1957)
Album: The "Chirping" Crickets
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Label: Brunswick
Songwriters: Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, Norman Petty
Producer: Norman Petty
I love these old and rock 'n' roll songs, which still hold up after all these years. Unfortunately for rock 'n' roll forefather (and Cricket) Buddy Holly, he didn’t live long enough to see the genre turn into rock in the 1960s. As you may have heard, he died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, at the tender age of 22.
Recommended Listening
Buddy Holly, "Everyday" (1957)
The Crickets, "Not Fade Away" (1957)
Buddy Holly, "Peggy Sue" (1957)
Buddy Holly, "Rave On" (1958)
Buddy Holly, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" (1959)
40. "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys (1966)
Album: Pet Sounds
Genre: Baroque Pop
Label: Capitol
Songwriters: Brian Wilson, Tony Asher
Producer: Brian Wilson
There are a lot of great songs on Pet Sounds—my favorite is “Caroline, No”—but come on. You know “God Only Knows” has to be the official Pet Sounds representative on the list. It's an empirically great song and it was the first hit single in Billboard history with the word “God” in the title.
Recommended Listening
Beach Boys, "Caroline, No" (1966)
Beach Boys, "Don't Talk" (1966)
Beach Boys, "Sloop John B." (1966)
Beach Boys, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (1966)
Beach Boys, "You Still Believe in Me" (1966)
39. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)
Album: Electric Ladyland
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Labels: Track [U.S.] / Polydor [U.K.]
Songwriter: Jimi Hendrix
Producer: Jimi Hendrix
Blistering doesn't even begin to describe Hendrix's guitar playing on "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," which manages to enthrall with every listen. Electric Ladyland was Jimi's first foray into stereo—his first two albums were recorded in mono—which adds considerably to the panoramic psychedelia.
Recommended Listening
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Bold as Love" (1967)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "If 6 Was 9" (1967)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Little Wing" (1967)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Spanish Castle Magic" (1967)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "You Got Me Floatin'" (1967)
38. "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
Album: Willy and the Poor Boys
Genre: Roots Rock
Label: Fantasy
Songwriter: John Fogerty
Producer: John Fogerty
Arguably the greatest of the Vietnam War protest songs to emerge from the 1960s American counterculture, "Fortunate Son" is John Fogerty at his impeccable best.
Recommended Listening
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" (1970)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Long as I Can See the Light" (1970)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Run Through the Jungle" (1970)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Travelin' Band" (1970)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Up Around the Bend" (1970)
37. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel (1970)
Album: Bridge Over Troubled Water
Genre: Pop
Label: Columbia
Songwriter: Paul Simon
Producers: Roy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel
This one’s a struggle for me. My favorite S&G song is (easily) “Scarborough Fair / Canticle,” and truth be told, I actually like “The Boxer” and “The Sound of Silence” more than “Bridge over Troubled Water.” However, let’s not kid ourselves, "Bridge" is an excellent song that deserves to make this list.
Recommended Listening
Simon & Garfunkel, "The Sound of Silence" (1965)
Simon & Garfunkel, "Scarborough Fair / Canticle" (1966)
Simon & Garfunkel, "America" (1968)
Simon & Garfunkel, "Mrs. Robinson" (1968)
Simon & Garfunkel, "The Boxer" (1970)
36. "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (1982)
Album: The Message
Genre: Old-School Rap
Label: Sugar Hill
Songwriters: Ed "Duke Bootee" Fletcher, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Sylvia Robinson
Producers: Ed Fletcher, Clifton "Jiggs" Chase, Sylvia Robinson
This old-school rap cut contains everything future rappers and DJs would later expand upon, with instantly memorable lyrics and a spacy synth hook. It took another couple of years for a hip-hop artist to assemble an entire album’s worth of great material—Run-D.M.C.’s 1984 self-titled debut ushered in a new school—but “The Message” was the first song to get hip-hop right. Every subsequent hip-hop song owes something to it in some way.
Recommended Listening
Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight" (1979)
Kurtis Blow, "The Breaks" (1980)
Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force, "Planet Rock" (1982)
Herbie Hancock, "Rockit" (1983)
Mantronix, "Bassline" (1985)
35. "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke (1964)
Album: Ain't That Good News
Genre: Soul
Label: RCA Victor
Songwriter: Sam Cooke
Producers: Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore
Sam Cooke might have the smoothest voice I have ever heard, which serves him well as far as “A Change Is Gonna Come” is concerned, since neither before nor since has a song about racism gone down so easy.
Recommended Listening
Sam Cooke, "You Send Me" (1957)
Sam Cooke, "Chain Gang" (1960)
Sam Cooke, "Wonderful World" (1960)
Sam Cooke, "Cupid" (1961)
Sam Cooke, "Shake" (1965)
34. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" by James Brown (1965)
Album: Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
Genre: R&B
Label: King
Songwriter: James Brown
Producer: James Brown
Yet another case of me only allowing one slot for a great artist who deserves several. “Papa” has always been my pick for Brown’s best, though of course the omnipresent “I Got You (I Feel Good)” is also up there. My personal favorite is, of course, “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine.”
Recommended Listening
James Brown,"Please Please Please" (1956)
James Brown, "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (1965)
James Brown, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (1966)
James Brown, "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" (1968)
James Brown, "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine" (1970)
33. "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones (1976)
Album: Ramones
Genre: Punk
Label: Sire
Songwriters: Tommy Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone
Producer: Craig Leon
The song that kickstarted the punk revolution. By 1976, rock 'n' roll had grown increasingly indulgent as corporate arena rock flew off the shelves and people packed the stadiums to watch ten-minute guitar solos.
In one of the most seismic movements in the history of pop music, punk musicians across the U.S. and U.K. started crawling into the clubs to make some noise—and people actually showed up to watch them do it.
Recommended Listening
Sex Pistols, "Anarchy in the UK" (1976)
The Clash, "White Riot" (1977)
Ramones, "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" (1977)
Sex Pistols, "God Save the Queen" (1977)
Ramones, "I Wanna Be Sedated" (1978)
32. "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan (1963)
Album: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Genre: Folk
Label: Columbia
Songwriter: Bob Dylan
Producer: John Hammond
There are so many great Bob Dylan songs: folk songs, rock songs, early songs, newer songs, short songs, long songs, and everything in between. After considering the usual suspects, I decided “Blowin’ in the Wind” is the best representative for the non-“Like a Rolling Stone” Dylan slot. (In composing the list this time around, I was surprised the list didn’t lose all that much power when Dylan’s input was reduced to just two tracks.)
Recommended Listening
Bob Dylan, "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (1963)
Bob Dylan, "Masters of War" (1963)
Bob Dylan, "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (1964)
Bob Dylan, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" (1965)
Bob Dylan, "Mr. Tambourine Man" (1965)
31. "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley (1957)
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Label: RCA
Songwriters: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Producers: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Before the John Lennon and Paul McCartney songwriting partnership became the dominant force of ‘60s popular music, there was Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, who were a hit-making duo in rock & roll’s earliest days.
Though originally a hit for Big Mama Thornton in 1953, Elvis made their song “Hound Dog” globally famous in 1956. When Presley’s new movie Jailhouse Rock came out the following year, they had a track ready just for him.
Recommended Listening
Elvis Presley, "Hound Dog" (1956)
The Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959)
Ben E. King, "Spanish Harlem" (1961)
Ben E. King, "Stand by Me" (1961)
Donald Fagen, "Ruby Baby" (1982)
30. "What'd I Say" by Ray Charles (1959)
Album: What'd I Say
Genre: R&B
Label: Atlantic
Songwriter: Ray Charles
Producer: Jerry Wexler
Ray Charles is another artist that sort of got squeezed out of the top 100, except for this one slot. I love a lot of Ray’s songs, but “What’d I Say” is the ideal candidate to represent his magnificent body of work.
Recommended Listening
Ray Charles, "I've Got a Woman" (1954)
Ray Charles, "Georgia on My Mind" (1960)
Ray Charles, "Hit the Road, Jack" (1961)
Ray Charles, "I Can't Stop Loving You" (1962)
John Mayall, "What'd I Say" (1966)
29. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles (1963)
Genre: British Invasion
Labels: Capitol [U.S.] / Parlophone [U.K.]
Songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
If there is a song that encapsulates Beatlemania, this is certainly it. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" didn't appear on Please Please Me or With the Beatles—both released in 1963 in the U.K.
It did, however, appear as the first track on the U.S.-only Meet the Beatles LP, now out of print since the U.K. versions have become standard in the digital era. The song can only be found on compilations like 1 and Past Masters, Vol. 1.
Recommended Listening
Beatles, "Love Me Do" (1962)
Beatles, "Please Please Me" (1963)
Beatles, "She Loves You" (1963)
Beatles, "Can't Buy Me Love" (1964)
Beatles, "A Hard Day's Night" (1964)
28. "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding (1968)
Album: The Dock of the Bay
Genre: R&B
Label: Volt
Songwriters: Steve Cropper, Otis Redding
Producer: Steve Cropper
How great is this song? “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” is one of those songs where the pieces fit together perfectly, plain and simple. (Semantics issue: shouldn’t “pier” be used instead of “dock”? That’s always sort of nagged me, as someone who comes from a Navy family.)
Recommended Listening
Otis Redding, "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)" (1965)
Wilson Pickett, "In the Midnight Hour" (1965)
Otis Redding, "Try a Little Tenderness" (1966)
Wilson Pickett, "Mustang Sally" (1966)
Otis Redding, "Tramp" (1967)
#27: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye (1968)
Album: I Heard It Through the Grapevine!
Genre: Soul
Label: Tamla
Songwriters: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
Producer: Norman Whitfield
I still actually haven’t listened to the original Gladys Knight version of "Grapevine." Gaye’s cover is so perfect and iconic that I don’t want to spoil that. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 11-minute version is pretty epic, though.
Recommended Listening
Marvin Gaye, "Can I Get a Witness" (1963)
Marvin Gaye, "Ain't That Peculiar" (1965)
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (1967)
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1968)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (1970)
26. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by The Righteous Brothers (1965)
Album: 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"
Genre: Pop
Label: Philles
Songwriters: Phil Spector, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Producer: Phil Spector
Vintage Phil Spector. The Wall of Sound producer worked with a lot of acts throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s mono era, and this is my pick as the finest track from the male artists he worked with. (Keep reading to see where the top female artist places.)
Recommended Listening
Everly Brothers, "Bye Bye Love" (1957)
Everly Brothers, "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (1958)
Everly Brothers, "Cathy's Clown" (1960)
Righteous Brothers, "Unchained Melody" (1965)
Ike & Tina Turner, "River Deep - Mountain High" (1966)
25. "Hotel California" by Eagles (1976)
Album: Hotel California
Genre: Rock
Label: Asylum
Songwriters: Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley
Producer: Bill Szymczyk
So much has been written and debated about this damn song, which is now firmly embedded in the fibers of American culture, that I hate to really add to the heap. Maybe at some point I’ll write my own take on it where I break the whole thing down line by line.
For now I’ll say this: Regardless of what you may think of it, “Hotel California” remains, close to four decades after its release, one of rock’s grandest epics and a twisted commentary on the rapidly increasing Hollywoodification/corporatization of the music industry during the late ‘70s.
Recommended Listening
Jackson Browne, "Doctor My Eyes" (1972)
Eagles, "Desperado" (1973)
Eagles, "One of These Nights" (1975)
Eagles, "Life in the Fast Lane" (1976)
Jackson Browne, "Running on Empty" (1977)
24. "The Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1965)
Album: Going to a Go-Go
Genre: Soul
Label: Tamla
Songwriters: William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr.; Warren Moore; Marvin Tarplin
Producer: Smokey Robinson
Easily one of the best songs to emerge from Motown's mid-'60s hit factory. And Smokey Robinson's voice is impossibly high.
Recommended Listening
The Temptations, "My Girl" (1964)
The Impressions, "People Get Ready" (1965)
The Temptations, "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1966)
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, "The Tears of a Clown" (1967)
The Temptations, "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972)
23. "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes (1963)
Genre: Pop
Label: Philles
Songwriters: Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich
Producer: Phil Spector
With apologies to the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” this is the greatest pop song from the Phil Spector era. It’s simple as hell, and I’m not sure it could have survived in a post-British Invasion music landscape—it has that slightly stiff feeling frequently found in music produced from 1959–63—or that the song could work without Spector’s mono Wall. Yet it’s absolutely infectious, and is perhaps the earliest example of pure pop.
Recommended Listening
Coasters, "Yakety Yak" (1958)
Crystals, "Da Doo Ron Ron" (1963)
Crystals, "Then He Kissed Me" (1963)
Drifters, "Under the Boardwalk" (1964)
Ronettes, "Walking in the Rain" (1964)
22. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana (1991)
Album: Nevermind
Genre: Grunge
Label: DGC
Songwriters: Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic
Producer: Butch Vig
You’d have to go all the way back to Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right”—the song that, before there was such a thing as rock 'n' roll in the public consciousness, was deemed too black for white people and too white for black people—to find a song that changed the course of popular music like "Teen Spirit."
Rock music enjoyed its most fruitful decade since the ‘60s as Generation X rebellion brought a sea change in what was popular throughout the ‘90s. Alternative rock, hip-hop, and electronic music all enjoyed broader mainstream success.
Recommended Listening
Alice in Chains, "Man in the Box" (1990)
Nirvana, "Come As You Are" (1991)
Pearl Jam, "Black" (1991)
Pearl Jam, "Jeremy" (1991)
Soundgarden,"Jesus Christ Pose" (1991)
21. "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones (1968)
Album: Beggars Banquet
Genre: Rock
Labels: London [U.S.] / Decca [U.K.]
Songwriters: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Producer: Jimmy Miller
When you listen to “Sympathy for the Devil,” the only appropriate response is to tip your cap and tell the Rolling Stones, “You guys are really good at what you do.”
Recommended Listening
Rolling Stones, "Street Fighting Man" (1968)
Rolling Stones, "Midnight Rambler" (1969)
Rolling Stones, "Moonlight Mile" (1971)
Rolling Stones, "Shattered" (1978)
Rolling Stones, "Slave" (1981)
20. "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd (1975)
Album: Wish You Were Here
Genre: Acoustic Rock
Labels: Columbia [U.S.] / Harvest [U.K.]
Songwriters: David Gilmour, Roger Waters
Producer: Pink Floyd
Not the most influential song on the list, but I refuse to let go of this song’s high ranking. It’s too damn good.
Recommended Listening
Pink Floyd, "Echoes" (1971)
Pink Floyd, "Money" (1973)
Pink Floyd, "Time" (1973)
Pink Floyd, "Have a Cigar" (1975)
Pink Floyd, "Welcome to the Machine" (1975)
19. "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen (1975)
Album: Born to Run
Genre: Heartland Rock
Label: Columbia
Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen
Producers: Bruce Springsteen, Mike Appel
Bruce’s first two albums were commercial duds, and “Born to Run”—the song and the album—was his bid to break out of Asbury Park, his small town coastal New Jersey home. Needless to say, it worked.
Recommended Listening
Bruce Springsteen, "She's the One" (1975)
Bruce Springsteen, "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" (1975)
Bruce Springsteen, "Something in the Night" (1978)
Bruce Springsteen, "Drive All Night" (1980)
Bruce Springsteen, "Born in the U.S.A." (1984)
18. "All Along the Watchtower" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)
Album: Electric Ladyland
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Label: Reprise
Songwriter: Bob Dylan
Producer: Jimi Hendrix
How Hendrix managed to ever envision this extraordinarily explosive cover when he heard Bob Dylan’s acoustic original has boggled my mind for years now. This is truly the master at the top of his game here.
Recommended Listening
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" (1968)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Crosstown Traffic" (1968)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" (1968)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Rainy Day, Dream Away" (1968)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Still Raining, Still Dreaming" (1968)
17. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
Album: A Night at the Opera (1975)
Genre: Rock
Labels: Elektra [U.S.] / Parlophone [U.K.]
Songwriter: Freddie Mercury
Producers: Roy Thomas Baker, Queen
Structurally, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is certainly one of the more interesting songs in the pop music canon. This six-minute, hard rock pseudo-opera is also ridiculously fun, no matter how many times you have heard it.
Recommended Listening
Queen, "Killer Queen" (1974)
Queen, "Somebody to Love" (1976)
Queen, "We Are the Champions" (1977)
Queen, "We Will Rock You" (1977)
Queen, "Another One Bites the Dust" (1980)
16. "The Weight" by The Band (1968)
Album: Music from Big Pink
Genre: Roots Rock
Label: Capitol
Songwriter: Robbie Robertson
Producer: John Simon
A great example of how effortless pop used to be. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly which part of America this music stems from—which isn't surprising considering the Band’s members are mostly Canadian. As it stands, “The Weight” is a magnificent summation of the best of what American music had to offer to our neighbors to the north.
Recommended Listening
The Band, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (1969)
Neil Young, "Don't Let It Bring You Down" (1970)
Neil Young, "Southern Man" (1970)
Neil Young, "The Needle and the Damage Done" (1972)
Neil Young, "Old Man" (1972)
15. "Hey Jude" by The Beatles (1968)
Genre: Pop
Label: Apple
Songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
"Hey Jude" has the power to stop you in your tracks with that majestic coda/fade-out, which, by the way, is longer than the main body of the song. Still, "Hey Jude" remains bittersweet. It's really the last time the band was in any kind of sync.
Though excellent, The White Album and Abbey Road were more like collections of separate solo visions.
Recommended Listening
Beatles, "Blackbird" (1968)
Beatles, "Helter Skelter" (1968)
Beatles, "Get Back" (1969)
Beatles, "Oh! Darling" (1969)
Beatles, "The Long and Winding Road" (1970)
14. "My Generation" by The Who (1965)
Album: The Who Sings My Generation [U.S.] / My Generation [U.K.]
Genre: British Invasion
Labels: Decca [U.S.] / Brunswick [U.K.]
Songwriter: Pete Townshend
Producer: Shel Talmy
Still an exhilarating listen after all these years. The Who have finer songs and more accomplished work, but nothing in their catalog compares to this bomb of a song.
Recommended Listening
The Who, "I Can't Explain" (1965)
The Who, "I Can See for Miles" (1967)
The Who, "Magic Bus" (1968)
The Who, "Pinball Wizard" (1969)
The Who, "The Seeker" (1970)
13. "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos (1970)
Album: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Genre: Blues Rock
Labels: Atco [U.S.] / Polydor [U.K.]
Songwriters: Eric Clapton, Jim Gordon
Producers: Tom Dowd, Derek and the Dominos
The fact that it’s basically two songs hurts it more than it helps it as far as this ranking stuff goes. I love it to death, but it’s very unlikely it will ever reclaim the top spot on my list. Truly magnificent stuff, though.
Recommended Listening
Derek and the Dominos, "Bell Bottom Blues" (1970)
Derek and the Dominos, "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" (1970)
Derek and the Dominos, "Tell the Truth" (1970)
Eric Clapton, "I Shot the Sheriff" (1974)
Eric Clapton, "Tears in Heaven" (1992)
12. "Respect" by Aretha Franklin (1967)
Album: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Genre: Soul
Label: Atlantic
Songwriter: Otis Redding
Producer: Jerry Wexler
By now I’m sure you have heard the story: “Respect” was originally recorded by a man (Otis Redding), then re-recorded by a woman (Aretha). It was pretty much the signature song of the women’s lib movement. Go Aretha!
Recommended Listening
Aretha Franklin, "Chain of Fools" (1967)
Aretha Franklin, "Do Right Woman - Do Right Man" (1967)
Aretha Franklin, "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (1967)
Aretha Franklin, "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (1967)
Aretha Franklin, "Think" (1968)
11. "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison (1964)
Genre: Rock
Label: Monument
Songwriters: Roy Orbison, Bill Dees
Producer: Fred Foster
Still one of the definitive guitar licks five decades later. Oh, and Roy Orbison’s voice is amazing.
Recommended Listening
Link Wray, "Rumble" (1958)
Roy Orbison, "Only the Lonely" (1960)
Roy Orbison,"Crying" (1961)
Booker T. & the MGs, "Green Onions" (1962)
Roy Orbison, "In Dreams" (1963)
10. "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys (1967)
Album: Smiley Smile
Genre: Psychedelic Pop
Label: Capitol
Songwriters: Brian Wilson, Mike Love
Producer: Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys followed up Pet Sounds, their greatest album, with “Good Vibrations,” their greatest song. Brian Wilson reportedly slaved over this track for months, pasting the song's (noticeable) fragments together from over 90 hours of tape.
Brian's tenure as the genius of American pop music was painfully short—mental illness and group tensions sidelined him shortly after "Good Vibrations" was completed—but in 2004 he resurrected the abandoned Smile LP, the follow-up to Pet Sounds, to great acclaim.
Recommended Listening
Beach Boys, "Heroes and Villains" (1967)
Beach Boys, "Surf's Up" (1971)
Brian Wilson, "Roll Plymouth Rock" (2004)
Brian Wilson, "Cabin Essence" (2004)
Brian Wilson, "Surf's Up" (2004)
9. "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye (1971)
Album: What's Going On
Genre: Soul
Label: Tamla
Songwriters: Al Cleveland, Renaldo Benson, Marvin Gaye
Producer: Marvin Gaye
How many songs can claim they changed how an entire industry did their business? Motown’s outdated single factory was history after the public ate up “What’s Going On,” and label president Berry Gordy demanded an album’s worth of material from Gaye.
Recommended Listening
Marvin Gaye, "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" (1971)
Marvin Gaye, "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" (1971)
Marvin Gaye, "Right On" (1971)
Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get It On" (1973)
Marvin Gaye, "Sexual Healing" (1982)
8. "Let It Be" by The Beatles (1970)
Album: Let It Be
Genre: Rock
Label: Apple
Songwriter: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
It came at the end of the Beatles’ run, but thankfully, McCartney saved one of his best, most magical, and most touching songs for last.
Recommended Listening
Paul McCartney, "Maybe I'm Amazed" (1970)
Paul & Linda McCartney, "Too Many People" (1971)
Paul McCartney & Wings, "Band on the Run" (1973)
Paul McCartney & Wings, "Jet" (1973)
Paul McCartney & Wings, "Live and Let Die" (1973)
7. "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones (1969)
Album: Let It Bleed
Genre: Rock
Labels: London [U.S.] / Decca [U.K.]
Songwriters: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Producer: Jimmy Miller
Only the Stones can make such dark and apocalyptic content sound so fun and exciting. This song is seriously too good.
Recommended Listening
Rolling Stones, "Honky Tonk Women" (1969)
Rolling Stones, "Sway" (1971)
Rolling Stones, "Wild Horses" (1971)
Rolling Stones, "Rocks Off" (1972)
Rolling Stones, "Ventilator Blues" (1972)
6. "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley (1956)
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Label: RCA Victor
Songwriters: Mae Boren Axton, Thomas Durden
Producer: Steve Sholes
Easily the most awesome Elvis tune, "Heartbreak Hotel" is his best rocker and his most heartfelt song, a rather wicked combo, for sure.
Recommended Listening
Elvis Presley, "I Love You Because" (1954)
Elvis Presley, "You're a Heartbreaker" (1954)
Elvis Presley, "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" (1955)
Elvis Presley, "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" (1955)
Elvis Presley, "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" (1956)
5. "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin (1971)
Album: Led Zeppelin IV
Genre: Rock
Label: Atlantic
Songwriters: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Producer: Jimmy Page
Zeppelin’s subsequent epics would be a tad overblown (“Kashmir”) or a bit flat (“Achilles Last Stand”), but “Stairway” is when all of the pieces fell into place during their magical peak.
Recommended Listening
Led Zeppelin, "Black Dog" (1971)
Led Zeppelin, "When the Levee Breaks" (1971)
Led Zeppelin, "No Quarter" (1973)
Led Zeppelin, "In My Time of Dying" (1975)
Led Zeppelin, "Kashmir" (1975)
4. "Imagine" by John Lennon (1971)
Album: Imagine
Genre: Pop
Label: Apple
Songwriter: John Lennon
Producer: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector
“Imagine” perfectly captures the twilight of Silent generation dominance, with a simple yet elegant ode to the passing ideals of the ‘60s as power shifted to the rising Baby Boomers.
Recommended Listening
John Lennon, "God" (1970)
John Lennon, "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" (1970)
John Lennon, "Mother" (1970)
John Lennon, "Well Well Well" (1970)
John Lennon, "How Do You Sleep?" (1971)
3. "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (1965)
Album: Highway 61 Revisited
Genre: Folk Rock
Label: Columbia
Songwriter: Bob Dylan
Producer: Tom Wilson
Both the Highway 61 Revisited album and this, its lead track/single, brought heady folk lyricism and full-blown rock instrumentation together for the first time. It’s the birth of modern rock 'n' roll as we know it.
Recommended Listening
Bob Dylan, "Visions of Johanna" (1966)
Bob Dylan, "All Along the Watchtower" (1967)
Bob Dylan, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (1973)
Bob Dylan, "Idiot Wind" (1975)
Bob Dylan, "Hurricane" (1976)
2. "Yesterday" by The Beatles (1965)
Album: Help!
Genre: Chamber Pop
Labels: Capitol [U.S.] / Parlophone [U.K.]
Songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
This song has been covered more than 2,000 times for a reason: it’s simple, effective, and flawless. With “Yesterday,” the Beatles’ early rock 'n' roll juvenilia matured at last. The song is the all-important bridge between those relatively simplistic early days and the sheer genius of the Beatles’ output in the back half of the ‘60s.
Recommended Listening
Beatles, "Eight Days a Week" (1964)
Beatles, "Day Tripper" (1965)
Beatles, "Help!" (1965)
Beatles, "Ticket to Ride" (1965)
Beatles, "We Can Work It Out" (1965)
1. "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry (1958)
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll
Label: Chess
Songwriter: Chuck Berry
Producers: Leonard Chess, Phil Chess
Of all of the songs made in the pop music era, none carries more weight than "Johnny B. Goode." It completely embodies everything rock & roll is, was, and can be.
Recommended Listening
Chuck Berry, "Rock and Roll Music" (1957)
Chuck Berry, "Around and Around" (1958)
Chuck Berry, "Carol" (1958)
Chuck Berry, "Reelin' and Rockin'" (1958)
Chuck Berry, "Sweet Little Sixteen" (1958)