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DECEMBER 11, 2003 9:00AM ET

500 Greatest Songs of All Time

Rolling Stone’s definitive list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
By ROLLING STONE

By Jay-Z

A great song doesn’t attempt to be anything — it just is.

When you hear a great song, you can think of where you were when you first heard it, the sounds, the smells. It takes the emotions
of a moment and holds it for years to come. It transcends time. A great song has all the key elements — melody; emotion; a strong
statement that becomes part of the lexicon; and great production. Think of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” by Queen. That song had
everything — different melodies, opera, R&B, rock — and it explored all of those different genres in an authentic way, where it felt
natural.

When I’m writing a song that I know is going to work, it’s a feeling of euphoria. It’s how a basketball player must feel when he starts
hitting every shot, when you’re in that zone. As soon as you start, you get that magic feeling, an extra feeling. Songs like that come
out in five minutes; if I work on them more than, say, 20 minutes, they’re probably not going to work.

Read Jay-Z’s full essay here.

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Sly and the Family Stone, 'Hot Fun in the Summertime'

Writer: Sly Stone

Producer: Stone
Released: Aug. '69, Epic
16 weeks; No. 2

Summer was already under way when Stone handed in this heavenly soul ballad to Epic, which was wary of releasing a summer
song in August – but it was a smash anyway. The single came out just before the Family Stone performed at Woodstock – they
were the first band to sign up for the historic festival. Michael Jackson later bought the rights to the song.

Appears on: Greatest Hits (Epic)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Sly and the Family Stone

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The Band, 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down'

Writer: Robbie Robertson

Producers: John Simon, the Band
Released: Sept. '69, Capitol
Non-single

Robertson, a Canadian, vividly depicted the Civil War-era South in this moving dirge. "I remember taking him to the library so he
could research the history and geography," said Levon Helm, the Band's only American, whose gritty vocal evoked the interior
struggle of someone trying to make sense of a lost cause – like, in 1969, the war in Vietnam.
Appears on: The Band (Capitol) Subscribe

RELATED:
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•500 Greatest Albums of All Time: The Bands’ The Band

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Jackie Wilson, '(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher'

Writers: Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner, Carl Smith

Producer: Carl Davis
Released: Aug. '67, Brunswick
12 weeks; No. 6

At first, he sang it like a ballad. But Wilson hit the right gallop after producer Davis told him "to jump and go along with the
percussion." Motown bassist James Jamerson played down below, along with several other moonlighting members of the Funk
Brothers band.

Appears on: The Very Best of Jackie Wilson (Rhino)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Jackie Wilson

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Jackie Wilson

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The Spencer Davis Group, 'Gimme Some Lovin''

Writers: Davis, Steve Winwood, Muff Winwood

Producer: Jimmy Miller
Released: Dec. '66, United Artists
13 weeks; No. 7

Teenage singer Steve Winwood provided the impossibly raw vocals. "Steve had been singing, 'Gimme some lovin',' just yelling
anything," said bassist-brother Muff. "It took about an hour to write, then down the pub for lunch."

Appears on: Gimme Some Lovin' (Sundazed)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Steve Winwood

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The B 52's, 'Love Shack'

Writers: Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson

Producers: Don Was, Nile Rodgers
Released: June '89, Reprise
27 weeks; No. 3

The B-52's had few reasons to party in 1989: Guitarist Ricky Wilson had died; their previous album had flopped. But with
production by dance-rock master Don Was, they slapped smiles and Dixie New Wave glitter all over this bouncing beauty.

Appears on: Cosmic Thing (Reprise)

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Elton John, 'Rocket Man'

Writers: John, Bernie Taupin

Producer: Gus Dudgeon
Released: May '72, Uni
15 weeks; No. 6

A perfect song for the age of moonwalks, this star trek was the elegiac tale of an astronaut lost in space, light-years from home.
Taupin wrote it on the way to visiting his own family. "I got inside," he said, "and had to rush to write it all down before I'd
forgotten it." Taupin was accused of ripping off Bowie's "Space Oddity," but he was actually thinking of "Rocket Man," by acid-
folkies Pearls Before Swine.

Appears on: Honky Chateau (Island)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Elton John

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Elton John

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Sly and the Family Stone, 'Stand!'

Writer: Sly Stone

Producer: Stone
Released: April '69, Epic
8 weeks; No. 22

The title song from Stone's classic black-rock LP became a civil rights anthem. But when a test pressing got a muted reaction on
San Francisco radio, Stone added the funky coda, played by what his A&R man Stephen Paley called "old-men horn players,"
since the Family was unavailable. "He wrote out parts for the horn players and even passed out W-4 forms," said Paley. "He was
that together."

Appears on: Stand! (Sony)

RELATED:

•500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Sly and the Family Stone’s Stand!
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Dion, 'The Wanderer'

Writer: Ernie Maresca

Producer: Gene Schwartz
Released: Dec. '61, Laurie
18 weeks; No. 2

Dion DiMucci's trademark hit – originally the B side to a single called "The Majestic," until DJs began flipping the record over –
was a swaggering shuffle about a real-life hard-ass who wore tattoos of his girlfriends' names on his arms. "You say to a chick,
'Stay away from that guy,' " Dion said in 1976, when "The Wanderer" was a Top 20 hit again in the U.K. "And she would say,
'What guy?' Chicks loved a rebel."

Appears on: Runaround Sue (Capitol)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Dion

242

Dusty Spring ield, 'Son of a Preacher Man'

Writers: John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins

Producer: Jerry Wexler
R l d N '68 Atl ti
Released: Nov. '68, Atlantic
12 weeks; No. 10 Subscribe

Springfield was white and428

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if born with black American
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tutelage of its star producer Wexler, she went to the mecca of Dixie R&B to record the gospel-tinged Dusty in Memphis. She
ended up doing her vocals in New York, but no matter: Her deep, heated voice captured the carnal fire of the South

Appears on: Dusty in Memphis (Rhino)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Dusty Springfield

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Patsy Cline, 'I Fall to Pieces'

Writer: Hank Cochran

Producer: Owen Bradley
Released: Jan. '61, Decca
20 weeks; No. 12

Cline was reluctant to record this ballad, which had been turned down by Brenda Lee, until Bradley coaxed her into it. Seven
months pregnant when she cut it, Cline belted the ending the first time through, but the magic happened when she dropped to
her lower register on her second try.

Appears on: 12 Greatest Hits (MCA)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Patsy Cline

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Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force, 'Planet Rock'

Writers: Bambaataa, John Robie, the Soul Sonic Force

Producers: Bambaataa, Arthur Baker
Released: July '82, Tommy Boy
11 weeks; No. 48

"Can you play stuff like Kraftwerk?" asked Bam, who played their records at DJ gigs. Baker worried about stealing the melody
from "Trans-Europe Express," but Robie said, "I'll tear that shit up."

Appears on: Looking for the Perfect Beat 1980-1985 (Tommy Boy)

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Ray Charles, 'I Got a Woman'

Writers: Charles, Renald Richard

Producer: Jerry Wexler
Released: Nov. '54, ABC-Parliament
Predates chart

Charles was riding through Indiana one night in 1954 with his musical director Richard when they began singing along to a
gospel tune on the radio. "Ray sang something like, 'I got a woman,'" said Richard. "I answered, 'Yeah, she lives across town.'" He
finished the song the next day, and Charles cut it at an Atlanta radio station – a session now recognized as the birth of soul.

Appears on: Atlantic Singles (Rhino)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Ray Charles

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Ray Charles

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Buddy Holly and the Crickets, 'Everyday'

Writers: Charles Hardin, Norman Petty

Producer: Petty
Released: Sept. '57, Coral a
Did not chart

The flip side to "Peggy Sue," "Everyday" features the celesta, a keyboard with a glockenspiel-like tone that Petty kept in his New
Mexico studio. The percussion is drummer Jerry Allison keeping time by slapping his knees. For legal reasons, Holly changed his
songwriting credit to Charles Hardin, his real first and middle names.

Appears on: Best of Buddy Holly (Universal)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Buddy Holly

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Buddy Holly

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The Byrds, 'I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better'

Writer: Gene Clark

P d T M l h
Producer: Terry Melcher
Released: June '65, Columbia Subscribe

Did not chart

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The Byrds championed the songs of Bob Dylan, who in turn praised the exotic balladry of Byrd Gene Clark. "I remember him
saying, 'Gene is really interesting to me,'" said bassist Chris Hillman. Clark wrote this about a girlfriend from their days at the
L.A. club Ciro's. "She was a funny girl, and she started bothering me," he said. "I wrote the whole song within a few minutes."

Appears on: Mr. Tambourine Man (Columbia)

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M.I.A., 'Paper Planes'

Writers: M.I.A., Diplo

Producers: Diplo, Switch
Released: August '07, Interscope
21 weeks; No. 4

Maya Arulpragasam cheerfully threatens to steal your money, over a sample of the Clash's "Straight to Hell." The unlikely hit took
off thanks to its inclusion in the Pineapple Express trailer. "The other songs on the chart were Katy Perry and the Jonas
Brothers," says M.I.A. "Then you saw 'Paper Planes' and it's cool because there's hope: 'Thank God the future's here.'"

Appears on: Kala (Interscope)

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The Animals, 'We Gotta Get Out of This Place'

Writers: Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil

Producer: Mickie Most
Released: Aug. ’65, MGM
11 weeks; No. 13

Born in the Brill Building song factory and originally intended for the Righteous Brothers, it got a harsh white-blues treatment
from the Animals. As singer Eric Burdon put it, “Whatever suited our attitude, we just bent to our own shape.” Its desperate
intensity made the song a huge hit with U.S. soldiers in Vietnam and, a generation later, coalition forces in Iraq.

Appears on: Retrospective (ABKCO)

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Roy Orbison, 'Only the Lonely'

Writers: Joe Melson, Orbison

Producer: Fred Foster
Released: May '60, Monument
21 weeks; No. 2

Orbison intended to offer this song to either Elvis Presley (also a Sun Records alumnus) or the Everly Brothers, who had cut the
Orbison song "Claudette." But Orbison's falsetto made the loneliness real. "For a baritone to sing as high as I do," he said, "is
ridiculous."

Appears on: For the Lonely: 18 Greatest Hits (Rhino)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Roy Orbison

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Roy Orbison

A D V E RT I S E M E N T
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233

Marvin Gaye, 'Sexual Healing'

Writers: Gaye, Odell Brown, David Ritz

Producer: Gaye
Released: Oct. '82, Columbia
21 weeks; No. 3

In April 1982 Gaye was living in exile in Brussels and suffering writer's block. "I suggested that Marvin needed sexual healing,"
Ritz, his biographer, later wrote. Gaye put the idea to a reggae-style beat by sideman Brown. The result: Gaye's last Top Five hit.

Appears on: Midnight Love (Columbia)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Marvin Gaye

• 100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Marvin Gaye

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Bob Dylan, 'Just Like a Woman'

Writer: Dylan
Producer: Bob Johnston
Released: May '66, Columbia
6 weeks; No. 33

Dylan wrote this on Thanksgiving Day 1965 – three days after marrying Sara Lowndes – while on tour in Kansas City. His
nonstop creative rush was taking a big toll. "I don't consider myself outside of anything," he said at the time. "I just consider
myself not around." He turned his torment into this song, allegedly inspired by his recently ended affair with doomed Andy
Warhol starlet Edie Sedgwick.
Warhol starlet Edie Sedgwick.
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Appears on: Blonde on Blonde (Columbia)

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RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Bob Dylan

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Bob Dylan

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Van Morrison, 'Moondance'

Writer: Morrison
Producer: Morrison
Released: Feb. '70, Warner Bros.
4 weeks; No. 92

The title song of Morrison's first self-produced album started "as a saxophone solo," he said. "I used to play this sax number over
and over, anytime I picked up my horn." He played the sax solo on this recording, which combined the bucolic charm of his life in
Woodstock, New York ("the cover of October skies"), with his love of the sophisticated jazz and R&B of Mose Allison and Ray
Charles.

Appears on: Moondance (Warner Bros.)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Van Morrison

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Van Morrison

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Muddy Waters, 'Mannish Boy'

Writers: McKinley Morganfield, Mel London, Ellas McDaniel

Producers: Leonard and Phil Chess, Willie Dixon
Released: May '55, Chess
Did not chart

After Waters heard Bo Diddley audition "I'm a Man" for Chess, he replied with "Mannish Boy." (Diddley got a credit as McDaniel,
his real name.) Both songs were issued in 1955 and shot into the R&B Top 10. "When I heard him, I realized the connection
between all the music I heard," Keith Richards said of Waters. "He was like the code book."

Appears on: The Anthology (MCA/Chess)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Muddy Waters

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Muddy Waters

•500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Muddy Waters’ The Anthology

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Chic, 'Good Times'

Writers: Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards

Producers: Rodgers, Edwards
Released: June '79, Atlantic
19 weeks; No. 1

The tone was half-ironic when Chic released "Good Times," a hedonistic roller-disco tune, during the Seventies recession. The
other half was pure joy, and Edwards' bass line – bouncing on one note, then climbing – proved too snappy for just one song.
Queen borrowed it for "Another One Bites the Dust"; in the South Bronx, the Sugarhill Gang put it under "Rapper's Delight."
Appears on: Risqué (Atlantic)
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228

The Clash, 'Should I Stay or Should I Go'

Writers: The Clash

Producer: Glyn Johns
Released: May '82, Epic
13 weeks; No. 45

"My main influences," Mick Jones said, "are Mott the Hoople, the Kinks and the Stones" – which explains this choppy riff. Jones
yells "Split!" because Joe Strummer snuck up behind him while he was recording his vocals. The chorus hints at the band's end:
At the time, "none of us were really talking to each other," said Paul Simonon. The original four were soon no more.

Appears on: Combat Rock (Sony)

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James Taylor, 'Fire and Rain'

Writer: Taylor
Producer: Peter Asher
Released: Feb. '70, Warner Bros.
16 weeks; No. 3
Taylor wrote the three verses of this song in three phases following the breakup of his band the Flying Machine. The first came in Subscribe
a London flat while he was signed to the Apple label, the second in a New York hospital as he kicked heroin and the third during a
stay in
500a Massachusetts
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213 I went through,"
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Appears on: Sweet Baby James (Warner Bros.)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: James Taylor

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: James Taylor

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Muddy Waters, 'Hoochie Coochie Man'

Writer: Willie Dixon

Producers: Leonard and Phil Chess, Dixon
Released: Jan. '54, Chess
Did not chart

Waters tested this out at the Chicago blues club Zanzibar. Dixon gave him some advice: "Well, just get a little rhythm pattern," he
said. "Do the same thing over again, y'know." Waters cut it a couple of weeks later, with Dixon on bass.

Appears on: The Anthology (Chess/MCA)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Muddy Waters

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Muddy Waters

•500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Muddy Waters’ The Anthology

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Sly and the Family Stone, 'Dance to the Music'

Writer: Sylvester Stewart (Sly Stone)

Producer: Stone
Released: Jan. '68, Epic
15 weeks; No. 8

Saxman Jerry Martini claims Stone did this song just to satisfy CBS executives' desire for a hit. "He hated it," Martini said. "It was
so unhip to us. The beats were glorified Motown beats." But "Dance" fit Stone's vision for the band: "I wanted everyone to get a
chance to sweat."

Appears on: Dance to the Music (Sony)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Sly and the Family Stone

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Roy Orbison, 'Oh, Pretty Woman'

Writers: Orbison, Billy Dees

Producer: Wesley Rose
Released: Aug. '64, Monument
15 weeks; No. 1

Orbison told Dees to "get started writing by playing anything that comes to mind….My wife came in and wanted to go to town to
get something." Orbison asked if she needed money. Dees then cracked, "Pretty woman never needs any money." The rest was
easy.

Appears on: For the Lonely: 18 Greatest Hits (Rhino)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Roy Orbison

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Roy Orbison

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223

Lou Reed, 'Walk on the Wild Side'

Writer: Reed
Producers: David Bowie, Mick Ronson, Reed
Released: Dec. '72, RCA
14 weeks; No. 16

Reed was asked to write songs for a musical based on the novel A Walk on the Wild Side. The show fizzled, but Reed kept the
title. "I thought it would be fun to introduce people you see at parties but don't dare approach," he said.

Appears on: Transformer (RCA)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Lou Reed

•100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time: Lou Reed

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The Left Banke, 'Walk Away Renee'

Writers: Michael Brown, Bob Calilli, Tony Sansone

Producer: Harry Lookofsky
Released: Sept. '66, Smash
13 weeks; No. 5
3 ; 5
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In 1965, Brown was a 16-year-old keyboard prodigy with a crush on a bandmate's girlfriend – bassist Tom Finn had introduced
Renee Fladen to the group. Brown wrote three songs about her, including "Walk Away Renee." He quit the Left Banke before they
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finished recording "Renee" but returned after the song became a hit a year later.

Appears on: There's Gonna Be a Storm (Mercury)

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Howlin' Wolf, 'Spoonful'

Writer: Willie Dixon

Producers: Leonard and Phil Chess
Released: June '60, Chess
Did not chart

Chess do-it-all Dixon wrote "Spoonful" for Howlin' Wolf in 1960. "It doesn't take a large quantity of anything to be good,"
explained Dixon. The Wolf, however, did not cheat on the heavy manners when he devoured the song in the studio with his mad-
animal growl. What's more, he often performed the song – later covered by Cream – waving a large cooking spoon in front of his
genitalia.

Appears on: Anniversary Collection (Chess)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Howlin’ Wolf

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Howlin’ Wolf

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John Lee Hooker, 'Boom Boom'

Writer: Hooker
Producer: Calvin Carter
Released: Feb. '62, Vee-Jay
10 weeks; No. 60

Keith Richards said of Hooker, "Even Muddy Waters was sophisticated next to him." That was a compliment. With his gruff
voice, the Hook put boogie to the blues, inspiring a generation of British blues acts, including the Animals, who covered this song
to great effect. "Boom-boom," by the way, came from an affectionate greeting offered to Hooker by a female bartender in Detroit.

Appears on: The Very Best of John Lee Hooker (Rhino)

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Dolly Parton, 'Jolene'

Writer: Parton
Producer: Bob Ferguson
Released: Jan. '74, RCA
8 weeks; No. 60

When Parton recorded "Jolene" in 1974, she was chiefly known as Porter Wagoner's TV partner, although she had written the hit
"Coat of Many Colors." "Jolene" showed how she could put her stamp on traditional country, buffing an old-time-y groove and
belting a tale of romantic rivalry. It became a Number One country single and has been covered with extra menace by the White
Stripes.

Appears on: Jolene (Buddha/BMG)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Dolly Parton

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The Lovin' Spoonful, 'Do You Believe in Magic'

Writer: John Sebastian

Producer: Erik Jacobsen
Released: July '65, Kama Sutra
13 weeks; No. 9

The first single by the Lovin' Spoonful went Top 10 and, in a sense, never went away. While rehearsing the song, Sebastian affixed
a contact mike to his autoharp, and in combination with Zal Yanovsky's electric guitar, they hit on a unique sound. Sebastian said
"Magic" was rooted in "the chord progressions coming out of Motown at the time."

Appears on: Do You Believe in Magic (Buddha)

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Hank Williams, 'Your Cheatin' Heart'

Writers: Williams, Fred Rose

Producer: Rose
Released: Jan. '53, MGM
Predates pop charts

Legend has it that this song came to Williams when he was thinking about his first wife while driving around with his second; she
wrote down the lyrics for him in the passenger seat. After polishing it with Rose, Williams recorded "Your Cheatin' Heart" during
the last sessions he ever did, on September 23rd, 1952. He told a friend, "It's the best heart song I ever wrote."

Appears on: The Ultimate Collection (Mercury Nashville)

Appears on: The Ultimate Collection (Mercury Nashville)
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RELATED:
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•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Hank Williams

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Hank Williams

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Neil Young, 'Rockin' in the Free World'

Writer: Young
Producers: Niko Bolas, Young
Released: Oct. '89, Reprise
Non-single

"Don't feel like Satan/But I am to them," Young spat in this raucously ambivalent song about the pride and guilt of being an
American. It was inspired by a remark from a member of Crazy Horse, who said gigs were safer in Europe than in the Middle
East: "It's better to keep rockin' in the free world." "It was such a cliché," Young said. "I knew I had to use it."

Appears on: Freedom (Reprise)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Neil Young

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Neil Young

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Prince, '1999'

Writer: Prince
Producer: Prince
Released: Oct. '82, Warner Bros.
27 weeks; No. 12

When Prince recorded 1999, he would go all day and all night without rest and turn down food since he felt eating would make
him sleepy. The opening verse was originally recorded in three-part harmony; Prince split up the vocals, and the harmony parts
became a new, odd melody. The single's first release didn't make the Top 40, but Prince put it out again after "Little Red
Corvette," and it was finally a hit.

Appears on: 1999 (Warner Bros.)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Prince

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Prince

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The Beach Boys, 'Caroline, No'

Writers: Brian Wilson, Tony Asher

Producer: Wilson
Released: March '66, Capitol
7 weeks; No. 32

Wilson ditched the other Beach Boys and used studio pros like "Be My Baby" drummer Hal Blaine on what was initially released
as Brian's first solo single. It was largely the result of a misheard lyric. Wilson told Asher about a girl he'd liked in high school
named Carol, and Asher responded with "Oh, Carol, I know." But Wilson heard it as "Caroline, no" and dashed off the rest of the
song while stoned.

Appears on: Pet Sounds (Capitol)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: The Beach Boys

A D V E RT I S E M E N T
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213

? and the Mysterians, '96 Tears'

Writer: Rudy Martinez

Producer: Martinez
Released: Sept. '66, Pa-Go-Go
15 weeks; No. 1
The band, all Mexican-Americans living in Michigan, cut "96 Tears" in their manager's living room, and ? promoted the single
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throughout the state, all without ever revealing his real name (Rudy Martinez) or removing his sunglasses. That organ figure put
the Farfisa company on the map (? later claimed they had used a Vox). The original has never been released on CD; all the CD
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Appears on: More Action (Cavestomp)

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The Beach Boys, 'In My Room'

Writers: Brian Wilson, Gary Usher

Producer: Wilson
Released: Sept. '63, Capitol
11 weeks; No. 23

"Brian was always saying that his room was his whole world," said Usher, who wrote the lyrics based on Wilson's idea. The three-
part harmony on the first verse that Wilson sang with his brothers Carl and Dennis recalled the vocal bits that Brian taught them
when they shared a childhood bedroom. As the Beatles had done with some hits, the Boys cut a version in German.

Appears on: Surfer Girl/Shut Down, Volume 2 (Capitol)

RELATED:
•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: The Beach Boys Subscribe

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A D V E RT I S E M E N T

211

Them, 'Gloria'

Writer: Van Morrison

Producer: Tommy Scott
Released: March '65, Parrot

1 week; No. 95

When Morrison wrote his first hit, "Gloria," he was just another hungry young rocker, with the Belfast garage band Them. "I was
just being me, a street cat from Belfast," Morrison said. "Probably like thousands of kids from Belfast who were in bands." A
Chicago group called Shadows of Knight hit with a more cautious version in 1966; Morrison later complained that "Gloria" was
"capitalized on a lot."

Appears on: The Story of Them (Polydor)

210
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The Everly Brothers, 'Bye Bye Love'

Writers: Boudleaux and Felice Bryant

Producer: Archie Bleyer
Released: May '57, Cadence
27 weeks; No. 2

"Bye Bye Love" had been turned down by 30 artists before Bleyer offered it to the Everlys for their first single. Phil and Don took
it happily, if for no other reason than the $64 they would each earn for making it. The guitar intro was borrowed from a song Don
had written called "Give Me a Future."

Appears on: All-Time Original Hits (Rhino)

A D V E RT I S E M E N T

209

The Four Tops, 'Reach Out, I'll Be There'

Writers: Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland

Producers: Holland, Dozier, Holland
Released: Aug. '66, Motown
15 weeks; No. 1

HDH pumped out Tops hits at a breakneck pace. "They were over so fast I can't remember them at all," said Dozier. Phil Spector
called "Reach Out, I'll Be There," their second Number One, "black Dylan."

Appears on: The Ultimate Collection (Motown)

208
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Bill Withers, 'Lean on Me'

Writer: Withers
Producer: Withers
Released: June '72, Sussex
19 weeks; No. 1

Growing up as one of six kids in the coal-mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia, Withers learned a lot about helping family and
neighbors when they needed you. After a dislocating move to L.A., the bonds he built with co-workers manufacturing airplane
toilets reminded him of the tightknit community he'd left back home, providing the inspiration for the plain-spoken "Lean on
Me," his biggest hit.

Appears on: Lean on Me (Sony)

A D V E RT I S E M E N T

207

Otis Redding, 'Try a Little Tenderness'

Writers: Jimmy Campbell, Reginald Connelly, Harry Woods

Producers: Steve Cropper, Jim Stewart
Released: Dec. '66, Stax
10 weeks; No. 25

On his own, drummer Al Jackson Jr. switched to double-time on the second verse, for the high-energy climax. "We didn't know
he was gonna do that," said bassist Duck Dunn. "It was amazing."

Appears on: Very Best of Otis Redding (Rhino)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Otis Redding

 Subscribe

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206

Bob Dylan, 'Positively 4th Street'

Writer: Dylan
Producer: Bob Johnston
Released: Sept. '65, Columbia
9 weeks; No. 7

In whose direction did Dylan aim this? Most likely, "4th Street," the follow-up to "Like a Rolling Stone," is about the people he
met in Greenwich Village (when he lived on West 4th) and on fraternity row at the University of Minnesota (on 4th Street in
Minneapolis).

Appears on: The Essential Bob Dylan (Sony)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Bob Dylan

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Bob Dylan

A D V E RT I S E M E N T

205

The Beatles, 'Come Together'

W it J h L P lM C t
Writers: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin Subscribe

Released: Sept. '69, Apple

16 weeks;
500 - No.
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Timothy Leary was running for governor of California and asked Lennon to write a campaign song for him. The tune was not
politically useful, so Lennon brought it to the Abbey Road sessions. "I said, 'Let's slow it down with a swampy bass-and-drums
vibe,'" said McCartney. "I came up with a bass line, and it all flowed from there." It was the last song all four Beatles cut together.

Appears on: Abbey Road (Apple)

204

New Order, 'Bizarre Love Triangle'

Writers: Bernard Albrecht, Gillian Gilbert, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris

Producers: New Order
Released: Oct. '86, Qwest
2 weeks; No. 98

After the death of Joy Division's Ian Curtis, his band became New Order. "There's life, and there's death," drummer Morris said
in 1983. "We were still alive, so we thought we'd carry on doing it." New Order wrote their synth-pop hits in a Manchester
rehearsal room next to a cemetery. Said Morris, "Fate writes the lyrics, and we do the rest."

Appears on: Substance (Qwest)

RELATED:

•500 Greatest Albums of All Time: New Order's Substance

A D V E RT I S E M E N T

203
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Beck, 'Loser'

Writer: Beck Hansen

Producer: Karl Stephenson
Released: 1993, Bong Load
24 weeks; No. 10

In 1992, 22-year-old Beck Hansen was scraping by as a video-store clerk while performing bizarro folk songs at L.A. coffeehouses.
After friends offered to record some songs, Beck cut "Loser" in his producer's kitchen. It became the centerpiece of an album
(1994's Mellow Gold) that cost $200 to make.

Appears on: Mellow Gold (Geffen)

202

Parliament, 'Flash Light'

Writers: George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins

Producer: Clinton
Released: Dec. '77, Casablanca
16 weeks; No. 16

"Flash Light" is the P-Funk Nation's groove manifesto. "We're going to get the message out," Clinton declared in 1978. "We want
to put the show on Broadway – tell the story straightforward so people understand that funk mean funk."

Appears on: Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome (Mercury)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Parliament and Funkedelic

A D V E RT I S E M E N T

201
 201 Subscribe

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The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 'Hey Joe'

Writer: William Roberts

Producer: Chas Chandler
Released: Dec. '66, Reprise
Did not chart

Thismurder ballad was the Experience's first single, recorded two weeks after their live debut. Hendrix was so shy about his voice
that manager Chandler even hired a female vocal group, the Breakaways, for backup. The song had already been recorded by the
Byrds, Love, the Standells and many other bands, but Hendrix learned it from folkie Tim Rose's version.

Appears on: Are You Experienced? (MCA)

RELATED:

•100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Jimi Hendrix

•100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time: Jimi Hendrix

Load More

In This Article: alltime, Aretha Franklin, Beastie Boys, Beck, Bruce Springsteen, Green Day, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Paul McCartney,
Radiohead, Rihanna, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Strokes

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Conversation 332 Comments

Your voice matters. Conversations are moderated for civility. Read our guidelines here.

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G GoldPopcorn
6 January, 2020
Seems odd that Queen, one of the most successful and groundbreaking bands of all time seemed to
only get to 166. Even musicians themselves have been saying that Queen are in the pantheon of the
best artists of all time. The opening paragraph of this page even mentions Queen's bohemian
rhapsody as being something that was revolutionary. Despite what some may say how overrated
the song may be, (which to even I agree to an extent) this song truly was a masterpiece lyrically and
artistically. Everyone has heard of BR, you play those rst few notes, you know what about to play
and everyone stops and sings along, its truly a magical experience. So even if you disagree with
those that believe that it deserves to be closer to the top, stop to think of the cultural and historical
this song has had on the world and maybe, you'll enjoy it just a little more.
Reply 114 20

Show 3 previous replies

 C CyanStrawberry GoldPopcorn
Subscribe
4 December, 2020
They had what,two tunes? We Are The Champions" and "Bohemian Rhapsody".Why would they rate
500 - 429 428 - 357 356 - 285 284 - 213 212 - 141 140 - 69 68 - 1
higher?
Reply 7 70

Show 2 more replies

GD Gemini Divorce GoldPopcorn

1 November, 2020
The problem is that Queen is very good and entertaining, but they weren't revolutionary. I like
Freddie Mercury, but I don't love Freddie Mercury, if you get what I'm saying. When Queen comes
on the radio, I'm not turning up the volume, but neither do I change the station. I'll probably get
downvotes, but Queen music is disposable bubblegum as opposed to nutritious essentials.
Reply 28 110

Show 2 more replies

T tjs375
17 September, 2020
The Pink Floyd songs here are great. It's nice you included 3 of the best Pink Floyd songs, but there
is not one song from The Dark Side of the Moon. There is a reason that is often referred as one of
the best albums ever. At least include Time or Money, maybe even Us and Them. At least one of
these would do.
Reply 37 6

Q Queen3000
5 October, 2020
Hmm, seems weird that Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody didn't at least make it in the top 50. It also
seems weird that #2 is by Rolling Stone and #1 is "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan.
Reply 54 6

G GoldWrench Queen3000
7 January, 2021
could be top 50 but they may have put it much lower because its really overplayed now
Reply 8

O OrangeButter y
26 June, 2020
Yes, this list is biased, but it made me think how "Like a Rolling Stone" could be the best song of all
time. I de nitely won't say it's objectively the best, but I listened to the song on loop after reading
this list. One year later, after learning loads more about Bob Dylan, it's one of my favorite songs of
all time. I highly respect whoever took the time to make this. Of course, it's subjective, but I know I
would never post my personal 500 songs of all time, let alone on an o cial website. I also think it's
funny how "Like a Rolling Stone" got booed constantly when Bob Dylan released it, and so did the
man who claims it's the best song of all time.
Reply 20 5

R RedPretzel OrangeButter y
9 October, 2020
i'm glad that you could discover a good song :)
and obviously it's impossible to publish the best songs without people being like "(this song)
deserves to be in the top 20's". personally alot of songs are missing but they did a good e ort.
Reply 3 2

M MoistKyte
19 April, 2020
So I'm not quite past 400 yet but really what this list is to me is an opportunity to nd good music,
not the greatest songs of all time. At the end of the day, we all have our tastes and our lists all di er,
though favorite songs will change depending on mood, the environment, etc. So lets stop ghting in
this comment section because I hope most of us are just on the hunt for better music, not to see if
(insert song here) is #1 or #500.
Reply 21 5

P PurpleDice MoistKyte
25 September, 2020
XO tour lif3, pound cake, astrothunder, bound 2, last call, border line, money trees. Once u listen to
these just view tge artist and similar artist to nd more songs. If ur 50+ years u won't like these. But
 just give it a try if u are. :)
Subscribe
Reply 4 10
Show 2 more replies
500 - 429 428 - 357 356 - 285 284 - 213 212 - 141 140 - 69 68 - 1

B BluePretzel
24 January, 2020
The Beatles countdown? I think Stevie wonder Is the greatest musician of our time. And Sir Duke is
one of his best creations. Probably deserved a spot on this list.
Reply 12 4

D Dick4Brains
8 January, 2020
Don't trust any list that doesn't have bohemian rhapsody in its top 20
Reply 112 35

Billy Bob H Dick4Brains

27 December, 2020
I agree
Reply 4 2

A Amen.... Dick4Brains
30 November, 2020
We got to song 40 with no Queen, I said this is biased and not a re ection of the best hits.
Reply 12 3

C Cyan8Ball
1 June, 2020
Amazed at the comments - How can a list of songs be "right" or "wrong"? It's just a reference list for
music lovers - instead of judging: enjoy, listen to something you haven't heard or an artist that
wasn't on your mind. There's some great stu here!
Reply 27 13

S Shitfuck Cyan8Ball
27 January, 2021
The biggest problem with this list is that it has numbers on it
Reply 5

O OliveBoomerang Cyan8Ball
5 November, 2020
its a discussion, not a ght yo
Reply 5 3

O OrangeRocket
15 January, 2020
Has Rolling Stone never heard of the Grateful Dead?
Reply 28 4

Show 1 previous reply

Billy Bob H OrangeRocket

27 December, 2020
Truckin, Sugar Magnolia, St Stephen worthy of top 500
Reply 2

R Redsalt OrangeRocket
13 October, 2020
yeah i looked through and i feel pretty hurt
Reply 1

Show 1 more reply

I Insomniac
4 November, 2020
This list should be called, "Ranking Beatles Songs! And there's other stu too I guess."
Reply 11 5

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