500 Greatest Songs Of All Time
No alarms, no surprises, no Kelly Clarkson ... but some of you might wanna examine anyway. We love lists almost as much as we love arguing about them.
10. Ray Charles "What'd I Say (Parts 1 & 2)" 1959
9. Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit" 1991
8. The Beatles "Hey Jude" 1968
7. Chuck Berry "Johnny B. Goode" 1958
6. The Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" 1966
5. Aretha Franklin "Respect" 1967
4. Marvin Gaye "What's Going On?" 1971
3. John Lennon "Imagine" 1971
2. The Rolling Stones "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" 1965
1. Bob Dylan "Like A Rolling Stone" 1965
"Chosen by a five-star jury of singers, musicians, producers, industry figures, critics and, of course, songwriters." Full list here.
UPDATE: I'm retarded -- this list is from November. That's what I get for getting my news from Oh No They Didn't. But since 7/24 marks the 40th anniversary of "Like a Rolling Stone" hitting the charts, I'll keep the post up.
Posted at 5:12 PM in Shit List
Tags: Bob Dylan
A grand total of ONE song is less than thirty years old. Way to be relevant, RS.
Score = 0
I can't think of any songs not in that top 10 that have had more influence on popular music than the ones listed. It's easy to overstate the importance of music made in the last 30 years because it's something most of us reading grew up listening to. However, the songs in the top 10 of that list (and the next 10) have likely had a greater long-term impact than anything that ducked underneath. It does bother me that there is not one hip-hop song in the top 50, however. That's a stunning mistake.
Score = 0
Sorry to everyone whose comment was blocked this afternoon! It was due to an error with MT-Blacklist. Fixed now.
Score = 0
Trouble getting comment to post, so I stuck my little rant here:
http://tinyurl.com/3sjuv
Score = 0
Yeah, you'd think Run DMC or the Beastie boys would have cracked the top 20 given all they did for bringing early hip hop to a large audience.
Score = 0
pink is definatley the NEW blog.
Score = 0
standard boring rolling stone list
Score = 0
LOL seriously, dude, even though ONTD scoops the hell out of everyone else, some really stupid shit gets through. Remember the fake John Goodman death notice?
Score = 0
No Nugent come on Gummer your killing me here!
Score = 0
eminem writes better songs than radiohead? now that's news to me.
Score = 0
someone mentioned something about rolling stone to me a few weeks ago and i realized, i haven't read a rolling stone since i was in high school (mid 90s) i think. does it still matter? and if not, when did it stop?
Score = 0
I found it funny that that of the top two song, one was by the Rolling Stones and one had Rolling Stone in the title. Nice one, RS...Coincidence, I'm sure..
Score = 0
Isn't "Like a Rolling Stone" about a girl who becomes homeless after a biker with a Siamese cat steals all her stuff? It's a good song and all but the best? I mean who can relate to that?
Score = 0
I like the part where they mention that a 'five-star jury' selected the songs. Who are these reverant people? Way to bump out those four-star music idiots!!
Score = 0
Nothing shocking here. Jann Wenner always selects songs from his hippie heyday, combined with those sung by his rock & roll friends. I'm sure Ray Charles was upgraded this year just to be topical.
Score = 0
Magazines are like people: when they get old they can't shut up about their youth. It'll be the same in thirty years when an equally irrelavant Pitchfork still mumbles on and on about Kid A.
Score = 0
Maybe they picked "Like a Rolling Stone" 'cause it was part of the Dylan!Goes!Electric! revelation, and that's what makes it important? Definitely not my favorite Dylan song, though.
The top ten looks like they're going for the big genre-crossers, understandable. ("Imagine" though? Why? "Hey Jude"? Yes, I know there's some law that the Beatles HAVE to make every list, but why that interminable song? Why not one of their groovier, mind-blowing songs? Or you know that first hit that lit up Beatlemania? I'm over the Beatles because I have a black bitter heart.)
Also: I'm *so* over Nirvana getting carte blanche inclusion into the top echelon every friggin' Best Ever list. I mean I get that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" changed the direction of rock radio and drew attention to ick, "grunge," but that doesn't mean I'm pulling out my copy of Nevermind anytime soon. (See: heart, black bitter).
Score = 0
I just looked at the list and saw how fucked up it is.. They have Hey Ya beating The Clash's Should I Stay or Should I Go?? WTF?
Score = 0
Didnt this magazine come out last year?
Score = 0
That list came out this past fall. As a devout rolling stone reader I was quite disappointed. Zeppelin isn't even mentioned till the 20s. Eff that. Anyway, i don't think they did a good enough job with finding reviewers. Too much error and bias with such a small group. Extend voting to an internet audience and now we're talking. I read the list from 1 to 500 and was overall very unhappy. Missed a lot of goodies and included a lot of beat joints.
Score = 0
Indeed, RS is the new VH1. Oddly enough, I find the only reason to read RS anymore is their war reporting.
Score = 0
should i stay or should i go is total ass. dorky aor nothingness. ass. made even more ass when viewed in the context of the clash's mostly otherwise awesome catalogue.
hey ya, on the other hand, is one of the most perfect, joyful pop records ever written.
Score = 0
a stunning 10.8% female presence in the entire list. unless, of course, you're only looking as far as the top 100, which boasts six, count 'em six people who are not men.
this shit is tired, guys. real fucking tired.
Score = 0
It sounds like the world has stopped making music after 1980. Yes, a lot of influential stuff, but I've heard enough about it. People know Plato and Aristotle, but rarely state them as their top 10 authors.
I could actually guess 6 out of 10 songs on the top 10... Rolling Stones predictable?
??? Does anyone know RS's target market? What age, where?
P.S. Top 500 ENGLISH songs
Score = 0
3 Neil Young songs? He's made 35 albums and some of the best pieces of music of all time and just 3 of his songs? "Hey Ya" is better then ever Neil Young song ever made? Rolling Stone Music Magazine knows Jack Shit about MUSIC!
Score = 0
i think this is a pretty good top 10 alot better than the rest i was looking at one and they had like smashing pumkins songs ahead of smells like teen spirit wich isnt nirvana best song even if it was the one that changed music most
Score = 0
I think it's pretty retarded for people to complain or nag for a top list of songs.. It's pretty obvious that music appeals to so many different types or people, and the list would be different for everyone. Quit bitching, you're not right.
Score = 0
Metallica is way better then bob dylan, like holy shit, GAY!
Score = 0
These songs are very accurate, although i would kick most of the beetles songs out in the top 200, that they have and i would put in more songs from The rolling stones and Credence CLearwater Revival, i mean hey!. CCR had 7 songs in the top 10 in 1969. who the hell is metallica, they dont deserve to be in the top 500
Score = 0
what pisses me off is black sabath 250 fuck that they should be the top 50 at least ozzy started metal dammit
Score = 0
why no michael jackson.
i can easily think of 5 songs that could be there
Score = 0
i would have loved to see californication in that list. the album does appear in the top 500 albums though
Score = 0
My first impression Pink Floyd lower than 300 ? And just one tune ? Madona, Eminem better than Pink Floyd ? Like in the movie 100 all time list many are very very old. that tells something. Rubish hip hop nowadays steals the show. Mine first three : Pink Floyd - Shine on your crazy diamand, Led Zeppelin - Stairway to heaven, Queen - Bohemian raphsody
Score = 0