November 19th, 2004

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Rolling Stone Magazine Picks Best Songs Ever

Rolling Stone magazine recently interviewed 172 musicians (including Elvis Costello and Joni Mitchell–did they ask anyone under 30?) and created a list of the top 500 songs ever:

Largely absent from the top 20 were hits from the past 20 years, with Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit the only one at number nine. More than 200 of the top 500 were recorded in 1960s and 144 came from the 1970s.

You can see the top 50 songs here, but here are the top ten:

1. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
2. Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
3. Imagine - John Lennon
4. What’s Going On? - Marvin Gaye
5. Respect - Aretha Franklin
6. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
7. Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
8. Hey Jude - The Beatles
9. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
10. What’d I say? - Ray Charles

While the sixties were the golden age of pop music, the list seems too skewed to Rolling Stone’s readership. I mean, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” at #16? On the other hand, why is “One” by U2 at #36? Surely “Sunday Bloody Sunday” or “Where the Streets Have No Names” are better songs, aren’t they? Additionally, there are a bunch of formative songs from the early days of rock which, in my opinion, don’t stand the test to time. I can can’t imagine how “Tutti Frutti” got in the top fifty.

UPDATE: Derek writes in support of “a-wop-bam-a-lua-a-wop-bam-boom!”, and points us to the complete list of all 500 songs.

UPDATE #2: I should have mentioned that, for my money, the Rolling Stones’ ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ is the finest rock song ever written. It really ought to be higher than #32.

Comments: 7 Responses so far

Sue
November 19th, 2004
12:58 pm

I believe they were only given a list of 2000 songs to pick from. I wonder who decided on those 2000?

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Derek
November 19th, 2004
7:23 pm

Do you mean “can’t imagine how ‘Tutti Frutti’ got in the top fifty?”

I think plenty of those ’50s songs stand the test of time, “Tutti Frutti” included, just for the “A-wop-bam-a-lua-a-wop-bam-boom!” alone.

Also, many (all) of them are obviously chosen for cultural impactm, rather than pure objective quality, if such a thing could be found.

For example, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” is, in retrospect, far from the top of the Beatles catalogue–but its influence in 1963 is hard to comprehend for those of us born after that. For many, it blew the doors off everything in a way that makes, say, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” pale by comparison.

Similarly, I don’t actually like “Like a Rolling Stone,” but I understand why it’s where it is. Before that, rock ‘n’ roll songs had to be three minutes, had to be about love (like “I Want to Hold Your Hand”), and had to follow a roughly blues arrangement–plus, Bob Dylan had to play acoustic guitar.

Still, the list is pretty skewed considering everything that’s happened musically since, say, 1980.

You can get at the whole 500 at:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6596661/500songs

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harpoon
November 20th, 2004
10:45 am

rolling stone magazine have been nothing short of numpties for the last 10 years. Put no weight on their lists, I say.

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Josh
May 18th, 2006
1:40 pm

okay we all know nirvana is a good band, but why the hell are they in the top ten when led zeppelin is 31, and the eagles are 49, and worst of all free bird by lynyrd skynyrd isnt even on the list, this list sucks!

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allan
September 16th, 2006
6:20 am

Hm, seems a bit strange. Why is satisfaction second? In my oppinion it pales in comparison to sgt. pepper both in importance and quality and not to mention some of the better Stones lyrics

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Zecalran
August 30th, 2007
12:15 am

Hey guys what about suspicious minds
it should be up there, probably in 2nd or perhaps 1st place. whats going on people??

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Jason
August 3rd, 2008
4:42 pm

umm…who makes these lists? I have difficulty respecting any list that doesnt have Stairway to heaven as the top song, let alone not even in the top 30. IMO, the top songs ever are

1. Stairway to heaven
2. Layla
3. Sympathy for the devil
4. Free Bird
5. Won’t Get Fooled Again

I have lost all respect for Rolling stone magazine between this list, the greatest guitarist list, and the greatest album list.

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