The 100 Greatest Songs of All Time

Ranked #14 in Music, #418 overall

Welcome!

I started tinkering with this list around five years ago, when my local classic rock station played a list of the five hundred greatest classic rock songs of all time. I didn't agree with the list at all; it hardly reflected what I considered to be the best of the classic rock genre, and considering many of the greatest songs of all time do fall under the heading of so-called "classic rock," the station's list did an even poorer job of representing the greatest songs of all time, which I found frustrating at the time. So I made a list of my own, comprised mostly of classic rock songs and some other favorites from different genres. But the emphasis was, for the most part, on what commonly can be heard on classic rock radio. I published the list right here at this very web address in the spring of 2006, and I didn't touch it again until now.

At the time classic rock was still relatively new to me, as I had spent the previous five or so years listening to the steadily eroding alternative rock genre until I became so frustrated by the lack of talent and innovation that I decided to, for the most part, give up completely on the contemporary music scene. I went the one place I could go: the past. I then spent another five years "mastering" classic rock radio, listening to it every time I was in the car and researching everything they played until I could instantly recognize every song. But then something happened I didn't expect: about three years ago I picked up the guitar, and I haven't put it down since. This has given me a much fresher perspective on music.

I grew tired of classic rock, since classic rock really is just '70s era rock music, with some exceptions from the '60s and '80s. While the term "rock and roll" includes rock music from the mid-'50s to the end of the '80s, classic rock is actually much more specific, focusing almost entirely on guitar-driven rock music from 1970s. I then went even farther back into the past, learning as much as I could about the blues and early rock and roll. The blues, like jazz, is hard to get into if you've only listened to popular music, because the blues, unlike rock, isn't articulate. Real blues, like jazz, relies heavily on improvisation and, in many ways, is much more pure. However, to those who aren't familiar with it, the blues is neither interesting nor compelling at first. It takes time to get into it and it takes real effort to actually understand it, but once you're through the door you'll find that the blues is some of the most rewarding music you'll ever hear.

About a year and a half ago I read Eric Clapton's autobiography and I was struck by his description of the blues: "The blues is a style of music that was born from the union between African and European folk cultures, conceived in slavery, and fostered in the Mississippi delta. It has its own scale, its own laws and traditions, and its own language. In my view it's a celebration of triumph over adversity, full of humor, double entendre, and irony, and it's very rarely, if ever, depressing to listen to. It can be, and usually is, the most uplifting music you will ever hear." Clapton really is something of an ambassador for the blues. Most think of him as a rock musician, but at heart, he's really a blues man, and he's been a lot of people's entry point into the blues, myself included. Whenever I tell people to listen to the blues and they ask me where to start, my response has always been the same: Clapton.

When I decided that it was time to update this list, I had a much improved perspective than I didn't have the first time around. I had a better understanding of what made songs work, of how they were played, of what their specific influences were, of what they influenced, and what was actually original. There are a lot of earlier rock and roll and blues songs that didn't used to make the list that I think are of much higher quality than I used to believe and were highly influential in shaping the sound of rock and roll. Yeah, there's still a lot of those classic rock songs on the list, but is that really a surprise? Some of them are just too good to leave off.

The word "great" is a bit non-specific when used in this kind of situation, and many have asked me whether I lean towards influence, quality, popularity, etc. when I determine the rankings. The truth is, this is a pretty subjective process, and this list is entirely my opinion. I don't pretend to be objective here, but one thing I do want to make clear is that this is by no means a list of favorites, although if I made a similar list of favorites many of the same songs would appear on it. I would like to point out that this list is not called the most influential, best or popular songs of all time, because I think those imply that there is some kind of exact science to ranking songs, when there is none, at least in the case of this list.

I was truly startled recently to discover that the original list was getting over 30,000 visitors a week. Sure enough, when I typed in "greatest songs of all time" into Google earlier today, this page was first on the results list, which I also couldn't believe. It's been amazing to get such wonderful feedback. I had to finally admit to myself, "Okay, this thing has done quite well. Maybe I should update it." On the original list, I provided a lot of rather poorly written commentary (hey, I was in high school) and some lyric samples to go along with the songs, but since that took a while to do and I wasn't very happy with the results anyway, I've decided to just let the songs speak for themselves this time. However, Squidoo has recently provided an iTunes module that lets you play a 30 second clip and download the song directly from this page into your iTunes account (just click the price). Unfortunately, the Beatles aren't on iTunes, but you can rock out to almost all the rest of 'em. I've tried to include as many original album versions of the songs as possible.

Finally, if you want to contact me, you can always read my consistently entertaining Twitter page @EricMackAttacks or view my underutilized blog, ericmackattacks.wordpress.com. Also, feel free to comment on the guestbook thing at the bottom. I'll try to respond to as many of your comments as I can.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

Eric
August 2010

EDIT: Hi, everybody. Thanks for your continued support over the past year. I've actually undertaken a much more ambitious project on my personal website, ericmackattacks.com. I'm currently in the midst of counting down my 100 favorite albums! Feel free to drop by and say hello. Thanks!

Eric
January 2012

Links to Some of My Other Pages

Want to learn more about me? Check these out:
My Twitter
Only read it if you like to be entertained.
My Blog
Check out my 100 Favorite Albums list.
My BLIP.fm Station
Kind of like my own personal radio station. If you like the songs I've chosen for this list, you'll love this.
The 100 Greatest Alternative Rock Songs
A must read for any alternative rock fan.
My 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000s
With commentary.

#100: "Heroes" by David Bowie

1977

Track Artist Album  
Heroes David Bowie Heroes (Remastered)

#99: "I Fought the Law" by Bobby Fuller Four

1966

Track Artist Album  
I Fought the Law Bobby Fuller Four I Fought the Law - The Best of Bobby Fuller Four

#98: "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers

1971

Track Artist Album  
Ain't No Sunshine Bill Withers Just As I Am

#97: "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals

1964

Track Artist Album  
House of the Rising Sun The Animals The Best of The Animals

#96: "Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds

1965

Track Artist Album  
Mr. Tambourine Man The Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man

#95: "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin

1969

Track Artist Album  
Whole Lotta Love Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II (Remastered)

#94: "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield

1967

Track Artist Album  
For What It's Worth Buffalo Springfield Buffalo Springfield

#93: "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

1969

Track Artist Album  
Fortunate Son Creedence Clearwater Revival Willy and the Poor Boys (40th Anniversary Edition) [Remastered]

#92: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones

1969

Track Artist Album  
You Can't Always Get What You Want The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed

#91: "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane

1967

Track Artist Album  
White Rabbit Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow

#90: "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & the Papas

1965

Track Artist Album  
California Dreamin' (Single) The Mamas & The Papas If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (The Mamas and The Papas)

#89: "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green

1971

Track Artist Album  
Let's Stay Together Al Green Let's Stay Together

#88: "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder

1973

Track Artist Album  
Higher Ground Stevie Wonder Innervisions (Reissue)

#87: "Purple Haze" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

1967

Track Artist Album  
Purple Haze The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced

#86: "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.

1991

Track Artist Album  
Losing My Religion R.E.M. Out of Time

#85: "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel

1970

Track Artist Album  
The Boxer Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water

#84: "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor

1970

Track Artist Album  
Fire and Rain James Taylor Sweet Baby James

#83: "White Room" by Cream

1968

Track Artist Album  
White Room Cream Wheels of Fire (Remastered)

#82: "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac

1977

Track Artist Album  
Go Your Own Way Fleetwood Mac Rumours

#81: "Baba O'Riley" by The Who

1971

Track Artist Album  
Baba O'Riley The Who Who's Next (Remastered)

#80: "Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone

1969

Track Artist Album  
Everyday People (Single Version) Sly & the Family Stone Stand! (Bonus Version)

#79: "Sixty Minute Man" by The Dominoes

1951

Track Artist Album  
Sixty Minute Man The Dominoes Rhythm & Blues 1945-1951 - Music Sampler Vol. 1

#78: "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová

2006

Track Artist Album  
Falling Slowly Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova The Swell Season (with Marja Tuhkanen & Bertrand Galen)

#77: "I Got You (I Feel Good)" by James Brown

1965

Track Artist Album  
I Got You (I Feel Good) James Brown 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of James Brown

#76: "Smokestack Lightnin'" by Howlin' Wolf

1956

Track Artist Album  
Smokestack Lightnin' (Single Version) Howlin' Wolf The Definitive Collection

#75: "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" by The Beatles

1965

Track Artist Album  
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) The Beatles The Beatles Box Set

#74: "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley

1957

Track Artist Album  
Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley Elvis: 30 #1 Hits

#73: "Dream On" by Aerosmith

1973

Track Artist Album  
Dream On Aerosmith Aerosmith

#72: "Respect" by Aretha Franklin

1965

Track Artist Album  
Respect Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin: 30 Greatest Hits

#71: "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty

1989

Track Artist Album  
Free Fallin' Tom Petty Full Moon Fever

#70: "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley & the Wailers

1980

Track Artist Album  
Redemption Song Bob Marley Uprising (Bonus Tracks)

#69: "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath

1970

NOTE: The album version is not available on iTunes.

Track Artist Album  
Paranoid Black Sabbath Dazed and Confused (Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Paranoid (Live) Black Sabbath Reunion (Live)

#68: "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder

1974

Track Artist Album  
Superstition Stevie Wonder The Complete Stevie Wonder

#67: "The End" by The Doors

1967

Track Artist Album  
The End The Doors The Doors

#66: "With or Without You" by U2

1987

Track Artist Album  
With or Without You U2 The Joshua Tree (Remastered)

#65: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel

1970

Track Artist Album  
Bridge Over Troubled Water Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water

#64: "Boom Boom" by John Lee Hooker

1962

Track Artist Album  
Boom Boom John Lee Hooker Urban Blues (Bonus Tracks)

#63: "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

1982

Track Artist Album  
The Message Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five The Message

#62: "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen

1963

Track Artist Album  
Louie Louie The Kingsmen The Best of the Kingsmen

#61: "London Calling" by The Clash

1979

Track Artist Album  
London Calling The Clash London Calling

#60: "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits

1978

Track Artist Album  
Sultans of Swing Dire Straits Dire Straits

#59: "Shake, Rattle and Roll" by Big Joe Turner

1954

Track Artist Album  
Shake, Rattle and Roll Big Joe Turner Greatest Hits

#58: "Somebody to Love" by Jefferson Airplane

1967

Track Artist Album  
Somebody to Love Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow

#57: "A Day in the Life" by The Beatles

1967

Track Artist Album  
A Day In the Life The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

#56: "Purple Rain" by Prince and The Revolution

1984

Track Artist Album  
Purple Rain Prince & The Revolution Purple Rain (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)

#55: "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan

1963

Track Artist Album  
Blowin' In the Wind (2010 Mono Version) Bob Dylan The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (2010 Mono Version)

#54: "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen

1975

Track Artist Album  
Thunder Road Bruce Springsteen Born to Run

#53: "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard

1956

Track Artist Album  
Tutti Frutti Little Richard Here's Little Richard

#52: "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson

1982

Track Artist Album  
Billie Jean Michael Jackson Thriller

#51: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones

1965

Track Artist Album  
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction The Rolling Stones Out of Our Heads (Remastered)

#50: "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry

1955

Track Artist Album  
Maybellene Chuck Berry 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Chuck Berry

#49: "The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan

1964

Track Artist Album  
The Times They Are A-Changin' Bob Dylan The Times They Are A-Changin'

#48: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

1967

Track Artist Album  
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland

#47: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin

1975

Track Artist Album  
Kashmir Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti (Remastered)

#46: "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

1969

Track Artist Album  
Proud Mary Creedence Clearwater Revival Bayou Country (40th Anniversary Edition) [Remastered]

#45: "Light My Fire" by The Doors

1967

Track Artist Album  
Light My Fire The Doors The Doors

#44: "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys

1966

Track Artist Album  
God Only Knows (Stereo Version) The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (Mono / Stereo)

#43: "The Weight" by The Band

1968

Track Artist Album  
The Weight The Band Music From Big Pink (Remastered)

#42: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles

1968

Track Artist Album  
While My Guitar Gently Weeps The Beatles The Beatles Box Set

#41: "Black" by Pearl Jam

1991

Track Artist Album  
Black Pearl Jam Ten

#40: "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas

1964

Track Artist Album  
Dancing In the Street Martha & The Vandellas 202 Motown Songs: The Complete No. 1s

#39: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2

1987

Track Artist Album  
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For U2 The Joshua Tree (Remastered)

#38: "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

1974

Track Artist Album  
Free Bird Lynyrd Skynyrd Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd

#37: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding

1968

Track Artist Album  
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay Otis Redding Dock of the Bay

#36: "Bo Diddley" by Bo Diddley

1955

Track Artist Album  
Bo Diddley Bo Diddley Bo Diddley: The Definitive Collection

#35: "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who

1971

Track Artist Album  
Won't Get Fooled Again The Who Who's Next (Remastered)

#34: "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

1975

Track Artist Album  
Bohemian Rhapsody Queen A Night At the Opera

#33: "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" by James Brown

1966

Track Artist Album  
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag James Brown Gold: James Brown

#32: "The Tracks of My Tears" by The Miracles

1965

Track Artist Album  
The Tracks of My Tears The Miracles A Collection of 16 Big Hits, Vol. 5

#31: "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks

1964

Track Artist Album  
You Really Got Me The Kinks How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (Original Movie Soundtrack)

#30: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana

1991

Track Artist Album  
Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana Nevermind (Remastered)

#29: "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley

1956

Track Artist Album  
Hound Dog Elvis Presley Elvis: 30 #1 Hits

#28: "In My Life" by The Beatles

1965

Track Artist Album  
In My Life The Beatles Rubber Soul

#27: "Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream

1967

Track Artist Album  
Sunshine of Your Love Cream Disraeli Gears (Remastered)

#26: "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones

1968

Track Artist Album  
Sympathy for the Devil The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet

#25: "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd

1979

Track Artist Album  
Comfortably Numb Pink Floyd The Wall (Remastered)

#24: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye

1968

Track Artist Album  
I Heard It Through the Grapevine Marvin Gaye In the Groove (I Heard It Through the Grapevine)

#23: "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes

1963

Track Artist Album  
Be My Baby The Ronettes The Phil Spector Collection

#22: "My Generation" by The Who

1965

Track Artist Album  
My Generation (Original Mono Version) The Who The Who Sings My Generation

#21: "That'll Be the Day" by The Crickets

1957

Track Artist Album  
That'll Be the Day The Crickets The Definitive Collection (Single Version)

#20: "What'd I Say" by Ray Charles

1959

Track Artist Album  
What'd I Say, Pts. I & 2 Ray Charles The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years

#19: "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley and the Wailers

1974

NOTE: The live version is more well-known than the studio version, so that is the version I have included here.

Track Artist Album  
No Woman, No Cry (Live) Bob Marley Bob Marley & The Wailers: Live!

#18: "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys

1966

Track Artist Album  
Good Vibrations The Beach Boys The Beach Boys: 20 Good Vibrations - The Greatest Hits, Vol. 1

#17: "All Along the Watchtower" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

1968

Track Artist Album  
All Along the Watchtower The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland

#16: "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd

1975

Track Artist Album  
Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here (Remastered)

#15: "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley

1956

Track Artist Album  
Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley Elvis: 30 #1 Hits

#14: "Yesterday" by The Beatles

1965

Track Artist Album  
Yesterday The Beatles The Beatles Box Set

#13: "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones

1969

Track Artist Album  
Gimme Shelter The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed

#12: "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen

1975

Track Artist Album  
Born to Run Bruce Springsteen Born to Run

#11: "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison

1964

Track Artist Album  

#10: "Hey Jude" by The Beatles

1968

Track Artist Album  
Hey Jude The Beatles The Beatles 1967–1970 (The Blue Album)

#9: "One" by U2

1991

Track Artist Album  

#8: "Hotel California" by The Eagles

1976

Track Artist Album  
Hotel California Eagles Hotel California

#7: "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye

1971

Track Artist Album  
What's Going On Marvin Gaye What's Going On (Remastered)

#6: "Let It Be" by The Beatles

1970

Track Artist Album  
Let It Be The Beatles Let It Be

#5: "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan

1965

Track Artist Album  
Like a Rolling Stone Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited

#4: "Layla" by Derek & the Dominos

1970

Track Artist Album  
Layla Derek & The Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (40th Anniversary Version) [Remastered]

#3: "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry

1957

Track Artist Album  
Johnny B. Goode Chuck Berry Chuck Berry Is On Top

#2: "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin

1971

Track Artist Album  
Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (Remastered)

#1: "Imagine" by John Lennon

1971

Track Artist Album  
Imagine John Lennon Imagine (Remastered)

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by

Eric_Mack

23 years old. University of Miami alum. Movie aficionado. Music enthusiast. Wannabe guitarist. Part-time philosopher. Occasional humorist.

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