ROLLING STONE’S 500 GREATEST SONGS
Everyone that knows me well is entirely aware of the fact that I’m a huge fan of music from another era. I like to be cutting edge so I keep up with pop culture. But I only get completely immersed in things that I’m passionate about. There are some fabulous artists out there right now. But not many that I truly connect with.
Consequently, this is an old school list. Much more my parents’ generation than mine. But this is the kind of music that I adore, revere, fall in love with.
There will be, as always, a link to the full article. But the list that I have included here has the songs that I agree with – the ones that are timeless classics. In bold are the songs that rock my world to the core.
To find the entire article, please go here
Here they are…
495. SHOP AROUND – SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES
493. THEN HE KISSED ME – THE CRYSTALS
490. BROWN SUGAR – THE ROLLING STONES
488. RHIANNON – FLEETWOOD MAC
480. INTO THE MYSTIC – VAN MORRISON
478. WHITE RABBIT – JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
454. MY SWEET LORD – GEORGE HARRISON
447. LEADER OF THE PACK – THE SHANGRI-LAS
434. MUSTANG SALLY – WILSON PICKETT
428. DEVIL WITH A BLUE DRESS/GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY – MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS
422. LOLA – THE KINKS
412. ODE TO BILLY JOE – BOBBIE GENTRY
400. KICKS – PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS
395. WALKIN IN THE SAND – THE SHANGRI-LAS
393. SUMMER IN THE CITY – THE LOVIN’ SPOONFUL
384. TICKET TO RIDE – THE BEATLES
383. WHIPPING POST – THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
354. WATCHING THE DETECTIVES – ELVIS COSTELLO
344. PIECE OF MY HEART – JANIS JOPLIN
342. RUNAROUND SUE – DION
341. BABA O’REILLY – THE WHO
328. THE END – THE DOORS
325. GOOD LOVIN – THE RASCALS
323. DANCING BAREFOOT – PATTI SMITH
312. IN DREAMS – ROY ORBISON
295. STREET FIGHTING MAN – THE ROLLING STONES
291. SHE’S NOT THERE – THE ZOMBIES
289. CAN’T BUY ME LOVE – THE BEATLES
288. MONEY (THAT’S WHAT I WANT) – BARRETT STRONG
283. CALL ME – BLONDIE
273. SOMETHING – THE BEATLES
259. HALLELUJAH – JEFF BUCKLEY
257. WILD THING – THE TROGGS
253. ALL THE YOUNG DUDES – MOTT THE HOOPLE
241. STAND – SLY & THE FAMILY STONE
240. SON OF A PREACHER MAN – DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
210. 96 TEARS – QUESTION MARK & THE MYSTERIANS
209. IN MY ROOM – THE BEACH BOYS
294. TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS – OTIS REDDING
200. LOSER – BECK
196. SWEET CHILD O MINE – GUNS & ROSES
193. THERE GOES MY BABY – THE DRIFTERS
186. I NEVER LOVED A MAN – ARETHA FRANKLIN
177. PAINT IT BLACK – THE ROLLING STONES
167. LET’S GET IT ON – MARVIN GAYE
163. BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY – QUEEN
162. NOTHING COMPARES TO U – SINEAD O’CONNOR
157. I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU – THE FLAMINGOS
156. THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE – SIMON & GARFUNKEL
153. A HARD DAY’S NIGHT – THE BEATLES
147. LUST FOR LIFE – IGGY POP
140. KASHMIR – LED ZEPPELIN
139. I SAW HER STANDING THERE – THE BEATLES
135. WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS – THE BEATLES
133. WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN – THE WHO
129. BORN TO BE WILD – STEPPENWOLF
127. CHANGES – DAVID BOWIE
123. IT’S A MAN’S MAN’S MAN’S WORLD – JAMES BROWN
122. HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN – THE ANIMALS
119. GO YOUR OWN WAY – FLEETWOOD MAC
116. HONKY TONK WOMAN – THE ROLLING STONES
110. I’VE BEEN LOVING YOU TOO LONG – OTIS REDDING
102. LITTLE RED CORVETTE – PRINCE
100. YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT – THE ROLLING STONES
84. EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE – THE POLICE
83. NORWEGIAN WOOD – THE BEATLES
82. YOU REALLY GOT ME – THE KINKS
80. I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE – MARVIN GAYE
76. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER – THE BEATLES
74. SUPERSTITION – STEVIE WONDER
70. WALK ON BY – DIONNE WARWICK
64. SHE LOVES YOU – THE BEATLES
54. WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN – PERCY SLEDGE
52. WHEN DOVES CRY – PRINCE
47. BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER – SIMON & GARFUNKEL
45. HEARTBREAK HOTEL – ELVIS PRESLEY
44. GEORGIA ON MY MIND – RAY CHARLES
36. ONE – U2
33. RIVER DEEP MOUNTAIN HIGH – TINA TURNER
31. STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN – LED ZEPPELIN
28. DOCK OF THE BAY – OTIS REDDING
27. LAYLA – DEREK & THE DOMINOS
26. A DAY IN THE LIFE – THE BEATLES
22. BE MY BABY – THE RONETTES
10. WHAT’D I SAY – RAY CHARLES
5. RESPECT – ARETHA FRANKLIN
2. SATISFACTION – THE ROLLING STONES
1. LIKE A ROLLING STONE – BOB DYLAN
April 7, 2008 at 11:32 am
This is pretty awesome.
It’s almost impossible to really “rank” them, but it’s a fun list to go through.
I’m a massive fan of your core rocking choices as well.
April 7, 2008 at 11:56 am
It really is a great list, isn’t it, Danny? DUKE ELLINGTON said it first so I can’t take credit: “There are only two kinds of music – good and bad.” Without coming off as ridiculously critical, there is more bad popular music now than any other era I can think of, excepting the 70s. That was fairly harsh in my estimation as well.
I’ve said it before and I’ll probably be saying it on my last day on earth. There have been (and there always will be) talented singers and fabulous musicians. But the BEST era in rock and roll was undoubtedly from 1964 (when THE BEATLES conquered America) until 1970 (when they broke up). They were largely responsible for the galvanizing of that peak when they arrived stateside for the first time.
But the decline of the preeminent rock era likely didn’t have anything to do with the demise of THE BEATLES. Possibly to an extent. But 1970 was the end of a lot of things in so many different ways.
The decline of great rock and roll (with the descent into disco) likely would’ve happened in any case. I think that the music industry and the public were looking for a significant change. Very unfortunate as disco was clearly an inferior form from the start.
There are a handful of great disco songs that are memorable today (I Will Survive, Get Down Tonight, Love To Love You Baby strictly because it was slightly scandalous back then and nothing like it had never gotten airplay before) but nearly all of them lack excellent musicianship and a timeless quality. Mostly they have decent hooks and they’re fine to dance to. Put them up against that groundbreaking era of rock just prior to their arrival and they seem utterly pathetic.
But it’s fab to know that you really like the same music as I do. Good taste is fairly rare these days. I’m happy to know that someone out there possesses it…