No one will ever agree on these lists because music is so subjective, but I admire Rolling Stone magazine's attempt at naming the top 500 songs of all-time.
As a rock and roll fan, I'm on board with the general feel of the top 500.
Their all-time top fifty are...
50. Smokey Robinson--Tracks of my Tears
49. The Eagles--Hotel California
48. Simon & Garfunkel--Bridge Over Troubled Waters
47. Jimi Hendrix--All Along the Watchtower
46. David Bowie--Heroes
45. Elvis--Heartbreak Hotel
44. Ray Charles--Georgia on my Mind
43. Little Richard--Tutti Frutti
42. The Kinks--Waterloo Sunset
41. The Band--The Weight
40. Martha & the Vandellas--Dancing in the Streets
39. Buddy Holly--That'll be the Day
38. The Rolling Stones--Gimme Shelter
37. Bob Marley--No Woman No Cry
36. U2--One
35. The Doors--Light My Fire
34. The Righteous Brothers--You've Lost That Loving Feeling
33. Ike & Tina Turner--River Deep, Mountain High
32. The Rolling Stones--Sympathy for the Devil
31. Led Zeppelin--Stairway to Heaven
30. Johnny Cash--I Walk the Line
29. The Beatles--Help
28. The Beatles--A Day in the Life
27. Derek & the Dominoes--Layla
26. Otis Redding--Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
25. The Beach Boys--God Only Knows
24. The Impressions--People Get Ready
23. The Beatles--In My Life
22. The Ronettes--Be My Baby
21. Bruce Springsteen--Born to Run
20. The Beatles--Let it Be
19. Elvis--Hound Dog
18. Chuck Berry--Maybellene
17. Jimi Hendrix--Purple Haze
16. The Beatles--I Want to Hold Your Hand
15. The Clash--London Calling
14. Bob Dylan--Blowing in the Wind
13. The Beatles--Yesterday
12. Sam Cooke--A Change is Gonna Come
11. The Who--My Generation
10. Ray Charles--What'd I Say
9. Nirvana--Smells Like Teen Spirit
8. The Beatles--Hey Jude
7. Chuck Berry--Johnny B Goode
6. The Beach Boys--Good Vibrations
5. Aretha Franklin--RESPECT
4. Marvin Gaye--What's Goin' On
3. John Lennon--Imagine
2. The Rolling Stones--(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
1. Bob Dylan--Like a Rolling Stone
I would probably have a different #1, and I think Hendrix gets a little too much respect for his songs, but for the most part this is a pretty darn good list. If you don't see a song you think should be in the top 50, it's probably just a bit lower in the top 500.
Check out the full list here.
