500 Greatest Songs of All Time.html



The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004.¹ It was chosen based on votes by 172 musicians, critics, and industry figures.

List's top ten

1. "Like A Rolling Stone" – Bob Dylan (1965)
2. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – The Rolling Stones (1965)
3. "Imagine" – John Lennon (1971)
4. "What's Going On" – Marvin Gaye (1971)
5. "Respect" – Aretha Franklin (1967)
6. "Good Vibrations" – The Beach Boys (1966)
7. "Johnny B. Goode" – Chuck Berry (1958)
8. "Hey Jude" – The Beatles (1968)
9. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" – Nirvana (1991)
10. "What'd I Say" – Ray Charles (1959)

Statistics

The list is partial to Anglophone countries as is largely composed of American and British artists: out of the 500 songs, 357 are from the United States and 117 are from the United Kingdom; the third most represented country is Ireland with 12 entries, then Canada with 10. The list includes just one song not in English ("La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens) and only three songs from the 21st century. The only song from the 1940s is Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" from 1949 (#111). The most recent is OutKast's 2003 hit "Hey Ya!" (#180). With 23 songs on the list, The Beatles are the most represented musical act. John Lennon is the only artist to place multiple songs in the top 10 (as a member of the Beatles and as a solo artist). The Beatles are followed by The Rolling Stones (14 entries); Bob Dylan (12); Elvis Presley (11); The Beach Boys and Jimi Hendrix (seven each); and Chuck Berry, U2, James Brown, Prince, Led Zeppelin and Sly & the Family Stone (six each).

See also

• The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

References

External links

• A BBC News story about the list
• The List