Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs
This post concludes my rundown of the list of the 500 greatest songs that Rolling Stone magazine released in 2004. I listened to all 500 songs in order over the course of several weeks to try to see what makes a good song. Look for my comments in the list below which will be marked by a
-
and italicized text. Also, let me hear what you think of the list. Your favorites, your “I can’t believe this or that song is this low or high†comments, your agreements.
Also, I continued the “funniest album covers” theme by posting some funny pictures from some of the entries. Scroll and enjoy.
Undeniably, there is some good stuff on this list.
Numbers 99 – 1
99. Fortunate Son, Credence Clearwater Revival
98. Love and Happiness, Al Green
97. Roll Over Beethoven, Chuck Berry
96. Great Balls of Fire, Jerry Lee Lewis
- Mat: Who doesn’t know the chorus to this song?
95. Blue Suede Shoes, Carl Perkins
- Mat: Bet most people thought Elvis wrote this song.
(Look at that ridiculous mop on his head and I swear his moustache is one hair wide)
94. Good Golly, Miss Molly, Little Richard
93. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, U2
(Just how many of these guys are still alive?)
92. Blitzkrieg Bop, Ramones
91. Suspicious Minds, Elvis Presley
(I see why they are called Satins…silky smooth!)
90. In the Still of the Nite, The Five Satins
89. California Dreamin’, The Mamas and The Papas
88. My Girl, The Temptations
87. Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash
- Mat: Two of his three songs on the list are in the top 100.
86. Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen
(This picture included mainly because I had no idea what she looked like.)
85. Crazy, Patsy Cline
84. Every Breath You Take, The Police
- Mat: Only the second song in the list by this group. The other was ‘Roxanne’ at number 388.
83. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), The Beatles
- Mat: Fourteenth song by this band. I would not have been able to name this song but it’s excellent acoustic guitar lick is unmistakable.
82. You Really Got Me, The Kinks
(fitting name)
81. Blueberry Hill, Fats Domino
80. I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye
79. Mr. Tambourine Man, The Byrds
- Mat: For those American Idol fans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g73W1I1iAnE Did you know the words?
78. I Got You (I Feel Good), James Brown
77. Mystery Train, Elvis Presley
- Mat: Eighth
76. Strawberry Fields Forever,The Beatles
- Mat: Fifteenth
75. Whole Lotta Love, Led Zeppelin
74. Superstition, Stevie Wonder
73. Summertime Blues, Eddie Cochran
72. Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag, James Brown
71. California Girls, The Beach Boys
70. Walk On By, Dionne Warwick
69. Crying, Roy Orbison
68. Tangled Up in Blue, Bob Dylan
- Mat: Ninth
67. Jailhouse Rock, Elvis Presley
- Mat: Ninth
66. Redemption Song, Bob Marley and the Wailers
(It’s very difficult to find a non-psychadelic image of this band)
65. Sunshine of Your Love, Cream
64. She Loves You, The Beatles
- Mat: Sixteenth
(love the tassled pants of the guy who is artfully facing backward)
63. For What It’s Worth, Buffalo Springfield
62. Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley
61. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On, Jerry Lee Lewis
60. Let’s Stay Together, Al Green
- Mat: Two of his four songs on the list are in the top 100. (see picture above)
59. The Times They Are A-Changin’, Bob Dylan
- Mat: Tenth
(What happened to the cute little ABC singer?)
58. Billie Jean, Michael Jackson
57. Whiter Shade of Pale, Procol Harum
56. Long Tall Sally, Little Richard
55. Louie Louie, The Kingsmen
- Mat: This song brings back great memories of Junior High Band…good times.
54. When a Man Loves a Woman, Percy Sledge
53. Anarchy in the U.K., The Sex Pistols
52. When Doves Cry, Prince
(Where is my huge piece of cardboard and Kaepa shoes?)
51. The Message, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
50. The Tracks of My Tears, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
49. Hotel California, The Eagles
48. All Along the Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix
47. Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel
(my next Halloween costume)
46. Heroes, David Bowie
45. Heartbreak Hotel, Elvis Presley
- Mat: Tenth
44. Georgia on My Mind, Ray Charles
43. Tutti-Frutti, Little Richard
(hmm…which band member requires the most attention?)
42. Waterloo Sunset, The Kinks
41. The Weight, The Band
40. Dancing in the Street, Martha and the Vandellas
39. That’ll Be the Day, Buddy Holly and the Crickets
38. Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones
- Mat: Eleventh
37. No Woman, No Cry, Bob Marley and the Wailers
36. One, U2
- Mat: This is the highest entry from a great rock band. In my opinion, ‘I Still Haven’t Found’ is a better song.
(classy double exposure and easy to tell who the bands front man is)
35. Light My Fire, The Doors
- Mat: Maybe the best organ solo ever recorded.
34. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, The Righteous Brothers
33. River Deep - Mountain High, Ike and Tina Turner
32. Sympathy for the Devil, The Rolling Stones
- Mat: Twelfth
31. Stairway To Heaven, Led Zeppelin
30. I Walk the Line, Johnny Cash
29. Help!, The Beatles
- Mat: Sixteenth and my favorite song by this band.
28. (Sittin on) the Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding
- Mat: Maybe the best whistling solo ever recorded.
27. Layla, Derek and the Dominos
26. A Day in the Life, The Beatles
- Mat: Seventeenth
25. God Only Knows, The Beach Boys
- Mat: This is one of my favorite “oldies” songs ever. I love the ethereal harmonies. This song is notable also because it is the only song title in the list to mention God. If you do not own ‘Pet Sounds’ it may be worth your time.
(Why did all of these oldies vocal bands take a stair-step Olan Mills portrait?)
24. People Get Ready, The Impressions
23. In My Life, The Beatles
- Mat: Eighteenth
22. Be My Baby, The Ronettes
21. Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen
20. Let It Be, The Beatles
- Mat: Ninteenth
19. Hound Dog, Elvis Presley
- Mat: Eleventh and top song by this artist…a man who merged genres so effectively and knew how to sell himself. And, in my possibly offensive opinion, he left us at the right time.
18. Maybellene, Chuck Berry
17. Purple Haze, Jimi Hendrix
16. I Want to Hold Your Hand, The Beatles
- Mat: Twentieth!
15. London Calling, The Clash
- Mat: A great song but I like ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’ (#228) better.
(Here is Dylan with his hair looking about like his lyrics…all over the place)
14. Blowin’ in the Wind, Bob Dylan
13. Yesterday, The Beatles
- Mat: Twenty-First. Maybe I will discuss the topic of Place Holder lyrics someday on this blog but this song’s lyrics were originally ‘Scrambled Eggs’ instead of ‘Yesterday.’ I have just ruined the song for you 
12. A Change Is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke
11. My Generation, The Who
- Mat: Ah, the top ten. I must comment on each.
10. What’d I Say, Ray Charles
- Mat: This song was instrumental in bringing R&B to the masses. Watch the movie ‘Ray’ if you have not already.
09. Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana
- Mat: The song was instrumental in taking popular music in a whole new direction. Grunge becomes popular.
08. Hey Jude, The Beatles
- Mat: Twenty-Second and the top rated Beatles song. This band had, by far, the most songs on the list and for many good reasons…to many to list here.
Second most was the Rolling Stones with 13
Third most was Bob Dylan with 12
07. Johnny B. Goode, Chuck Berry
- Mat: This song introduced mainstream listeners to the electric guitar solo…and we are all better for it.
06. Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys
- Mat: What summer is complete without at least one listen to this song.
05. Respect, Aretha Franklin
- Mat: A definitive R&B voice. Who knew that spelling a word in the chorus would be so effective?
04. What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye
- Mat: This song was the voice of the people for a time. A great voice and talent who’s life was tragically cut short by his minister father. He might be singing alongside an aging (and expanding) Aretha Franklin at each Grammy broadcast were he still alive today.
03. Imagine, John Lennon
- Mat: This is an anthem for peace that is too highly rated. The message deserves top ten status but not the song. Brace yourself: would this song be so highly rated if he were still alive?
(Maybe the most famous of all band logos)
02. Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
- Mat: The fuzzy electric guitar intro is instantly recognizable. The breathy vocals are identifiable. The four by four snare drum beat is a toe-tapper. The chorus is singable. Just a great rock song. This song may also have been the launch of stadium rock.
01. Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan
- Mat: Number 1! While this song is a good one, it’s not the best rock song ever. This is a self-serving choice by the magazine but, at the same time, it’s their right. I agree that this song belongs in the top ten but aside from the fact that folk-rock was solidified by this song, it’s not overly influential.
I hope you have enjoyed reading through this list as much as I liked dissecting it. Let me know your comments below on your favorites, what you thought were blatant omissions, or overall thoughts.
Happy listening.
