Rolling Stone Magazine has released its top 500 songs of all time. Not only are there no Schubert lieder in the top 20, there’s no Little Richard! Outrageous! Anway, here they are from one to twenty: [How come “Maybellene” got in ahead of “Memphis”?-ed. Oh, shut up!]
Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
Imagine, John Lennon
What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye
Respect, Aretha Franklin
Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys
Johnny B Goode, Chuck Berry
Hey Jude, The Beatles
Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana
What’d I Say, Ray Charles
My Generation, The Who
A Change is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke
Yesterday, The Beatles
Blowin’ in the Wind, Bob Dylan
London Calling, The Clash
I Want to Hold Your Hand, The Beatles
Purple Haze, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Maybellene, Chuck Berry
Hound Dog, Elvis Presley
Let It Be, The Beatles
UPDATE: I love rock and roll–I grew up with it–but there’s not a single song on this list that holds a candle to this… but, hey, that’s just my opinion. I’m a sentimentalist. I’m crazy for La Traviata.
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