There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (1986)
200
Only the Lonely (1960)
199
I Got You (I Feel Good) (1965)
198
School's Out (1972)
197
It's a Man's Man's Man's World (1966)
196
Born In The U.S.A. (1984)
195
Stevie Wonder joined Motown in making "cinematic" hits that reflected the popularity of the blaxploitation craze of the '70s. "Living for the City," took the cinematic concept further. Wonder crafted a tantalizing track that is enthralling, vividly drawn, and deeply poignant. Wonder's angry raspy vocals during the latter of the song was the result, as was the song's huge chart success. - Ed Hogan
Living for the City (1973)
194
Over chunky guitar, clunking piano, and jackhammer drums, Reed half-sings, half-intones what he would once describe as a love song about a man and the subway, although it would probably be more accurate to acknowledge that the subway is simply the man's way of getting to where he really wants to be. One of the all-time classic rock songs. - Dave Thompson
I'm Waiting For the Man (1967)
193
Robert Hazard's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." The Philadelphia-based pop-rocker never recorded his own version of the song. Lauper's new lyrics turn the song into an ebullient, unapologetic piece of smiley-face feminism. Sunny lyrics and brilliantly goofy, gimmicky production. The instrumental solo on the bridge sounds like it came from a Ms. Pac Man game. - Stewart Mason
Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1984)
192
His lead single, “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough,” was the first recording over which he had artistic control, and it got off to a puzzling start. Over a stabbing synth bass that veered sharply from the smooth edges of his old material, Jackson, his boyish tenor bashful and nervous, offered a spoken appeal to the listener.But just one “oooh!” was all it took. The force was strong with this one, indeed. - Matthew Oshinsky
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (1979)
191
McCartney supplied the middle eight, but Lennon’s lyrics dominate. In the line “I’d love to turn you on,” for the first time the duo deliberately sent their
fans a pro-drugs message. McCartney’s burgeoning interest in avant-garde composers such as Stockhausen and Luciano Berio inspired him to suggest the song’s famous orchestral “surges.” “A Day in the Life” might just be pop’s best-ever collaboration. - Robert Dimery
A Day in the Life (1967)
190
Ain't No Mountain High Enough (1967)
189
A cool little trifle that somehow turned into an anthem for a generation before everyone finally got sick of it, "Loser" is one of the oddest hit singles of the '90s, from the circumstances of its creation to its utterly alien sound. Beck's lyrics in the verses are a tumble of images that don't make a lick of sense. It's a complete novelty. - Stewart Mason
Loser (1994)
188
Walk This Way (1975)
187
Coldplay arrived in 2000 with the smash power ballad “Yellow,” an instant classic of trembling guitar ripples, ridiculous stargazing lyrics, anthemic choruses and the forlorn vocals of Chris Martin. But even as he bravely flirted with outright dippiness his heartfelt yodel won you over. Coldplay might be out of step with rock orthodoxy, but their sheer conviction has made them a global sensation. - Rob Shieffeld
Yellow (2000)
186
Its gritty, swirling, angry sound was a huge contrast to the cartoonish pop-metal prevalent on most pop/rock radio stations.The guitar work on "Welcome to the Jungle" was unapologetically loud, wailing, and unpolished."Welcome to the Jungle" evoked feelings of dread, frustration, and fear that only come from experience. - Gina Boldman
Welcome to the Jungle (1987)
185
In the Still of the Night (1956)
184
War (1970)
183
I Feel Love (1977)
182
Hey Joe (1967)
181
Freak Scene (1988)
180
The Times They Are A-Changin' (1964)
179
Free Bird (1974)
178
One night at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, Flack was opening for Marvin Gaye, and she sang her version of the song. Gaye told her that she needed to go and record that thing right away.“Killing Me Softly” is a song that effectively captures the magic of what music can do when it’s at its best. A song about a song, one that’s been disputed for decades. - Tom Breihan
Killing Me Softly With His Song (1973)
177
Roll Over Beethoven (1956)
176
Killing in the Name (1992)
175
It didn't take long for program directors to get swept up in that nasty opening guitar riff and chugging organ that practically screamed to be blasted out of car radios while driving at radar-triggering speeds. Written as a slower ballad by Mars Bonfire, the rearranged song remains a timeless radio classic as well as a slice of '60s revolt that at once defines Steppenwolf's sound and provided them with their shot at AM immortality. - Hal Horowitz
Born to Be Wild (1968)
174
La Bamba (1958)
173
Gimme Some Lovin' (1966)
172
Georgia on My Mind (1960)
171
Be-Bop-A-Lula (1956)
170
Paul owes this, the final Beatles single released while the group was still together, to a dream. It featured his late mother, Mary, and it inspired him to write this enduring piano ballad about taking life as it comes.The album version is even better, as Spector amps up the orchestration and swaps in an alternate Harrison guitar solo—one that’s meaner, more assertive, and more in line with the assuredness of Paul’s vocal. - Kenneth Partridge
Let It Be (1970)
169
Crying (1961)
168
In My Life (1965)
167
Subterranean Homesick Blues (1965)
166
164
Little Red Corvette (1982)
163
Stop! In the Name of Love (1965)
162
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher (1967)
161
House of Jealous Lovers (2002)
160
Heart of Glass (1979)
159
“What a Wonderful World” is one of the many songs that have stood the test of time. Through its music and lyrics it tells us that when it seems all is lost and that despair is in our hearts, there is always a hope for the future. Though it was written during a time of terrible turmoil, it promised us a hope for a better future. - Allessandrea-Rukia
What a Wonderful World (1968)
158
Great Balls of Fire (1957)
157
An unlikely fusion of jock-rock, hair metal and golden-age party rap — helped make Beastie Boys' License to Ill the first hip-hop album to reach No. 1 in the U.S.Then, after collecting their paycheck, Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA essentially abandoned (if not outright disowned) the song, insisting it was a joke that had gone on for too long. - Daniel Cook
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party) (1986)
156
California Dreamin' (1966)
155
Fight the Power (1989)
154
American Pie (1971)
153
Crazy (1961)
152
Penny Lane is a bus roundabout just south of the center of Liverpool and McCartney's lyrics mention different places in the neighborhood.The song's lyrics are images drawn from recalled memory with summer and winter, sun and rain, all happening at once and the characters trading attributes and identities as if in a dream. - James Leonard
Penny Lane (1967)
151
Bad Moon Rising (1969)
150
Unfinished Sympathy (1991)
149
Enter Sandman (1991)
148
Purple Rain (1988)
147
Brass in Pocket (1979)
146
The Weight (1969)
145
(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais (1977)
144
Song 2 (1997)
143
White Riot (1977)
142
Paperback Writer (1966)
141
Creep (1993)
140
Where Did Our Love Go (1964)
139
Mystery Train (1955)
138
Paranoid Android (1997)
137
Family Affair (1971)
136
Virginia Plain (1972)
135
Just My Imagination (1971)
134
Don't be Cruel (1956)
133
All the Young Dudes (1972)
132
Psycho Killer (1977)
131
Ace of Spades (1980)
130
Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
129
Jailhouse Rock (1957)
128
Shake, Rattle & Roll (1954)
127
White Rabbit (1967)
126
Something (1969)
125
‘Hey Ya!’ began its reign at the top of the Billboard charts. It was the game-changing song that became a wedding disco staple. The experimental masterstroke that made pop stars out of Outkast and a style icon out of Andre 3000. It was influenced by the unlikely source of the Ramones and made the phrase “shake it like a Polaroid picture” part of the pop culture lexicon. - Priya Elan
Hey Ya! (2003)
124
Public Image (1978)
123
Oh, Pretty Woman (1964)
122
Seven Nation Army (2003)
121
Live Forever (1994)
120
Rapper's Delight (1979)
119
Bang a Gong (Get It On) (1971)
117
It replaces moodiness with curiosity and a much-expanded instrumental palette. They'd been intermittent experimenters from the start, but Help! is where the band's interest in sound and arrangement really starts to flower. Help! is almost the last twitch of the Beatles as a working, gigging beat group. - Tom Ewing
Help! (1965)
116
Mack the Knife (1959)
115
Blueberry Hill (1956)
114
Common People (1995)
113
Summertime Blues (1958)
112
Stayin' Alive (1977)
111
Midnight Train to Georgia (1973)
110
One (1991)
109
Transmission (1979)
108
I Only Have Eyes for You (1959)
107
Nothing Compares 2 U (1990)
106
How Soon Is Now? (1985)
105
Peggy Sue (1957)
104
It's not surprising that "Relax" has proven to be the only Frankie Goes to Hollywood single that's remained in the cultural memory at all. The song feature a remarkably insistent bassline that made for hours of idiot-dancing fun in clubs throughout 1984. - Stewart Mason
Relax (1984)
103
(Don't Fear) The Reaper (1976)
102
Before the Jackson 5 there was Frankie Lymon. Only 13 years old at the time of his biggest hit, the R&B chart-topper "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?". The record kicks off with a bass vocal intro, and as soon as the full group joins in, it's apparent that there's something very different here. Lymon's pure, clear soprano cuts through the backing with an immediate, startling, attention-grabbing presence. - Steve Huey
