400-301 | 1000greatestsongs

Very possibly one of Otis Redding's defining moments on record. Starting with a down-tempo, soulful melody, the song moves through several melodic changes before culminating into a power and fury that is capped by an absolutely intense modulation on the choruses. It's positively spellbinding. - Matthew Greenwald

Jimmy Campbell / Reginald Connelly / Harry Woods

Otis Redding

Try a Little Tenderness (1966)

399

This ballad featured vulnerable vocals and an
explosively emotional sound.The lyrics touched on O’s relationship with Liars singer Angus Andrew.The heartache of the repeated refrain, “Wait! They don’t love you like I love you” clearly touched a
nerve with the record-buying public. - Jamie Healy

Karen Orzolek / Nick Zinner / Brian Chase

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Maps (2003)

398

If any act illustrated the ties that bind soul music and gospel music, it was Stax's Sam & Dave. The best example of this is "Soul Man." Written and produced by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, the track featured members of Booker T. & the MG's.Hayes wanted the record to have rhythmic elements similar to Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley." - Ed Hogan

Alternative/Indie Rock

Isaac Hayes / David Porter

Sam & Dave

Soul Man (1967)

397

Coolio / Doug Rasheed / Larry Sanders / Stevie Wonder

Driven by an ominously deep bassline and slashing strings, the creeping, threatening funk of "Gangsta's Paradise" was the most chilling thing Coolio had recorded to date,but the menace didn't come at the expense of his considerable talent for immediate, catchy hooks. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Coolio

Gangsta's Paradise (1995)

396

"Honky Tonk" was one of the biggest instrumental rock'n'roll hits of all time. It was a down-and-dirty R&B shuffle, basic in its three-chord structure. After Scott's extensive sax soloing, the track unexpectedly gains in urgency as the sax riff stutters repeatedly and the rhythm breaks up, with Doggett's organ finally coming somewhat to the fore. - Richie Unterberger

Gangsta Rap

Bill Doggett / Billy Butler / Clifford Scott / Berisford "Shep" Shepherd

The credit for making the song a hit lies foremost with James Jamerson’s driving bass riffs that establish the other performances.Complimented perfectly by Benny Benjamin’s rhythm-holding drums, this is one of the few early-era Motown singles where the instrumental sound is allowed to be pushed up with the vocals. - Richard Gilliam

Martha & the Vandellas

Nowhere to Run (1965)

394

Carlton Ridenhour / Norman Rogers / Eric Sadler / Hank Shocklee

Opening with a Jesse Jackson sample and upping the agit-pop ante with Chuck D’s broadcaster-baiting, this 1987 single perfected PE‘s hand-grenade attack. “A statement of purpose for the PE to come,” says Rick Rubin. When Chuck D heard the finished track, he was so stoked he said, “I could die tomorrow.” - Rolling Stone

Public Enemy

Rebel Without a Pause (1988)

393

Golden Age

Elton John / Bernie Taupin

The warm Stonesy ballad served as a unifying plot element, a moment of family-like comfort and camaraderie for the motley crew of rock stars and groupies on a tour bus during an emotionally raw time in the tour. A tender ballad, and a catchy singalong as well. Sure, it's a tribute to a groupie, that is what makes it sweet; it's a heartfelt love song. - Bill Janovitz

Elton John

Tiny Dancer (1971)

392

Soft Rock / Singer/Songwriter

Elvis Costello / Clive Langer

With lines that were alternately searing and sublime. Clive Langer wrote the jazz-flecked track—but his lyrics, he admitted, were “crap.” On his demo, Langer had attempted an impersonation of Soft Machine drummer turned solo artist Robert Wyatt. The real thing was duly persuaded to cut the song. - Chris Bryans

Robert Wyatt

Shipbuilding (1982)

391

Art Rock

Norman Petty / Bill Tilghman / Sonny West

"Rave On" is one of the tracks on which he rocks the hardest, creating a memorable impact. Buddy Holly's vocal style has often been described as "hiccuping," and there are few if any better examples than the very beginning of "Rave On." Holly elevates the source material with the exuberance of his passion and the way he plays around with the phrasing. - Richie Unterberger

Buddy Holly

Rave On (1958)

390

Rock & Roll

Chris Lowe / Neil Tennant

“West End Girls” was initially a minor underground hit.After the Boys signed to EMI, producer Stephen Hague was brought in to slow the original tempo and help Chris Lowe realize his potential as a synthesizer maestro. The lyrics were inspired by T. S. Eliot’s poem The Waste Land. Although influenced by hip-hop, Tennant forced himself to use his distinctive English accent. - Gerry Kiernan

Pet Shop Boys

West End Girls (1985)

389

Dance-Pop / Synth Pop

Gerry Goffin / Carole King / Jerry Wexler

“A Natural Woman,” with its bellows and bursts, is at once euphoric and mournful. It is, in this sense, a perfect Aretha song—brimming with vivacity that exists both despite and alongside pain. Aretha carried countless burdens in her life. Still, she imbued “A Natural Woman” with a limitless sense of possibility. - Hannah Giorgis

loffit_you-make-me-feel-like-a-natural-w

Aretha Franklin

A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like) (1967)

388

The ballad was both haunting and hope-filled, a tale of a man who is beaten but not broken, on a quest for enlightenment. Cliff sang each word as though his soul depended on it.Graceful accompaniment from a church organ and gospel-flavored backing vocals underscored the tune’s spirituality. Although the song boasted a
syncopated reggae rhythm, it belonged to no single genre. - Jim Harrington

Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff

Many Rivers to Cross (1969)

387

Reggae

Reggae-Pop

Robert Smith

One of the great pop songs from the 1980s, "In Between Days" has the Cure concocting an irresistible combination of musical elements for an undeniably energetic single.The beat is insistent, the bass and guitar lines slinky, the melody infectious, hummable, and a bit sad. The song is for those who like the bitter with the sweet. - Bill Janovitz

The Cure

In Between Days (1985)

386

Alternative/Indie Rock

Neil Young

With their audacious interpretation of “Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” originally by Neil Young, Saint Etienne turned a plaintive ballad into haunting yet danceable pop. The simple yet effective composition—reportedly made in two hours—transcends these early
Nineties clichés, giving the song the power to outlast most of its indie dance contemporaries. - Gary Rose

Saint Etienne

Only Love Can Break Your Heart (1990)

385

A moody masterpiece that proved Radiohead could write a great single without aping Nirvana. The song's detailed arrangement and slow build gave it an epic sweep.The main lyrical thrust is hardly unique in the annals of rock, but the free-associative images are striking, and the music is so achingly gorgeous that it barely matters whether the listener understands the words in the first place. - Steve Huey

Club/Dance

Colin Greenwood / Jonny Greenwood / Ed O'Brien / Phil Selway / Thom Yorke

Radiohead

Fake Plastic Trees (1995)

384

James Murphy shouts out fifty-five musicians in LCD Soundsytem’s gut-wrenching first anthem, “Losing My Edge.” Most of them appear in a run at the song’s closing, as Murphy lists the loves of his record collection with equal parts reverence and snark. He cheers the symbolic rockers have been idolized by angsty teenagers for decades. - Puja Patel

Alternative Pop/Rock

James Murphy

LCD Soundsystem

Losing My Edge (2002)

383

Electronic

Indie Electronic

Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller

"Kansas City" is a classic 1950s R&B song that has become a rite of passage for R&B and rock performers. In a standard blues structure, its verses follow the pattern of two repeating lines followed by a third rhyming one. Recorded by Wilbert Harrison, who took it to the top of the pop and R&B charts. - William Ruhlmann

Wilbert Harrison

Kansas City (1959)

382

There are many critics and listeners who claim that Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock's "It Takes Two" is the greatest hip-hop single ever cut. The song is a prime example of how the best hip-hop doesn't merely recycle the past -- it expands upon it."It Takes Two" may be unthinkable without the sample, but it's hardly a loop. This is party music, pure and simple, but it's transcendent party music. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Soul / Rock & Roll

Robert Ginyard

Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock

It Takes Two (1988)

381

Club/Dance / East Coast Rap

Pete Shelley

It is easy to forget how music that can elicit such pleasure in the listener can have come from such a painful place for the composer.But Shelley’s emotional angst found a creative outlet in what became the greatest in a long line of bittersweet Buzzcocks classics. Shelley’s unfailing ability to tap into the common romantic consciousness resulted
in the single becoming the band’s biggest hit. - Chris Bryans

Buzzcocks

Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) (1978)

380

A simple acoustic guitar played against a background of strings creates the perfect setting for Bobbie Gentry's almost-raspy voice reminiscing about her protagonist's friend, Billie Joe MacAllister, and his suicide.The dinnertime conversation about the death is told so matter-of-fact that it creates an under-current in this masterful story/song. - Joe Viglione

British Punk

Bobbie Gentry

Bobbie Gentry

Ode to Billy Joe (1967)

379

R&B / Country

Country-Pop / Nashville Sound

Mick Jones / Joe Strummer

"Complete Control" is a certified Clash, myth-busting classic. One of the secrets to the Clash's anthems that railed against systems is that even though the situation seems hopeless, the musical delivery promises redemption. It doesn't hurt that in addition to telling a good story, the song has a sustained high energy and a great rockabilly middle guitar break. - Denise Sullivan

The Clash

Complete Control (1977)

378

What a way to start an album. First, distorted guitars and a heavy thud. From there, a pop-gospel workout that’s as enigmatic as it is invigorating. It’s “Thriller” meets Catholic mysticism, and "Like A Prayer" works just as well without its vivid video. No wonder it shot to No. 1 on the Hot 100 a month after its release. - Kenneth Partridge

Punk/New Wave

Madonna / Patrick Leonard

Madonna

Like a Prayer (1989)

377

Dance-Pop / Adult Contemporary

Bill Withers

The gold single that first introduced the singer/songwriter to the public."Ain't No Sunshine" is a mellow ballad that's awash with soothing strings as Withers' folksy drawls emote that there's darkness when the love of his life is missing. The mid-song break is an amazing showcase of the singer's breath control. - Ed Hogan

Bill Withers

Ain't No Sunshine (1971)

376

The flamenco-based "Alone Again Or" features not only a fully-realized string section, but also a Mexican-flavored horn section featuring a climactic trumpet solo that sounds like it could have been played by Mr. A&M Records himself. "Alone Again Or" is lushly beautiful, but also achingly sad, thanks both to MacLean's distressed lost-love lyrics and Lee's high-register vocals. - Stewart Mason

Bryan MacLean

Love

Alone Again Or (1967)

375

Baroque Pop / Psychedelic/Garage

Ronnie Mack

One of the all-time greatest girl group classics. The hook of "He's So Fine" might be basic, but it's about as memorable as they come in rock music. it's catchy Ienough, with an irresistible loping beat and naivete in the Chiffons' harmonies, to be indelible.The bridge of the song seems a little like an afterthought to connect the verses, but it's attractive anyway. - Richie Unterberger

The Chiffons

He's So Fine (1963)

374

Pop / R&B

Girl Groups

Thomas Bangalter / Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo

The slinky distortions of "Da Funk" made Daft Punk one of the quickest, most surprising successes in the dance world. The first major single for Messrs. Bangalter and De Homem-Cristo, "Da Funk" works through an almost languorous tempo with effects that sound straight out of a '70s porn film. The single ignited throughout the dance underground early in 1997. - John Bush

Daft Punk

Da Funk (1994)

373

Electronic

Club/Dance / House

Jerry Leiber / Phil Spector

His first hit was a song based on the area in which he grew up. Strictly speaking, Leiber’s lyrics aren’t quite up to his usual standard, but such carping is churlish given the charm of the piece and the sparkling arrangement. The song packs a lot into
under three minutes, all combine to produce a real sense of Latinate longing. - Simon Adams

Ben E. King

Spanish Harlem (1961)

372

Brill Building Pop / Soul

Don Covay

"Chain of Fools" had been written by Covay as a boy when he sang gospel music. It lay dormant until Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler asked the songwriter to come up with material for Otis Redding. When he played the song, Wexler decided that the song would be better suited for Aretha Franklin. - Ed Hogan

Aretha Franklin

Chain of Fools (1967)

371

Pete de Freitas / Ian McCulloch / Les Pattinson / Will Sergeant

The epic "The Killing Moon" is the point at which Echo & the Bunnymen turned from second-string post-punkers into members of the pantheon of heroes to the mildly alienated suburban teens of the mid-'80s. Crucially, the band made an atypical move in the arrangement of this song by modulating upward for the chorus. The smart use of strings amplifies the elegance of the tune. - Stewart Mason

Echo & the Bunnymen

The Killing Moon (1984)

370

"Atmosphere" is another one of those prime Joy Division songs, where Martin Hannett's production becomes so essential to the end result that it couldn't have been heard otherwise. Ian Curtis's performance is another one of his best. The killer touch, without question, has to be the sudden, shimmering keyboard sparkle Sumner adds after each verse. There's a feeling of a requiem here, an awesome musical farewell. - Ned Raggett

Alternative Rock

Bernard Albrecht / Ian Curtis / Peter Hook / Stephen Morris / Bernard Sumner

Joy Division

Atmosphere (1980)

369

Alternative Rock / Post-Punk

Tom Scholz

“More Than a Feeling,” saw multi-instrumentalist Scholz and singer Brad Delp realize their dream. Is bold, exciting, and brief. It is also remarkable as everything on it, apart from Sib Hashian’s drumming, is played by Scholz. However, it is Delp’s impassioned vocals that make Scholz’s words so poignant. They make dreaming of “a girl he used to know” seem
rich and meaningful. - Daryl Easlea

Boston

More Than a Feeling (1976)

368

Arguably, their best song, and the one in which they tapped into psychedelia with their best results. Like many British psychedelic works, the mood in "Itchycoo Park" is one of childlike playfulness.The deeper purposes of the park, though, are set out in the latter parts of the verses. The dreamy bridge simulates the best qualities of both a day in the park and a drug trip in its otherworldly glide. - Richie Unterberger

Hard Rock / Arena Rock

Ronnie Lane / Steve Marriott

Small Faces

Itchycoo Park (1967)

367

“Sour Times,” Portishead’s second single, was certainly more chilling than chilled. Fusing hip-hop beats with Beth Gibbons’s lovelorn lyrics and doleful vocals, it resembled a funked-up 1960s noir soundtrack. The
eerie dulcimer sample and bass riff came from “Danube Incident” by U.S. composer Lalo Schifrin. - Gary Rose

British Invasion

Geoff Barrow / Henry Brooks / Beth Gibbons / Lalo Schifrin / Otis Turner / Adrian Utley

Portishead

Sour Times (1994)

366

Trip-Hop / Adult Alternative Pop

John Sebastian

Not only did that establish them as one of the first and most important folk-rock groups, but the song itself has also lasted as one of the very best rock songs to celebrate rock'n'roll itself. The folk elements, perhaps, were in the jug band sense of fun that was a Lovin' Spoonful specialty. It was different from much else in the hit parade in its veneration of rock'n'roll as an almost spiritual healing force. - Richie Unterberger

The Lovin' Spoonful

Do You Believe in Magic? (1965)

365

Psychedelic/Garage / Sunshine Pop

Steven Tyler

"Dream On." The song was written by singer Steven Tyler, who worked out the song's structure on a piano in bassist Tom Hamilton's bedroom. Joe Perry has voiced that he was not entirely fond of the track -- that he felt that instead of doing ballads, the hard rockin' quintet should do slow blues numbers. But "Dream On" has also proven to be an incredibly influential composition in the rock world. - Greg Prato

Aerosmith

Dream On (1973)

364

This brokenhearted lost love song was Eugene Record's real forte."Have You Seen Her?" is one of the most downbeat, saddest records of the early '70s. In tight four-part harmonies, Record and the other three Chi-Lites repeat the interrogative chorus almost obsessively. As always, Record's production skills keep the sound lush, but not overbaked, giving the song a sophisticated edge that makes it one of the most urbane soul hits of the era. - Stewart Mason

Barbara Acklin / Eugene Record

The Chi-Lites

Have You Seen Her? (1971)

363

Smooth Soul

The return of Hole in 1998 embraced Courtney newfound glamour and star power, and the comeback single "Celebrity Skin" is a testament to that. Hole went from grungy alt-rock to clean sterile alt-rock more in the vein of Marilyn Manson than Nirvana. Love traded her screaming banshee mayhem vocals for Pro-Tooled crooning, and the guitars are layered to the point they sound so clean they almost shimmer. - Chris True

Hole

Celebrity Skin (1998)

362

Billy Corgan / Eric Erlandson / Courtney Love

Alternative Rock / Grunge

Nathaniel Hale

A breakthrough for both Warren G and Nate Dogg, and is one of the most illustrative and clever tracks of all time.The track is a gritty depiction of West Coast gang life which samples singer Michael McDonald's hit "I Keep Forgettin'".The two rappers go back and forth, telling each side of the story with some of the cleverest lines in hip-hip history. - M att Juss

Warren G & Nate Dogg

Regulate (1994)

361

“Maybe I’m Amazed” was written by Paul McCartney in 1969 for his new wife, Linda. He single-handedly created something that was every scrap as good as anything in The Beatles’ recent catalog. Just the song, in fact, that McCartney needed to give him confidence in the dark days around the band’s demise. - Daryl Easlea

G-Funk

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

Maybe I'm Amazed (1970)

360

Riding a chugga-chugga train rhythm, the song gives voice to the frustrations of a condemned man sentenced to life in prison."Folsom Prison Blues" was one of the tunes that -- along with his status as a musician that fell in between rockabilly, folk, and country genres -- led to Cash's reputation as a country music outlaw. - Bill Janovitz

Album Rock / Soft Rock

Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

Folsom Prison Blues (1963)

359

Country

Outlaw Country

Lou Reed

"Sweet Jane" is little more than a memorable riff, buoyed by a lyric that is almost outspoken in its openness -- all the ingredients of a classic rock monster and even his detractors will admit that "Sweet Jane" deserves every grandiose epithet that has ever been heaped upon its head. And Reed knew that from the outset. - Dave Thompson

The Velvet Underground

Sweet Jane (1970)

358

If country singing legend Hank Williams has a signature tune out of his massive catalog of hits, "Your Cheatin' Heart" has to be it. It became the title of the film made about his life and in many ways is the unofficial anthem of country music. Williams' vocal is filled with regret and recrimination, coming from the bleakest of feelings, absolutely brimming over with despair. - Cub Koda

Hank Williams

Hank Williams

Your Cheatin' Heart (1953)

357

Country

Traditional Country

June Carter Cash / Merle Kilgore

While he was still charting, he hadn't had a huge smash in a few years. "Ring of Fire" changed all that.More importantly, it cemented the image of Johnny Cash, "the Man in Black" -- not necessarily an outlaw, but certainly an outsider. It was a forceful blend of his image and musical attitude. Even though those mariachi horns sound a little silly at times. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Johnny Cash

Ring of Fire (1963)

356

Country

Honky Tonk

Berry Gordy, Jr.

“Do You Love Me” would have been performed by The Temptations, if only Gordy had been able to find them at the Hitsville USA studio.so when he bumped into The Contours in the hallway, he decided to give the song to them. And, of course, it’s now difficult to imagine the song sounding any other way. - Sophie Harris

The Contours

Do You Love Me (1962)

355

Jim Martin’s six-string sound was central to the genesis of “Epic.” The replacement of Chuck Mosley with Mike Patton as front man gave the group extra dimensions, including lyrics whose opaque nature had fans struggling to decipher their meaning. However, it all added up to a Top Ten U.S. chart placing. - Chris Bryans

Soul / Rock & Roll

Richard D. James

"Windowlicker" focuses on eerie lounge-porn music. Later Aphex trademarks like hyper-breakbeat drum programs and heavily tweaked voices are in full effect.The enhanced single also included the video of the title track, directed by Chris Cunningham, and possibly even more disturbing than "Come to Daddy." - John Bush

Aphex Twin

Windowlicker (1999)

354

Electronic

Acid Techno / IDM

Mike Bordin / Roddy Bottum / Bill Gould / Jim Martin / Mike Patton

MV5BYTdiY2UwOTgtYmU1Mi00ZmFkLWFmNzAtY2Fl

Faith No More

Epic (1989)

353

Alternative Metal / Rap-Metal

Mike Love / Brian Wilson

Critics and pop fans alike have recognized the Beach Boys hit "California Girls" as one of the most amazing and sublimely crafted pop songs to emerge from the 1960s. The lyrics are a cheeky travelog and the melody has the kind of gentle bounce one might associate with a vintage 1950s Frank Sinatra song. However, Brian Wilson's production of "California Girls" for the Beach Boys pushes it into another realm altogether. - Donald A. Guarisco

The Beach Boys

California Girls (1965)

352

Sunshine Pop / Early Pop/Rock

Iggy Pop / David Bowie

The one song most identified with former Stooge Iggy Pop's solo career, "Lust for Life" is also quite possibly the most upbeat, exuberant tune he ever cut. There's a heavy influence from co-writer David Bowie in the hip-shaking. Really, it's the only hook the song needs; it's immediately memorable without being all that melodic.Pop's persona gives the song a rougher edge than it would have otherwise. - Steve Huey

Iggy Pop

Lust for Life (1977)

351

Shut out the man responsible for both the power chord and distortion. A man who inspired the likes of Jimmy Page, Neil Young, and Pete Townshend to pick up a guitar. “Rumble” was a glowering instrumental. Rock, punk, garage rock, and heavy metal would sound drastically different were it not for the six-string stylings of Fred Lincoln “Link” Wray, Jr. - Andy Beta

Link Wray / Mark Grant

Link Wray

Rumble (1958)

350

A permanent fixture on classic rock radio the world over, the song contains all of the band's musical trademarks, Phil Lynott's poetic (yet tough) storytelling lyrics, Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson's melodic guitar harmonies, etc. The main melodic guitar riff was based on the early Bruce Springsteen song "Kitty's Back." - Greg Prato

Instrumental Rock

Phil Lynott

Thin Lizzy

The Boys Are Back in Town (1976)

349

“Good Golly, Miss Molly” never sounds like anything less than Little Richard, his voice pushing dangerously into the red on each line, and each time he exclaims the title you’d think he just thought it up on the spot. - Rolling Stone

Robert "Bumps" Blackwell / John Marascalco

Little Richard

Good Golly Miss Molly (1958)

348

R&B / Rock

Rock & Roll

Carole King / Wilson Pickett / Toni Stern

A pumping piano kicks off over a gently laid-back, percussion-driven jazz samba as King plays a
string of figures and a catchy riff. It’s like a note left on the fridge door—she’s leaving him on her terms, but “I’m glad for what we had.” - James Harrison’s

Carole King

It's Too Late (1971)

347

“Firestarter” boasts brutal beats and guitars, with memorable samples. Vocalist Keith Flint used the song as a coming-out party for his punk-style, front-man persona. Howlett told writer Ben Thompson "Basically, they’re just a description of Keith: what happens with
him onstage, the way he is—his headstrong personality. That record sums him up.” - Jim Harrington

Soft Rock

Kim Deal / Anne Dudley / Trevor Horn / J.J. Jeczalik / Paul Morley / Keith Flint

The Prodigy

Firestarter (1997)

346

Jimmy Ruffin’s love has departed; he is alone, desperately seeking peace of mind, and he’s about as soulfully abandoned as anybody could stand. ʻWhat Becomes Of The Brokenhearted’ is a song to get lost in, one which sweeps you into its world for a few minutes and lets you feel exactly the way its singer feels. - Ian McCann

Paul Riser / William Weatherspoon

Jimmy Ruffin

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (1966)

345