The 366 Best Songs of the 20th Century...

Music plays a vital role in every culture on earth. It is probably the closest thing we have a universal art form. The words on which we base our literature and poetry can be deceptive and downright unintelligible if you don’t speak the language. Even the images we paint and the photographs we take often have to be understood within the context of its culture and intellectually processed before it can be fully understood and appreciated. With music, however, all one has to do is competently hum a tune in order to raise a smile from an infant to an old man anywhere on the planet, and you might just make a friend too. Music bypasses the brain and directly engages the emotions which is what makes it universal.

The United States has a rich musical tradition which can primarily be traced to the European folk songs brought over by settlers and adapted to a new land, as well as the African tribal music brought over on slave ships. It wasn’t until the 20th century, however, with the advent of recording technology that these traditions began to merge and evolve with incredible rapidity. The diversity of musical traditions which grew out of this country in the 20th century is unparalleled anywhere else in the world. In fact, many of these songs have become ingrained in the American psyche—they are part of our national unconscious. Many are songs we know even if we’ve never heard them.

Recently, I have attempted the monumental task of gathering together the best these traditions have to offer and compiling them into a list. From the scratchy, barely audible low-fi blues and jazz recordings of the early 1900’s to the whining alt-rock of the 1990’s to everything in between, chances are it can be found on this list. I’m very proud of this list, because I think it is very close to being complete. By that I mean that whoever you are and wherever you’re from in America, if you lived any significant amount of time in the 20th century, chances are you will find your experience of that particular time and place somewhere in this list.

Now, I can’t claim that these are all truly the best songs of the century for at least three reasons:
(1) I haven’t heard every song ever recorded in that 100-year period of time. Therefore, there are bound to be worthy songs omitted for the simple reason that I still haven’t heard them.
(2) I decided to limit it to a single song per artist in order to represent the broadest possible spectrum. Let’s face it, I could probably form a list this long off of the songs of a dozen gifted artists alone.
(3) There is necessarily an arbitrariness to the ordering because sometimes it’s just difficult to compare such wildly divergent styles. How does one compare The Kingston Trio with Public Enemy?

Since this is definitely a list of opinion, I encourage comments. Feel free to question my ancestry for not including certain songs (or for including certain songs). I’m sure most of these songs are available on itunes, so check them out. And if you’re still pissed, make your own damn list. Enjoy!


The 366 Best Songs of the 20th Century:

366
I Need Love
LL Cool J

365
I Can See Clearly Now
Johnny Nash

364
River
Joni Mitchell

363
You're the Inspiration
Chicago

362
Baby, One More Time
Britney Spears

361
Statesboro Blues
Blind Willie McTell

360
I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore
REO Speedwagon

359
I See a Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy

358
We Shall Overcome
Joan Baez

357
Doo Wop (That Thing)
Lauryn Hill

356
Cattle Call
Eddy Arnold

355
It Is Accomplished
Peter Gabriel

354
Thank Heaven For Little Girls
Maurice Chevalier

353
Moonshine Blues
Ma Rainey

352
I Want To Know What Love Is
Foreigner

351
Deep In the Heart of Texas
Alvino Rey

350
Against the Wind
Bob Seger

349
Oh Happy Day
Edwin Hawkins Singer

348
Mysteries of Love
Julee Cruise

347
Juke
Little Walter

346
It's Only a Paper Moon
Paul Whiteman

345
El Paso
Marty Robbins

344
You're the First, the Last, My Everything
Barry White

343
Margaritaville
Jimmy Buffet

342
Juicy
Notorious B.I.G.

341
Lake Charles
Lucinda Williams

340
I Wanna Be Loved By You
Helen Kane

339
El Shaddai
Amy Grant

338
We Belong
Pat Benatar

337
Hot Stuff
Donna Summer

336
Teach Your Children
Crosby, Stills, & Nash

335
Matchbox Blues
Blind Lemon Jefferson

334
I Left My Heart In San Francisco
Tony Bennett

333
Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley

332
Sentimental Journey
Les Brown Orchestra

331
Seventy-six Trombones
Robert Preston

330
Makin' Whoppee
Eddie Cantor

329
Just What I Needed
The Cars

328
Hard Knock Life
Jay-Z

327
I Could Have Danced All Night
Marni Nixon

326
Beth
KISS

325
Smooth
Santana & Rob Thomas

324
Every Breath You Take
The Police

323
Poison
Alice Cooper

322
Seems Like Old Times
Joe Loss

321
I'm Easy
Keith Carradine

320
Where It's At
Beck

319
Sing Me Back Home
Merle Haggard

318
Surrender
Cheap Trick

317
Don't Look Back In Anger
Oasis

316
Still Loving You
The Scorpions

315
Jungle Boogie
Kool & the Gang

314
I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston

313
In the Midnight Hour
Wilson Pickett

312
Love Bites
Def Lepperd

311
The Locomotion
Little Eva

310
It Had To Be You
Isham Jones

309
Sweet Caroline
Neil Diamond

308
At the Hop
Danny & the Juniors

307
I Got You Babe
Sonny & Cher

306
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
B.J. Thomas

305
Who's Sorry Now
Connie Francis

304
Bittersweet Symphony
The Verve

303
Life's a Bitch
Nas

302
I Love Rock 'N Roll
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

301
Hold On! I'm Comin'
Sam & Dave

300
Change the World
Eric Clapton

299
Mr. Sandman
The Chordettes

298
It's Not Unusual
Tom Jones

297
The Final Countdown
Europe

296
My Favorite Things
Julie Andrews

295
Shout
The Isley Brothers

294
Teen Age Riot
Sonic Youth

293
The Weight
The Band

292
Faithfully
Journey

291
St. Thomas
Sonny Rollins

290
More Than a Feeling
Boston

289
T-Bone Blues
T-Bone Walker

288
Dancing Queen
Abba

287
Friends In Low Places
Garth Brooks

286
Django
The Modern Jazz Quartet

285
Tutti Frutti
Little Richard

284
Brown Eyed Girl
Van Morrison

283
Ramblin' Man
The Allman Brothers

282
Crimson and Clover
Tommy James & the Shondells

281
Keep Ya Head Up
2Pac

280
Run
Collective Soul

279
Ashokan Farewell
Jay Ungar

278
I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow
Emry Arthur

277
Black
Pearl Jam

276
Joy To the World
Three Dog Night

275
Ode To Billie Joe
Bobbie Gentry

274
Enjoy the Silence
Depeche Mode

273
Behind Closed Doors
Charlie Rich

272
The In Crowd
Ramsey Lewis Trio

271
Shaft
Isaac Hayes

270
Right Now
Van Halen

269
Que Sera Sera
Doris Day

268
The Devil Went Down To Georgia
Charlie Daniels Band

267
House of the Rising Sun
The Animals

266
Swing Down, Chariot
Golden Gate Quartet

265
1979
The Smashing Pumpkins

264
Heart of Glass
Blondie

263
Material Girl
Madonna

262
Minnie the Moocher
Cab Calloway

261
Rosa Parks
OutKast

260
Nobody Does It Better
Carly Simon

259
Time In a Bottle
Jim Croce

258
The Girl From Ipanema
Stan Getz

257
Krull
James Horner

256
Right Here, Right Now
Fatboy Slim

255
I Wanna Be Sedated
The Ramones

254
One Headlight
The Wallflowers

253
If You Don't Know Me By Now
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes

252
Halloween Theme
John Carpenter

251
Paranoid
Black Sabbath

250
The Message
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five

249
Piano Man
Billy Joel

248
He'll Have To Go
Jim Reeves

247
Tiger Rag
The Original Dixieland Jazz Band

246
The Ice Dance
Danny Elfman

245
A-Tisket A-Tasket
Ella Fitzgerald

244
Lay Me Low
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

243
For What It's Worth
Buffalo Springfield

242
All I Have To Do Is Dream
The Everly Brothers

241
Exodus
Ernest Gold

240
Milky White Way
The Trumpeteers

239
Flashdance (What a Feeling)
Irene Cara

238
What Is the Light?
The Flaming Lips

237
Me and My Shadow
Whispering Jack Smith

236
Misty
Erroll Garner

235
The Prisoner's Song
Vernon Dalhart

234
In the Still of the Night
The Five Satins

233
The Rainbow Connection
Kermit the Frog

232
Midnight Train to Georgia
Gladys Knight

231
Thanks For the Memories
Bob Hope & Shirley Ross

230
Isn't It Romantic?
Jeanette MacDonald

229
Runaround Sue
Dion

228
City of New Orleans
Arlo Guthrie

227
White Rabbit
Jefferson Airplane

226
Blue Yodel #1 (T For Texas)
Jimmie Rodgers

225
Gangsta's Paradise
Coolio

224
Spoonful
Willie Dixon

223
The Tracks of My Tears
The Miracles

222
Wings of a Dove
Dolly Parton

221
Track A -- Solo Dancer
Charles Mingus

220
American Girl
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

219
Battle of New Orleans
Johnny Horton

218
Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen

217
How the West Was Won
Alfred Newman

216
Here
Pavement

215
Some Velvet Morning
Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood

214
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
James Baskett

213
Nuthin' But a 'G Thang
Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg

212
Where Is My Mind?
The Pixies

211
Hello Darlin'
Conway Twitty

210
Love Letters
Ketty Lester

209
Alexander's Ragtime Band
The Boswell Sisters

208
A Change Is Gonna Come
Sam Cooke

207
You're the Top
Cole Porter

206
Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
The Shirelles

205
When a Man Loves a Woman
Percy Sledge

204
Time of the Season
The Zombies

203
These Days
Nico

202
Waltz #2
Elliott Smith

201
Downtown
Petula Clark

200
Wabash Cannonball
Roy Acuff

199
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana

198
It Hurts Me Too
Elmore James

197
When Day Is Done
Django Reinhardt

196
Up On the Roof
The Drifters

195
White Room
Cream

194
Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson

193
Day Is Done
Nick Drake

192
Jockey Full of Bourbon
Tom Waits

191
John the Revelator
Son House

190
Sweet Georgia Brown
Ben Bernie

189
My Girl
The Temptations

188
I Only Have Eyes For You
The Flamingos

187
Daydream Believer
The Monkees

186
The Good Life
Weezer

185
Mother
John Lennon

184
Tea For Two
Art Tatum

183
Cat's In the Cradle
Harry Chapin

182
Back In Black
AC/DC

181
Green, Green Grass of Home
Porter Wagoner

180
Jackson
Johnny Cash & June Carter

179
Turn, Turn, Turn
The Byrds

178
I'll Fly Away
Chuck Wagon Gang

177
By the Time I Get To Phoenix
Glen Campbell

176
That'll Be the Day
Buddy Holly

175
Happy Trails
Roy Rogers

174
Sinner Man
Nina Simone

173
Boogie Chillun'
John Lee Hooker

172
Great Balls of Fire
Jerry Lee Lewis

171
Back In the Saddle Again
Gene Autry

170
Waterloo Sunset
The Kinks

169
Raw Hide
Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys

168
Age of Consent
New Order

167
Freebird
Lynyrd Skynyrd

166
In the Mood
Glenn Miller

165
The Gambler
Kenny Rogers

164
Smokestack Lightnin'
Howlin' Wolf

163
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Mama Cass

162
November Rain
Guns 'N Roses

161
Rock Around the Clock
Bill Haley & His Comets

160
Linus and Lucy
Vince Guaraldi Trio

159
Grand Canyon Suite
Ferde Grofe´

158
Happy Days Are Here Again
Ben Selvin Orchestra

157
Gonna Fly Now
Bill Conti

156
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John

155
Fade To Black
Metallica

154
Anthem
Moby

153
A Whiter Shade of Pale
Procol Harum

152
Take Me Home Country Roads
John Denver

151
Take Me Out To the Ballgame
Billy Murray

150
Me and Bobby McGee
Janis Joplin

149
Koyaanisqatsi
Philip Glass

148
Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd

147
Begin the Beguine
Artie Shaw

146
Light My Fire
The Doors

145
Once In a Lifetime
Talking Heads

144
I Want You Back
The Jackson 5

143
If I Didn't Care
The Ink Spots

142
Cross Road Blues
Robert Johnson

141
Behind Blue Eyes
The Who

140
How Great Thou Art
George Beverly Shea

139
Can the Circle Be Unbroken
The Carter Family

138
Be My Baby
The Ronettes

137
Take Five
Dave Brubeck

136
Killing Me Softly With His Song
Roberta Flack

135
Over There
George M. Cohan

134
Everybody's Talkin'
Harry Nilsson

133
On Top of Old Smokey
The Weavers

132
Everybody Loves Somebody
Dean Martin

131
At Last
Etta James

130
C.R.E.A.M.
Wu-Tang Clan

129
Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

128
The Pink Panther
Henry Mancini

127
New San Antonio Rose
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

126
Dirt
The Stooges

125
Blade Runner (End Titles)
Vangelis

124
Riders In the Sky
Vaughn Monroe

123
Let's Stay Together
Al Green

122
Kind of Blue (Album)
Miles Davis

121
On the Road Again
Willie Nelson

120
Stand By Me
Ben E. King

119
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Neutral Milk Hotel

118
Across 110th Street
Bobby Womack

117
Night In Tunisia
Dizzy Gillespie

116
To Kill a Mockingbird
Elmer Bernstein

115
Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Sons of the Pioneers

114
Losing My Religion
R.E.M

113
A Love Supreme (Album)
John Coltrane

112
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Rudy Vallee

111
King of the Road
Roger Miller

110
The Anvil of Crom
Basil Poledouris

109
Fight the Power
Public Enemy

108
Marquee Moon
Television

107
Lady Sings the Blues
Billie Holiday

106
Ko-Ko
Charlie Parker

105
Starless
King Crimson

104
Reach Out, I'll Be There
The Four Tops

103
Summertime
Sidney Bechet

102
Johnny B. Goode
Chuck Berry

101
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
Creedence Clearwater Revival

100
Lara's Theme
Maurice Jarre

99
Starman
David Bowie

98
Let Me Call You Sweetheart
The Mellomen

97
Notre Dame Victory March
Michael and John Shea

96
I Will Survive
Gloria Gaynor

95
Moon River
Andy Williams

94
Purple Rain
Prince

93
Day of the Lords
Joy Division

92
Stardust
Hoagy Carmichael

91
Ain't No Sunshine
Bill Withers

90
Stayin' Alive
The Bee Gee's

89
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Marvin Gaye

88
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.

87
Don't Stop Me
Queen

86
Tennessee Waltz
Patti Page

85
Round Midnight
Thelonious Monk

84
Cheek To Cheek
Fred Astaire

83
Coal Miner's Daughter
Loretta Lynn

82
King Porter Stomp
Jelly Roll Morton

81
I Hear a Symphony
The Supremes

80
Hotel California
The Eagles

79
He Stopped Loving Her Today
George Jones

78
Tom Dooley
The Kingston Trio

77
Take My Hand, Precious Lord
Thomas A. Dorsey

76
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
The Platters

75
The Godfather Waltz
Nino Rota

74
Rapper's Delight
Sugarhill Gang

73
Blue Suede Shoes
Carl Perkins

72
The Thrill Is Gone
B.B. King

71
Unchained Melody
The Righteous Brothers

70
This Land Is Your Land
Woody Guthrie

69
Georgia On My Mind
Ray Charles

68
Vertigo
Bernard Herrmann

67
Sixteen Tons
Tennessee Ernie Ford

66
Plainsong
The Cure

65
Body and Soul
Coleman Hawkins

64
Singin' In the Rain
Gene Kelly

63
I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
Muddy Waters

62
Chances Are
Johnny Mathis

61
All Along the Watchtower
Jimi Hendrix

60
Sometimes
My Bloody Valentine

59
Billy Jean
Michael Jackson

58
Stand By Your Man
Tammy Wynette

57
California Dreamin'
The Mama's & the Papa's

56
Some of Them Are Old
Brian Eno

55
One O'Clock Jump
Count Basie

54
Crying
Roy Orbison

53
It's a Man's Man's Man's World
James Brown

52
Gun's of Brixton
The Clash

51
I Fall To Pieces
Patsy Cline

50
St. Louis Blues
Bessie Smith

49
Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Earl Scruggs & Lester Flatt

48
Paranoid Android
Radiohead

47
American Pie
Don McLean

46
As Time Goes By
Dooley Wilson

45
The Boxer
Simon & Garfunkel

44
Thunder Road
Bruce Springsteen

43
Sunday Morning
The Velvet Underground

42
Where the Streets Have No Names
U2

41
Layla
Derek & the Dominos

40
Once Upon a Time In the West
Ennio Morricone

39
You Are My Sunshine
Jimmie Davis

38
Sing, Sing, Sing
Benny Goodman

37
Auld Lang Syne
Frank Stanley

36
Ain't Misbehavin'
Fats Waller

35
West End Blues
King Oliver

34
Folsom Prison Blues
Johnny Cash

33
James Bond Theme
John Barry

32
God Bless America
Kate Smith

31
Goodnight, Irene
Leadbelly

30
Charleston Medley
Arthur Gibbs & His Gang

29
Star Trek Theme
Jerry Goldsmith

28
His Eye Is On the Sparrow
Mahalia Jackson

27
Mack the Knife
Bobby Darin

26
Fanfare For the Common Man
Aaron Copeland

25
When You Wish Upon a Star
Cliff Edwards

24
Ain't That a Shame
Fats Domino

23
Think
Aretha Franklin

22
Dock of the Bay
Otis Redding

21
Joy Inside My Tears
Stevie Wonder

20
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
Hank Williams

19
Gimme Shelter
The Rolling Stones

18
When I Fall In Love
Nat King Cole

17
When the Levee Breaks
Led Zeppelin

16
Stars and Stripes Forever
John Philip Sousa

15
White Christmas
Bing Crosby

14
The Entertainer
Scott Joplin

13
My Way
Frank Sinatra

12
Desolation Row
Bob Dylan

11
The Imperial March
John Williams

10
Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground
Blind Willie Johnson

9
God Only Knows
The Beach Boys

8
Can't Help Falling In Love
Elvis Presley

7
Mood Indigo
Duke Ellington

6
Yesterday
The Beatles

5
Over the Rainbow
Judy Garland

4
Tara's Theme
Max Steiner

3
When the Saints Go Marching In
Louis Armstrong

2
Adagio For Strings
Samuel Barber

1
Rhapsody In Blue
George Gershwin