100 Greatest Songs of All Time

Entertaining list. But where's Don't Worry, Be Happy?
Jailhouse Rock belongs up there, but the suggestion of In the Ghetto?
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Okay, fine, I delete all reference to In the Ghetto if you like. I'm just saying that Jailhouse Rock is not even a serious song to be considered on any best list. It's like The Streak or something, written in a studio in 20 minutes. If I introduced you to a guy at a party and said, "this guy wrote the song "good vibrations""you would be impressed; if I said the same about Jailhouse Rock, would you? Fun song, nothing more. The number 2 song ever written in the history of music?
 
Fair enough borna.............your lists and research are impeccable. Please don't take it as criticism. If I was going to do a thesis on your lists it would never get done.
I say bravo, outstanding.......you know your music.
 
Well, to round it out here is my classical list. Being a classical performer, this is something I've been putting together for several years. My tastes tend to value performance over sound quality, so a lot of these are 50+ years old.

1. Opera arias – Enrico Caruso (Nimbus, Naxos, Pearl, RCA)
2. Beethoven, Piano sonatas – Artur Schnabel (EMI, Naxos, Pearl)
3. Bach, Cello suites – Pablo Casals (EMI, Naxos)
4. Beethoven, Symphonies Nos. 3-7, 9, Coriolan ovt. – Wilhelm Furtwängler (1942) (Tahra, DG, Music & Arts)
5. Puccini, Tosca – Maria Callas/Giuseppe Di Stefano/Tito Gobbi/Victor de Sabata (EMI, Naxos)
6. Beethoven, String quartets Nos. 1, 9, 11-16 – Busch Quartet (Pearl, EMI)
7. Wagner, Die Walküre, Act I – Lotte Lehmann/Lauritz Melchior/Bruno Walter (EMI)
8. Chopin, Piano Works/Mendelssohn, Songs without words – Ignaz Friedman (Philips, Naxos, Pearl)
9. Bach, St. Matthew passion – Willem Mengelberg (Naxos, Philips)
10. Tchaikovsky, Piano concerto No. 1 – Vladimir Horowitz/Arturo Toscanini (1943) (RCA, Naxos)
11. Schubert, Piano sonatas Nos. 17, 20, 21, Moments musicaux – Artur Schnabel (EMI, Pearl)
12. Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde – Kathleen Ferrier/Bruno Walter (Decca)
13. Brahms/Tchaikovsky, Violin concertos – Bronislaw Huberman (Music & Arts)
14. Wagner, Tristan und Isolde – Kirsten Flagstad/Wilhelm Furtwängler (EMI)
15. Bach, Well-tempered clavier – Edwin Fischer (Naxos, EMI)
16. Verdi, Requiem – Victor de Sabata (EMI, Naxos, Classica d’Oro)
17. Brahms, Symphonies Nos. 1-4 – Wilhelm Furtwängler (Tahra, Music & Arts, DG)
18. Russian opera arias – Feodor Chaliapin (EMI)
19. Bach, Brandenburg concertos, Orchestral suites – Busch Chamber Players (EMI, Pearl)
20. Rachmaninoff, Piano concerto No. 3 – Vladimir Horowitz/John Barbirolli (APR)
21. Schubert, String quartets Nos. 14 & 15 – Busch Quartet/Rudolf Serkin (EMI, Pearl, Dutton)
22. Chopin, Sonata No. 2/Schumann, Carnaval – Sergei Rachmaninoff (Philips, RCA)
23. Massenet, Werther – Georges Thill/Ninon Vallin/Elie Cohen (EMI)
24. Beethoven/Brahms/Mendelssohn, Violin concertos – Fritz Kreisler/Leo Blech (Naxos, Music & Arts, Pearl)
25. Verdi, Otello – Ramon Vinay/Arturo Toscanini (RCA, Naxos)
26. Bruckner, Symphony No. 8 – Wilhelm Furtwängler (1944) (DG, Music & Arts)
27. Bach, Violin sonatas & partitas – Yehudi Menuhin (EMI, Naxos)
28. Donizetti, Lucia di Lamermoor – Maria Callas/Herbert von Karajan (EMI)
29. Beethoven, Violin sonata No. 9 (‘Kreutzer’) – Bronislaw Huberman/Ignaz Friedman (EMI, Naxos, Biddulph)
30. Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 – Leopold Stokowski (1939) (Dutton, Pearl)
31. Debussy/Faure/Franck, Violin sonatas – Jacques Thibaud/Alfred Cortot (EMI)
32. Beethoven, Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6 – Wilhelm Furtwängler (1947) (Tahra, Music & Arts)
33. Debussy, Piano works – Walter Gieseking (EMI)
34. Opera arias – Kirsten Flagstad (Nimbus, Pearl)
35. Schubert, Impromptus, Wanderer fantasy – Edwin Fischer (1938) (APR, Pearl)
36. Casimir Hall recital – Josef Hofmann (Marston)
37. Faure, Chansons/Schumann, Dichterliebe – Charles Panzera/Alfred Cortot (Dutton)
38. Stravinsky, Petrushka, The Firebird suite – Leopold Stokowski (1935-37) (Dutton)
39. Debussy/Ravel, String quartets – Calvet Quartet (Dante Lys)
40. Chopin, Ballades, Etudes, Impromptus, Preludes – Alfred Cortot (EMI)
41. Opera arias – Claudia Muzio (Romophone, Nimbus, EMI)
42. Mussorgsky, Pictures at an exhibition – Sviatoslav Richter (1958) (Philips)
43. Debussy, Pelleas et Melisande – Irene Joachim/Jacques Jansen/Roger Desormiere (EMI)
44. Complete Jubilee Concert – Josef Hofmann (APR)
45. Opera arias – Rosa Ponselle (Pearl)
46. Beethoven, Piano concertos Nos. 1-5 – Artur Schnabel/Sir Malcolm Sargent (Naxos, Pearl)
47. Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen - Wilhelm Furtwängler (1950) (Gebhardt, Music & Arts)
48. Brahms, Clarinet quintet, Horn trio – Reginald Kell, Dennis Brain/Busch Quartet (Pearl, EMI, Testament)
49. Bellini, Norma – Maria Callas/Antonino Votto (1955) (IDI, Gala)
50. R. Strauss, Ein Heldenleben – Willem Mengelberg (1928) (Pearl)
51. Opera arias – Titta Ruffo (Nimbus)
52. Rachmaninoff, Piano sonata No. 2, Paganini rhapsody – Sergei Rachmaninoff (RCA)
53. Shostakovich,Cello concerto, Violin concerto No. 1 – Mstislav Rostropovich, David Oistrakh (Sony)
54. Verdi,La Traviata – Maria Callas/Cesare Valletti/Nicola Rescigno (Regis, Virtuoso, Enterprise)
55. Khachaturian, Piano concerto/Prokofiev, Piano concerto No. 3 – William Kapell (RCA, Naxos, Dutton)
56. ‘The World of Kathleen Ferrier’ – Kathleen Ferrier (Decca)
57. Beethoven, Archduke trio/Schubert Piano trio No. 1 – Alfred Cortot/Jacques Thibaud/Pablo Casals (EMI)
58. Prokofiev, Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5, Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2 – Serge Koussevitzky (RCA)
59. Mahler, Symphony No. 9 – Bruno Walter (1938) (Dutton, EMI)
60. Handel, Messiah – Sir Malcolm Sargent (1946) (Dutton)
61. Schubert, Symphony No. 9 – Wilhelm Furtwängler (1944) (DG, Tahra)
62. The Complete HMV Recordings, 1934-36 – Simon Barere (APR)
63. Opera arias – Beniamino Gigli (EMI)
64. Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6/Schubert, Symphony No. 8 - Wilhelm Furtwängler (1951-52) (DG, Archipel)
65. Verdi, Falstaff – Arturo Toscanini (RCA, Naxos)
66. Schubert, Lieder – Heinrich Schlusnus (Nimbus)
67. Mozart, Horn concertos – Dennis Brain/Herbert von Karajan (EMI)
68. Mahler, Symphony No. 8 – Jascha Horenstein (BBC)
69. Debussy, Orchestral works – Piero Coppola (Dante)
70. R. Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier – Lotte Lehmann/Elisabeth Schumann/Robert Heger (EMI, Naxos)
71. Dvorak, Symphony No. 9 – Vaclav Talich (1954) (Supraphon)
72. Beethoven, Eroica variations – Artur Schnabel (Naxos)
73. Mahler, Symphony No. 4 – Willem Mengelberg (Philips, Grammofono)
74. Monteverdi, Vespers – John Eliot Gardiner (Erato)
75. Bach, Violin concertos – Yehudi Menuhin/Georges Enescu/Pierre Monteux (EMI)
76. Mozart, Die Zauberflöte – Sir Thomas Beecham (Dutton, Naxos, EMI, Nimbus)
77. Mahler, Symphony No. 2 – Otto Klemperer (1951) (Decca, Guild, Archipel)
78. Opera arias and Lieder – Lotte Lehmann (Pearl)
79. Verdi, Aida – Maria Callas/Oliviero de Fabritiis (EMI)
80. Songs – Kirsten Flagstad (Nimbus)
81. Beethoven, Fidelio – Martha Mödl/ Wilhelm Furtwängler (1953 live) (Archipel, Virtuoso)
82. Haydn, String quartets – Pro Arte Quartet (Testament)
83. D. Scarlatti, Keyboard sonatas – Wanda Landowska (EMI, Pearl)
84. Schoenberg, Verklärte Nacht/Schubert, String Quintet in C – Hollywood Quartet (Testament)
85. Mozart, Don Giovanni – Cesare Siepi/Wilhelm Furtwängler (1953) (Orfeo)
86. Mendelssohn, Elijah – Sir Malcolm Sargent (Dutton)
87. Wagner, Wesendonk Lieder, Arias – Kirsten Flagstad (EMI)
88. Sibelius/Glazunov/Tchaikovsky, Violin concertos – Jascha Heifetz/Thomas Beecham, John Barbirolli (EMI)
89. Bartok, Concerto for Orchestra – Serge Koussevitzky (Guild, Naxos)
90. Opera arias – Jussi Björling (EMI)
91. Beethoven, Piano sonatas – Solomon (EMI, Testament)
92. Mussorgsky, Complete songs – Boris Christoff (EMI)
93. Sibelius, Symphonies Nos. 1-3, 5 & 6, Tapiola, Karelia suite – Robert Kajanus (Koch)
94. Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique – Pierre Monteux (Music & Arts, Pearl)
95. Bach, Cantata No. 4: Ich habe genug/Brahms, Lieder – Hans Hotter (EMI)
96. Tchaikovsky, Francesca da Rimini, Hamlet – Leopold Stokowski (Everest, Dell’arte)
97. Elgar, Enigma variations – Sir John Barbirolli (1957) (EMI)
98. Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade – Leopold Stokowski (1927) (Biddulph)
99. Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique – Pierre Monteux (1928) (Pearl, Music & Arts)
100. Bach, Goldberg variations – Glenn Gould (1981) (Sony)
 
Two songs by the great Buddy Holly - "Everyday" and "It Doesn't Matter Any More" - belong on the list somewhere.

Also add the Animals - "We Gotta Get Out of This Place."

HHD
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I would have switched out Simon & Garfunkel's 'Bridge over Troubled Water' with 'The Boxer'

I'm thinking you just about have to have at least one George Strait song, maybe 'Amarillo by Morning' and 'The Dance' from Garth Brooks probably needs to be on the list.
 
You can rip anyone's list like this.. but WAAY too much old school stuff.... too much Elvis, Michael Jackson and Simon & Garfunkel only to leave off:

Only 1 Zep...
Pink Floyd,
Aerosmith,
Aretha,
Van Halen, and
Frank Sinatra to name a few.

Video was great.
 
Aretha was in the Top 50 with Respect.

Sinatra I put on a separate "Easy Listening List." (See above)

The problem is you only have 100 spots. My expanded list includes:

Led Zeppelin: Kashmir, Dazed and Confused, Whole Lotta Love, Black Dog
Pink Floyd: Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2
Aerosmith: Dream On
Van Halen: Jump
Aretha Franklin: Natural Woman, Chain of Fools
 
Texanne ,I got your back back. Springsteen is a narcisist, Railing against America( Born in America, so was Saul Alinsky) with the impact of a spitwod. It's not his music , it's his attitude I loathe. BTW where are the Cowsills?
 
On your original list I can live with all but 12. Funny thing though, if I made a top 100 list, I doubt half of your songs would be on mine.

Thanks for the time and effort you put into that! Very well done!
 
Well done. It appears we are of the same generation
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Taste in music is so subjective that I say no one can top you -- it is your list after all.

I find I like different genres at different times. For example, we have a ranch in south texas and when I hit San Antonio to make the turn south I always turn on country. This eventhough I do not normally listen to it. But at that moment, in that place, it all feels right.

Likewise, for biking, I have a punk rotation -- that music can really get you up and over a hill -- and down the road.

Anyways, just how I look at it.
 
I'm also going to make a case for "A Change is Gonna Come." On initial release, the song barely cracked the top 40 chart, but was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Black Singles chart.

The song endures as a Civil Rights Anthem for African-Americans but doesn't resonate as much to a wider audience, when compared to songs such as “People Get Ready” and “What's Goin On” (to name two prominent civil rights anthems written and performed by African-Americans). Why?

One reason, in my opinion, is because Cooke wrote the song from a first person point of view. The things he speaks of "I go to the movie and I go downtown. Somebody keep telling me, don't hang around" are specific to his experience in the segregated South and was easily identified by an African-American listener during this time. In “What's Goin On”, one of my top ten songs of all time, Marvin Gaye's lyrics speak to the broader civil rights movement with the use of the pronouns "we" and "us" and lyrics about kids with long hair and the protest of the Vietnam War. Curtis Mayfield in “People Get Ready” uses the train motif to express the idea that change is coming whether you like it or not, but there room on board if you embrace the changes that are coming. Again a song which has a more universal theme than Cooke’s song.

Another reason more people are not exposed to the song is Allen Klein (the manager of the Stones and the Beatles- dropped by both bands in dispute). For whatever reason, Klein (who owned the rights to Cooke’s songs) didn’t license out much of Cooke’s material (“A Change Is Gonna Come” was in Malcolm X, but not the soundtrack; also used in Ali). Because Klein didn’t give permission to use the song in movies very often, a wider audience wasn’t exposed to the song. For example, think about all the songs you remember from civil rights/Vietnam era based movies (Platoon- Adagio in Strings, Tracks of My Tears, Okie From Muskogee; Forrest Gump- Fortunate Son; Full Metal Jacket- Surfin Bird, etc.).

In terms of recognition, many publications (Library of Congress, NPR, Rolling Stone, etc.) have named the song one of the best of all-time. The number of performers who have covered the song number in the hundreds.

In terms of longevity, the song still remains current. President Obama quoted the song during the campaign trail and at his inauguration. The song title was referenced by many social commentators/political analysts in 2008.

Finally, have you listened to the song? My suggestion is to listen to the song on a decent pair of headphones. At around the 15 second mark, when he starts the first verse, listen to the way he sings the word “born”. When you combine his amazing lyrics with his all-time great vocals (plus the dramatic score), you have a top ten song of all-time. By the way, Heat of the Moment is a great anthem of the 80s.
 
Just wait a cotton pickin' minute...no one would remember Louie Louie if not for Animal House? Au contraire...this song was a rock standard at every dance, garage band, concert, Rice Owl game...for years and years. It is iconic. It is rock. It cannot be debated.
 
OK you guys sold me on "A change is gonna come". I'll recant!

Someone who's older can clue me in on Louie Louie, because it's always been my impression that the reason it IS played by all those garage bands and the Mob and why it IS such a big deal song is because it was in Animal House. Was it really that much more than a typical one-hit wonder kind of song when it was released up until the time they played it in Animal House? I honestly don't know, that's just always been my impression of it.
 
A brief history of Louie, Louie. Written in 1955, first recorded by Richard Berry and the Pharohs. Two versions were hits in 1963, Paul Revere and the Raiders and the Kingsmen. The Kingsmen's version charted for 16 weeks, reaching #2, and was re-released in 1966 at #97, a hit again after being banned by the governor of Minnesota, I think, and getting extra attention because the slurred Kingsmen lyrics sounded obscene, but weren't.
It is believed there are more covers of this song professionally recorded, an estimated 2,000 versions, than of any other song. Noted versions have been covered by Iggy Pop, The Stooges, Frank Zappa, The Who, The Beach Boys, The Sandpipers, Motorhead, The Clash, The Sonics, Black Flag, The Troggs, and many, many others.
The song has been played untold numbers of times on the radio airwaves over the years.
Animal House dates from 1978, and may have caused a resurgance in interest in Louie, Louie, but it wasn't about to die out or never be heard again.
Shout was also a very big song, popular in a similar way.
 
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