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Rolling Stone magazine compiled a list of the top 500 best songs.  The list was extensive and hard to pick from although I managed to do it.  I broke them down into increments of 100 and picked the top 11 in each one.  Why 11?  I couldn’t pick just 10.  I’m sure there are passionate Beatles fans out there, but The Rolling Stones are better.  I like their songs and lyrics better although The Beatles had more songs included on the complete list.  Bob Dylan had the second most included songs on the list and The Rolling Stones came in third.  The complete list was updated in 2010. The highest number of songs came from the 1960s with 196 and the lowest number of songs from the 1940s with one.  The top three songs were “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan from 1965, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones in 1965, and “Imagine” by John Lennon in 1971.  You might find some disagreement with my order or the songs I picked, but feel free to create your own and share.

Rolling Stone Songs Ranking 1-100

PC Ranking RS Ranking Year of Song Name of Song Artist/Band
1 14 1963 Blowin’ in the Wind Bob Dylan
2 69 1961 Crying Roy Orbison
3 31 1971 Stairway to Heaven Led Zepplin
4 95 1956 Blue Suede Shoes Carl Perkins
5 58 1983 Billie Jean Michael Jackson
6 15 1980 London Calling The Clash
7 89 1965 California Dreamin’ The Mamas & The Papas
8 19 1956 Hound Dog Elvis Presley
9 40 1964 Dancing in the Streets Martha And The Vandellas
10 6 1966 Good Vibrations The Beach Boys
11 92 1976 Blitzkrieg Bop The Ramones

Rolling Stone Songs Ranking 101-200

PC Ranking RS Ranking Year of Song Name of Song Artist/Band
1 122 1961 Stand By Me Ben E. King
2 165 1990 Nothing Compares 2 U Sinéad O’Connor
3 167 1988 Fast Car Tracy Chapman
4 182 2003 Hey Ya! Outkast
5 188 1970 Who’ll Stop the Rain Credence Clearwater Revival
6 176 1966 Paint it Black The Rolling Stones
7 147 1979 Rock Lobster The B-52’s
8 126 1960 Will You Love Me Tomorrow The Shirelles
9 120 1977 Go Your Own Way Fleetwood Mac
10 179 1989 Free Fallin’ Tom Petty
11 181 1980 Love Will Tear Us Apart Joy Division

Rolling Stone Songs Ranking 201-300

PC Ranking RS Ranking Year of Song Name of Song Artist/Band
1 285 1971 Ain’t No Sunshine Bill Withers
2 272 1983 Sunday Bloody Sunday U2
3 286 2003 Seven Nation Army The White Stripes
4 216 1989 Rockin’ in the Free World Neil Young
5 201 1966 Hey Joe Jimi Hendrix
6 264 1994 Hallelujah Jeff Buckley
7 233 1972 Walk on Wild Side Lou Reed
8 236 2007 Paper Planes M.I.A.
9 273 2004 Jesus Walks Kanye West
10 238 1957 Everyday Buddy Holly and the Crickets
11 263 1969 Oh, What A Night The Dells

Rolling Stone Songs Ranking 301-400

PC Ranking RS Ranking Year of Song Name of Song Artist/Band
1 385 1995 Fake Plastic Trees Radiohead
2 377 1989 Personal Jesus Depeche Mode
3 392 1997 Bitter Sweet Symphony The Verve
4 327 2004 Take Me Out Franz Ferdinand
5 343 1971 Wild Horses The Rolling Stones
6 321 1979 Comfortably Numb Pink Floyd
7 307 2000 One More Time Daft Punk
8 344 1982 Beat It Michael Jackson
9 354 1958 La Bamba Ritchie Valens
10 348 1966 You Keep Me Hanging On The Supremes
11 394 1965 Ticket to Ride The Beatles

Rolling Stone Songs Ranking 401-500

PC Ranking RS Ranking Year of Song Name of Song Artist/Band
1 435 1983 New Year’s Day U2
2 417 1989 Monkey Gone to Heaven Pixies
3 474 1970 Into the Mystic Van Morrison
4 452 1991 Come As You Are Nirvana
5 480 1994 Sabotage Beastie Boys
6 448 2002 In Da Club 50 Cent
7 405 1976 (Don’t Fear) the Reaper Blue Öyster Cult
8 439 1973 Midnight Train to Georgia Gladys Knight and the Pips
9 466 2001 Get Ur Freak On Missy Elliott
10 429 1973 Piano Man Billy Joel
11 450 1973 I Shot the Sheriff Bob Marley and the Wailers

2019