With The List, American Songwriter details the best, the brightest, the most enduring, the worst, the most hated, and the most surprising songs ever–among many other qualifiers. If you’re looking for our definitive rankings on music, you’ll find them below.
English rock band Procol Harum posed outside the Centre Point office building at St Giles Circus in London in May 1967. Members of the group are, from left, Ray Royer, Bobby Harrison (1939-2022), David Knights, Gary Brooker (1945-2022) and Matthew Fisher. (Photo by Ivan Keeman/Redferns)
CLARKSTON – JULY 14: Guitarist Porl Thompson, bass player Simon Gallup, musician, songwriter and lead singer Robert Smith, drummer Boris Williams and keyboard player Laurence 'Lol' Tolhurst, all members of the English rock band The Cure, pose for a portrait backstage at the Pine Knob Music Theatre on July 14, 1986, in Clarkston, Michigan. (Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images)
Rolling Stones performing at Sir Morgans Cove Club, Worcester, MA USA. September 17, 1981.
(Ian Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts,MIck Jagger,Keith Richards,Bill Wyman)
LOS ANGELES – NOVERMBER 1963: Rock and roll group "The Beach Boys" pose with Corvette in their first photo session since Al Jardine returned to the band in Novermber 1963. (L-R) Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
American musician Kurt Cobain of grunge band Nirvana performing live onstage at Roseland Ballroom, New Music Seminar, US, 23rd July 1993; he is wearing stripy jumper and playing Fender Mustang guitar. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
