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.
SHREVEPORT, LA – CIRCA 1947: Hank Williams performs on KWKH Radio circa 1947 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 17: Rick Springfield performs during an acoustic tour, co-headlining with Richard Marx at the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort on August 17, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Palms Casino Resort)
American rock band REM (American drummer Bill Berry, American guitarist and songwriter Peter Buck, American bass player Mike Mills, and American singer and songwriter Michael Stipe) attend the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, held at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California, 3rd September 1993. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
CIRCA 1965: Rock and roll band "The Beatles" pose for a portrait in circa 1965. (L-R) Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Country band Oak Ridge Boys perform onstage at the Poplar Creek Music Theater, Hoffmann Estates, Illinois, August 21, 1984. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JANUARY 22: Brett Young performs at the Ryman Auditorium on January 22, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
