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.
JANUARY 20: Rock band "The Beatles" poses for a portrait for the album cover of "Meet The Beatles" which was the first Beatles record released in the United States on Capitol Records on January 20, 1964. (L-R) John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
THE 59TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS – Lainey Wilson Hosts 'The 59th Annual CMA Awards' live from Nashville airing Wednesday, Nov. 19 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC and streaming next day on Hulu. (Disney/Frank Micelotta) KENNY CHESNEY (Photo by Frank Micelotta/The Walt Disney Company via Getty Images)
NETHERLANDS – 22nd NOVEMBER: Freddie Mercury (1946-1991), John Deacon, Brian May and Roger Taylor from Queen posed on the set of the Dutch TV show TopPop on 22nd November 1974. (Photo by Mark and Colleen Hayward/Redferns)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs perform onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
NASHVILLE – OCTOBER 11: Country music singer Charly McClain poses for a portrait for The 16th Annual Country Music Association Awards, (CMA Awards show), at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn., October 11, 1982. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 13: Singer, Michael McDonald, performs onstage at the ASCAP Annual Membership Meeting and EXPO Kickoff during the 2017 ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO on April 13, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for ASCAP)
HEMPSTEAD, NY – FEBRUARY 26: Bob Dylan plays a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar as he performs on stage at the Island Garden on February 26, 1966 in Hempstead, New York. (Photo by Alice Ochs/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – Dave Matthews performs during the 2025 Boston Calling Music Festival at Harvard Athletic Complex on May 25, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images for Boston Calling)
