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.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – DECEMBER 10: Vince Gill performs at the Ryman Auditorium on December 10, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards performing with the Rolling Stones at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London, 9th September 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
The three founding members of Talking Heads on a Manhattan rooftop, US, 1976. (Jerry Harrison would join the group at the beginning of 1977.) (L-R) Bassist Tina Weymouth, singer-guitarist David Byrne and drummer Chris Frantz. (Photo by Linda D. Robbins/Getty Images)
Tammy Wynette And George Jones, Wembley Arena, London – 1981, Tammy Wynette And George Jones, Wembley Arena, London – 1981 (Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images)
