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.
Willie Nelson, American Country Music Singer-Songwriter and Activist, Portrait, circa late 1950's (Photo by Glasshouse Images/Shutterstock)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 20: 2026 Inductee, Tim McGraw speaks onstage at the Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Press Conference at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on March 20, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 14: Lady Gaga performs during her 'JAZZ & PIANO' residency at Park MGM on October 14, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Park MGM Las Vegas)
Royal Command Performance, 1963. The Beatles – pictured rehearsing for the Royal Command Performance at the Prince of Wales, tonight. Photograph by Randle. (Photo by Daily Herald Archive/National Science & Media Museum/SSPL via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 19: American singer Stevie Nicks of the group Fleetwood Mac sings on stage during the Mirage Tour on September 19, 1982 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images)
