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.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 16: Bruno Mars performs onstage during the 25th annual Keep Memory Alive 'Power of Love Gala' benefit for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health at Resorts World Las Vegas on October 16, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive)
John Paul Jones and Robert Plant (on right) of The New Yardbirds (soon to be re-named Led Zeppelin) perform live on stage at Gladsaxe teen Club in Gladsaxe, Denmark on 7th September 1968. (Photo by Jorgen Angel/Redferns)
(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Carlos Santana of Santana performs on stage at Kyuden-Memorial gymnasium during the band's first tour of Japan, Fukuoka, Japan, 26th June 1973. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JUNE 05: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been converted to black and white.) (L-R) Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn attends day one of CMA Fest 2025 at Nissan Stadium on June 05, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for CMA)
