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.
Billy Joel plays piano as he performs, during 'The Storm Front' tour, onstage at Nassau Coliseum (later known as Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum), Uniondale, New York, December 22, 1989 / Phil Collins, of the English rock band Genesis, sings on stage during a concert circa 1990 in Los Angeles, California (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images; Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images)
30 Years of Rolling Stone – 1998: Fiona Apple performs on '30 Years of Rolling Stone'. (Photo by Chris Canole/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
The Beatles left to right: George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr, at the ABC Cinema in Exeter, 14 November 1963. (Photo by Reg Lewis/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)
BOERNE, TEXAS – JULY 27: Garth Brooks performs onstage for George Strait and Vaqueros del Mar's "Strait To The Heart": A benefit for Hill Country Flood Victims at Estancia at Thunder Valley on July 27, 2025 in Boerne, Texas. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Strait To The Heart)
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)
