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.
The Beatles perform a rooftop concert at Apple Headquarters, 3 Saville Row London on 30th January 1969. Left to right: Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison / 57TH ACADEMY AWARDS – Airdate: March 25, 1985. PRINCE (C), WINNER BEST ORIGINAL SONG SCORE FOR 'PURPLE RAIN' (Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images; Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, TENNESSEE – JUNE 12: Luke Combs performs during the 2025 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 12, 2025 in Manchester, Tennessee. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JUNE 07: Cody Johnson performs onstage during the 2024 CMA Music festival at the Nissan Stadium on June 07, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
LONDON – SEPTEMBER 15 : Bass player Tim Bogert, drummer Carmine Appice and guitar player Jeff Beck perform on stage as Beck, Bogert & Appice at Crystal Palace in London, England on September 15, 1973. (Photo by David Warner Ellis/Redferns)
NASHVILLE – DECEMBER 31: Keith Urban on the CBS Original Special New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/CBS via Getty Images)
