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.
NEWPORT, RI – JULY 25: Bob Dylan plays a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar for the first time on stage as he performs at the Newport Folk Festival with guitarist Mike Bloomfield on July 25, 1965 in Newport, Rhode Island. (Photo by Alice Ochs/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 18: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Sir Paul McCartney performs at The O2 Arena during his 'Got Back' world tour on December 18, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
Atlanta – April 15: Singer/Songwriter Tom Petty of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers perform at Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta Georgia April 15, 1995 (Photo By Rick Diamond/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – JUNE 1980: American singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist Billy Joel plays Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, June 1980. (Photo by Don Aters/Icon and Image/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 5: Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler and drummer Joey Kramer perform during the band's Permanent Vacation Tour on December 5, 1987, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images)
American rock singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen stands onstage, holding an electric guitar at his side during a concert, 1980s. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
American musician Stevie Nicks of the group Fleetwood Mac perform onstage at the Los Angeles Forum, Inglewood, California, December 6, 1979. In the foreground is American musician Lindsey Buckingham. (Photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)
