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.
Singer Paul Anka attending 75th Anniversary Party for Nabisco on June 6, 1986 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, New York. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
THE JOHNNY CASH SHOW – Airdate: April 1, 1970. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)SHEL SILVERSTEIN;JOHNNY CASH
Circa 1967, American singer Janis Joplin (1943 – 1970) closes her eyes and outstretches her arms during a performance, late 1960s. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)
BURBANK, CA – JUNE 27: Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley performing on the Elvis comeback TV special on June 27, 1968. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
American singer, musician and songwriter Jimmy Buffett pictured holding a bottle of Budweiser beer during an interview in New York, USA, 3rd August 1977. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
In this image released on December 31, 2024, Alanis Morissette performs onstage at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images)
