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 Patsy Cline performs onstage circa 1961. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
UNITED STATES – APRIL 30: JOHNNY CASH – "The Johnny Cash Show" – 4/30/69, Johnny Cash, (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 21: Molly Tuttle performs on stage during the 2026 NAMM Show Global Media Day at Anaheim Convention Center on January 21, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)
