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.
NEW YORK, NY CIRCA 1988: George Harrison at the 1988 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony circa 1988 in New York City. (Photo by Sonia Moskowitz/IMAGES/Getty Images)
THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON — Pictured: (l-r) Tony Moore, Kevin MacMichael, Nick Van Eede of musical guest Cutting Crew perfomr on October 23, 1987 — (Photo by: Wendy Perl/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank)
American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman plays her Fender acoustic guitar at a recording studio in Los Angeles, California, circa 1988. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images)
UNITED KINGDOM – JANUARY 01: BBC STUDIO Photo of ANIMALS, L-R: Eric Burdon, John Steel, Hilton Valentine, Alan Price, Chas Chandler, posed, group shot on set of TV Show (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
NASHVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 09: Trace Adkins performs during the Grand Ole Opry 85th birthday bash at the Grand Ole Opry House on October 9, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Tony R. Phipps/Getty Images)
MARTINEZ, GEORGIA – APRIL 08: Dave Grohl attends DraftKings x Sports Illustrated – Augusta After Dark on April 08, 2026 in Martinez, Georgia. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for DraftKings)
