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.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 01: Country singer George Strait performs on stage at the Dominion Theatre in London, England in May 1990. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
American vocal duo The Carpenters, brother and sister Richard and Karen Carpenter, at their hotel in London before a live concert at the Royal Festival Hall, 8th February 1974. (Photo by Roger Jackson/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, MI – JUNE 16: 2005 American Idol winner Carrie Underwood sings the National Anthem before Game four of the 2005 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons on June 16, 2005 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2005 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
(MANDATORY CREDIT Watal Asanuma/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney of Wings perform on stage at Wembley Pool, London on 19th October 1976. (Photo by Watal Asanuma/Shinko Music via Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – 1966: Supergroup "Buffalo Springfield" perform pose for a portrait outside a movie theatre in 1966 in Hollywood, California. (L-R) Stephen Stills, Bruce Palmer, Neil Young, Richie Furay, Dewey Martin. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
The three founding members of Talking Heads on a Manhattan rooftop, US, 1976. (Jerry Harrison would join the group at the beginning of 1977.) (L-R) Bassist Tina Weymouth, singer-guitarist David Byrne and drummer Chris Frantz. (Photo by Linda D. Robbins/Getty Images)
