Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time

Old Soul said:You can't deny that those six albums shaped the history of pop music, but there is a massive difference between being "influential" and being "high quality." In my view, everything from The Beatles' Rubber Soul onward has been somewhat hit-or-miss. You simply cannot label an album as one of the "best" just because it was a commercial juggernaut or changed the course of musical evolution. There are truly brilliant albums out there that never even touched a chart. For instance, I find Portishead's Out of Season to be one of the most depressing and ingenious records I have ever heard; I doubt you'd find it on any mainstream list. Then there is The Visiti by Loreena McKennit, or Give Up The Ghost by the brilliant Brandi Carlile. Even Elton John's solo work from the 90s, which critics often overlook, deserves more credit. I guess people just conflate fame with greatness.

I think we understand each other. I love The Beatles, and in my opinion, they truly are one of the greatest bands to ever exist. However, I suppose they don't necessarily deserve to have six different albums sitting in the top ten at once.

In any given case, one ought to distinguish between influence and pure quality, though it is quite frequent that the two become synonymous. It seems to me that many of Elton John's albums fall into this category—they are undeniably influential, but I suppose that influence stems largely from their exceptional quality.

It all boils down to personal taste again, I suppose. It feels a bit foolish to get worked up over something like this, especially since I consider most of these artists to be talented musicians—though exactly how much talent they possess is certainly up for debate. Personally, I just don't connect with bands like The Rolling Stones or Pink Floyd. By my own standards, they aren't exactly bad, but they just don't resonate with me. On the other hand, The Who is easily in my top three, yet they seem to be frequently overlooked. 👍

Richard Brown51 said:Fale:

The Fifth Dimension - Age of Aquarius

Dexys Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen

The track that hit number 66 on Rolling Stone's Greatest Songs of All Time. 👍

As for Dexys Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen, it was ranked number 18 on VH1. VH1 actually ranked it at number 18 on their list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s.

If she managed to hit number 18 back in the '80s, I suppose she would definitely find her way into the top 200 today, if not even the top 100.

Of course, here are the other magazines.

I’ve always had a certain appreciation for the little tidbits of trivia tucked behind certain tracks. Take this, for instance:

"Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" is this psychedelic rock & roll bolero penned by their vocalist, Jefferson Airplane's Slick. "Growing up, our parents would read us tales like Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz," Slick remarked. "Every single one of those stories features a realm where kids encounter substances that allow them to fly, stumble upon an Emerald City, or meet these extraordinary creatures and characters... Then, out of nowhere, our parents start asking, 'Why on earth are you doing drugs?' It's a bit ironic, don't you think?"

bluecyclist64 said:I actually love digging into the backstories behind specific songs. For example, check this out:

You just can't argue with that logic. Pretty cool.

rapidcyclist32 said:No Toto (Africa)

No Men at Work (Down Under)

No Enjoy the Silence from Disney Music

Nah... definitely not.

Exactly this! I’ve never been big on Africa—always had this weirdly greasy vibe to it, even if the melody was solid—but Enjoy the Silence is a total gem, and Down Under is probably the greatest novelty track ever made.

Basically, what's missing is that pure "hit" factor—those tracks that are just fun to listen to, rather than being overly "important" or "influential."

I haven't checked the rest of the list yet, so I can't say for sure:
- Driver's Seat - Sniff 'n' the Tears
- Teenage Kicks - The Undertones
- No More Heroes - The Stranglers
- Year of the Cat - Al Stewart
- Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
- Buddy Holly - Weezer
- Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm - Crash Test Dummies
- If You Don't Love Me I'll Kill Myself - Pete Droge
- So Happy Together - The Turtles
- Rock'n' Me - Steve Miller Band...

...so yeah, just a string of little masterpieces and hits that earned their status, mostly coming from artists who aren't considered "heavyweights."

Music charts are inherently subjective affairs, and any attempt at criticism is really just a reflection of one's own specific biases toward certain artists or tracks...
When I find myself scrolling through various rankings, my attention naturally gravitates toward the songs that align with my own sensibilities, which invariably become my favorites. This doesn't imply that a list lacking my personal preferences is somehow flawed or lacks value for someone else entirely.
It goes without saying that I hold my own set of definitive favorites, much like any other dedicated music enthusiast, but that certainly doesn't grant me the authority to rank the rest of the musical landscape accordingly.