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Music

Who Voted for the 500 Greatest Songs?

More than 250 artists, journalists, and industry figures — from Megan Thee Stallion to U2's the Edge to Yaya Bey — helped determine the all-new list

Read: The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time

Voters were asked to submit ranked ballots listing their 50 favorite songs of all time. Votes were tabulated, with the highest-ranked song on each list receiving 300 points, the second highest 290 points, and so on down to 44 points for number 50. More than 4,000 songs received at least one vote.

Artists, Songwriters, and Producers

24KGoldn 9th Wonder AJR Willa Amai Rod Argent The Zombies Tarriona “Tank” Ball Tank and the Bangas Laura Ballance Superchunk Beanz Becky G Madison Beer Joey Belladonna Anthrax Frank Bello Anthrax Charlie Benante Anthrax Paul Bender Hiatus Kaiyote Yaya Bey Rebecca Black BFB Da Packman BOOTS Todd Brashear Jackson Browne Nick Buxton Dry Cleaning Charlotte Caffey The Go-Go’s Camilo Rosanne Cash Nija Charles Desmond Child Missy Dabice Mannequin Pussy Lucy Dacus Tom DeLonge Blink-182 Greg Dulli Afghan Whigs Ronnie Dunn Brooks and Dunn Sadie Dupuis Speedy Ortiz Elliot Easton The Cars The Edge U2 El-P Run the Jewels Joe Elliott Def Leppard Brian Fallon Fantastic Negrito Farruko Fat Tony Tom Gabriel Fischer Aaron Frazer Durand Jones & the Indications Art Garfunkel Matt Gervais The Head and the Heart Billy Gibbons ZZ Top Girl Ultra Goat Girl Adekunle Gold Rob Halford Judas Priest Anthony Hamilton Tim Hanseroth Hutch Harris The Thermals Helado Negro Don Henley The Eagles Lilly Hiatt Will Hoge Internet Money Itzy Rickie Lee Jones Al Jourgensen Ministry Juanes Valerie June Kalan.FrFr Olivia Kaplan Lenny Kaye

 

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Chuck D and Flavor Flav of Public Enemy shooting the “‘Fight The Power” (#2 on our list) video, New York, 1989. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Mike Kerr Royal Blood Angelique Kidjo Stevie Knipe Adult Mom Robby Krieger Danny Krivit Cyndi Lauper Annie Lennox Tamara Lindeman The Weather Station David Lovering Pixies Andre “Dre” Christopher Lyon Cool and Dre Chris Martin Coldplay Lewis Maynard Dry Cleaning Mac McCaughan Superchunk Darryl “DMC” McDaniels Run-DMC MC Lyte Neil Mason The Cadillac Three Megan Thee Stallion Javiera Mena Luz Elena Mendoza Y La Bamba MNDR Pharoahe Monch Ali Shaheed Muhammad Stuart Murdoch Belle and Sebastian A.C. Newman New Pornographers Aaron Neville Nicki Nicole Finneas O’Connell Rita Ora Kelly Lee Owens Nai Palm Hiatus Kaiyote Rissi Palmer Peyton Robert Pollard Guided by Voices Margo Price Rauw Alejandro Martha Reeves Dawn Richard Nile Rodgers Joey Santiago Pixies Anna B Savage Sech Amanda Shires Sam Smith Donita Sparks L7 Charlie Starr Blackberry Smoke Homer Steinweiss The Dap-Kings Bill Stevenson The Descendents Elizabeth Stokes The Beths Bartees Strange Tove Styrke Neal Sugarman The Dap-Kings Tash Sultana Tainy Corey Taylor Slipknot M.C. Taylor Hiss Golden Messenger Ben Thatcher Royal Blood TisaKorean Sarah Tudzin Illuminati Hotties TWICE TXT Kathy Valentine The Go-Go’s Steven Van Zandt Carlos Vives Bill Ward Black Sabbath M. Ward Dean Wareham Luna Adam Weiner Low Cut Connie Hailey Whitters Toyah Willcox Tyler Williams The Head and the Heart Allison Wolfe Bratmobile WondaGurl Wonho Jon Wurster Superchunk, The Mountain Goats Sebastián Yatra Yola Adrian Younge Yusuf/Cat Stevens Chris Zasche The Head and the Heart Zedd Zoe

 

 

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Stevie Nicks, late 1970s. “Edge of Seventeen” is #217 on our list. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

 

Industry

Miles Anzaldo KROQ Derrick Aroh RCA Records Steve Bartels Tuma Basa YouTube Mike Biggane Universal Music Emily Bines Kobalt Music Ken Bunt Disney Cliff Burnstein Q Prime Tariq Cherif Rolling Loud Shin Cho Warner Music Asia James Diener FreeSolo Entertainment Jim Guerinot Rebel Waltz Allison Hagendorf Spotify Dominic Houston Netflix Craig Kallman Atlantic Records Jon Landau JLM Rebeca León Lionfish Entertainment Monte Lipman Republic Records David Massey Arista Records Merck Mercuriadis Hipgnosis Andy Mooney Fender Chris Muckley Sirius XM Keith Naftaly RCA Records Kevin O’Donnell Twitter Phiona Okumu Spotify Gregg Perloff Another Planet Bob Pittman iHeartMedia Bruce Resnikoff Universal Music Olivia Rudensky Maverick Management Peter Shapiro Brooklyn Bowl

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Otis Redding, 1967. Redding has two songs on our list; (Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay at #38, and Try a Little Tenderness at #136. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

 

Trending

Journalists

Charles Aaron Celia Almeida Stacey Anderson Michael Azerrad Abbey Bender Allison Boron David Cantwell Andrew Casillas Robert Christgau J.D. Considine Jerilyn Jordan Cook Cameron Crowe Dan DeLuca Carola Dibbell Chuck Eddy Morgan Enos Stephen Thomas Erlewine Suzy Exposito Michael Gonzales Sarah Grant Chris Herrington James Hunter Kevin C. Johnson Dan Kois Jonathan Lethem Joe Levy Alan Light Jason Lipshutz Kurt Loder Michaelangelo Matos Kembrew McLeod Chris Molanphy Larisha Paul Anna Peele Matthew Perpetua Isabela Raygoza Mosi Reeves Chris Riemenschneider Jody Rosen Danny Schwartz Craig Seymour Maria Sherman Alfred Soto Lucas Villa Barry Walters Christopher R. Weingarten Eric Weisbard Mikael Wood Annie Zaleski Warren Zanes

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Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox of Eurythmics filming the “Sweet Dreams” (#353 on our list) music video in 1983. Steve Rapport/Getty Images

 

Rolling Stone Staff

Jonathan Bernstein Jon Blistein David Browne Tim Chan Mankaprr Conteh Jon Dolan Brenna Ehrlich Andrew Firriolo Jon Freeman David Fricke Dewayne Gage Mikal Gilmore Andy Greene Kory Grow Samantha Hissong Christian Hoard Joseph Hudak Jeff Ihaza Kristine Kwak Julyssa Lopez Angie Martoccio Jason Newman Diego Ortiz Jerry Portwood Claire Shaffer Rob Sheffield Hank Shteamer Brittany Spanos Simon Vozick-Levinson

Contributors

Jonathan Bernstein, Jon Blistein, David Browne, Jayson Buford, Nick Catucci, Mankaprr Conteh, Bill Crandall, Jon Dolan, Gavin Edwards, Jenny Eliscu, Brenna Ehrlich, Jon Freeman, David Fricke, Andy Greene, Joe Gross, Kory Grow, Keith Harris, Will Hermes, Brian Hiatt, Christian Hoard, Joseph Hudak, Jeff Ihaza, Rob Kemp, Greg Kot, Elias Leight, Rob Levine, Alan Light, Julyssa Lopez, Angie Martoccio, Michaelangelo Matos, Tom Moon, Tom Nawrocki, Jon Pareles, Parke Puterbaugh, Mosi Reeves, Jody Rosen, Robert Santelli, Austin Scaggs, Claire Shaffer, Bud Scoppa, Rob Sheffield, Hank Shteamer, LC Smith, Brittany Spanos, Rob Tannenbaum, Simon Vozick-Levinson, Barry Walters, Alison Weinflash, Douglas Wolk

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