\n<\/p>\n
The list of the Top 100 Rock Songs isn’t limited to traditional rock ‘n’ roll records. Pop, soul, disco and metal also find a place.<\/p>\n
But as the list below, selected by the UCR staff, shows, they all fall under the broad umbrella of rock music (though, on closer reflection, maybe “popular music” would be a more accurate summation).<\/p>\n
In any case, these 100 songs tell the story of music\u00a0\u2014 rock, popular or whatever you want to call it\u00a0\u2014 of the past several decades. It’s a history less with a beat, a cultural narrative told in 4\/4 time. These are the songs that shaped generations.<\/p>\n
100. Jackson Browne, “Running on Empty” (From Running on Empty<\/em>, 1977)<\/strong><\/p>\n Jackson Browne<\/a>‘s tribute to touring leads the same-named album, a reflection of life on the road featuring new songs recorded onstage, backstage, on tour buses and in hotel rooms. “Running on Empty” is both a slightly weary account of the life of a touring artist and the payoff it ultimately yields: “If I can get you to smile before I leave<\/em>,” he sings.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 99. The Allman Brothers Band, “Ramblin’ Man” (From Brothers and Sisters<\/em>, 1973)<\/strong><\/p>\n Two years after guitarist Duane Allman<\/a>‘s death, the Allman Brothers Band<\/a> made their first full album without him (1972’s Eat a Peach<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>was a part-live record featuring studio cuts Allman\u00a0had worked on).\u00a0Brothers and Sisters<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>is a triumph of their spirit, with the surviving members sounding renewed,\u00a0especially in Dickey Betts<\/a>‘ hit “Ramblin’ Man.”<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 98. Aerosmith, “Walk This Way” (From Toys in the Attic<\/em>, 1975)<\/strong><\/p>\n Aerosmith<\/a> was coming off two moderate-selling albums when their third,\u00a0Toys in the Attic<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0brought\u00a0them close to the Top 10 for the first time. Much of that success was due to the riff-piling second single “Walk This Way.”\u00a0A decade later, a Run-D.M.C. remake (featuring Joe Perry<\/a> and Steven Tyler<\/a>)\u00a0helped spur the Boston group’s comeback.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 97. Funkadelic, “One Nation Under a Groove” (From One Nation Under a Groove<\/em>, 1978)<\/strong><\/p>\n The lines were blurred to the point of no distinction between Funkadelic<\/a> and Parliament<\/a> as the 1970s ended. Where once it was easy to divide George Clinton<\/a>‘s P-Funk enterprise\u00a0\u2014 the rock side and the soul side\u00a0\u2014 in 1978, there was no clear separation. Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under a Groove”\u00a0is a collective highlight, no matter the name.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 96. Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.” (From Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols<\/em>, 1977)<\/strong><\/p>\n Punk’s starting point (the single actually came out during the final weeks of 1976) still sounds like a revolutionary dividing of lines. After “Anarchy in the U.K.,”\u00a0new bands with new outlooks stormed both the charts and venues.\u00a0Sex Pistols<\/a>\u00a0famously imploded within a year of their debut LP<\/a>, but their first single earns its place as a pivotal moment.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Punk Rock’s 40 Best Albums<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 95. Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel” (From 1956 single)<\/strong><\/p>\n Elvis Presley<\/a>‘s debut RCA single still sounds like\u00a0an announcement of changing tides. Or maybe it’s a warning. Following a string of influential but low-selling singles for tiny Sun Records, the 21-year-old Presley took “Heartbreak Hotel” to No. 1 and in effect hurled rock ‘n’ roll into the mainstream. A\u00a0significant\u00a0moment of the 20th century.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 94. The Byrds, “Eight Miles High”<\/strong> (From Fifth Dimension<\/em>, 1966)<\/strong><\/p>\n By 1966, the Byrds<\/a> were beginning to shed their folk-rock label and move into more adventurous territory. “Eight Miles High,” inspired by a plane trip to London and, more importantly, the music of John Coltrane and Ravi Shankar, started the group’s new journey into psychedelia. A milestone in rock music’s evolution; their growth continued.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 93. Ray Charles, “What’d I Say” (From What’d I Say<\/em>, 1959)<\/strong><\/p>\n When Ray Charles<\/a> brought R&B to the church in the mid-1950s, he caused controversy among the faithful.\u00a0When he released “What’d I Say” in 1959, he didn’t even bother to disguise the explicit sexual energy. Divided into two parts, the song\u00a0reserved its back half\u00a0for a sweat-drenched call-and-response between Charles and his backing singers.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 92. Fleetwood Mac, “Dreams”<\/strong> (From Rumours<\/em>, 1977)<\/strong><\/p>\n Fleetwood Mac<\/a>‘s three main songwriters used Rumours<\/em> as a means of airing their respective grievances (and occasional rare joy) with their romantic partners; as\u00a0Lindsey Buckingham<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Stevie Nicks<\/a>‘ relationship was coming to an end, their songs detailed the bloody aftermath. “Dreams,” Nicks’ side of the story, gave the group its only No. 1.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 91. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, “Ohio” (From 1970 single)<\/strong><\/p>\n Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young<\/a>‘s “Ohio” was released just a month after the incident that it’s about\u00a0\u2014 the killing of four students by the Ohio National Guard at Kent State University in May 1970 \u2014 occurred. Neil Young<\/a>\u00a0gathered his bandmates, whose debut album<\/a> as a quartet came out in March,\u00a0for a session to record\u00a0his timely protest song.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 90. David Bowie, “Heroes”<\/strong> (From “Heroes,”<\/em> 1977)<\/strong><\/p>\n As with the first LP<\/a> in David Bowie<\/a>‘s Berlin Trilogy, the second,\u00a0“Heroes,”<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>is divided between ambient-sculpted electronic experiments and more traditional pop and rock songs. The title track is the album’s breathtaking centerpiece, a slow-building summit of the past and future. It’s one of Bowie’s greatest and emotionally stirring performances.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 89. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (From Synchronicity<\/em>, 1983)<\/strong><\/p>\n Sting<\/a> never intended for his demented love song to take on the stature it did in 1983. As the lead single of the Police<\/a>‘s fifth and final album,\u00a0Synchronicity<\/a><\/em>, “Every Breath You Take” was an immediate hit and a worldwide No. 1. Widely misinterpreted as an attentive valentine, the song’s real, darker meaning becomes apparent with a listen.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>Top 30 Albums of 1975<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 88. Pink Floyd, “Wish You Were Here” (From Wish You Were Here<\/em>, 1975)<\/strong><\/p>\n After 1973’s\u00a0The Dark Side of the Moon<\/a><\/em>\u00a0propelled Pink Floyd<\/a> to unfathomable new heights, the group set to work on its ninth album, a semi-tribute to cofounder Syd Barrett<\/a>, whose personal issues led to his departure in 1968.\u00a0Wish You Were Here<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>is filled with intimate reflections, none more moving than the poignant title track.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 87. Percy Sledge, “When a Man Loves a Woman” (From When a Man Loves a Woman<\/em>, 1966)<\/strong><\/p>\n The tangled history of “When a Man Loves a Woman” adds to its allure. Alabama-born singer Percy Sledge initially recorded the song at Muscle Shoals’ FAME Studios, but the session was moved to nearby Norala.\u00a0The out-of-tune horns, which were rerecorded but then erroneously left off, give the No. 1 Southern soul classic\u00a0its haunting aura.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 86. Grateful Dead, “Dark Star” (From 1968 single)<\/strong><\/p>\n Grateful Dead<\/a>‘s 1968 single, less than three minutes of psychedelia-soaked feedback and art-rock, is a mere launching point for where the song would head onstage throughout the band’s career. They would often stretch the work to the half-hour point live, occasionally topping out at 50 minutes. Rock ‘n’ roll exploration at its headiest.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 85. Fleetwood Mac, “Go Your Own Way” (From Rumours<\/em>, 1977)<\/strong><\/p>\n Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks helped steer Fleetwood Mac into a platinum-selling band with the 1975 self-titled LP; with\u00a0Rumours<\/a><\/em>, they became one of the biggest groups in the world. The bitter kiss-off “Go Your Own Way” was released as the album’s first single and confirmed that\u00a0Fleetwood Mac<\/a><\/em> wasn’t a fluke. Much turmoil followed.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 84. Judas Priest, “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” (From Screaming for Vengeance<\/em>, 1982)<\/strong><\/p>\n Judas Priest<\/a>‘s breakthrough song received a huge boost in 1982 thanks to MTV’s growing influence, which gave\u00a0acts with active but smaller fan bases much-needed commercial exposure. It\u00a0helped that “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” came with a melodic hook and singer\u00a0Rob Halford<\/a>‘s\u00a0effortless way of easing into a song’s groove.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 83. Iron Maiden, “The Number of the Beast” (From The Number of the Beast<\/em>, 1982)<\/strong><\/p>\n Following a viewing of Damien: Omen II<\/em>, Iron Maiden<\/a> bassist Steve Harris<\/a> had a nightmare about the demonic child and immediately wrote the Revelation-quoting “The Number of the Beast.” The title track to the band’s first\u00a0LP<\/a> with singer Bruce Dickinson<\/a> became an instant favorite among fans and has remained in their set lists ever since.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 82. Blue \u00d6yster Cult, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (From Agents of Fortune<\/em>, 1976)<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s now\u00a0a punch line to a\u00a0Saturday Night Live<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>joke because of its cowbell.\u00a0But\u00a0Blue \u00d6yster Cult<\/a>‘s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” originated from a very serious and\u00a0uncertain place, when singer and guitarist Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser started contemplating an early death. It was the New York band’s biggest hit, stopping just short of the Top 10.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 81. Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth” (From 1966 single)<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite popular opinion, Buffalo Springfield<\/a>‘s “For What It’s Worth” isn’t about the still-escalating Vietnam War but a 1966 riot on the Sunset Strip triggered by a curfew imposed on Los Angeles teens. Stephen Stills<\/a>‘\u00a0cautious\u00a0“Stop, hey, what’s that sound?<\/em>” refrain leaves the song open to interpretation and, in turn, an uneasy timelessness.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 80. John Lennon, “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)” (From 1970 single)<\/strong><\/p>\n All of the Beatles<\/a> were ready to move on with their solo careers by 1970, none more so than John Lennon<\/a>, who made three experimental noise and found-sound albums with Yoko Ono<\/a> before the group split. 1970’s quickly recorded and released “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)”\u00a0marked\u00a0the return\u00a0to his rock ‘n’ roll roots and to the charts.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 79. Def Leppard, “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” (From High ‘n’ Dry<\/em>, 1981)<\/strong><\/p>\n First released on Def Leppard<\/a>‘s second album, 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry<\/a><\/em>, “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” hinted at the band’s commercial breakthrough two years later. The power ballad was resurrected and remixed after\u00a0Pyromania<\/a><\/em>‘s huge success, and used as a stopgap single in 1984 as the band plotted its next move. This time it was a minor hit.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 78. Bon Jovi, “Livin’ on a Prayer” (From Slippery When Wet<\/em>, 1986)<\/strong><\/p>\n Bon Jovi <\/a>was still figuring out their place in the mid-’80s pop-metal landscape when they latched on to the middle ground between MTV’s current fashions and arena-sized aspirations. The result was\u00a0Slippery When Wet<\/a><\/em>, an era-defined set of songs stuck between New Jersey and Los Angeles. “Livin’ on a Prayer” is the multihook axis.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 77. Van Halen, “Jump” (From 1984<\/em>, 1984)<\/strong><\/p>\n Van Halen<\/a>‘s 1984 makeover began with this single, released weeks before the album<\/a> arrived early in the year. “Jump” pulsates with new energy, as synths and a sense of playfulness, melodic and otherwise, dominate the No. 1 song. Within a year, singer David Lee Roth<\/a> was gone, and the group continued to move forward in its new outpost.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 76. Elvis Presley, “Hound Dog” (From 1956 single)<\/strong><\/p>\n Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote “Hound Dog” for rhythm and blues singer Big Mama Thornton in 1952; four years later, Elvis Presley had his third No. 1 in six months with his rocked-up version. It became a defining moment in his discography, paired as a double-sided hit with “Don’t Be Cruel” and setting in motion a frantic two years.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 75. Don Henley, “The Boys of Summer” (From Building the Perfect Beast<\/em>, 1984)<\/strong><\/p>\n The breakup of the Eagles<\/a> in 1980 led its members down various paths in the years that followed. More so than any of his former bandmates, Don Henley<\/a> went down the socially conscious trail, turning reflective and nostalgic in his solo work. 1985’s “The Boys of Summer”\u00a0brings summer romance\u00a0as a rumination on vanished idealism.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 74. Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode” (From 1958 single)<\/strong><\/p>\n A rock ‘n’ roll pillar and ground zero for thousands of guitar riffs over the decades, “Johnny B. Goode” is more than a bit of self-mythologizing from one of the genre’s architects; it’s an anthem for the ages. Chuck Berry<\/a> had played variations on the song’s famous opening lick before; here, it turns into a\u00a0signature moment and a ’50s beacon.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 73. Sly &\u00a0the Family Stone, “Family Affair” (From There’s a Riot Goin’ On<\/em>, 1971)<\/strong><\/p>\n Fame, drugs and more had begun to pull Sly Stone<\/a> away from his music and group at the start of the ’70s, forcing the enigmatic singer and songwriter into seclusion, where he assembled much of Sly\u00a0& the Family Stone<\/a>‘s fifth album<\/a> by himself. The murky “Family Affair” is noteworthy as one of the first popular songs to use a drum machine.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 72. Iron Maiden, “Run to the Hills” (From The Number of the Beast<\/em>, 1982)<\/strong><\/p>\n Bruce Dickinson’s replacement of Paul Di’Anno as Iron Maiden’s singer had a significant effect on the band, both creatively and commercially. His first album with the metal giants, The Number of the Beast<\/em>, was the group’s first No. 1 in the U.K., and its lead single, “Run to the Hills,” was their first Top 10. A pivotal moment for band and genre.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 71. Prince and the Revolution, “Kiss” (From Parade<\/em>, 1986)<\/strong><\/p>\n After Purple Rain<\/em> made Prince<\/a> one of the world’s biggest stars, he was positioned to call the shots on his next projects. First up was the paisley-colored Around the World in a Day<\/em>; after that was the more familiar-sounding Parade<\/em>, a sort of film and soundtrack sequel to Purple Rain<\/em>. “Kiss,” its funk-powered\u00a0lead single, is the LP’s highlight.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 70. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Purple Haze” (From 1967 single)<\/strong><\/p>\n Not the Jimi Hendrix Experience<\/a>‘s debut single, but a proper introduction to the trio’s soon-to-revolutionary style of psychedelic blues and rock. Penned by Hendrix and filled with surreal,\u00a0Summer of Love imagery, “Purple Haze” became a signature song in the London-via-Seattle guitarist’s expanding repertoire\u00a0\u2014 peak mind-expanding pop music.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 69. The Who, “My Generation” (From My Generation<\/em>, 1965)<\/strong><\/p>\n The Who<\/a>‘s proto-punk\u00a0youth anthem has served as a\u00a0rebellious declaration of intent for decades now. Pete Townshend<\/a> designed “My Generation” as such\u00a0\u2014 “I hope I die before I get old<\/em>”\u00a0\u2014 while keeping his eye on the bigger picture. It’s one of the 1960s’ rock cornerstones, all slashing guitars, stuttered vocals and fist-punching intensity.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 68. Bob Dylan, “Tangled Up in Blue” (From Blood on the Tracks<\/em>, 1975)<\/strong><\/p>\n A 1974 tour with the Band<\/a>\u00a0got Bob Dylan<\/a> back on track, but it’s the album released a year later that secured his ’70s comeback. Blood on the Tracks<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>surveyed the broken pieces of Dylan’s gasping marriage, its songs alternating between viciously cruel and exhausted resignation. The winding “Tangled Up in Blue” falls somewhere in between.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 67. Don McLean, “American Pie” (From American Pie<\/em>, 1971)<\/strong><\/p>\n Singer-songwriter Don McLean<\/a> surveys the cultural history of the late ’50s and ’60s over nearly\u00a0nine minutes, referencing Buddy Holly<\/a>, Bob Dylan, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones<\/a> in “American Pie”‘s sprawling narrative. “The day the music died” is the launching point; by the end, a decade\u00a0of turmoil has turned into a gang sing-along.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 66. Prince and the Revolution, “Purple Rain” (From Purple Rain<\/em>, 1984)<\/strong><\/p>\n Prince was on the verge of something big in 1984 when he released the soundtrack to his\u00a0film Purple Rain<\/em>. For the next 12 months, he\u00a0was one of the biggest and busiest artists in the world, writing, recording, producing and touring. “Purple Rain” is the LP’s epic closing song,\u00a0designed as a showstopper. Few songs in his catalog hit this hard.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 65. Four Tops, “Reach Out I’ll Be There” (From Reach Out<\/em>, 1967)<\/strong><\/p>\n Everyone at the Motown label, from executives to the performers, was becoming more ambitious as the 1960s progressed. With “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” the Four Tops entered a phase of musically adventurous singles that both stirred their pop and R&B foundations and challenged the sonic walls constructed by the label’s architects.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 64. Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody” (From A Night at the Opera<\/em>, 1975)<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the most ambitious singles ever released, Queen<\/a>‘s “Bohemian Rhapsody” takes left turns into several unexpected areas before landing somewhere between pop opera and musical theater. The song has had an unexpected shelf life, too, becoming a hit upon its release in 1975 and then again in 1992 after appearing in Wayne’s World<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 63. Carl Perkins, “Blue Suede Shoes” (From Dance Album of Carl Perkins<\/em>, 1958)<\/strong><\/p>\n Written and recorded in 1955 by Carl Perkins as a rockabilly-country number\u00a0for Sun\u00a0Records, less than a month after Sam Phillips sold Elvis Presley’s contract to RCA, “Blue Suede Shoes” became one of the Memphis label’s first crossover hits on the pop, R&B and country charts. Presley soon covered it, leading his debut LP with the song.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 62. The Ronettes, “Be My Baby” (From Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes<\/em>, 1964)<\/strong><\/p>\n Phil Spector<\/a> was coming off several hit singles with the Crystals when his interest shifted to the Ronettes, a New York City girl group that had released a handful of songs for Colpix Records. “Be My Baby,” their stakes-claiming debut on Spector’s Philles label, became a No. 2 hit and\u00a0remains the greatest girl-group single ever made.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 61. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “All Along the Watchtower” (From Electric Ladyland<\/em>, 1968)<\/strong><\/p>\n The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s reworked take on Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” not only refigured the folksy original, released less than a year before, but also cast it into a new electric light that surpasses the source.\u00a0Dylan was so impressed with Hendrix’s cover that he began performing the song in a similar style in the ’70s.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 60. Steely Dan, “Reelin’ in the Years” (From Can’t Buy a Thrill<\/em>, 1972)<\/strong><\/p>\n They’d get more derisive and acerbic as the ’70s rolled on, but Steely Dan<\/a> was rarely as loose and straightforward as they are on their second single. “Reelin’ in the Years,” unlike many of the band’s best songs, reaches a high point early (“Dumb but effective,” Donald Fagen<\/a> said). Jimmy Page<\/a> called Elliott Randall’s guitar solo his all-time favorite.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 59. Paul McCartney and Wings, “Band on the Run” (From Band on the Run<\/em>, 1973)<\/strong><\/p>\n By 1973, Paul McCartney<\/a> had found his groove with Wings<\/a>. After a few years\u00a0left stunned by the Beatles’ breakup, leading to a solo record<\/a> and a collaboration LP<\/a> with his wife Linda<\/a>, McCartney’s new group completed his best set of songs since the ’60s with 1973’s\u00a0Band on the Run<\/a><\/em>. The three-part title\u00a0tune flashes with Beatles-like initiative.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 58. Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” (From [Pronounced ‘L\u0115h-‘n\u00e9rd ‘Skin-‘n\u00e9rd]<\/em>, 1973)<\/strong><\/p>\n One of rock’s great concert songs\u00a0gains its power from\u00a0a two-part structure.\u00a0Lynyrd Skynyrd<\/a>‘s “Free Bird” starts as a semi-acoustic ballad, partly written in tribute to Duane Allman, before guitar solos from Allen Collins and Gary Rossington<\/a>\u00a0bring it to a resounding end.\u00a0The studio version fades at nine minutes; live,\u00a0the song runs over 15.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 57. James Brown, “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” (From 1970 single)<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the first songs James Brown<\/a> recorded with his new group, which included bassist Bootsy Collins<\/a> and drummer Jabo Starks, “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” introduced a new\u00a0dimension to the Godfather’s\u00a0already-lauded arsenal of licks and riffs. 1970s funk begins here. Go for the 11-minute\u00a0LP version for maximum results.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 56. Black Sabbath, “War Pigs” (From Paranoid<\/em>, 1970)<\/strong><\/p>\n “War Pigs” sounds like the apocalypse has already arrived, and no protest song is going to keep it from developing. But