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Rolling Stone's Top 500 songs of all time

Jive Turkey

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Jive Turkey

Jive Turkey 12642

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This came out the other day.  Rolling Stone updated its list.  First time they've updated it since 2004.  Discuss.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/

25. Kanye West feat. Pusha T, 'Runaway'
24. The Beatles, 'A Day in the Life'
23. David Bowie, 'Heroes'
22. The Ronettes, 'Be My Baby'
21. Billie Holiday, 'Strange Fruit'
20. Robyn, 'Dancing on My Own'
19. John Lennon, 'Imagine'
18. Prince and the Revolution, 'Purple Rain'
17. Queen, 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
16. Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z, 'Crazy in Love'
15. The Beatles, 'I Want to Hold Your Hand'
14. The Kinks, 'Waterloo Sunset'
13. The Rolling Stones, 'Gimme Shelter'
12. Stevie Wonder, 'Superstition'
11. The Beach Boys, 'God Only Knows'
10. Outkast, 'Hey Ya!'
9. Fleetwood Mac, 'Dreams'
8. Missy Elliott, 'Get Ur Freak On'
7. The Beatles, 'Strawberry Fields Forever'
6. Marvin Gaye, 'What’s Going On'
5. Nirvana, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'
4. Bob Dylan, 'Like a Rolling Stone'
3. Sam Cooke, 'A Change Is Gonna Come'
2. Public Enemy, 'Fight the Power'
1. Aretha Franklin, 'Respect'

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Hornius Emeritus

Hornius Emeritus 12487

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3 hours ago, Ramsalot said:

Missy Elliott "Get Ur Freak On" is better than all but one of The Beatles songs? 

Tom Petty doesn't have a song until #169?

Cool list.

 

 Missy Elliott # 8.  Beyonce # 12.  Kelly Clarkson # 93.  Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman"  does not appear in the top 500. In fact, Roy's only appearance is at # 461 with "Crying."

Yeah, Kelly freakin' Clarkson at # 93 and Roy Orbison at # 461.

"Yesterday" is behind dreck like "Freak Out"  by Le Chic.  

Waterloo Sunset is in the top 10.  Don't get me wrong, I love the Kinks and it's a great song but COME ON!



 

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Chad Fuck

Chad Fuck 17753

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Rolling Stone used to take these lists semi seriously.  It is clear that they are now meant solely to stroke the ego and validate the tastes of whatever their target audience may be.  I understand that I am now beyond their most valuable demographic.  I'm cool with that. 

I'll just be over here in the corner with my headphones on.  RS can carry on carrying on.

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ztejas

ztejas 43532

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19 hours ago, Noah Fence said:

Does anyone really think "Losing My Religion" is R.E.M.'s best song?

Yes. I do. That isn't Public Enemy's best song though. Or Bob Dylan's best song. Or Nirvana's best song.

The only point of these lists is to see how hilariously woke RS is trying to be. The albums one was probably worse than this. I promise everyone they aren't in touch with any generation. 

15 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Top 500 List Achieves Goal of Top 500 List, more at 11.

Not really. I don't see anyone here actually discussing music or the songs themselves. It isn't consistent enough or based on any apparent methodology to actually do that. Like the original lists were.

Music journalism has gotten so bad recently. It's extremely over saturated with politics. 

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smuggs

smuggs 9353

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22 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

20. Robyn, 'Dancing on My Own'

Quote

Swedish disco queen Robyn captured all the agony and ecstasy of twirling alone in a corner of the dance floor, spinning around in circles, and losing yourself in the beat for a moment of solitary triumph. “I think ‘Dancing on My Own’ is totally from me just being in clubs and going out and dancing a lot, and seeing people and thinking, ‘What are they doing here?’” she said later. Written with Stockholm producer Patrik Berger, the song made Robyn an iconic cult hero. But it also became the template for a whole generation of young songwriters, from Taylor Swift to Lorde, looking for the ideal glitter-and-sobs cocktail. “This song, to me, is perfect,” Lorde wrote. “Joyous even when a heart is breaking.”

 

Lol.

Imagine Sword Of Justice was ranked the 20th greatest television show of all time and became a template for a whole generation of young screenwriters. And made Dack Rambo an iconic cult hero.

 

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 46114

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11 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Not really. I don't see anyone here actually discussing music or the songs themselves. It isn't consistent enough or based on any apparent methodology to actually do that. Like the original lists were.

Music journalism has gotten so bad recently. It's extremely over saturated with politics. 

You missed my point.  The list is intended to generate clicks and outrage.  Mission accomplished.

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ztejas

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15 minutes ago, smuggs said:

 

Lol.

Imagine Sword Of Justice was ranked the 20th greatest television show of all time and became a template for a whole generation of young screenwriters. And made Dack Rambo an iconic cult hero.

 

I like Robyn and I like that song but it isn't the 20th best song I've ever heard let alone the 20th best song anyone's made. 

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BrickHorn

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#13 was a nice surprise. Love that song. Good call, Rolling Stone.

Smells Like is not even in Nirvana’s own top 25. 

These lists always pander to Prince. I’m not a huge fan and think his music and musical ability is vastly overrated. But if you’re going to pick a Prince song, there are many better options than Purple Rain.

No Led Zep in the Top 25?

I can see Hey Ya. But the other rap / hip hop choices are stupid. 

Beatles continue to be overrated. I understand that music is subjective, but three songs from one band (and another from its front man) in the Top 25 is stupid.

No Elvis?

Aretha isn’t a bad choice. Not my favorite song or anything, but it’s iconic and probably the best exemplar of an entire rock and R&B movement.

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shadow_operative

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some of y'all don't understand that Rolling Stone isn't necessarily saying that the songs on this list are the best songs that these artists have ever produced. very very few OutKast fans would have "Hey Ya" in their top 15, 20, 30+ songs from the group, but Rolling Stone isn't going to name Liberation or Spottieottiedopaliscious as the no.10 song of all time. commercial appeal/social impact  is a huge factor in this process, hence PE at no.2.

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dogbreath

dogbreath 434

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"To create the new version of the RS 500 we convened a poll of more than 250 artists, musicians, and producers — from Angelique Kidjo to Zedd, Sam Smith to Megan Thee Stallion, M. Ward to Bill Ward — as well as figures from the music industry and leading critics and journalists. They each sent in a ranked list of their top 50 songs, and we tabulated the results."

It's really a list of top 50 songs by various people that is compiled in a recency bias order.  Hmm, I did an essential 100 song list for my kids.  May have to revisit that list now that kids are grown and there's been enough new music to re-evaluate. 

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Paul Wesley

Paul Wesley 3289

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I make it a point not to reward nonsense with clicks, whether it's music, sports, movies, or politics.  So thanks for cutting and pasting.

Just to state more of the obvious:  The name of the magazine is pretty much synonymous with "rock and roll."  So it's just a no-win situation when they bend over backwards to be diverse and inclusive.  It would be like "Ebony" or "Jet" magazines making their own list by sending out their survey to old white guys... who stack the deck with Jimmie Rodgers, Woody Guthrie, and Metallica.  You'd get an equally silly list. 

I'm open to hearing poll results from surveys, but this ought to be labeled as "2021 industry survey."  For Rolling Stone to stick their name on it to get a few short-term clicks... I think it just stinks of "LOOK AT ME!" and illustrates their complete and total irrelevance to modern music.

 

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ztejas

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On 9/16/2021 at 1:57 PM, Ramsalot said:

Missy Elliott "Get Ur Freak On" is better than all but one of The Beatles songs? 

Tom Petty doesn't have a song until #169?

Cool list.

 

On 9/16/2021 at 2:51 PM, Celery Man said:

Top 25 doesn't contain American Girl, list is invalid

Been on a Petty kick lately. He weirdly doesn't have many all-time albums but his standouts are stupidly good. I'd throw 5 or 6 at least in any top 500.

On 9/17/2021 at 6:10 PM, Deej said:

Missy Elliot has two in the top 55. Lulz.

Stuff like this is how they immediately lose me. Missy Elliot is completely irrelevant to music past present or future. And I'm youngish and hip and in the know. Not every black female is great at music. Most of them suck, actually, just like any other demo. 

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ztejas

ztejas 43532

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It's super late and I'm out of it and pursuing this lazily but Outkast was doing this before Missy Elliott's #8 addition on this list:

Just kind of disrespectful to actual MCs that paved the way and changed the game as opposed to Missy Elliot who no longer influences anyone or who anyone gives a fuck about. 

But, you know, both guys in Outkast had penises - so down the list they go. 

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Celery Man

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3 hours ago, ztejas said:

 

Been on a Petty kick lately. He weirdly doesn't have many all-time albums but his standouts are stupidly good. I'd throw 5 or 6 at least in any top 500.

Stuff like this is how they immediately lose me. Missy Elliot is completely irrelevant to music past present or future. And I'm youngish and hip and in the know. Not every black female is great at music. Most of them suck, actually, just like any other demo. 

Damn The Torpedos, but yeah you’re right

 

i think you’re actually too young for Missy Elliot. I think of her more as being important in the fashion/dance/music video element of hip hop and wouldn’t think to include her on a list of greatest songs, but as someone in 7th grade in 1998 she seemed extremely important to all of the girls with boobs

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tigol

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6 hours ago, ztejas said:

 

Been on a Petty kick lately. He weirdly doesn't have many all-time albums but his standouts are stupidly good. I'd throw 5 or 6 at least in any top 500.

Stuff like this is how they immediately lose me. Missy Elliot is completely irrelevant to music past present or future. And I'm youngish and hip and in the know. Not every black female is great at music. Most of them suck, actually, just like any other demo. 

That is really fucking sexist and wrong, asshole.

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ztejas

ztejas 43532

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On 9/19/2021 at 10:28 AM, tigol said:

That is really fucking sexist and wrong, asshole.

Oh wow I'm sexist because I don't buy into one particular fucking female artist. Great take. Sorry I think your cousin Missy isn't shit, dickhead. 

Come talk music with me any time. Happy to put you in your place. 

Find me one fucking male hip hop artist under 30 that has listed Missy as an influence and I'll listen. Until then fuck off. 

I mean I'll even get ahead of it and throw you Gangsta Boo on Tear Da Club Up from 4 years prior who did as much for hip hop in that verse as Missy did in her career.

 

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ztejas

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On 9/19/2021 at 7:23 AM, Celery Man said:

i think you’re actually too young for Missy Elliot. I think of her more as being important in the fashion/dance/music video element of hip hop and wouldn’t think to include her on a list of greatest songs, but as someone in 7th grade in 1998 she seemed extremely important to all of the girls with boobs

That has nothing to do with good music or best songs. You may as well defend Brittney's "Toxic" ranking. 

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