Rolling Stone magazine has updated its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and there are some notable changes. The update is the first since the publication of the original list in 2004, and Jamaica’s iconic reggae group Bob Marley and The Wailers is ranked among the top 50 on the prestigious list at Number 42 with its recording of “Redemption Song’’ released in 1980. The Jamaican legends were also included on the original list in 2004 with “No Woman No Cry,” which was released in 1974.
According to Rolling Stone, its new 2021 list of the 500 greatest songs in history was compiled from a poll of more than 250 artists, writers, and industry stakeholders who reviewed over 4,000 songs. Each participant sent in a ranked list of their top 50 songs, and the results were then tabulated.
The new list displays a significant among of change from the original as almost half of the songs listed are new to the ranking, and there is much more hip-hop, country, Latin pop, reggae, and R&B on the 2021 list. Perennial favorites like The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and Fleetwood Mac rose in the ranking compared to their 2004 positions, and current artists like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Little Nas X, The Weeknd, and Lady Gaga surged into the top 100. In fact, 254 of the songs on the 2021 list were not on the old list, and that includes one-third of those in the top 100.
The Number 1 song on the 2004 list was Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” while the 2021 list places Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” in the top spot.
In an interview with NBC News, Christian Hoard, music editor at Rolling Stone, noted that music changes very quickly, so the magazine focused on gathering a very diverse set of voters, which made the final list “more inclusive, fresher” and “more reflective of what Rolling Stone is these days. It’s not (just) classic rock. It’s a broad spectrum of music.”
The Top 50 songs among Rolling Stone’s pick of the top 500 in history compiled in 2021 are:
50. Daddy Yankee feat. Glory, ‘Gasolina’ 2010
49. Lauryn Hill, ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’ 1998
48. Radiohead, ‘Idioteque’ 2000
47. Elton John, ‘Tiny Dancer’ 1972
46. M.I.A., ‘Paper Planes’ 2008
45. Kendrick Lamar, ‘Alright’ 2015
44. Michael Jackson, ‘Billie Jean’ 1982
43. The Temptations, ‘My Girl’ 1965
42. Bob Marley and the Wailers, ‘Redemption Song’ 1980
41. Joy Division, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ 1980
40. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, ‘All Along the Watchtower’ 1968
39. Outkast, ‘B.O.B.’ 2000
38. Otis Redding, ‘(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay’ 1967
37. Prince and the Revolution, ‘When Doves Cry’ 1984
36. The White Stripes, ‘Seven Nation Army’ 2003
35. Little Richard, ‘Tutti-Frutti’ 1955
34. James Brown, ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’ 1966
33. Chuck Berry, ‘Johnny B. Goode’ 1958
32. Notorious B.I.G., ‘Juicy’ 1994
31. The Rolling Stones, ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ 1965
30. Lorde, ‘Royals’ 2011
29. Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg, ‘Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang’ 1992
28. Talking Heads, ‘Once in a Lifetime’ 1980
27. Bruce Springsteen, ‘Born to Run’ 1975
26. Joni Mitchell, ‘A Case of You’ 1971
25. Kanye West feat. Pusha T, ‘Runaway’ 2010
24. The Beatles, ‘A Day in the Life’ 1967
23. David Bowie, ‘Heroes’ 1977
22. The Ronettes, ‘Be My Baby’ 1963
21. Billie Holiday, ‘Strange Fruit’ 1939
20. Robyn, ‘Dancing on My Own’ 2010
19. John Lennon, ‘Imagine’ 1971
18. Prince and the Revolution, ‘Purple Rain’ 1984
17. Queen, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ 1975
16. Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z, ‘Crazy in Love’ 2003
15. The Beatles, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ 1963
14. The Kinks, ‘Waterloo Sunset’ 1967
13. The Rolling Stones, ‘Gimme Shelter’ 1969
12. Stevie Wonder, ‘Superstition’ 1972
11. The Beach Boys, ‘God Only Knows’ 1966
10. Outkast, ‘Hey Ya!’ 2003
09. Fleetwood Mac, ‘Dreams’ 1977
08. Missy Elliott, ‘Get Ur Freak On’ 2001
07. The Beatles, ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ 1967
06. Marvin Gaye, ‘What’s Going On’ 1971
05. Nirvana, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ 1991
04. Bob Dylan, ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ 1965
03. Sam Cooke, ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ 1964
02. Public Enemy, ‘Fight the Power’ 1989
