1 | Bruce Springsteen | Born to Run
2 | Bob Dylan | The Times They Are A-Changin'
3 | Nirvana | Smells Like Teen Spirit
4 | Elvis Presley | Hound Dog
5 | Aretha Franklin | Respect
6 | Woody Guthrie | This Land is Your Land
7 | Talking Heads | Once in a Lifetime
8 | Public Enemy | Fight the Power
9 | Robert Johnson | Hellhound on My Trail
10 | Ray Charles | Georgia on My Mind
11 | The Ronettes | Be My Baby
12 | Chuck Berry | Johnny B. Goode
13 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | All Along the Watchtower
14 | Stevie Wonder | Superstition
15 | Sister Rosetta Tharpe | This Train
16 | Bill Haley and His Comets | (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock
17 | Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five | The Message
18 | Johnny Cash | I Walk the Line
19 | Lou Reed | Walk on the Wild Side
20 | OutKast | B.O.B.
21 | The Velvet Underground | I'm Waiting for the Man
22 | The Beach Boys | Good Vibrations
23 | Creedence Clearwater Revival | Who'll Stop the Rain?
24 | Simon & Garfunkel | The Boxer
25 | The White Stripes | Seven Nation Army
26 | B.B. King | The Thrill is Gone
27 | Bo Diddley | Bo Diddley
28 | Billy Joel | Scenes from An Italian Restaurant
29 | Bing Crosby | White Christmas
30 | Ella Fitzgerald | Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
31 | Run-DMC | Walk This Way
32 | Donna Summer | I Feel Love
33 | Crosby, Stills, and Nash | Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
34 | The Righteous Brothers | Unchained Melody
35 | Frank Sinatra | Under My Skin
36 | Miles Davis | So What
37 | Glenn Miller | In the Mood
38 | Ike and Tina Turner | River Deep - Mountain High
39 | Prince | When Doves Cry
40 | Hank Williams | I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
41 | Louis Armstrong | West End Blues
42 | Judy Garland | Over the Rainbow
43 | Sam Cooke | A Change is Gonna Come
44 | Muddy Waters | Mannish Boy
45 | Jerry Lee Lewis | Great Balls of Fire
46 | Benny Goodman | Sing, Sing, Sing
47 | The Sugarhill Gang | Rapper's Delight
48 | Ramones | Blitzkrieg Bop
49 | Marvin Gaye | What's Going On?
50 | The Temptations | Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
51 | Metallica | One
52 | Television | Marquee Moon
53 | Jay Z and Kanye West | Ni**as in Paris
54 | The Crystals | Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
55 | James Brown | Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine
56 | The Byrds | Mr. Tambourine Man
57 | Dead Kennedys | Holiday in Cambodia
58 | Nina Simone | Sinnerman
59 | Billie Holiday | Strange Fruit
60 | Otis Redding | I've Been Lovin' You Too Long (To Stop Now)
61 | DJ Shadow | Midnight in a Perfect World
62 | Patti Smith | Gloria
63 | R.E.M. | Country Feedback
64 | Soundgarden | Black Hole Sun
65 | Eddie Cochran | Summertime Blues
66 | Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats | Rocket 88
67 | John Coltrane | My Favorite Things
68 | Dolly Parton | Jolene
69 | Sly and the Family Stone | Everyday People
70 | A Tribe Called Quest | Bonita Applebum
71 | Big Brother and the Holding Company | Piece of My Heart
72 | Santana | Soul Survivor
73 | The Doors | People Are Strange
74 | MGMT | Time to Pretend
75 | Eminem | Lose Yourself
76 | Howlin' Wolf | Smokestack Lightnin'
77 | The Allman Brothers Band | Whipping Post
78 | Selena | Amor Prohibido
79 | Big Star | Thirteen
80 | Al Green | Let's Stay Together
81 | Bill Withers | Ain't No Sunshine
82 | Rodriguez | Crucify Your Mind
83 | Madonna | Like a Prayer
84 | Blondie | Call Me
85 | 2Pac | Dear Mama
86 | Beck | Loser
87 | N.W.A. | Fuck tha Police
88 | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | American Girl
89 | The Notorious B.I.G. | Juicy
90 | Missy Elliott | Get Ur Freak On
91 | Little Richard | Tutti Frutti
92 | Carole King | It's Too Late
93 | Michael Jackson | Billie Jean
94 | LCD Soundsystem | All My Friends
95 | Buddy Holly | That'll Be the Day
96 | Guns N' Roses | Sweet Child O' Mine
97 | Green Day | American Idiot
98 | Pixies | Debaser
99 | Dr. Dre | Nuthin' But a "G" Thang
100 | The Jackson 5 | I Want You Back
This is basically a first draft of that "essential American songs" list idea I had a while back. I was remembering a lot of important acts as I went along (hence Little Richard and Michael Jackson being lower than they probably should be) but as a starting point I don't think it's too bad. I no doubt left off a lot of stuff, and this could absolutely be expanded and adjusted, so feel free to mention stuff right here.
Best American Songs
- StevieFan13
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Best American Songs
Post by StevieFan13 »
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