My ranking of the 50 best songs of all time

Post Reply
Anis
Debut
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2022 4:17 am

My ranking of the 50 best songs of all time

Post by Anis »

Hello the music fans :D I'm a big fan of music since I'm a kid and I wanted to do a rank of the 50 best music ever at my opinion.

I had a major itch to class all my favorite music. It's also always cool to see how your tastes evolve over time and have a snapshot of it each time.

50. The Clash - Police & Thieves (1977)
The Clash is such a fun band to me, and this might be the most fun punk rock song ever released.

49. The Prodigy - Breathe (1996)
Possibly the hardest and nastiest song in the entirety of the electronica genre.

48. Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper (1976)
Rock music is at its best when it makes you jam, think and voyage at the same time.

47. Cascada - Miracle (2006)
I have a major soft spot for euro cheese, and this hits right into the super sugary fun for me.

46. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy (1991)
A truly beautiful and masterfully crafted song. The trip hop scene in Bristol was so beyond cool.

45. Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation (1989)
Easily my favorite new jack swing track. The added militaristic and industrial shades is intense and supremely cool.

44. Brockhampton - Sweet (2017)
I'm so disappointed this band didn't continue on. They were extremely ambitious and had so much potential still left in them.

43. Alcest - Percées de lumière (2007)
This is kind of obscure but I had to give a spot to my favorite metal artist of all time.

42. Agnes Obel - Riverside (2010)
I was obsessed over this song a couple years back, and still love it dearly today.

41. Weezer - Buddy Holly (1996)
Weezer was such a promising alt rock band. What happened?

40. Enya - Oricono Flow (1988)
If you want magic in your life, listen to Enya.

39. Kanye West ft. Syleena Johnson - All Falls Down (2004)
Yeah, Kanye has gone mad but that will never take away from the brilliant stuff he put out early in his career.

38. Taylor Dayne - Tell It to My Heart (1987)
By far the best freestyle song ever released. I absolutely adore her aggressively soulful vocals.

37. The Byrds - Ms. Tambourine Man (1965)
I like this version over the Bob Dylan one. Just sweet and layered like my favorite songs tend to be.

36. Metallica - Nothing Else Matters (1992)
I had a phase in high school and unfortunately I never wanted to let go of this song, even though this screams your high schooler phase anthem.

35. Keane - Somewhere Only We Know (2004)
Keane makes such gorgeous and evocative piano rock music, and their biggest hit is only a testament to that.

34. Nina Simone - Work Song (1961)
Nina Simone is one of the greatest vocalists of all time and you should definitely listen to hear her more.

33. Prince - When the Doves Cry (1984)
It's a classic, it's that simple.

32. OutKast - Ms. Jackson (2001)
OutKast is such a cool and eclectic duo. Pretty much everything they touch turns to gold.

31. Radiohead - Karma Police (1997)
I'm not a massive fan of 90s alternative rock, but I love how this takes that sound and adds a spacious electronic sound to it.

30. Daddy DJ - Daddy DJ (Chico & Tonio Edit) (2000)
Easily the cheesiest song on this list. But there's something downright beautiful and magic about this combination of trance arpeggios, the naive lyrics, the geniunely amateurish vocals and the thick accent.

29. Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky (1978)
Not much to say about this. One of the most electic compositions ever written. And it manages to not feel pretentious one single bit. It's hyper playful all the way throughout.

28. Kendrick Lamar - Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe (2013)
It's a pretty generic opinion to call Kendrick Lamar your favorite rapper. But I can't help but admit he puts many to shame. This song is a fantastic rendition of his rap skills and his biting lyricism.

27. The Bangles - Manic Monday (1986)
Just an extremely sweet song about a very relatable sentiment. I especially love the little dinky piano notes throughout.

26. R.E.M. - Fall On Me (1986)
Expect a bunch of R.E.M. on here. They're my favorite band of all-time.

25. Buddy Holly - Maybe Baby (1957)
One of the sweetest songs ever penned. Music truly died when Buddy Holly perished.

24. The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun (1964)
Still to this day one of the most haunting renditions of any song ever.

23. Seal - Crazy (1991)
This is such a cool and ethereal song. I always get transported when I listen to it.

22. Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son (1976)
I love the philosophical lyrics, and they are caried on amazingly by the super dynamic and rapidly key-changing music.

21. Eminem ft. Dido - Stan (2000)
Amazing storytelling, complemented by downtuned music and the haunting Dido singing. This song is so dark in such a gripping way.

20. Stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen (1982)
Such a fun and raucous song served with great attitude.

19. The Mamas and the Papas - California Dreamin' (1966)
Do I need to say more? I think the harmonies speak for themselves.

18. Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove (1981)
Earth, Wind & Fire absolutely killed it in the post-disco era. With this one having some of the catchiest grooves (duh) of all-time.

17. Charles Mingus - A Foggy Day (1956)
Possibly my favorite jazz song I can think of. I absolutely adore this little piece of early avant-gardist music.

16. Nelly Furtado ft. Timbaland - Promiscuous (2006)
Might be the most fun song to ever grace the pop charts. I love the little exhanges between the two singers, they're so full of attitude. I can listen to this 1000 times and never get bored.

15. Billie Holliday - Strange Fruit (1939)
Without a doubt one of the songs with the darkest backstory to ever exist. And this particular version of it gives me chills each time too.

14. Nas - The World is Yours (1994)
Nas is possibly my favorite lyricist in the entire hip hop game. This song explores his most philosophical side. The production makes it feel towering.

13. Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone (1999)
A certified classic in the euro club ecstasy genre. If there's one song that makes me think of the excitement for the new millenium it's this one.

12. The Hollies - Bus Stop (1966)
Easily the best thing to come out of the British Invasion (sorry Beatles fans).

11. Brandy & Monica - The Boy is Mine (1998)
I absolutely adore this concept of two singers having a conflict within the same song. This is a concept that is surprisingly rare. The great vocals and the pretty production with the electric harp add to it immensely too.

10. The Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There (1966)
The pinnacle of Motown music in my eyes. The combination of a sweet uplifting message, the rich harmonies and the beautifully dense and layered production gives me a rush of dopamine each time.

9. ABBA - Dancing Queen (1976)
It's hard to listen to this song, and not be overwhelmed by both a sentiment of wanting to dance and chills at the same time.

8. Ben Folds - Still Fighting It (2001)
Ben Folds is a shockingly underrated artist. This one of the most beautiful songs ever written, with a great message on growing pains.

7. R.E.M. - Man on the Moon (1992)
Another R.E.M. classic and absolutely stunning in every way, mournful and bittersweet yet hopeful.

6. Kendrick Lamar - i (2015)
Yep this is where hip hop peaks in my opinion.

5. Ellie Goulding - Lights (2011)
Simply a gorgeous song. The twinkling synths, the breathy vocals and the personal lyrics about a fear make for such a wonderful combo.

4. Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights (1977)
I'm glad people are rediscovering Kate Bush in 2022, but I think they're highly missing out if they don't go back to her older and more experimental records. This song is a perfect meeying point of natural beauty and eclecticism.

3. R.E.M. - Orange Crush (1989)
My go-to song whenever I feel down. It's immensely uplifting and makes you feel on top of the world, wanting to strive for change.

2. Jamelia - Superstar (2003)
Might be an unexpected pick, but I think this song doesn't have any single flaw. It's everything I want out of a pop song. The lyrics are great and performed with grand attitude, the production is extremely catchy, and the vocals are straightup fantastic. Just impossible for me to resist at least nodding along when this comes on.

1. Björk - Jóga (1997)
My absolute favorite song was also released in my year of birth. But what can I say about this? This song is incredibly devastating. Björk is one of the most unique voices in the pop landscape. The production is so ahead of its time, and still sounds futuristic to this day. A breathtaking combo.

So, what do you think of my ranking?
If interested, I can expand this to a top 100 :)
User avatar
Moonbeam
Full of Fire
Posts: 2543
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:40 am
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: My ranking of the 50 best songs of all time

Post by Moonbeam »

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for sharing such a fantastic list! I’d be happy to see a full top 100 or beyond.
Nassim
Full of Fire
Posts: 2793
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:35 pm
Location: Lille (France)

Re: My ranking of the 50 best songs of all time

Post by Nassim »

Welcome to the forum, I like lists like that with diversity of genres, acclaim and commercial success.
Your birth year is the best in the history of music ;)
User avatar
prosecutorgodot
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1547
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:53 am
Location: SF Bay Area, California

Re: My ranking of the 50 best songs of all time

Post by prosecutorgodot »

Cool list! Will try to listen to some of these at some point.
User avatar
Moonbeam
Full of Fire
Posts: 2543
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:40 am
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: My ranking of the 50 best songs of all time

Post by Moonbeam »

Nassim wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 2:25 pm Welcome to the forum, I like lists like that with diversity of genres, acclaim and commercial success.
Your birth year is the best in the history of music ;)
23rd best year, but who's counting? ;)
Jackson
Into the Groove
Posts: 2075
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 6:05 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: My ranking of the 50 best songs of all time

Post by Jackson »

Lights is a great song and has aged well.
Humphrey12
Strange Fruit
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2022 10:53 am

Re: My ranking of the 50 best songs of all time

Post by Humphrey12 »

That was a truly inspiring list that deserved its own thread. Hats off from the Humphreys!
User avatar
Cadavaca
Unquestionable Presence
Posts: 504
Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2019 5:23 pm

Re: My ranking of the 50 best songs of all time

Post by Cadavaca »

Thanks for introducing me to Alcest!
Post Reply

Return to “Music, Music, Music...”