Shock entries in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of top 500 songs in history

Iconic music magazine Rolling Stone has updated its list of the top 500 songs in history after first releasing the collection in 2004.

Let the debates begin.

Rolling Stone has released a brand new list of the top 500 songs in history — and it’s changed dramatically from the first list released by the iconic music magazine almost two decades ago.

More than 250 artists, musicians and producers — from Brit pop singer Sam Smith to American rapper Megan Thee Stallion to Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward — were asked to rank their personal top 50s, before the results were combined to form the top 500.

And it’s fair to say musical taste has changed somewhat in recent years as a swath of new entries made the list. More than half the songs did not appear on the original edition and even the pointy end was much different.

Nine of the original top 10 came from the golden age of music between 1959 and 1971. The 2021 top 10 features the likes of Missy Elliott and OutKast.

The big winner was Aretha Franklin, whose 1967 anthem Respect was judged to be the greatest song in history.

Despite opening the door for all the songs released post-2004, only one managed to force its way into the top 20 — Robyn’s Dancing On My Own.

The likes of Kanye West, Lorde, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Amy Winehouse and Adele did feature in the new top 100.

Old Top 10

1. Bob Dylan — Like A Rolling Stone (1965)

2. The Rolling Stone — (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (1965)

3. John Lennon — Imagine (1971)

4. Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On (1971)

5. Aretha Franklin — Respect (1967)

6. The Beach Boys — Good Vibrations (1966)

7. Chuck Berry — Johnny B. Goode (1958)

8. The Beatles — Hey Jude (1968)

9. Nirvana — Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991)

10. Ray Charles — What’d I Say (1959)

New Top 10

1. Aretha Franklin — Respect (1967)

2. Public Enemy — Fight The Power (1989)

3. Sam Cooke — A Change Is Gonna Come (1964)

4. Bob Dylan — Like A Rolling Stone (1965)

5. Nirvana — Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991)

6. Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On (1971)

7. The Beatles — Strawberry Fields Forever (1967)

8. Missy Elliott — Get Ur Freak On (2001)

9. Fleetwood Mac — Dreams (1977)

10. OutKast — Hey Ya! (2003)

Nirvana

Aretha Franklin. (AP Photo/Roberto Borea)

Post-2004 entries in top 100

20. Robyn — Dancing On My Own (2010)

25. Kanye West ft Pusha T — Runaway (2010)

30. Lorde — Royals (2011)

45. Kendrick Lamar — Alright (2015)

46. M.I.A. — Paper Planes (2008)

50. Daddy Yankee ft Glory — Gasolina (2010)

69. Taylor Swift — All Too Well (2012)

73. Beyonce — Formation (2016)

79. Amy Winehouse — Back To Black (2006)

82. Adele — Rolling In The Deep (2011)

87. LCD Soundsystem — All My Friends (2007)

91. UGK ft OutKast — Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You) (2007)

You can see the full top 500 here.