Top 100: Best Rock Songs of All-Time | Charts and Lists on Rockweb site

updated Jan. 13, 2008

other charts

Firefox – Best browser!

What about better ones? ;-)

Many of these are classics. Many of these could have made it on the Top 100 list. Some of these were at the time very important and still have some relevancy to me. But.

Unfortunately, most of these are overplayed and too obvious. I've had my share. However, I think this additional chart could be useful here.

Top 30: Other Big Ones

1. Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin [1971]
2. Whiter Shade of Pale: Procol Harum [1967]
3. Smoke on the Water: Deep Purple [1972]
4. Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan [1965]
5. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down: The Band [1969]
6. White Room: Cream [1968]
7. Moondance: Van Morrison [1970]
8. Hotel California: The Eagles [1976]
9. Sultans of Swing: Dire Straits [1978]
10. No Woman No Cry: Bob Marley & the Wailers [1974]
11. Nights in White Satin: The Moody Blues [1967]
12. Imagine: John Lennon [1971]
13. Me and Bobby McGee: Janis Joplin [1971]
14. The House of the Rising Sun: The Animals [1964]
15. Albatross: Fleetwood Mac [1969]
16. Witchy Woman: The Eagles [1972]
17. Bourée: Jethro Tull [1969]
18. Suzanne: Leonard Cohen [1968]
19. Born to Run: Bruce Springsteen [1975]
20. Heart of Gold: Neil Young [1972]
21. Bohemian Rhapsody: Queen [1975]
22. Stayin' Alive: The Bee Gees [1977]
23. When a Man Loves a Woman: Percy Sledge [1966]
24. You Really Got Me: The Kinks [1964]
25. Every Breath You Take: Police [1983]
26. San Francisco: Scott Mckenzie [1967]
27. Wind of Change: Scorpions [1991]
28. Lady in Black: Uriah Heep [1971]
29. All Right Now: Free [1970]
30. The Moonlight Shadow: Mike Oldfield [1983]

#Top 100: Best International Rock Songs of All-Time

Best rock songs of all-time? It's quite a task. At least some fifty one here could easily be replaced with other good ones. And I've seen similar charts with almost none of these included. Anyway, all these are songs I've been listening through decades and still do.

No Beatles or CCR on this list, for quite obvious reasons: those two probably would have conquered the first half of the list. They have their own charts (take a look on the left sidebar).

1. Black Dog: Led Zeppelin [1971]
2. All Along the Watchtower: Jimi Hendrix [1968]
3. Wishing Well: Free [1972]
4. The River: Bruce Springsteen [1980]
5. Hurricane: Bob Dylan [1976]
6. Love Rustler: Delbert McClinton [1977]
7. Brothers in Arms: Dire Straits [1985]
8. Immigrant Song: Led Zeppelin [1970]
9. Like a Hurricane: Neil Young [1977]
10. Lady Eleanor: Lindisfarne [1972]
11. The Ballad of Lucy Jordan: Marianne Faithfull [1979]
12. Don't Touch Me There: The Tubes [1976]
13. Papa Was a Rolling Stone: The Temptations [1972]
14. It Makes No Difference: The Band [1975]
15. A Soldier of Fortune: Deep Purple [1974]
16. Society's Child: Janis Ian [1967]
17. Street Life: The Crusaders featuring Randy Crawford [1979]
18. The Day Before You Came: Abba [1982]
19. The Man Who Sold the World: David Bowie [1971]
20. Suzanne: Pop Tops [1972]
21. I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten: Dusty Springfield [1968]
22. I've Got My Eye on You [live version]: Bette Midler [1983]
23. My Back Pages: The Byrds [1967]
24. Mail Order Annie: Harry Chapin [1974]
25. Child in Time: Deep Purple [1970]
26. Shooting Star: Bad Company [1975]
27. St. James Infirmary: Bobby 'Blue' Bland [1961]
28. Time: Pink Floyd [1973]
29. Across 110th Street: Bobby Womack [1972]
30. Racing in the Street: Bruce Springsteen [1978]
31. Stranger in the City: John Miles [1976]
32. As Strong As Samson: Procol Harum [1974]
33. A Design for Life: Manic Street Preachers [1996]
34. The Weight: The Band [1968]
35. Road to Cairo: Brian Auger Trinity featuring Julie Driscoll [1968]
36. Father of Night, Father of Day: Manfred Mann's Earth Band [1973]
37. London Calling: The Clash [1979]
38. Five Years: David Bowie [1972]
39. Wonderful Life: Black [1987]
40. Grasshopper: Man [1974]
41. Remember Yesterday: John Miles [1976]
42. Bang Bang: Sylvie Vartan [1974]
43. Mom & Dad: Frank Zappa [1968]
44. Cinnamon Girl: Neil Young [1969]
45. Space Oddity: David Bowie [1969]
46. Point Blank: Bruce Springsteen [1980]
47. Going Back: Dusty Springfield [1966]
48. Moonage Daydream: David Bowie [1972]
49. Killer Queen: Queen [1974]
50. The Way I Choose: Bad Company [1974]
51. Smokin' in the Boys Room: Brownsville Station [1973]
52. I'm Crying: The Animals [1964]
53. The Road to Hell: Chris Rea [1989]
54. Ain't No Sunshine: Bill Withers [1971]
55. When a Blind Man Cries: Deep Purple [1972]
56. Duncan: Paul Simon [1971]
57. The House of the Rising Sun: Geordie [1974]
58. Autumn Leaves [live version]: Eva Cassidy [1996]
59. Chance: Big Country [1983]
60. The Last Thing on My Mind: The Move [1970]
61. Can't Give You Anything (But My Love): The Stylistics [1975]
62. Atlantic City: Bruce Springsteen [1982]
63. July Morning: Uriah Heep [1971]
64. Lover Lover Lover: Leonard Cohen [1974]
65. Bangla Desh: George Harrison [1971]
66. Knockin' on Heaven's Door: Bob Dylan [1973]
67. Little Boy: Geordie [1974]
68. Nutbush City Limits: Ike & Tina Turner [1973]
69. Working Class Hero: John Lennon [1970]
70. Everyday: Slade [1973]
71. Epitaph: King Crimson [1969]
72. Heart of Stone: The Rolling Stones [1965]
73. The Blue Cafe: Chris Rea [1998]
74. The Story in Your Eyes: The Moody Blues [1971]
75. In Zaire: Johnny Wakelin [1976]
76. Too Much of Nothing: Peter, Paul & Mary [1967]
77. Silver Machine: Hawkwind [1972]
78. Are You Ready: Pacific Gas & Electric [1972]
79. Crocodile Shoes: Jimmy Nail [1994]
80. Far Far Away: Slade [1974]
81. Look Away: Big Country [1986]
82. Hippy Hippy Shake: The Swinging Blue Jeans [1964]
83. Never Marry a Railroad Man: Shocking Blue [1970]
84. I Love You Much Too Much: Alma Cogan [1964]
85. In a Broken Dream: Python Lee Jackson [1970]
86. Starvings in the Tropics: String Driven Thing [1975]
87. Iron Horse: Christie [1972]
88. Angie: The Rolling Stones [1973]
89. In the Winter: Janis Ian [1975]
90. La Belle Histoire D'Amour: Edith Piaf [1960]
91. Lady Bird: Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood [1968]
92. My Girl: Madness [1979]
93. Oh Bondage! Up Yours!: X-Ray Spex [1977]
94. Pleasure and Pain: The Divinyls [1985]
95. She Does It Right: Dr. Feelgood [1975]
96. Black Night: Deep Purple [1970]
97. The Guitar Man: Bread [1972]
98. 'B' Movie: Gil Scott-Heron [1982]
99. Too Hot in the Kitchen: Darts [1977]
100. For the Peace of All Mankind: Albert Hammond [1973]