Reviewing Rolling Stone's Top 500 Songs List

Last week on this blog, I wrote about my reactions to UGHA's Top 500 all time doo wop songs. Well, this time I'm going to be looking at music in more of a general sense. That's because I'm going to be reviewing Rolling Stone's Top 500 all time songs list, published last year in 2021. RS originally did their list in 2004, but I will be examining the updated one. I am not going to be saying any of the songs on the list are underrated, because "Top 500 all time" is obviously high praise. But I will be going over some songs I think got snubbed, so let's start there.

Here's the art that Rolling Stone used for their article.

Songs That Got Snubbed

Somebody to Love by Queen (1976): The only Queen songs on the list were "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Under Pressure". Now rest assured, this list is supposed to rank The Top 500 greatest songs, not the top songs overplayed on classic rock radio. But if it truly wanted to accomplish the first mission and not the second, this harmonious Queen masterpiece would've made the cut.

I Can't Stop Loving You by Ray Charles (1962): This was #161 on the original list, so my question is... what happened? This is Ray's absolute masterpiece in my opinion, with his soulful vocals being backed up by an excellent choir. It was a cover of a country song, showing Ray's diverse musical tastes. No disrespect to "Georgia On My Mind", but I'll take this one as Ray's best song any day.

Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra (1966): How is it that in a list compiling the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, 'Ol Blue Eyes doesn't even get one? I'm not even the biggest Sinatra fan, and I still think that's a travesty! If there's any song I'd strongly advocate for Sinatra, it's this one. It's a vocal and orchestral masterpiece, and evidently Bruce Springsteen's all-time favorite song.

What does Rolling Stone have against Italian people?

Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season) by The Byrds (1965): The critics can't get enough of "Eight Miles High" and "Mr. Tambourine Man". I won't deny, those are good songs. But to me, the best Byrds song is this one, with its jangly lead guitar and Pete Seeger-written lyrics. 

Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin (1971): This made #148 on the original list, so again I must ask, what happened? Kris Kristofferson's writing and Janis's singing were truly a dynamic duo on this song. I would've supposed that Janis's powerful vocals stood the test of time, but I guess not. Rolling Stone didn't even put one of her songs on their list.

Revolution by The Beatles (1968): With Rolling Stone's love for protest songs, you'd think that this very underrated Beatles song might stand a chance. Unfortunately, the critics once again chose its more popular A-side, which we'll cover shortly. In any case, this song's fiery lead guitar from George Harrison, as well as the raucous vocals from John Lennon, will forever make it one of my all-time favorites

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little more biting in my critiques than last week. I truly believe these songs and artists were robbed of their place on this list. Other songs that I'd argue deserve a spot are "Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel, "Bring it On Home to Me" by Sam Cooke, and "El Paso" by Marty Robbins. Doo wop was also robbed of a rightful place on this list, with "In The Still of the Night" and "I Only Have Eyes For You" being the only selections... on a list of 500! In comparison, the original 2004 list also had "Maybe" by the Chantels and "Sh Boom" by the Chords, two excellent choices. Now, I'm not done tearing this list to shreds. Let's get into the songs that are darlings for the critics, but not for me.

Songs That Were Overrated

#426: Super Bass by Nicki Minaj (2010): I know it's only #426, but give it one listen and you'll want to rip your ears out. This belongs on a worst songs of all time list, not the best. If you think I'm kidding, listen to it. You'll get a headache, and regret it instantly.

#287: You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC (1980): There's way better songs on the Back in Black album than this one. It's definitely a solid tune, but it is overplayed constantly. For being the only AC/DC song on the list, they sure did pick an underwhelming one. Where's the love for Bon Scott?

#156: Louie Louie by The Kingsmen (1963): This song was evidently quite influential to garage rock, and its guitar riff became iconic. But the song itself? Well... it's kinda lackluster to be ranked this high. The vocals just sort of ramble. There's plenty of songs from the rock era that could've taken its spot.

#89: Hey Jude by The Beatles (1968): As an unofficial Beatles ambassador, I get the right to say which of their songs are under or over-valued. This one falls right into the latter category. At least it wasn't ranked at #8 like on the original list. But this McCartney pop confection, while fun to sing at stadiums, is not one of the Top 100 greatest songs ever. It's not even one of the Top 100 Beatles songs ever!

The critics must be hypnotized by Paul's stare on the "Hey Jude" video.

#61: Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin (1971): This song that rambles on (no pun intended) for almost 8 whole minutes is another one of those overappreciated songs from the rock era. I've just never been able to get into it. Give me "Black Dog" or "Rock and Roll" over this song any day.

#30: Royals by Lorde (2013): I remember this song when it came out, and I must say, it ain't bad. But #30 all time? Really? The song is a bit low-key for that. However, I will note that the YouTube channel ADoseofBuckley, who is fiercely critical of modern pop music, actually gave this song a relatively positive review. So again, it's not bad, but I just don't think it's worthy of all-time status.

Other songs that I thought were too high include "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen at #27, "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones at #13, and "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan at #4. I should also note that RS had multiple songs from 2019 and 2020 on the list. Shouldn't they give those songs some time to have a legacy before they're already hailed as all-time greats? Besides, they couldn't have picked better songs than "Old Town Road"? Give me a break. Also, three Madonna songs is three too many. But okay, enough negativity. Let's get to the songs I was happy to see appear.

Songs I Was Glad To See On The List

#324: Scenes From an Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel (1977): If a song goes on for seven and a half minutes, then it better be good. Well, this one is great! From the piano intro section, to the jazziness, to the "Ballad of Brenda and Eddy" section, this song is brilliant. Of course, they should've had more Billy Joel songs on the list. But I won't give RS a hard time, I'm just glad that the Joel song they picked is truly one of his all time greatest.

#241: The Humpty Dance by the Digital Underground (1990): I was pleasantly surprised to see this goofy yet brilliant rap song on the list. The song is all about how the protagonist named "Humpty Hump" will get all the ladies, in spite of his homely appearance and comedically large nose. The cover art may be even better than the excellent song.

Here's Humpty Hump. He once got busy in a Burger King bathroom!

#190: Fuck tha Police by NWA (1988): This incredibly bold rap song is one of my all-time favorites, and is surely a definitive protest song. All three rappers on this song have a fantastic flow, and deliver all their lines with heat. Ice Cube begins the song, he tosses the mic to MC Ren, and then the grand finale comes with Eazy E. Eazy is one of my favorite rappers of all time, and another artist that died far too young.

#98: In My Life by The Beatles (1965): John Lennon's masterful introspective work from the mid-60s was perhaps at its peak in the mid 60s. And there's no better introspective song than "In My Life". Now, the original list had it at #23 all time, which I think is a more appropriate ranking than #98. But either way, I'm glad to see this song made the Top 100.

#70: Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley (1969): Bar none, the greatest song the King ever sung in my opinion. And RS seems to agree, with "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Jailhouse Rock" coming in much lower on the list. "Suspicious Minds" is a soulful masterpiece with excellent backing vocals from four women (including Donna Thatcher of the Grateful Dead). And some credit should be given to Mark James, who originally wrote and sung the song. But Elvis perfected it.

#58: The Weight by The Band (1968): This song is actually about my hometown of Nazareth, PA, not the biblical Nazareth! But it's not just hometown bias that makes me love this song, as the critics love it, too. With excellent country rock vocals from Levon Helm, and wildly engaging lyrics, this song earns its place as one of the 100 greatest I've ever heard. The Band never replicated anything like this from what I've heard... they truly caught lightning in a bottle with this.

There are plenty of other songs that I was glad to see get representation on the list. If I also made a Top 500 songs list, these songs would definitely make it. They include:

#476: Sunday Morning Coming Down by Kris Kristofferson (though I should note, I prefer the Johnny Cash version, and I'd rank it a lot higher than this!)

#420: California Dreamin' by The Mamas and The Papas

#333: Papa Was a Rollin' Stone by The Temptations

#316: Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las

#300: Rock Lobster by The B-52s

#213: Paint It, Black by The Rolling Stones (yes, I don't hate the Rolling Stones!)

#182: Sounds of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

#167: Lose Yourself by Eminem

#165: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry by Hank Williams (shoutout to RS for including this song, as well as "Your Cheatin' Heart". Good to see Hank get some love.)

#110: Something by The Beatles

#102: Maybellene by Chuck Berry

#63: Jolene by Dolly Parton

#53: Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys

#40: All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix (I eventually realized it's better than "Foxey Lady")

#19: Imagine by John Lennon

#3: A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke.

Yes, given that Rolling Stone had 500 songs on their list, I was bound to agree with some of them. The ones listed above are all excellent selections in my opinion. And because 500 songs are a lot, there are plenty I haven't heard of that caught my eye. As I stated earlier, Rolling Stone loves its protest songs. There were certainly some interesting ones on the list, including "Mississippi Goddam" by Nina Simone, and "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday. The songs deal with very serious topics, as the former talks of a KKK massacre, and the latter is about lynching. I also want to check out James Brown's song "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)". But British people had their share of protest songs as well, and that's why I gotta check out "God Save The Queen" by Sex Pistols. I mean, look at the cover art!

Finally, I have to check out "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" by Willie Nelson. I have to get into more of his music, and this song is particularly intriguing. After all, it was written by Fred Rose, who was the producer for Hank Williams. Overall, the RS list is kinda meant to spark some debate and outrage. Certainly, it can't make everyone happy. I was definitely unhappy with some selections! But, I feel like a lot of solid songs got some worthy representation on their 2021 list.