For the first time in 17 years, Rolling Stone Magazine has updated their iconic list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. According to the list’s intro, over 250 “artists, writers and industry figures” were recruited to participate in a poll of nearly 4,000 songs to re-determine what the top 500 are. The original list was made in 2004 and the industry has seen a great deal of change since then. Notably, the list contains more hip-hop, modern country, indie rock, Latin pop, reggae, and R&B than the previous version, and 245 entries did not previously hold a space. The coveted first spot goes to Aretha Franklin for her version of “Respect,” originally recorded by Otis Redding. The song has recently seen a surge in popularity following the Queen of Soul’s recently released biopic of the same name. The second spot on the list goes to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.” Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” (No. 3), Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” (No. 4) and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (No. 5) round out the top 5.
TOP 20
20. Robyn: “Dancing on My Own”
19. John Lennon: “Imagine”
18. Prince and the Revolution: “Purple Rain”
17. Queen: “Bohemian Rhapsody”
16. Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z: “Crazy in Love”
15. The Beatles: “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
14. The Kinks: “Waterloo Sunset”
13. The Rolling Stones: “Gimme Shelter”
12. Stevie Wonder: “Superstition”
11. The Beach Boys: “God Only Knows”
10. Outkast: “Hey Ya!”
9. Fleetwood Mac: “Dreams”
8. Missy Elliott: “Get Ur Freak On”
7. The Beatles: “Strawberry Fields Forever”
6. Marvin Gaye: “What’s Going On”
5. Nirvana: “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
4. Bob Dylan: “Like a Rolling Stone”
3. Sam Cooke: “A Change Is Gonna Come”
2. Public Enemy: “Fight the Power”
1. Aretha Franklin: “Respect”
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