With The List, American Songwriter details the best, the brightest, the most enduring, the worst, the most hated, and the most surprising songs ever–among many other qualifiers. If you’re looking for our definitive rankings on music, you’ll find them below.
The Beach Boys. Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson and Mike Love, 7th November 1966. (Photo by Malcolm MacNeil/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)
Singer, songwriter and guitarist Alan Jackson is shown performing on stage during a live concert appearance on August 31, 1998 in Wallingford, Connecticut. (Photo by Getty Images/John Atashian)
INDIO, CA – MAY 04: Musician Carrie Underwood performs during day 3 of Stagecoach, California's Country Music Festival held at the Empire Polo Field on May 4, 2008 in Indio, California. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – APRIL 01: George Jones performs on stage at the Country Music Festival held at Wembley Arena, London in April 1981. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
NEWPORT, RI – JULY 25: Bob Dylan plays a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar for the first time on stage as he performs at the Newport Folk Festival with guitarist Mike Bloomfield on July 25, 1965 in Newport, Rhode Island. (Photo by Alice Ochs/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)