The Greatest Songs of the 20th Century

[NonP]

This part of Mike's quote in the Elvis thread got moi thinking:

Rapid City, South Dakota — June 21, 1977

In June 1977, Presley was staggering through a tour he should never have been on. He was a picture of ill-health: on stage, his face was puffy and profusely sweaty, and his once slick on-stage chat had been reduced to a series of confused mutterings.

During one of the concerts, in South Dakota, the 42-year-old introduced a song he had recently recorded, Unchained Melody. As he shuffled over to the piano, wheezing into the microphone, he apologised in advance for forgetting the chords and tried to remember whether or not it had been released yet (it hadn’t).
It made for painful viewing, but what followed was extraordinary. Even as the rest of his body and mind failed him, his voice was irresistible — still so deeply heartfelt, still powerful. It was a faultless rendition, with Presley even managing to flash one of those trademark smiles towards the audience.

Less than two months later, he passed. It meant that this song was without question the last of his great performances caught on film, and perhaps ever.
https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/elvis-greatest-performances-ever-a4328661.html

"Unchained Melody" (North/Zaret) is one of the few transcendent popular songs that can challenge "Over the Rainbow" (Arlen/Harburg) as the greatest of the 20th century, in fact arguably its very strongest challenger, and I'll never understand how the Righteous Brothers' decidedly inferior "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (Spector/Mann/Weil) could rank so high on the RIAA/NEA and Rolling Stone lists (#9 and #34 respectively) while their definitive version of the love song nonpareil didn't even make the top 100/300 (#138 and #365) or, even worse, missed NPR's top 100 of the century's most important American musical works altogether. Plus it happens to be something of a love child among its soul brethren whose greatest interpreters are overwhelmingly Black, which may explain its relatively underappreciated status. (Incidentally "Unchained" was originally performed for the 1955 film of the same name by the African American opera baritone Todd Duncan, who also appeared as Porgy in the premiere production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess where the immortal "Summertime" originates from).

And yes, Elvis' is another irreplaceable version, perhaps the most impassioned performance this often shopworn valentine has received to date. But even the King must yield here to the blue-eyed soul brothers - as a baritone he can't quite match Bobby Hatfield's impromptu high E on the penultimate "I need your love" (let alone a high G to cap off the song!) which has since become standard practice for intrepid singers who can hit that note, and I've lost count of younger reviewers in those YouTube reactions who'd thought Hatfield's vocal was that of a Black guy (indeed the duo's name originates from their first show at a Santa Ana bar where a Black Marine reportedly shouted, "That's righteous, brother!"). In other words Elvis was a great vocalist who excelled in soul whereas the Brothers were soul singers through and through, and Hatfield's deceptively straightforward virtuosity both in the original studio recording* and in the live 1965 performance on The Andy Williams Show has gotta be among the most sensational of the century:

*Due to licensing reasons they could not rerelease the 1965 recording as a single when Ghost became a blockbuster hit, so they rerecorded the song as a new single which is fine in its own right but less vocally secure than the original.

FYI my other noms would certainly include (in chronological order only):

• "Summertime" (Gershwin/Heyward)
• "All the Things You Are," (Kern & Hammerstein II)
• "Stand by Me" (King/Leiber & Stoller)
• "When a Man Loves a Woman" (Wright/Lewis)
• And maybe one or two of the McCartney ballads ("Yesterday," "Hey Jude" and/or "Let It Be")

In the end, though, no other song of the 20th century equals "Over the Rainbow," whose unforgettable (and hummable!) melody and Gatsbyesque willing of fantasy into reality lends this American classic a timeless appeal without boundaries. There have been countless incarnations of this chestnut since it was introduced by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, but perhaps none more sublime than this live performance from Garland herself at age 21 which finds her at the peak of her vocal powers and with her childlike sense of wonder yet to be obliterated by fame:

Not too far behind is Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole's now iconic bare-bones version, accompanied only by his trusty ukulele:

I was doing my homework when I stumbled on it for the first time and still remember going, "Meh not another one of those." Within seconds I looked up and stopped everything else, followed by many an inevitable Judy Garland comparison which hasn't stopped. IZ's version was that special, and if there's another late/recent artist who left such an indelible mark on a such a familiar warhorse, I've yet to hear them.

So what are your own nominees or particular favorites? Feel free to just name names or post videos, though it'd be better if you explained why or shared some background info.

P.S. This thread is mainly about songs with mass appeal, so non-popular, (Western) classical and longer jazz compositions are excluded. But if you wanna go that route, be my guest.

 

[Larry Duff]

Good vibrations is my first thought

 

[Bagumbawalla]

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[Sport]

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[Tennis_Hands]

 

[NonP]

FYI I thought about adding a couple more Great American Songbook/Tin Pan Alley songs, but decided against it because most of 'em are too highbrow to appeal to a mass audience. (For instance I'm not sure any Cole Porter song would make my top 50.) And yes, I'd put "Stardust" among that group of well-known titles that are more popular among the musicians than among the general public, though it's an admittedly close call.

A better pick I'd say is "My Favorite Things" (Rogers and Hammerstein, of course), though I don't care much for most straightforward versions of the Sound of Music favorite and prefer this famous rendition instead:

But Patsy's "Crazy" is a good choice. Will try to include some country gems in my next update.

Also forgot a big one outside the Anglosphere, if sung here in its English translation* by the great Nat King Cole:

And by Edith Piaf, in alternate English and French (I actually prefer her minimal vibrato in the former and regret that she never recorded this song purely in one language or the other):

Now in its original French:

A rather obscure "Les Feuilles mortes" (literally "The Dead Leaves") - Wiki doesn't name it even among the "Other versions" - but if there's a more seductive, sultry version in any language, do let me know.

*Johnny Mercer translated into English the original French lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert, better known for his work as a screenwriter for Marcel Carné's films including Le Jour se lève (Daybreak, 1939), Les Visiteurs du soir (The Night Visitors, 1942) and Les Enfants du paradis/Children of Paradise (1945). In both cases the music is by Joseph Kosma.

Of course you can't talk about Piaf and neglect to mention her signature chanson:

 

[stringertom]

Damone gave Ratner the right advice on making the perfect first date in Fast Times At Ridgemont High, “And five, this is the most important, Rat. When making out, whenever possible, put on side 1 Led Zeppelin IV.” They had to settle for Physical Graffiti and Kashmir when Ratner played the tape in his sister’s car because screenwriter Cameron Crowe wasn’t able to get Page/Plant to let Stairway To Heaven be used in either Fast Times or his subsequent autobiographical film Almost Famous.

Using logic, rock was the most popular genre of the century and every classic rock radio station poll from listeners lists STH as at least top 3, if not #1. Subjectively, there’s not too many live covers of songs that can make me tear up a bit at the end when a whole chorus of background singers appear for the anthem’s crescendo wearing the signature bowler hat of deceased drummer John Bonham. That his son plays so closely to his style and salutes his legendary Dad’s mates in their box is even more emotional. What a great 8 minutes or so that still sounds fresh!

 

[Rubens]

The Winner Takes It All.

 

[stringertom]

Written by one Willie Hugh Nelson.

 

[Azure]

How do you settle on a greatest? Cultural influence? Lyrics? Presence/performance? Artistic value? Historical significance? Musical heights?

More often than not, popular culture will override anything that can be achieved musically and which is why classical music is just not popular. That said, classical music that most people have 'heard' somewhere or have been popularized in a different context will always supercede any other song since they are already musically, much enriched. A simple case in point - Fur Elise is so popular among people who have zilch knowledge of music only because the music has been played so often - cars, wound up clocks play this music for instance that it's almost eternal.

I don't know about specific timeframes but it's hard to pick on a few and great music often tends to affect some people in different ways.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

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[Tennis_Hands]

A better pick I'd say is "My Favorite Things" (Rogers and Hammerstein, of course), though I don't care much for most straightforward versions of the Sound of Music favorite and prefer this famous rendition instead:

That rendition is, ahem, one of my favourite things (I love Coltrane).

Here is another Hammerstein involvement originally written for the musical Music in the Air (music from J. Kern):

.. that later certainly made it big (amazing how adaptive it is):

 

[Bagumbawalla]

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All the best songs seem to echo some profound emptiness and some defiant answer to that emptiness.

 

[ollinger]

Kirsty MacColl's "What, In These Shoes!" at the very end of the century in 2000

 

[BarNotchky]

My 2¢

 

[Sentinel]

How do you settle on a greatest? Cultural influence? Lyrics? Presence/performance? Artistic value? Historical significance? Musical heights?

More often than not, popular culture will override anything that can be achieved musically and which is why classical music is just not popular. That said, classical music that most people have 'heard' somewhere or have been popularized in a different context will always supercede any other song since they are already musically, much enriched. A simple case in point - Fur Elise is so popular among people who have zilch knowledge of music only because the music has been played so often - cars, wound up clocks play this music for instance that it's almost eternal.

I don't know about specific timeframes but it's hard to pick on a few and great music often tends to affect some people in different ways.

Fur Elise!! Another overplayed one is Pachelbel's Canon. And Eine Kliene... The last used to be a ringtone on many phones.

I haven't even heard of most of the songs mentioned in this thread but "Somewhere over the rainbow" has always been one of my favourites. Along with Moon River. And of course, "Singin' in the Rain."

 

[Sentinel]

My 2¢

"Those were the days". It's a "great" song in a sense but I find it very depressing, somehow.

 

[BarNotchky]

"Those were the days". It's a "great" song in a sense but I don't it very depressing, somehow.

Indeed. I remember as a kid, my mum always teared up when it played.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

I have expressed similar sentiments in an earlier greatest singer thread. But... there really isn't a bunch of songs all can agree on as the greatest. I posit that the reason NonP's list draws to an end with a couple of Beatles ballads is because that is where the Golden Middle of one shared pop music experience ended, to the extent it ever existed. But what was this shared pop experience but a reflection of lack of alternatives? As the pop or rather non classical music industry matured, it became better and better at offering music that a smaller contingent would enjoy but not necessarily music that all would love. Diversity necessarily means we have to agree to disagree. Paranoid may be a nebulous 'everybody's' favourite Black Sabbath but it isn't my numero uno favourite as a diehard Sabbath fan and I know many fans of that band who would agree. The 'world' may remember Carpenters for their reworking of Close To You or Rainy Days and Mondays but I prefer I Need To Be In Love. I am not trying to be contrarian at all. I simply listen to the back catalogue and make my own choices rather than feel compelled to account for why the 'world' likes something. In any case, living in India, I am well aware that the world has never always listened to the same songs. There are a bunch of worlds and they can all be awesome. So take your pick.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Not exactly a song, but I would put Stravinsky's Rite of Spring as one of the most important, if not greatest, musical pieces of the 20th century.

 

[Azure]

I have expressed similar sentiments in an earlier greatest singer thread. But... there really isn't a bunch of songs all can agree on as the greatest. I posit that the reason NonP's list draws to an end with a couple of Beatles ballads is because that is where the Golden Middle of one shared pop music experience ended, to the extent it ever existed. But what was this shared pop experience but a reflection of lack of alternatives? As the pop or rather non classical music industry matured, it became better and better at offering music that a smaller contingent would enjoy but not necessarily music that all would love. Diversity necessarily means we have to agree to disagree. Paranoid may be a nebulous 'everybody's' favourite Black Sabbath but it isn't my numero uno favourite as a diehard Sabbath fan and I know many fans of that band who would agree. The 'world' may remember Carpenters for their reworking of Close To You or Rainy Days and Mondays but I prefer I Need To Be In Love. I am not trying to be contrarian at all. I simply listen to the back catalogue and make my own choices rather than feel compelled to account for why the 'world' likes something. In any case, living in India, I am well aware that the world has never always listened to the same songs. There are a bunch of worlds and they can all be awesome. So take your pick.

Yup. There are great songs, there are songs that sound great to many, there are songs that sound great to only a few - there was another thread - @BarNotchky was that you who started the greatest lyrics thread? There is a more tangible sense of the best lyrics than something abstract like the greatest songs. There are too many dimensions to what we define as great.

I was talking to a budding classical artist a few years ago on Carnatic versus hindustani music and he was telling me that while there is nothing to distinguish between the two genres and that they are equally great, an untrained ear will prefer hindustani music because of the lower lyrical and a 'softer' touch to the songs, while the one who is trained to listen to carnatic can appreciate it better. This is often the reason why when someone from the west asks me to share indian classical music, I often select a piece on the sitar or santoor and if they are further interested I push them towards Carnatic.

I digress in the above but largely my point is that 'greatness' is also defined by who finds it great.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Yup. There are great songs, there are songs that sound great to many, there are songs that sound great to only a few - there was another thread - @BarNotchky was that you who started the greatest lyrics thread? There is a more tangible sense of the best lyrics than something abstract like the greatest songs. There are too many dimensions to what we define as great.

I was talking to a budding classical artist a few years ago on Carnatic versus hindustani music and he was telling me that while there is nothing to distinguish between the two genres and that they are equally great, an untrained ear will prefer hindustani music because of the lower lyrical and a 'softer' touch to the songs, while the one who is trained to listen to carnatic can appreciate it better. This is often the reason why when someone from the west asks me to share indian classical music, I often select a piece on the sitar or santoor and if they are further interested I push them towards Carnatic.

I digress in the above but largely my point is that 'greatness' is also defined by who finds it great.

Absolutely, it's all about what you have learnt to appreciate or are used to. I didn't grow up in the American South and will never be able to truly appreciate country music, but that doesn't mean Johnny Cash wasn't great. He was great for those who appreciated that kind of music.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Maybe a tossup between The Beatles' Yesterday, the Stones' Satisfaction, Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick (is that one song?), White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane, Take Five or Blue Rondo a la Turk by Dave Brubeck, My Favorite Things by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Summertime by Billie Holiday (excellent version by Janis Joplin), Peggy Lee's Fever, Chick Corea's Spain and his What Game Shall We Play Today, Sergio Mendes' Mas Que Nada, Miles Davis' All Blues and Concierto de Aranjuez (Sketches of Spain).

Liner note: White Rabbit (by Grace Slick) was inspired by Lewis Carol, Ravel's Bolero and Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain. And, of course, LSD.

 

[SinneGOAT]

I’m way too “uneducated” to have these talks, I love music but I know very little of the hidden meanings of jazz or music theory or classical in the 20th century. However this past century was full of wonderful music, and I appreciate it on a daily basis.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

A few more to add to my list of considerations: Samba Pa Ti, Oye Como Va (Tito Puente), Black Magic Woman (Peter Green) as performed by Santana. Stormy Monday, a classic covered by Lee Michaels, The Allman Brothers, T-Bone Walker (composer), Bobby "Blue" Bland, Cream, Eva Cassidy and numerous others.

Absolutely, it's all about what you have learnt to appreciate or are used to. I didn't grow up in the American South and will never be able to truly appreciate country music, but that doesn't mean Johnny Cash wasn't great. He was great for those who appreciated that kind of music.

I didn't grow up in the American South either. But there are a number of country songs & artists I'd mention before I got to Johnny Cash...

Crazy, written by Willie Nelson with outstanding performances by Patsy Cline and Linda Ronstadt. Jolene, written by Dolly Parton. I'm So Lonesome I Could Die by Hank Williams. Breathe, Faith Hill. You're Still The One, Shania Twain. Foggy Mountain Breakdown (Foggy Mountain Boys). Linda Ronstadt performing You're No Good, Blue Bayou, Desperado, Long Long Time, Heatwave, and Crazy. And, from The Eagles, Lyin' Eyes, Desperado and Hotel California.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

And the original Patsy Cline version:

Oops, looks like @Tennis_Hands beat me to it.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

A few more to add to my list of considerations: Samba Pa Ti, Oye Como Va (Tito Puente), Black Magic Woman (Peter Green) as performed by Santana. Stormy Monday, a classic covered by Lee Michaels, The Allman Brothers, T-Bone Walker (composer), Bobby "Blue" Bland, Cream, Eva Cassidy and numerous others.


I didn't grow up in the American South either. But there are a number of country songs & artists I'd mention before I got to Johnny Cash...

Crazy, written by Willie Nelson with outstanding performances by Patsy Cline and Linda Ronstadt. Jolene, written by Dolly Parton. I'm So Lonesome I Could Die by Hank Williams. Breathe, Faith Hill. You're Still The One, Shania Twain. Foggy Mountain Breakdown (Foggy Mountain Boys). Linda Ronstadt performing You're No Good, Blue Bayou, Desperado, Long Long Time, Heatwave, and Crazy. And, from The Eagles, Lyin' Eyes, Desperado and Hotel California.

I don't like most of those songs either. Or rather, I would say I don't mind them at all but they don't excite me.

I guess the one sorta country like thing I really enjoy is Danny Gatton or Albert Lee going crazy on guitar. The vocal stuff is, for a want of a better word, boring to me.

 

[Vcore89]

Damone gave Ratner the right advice on making the perfect first date in Fast Times At Ridgemont High, “And five, this is the most important, Rat. When making out, whenever possible, put on side 1 Led Zeppelin IV.” They had to settle for Physical Graffiti and Kashmir when Ratner played the tape in his sister’s car because screenwriter Cameron Crowe wasn’t able to get Page/Plant to let Stairway To Heaven be used in either Fast Times or his subsequent autobiographical film Almost Famous.

Using logic, rock was the most popular genre of the century and every classic rock radio station poll from listeners lists STH as at least top 3, if not #1. Subjectively, there’s not too many live covers of songs that can make me tear up a bit at the end when a whole chorus of background singers appear for the anthem’s crescendo wearing the signature bowler hat of deceased drummer John Bonham. That his son plays so closely to his style and salutes his legendary Dad’s mates in their box is even more emotional. What a great 8 minutes or so that still sounds fresh!

Sir, is this a subliminal nod to Enrique's choicest ''unreachableness''?

 

[Vcore89]

A few more to add to my list of considerations: Samba Pa Ti, Oye Como Va (Tito Puente), Black Magic Woman (Peter Green) as performed by Santana. Stormy Monday, a classic covered by Lee Michaels, The Allman Brothers, T-Bone Walker (composer), Bobby "Blue" Bland, Cream, Eva Cassidy and numerous others.


I didn't grow up in the American South either. But there are a number of country songs & artists I'd mention before I got to Johnny Cash...

Crazy, written by Willie Nelson with outstanding performances by Patsy Cline and Linda Ronstadt. Jolene, written by Dolly Parton. I'm So Lonesome I Could Die by Hank Williams. Breathe, Faith Hill. You're Still The One, Shania Twain. Foggy Mountain Breakdown (Foggy Mountain Boys). Linda Ronstadt performing You're No Good, Blue Bayou, Desperado, Long Long Time, Heatwave, and Crazy. And, from The Eagles, Lyin' Eyes, Desperado and Hotel California.

GOAT instrumental Latin rock.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Maybe a tossup between The Beatles' Yesterday, the Stones' Satisfaction, Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick (is that one song?), White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane, Take Five or Blue Rondo a la Turk by Dave Brubeck, My Favorite Things by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Summertime by Billie Holiday (excellent version by Janis Joplin), Peggy Lee's Fever, Chick Corea's Spain and his What Game Shall We Play Today, Sergio Mendes' Mas Que Nada, Miles Davis' All Blues and Concerto de Aranjuez (Sketches of Spain).

Liner note: White Rabbit (by Grace Slick) was inspired by Lewis Carol, Ravel's Bolero and Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain. And, of course, LSD.

FYI I thought about adding a couple more Great American Songbook/Tin Pan Alley songs, but decided against it because most of 'em are too highbrow to appeal to a mass audience. (For instance I'm not sure any Cole Porter song would make my top 50.) And yes, I'd put "Stardust" among that group of well-known titles that are more popular among the musicians than among the general public, though it's an admittedly close call.

A better pick I'd say is "My Favorite Things" (Rogers and Hammerstein, of course), though I don't care much for most straightforward versions of the Sound of Music favorite and prefer this famous rendition instead:

But Patsy's "Crazy" is a good choice. Will try to include some country gems in my next update.

A rather obscure "Les Feuilles mortes" (literally "The Dead Leaves") - Wiki doesn't name it even among the "Other versions" - but if there's a more seductive, sultry version in any language, do let me know.

*Johnny Mercer translated into English the original French lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert, better known for his work as a screenwriter for Marcel Carné's films including Le Jour se lève (Daybreak, 1939), Les Visiteurs du soir (The Night Visitors, 1942) and Les Enfants du paradis/Children of Paradise (1945). In both cases the music is by Joseph Kosma.

Of course you can't talk about Piaf and neglect to mention her signature chanson:

I had not realized that some of my choices had already been mentioned early in the thread. I tend not to read exceedingly long posts unless they happen to be my own. The Edith Piaf reminded me a bit of Patty Larkin channeling Marlene Dietrich, Carmen Miranda and Ethel Merman.

Have always loved the Coltrane version of My Favorite Things as well as a number of vocal versions of it. You may consider it sacrilegious but one of my newer favorite versions is this amusing Xmas/Frito Lay rendition from Anna Kendrick:

 

[Pmasterfunk]

How do you settle on a greatest? Cultural influence? Lyrics? Presence/performance? Artistic value? Historical significance? Musical heights?

It's almost sad how so much online discourse is so heavily biased to western sensibilities, it really narrows down the range of content that gets publicity and coverage. Look at Rolling Stone's top 500 albums of all time, and the vast majority of them are from the US and UK, and by UK I mostly mean British Invasion stuff. I only remember seeing one album from an African artist, Fela Kuti. No Arabic music, no Indian music, no east Asian music - and these are all very reductive categories to begin with - but we got a Madonna compilation album.

I mean even for a western only list, it's pretty bad. There are only like 5 jazz albums - the most recent being from 1970 - not a single classical record, no Zappa, but thank god we got Blur and Britney Spears!

 

[stringertom]

Fur Elise!! Another overplayed one is Pachelbel's Canon. And Eine Kliene... The last used to be a ringtone on many phones.

I haven't even heard of most of the songs mentioned in this thread but "Somewhere over the rainbow" has always been one of my favourites. Along with Moon River. And of course, "Singin' in the Rain."

Ewe lye! Ewer avatar sez ewe prefur The Way You Look Tonight or One For My Baby (and One More For The Road.) My knowledge uv Pink Sentinel tells me ewe mite reely lyke Wish You Were Here or Another Brick In The Wall.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

It's almost sad how so much online discourse is so heavily biased to western sensibilities, it really narrows down the range of content that gets publicity and coverage. Look at Rolling Stone's top 500 albums of all time, and the vast majority of them are from the US and UK, and by UK I mostly mean British Invasion stuff. I only remember seeing one album from an African artist, Fela Kuti. No Arabic music, no Indian music, no east Asian music - and these are all very reductive categories to begin with - but we got a Madonna compilation album.

I mean even for a western only list, it's pretty bad. There are only like 5 jazz albums - the most recent being from 1970 - not a single classical record, no Zappa, but thank god we got Blur and Britney Spears!

To be fair, it's difficult to make a representative list for all of the WORLD because it would encompass so many styles, so many cultures and sub cultures. You cannot make an unbiased list of greatest songs just for India. If you're from the North, you will completely ignore the music from South India. If you're from one of the Southern states, you will be blindsided towards the music of the other Southern states. Even if you're open minded to all of these, you may not be interested in Bengali music. At the end of the day, we all have our experiences shaped by the sub culture and environment we were/are a part of. Which is precisely why you can't have one 'greatest songs' list. And it doesn't prove anything by itself if you can find Indians who know some Beatles or Michael Jackson songs. That stuff was just popular enough to travel all the way across the world. Lots of other music doesn't get promoted that way and will never reach so many people. That doesn't make it 'less great'. And I say this as a huge Beatles fan. So it's not a knock on them. But I just happen to like so much other stuff from the West, so I know that Beatles represents but a small sliver of the Western rock and pop music experience.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

My 2¢

Huzzah. Needed this. And thanks for the reminder... I just realized that I had left the cake out in the rain yet again.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Have always loved that re-worked old Russian balalaika / violin tune performed by Mary Hopkins (and produced by Beatle Paul).

First heard that Satchmo rendering of 'Wonderful World' in the film, Good Morning, Vietnam. And again in 12 Monkeys and other shows / films. Also a huge fan of Jimmy Durante singing Make Someone Happy in the film, Sleepless in Seattle. Great soundtrack BTW... also featured songs by Nat King Cole, Louie Armstrong, Tammy Wynette Joe Cocker, Harry Connick Jr, Celine Dion, Carly Simon and others.

 

[Sudacafan]

I really can’t make up my mind.
This is even harder than a GOAT discussion.

 

[Pmasterfunk]

I don't like most of those songs either. Or rather, I would say I don't mind them at all but they don't excite me.

I guess the one sorta country like thing I really enjoy is Danny Gatton or Albert Lee going crazy on guitar. The vocal stuff is, for a want of a better word, boring to me.

I didn't expect to see Danny Gatton's name on here. Definitely one of the great guitarists of the 20th century,

I think the big issue I have with Rolling Stone's list is not so much that the content isn't good or important, but there's a certain pretention about the "greatest albums of all time" being almost exclusive to english popular music, and how accessibility is a big part of why most albums were picked. I feel like there's a trend in music (and other media as well) that peak has already been achieved, the GOAT albums have already been made, there's not point in looking at anything else, but "we also gotta keep up with da young kids, so let's put Kanye in there", without really looking outside of mainstream pop for more recent great albums. The RS critics' tastes haven't evolved very much in the past 30-40 years, their understanding of music outside of pop/classic rock is still really limited. Kinda like how in Guitar Player magazine the "best solo of all time" voted is still Stairway to Heaven, even though it wasn't even the greatest rock solo at the time of its release. I think it's especially noticeable as a jazz fan, and I can't imagine what it might feel like for classical fans, or for people who live in places where local musical culture is so different to mainstream pop music that the whole concept of "good music" is extremely limiting.

Here's one video about "musical IQ" that explains in much better terms:

 

[Genious at Work]

If I ever hear that fat Hawaiian guy with the ukulele singing OTR I will cut my veins with a rusty nail.

I also can't say I agree with some of the choices in this thread. Unbelievable that Irving Berlin hasn't even been mentioned. Wow. Are you people from Mars?

Songs like White Christmas and What'll I do? (from Berlin) are GOAT material. The same goes for Someone to Watch over Me (Gerschwin) To each his own, but I have always thought that Over the Rainbow is just too saccharine for my tastes.

I also like Ebb Tide much more than Unchained Melody, but people tend to disagree.

Not to mention there is a ton of great music that was made in Europe in the first half of the 20th Century too.

If we get into Rock and Pop from the second half then that's a whole different topic.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

If I ever hear that fat Hawaiian guy with the ukulele singing OTR I will cut my veins with a rusty nail.

I also can't say I agree with some of the choices in this thread. Unbelievable that Irving Berlin hasn't even been mentioned. Wow. Are you people from Mars?

Songs like White Christmas and What'll I do? (from Berlin) are GOAT material. The same goes for Someone to Watch over Me (Gerschwin) To each his own, but I have always thought that Over the Rainbow is just too saccharine for my tastes.

I also like Ebb Tide much more than Unchained Melody, but people tend to disagree.

Not to mention there is a ton of great music that was made in Europe in the first half of the 20th Century too.

If we get into Rock and Pop from the second half then that's a whole different topic.

Hey, No more disparaging IZ remarks!

Talking about saccharin... love the voices of Mathis and Crosby but absolutely hate the intros and the syrupy pop strings. Wish there was a simple way to remove those while keeping the vocals intact.

 

[stringertom]

For @Genious at Work : cannot believe you don’t see the beauty of SourFresh’s little bro’s purrphormantz:

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

For @Genious at Work : cannot believe you don’t see the beauty of SourFresh’s little bro’s purrphormantz:

Luv it. Never get enuff of this. Tiz a cryin shame Iz passed at 38 of respiratory failure.

Uh-oh, we better keep those rusty nails out of the reach of GaW. Quick, b4 he finds a vein.

 

[Midaso240]

Greatest songs or greatest records? You will note the grammy awards have separate categories for 'song of the year' and 'record of the year'. For instance, for The Beatles you mention Yesterday first. Great song, but as a finished product is it as good as A Day In The Life? Or Strawberry Fields Forever? Not sure there are any songs mentioned yet that would make my personal top 250 songs which is to say nothing of the quality of the songs mentioned but is an indicator of the vastness of popular music which can certainly never be taken in by any one person in a lifetime

 

[Dolgopolov85]

I think the big issue I have with Rolling Stone's list is not so much that the content isn't good or important, but there's a certain pretention about the "greatest albums of all time" being almost exclusive to english popular music, and how accessibility is a big part of why most albums were picked. I feel like there's a trend in music (and other media as well) that peak has already been achieved, the GOAT albums have already been made, there's not point in looking at anything else, but "we also gotta keep up with da young kids, so let's put Kanye in there", without really looking outside of mainstream pop for more recent great albums. The RS critics' tastes haven't evolved very much in the past 30-40 years, their understanding of music outside of pop/classic rock is still really limited. Kinda like how in Guitar Player magazine the "best solo of all time" voted is still Stairway to Heaven, even though it wasn't even the greatest rock solo at the time of its release.

All exceedingly well said. I particularly agree with the part about best guitar solo. I know that some weird insistence on blues by these pince-nez wearing, frowning rock critics automatically disqualifies masterpiece solos like Kid Charlemagne or Tornado of Souls. But even from the same blues space, how about Love Is A Lie?

At least Love is A Lie is - again - a not so popular song but I would really like to know why is the Back In Black solo inferior to Stairway To Heaven. It's one of the most succinct and effective leads out there.

This kinda cliche-fication of the genre and then insisting that these cliches are the greatest because they - the critics - said so is there even in genres like jazz. Until you get into really hardcore jazz circles, you won't find people talking about a musician like Barbara Dennerlein and she is just straight up one of the greatest jazz musicians. Nobody else has shown that kind of ability to play independent layers on organ and bass pedal simultaneously and she's made some great albums too.

 

[BarNotchky]

Huzzah. Needed this. And thanks for the reminder... I just realized that I had left the cake out in the rain yet again.

I hear fruit cake is actually better after a good drenching.

 

[stringertom]

I hear fruit cake is actually better after a good drenching.

Quite good when soaked in rum.

 

[NonP]

Digging the discussion as to what makes a song (or any piece of music) great. FYI I purposely left that part (mostly) hazy so y'all would be coming up with some offbeat choices... and so far you haven't disappointed!

On to (some of) the replies:

How do you settle on a greatest? Cultural influence? Lyrics? Presence/performance? Artistic value? Historical significance? Musical heights?

More often than not, popular culture will override anything that can be achieved musically and which is why classical music is just not popular. That said, classical music that most people have 'heard' somewhere or have been popularized in a different context will always supercede any other song since they are already musically, much enriched. A simple case in point - Fur Elise is so popular among people who have zilch knowledge of music only because the music has been played so often - cars, wound up clocks play this music for instance that it's almost eternal.

I don't know about specific timeframes but it's hard to pick on a few and great music often tends to affect some people in different ways.

I wanted to be inclusive, so basically what you think will still be enjoyed - and sung! - by pros and amateurs alike centuries from now. Every one of those criteria is fair game and how you weigh them will and should determine your picks.

BTW "Für Elise" definitely ain't "eternal" "only because the music has been played so often"! I know it's hard to warm to this arguably most ubiquitous of all instruments of childhood torture everywhere, but that shortchanges just how much Ludwig managed to pack into this seemingly minor confection. You might find this interesting:

Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’ Doesn’t Deserve Your Eye Rolls (Published 2021)

It is overplayed all over pop culture. But the pianist Igor Levit says it is “one of the most beautiful pieces I know.”

www.nytimes.com

And obviously "Elise" is from the 19th century, but it sure is a great "song" and if you or anyone else wants to nominate a comparable classical piece from the last century that's totally cool! The closest equivalent I can think of:

FYI "Clair de lune" is just one of the four movements that comprise Debussy's piano suite Suite bergamasque, which actually dates from as early as 1890 before its revision and publication in 1905, but hey who's counting.

Another one that definitely qualifies as a song of sorts (an aria to be exact) and has achieved as much ubiquity:

That rendition is, ahem, one of my favourite things (I love Coltrane).

Same here, and I even love Trane's post-Love Supreme stuff (though I could do without the "cosmic" rigmarole) and still maintain that "Spiritual," or its main theme at any rate, is among the most beautiful music ever written:

BTW check out the Classic Quartet's scorching delivery of the R&H classic at the Half Note if you haven't already:

As for Kern, lots of great material to choose from obviously, though I wouldn't put "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" up there especially in the current context. A more suitable pick would be "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" (which I prefer to "Ol' Man River") or "The Way You Look Tonight":

But I return to what I (or Dylan for that matter) said about this music vs. the mainstream. Just compare contemporary Broadway with the classic musicals of yore and the contrast in level of sophistication and craftsmanship is quite stark. Music for better or worse has become more democratic (or cruder, if you prefer), and I say that's mostly for the better.

All the best songs seem to echo some profound emptiness and some defiant answer to that emptiness.

Believe Charles Schulz once said there's no comedy without tragedy. He was right, of course, and art is a never-ending dance for supremacy between the two.

Which brings me to this:

I really can’t make up my mind.
This is even harder than a GOAT discussion.

The question boils down to what you value most in your life, so yes, it's supposed to be harder than any tennis talk.

I have expressed similar sentiments in an earlier greatest singer thread. But... there really isn't a bunch of songs all can agree on as the greatest. I posit that the reason NonP's list draws to an end with a couple of Beatles ballads is because that is where the Golden Middle of one shared pop music experience ended, to the extent it ever existed. But what was this shared pop experience but a reflection of lack of alternatives? As the pop or rather non classical music industry matured, it became better and better at offering music that a smaller contingent would enjoy but not necessarily music that all would love. Diversity necessarily means we have to agree to disagree. Paranoid may be a nebulous 'everybody's' favourite Black Sabbath but it isn't my numero uno favourite as a diehard Sabbath fan and I know many fans of that band who would agree. The 'world' may remember Carpenters for their reworking of Close To You or Rainy Days and Mondays but I prefer I Need To Be In Love. I am not trying to be contrarian at all. I simply listen to the back catalogue and make my own choices rather than feel compelled to account for why the 'world' likes something. In any case, living in India, I am well aware that the world has never always listened to the same songs. There are a bunch of worlds and they can all be awesome. So take your pick.

For the record I'm actually not a great fan of any of those McCartney ballads (or Paul himself for that matter), and I generally prefer the Beatles' more adventurous stuff vs. their biggest hits. But that those songs have struck a deep chord with a worldwide audience is undeniable, hence their (almost honorary) mention.

As to whether "the Golden Middle" ever existed or is possible now or even to begin with - that's a big question (or two or three). My take is that, yes, it was and still is possible, though our standards by which to judge what everyone is reading/watching/listening to have changed dramatically thanks to you-know-what. You already know I like to point to GoT as the latest example, but to call it a TV show is an outdated misnomer as many of us stream it at whatever time of our choosing instead, and that ain't including millions more who use torrents, bootlegs or whatever to watch the same thing. Likewise if Rowling released any of her Harry Potter books today many of her "readers" would no doubt be listening to them on audio. And of course we've got online "radio," YouTube and other streaming options we use for music, and nobody listens to "records" these days unless you happen to be a weirdo like moi who still buys CDs (and LPs for others).

Just the different modes of our consumption alone make it dicey to talk of a "universal" anything, even more so when you consider how each entertainment industry is increasingly catering to more niche markets. So does that mean a new Michael Jackson or Madonna is a thing of the past? By traditional criteria, yes, but then our criteria are constantly changing - case in point: the Billboard 200 began counting YouTube plays for its chart tabulation starting last year - and I'd also argue we currently have no pop artist equal to either of these two giants in their prime (Gaga seemed to be well on her way to challenging Madge, but has recently hit one snag after another). Plus one could argue that, if anything, the 24/7 news cycle and the internet make it more likely for the next Beatles or MJ to emerge as they can now reach practically the whole wide world in an instant and be promoted for a fraction of yesteryear's marketing budget.

Plenty of others will disagree, of course, and that's what makes this discussion so fun.

Not exactly a song, but I would put Stravinsky's Rite of Spring as one of the most important, if not greatest, musical pieces of the 20th century.

Arguably the musical watershed of the century, yes, though not exactly for mass consumption.

Absolutely, it's all about what you have learnt to appreciate or are used to. I didn't grow up in the American South and will never be able to truly appreciate country music, but that doesn't mean Johnny Cash wasn't great. He was great for those who appreciated that kind of music.

FYI my pop and mom both loved country well before setting foot in the US and without ever (to my knowledge) visiting the American South. And the likes of Garth, Shania and Taylor are literally not your parents' country.

So it's probably as much of a generational thing as of a geographical one, though the recent crossover success of Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves (both fab singer-songwriters) illustrates yet again that our criteria are constantly evolving.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Certainly is a generational thing to some extent because I know a few elders over here who would probably be more receptive to country than me. But then, they aren't hardcore buffs. They just like it the way they like oldies pop. I come from a background of digging dynamic music with lots of moving parts and that's where country doesn't really grab me. Makes sense that rock and jazz are what I dig most. I like classical up to a point. I mean it has more moving parts than anything else. But by its nature, classical music doesn't have grooves and licks and I want that too. I am greedy.

 

[Teslar]

This is surely one of the most memorable songs.

 

[stringertom]

This is surely one of the most memorable songs.

Written and first performed by: