The Fifty Best Rock & Roll Songs

Rock & roll music has recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. To commemorate this event, we put together a list of songs that have had the greatest influence on rock music. Or maybe they're just great tunes, sounding as fresh and vibrant today as when they were heard for the very first time.

With all the musical genres of rock & roll, it's impossible to select only fifty.
So we'll make an exception and give you the 2 x 50 best.


AC/DC - Highway to Hell
Aerosmith - Dream On
The Allman Brothers Band - Whipping Post
The Animals - The House of the Rising Sun
The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
The Beach Boys - California Girls
The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
The Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand
The Beatles - A Day in the Life
The Beatles - Yesterday
The Bee Gees - Stayin’ Alive
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode
Blondie - Heart of Glass
Booker T. & The MG’s - Green Onions
David Bowie - Space Oddity
The Box Tops - The Letter
Jackson Browne – The Pretender
The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
Chicago - Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
Chubby Checker - The Twist
Eric Clapton - After Midnight
Dave Clark Five - Glad All Over
The Clash - London Calling
Coldplay - Clocks
Sam Cooke - You Send Me
Cream - Sunshine of Your Love
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
The Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)
Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
Derek and the Dominos - Layla
Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill
The Doors - Light My Fire
Bob Dylan - Blowin’ in the Wind
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
The Eagles - Hotel California
The Everly Brothers - Bye Bye Love
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
The Four Seasons - Walk Like a Man
The Grateful Dead – Truckin’
Bill Haley & His Comets - (We’re Gonna) Rock around the Clock
Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze
Buddy Holly and the Crickets - That’ll Be the Day
Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Tommy James and the Shondells – Mony Mony
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Billy Joel - Just the Way You Are
Elton John - Your Song
Janis Joplin - Piece of My Heart
Carole King - You’ve Got a Friend
The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
The Kinks - Lola
Kiss - Rock and Roll All Nite
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
John Lennon - Imagine
The Lovin’ Spoonful - Do You Believe in Magic
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
Madonna - Like a Virgin
The Mamas and the Papas - California Dreamin’
Paul McCartney - Maybe I’m Amazed
Don McLean - American Pie
Joni Mitchell - Both Sides, Now
The Monkees - I’m a Believer
The Moody Blues - Nights in White Satin
Van Morrison - Moondance
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Pearl Jam - Jeremy
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - American Girl
Pink Floyd - Money
The Police - Every Breath You Take
Elvis Presley - Love Me Tender
The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
Prince - When Doves Cry
Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated
Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away
Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side
Little Richard - Good Golly, Miss Molly
The Rolling Stones - (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
The Rolling Stones - Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs - Wooly Bully
Santana - Black Magic Woman
Bob Segar and the Silver Bullet Band - Night Moves
Simon and Garfunkel – Sounds of Silence
Paul Simon - Graceland
Sly & the Family Stone - Dance to the Music
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
Steely Dan - Reelin’ in the Years
Steppenwolf - Born to Be Wild
Rod Stewart - Maggie May
The Surfaris - Wipe Out
T. Rex - Bang a Gong (Get It On)
Talking Heads - Life During Wartime
James Taylor - Fire and Rain
Traffic - Dear Mr. Fantasy
U2 - I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Van Halen - Jump
The Ventures - Walk Don’t Run
War - Spill the Wine
The Who - My Generation
The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again
Yes - Roundabout
Neil Young - Heart of Gold
The Young Rascals - Good Lovin’
ZZ Top - Legs