“American Pie” – Don McLean
“Bohemian Rhapsody” – Queen
“Hey Ya” – Outkast
“London Calling” – The Clash
“Nuthin But a G Thang” – Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg
“Respect” – Aretha Franklin
“Purple Rain” – Prince
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana
“Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin
“Welcome to the Jungle” – Guns N Roses
I think Prince – who had to be on the ballot in some way – should have been represented by either “Kiss” (his best song and one of the most-covered songs of the last thirty years) or “When Doves Cry” (probably more iconic than “Kiss”), both of which hit #1 in the U.S.
Not a Skynyrd fan, I had to include Freebird.
I have no problems with 9/10 of your list, Keith, though I voted differently. But how is “Hey Ya” an iconic song? That was the only song for which I was aware of the music scene at the time it was released, and I don’t recall it having that much of an impact. I certainly could be remembering incorrectly though, and am curious as to your reasoning for its inclusion. Thanks.
I’m not really a Metallica fan, but that list is missing Enter Sandman.
That list is missing more than a song or two. JoePo is a lot of things, but a music expert is not one of them. I think one of his strengths is not trying to be too “big picture” about things, so it’s not a surprise that he overlooks a lot of touchstones. I don’t really see how someone who isn’t a fan of The Beatles could seriously represent the rock era. And that’s just one nitpick.
Freebird and Thriller had to be included on my ballot, they were 2 of the first 6 I voted for.
I think Prince’s song should have been “When Doves Cry.” Although I still voted for Purple Rain.
Agree with Scott on “Hey Ya.” If you wanted a southern rap song, Outkast would be a good places to go, with “Rosa Parks.”
Two simple arguments in favor of “Hey Ya.” One, it pushed a phrase into the vernacular of the day (“Shake it like a Polaroid picture”)
Two, and this is more directed at Matt’s comment, it’s really not a southern rap song. It was and remains a genre-defier: It incorporates elements of rock, funk, soul, and hip-hop, and even a little folk into one incredibly tight song. I doubt you could identify a single song more emblematic of the proliferation of genres on pop charts in the early 2000s than this one.
I think a lot of people would point to the Black Eyed Peas for that type of fusion.
keith,
I’m not a huge fan of the “pushed a phrase” argument, as it can be said about a lot of catchy pop songs. I would say some even much more so that Hey Ya like “Who Let The Dogs Out” for instance.
You are right, that album Outkast, more so Andre 3000, went even further outside of genre, and I should have phrased it “if you wanted an Outkast song, Rosa Parks would have been my choice.” I’m skeptical about it’s power to hold up with the iconic songs over time.
To each their own, but like I said I think Freebird, Thriller, and also God Save the Queen have been more iconic.
I’m a little surprised that “Friends in Low Places” isn’t considered by many of the voters as iconic. Granted, folks in these parts of the internet tend more Gen-X than New Country, but think about this for a minute: a smash hit single by a man who would tromp all over the boundary between “Country” and “Pop” on the charts, a song that dragged Nashville into the mainstream. Socially, this song/phenomemon is associated (in my imperfect recollection, anyway) with the shift in the Republican party from libertarian and ficsal conservativism to social conservativism and “family values.” The song is about anti-elite, “down home” ideals. I don’t particularly *like* “Friends in Low Places,” but it absolutely defines an era in American culture.
i’m’ probably to young to be young to completely understand the impact. Still, I’ll have quick go. VERY subject to change.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana
“I Want To Hold Your Hand” Beatles
“Johnny B. Goode” Chuck Berry
“Purple Haze” Prince
“American Pie” Don McLean
“Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen
“Hotel California” The Eagles
“Enter Sandman” Metallica
“Freebird” Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Like a Rolling Stone” Bob Dylan
Really wanted to put in Pearl Jam in over Nirvana but I just couldn’t do it. “One” for U2 I thought about, since they almost broke up.
“Hey Ya” isn’t a bad song, but I just don’t think it’s going to hold up like those others. Music more so than any other medium seems prone to having recent work fall inappropriately high on lists before we’ve really gotten a chance to see it age. For example, when VH1 did their top 100 songs of the last 25 years (which I think was 1979-2004 at the time), “Lose Yourself” was in the top five. How silly does that look now?
I agree about recent-ism on lists like these – part of why I like that Bloomsbury good reading guide is that they arbitrarily set a cutoff of 1950 – but Joe didn’t set any cutoff, and in fact has at least one more recent song on the ballot (“Crazy,” which I love but seems less likely to stand the test of time). I remain quite convinced that “Hey Ya” will still be popular, for its age, 20 or 30 years from now, and will be recognized as one of the highlights of what has in general been a very low period for rap/hip-hop.
This is a personal exercise so I suppose it is somewhat pointless to quibble with anyone’s choices, but I am sort of curious to know how you defined “iconic”. I found it interesting that you felt compelled to represent Prince on your list, but you did not choose anything to represent rock music from the mid-50s to the late-60s (Stairway is from ’71 so the late-60s cutoff is somewhat arbitrary).
Despite being approximately the same age as you, I chose 5 songs from the period ’54-’69, 2 from the ’70s, 2 from the ’80s, and 1 from the ’90s. Your list is significantly newer than mine. To me something iconic is emblematic/representative of a time and genre, and has to be time-tested. I think something becomes iconic mostly in hindsight. I am not sure in 2025 we will look back at Hey Ya and say it was representative of the early ’00s.
Again, this is largely subjective, but just my 2 cents.
It’s probably just my contrarian nature but I’d love to see a list of the 10 songs that should be iconic but aren’t. I may have to get on that before the day is done.
Can’t argue with your selections though.
I’m a little bit surprised by the songs I wound up selecting. I had only one post-1990 song (“Smells Like Teen Spirit”). The next closest was, I believe, “Thriller.” And why do I find that iconic? I doubt I would have included it, until I saw prisoners in Cebu Prison dancing to it. That cinched it for me. (What can I say, I’m an easy sell.)
And I had to make sure to get “Mack the Knife” on my list.
Sure, he didn’t set any cutoff, and the inclusion of GB’s “Crazy” is howlingly tone-deaf (I like it too, but give me a break, iconic?), and obviously you’re allowed to buy “Hey Ya” as iconic. I personally don’t, but that’s why music debates are so interesting and yet simultaneously so frustrating.
My list:
American Pie
Johnny B. Goode
My Generation
Nuthin’ but a G Thang
Purple Haze
Respect
Satisfaction
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Stairway to Heaven
I Want to Hold Your Hand
My ten votes were (in alphabetical order):
“Good Vibrations” – Beach Boys: Represented not just “surf music”, but 1960s American pop/rock in general.
“Hotel California” – The Eagles: Perhaps the one vote I would (should?) rethink, but I believe it’s the most iconic “corporate rock” song from the 1970s, and also represents the large “country rock” genre.
“Hound Dog” – Elvis – Brought rock’s R&B and blues roots to the masses; 1950s rock icon to the extreme.
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” – The Beatles: The essense of the British Invasion, and the lead hit in The Beatles string of world domination.
“Johnny B. Goode” – Chuck Berry: Pure 1950s rock ‘n roll, and the perfect song to play to someone who doesn’t know what “rock music” is.
“Like a Rolling Stone” – Bob Dylan: Symbolizes the counter-culture revolution of the 1960s; amazing songwriting skill…and, incidently, inspired the names of perhaps the most iconic rock magaine and rock band.
“Satisfaction” – Rolling Stones: Took the relatively “safe” rock of the 1950s and 1960s and began turning it on its head; how many hits of the time got away with mentioning the singer’s lack of “girly action”?!
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana: Already discussed a lot at Joe’s blog. Long story short, it redefined what “rock” music would (or could) be from 1992 until the present.
“Thriller” – Michael Jackson: Pure 1980s pop. Knew no cultural bounds. I would have preferred “Beat It” (which I think needs to take precedent over any Prince song) or “Billie Jean”, but “Thriller” will do too.
“Welcome to the Jungle” – Guns ‘n Roses: Perhaps the best example of 1980s metal. Unlike “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, it better represents the aggression of the band, and of the genre in general.
I’m with Keith on Hey Ya. In my opinion, it’s the most brilliant pop song of all time.
You’re all forgetting one thing: “Hey Ya” was the most feared song of its era.
Joal echoed my reasoning on “Welcome to the Jungle” – that album legitimized “hair metal” by toughening it and bringing a better quality of songwriting, and the opening strains of that song are still pretty widely recognized and heard.
Redemption Song is without a doubt a top 10 iconic song on any such poll. Good choice Keith.
For many, this song represents the “raise yourself by your own bootstraps” mentality that grew this country.
Arguably one of the greatest social lines in music history:
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our mind.
This list is really crying out for some Dylan, too. Joal mentioned Like a Rolling Stone, which is a good choice, if a bit controversial. I would suggest Blowin’ in the Wind; very iconic and representative of the protest songs of that era that Dylan exemplified.
Hi, Malcolm. I agree that “Blowin’ in the Wind” might be the better choice among Dylan songs…especially to represent the 1960s counter-culture movement. That said, the only Dylan song on JoePo’s ballot was “Like a Rolling Stone.” So it’ll do. 😉
Any more lists, faithful readers? What is everyone’s thoughts on “Hotel California”…does it deserve its place on a Top 10 list? Any other nominees from the 1990s or 2000s?
The one big movement missing, as much as it pains me to say it, is the renaissance of pure “pop” in the late 90s. I don’t know which song to pick, but my guess is it is either “MmmBop”, which was the door-opener, “Baby One More Time,” or “Bye Bye Bye.” Anyone my age (early to mid 20s) will absolutely recognize these songs within seconds, and involuntarily sing along. That is one of the major criteria that Joe put forward.
Keith, I understand and agree with your point about the genre combination in “Hey Ya.” But, as others have said, I don’t know that it will have the staying power.
Scott,
If you HAD to pick an iconic song from that movement, I think it would have to be “I Want It That Way”.
And yes, I am disgusted with the fact that I have an opinion on this.
@Ronaldo- completely agree
I would have loved to see something from the Tupac/Biggie era. Although they may not have made my top 10 final cut, Notorius BIG is iconic to people my age.
If the pop era of the late 1990s is significant enough to be represented (is it?!), then I think “…Baby One More Time” is it (although “Bye Bye Bye” is a strong contender as well).
That song (and video) dominated the “TRL” era on MTV like no other.
I hadn’t personally grouped “MmmBop” in with that musical scene, but it’s an interesting thought. But even if included, it doesn’t capture “the scene” like Britney’s ditty does.
“I Want It That Way” is a better choice than “Bye Bye Bye”…good call.
That said, I don’t think it tops the Britney tune…especially considering the music videos, which (for better or worse) was perhaps the defining element of the Spears single.
I want to shoot the radio when i hear it. 90’s pop drove me insane. I was more of a Wallflowers “One Headlight” type, not that it should be on the list either. Though, it is a Dylan song, so there’s my Dylan entry. Its just Jakob.
I think that entire movement is too disposable to have even its most iconic song deserve a place in the top ten all-time (not sure if that was actually the discussion, but let’s nip it in the bud either way). I mean, what could possibly be bumped by “Baby One More Time” that would make any sense? In 50 years Spears will be a total footnote, but people will still be humming “Satisfaction.” (Yes, there is some irony here in that she covered it, but that deserves to be forgotten.)
I also think a lot of this has to do with age. Most people older than I recognize the importance of ” I Want To Hold Your Hand” I was raised on the eagles and moody blues, so I might be pushed or pulled one way one the term iconic when it comes to them. But, not so much that I have “The Otherside Of Life” on my list.
Just for reference to the previous post and my list I’m a 19 year old college student.
Honestly, if you’re going to put disposable pop songs on there, “The Hustle” should be on the list.
And, on a more serious bent, we’ve completely shafted the Bee Gees, the top artist (by chart success) of the 1970s. Doesn’t “Stayin’ Alive” define an era, a look, a mood, and yet still have staying power as a song?
Yes, “Stayin’ Alive” defines an era…a very embarrassingly bad era for music, namely disco. Ugh…the sooner we forget that garbage, the better.
Stayin’ Alive is a much better and darker song than people realize. Take out that dico beat and sing it in something other than a falsetto and you’ve the best Gil-Scott Heron song that he never wrote.
No love for Layla? Clapton is GOD.
David Bowie – Changes.
It must be.
Trying to dissect songs that transcend generations? Well of course, Staylin Alive has to be in there, along with maybe another few songs. No one tends to give credit to the melody of the Bee Gees.
I agree that the Bee Gees should be getting more votes. “Staying Alive” certainly defines its era like few other songs ever have.
It appears there is a natural inclination to not vote (even anonymously) for what (in retrospect) is now generally looked down upon.
Looking back at the comments on Joe’s blog, someone just mentioned Chubby Checker’s “The Twist.” A powerful case can be made for that one too (especially if “The Shuffle” is now under consideration!).
That said, I think songs like these (“Locomotion”, “Macarena”, etc.) are more iconic DANCES (or iconic FADS) than iconic SONGS.
whoa – Keith, how can you have a list like this without Dylan? If not “Like a Rolling Stone” (shit, its the greatest song evah!) then “Visions of Johanna” or “All Along the Watchtower” ( especially Hendrix’s take). Can’t go wrong.
I’ll plump for Hey Ya.
Rather than tell you kids what’s great, though, let me tell you what’s not great.
1. American Pie. Turgid, dreary and dull. Catchy and recognizable, yes, but so is ‘1-2-3 Red Light,’ and that’s roughly 8 zillion minutes shorter.
2. Hotel California. If you must have an MOR folk-rock monster hit, for the love of all that is holy, pick another. Any other. Well, any other except ‘We Built This City.’ Not that that’s folk-rock, but you already proved yourself by picking HC, now, didn’t you?
3. Stairway to Heaven. Holy hannah, this is a band that recorded actual, good songs. Pick any of them. Kashmir, at random, is good enough its riff propelled the entire Matrix franchise. Stairway propelled that Gilligan’s Island novelty hit.
4. Freebird. I don’t care how funny it is to shout out at bad shows. Again, a band with actual, good songs. Sweet Home Alabama is like an antidote to Eurotrash radio. Freebird is like the mold you find under your wastebasket lid.
5. I Want to Hold Your Hand. Perhaps the worst Beatles hit I can imagine. I don’t even like the Beatles (though they did inspire that fine Run-DMC lyric in King of Rock), but they deserve 100x better. Please Please Me alone is ten times the song.
Personally, I am not a listmaker. I like music, and even a terrible song like American Pie can have its moments. But to proffer the above as superlative exemplars of anything but your own bad taste simply baffles.
Get out of the house and catch a rock show, kids.
wcw: I agree with much of your sentiment, but one of the key considerations is supposed to be whether the song was “iconic” of its era. You’re focusing primarily on critical evaluations of the songs … crappy songs can be emblematic of eras too.
And you sell ‘1-2-3 Red Light’ short.
Matt: Clapton’s songwriting generally leaves me cold. Good guitarist, mediocre songwriter. And speaking of 8 zillion minutes long, the outro to Layla is like a damn lullaby.
Just to be clear, I realize Layla was written by Clapton, but we are talking about the Derek and the Dominoes version, are we not???
I only voted for it because of Goodfellas…
My List:
Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Freebird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
My Generation – The Who
Imagine – John Lennon
Thriller – Michael Jackson
Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf
Georgia On My Mind – Ray Charles
The Weight – The Band
Michael Jackson should have been represented by “Billie Jean.” Looking at the list again, I should have voted for “Hound Dog” since Elvis on Ed Sullivan is one of those pop culture moments (along with the Beatles “I Want To Hold Your Hand”).
Looking at that list reinforced the fact that the 80’s sucked.
How about Loser from Beck? It is easily recognizable. It was groundbreaking in its fusion of folk and rap. It legitimized sampling in mainstream music. It was even seen as the anthem for the “slacker” generation.
What about the Chili Peppers? Maybe Under the Bridge in ’91. Everything else at that time was either electronic based pop, with the dark Seattle movement gaining across the country. RHCP were something totally different- upbeat, funky, loud.
I guess it’s really just personal preference.
Not sure I’d qualify “Under the Bridge” as upbeat… but I could definitely see an argument for RHCP as iconic. Personally, I’ll take “Give It Away.” That’s still the song that I identify RHCP with.
No Alice Cooper? Billion Dollar Babies!
And OK, Keith, I see your point about even crappy songs possibly being iconic. But recognzing that, how can you ignore the psychodelic era? In addition to the Hendrix suggestions, there was “She’s a Rainbow” from the Stones or almost anything from Sgt. Peppers and so many more representative choices from that era.
Keith,
I try to ignore the outro of Layla wasn’t written on played by him,so I don’t hold it against him.
wow, my last post in complete garbage, can’t multitask very well apparently
I try to ignore the outro of Layla. It wasn’t written or played by him, so I don’t hold it against him.
Not to deliberately be the contrarian, but no one has mentioned several iconic bands that are extremely influential, if a bit less popular in some cases. These will be the bands that continue to influence for decades.
Talking Heads (Psycho Killer, Once In A Lifetime, Born Under Punches)
Sonic Youth (Teen Age Riot)
Pixies (Where Is My Mind, Debaser, Wave of Mutilation)
R.E.M. (Radio Free Europe)
The Smiths (How Soon Is Now?)
Radiohead (The Bends, Paranoid Android)
New Order (Blue Monday)
This is just a quick sample. Since JoePo mentioned the abysmal Rock Hall which is Jenn Wenner’s fiefdom, of the eligible bands here only Talking Heads and REM are in which shows how embarrassing that Hall is.