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50 Most Iconic Songs Of All Time

And love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah…

Car maker Fiat recently commissioned a study through the University of London to determine the most iconic songs of all time. Topping the list is the Generation X angst-filled anthem, Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana.

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana

2. Imagine, John Lennon

3. One, U2

4. Billie Jean, Michael Jackson

5. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen

6. Hey Jude, The Beatles

7. Like A Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan

8. I Can’t Get No Satisfaction, Rolling Stones

9. God Save The Queen, Sex Pistols

10. Sweet Child O’Mine, Guns N’ Roses

11. London Calling, The Clash

12. Waterloo Sunset, The Kinks

13. Hotel California, The Eagles

14. Your Song, Elton John

15. Stairway To Heaven, Led Zeppelin

16. The Twist, Chubby Checker

17. Live Forever, Oasis

18. I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston

19. Life On Mars? David Bowie

20. Heartbreak Hotel, Elvis Presley

21. Over The Rainbow, Judy Garland

22. What’s Goin’ On, Marvin Gaye

23. Born To Run, Bruce Springsteen

24. Be My Baby, The Ronettes

25. Creep, Radiohead

26. Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel

27. Respect, Aretha Franklin

28. Family Affair, Sky And The Family Stone

29. Dancing Queen, ABBA

30. Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys

31. Purple Haze, Jimi Hendrix

32. Yesterday, The Beatles

33. Jonny B Good, Chuck Berry

34. No Woman No Cry, Bob Marley

35. Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley

36. Every Breath You Take, The Police

37. A Day In The Life, The Beatles

38. Stand By Me, Ben E King

39. Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag, James Brown

40. Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones

41. What’d I Say, Ray Charles

42. Sultans Of Swing, Dire Straits

43. God Only Knows, The Beach Boys

44. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling, The Righteous Brothers

45. My Generation, The Who

46. Dancing In The Street, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

47. When Doves Cry, Prince

48. A Change Is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke

49. River Deep Mountain High, Ike and Tina Turner

50. Best Of My Love, The Emotions

The Daily Mail and Salon both offer commentaries on the study.

A few of my favorites made the list including Born To Run by Springsteen and Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley. What are some of your favorite iconic songs of all time? Did any of them make the list?

Gen X Blog Jennifer Chronicles

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3 Comments

  1. Brett T

    I’m not sure what “iconic” is supposed to describe; I like most of the songs, though.

    Reply
  2. Brett

    Not a lot of 80s stuff on that list… 🙁

    Reply
  3. Victor S E Moubarak

    I’m surprised how many of the 50 songs are from the UK. No. 26 is the best, followed by 32.

    Gopd bless.

    Reply

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