Rolling Stone Magazine chose the "Most Excellent Songs Of Every Year Since 1967"

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1. The RollingStones, "Dandelion" (1967)
2. The Monkees, "What Am I Doing Hangin' Round" (1968)
3. The Beatles, "Don't Let Me Down" (1969)
4. Sly and theFamily Stone, "Everybody Is A Star" (1970)
5. James Brown, "I'm a Greedy Man" (1971)
6. David Bowie, "Starman" (1972)
7. New York Dolls, "Trash" (1973)
8. Roxy Music, "TheThrill Of It All" (1974)
9. Millie Jackson, "There You Are" (1975)
10. Lou Reed, "CrazyFeeling" (1976)
11. Television, "Marquee Moon" (1977)
12. Public ImageLtd., "Public Image" (1978)
13. Joy Division, "Disorder" (1979)
14. Mission of Burma, "Academy Fight Song" (1980)
15. Depeche Mode, "Dreaming Of Me" (1981)
16. New Order, "Temptation" (1982)
17. Prince, "LittleRed Corvette" (1983)
18. Husker Du, "Something I Learned Today" (1984)
19. Madonna, "DressYou Up" (1985)
20. Jesus and MaryChain, "My Little Underground" (1986)
21. Eric B. andRakim, "I Know You Got Soul" (1987)
22. Big Daddy Kane, "Ain?t No Half Steppin'"(1988)
23. Morrissey, "TheLast of the Famous International Playboys" (1989)
24. Nirvana, "Sliver"(1990)
25. Pavement, "Debris Slide" (1991)
26. Suede, "The Drowners" (1992)
27. Bikini Kill, "Rebel Girl" (1993)
28. Guided ByVoices, "Gold Star For Robot Boy" (1994)
29. Oasis, "Live Forever" (1995)
30. Pulp, "Common People" (1996)
31. The Notorious B.I.G., "Mo Money Mo Problems" (1997)
32. Sleater-Kinney, "Get Up" (1998)
33. The Rondelles, "Shanghai Surprise" (1999)
34. Hefner, "We LoveThe City" (2000)
35. The White Stripes, "Fell In Love With A Girl" (2001)
36. Interpol, "Roland" (2002)
37. Missy Elliott, "Let Me Fix My Weave" (2003)
38. The Hold Steady, "Killer Parties (2004)
39. FranzFerdinand, "Do You Want To" (2005)
40. Yeah YeahYeahs, "Cheated Hearts" (2006)

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/1000thsongs/1/most_excellent_songs_of_every_year_since_1967

omg wtf...

― Grand (grand), Saturday, 6 May 2006 10:27 (nineteen years ago)

omg ffs whatEVAH etc ect

but really:

28. Guided ByVoices, "Gold Star For Robot Boy" (1994)

????????

Closely followed by Oasis.

Gotta go barf.

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Saturday, 6 May 2006 10:38 (nineteen years ago)

Whatever (to the list).

Actually though, some of these picks are surprising enough to be a little interesting (not always the most obvious songs from a particular album).

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 6 May 2006 10:39 (nineteen years ago)

"See, Jann, there are these things called blogs...no hahaha those were called bongs...this is on the internet, like diaries where the writers record their tastes, y'know, like listing the records that really mean something as opposed to the ones that are most popular. So we think Rolling Stone should get on this trend while it's hot, put an authoritative stamp on the blog phenomenon. And we've got that Top How Many Whateves of Wheneves issue coming up...ah well er good idea but we were thinking Lou Reed instead of Boz Scaggs...

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 6 May 2006 11:32 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.technofile.com/images/bill&ted_collection.jpg

― Brian O'Neill (NYCNative), Saturday, 6 May 2006 11:45 (nineteen years ago)

C'mon, as always Rolling Stone is pretty decent further back, then gets lost and confused as it wanders through the present...

― J Arthur Rank (Quin Tillian), Saturday, 6 May 2006 12:26 (nineteen years ago)

It could have been a much worse list, admit it.

― zeus (zeus), Saturday, 6 May 2006 12:36 (nineteen years ago)

I've seen far worse. Some of the picks are horrid as you'd expect but others are good and/or interesting.

― Bring Me The Head of ESTEBAN BUTTEZ (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Saturday, 6 May 2006 12:42 (nineteen years ago)

yeah it could've reflected what Rolling Stone was actually covering in the last 15 years. 1993: The Year Bikini Killed = ROFFLE

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 6 May 2006 12:43 (nineteen years ago)

no Chemical Bros = no credibility

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 6 May 2006 12:45 (nineteen years ago)

Were this not a Rolling Stone "Greatest" List, and therefore by definition stupid and annoying, this would be a nice list.

― pleased to mitya (mitya), Saturday, 6 May 2006 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

without clicking on that lick, I am certain that this was compiled by Rob Sheffield…

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Saturday, 6 May 2006 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

yeah it could've reflected what Rolling Stone was actually covering in the last 15 years.

I was going to say. The idea of RS going to bat for Depeche in 1981 -- or most any time after that -- amuses me.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 May 2006 13:15 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, that's actually a really good list. It wouldn't be my list, but neither would Yours (that's an editorial Yours). And I don't think I've heard half those songs, so now I want to.

― dr. phil (josh langhoff), Saturday, 6 May 2006 13:22 (nineteen years ago)

Erm..."Common People" was released in '95. (And "Live Forever" was '94.)

― D. Bachyrycz, Saturday, 6 May 2006 13:23 (nineteen years ago)

But that would render ineligible "Gold Star for Robot Boy"...

― dr. phil (josh langhoff), Saturday, 6 May 2006 13:24 (nineteen years ago)

Come on, guys. This is a pretty good list considering it's Rolling Stone. No Beatles, Dylan, Lennon, Springsteen, Young!

It's obvious Jann Wenner had nothing to do with this.

― Jeff K (jeff k), Saturday, 6 May 2006 13:27 (nineteen years ago)

No Beatles

*coughs* 1969?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 May 2006 13:28 (nineteen years ago)

They seem to have deliberately avoided some better songs, just so they could be a bit contrary. I mean, "Dreaming of Me" as the Depeche Mode song when "Just Can't Get Enough" also came out in 1981? If you want to impress people that you heard more Interpol than "PDA", why not include "Specialist" since the Interpol EP also came out in '02?

Though they do get points for avoiding the very obvious. Plus, "Fell in Love With a Girl" really does deserve it.

(Passing over FF in 04 for Missy Elliot, but then picking them in 05? WTF)

― just another chicagoan (just another chicagoan), Saturday, 6 May 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

Anyway, my biggest problem with that list -- "Disco? What's that? (Oh wait Millie Jackson's cool cause she invented rap, right?)"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 May 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

If they love those bands so much they should put some of them on the cover instead of Heath Ledger (sp) and Simon Cowell (sp).

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:06 (nineteen years ago)

the Millie Jackson song is only one of the more perverse choices on a list that just gets weirder & more contrary as it goes on

They seem to have deliberately avoided some better songs, just so they could be a bit contrary. I mean, "Dreaming of Me" as the Depeche Mode song when "Just Can't Get Enough" also came out in 1981?

OTM. one-upsmanship w/a terminal case of the cutes...

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

21. Eric B. andRakim, "I Know You Got Soul" (1987)
22. Big Daddy Kane, "Ain?t No Half Steppin'"(1988)
23. Morrissey, "TheLast of the Famous International Playboys" (1989)
24. Nirvana, "Sliver"(1990)

this part is probably my favorite.

I can't hate any Rolling Stone lists that declares a RONDELLES song to be the best of 1999. This is near dada-esque one-upmanship that I can get behind. ANARCHY!

I love that Interpol album, but which song is named "Roland" again? I don't have the best name-association with the second half.

― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

Oh! "Roland" is about the dude with the beard! Yeah, they must have flipped a coin.

― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

That intro is written in the first person. Who wrote it?

― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

Jann?

― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

Actually I'd love to see Jann's personal list, too. How many times the words "Wolf," "Robbie" and "Southside" show up.

― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

Shockingly un-RS-like...they must have outsourced this one

― douglas eklund (skolle), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, the page before that one reveals that "editor Joe Levy and writer Rob Sheffield mark our 1000th issue with these tracks that stand the test of time." So there ya go.

― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:18 (nineteen years ago)

When I think of 2000, I think...Hefner.

― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

as if these auteurs' identity wasn't obvious...the "edgy" juxtaposition of Missy E and the Hold Steady gives it away

I've never heard of Hefner or the Rondelles. And wasn't Sheffield hyperventilating over Britney around the turn of the century?

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:21 (nineteen years ago)

I don't like the "Dreaming of Me" haters on this thread.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:24 (nineteen years ago)

32. Sleater-Kinney, "Get Up" (1998)

HAHAHAHAHAHREVISIONISTHISTORYHAHAHAHAAHAH

― Jimmy Mod is a super idol of The MARS SPIRIT (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

I love this list because THERE IS NO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. Overrating twee bullshit in Rolling Stone is no crime.

― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

10. Lou Reed, "CrazyFeeling" (1976)

assuming this is the same song from Lou's Coney Island Baby? Check out the lyrics, maybe Jann did pick this one...

You're the kind of person that I've been dreaming of
You're the kind of person that I always wanted to love
And when I first seen you walk right through that bar door
And I seen those suit and tie johns buy you one drink
And then buy you some more I had a -
I know you had that crazy feeling
Now, now, now, you're got that crazy feeling
You know that I've had that crazy feeling, too
I can see it in your ..
You got that crazy feeling
Now, now, now, now, now, you got that crazy feeling
I've had that crazy feeling, too
Now everybody knows that business ends at three
And everybody knows that after hours love is free
And you, you really are a queen
Oh, such a queen, such a queen
And I know, 'cause I made the same scene
I know just what you mean
Because you got that crazy feeling
Now, now, now, now, you're got that crazy feeling
You got that crazy feeling deep inside
Now, I can see it in your eyes
You got that crazy feeling
Now, now, now, now, you're got that crazy feeling
And you got that crazy feeling, too
I feel just like, feel just like you
Crazy feeling ...

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:28 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, if anything this list is overly contrarian, but I wouldn't recognized it as Rolling Stone list if I hadn't been told otherwise.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:36 (nineteen years ago)

That Hefner choice is very odd. And I quite like Hefner.

― Bidfurd (Bidfurd), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:39 (nineteen years ago)

The Hefner choice sticks out like a sore foppish British twee Christian indie band on that list.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

And I loved Hefner!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 6 May 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

That's the most twee Jesus and Mary Chain song right there.

― mark grout (mark grout), Saturday, 6 May 2006 16:36 (nineteen years ago)

omg dudes made up list in five minutes and ILMers bitch about it because it's on RS.com omg

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Saturday, 6 May 2006 16:44 (nineteen years ago)

is it just on the website or is it in the magazine too?

― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Saturday, 6 May 2006 17:44 (nineteen years ago)

I was pretty sure all the songs were going to be by the Beatles.

― vartman (novaheat), Saturday, 6 May 2006 18:09 (nineteen years ago)

I don't like the "Dreaming of Me" haters on this thread.

Oh, there's no hate for it at all. Saying it's not as good as "Just Can't Get Enough" is like telling a basketball player that they're not quite Michael Jordan.

Also, had to add that I like their choice of "Sliver" as the obligatory Nirvana single. Altogether, it seems like a surprisingly decent list of artists with some real WTF song choices.

― just another chicagoan (just another chicagoan), Saturday, 6 May 2006 18:27 (nineteen years ago)

If Ms. Orzalek's Chryssie Hynde impression is the most excellent song of the year that isn't even half over, I'm not sure I want to live through the second half.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Saturday, 6 May 2006 18:32 (nineteen years ago)

It's really more of a Bettie Serveert impersonation.

― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 6 May 2006 18:34 (nineteen years ago)

dudes made up list in five minutes and ILMers bitch about it because it's on RS.com

c'mon this list would be hilarious & weird wherever it was published.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 6 May 2006 19:34 (nineteen years ago)

Way xpost: The Pulp album wasn't released in the States until '96, and "Live Forever" made its impact here in '95.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 6 May 2006 19:41 (nineteen years ago)

And oh yeah: "Dandelion"!!!

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 6 May 2006 19:41 (nineteen years ago)

I don't even understand the rationale behind this list. "Let Me Fix My Weave" (2003)? So they wanted to choose some Missy, but were too cool to simply pick "Work It" (2002)? Same with "Sliver" (1990) -- I guess Nirvana were terminally shit by 1991-2 so they had to go with Suede instead.

Jumble the track order a bit and the whole thing makes for a decent mix tape though.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:12 (nineteen years ago)

When I think of 2000, I think...Hefner.

I actually do! And I am neither foppish nor British (tho my mum was.) I loved me some Hefner in 2000, although I don't think I actually picked up WLTC until 2001. It does stick out quite strongly on that list.

And re: Missy: "Weave" is a far far better song than "Work It," snob or no snob. It's much more interesting and fun.

― caspar (caspar), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:31 (nineteen years ago)

Uh, if you read dude's note (or even if you don't), he states that it's his personal picks.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

This isn't any kind of historic survey--just a personal, subjective, indefensible, and utterly irresponsible list of beloved favorites that never let me down.

CALM DOWN PEOPLE

― sovietpanda (sovietpanda), Saturday, 6 May 2006 23:07 (nineteen years ago)

I think we've got an equal amount of hysterics for both sides now, I think we can move on.

Is this list actually in the mag? Unless it's in place of a raise, I don't know why they'd give Rob this chance to give the Rondelles the love I don't remember them getting in Rolling Stone in 1999.

― ant@work.com, Saturday, 6 May 2006 23:11 (nineteen years ago)

just a personal, subjective, indefensible, and utterly irresponsible list of beloved favorites that never let me down.

...again?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 6 May 2006 23:14 (nineteen years ago)

I was thumbing through the issue at a newsstand today and couldn't find the actual list. Just a look back at all the covers throughout the years. Boring. So I'm thinking it was only intended for their website.

Mick Jagger and Bono haven't been cast aside.

― Jeff K (jeff k), Saturday, 6 May 2006 23:24 (nineteen years ago)

BOOO!!! It's time to smash the photos of Peter Wolf and hail the new tweegime! To praise the boobied for their music, not their new film co-starring Vin Diesel! Let's have lad mags with actual tight-panted LADS in them.

― ant@work.com, Sunday, 7 May 2006 00:25 (nineteen years ago)

omg dudes made up list in five minutes and ILMers bitch about it because it's on RS.com omg

do you have this on auto-repeat?

― keyth (keyth), Sunday, 7 May 2006 00:45 (nineteen years ago)

Who chose that list? That looks like the list that honest man pretending to be pretentious would assemble ... not that those aren't good songs. And YYY? please ... 2006's national anthem clearly is "Ms. New Booty." :-)

― Chris O., Sunday, 7 May 2006 02:49 (nineteen years ago)

Who the fuck are the Rondelles?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 7 May 2006 04:43 (nineteen years ago)

This is being obscurantist for the sake of being obscurantist. (And I know almost none of these songs are "obscure" by our standards but this is almost intentionally going obscure with RS readers or going over the pond to bands that got no attention in America and in RS.)

"editor Joe Levy and writer Rob Sheffield mark our 1000th issue with these tracks that stand the test of time."

Few people will care about any of those songs in fifty years. Few already do today.

― Cunga (Cunga), Sunday, 7 May 2006 05:09 (nineteen years ago)

It doesn't even mark the issue though! It marks their mediastream or something. Whatevs, Jann Wenner, you have no balls! Put the Rondelles in your zine!

― Zwan (miccio), Sunday, 7 May 2006 06:48 (nineteen years ago)

My Rondelles song is "Rediscover Fire," personally. Though I think that was 2000. I haven't heard this miraculous Hefner song so that might be superior.

― Zwan (miccio), Sunday, 7 May 2006 06:50 (nineteen years ago)

Actually I worked at college radio at the time. I probably did hear that Hefner song.

― Zwan (miccio), Sunday, 7 May 2006 06:50 (nineteen years ago)

this list isn't that bad, picking the monkees for '68 is a great move. the last ten picks or so are pretty boring, the rondelles excepted.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Sunday, 7 May 2006 09:02 (nineteen years ago)

Give us a list, Cunga. Right now.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 7 May 2006 10:13 (nineteen years ago)

It would work so much better if they would just drop the schtick of "Most Excellent Songs of Every Year..." and just made a list called "Excellent Songs of Every Year". That way, not only is it clear that it's just one person's opinion, but it makes filling the list with obscurities a boon instead of an annoyance.

We all want to hear about great new music, so these lists can be helpful, but let's face it: classic well-known songs tend to be that way for a reason. They're usually incredibly awesome and better than most or all of the obscurer stuff released by the same artist at the same time. If these guys didn't pretend that these were the best songs when they're really just a list of good songs you may not have caught from each year and some big artists, then we wouldn't give them any shit.

― just another chicagoan (just another chicagoan), Sunday, 7 May 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

c'mon this list would be hilarious & weird wherever it was published.

my point, m!

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Sunday, 7 May 2006 17:59 (nineteen years ago)

At least I'll give RS credit for acknowledging "I'm a Greedy Man," which the quintessential James Brown-Bobby Byrd call-and-response song, imo.

― Chris O., Sunday, 7 May 2006 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not sure what they meant by 'most excellent'. Maybe more like '40 songs, mostly good, some random, from each year since 1967'. I like Madonna but "DressYou Up" for (1985)??? Yeah, that's a WAY better record than Into The Groove. If you're trying to be mock cool '85, go all the way and make it Addicted To Love! I got no problems with disco as *songs* of the year. But, seriously, what is the closest a disco artist came to one of the best ALBUMS of the year? Bad Girls? Great singles though.

― Carlos Keith (Buck_Wilde), Monday, 8 May 2006 04:10 (nineteen years ago)

The fact that you can listen to the whole list for free is pretty rad.

― Nigel (Nigel), Monday, 8 May 2006 04:32 (nineteen years ago)

What would be interesting would be to find every article in Rolling Stone on the artist the year their song got picked. I mean, how much coverage did RS give Nirvana in 1990? Or Mission Of Burma at all?

― Brian O'Neill (NYCNative), Monday, 8 May 2006 11:53 (nineteen years ago)

39. FranzFerdinand, "Do You Want To" (2005)

i guess they felt they had to shoehorn "my sharona" into the list somehow...

― Lawrence the Looter (Lawrence the Looter), Monday, 8 May 2006 12:45 (nineteen years ago)

stupid fuckin list

― the Enrique who acts like some kind of good taste gestapo (Enrique), Monday, 8 May 2006 12:50 (nineteen years ago)

ILM chooses "The Most Excellent Songs Of Every Year Since 940 BC" and at least 39 of the top 40 would be by Belle and Sebastian.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

"The Boy With the Arab Strap in His Toga"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:11 (nineteen years ago)

"Three Millenniums of Fakers"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:12 (nineteen years ago)

"If You're Feeling SPQR"

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 May 2006 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

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