What makes a song great?
Is it the melody, the lyrics?
Can a songs greatness be measured by its cultural impact or its influence on other musicians? Or can we just say a song is great because it makes us want to dance? Or, just because
Choosing the 100 greatest songs was an overwhelming proposition so VH1 sent ballots to over 700 musicians, songwriters, disc jockeys and radio programmers and asked them to vote on the 100 greatest songs of rock and roll. The votes were calculated and the songs were ranked, producing the following list. While its possible to debate the placement of some of these songs (too high or too low is an argument for you to enjoy), its difficult to deny that each is an achievement on some level and deserving of the accolade a great song, as these are truly great songs.
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RANK | SONG | ARTIST | YEAR |
| (I Cant Get No) Satisfaction* | The Rolling Stones | 1965 |
| Respect | Aretha Franklin | 1967 |
| Stairway to Heaven* | Led Zeppelin | 1971 |
| Like a Rolling Stone | Bob Dylan | 1965 |
| Born to Run | Bruce Springsteen | 1975 |
| Hotel California | Eagles | 1977 |
| Light My Fire | The Doors | 1967 |
| Good Vibrations | The Beach Boys | 1966 |
| Hey Jude | The Beatles | 1968 |
| Imagine | John Lennon with The Plastic Ono Band | 1971 |
| Louie, Louie | The Kingsmen | 1963 |
| Yesterday | The Beatles | 1965 |
| My Generation | The Who | 1966 |
| Whats Going On | Marvin Gaye | 1971 |
| Johnny B. Goode | Chuck Berry | 1958 |
| Layla | Derek and The Dominos | 1971 |
| Wont Get Fooled Again* | The Who | 1971 |
| Jailhouse Rock | Elvis Presley | 1957 |
| American Pie | Don McLean | 1972 |
| A Day in the Life | The Beatles | 1967 |
| I Got You (I Feel Good) | James Brown | 1965 |
| Superstition | Stevie Wonder | 1972 |
| I Want to Hold Your Hand | The Beatles | 1964 |
| Brown Sugar* | The Rolling Stones | 1971 |
| Purple Haze | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1967 |
| Sympathy for the Devil* | The Rolling Stones | 1968 |
| Bohemian Rhapsody | Queen | 1976 |
| You Really Got Me | The Kinks | 1964 |
| Oh, Pretty Woman | Roy Orbison | 1964 |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water | Simon & Garfunkel | 1970 |
| Hound Dog | Elvis Presley | 1956 |
| Let It Be | The Beatles | 1970 |
| (Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay | Otis Redding | 1968 |
| All Along the Watchtower | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968 |
| Walk This Way | Aerosmith | 1977 |
| My Girl | The Temptations | 1965 |
| Rock Around the Clock | Bill Haley and His Comets | 1955 |
| I Heard It Through the Grapevine | Marvin Gaye | 1968 |
| Proud Mary | Creedence Clearwater Revival | 1969 |
| Born to Be Wild | Steppenwolf | 1968 |
| Smells Like Teen Spirit | Nirvana | 1992 |
| Every Breath You Take | The Police | 1983 |
| Whatd I Say | Ray Charles | 1959 |
| Free Bird | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 1975 |
| Thatll Be the Day | The Crickets | 1957 |
| Whole Lotta Love* | Led Zeppelin | 1969 |
| Dream On | Aerosmith | 1973 |
| California Dreamin | The Mamas & The Papas | 1966 |
| Brown Eyed Girl | Van Morrison | 1967 |
| Wild Thing | The Troggs | 1966 |
| Suite: Judy Blue Eyes | Crosby, Stills & Nash | 1969 |
| Beat It | Michael Jackson | 1983 |
| Great Balls of Fire | Jerry Lee Lewis | 1958 |
| Stayin Alive | Bee Gees | 1978 |
| For What Its Worth | The Buffalo Springfield | 1967 |
| Blowin in the Wind | Bob Dylan | 1963 |
| Twist and Shout | The Beatles | 1964 |
| Piano Man | Billy Joel | 1974 |
| She Loves You | The Beatles | 1964 |
| Space Oddity | David Bowie | 1973 |
| Strawberry Fields Forever | The Beatles | 1967 |
| Kashmir* | Led Zeppelin | 1975 |
| Crazy | Patsy Cline | 1961 |
| London Calling | The Clash | 1979 |
| Jumpin Jack Flash* | The Rolling Stones | 1968 |
| Rock and Roll* | Led Zeppelin | 1972 |
| Lets Stay Together | Al Green | 1972 |
| All Shook Up | Elvis Presley | 1957 |
| Maggie May | Rod Stewart | 1971 |
| Your Song | Elton John | 1971 |
| Heartbreak Hotel | Elvis Presley | 1956 |
| God Only Knows | The Beach Boys | 1966 |
| The Twist | Chubby Checker | 1960 |
| Good Golly Miss Molly | Little Richard | 1958 |
| Sunshine of Your Love | Cream | 1968 |
| California Girls | The Beach Boys | 1965 |
| Summertime Blues | Eddie Cochran | 1958 |
| Blue Suede Shoes | Carl Perkins | 1956 |
| A Hard Days Night | The Beatles | 1964 |