Previous: 1976

As I did with 1969, I have selected 20 songs. Quite simply, there’s too much good stuff. 1977 might actually be my favorite year in rock music: the birth of the Clash, Cohen working with Spector, two game-changing albums from Bowie and Costello’s debut album. Even Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, an album I feel like I should hate, is pop perfection.

20. Billy Joel- Just the Way You Are (Listen)

19. The Clash- Complete Control (Listen)

18. The Damned- Neat Neat Neat (Listen)

17. Parliament- Flash Light (Listen)

16. Richard Hell and the Voidoids- Blank Generation (Listen)

15. Leonard Cohen- Memories (Listen)

14. The Clash- Janie Jones (Listen)

13. Ramones- Sheena is a Punk Rocker (Listen)

12. Bob Marley- Natural Mystic (Listen)

11. Bee Gees- How Deep Is Your Love (Listen)

10. Talking Heads- Psycho Killer (Listen)

9. Television- Venus (Listen)

8. The Jam- Away from the Numbers (Listen)

7. Sex Pistols- Holidays in the Sun (Listen)

6. Paul Simon- Slip Slidin’ Away (Listen)

5. David Bowie- “Heroes” (Listen)

4. Fleetwood Mac- Dreams (Listen)

3. David Bowie- Sound and Vision (Listen)

2. Elvis Costello- Alison (Listen)

1. Neil Young- Like a Hurricane (Listen)

Next: 1978

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1977

Previous: 1975

Punk is a wonderful thing, or at least it used to be. I recently saw Blondie live, and it would have been nice if they had played “X Offender.” (They didn’t.) I can’t think of “Long May You Run” these days without thinking about Conan O’Brien’s last week on NBC. ABBA is best known these days for an upbeat dance tune (and a horrible movie musical), but their best material is their break-up music. Though to be fair, even their break-up songs are upbeat dance tunes. The single release of “Anarchy in the U.K.” in 1976 allows me to include two songs off of Never Mind the Bollocks for this project, the second for 1977’s list.

10. The Damned- New Rose (Listen)

9. David Bowie- Station to Station (Listen)

8. Blondie- X Offender (Listen)

7. Neil Young- Long May You Run

6. The Modern Lovers- Roadrunner (Listen)

5. Ramones- Judy is a Punk (Listen)

4. ABBA- Knowing Me, Knowing You (Listen)

3. Jackson Browne- The Pretender (Listen)

2. Sex Pistols- Anarchy in the U.K. (Listen)

1. Stevie Wonder- Love’s In Need of Love Today (Listen)

Next: 1977

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1976

Previous: 1974

I discovered the greatness of “So In Love” by Curtis Mayfield when I was going through my iTunes library for a song to use in a homemade Chicago video. I don’t like Horses as much as I should, but I adore “Free Money.” I just don’t like Young Americans, but I adore “Young Americans.” Seeing Blaine listen to “Love is the Drug” on Glee this season was more odd than cool. My two favorite non-Dylan songwriters released my favorite tracks of theirs this year. My favorite songwriter released a record full of so many great tracks that it was tough to pick just one.

10. Paul Simon- Still Crazy After All These Years (Listen)

9. Elton John- Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Listen)

8. Parliament- Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker) (Listen)

7. Curtis Mayfield- So In Love (Listen)

6. Patti Smith- Free Money (Listen)

5. David Bowie- Young Americans (Listen)

4. Roxy Music- Love is the Drug (Listen)

3. Bob Dylan- You’re a Big Girl Now (Listen to alternate version)

2. Neil Young- Cortez the Killer (Listen)

1. Bruce Springsteen- Thunder Road (Listen to non-album live version)

Next: 1976

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1975

Previous: 1973

Despite a handful of highlights, 1974 was not a particularly strong year for music. I don’t particularly like Queen, so their presence alone is a sign, though “Killer Queen” is admittedly one of their great recordings. “Late for the Sky” used to be my all-time favorite song, but I think I’ve listened to it far too many times during break-ups and other emo moments. (Either that, or I’ve seen Taxi Driver too many times, which has coincidentally dropped off my all-time 10 favorite movies list.) And yes, I adore Abba.

10. Gram Parsons- Return of the Grievous Angel (Listen)

9. David Bowie- Rebel Rebel (Listen)

8. Queen- Killer Queen (Listen)

7. Tom Waits- The Heart of Saturday Night (Listen)

6. Brian Eno- Needles in the Camel’s Eye (Listen)

5. Leonard Cohen- Who By Fire (Listen)

4. Richard and Linda Thompson- When I Get to the Border (Listen)

3. Abba- Waterloo (Listen)

2. Jackson Browne- Late for the Sky (Listen)

1. Neil Young- Walk On

Next: 1975

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1974

Previous: 1972

For the longest time, I only knew “Kodachrome” as Paul Simon’s “crap I learned in high school” song. High Fidelity is the reason why I fell in love with Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” I distinctly remember being confused the first time I heard “Time” (or all The Dark Side of the Moon for that matter). I hadn’t heard anything quite like it, with multiple minutes of instrumental buildup. Sadly, the social consciousness of “Living for the City” remains as relevant and powerful today as it was in 1973.

10. Roxy Music- Do the Strand (Listen)

9. Sly and the Family Stone- If You Want Me to Stay (Listen)

8. Paul Simon- Kodachrome (Listen)

7. Bruce Springsteen- Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (Listen)

6. Al Green- Call Me (Come Back Home) (Listen)

5. Marvin Gaye- Let’s Get It On (Listen)

4. Pink Floyd- Time (Listen)

3. Jackson Browne- These Days (Listen)

2. The Stooges- Search and Destroy (Listen)

1. Stevie Wonder- Living for the City (Listen)

Next: 1974

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1973

Previous: 1971

Looking at this list, I seem to love what Barry calls “old sad bastard music” in High Fidelity. I mean, Jackson Browne AND Rod Stewart? Still, no shame because these are incredible songs. I rediscovered “Mother and Child Reunion” recently when I was prepping to see Paul Simon live in October. The Temptations and other Motown acts are making more appearances in this series than I would have anticipated. And again, the Rolling Stones top the list: “The sunshine bores the daylights out of me.”

10. Paul Simon- Mother and Child Reunion (Listen)

9. Roxy Music- Virginia Plain (Listen)

8. Aretha Franklin- Oh Me Oh My (I’m A Fool For You Baby) (Listen)

7. Al Green- I’m Still In Love With You (Listen)

6. The Temptations- Papa Was a Rolling Stone (Listen)

5. Big Star- Thirteen (Listen)

4. Neil Young- Heart of Gold (Listen)

3. Jackson Browne- Doctor My Eyes (Listen)

2. Rod Stewart- Mama You Been On My Mind (Listen)

1. The Rolling Stones- Rocks Off (Listen)

Next: 1973

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1972, Top 10 Movies of 1972

Previous: 1970

A number of these songs land very high on just about every all-time song list (and with good reason): “What’s Going On,” “Imagine” and “Stairway to Heaven.” I heard the live version of “Maggot Brain” on the One Nation Under a Groove EP before the original album cut, and in some ways, I’m more fond of the former. Still, I thought it was only fair to allow a song from the album proper to make the 1978 list. Picking a song off of David Bowie’s Hunky Dory is a bit difficult because I feel the songs all go together so well, and the individual track don’t stand out in quite the same way. Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” would have been a lock on this list a few years back, and in fact it was my all-time number one for a while. Maybe I listened to it too much?

10. Marvin Gaye- What’s Going On (Listen)

9. Al Green- Tired of Being Alone (Listen)

8. John Lennon- Imagine (Listen)

7. Funkadelic- Maggot Brain (Listen)

6. David Bowie- Quicksand (Listen)

5. Rod Stewart- Every Picture Tells a Story (Listen)

4. Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven (Listen)

3. Joni Mitchell- River (Listen)

2. The Who- Baba O’Riley (Listen)

1. The Rolling Stones- Wild Horses (Listen)

Next: 1972

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1971

Previous: 1969

A new decade! This year reps the last possible appearance by the Beatles as a group. But as you can see, nothing is stopping solo career tracks from making these lists. My love for “Stage Fright” can be traced back to the first time I saw Martin Scorsese’s rock doc The Last Waltz. What a performance! Gordon Lightfoot wouldn’t be on this list if it weren’t for a combination of my dad playing the song all the time when I was a kid and Johnny Cash covering it. Black Sabbath will be the first of probably many heavy metal appearances.

10. John Lennon- Mother (Listen)

9. The Band- Stage Fright (Listen)

8. Gordon Lightfoot- If You Could Read My Mind (Listen)

7. The Velvet Underground- Sweet Jane (Listen)

6. Neil Young- Tell Me Why (Listen)

5. Chicago- 25 or 6 to 4 (Listen)

4. Derek and the Dominos- Bell Bottom Blues (Listen)

3. Black Sabbath- War Pigs (Listen)

2. Simon and Garfunkel- So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright (Listen)

1. The Beatles- Let It Be (Listen)

Next: 1971

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1970

Previous: 1968

I set out to make top 10 lists for each year, but I decided that 1969, perhaps the greatest year in rock history, warranted 20 songs. MC5 would have been much higher a few years ago, but I’ve listened to “Kick Out the Jams” too many times, and consequently its sheer brutality doesn’t seem quite as fresh as it did upon first listen. The fact that Led Zeppelin put out its two first (and best) albums in one year stills blows my mind. Elvis is probably most respected for his early 50s singles, but “Suspicious Minds” remains my favorite of his for its emotional vulnerability and Spector-esque production. And last but most certainly not least, the greatest band of all time declares it’s time for “The End.”

20. MC5- Kick Out the Jams (Listen)

19. Leonard Cohen- Bird on a Wire (Listen)

18. Led Zeppelin- What Is and What Should Never Be (Listen)

17. Jimmy Cliff- Many Rivers to Cross (Listen)

16. The Rolling Stones- Honky Tonk Women (Listen)

15. Neil Diamond- Sweet Caroline (Listen)

14. The Rolling Stones- Gimme Shelter (Listen)

13. The Band- When You Awake (Listen)

12. Johnny Cash- A Boy Named Sue (Listen)

11. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band- Moonlight on Vermont (Listen)

10. David Bowie- Space Oddity (Listen)

9. King Crimson- 21st Century Schizoid Man (Listen)

8. Neil Young- Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (Listen)

7. Crosby, Stills and Nash- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (Listen)

6. The Jackson 5- I Want You Back (Listen)

5. The Stooges- I Wanna Be Your Dog (Listen)

4. The Beatles- Don’t Let Me Down (Listen)

3. Elvis Presley- Suspicious Minds (Listen)

2. Led Zeppelin- Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Listen)

1. The Beatles- Something (Listen)

Next: 1970

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1969

Previous: 1967

For some strange reason, I originally had “America” by Simon & Garfunkel on my 1966 list. That error has been corrected, making room there for the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Daydream.” The Byrds’ best music is their country-rock with Gram Parsons. For a period of time, “Sister Ray” seemed like the greatest song of all time, but since then I’ve come to my senses. Still it’s my favorite recording by the Velvet Underground for its uncompromised grit. (It landed at #40 on my all-time list.) I’m a little embarrassed that nothing from Astral Weeks or Music from Big Pink made the list, but there was no individual song I liked more than “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

10. The Rolling Stones- Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Listen)

9. Cream- White Room (Listen)

8. The Byrds- You’re Still On My Mind (Listen)

7. Jimi Hendrix- Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (Listen)

6. Simon & Garfunkel- America (Listen)

5. The Zombies- Care of Cell 44 (Listen)

4. The Velvet Underground- Sister Ray (Listen)

3. The Beatles- Hey Jude (Listen)

2. The Beatles- While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Listen)

1. The Rolling Stones- Sympathy for the Devil (Listen)

Next: 1969

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1968