500 Songs That Shaped Rock

James Henke, chief curator for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with the help of music writers and critics, selected 500 songs (not only rock songs) that they believe have been most influential in shaping rock and roll. The list is alphabetical by artist.

A
AC/DC, “Back in Black”
AC/DC, “Highway to Hell”
Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys, “Wabash Cannonball”
Aerosmith, “Dream On”
Aerosmith, “TAoys in the Attic”
Afrika Bambaataa, “Planet Rock”
The Allman Brothers Band, “Ramblin' Man”
The Allman Brothers Band, “Whipping Post”
The Animals, “The House of the Rising Sun”
The Animals, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”
Louis Armstrong, “West End Blues”
Arrested Development, “Tennessee”

B
The B-52's, “RockA Lobster”
LaVern Baker, “Jim Dandy”
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, “Work With Me Annie”
The Band, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”
The Band, “The Weight”
Beach Boys, “California Girls”
Beach Boys, “Don't Worry Baby”
Beach Boys, “God Only Knows”
Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations”
Beach Boys, “Surfin' U.S.A.”
The Beastie Boys, “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)”
The Beatles, “A Day in the Life”
The Beatles, “Help!”
The Beatles, “Hey Jude”
The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
The Beatles, “Norwegian Wood”
The Beatles, “Strawberry Fields Forever”
The Beatles, “Yesterday”
The Beau Brummels, “Laugh Laugh”
Beck, “Loser”
Jeff Beck Group, “Plynth (Water Down the Drain)”
The Bee Gees, “Stayin' Alive”
Archie Bell and the Drells, “Tighten Up”
Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode”
Chuck Berry, “Maybelline”
Chuck Berry, “Rock and Roll Music”
The Big Bopper, “Chantilly Lace”
Big Brother and the Holding Company, “Piece of My Heart”
Big Star, “September Gurls”
Black Sabbath, “Iron Man”
Black Sabbath, “Paranoid”
Bobby Blue Bland, “Turn On Your Love Light”
Blondie, “Heart of Glass”
Kurtis Blow, “The Breaks”
Gary U.S. Bonds, “Quarter to Three”
Booker T. & the M.G.'s, “Green Onions”
Boston, “More Than a Feeling”
David Bowie, “Fame”
David Bowie, “Space Oddity”
David Bowie, “Ziggy Stardust”
The Box Tops, “The Letter”
Charles Brown, “Driftin' Blues”
James Brown, “I Got You (I Feel Good)”
James Brown, “Please, Please, Please”
James Brown, “Say It Loud — I'm Black and I'm Proud”
Ruth Brown, “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean”
Jackson Browne, “Late for the Sky”
Buffalo Springfield, “For What It's Worth”
Solomon Burke, “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”
Johnny Burnette Trio, “Train Kept a-Rollin'”
The Byrds, “Eight Miles High”
The Byrds, “Hickory Wind”
The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man”

C
Johnny Cash, “Folsom Prison Blues”
Johnny Cash, “I Walk the Line”
The Champs, “Tequila”
Gene Chandler, “Duke of Earl”
The Chantays, “Pipeline”
Ray Charles, “Hallelujah I Love Her So”
Ray Charles, “I Got a Woman”
Ray Charles, “What'd I Say”
Chubby Checker, “The Twist”
Chic, “Le Freak”
Charlie Christian with The Benny Goodman Orchestra, “Solo Flight”
Eric Clapton, “After Midnight”
Dave Clark Five, “Glad All Over”
The Clash, “London Calling”
Jimmy Cliff, “Many Rivers to Cross”
Jimmy Cliff, “The Harder They Come”
Patsy Cline, “I Fall to Pieces”
The Clovers, “Love Potion No. 9”
The Coasters, “Yakety Yak”
The Coasters, “Young Blood”
Eddie Cochran, “C'mon Everybody”
Eddie Cochran, “Summertime Blues”
Joe Cocker, “With a Little Help From My Friends”
The Contours, “Do You Love Me”
Sam Cooke, “A Change Is Gonna Come”
Sam Cooke, “Bring It on Home to Me”
Sam Cooke, “You Send Me”
Alice Cooper, “I'm Eighteen”
Elvis Costello, “Pump It Up”
The Count Five, “Psychotic Reaction”
Country Joe and the Fish, “The Fish Cheer and I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag”
Don Covay, “Mercy Mercy”
Cream, “Crossroads”
Cream, “Sunshine of Your Love”
Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son”
Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Green River”
Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Proud Mary”
Crosby, Stills and Nash, “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, “Ohio”
The Crows, “Gee”
The Crystals, “Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)”
The Crystals, “He's a Rebel”
Culture Club, “Time (Clock of the Heart)”

D
Dick Dale and the Del-Tones, “Let's Go Trippin'”
The Damned, “New Rose”
Danny & the Juniors, “At the Hop”
Bobby Darin, “Splish Splash”
Spencer Davis Group, “Gimme Some Lovin'”
De La Soul, “Me Myself and I”
Deep Purple, “Smoke on the Water”
The Dell-Vikings, “Come Go With Me”
The Dells, “Oh, What a Night”
The Delmore Brothers, “Hillbilly Boogie”
Derek and the Dominos, “Layla”
Devo, “Whip It”
Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley”
Dion and the Belmonts, “A Teenager in Love”
Dire Straits, “Sultans of Swing”
The Dixie Cups, “Chapel of Love”
The Dixie Hummingbirds, “I'll Live Again”
Bill Doggett, “Honky Tonk”
Fats Domino, “Ain't That a Shame”
Fats Domino, “Blueberry Hill”
The Dominoes, “Sixty Minute Man”
Lonnie Donegan, “Rock Island Line”
Donovan, “Sunshine Superman”
The Doors, “Light My Fire”
The Doors, “The End”
Dr. Dre, “Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang”
Dr. John, “Right Place Wrong Time”
The Drifters, “Money Honey”
The Drifters, “There Goes My Baby”
The Drifters, “Up on the Roof”
Duran Duran, “Hungry Like the Wolf”
Bob Dylan, “Blowin' in the Wind”
Bob Dylan, “Like a Rolling Stone”
Bob Dylan, “Subterranean Homesick Blues”
Bob Dylan, “Tangled Up in Blue”
Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are a-Changin'”

E
The Eagles, “Hotel California”
The Eagles, “Take It Easy”
Duane Eddy, “Rebel Rouser”
Eurythmics, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”
The Everly Brothers, “All I Have to Do Is Dream”
The Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love”

F
The 5 Satins, “In the Still of the Night”
The Flamingos, “I Only Have Eyes for You”
Fleetwood Mac, “Go Your Own Way”
The Flying Burrito Brothers, “Sin City”
The 4 Seasons, “Big Girls Don't Cry”
The 4 Seasons, “Walk Like a Man”
The Four Tops, “Baby I Need Your Loving”
The Four Tops, “Reach Out I'll Be There”
Aretha Franklin, “Chain of Fools”
Aretha Franklin, “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)”
Aretha Franklin, “Respect”
Free, “All Right Now”
The Bobby Fuller Four, “I Fought the Law”
Lowell Fulson, “Reconsider Baby”
Funkadelic, “One Nation Under a Groove”

G
Peter Gabriel, “Biko”
Cecil Gant, “We're Gonna Rock”
Marvin Gaye, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
Marvin Gaye, “Sexual Healing”
Marvin Gaye, “What's Going On”
Gerry and the Pacemakers, “How Do You Do It?”
Gary Glitter, “Rock 'n' Roll Part 2”
Go-Go's, “We Got the Beat”
Golden Gate Quartet, “Rock My Soul”
Grand Funk Railroad, “We're an American Band”
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Message”
The Grateful Dead, “Dark Star”
The Grateful Dead, “Uncle John's Band”
Al Green, “Let's Stay Together”
Guitar Slim, “The Things That I Used to Do”
Guns N' Roses, “Welcome to the Jungle”
Woody Guthrie, “Pastures of Plenty”
Woody Guthrie, “Pretty Boy Floyd”
Woody Guthrie, “This Land Is Your Land”

H
Bill Haley and His Comets, “(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock”
Slim Harpo, “Rainin' in My Heart”
Wynonie Harris, “Good Rockin' Tonight”
Wilbert Harrison, “Kansas City”
Dale Hawkins, “Suzy-Q”
Screamin' Jay Hawkins, “I Put a Spell on You”
Richard Hell & the Voidoids, “(I Belong to the) Blank Generation”
Jimi Hendrix, “All Along the Watchtower”
Jimi Hendrix, “Purple Haze”
Jimi Hendrix, “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”
The Hollies, “Bus Stop”
Buddy Holly, “Peggy Sue”
Buddy Holly and The Crickets, “That'll Be the Day”
John Lee Hooker, “Boogie Chillun”
John Lee Hooker, “Boom Boom”
Howlin' Wolf, “Smokestack Lightnin'”
Howlin' Wolf, “Spoonful”
Howlin' Wolf, “The Red Rooster”
Human League, “Don't You Want Me?”
Mississippi John Hurt, “Stack o' Lee Blues”
Hüsker Dü, “Turn on the News”

I
The Impressions, “People Get Ready”
The Ink Spots, “If I Didn't Care”
Iron Butterfly, “In-a-Gadda-da-Vida”
The Isley Brothers, “It's Your Thing”
The Isley Brothers, “Shout — Parts 1 & 2”

J
Jackson 5, “ABC”
Jackson 5, “I Want You Back”
Mahalia Jackson, “Move on Up a Little Higher”
Michael Jackson, “Beat It”
Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean”
Elmore James, “Dust My Broom”
Elmore James, “Shake Your Moneymaker”
Etta James, “Tell Mama”
Rick James, “Super Freak”
Tommy James and the Shondells, “Hanky Panky”
Jan & Dean, “Surf City”
Jane's Addiction, “Been Caught Stealin'”
Jefferson Airplane, “Somebody to Love”
Jefferson Airplane, “White Rabbit”
Blind Lemon Jefferson, “Matchbox Blues”
Jethro Tull, “Aqualung”
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, “I Love Rock 'n' Roll”
Billy Joel, “Just the Way You Are”
Elton John, “Bennie and the Jets”
Elton John, “Your Song”
Little Willie John, “Fever”
Blind Willie Johnson, “Motherless Children”
Robert Johnson, “Crossroads Blues”
Robert Johnson, “Hell Hound on My Trail”
Robert Johnson, “Love in Vain”
Robert Johnson, “Sweet Home Chicago”
Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, “Caldonia”
Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, “Saturday Night Fish Fry”
Joy Division, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”

K
Albert King, “Born Under a Bad Sign”
B.B. King, “Sweet Little Angel”
B.B. King, “The Thrill Is Gone”
Ben E. King, “Spanish Harlem”
Ben E. King, “Stand by Me”
Carole King, “You've Got a Friend”
Freddy King, “Hide Away”
The Kingsmen, “Louie Louie”
The Kinks, “A Well Respected Man”
The Kinks, “Lola”
The Kinks, “You Really Got Me”
Kiss, “Rock and Roll All Nite”
Buddy Knox, “Party Doll”
Kraftwerk, “Autobahn”

L
LL Cool J, “Mama Said Knock You Out”
Cyndi Lauper, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
Leadbelly, “The Midnight Special”
Led Zeppelin, “Dazed and Confused”
Led Zeppelin, “Rock and Roll”
Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven”
Led Zeppelin, “Whole Lotta Love”
The Left Banke, “Walk Away Renee”
John Lennon, “Give Peace a Chance”
John Lennon, “Imagine”
John Lennon, “Instant Karma (We All Shine On)”
Jerry Lee Lewis, “Great Balls of Fire”
Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On”
Little Eva, “The Loco-Motion”
Little Feat, “Dixie Chicken”
Little Walter, “Juke”
Professor Longhair, “Tipitina”
The Lovin' Spoonful, “Do You Believe in Magic”
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, “I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent”
Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”
Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird”

M
Madonna, “Like a Virgin”
The Mamas and the Papas, “California Dreamin'”
The Marcels, “Blue Moon”
Bob Marley and The Wailers, “Lively Up Yourself”
Bob Marley and The Wailers, “No Woman, No Cry”
Martha and the Vandellas, “Dancing in the Street”
Martha and the Vandellas, “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave”
Curtis Mayfield, “Superfly”
M.C. Hammer, “U Can't Touch This”
Paul McCartney, “Maybe I'm Amazed”
Barry McGuire, “Eve of Destruction”
Don McLean, “American Pie”
Blind Willie McTell, “Statesboro Blues”
John Cougar Mellencamp, “Authority Song”
Metallica, “Enter Sandman”
Midnight Oil, “Beds Are Burning”
Amos Milburn, “Let's Have a Party”
Steve Miller Band, “Fly Like an Eagle”
The Miracles, “Going to a Go-Go”
The Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears”
The Miracles, “You've Really Got a Hold on Me”
Joni Mitchell, “Help Me”
Moby Grape, “Omaha”
The Monkees, “I'm a Believer”
The Monkees, “Last Train to Clarksville”
The Monotones, “Book of Love”
Bill Monroe, “Mule Skinner Blues”
The Moody Blues, “Nights in White Satin”
The Moonglows, “Sincerely”
Van Morrison, “Brown Eyed Girl”
Van Morrison, “Madame George”
Van Morrison, “Moondance”
The Mothers of Invention, “Brown Shoes Don't Make It”
Mott the Hoople, “All the Young Dudes”

N
Ricky Nelson, “Hello Mary Lou”
Aaron Neville, “Tell It Like It Is”
New York Dolls, “Personality Crisis”
Randy Newman, “Sail Away”
Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

O
O'Jays, “Love Train”
Phil Ochs, “I Ain't Marchin' Anymore”
Roy Orbison, “Oh, Pretty Woman”
The Orioles, “Crying in the Chapel”
Johnny Otis, “Willie and the Hand Jive”

P
Parliament, “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)”
Les Paul and Mary Ford, “How High the Moon”
Pearl Jam, “Jeremy”
The Penguins, “Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)”
Carl Perkins, “Blue Suede Shoes”
Carl Perkins, “Matchbox”
Pinetop Perkins, “Pinetop's Boogie Woogie”
Peter and Gordon, “A World Without Love”
Peter, Paul and Mary, “If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)”
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “American Girl”
Wilson Pickett, “In the Midnight Hour”
Pink Floyd, “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2”
Pink Floyd, “Money”
Pink Floyd, “See Emily Play”
The Platters, “The Great Pretender”
The Police, “Every Breath You Take”
The Police, “Roxanne”
Elvis Presley, “Heartbreak Hotel”
Elvis Presley, “Jailhouse Rock”
Elvis Presley, “Love Me Tender”
Elvis Presley, “Mystery Train”
Elvis Presley, “Suspicious Minds”
Elvis Presley, “That's All Right”
The Pretenders, “Brass in Pocket”
Lloyd Price, “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”
Prince, “Little Red Corvette”
Prince, “When Doves Cry”
Procol Harum, “A Whiter Shade of Pale”
Public Enemy, “Fight the Power”

Q
Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Queen Latifah, “Ladies First”
Question Mark and the Mysterians, “96 Tears”
Quicksilver Messenger Service, “Who Do You Love”

R
R.E.M., “Losing My Religion”
R.E.M., “Radio Free Europe”
Ma Rainey and Her Tub Jug Washboard Band, “Prove It on Me Blues”
Bonnie Raitt, “Something to Talk About”
Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker”
The Young Rascals, “Groovin'”
The Young Rascals, “Good Lovin'”
Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Give It Away”
Otis Redding, “Shake”
Otis Redding, “(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay”
Otis Redding, “Try a Little Tenderness”
Jimmy Reed, “Big Boss Man”
Jimmy Reed, “Bright Lights, Big City”
Lou Reed, “Walk on the Wild Side”
The Replacements, “I Will Dare”
Paul Revere and The Raiders, “Just Like Me”
Cliff Richard and the Shadows, “Move It”
Little Richard, “Good Golly, Miss Molly”
Little Richard, “Long Tall Sally”
Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti”
The Righteous Brothers, “You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'”
Billy Riley and His Little Green Men, “Red Hot”
Jimmie Rodgers, “Blue Yodel No. 9”
The Rolling Stones, “Honky Tonk Women”
The Rolling Stones, “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction”
The Rolling Stones, “Jumpin' Jack Flash”
The Rolling Stones, “Miss You”
The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil”
The Rolling Stones, “Time Is on My Side”
The Ronettes, “Be My Baby”
Roxy Music, “Love Is the Drug”
Run-D.M.C., “Walk This Way”
Rush, “The Spirit of Radio”
Otis Rush, “I Can't Quit You Baby”
Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, “Devil With a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly”

S
Sam and Dave, “Soul Man”
Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs, “Wooly Bully”
Santana, “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen”
The Searchers, “Needles and Pins”
The Seeds, “Pushin' Too Hard”
Pete Seeger, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, “Night Moves”
Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the U.K.”
Sex Pistols, “God Save the Queen”
The Shadows of Knight, “Gloria”
The Shangri-Las, “Leader of the Pack”
Del Shannon, “Runaway”
Shirelles, “Dedicated to the One I Love”
Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”
Simon and Garfunkel, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
Simon and Garfunkel, “The Sounds of Silence”
Paul Simon, “Graceland”
Sir Douglas Quintet, “She's About a Mover”
Sister Sledge, “We Are Family”
Percy Sledge, “When a Man Loves a Woman”
Sly and the Family Stone, “Dance to the Music”
Sly and the Family Stone, “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”
Bessie Smith, “Downhearted Blues”
Huey “Piano” Smith & His Clowns, “Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu”
Patti Smith, “Gloria (in Excelsis Deo)”
The Smiths, “Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now”
Sonic Youth, “Teenage Riot”
The Soul Stirrers, “By and By”
Bruce Springsteen, “Born to Run”
Bruce Springsteen, “Dancing in the Dark”
Bruce Springsteen, “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)”
The Standells, “Dirty Water”
The Staple Singers, “Respect Yourself”
Edwin Starr, “War”
Steely Dan, “Reelin' in the Years”
Steppenwolf, “Born to Be Wild”
Rod Stewart, “Maggie May”
Iggy and The Stooges, “Search and Destroy”
The Stooges, “I Wanna Be Your Dog”
Stray Cats, “Rock This Town”
Barrett Strong, “Money (That's What I Want)”
The Sugarhill Gang, “Rapper's Delight”
Donna Summer, “Love to Love You Baby”
The Supremes, “Stop! In the Name of Love”
The Supremes, “You Can't Hurry Love”
The Surfaris, “Wipe Out”
Swinging Blue Jeans, “Hippy Hippy Shake”

T
T. Rex, “Bang a Gong (Get It On)”
Talking Heads, “Life During Wartime”
Talking Heads, “Once in a Lifetime”
James Taylor, “Fire and Rain”
Television, “Little Johnny Jewel”
The Temptations, “Ain't Too Proud to Beg”
The Temptations, “My Girl”
The Temptations, “Papa Was a Rollin' Stone”
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, “This Train”
Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, “Ball 'n' Chain”
Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, “Hound Dog”
Toots and the Maytals, “Pressure Drop”
Peter Tosh, “Legalize It”
Traffic, “Dear Mr. Fantasy”
The Trammps, “Disco Inferno”
The Troggs, “Wild Thing”
Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle and Roll”
Ike and Tina Turner, “River Deep, Mountain High”
The Turtles, “It Ain't Me Babe”

U
U.T.F.O., “Roxanne, Roxanne”
U2, “I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For”
U2, “Pride (In the Name of Love)”
U2, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”

V
Ritchie Valens, “La Bamba”
Van Halen, “Jump”
Van Halen, “Runnin' With the Devil”
Stevie Ray Vaughan, “Pride and Joy”
Velvet Underground, “Heroin”
Velvet Underground, “White Light/White Heat”
The Ventures, “Walk Don't Run”
Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps, “Be-Bop-a-Lula”

W
The Wailers, “Get Up Stand Up”
The Wailers, “I Shot the Sheriff”
Jr. Walker and the All Stars, “Shotgun”
T-Bone Walker, “Call It Stormy Monday”
War, “Slippin' Into Darkness”
Clara Ward and the Ward Singers, “How I Got Over”
Dinah Washington, “Am I Asking Too Much”
Muddy Waters, “Got My Mojo Working”
Muddy Waters, “Hoochie Coochie Man”
Muddy Waters, “Mannish Boy”
Muddy Waters, “Rollin' Stone”
The Weavers, “Goodnight Irene”
Mary Wells, “My Guy”
The Who, “Baba O'Riley”
The Who, “Go to the Mirror Boy”
The Who, “My Generation”
Big Joe Williams, “Baby Please Don't Go”
Larry Williams, “Bony Maronie”
Marion Williams, “Packing Up”
Sonny Boy (John Lee) Williamson, “Good Morning (Little) School Girl”
Chuck Willis, “C. C. Rider”
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, “Take Me Back to Tulsa”
Jackie Wilson “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher”
Stevie Wonder, “Living for the City”
Stevie Wonder, “Master Blaster (Jammin')”
Stevie Wonder, “Superstition”
Stevie Wonder, “Uptight (Everything's Alright)”
Link Wray, “Rumble”

X
X, “Los Angeles”

Y
Jimmy Yancey, “Midnight Stomp”
The Yardbirds, “Shapes of Things”
Yes, “Roundabout”
Neil Young, “Down by the River”
Neil Young, “Heart of Gold”
Neil Young, “My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)”

Z
ZZ Top, “Legs”

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