Rolling Stone magazine compiled another debate-triggering list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. There are some truly sublime and life-changing artists featured in their Top Ten - but unbelievably Elvis Presley is missing.
Apparently 'Dreams' by Fleetwood Mac and 'Hey Ya!' by Outkast are much greater songs than Hound Dog, Heartbreak Hotel, Blue Suede Shoes, Jailhouse Rock, Suspicious Minds and That's All Right!
Interestingly Rolling Stone magazine reviewed 'Dreams' when first relased by Fleetwood Mac on their 1977 album as.. "'Dreams' is a nice but fairly lightweight tune, and Nicks nasal singing is the only weak vocal on the record." How hilarious is that.
Aretha Franklin with her fantastic take on Otis Redding's 'Respect' is voted the 'greatest song of all time'. Public Enemy's 'Fight The Power' apparently not worthy of the top 300 back in the previous 2004 list is now voted #2. Sam Cooke's brilliant 'A Change Is Gonna Come' is third.
The Top Ten:
- Respect - Aretha Franklin (2004 position #5)
- Fight The Power - Public Enemy (#322)
- A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke (#12)
- Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan (#1)
- Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana (#9)
- What's Going On - Marvin Gaye (#4)
- Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles (#76)
- Get Ur Freak On - Missy Elliott (N/A)
- Dreams - Fleetwood Mac (N/A)
- Hey Ya! - Outkast (#180)
The latest version of the top 500 is notable for the top three acts all African American, all singing songs of respect, revolution, and rights. Maybe the list reflects more of the U.S. political situation in 2021 than the best, most creative, music of all-time
Sadly Elvis is one of the biggest losers in the 2021 list. In 2004 he had 11 entries, the 2021 list features just three by the King, with Hound Dog being the only song in the 2004 top 30 to not appear in the 2021 list. In 2004 'Hound Dog' was at #19 and 'Heartbreak Hotel' at 45.
This year's placings #70 - 'Suspicious Minds', #216 - 'Jailhouse Rock', #347 - 'Heartbreak Hotel' at 319 is Big Mama Thornton and the original 'Hound Dog'
In 2021 The Beatles go from 23 entries to 12, The Rolling Stones from 14 to seven, Bob Dylan from 12 to seven.
Also worth discussing the following songs from the 2004 Top Ten that dropped out in 2021: Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones, Imagine - John Lennon, Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys, Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry, Hey Jude - The Beatles and What'd I Say - Ray Charles.
bunch of music snobs.
Elvis is STILL the most influential artist of our time.
rollingstone loves to use Elvis as a talking point...lecturing an older generation about music trends.
yet....refuse to give him his just as an ARTIST....and VOCALIST(their 2 favorite buzz words for others).
this current list just underscores how inept and pathetic they have become.
they are a shell of what they used to be.
bunch of music snobs.
Elvis is STILL the most influential artist of our time.
rollingstone loves to use Elvis as a talking point...lecturing an older generation about music trends.
yet....refuse to give him his just as an ARTIST....and VOCALIST(their 2 favorite buzz words for others).
this current list just underscores how inept and pathetic they have become.
they are a shell of what they used to be.
It is 2021, many of the folks who used to work there are retired or gone all together. Lets face it Elvis will always hold his place in history but new and younger generations wont view him the same as hard core fans do and will replace him on various lists especially lists like these. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Dylan were the darlings of this once important magazine and look how they have also fallen off the list (50%). Stop taking things so personally. Elvis' greatest and most influential work is now over 60 years ago. Thats a long time ago. Time marches on.
I couldn't care less Elvis not being in Rolling Stones' list.To me he'll always be the absolute number 1.
Steve V has a point , so don't take it too heavy Elvisfriends ! We all know what our man still means to us , and that's what counts !
Rolling Rag has always been a piece of garbage and this list is just further proof. Forget the lack of Elvis. This list loses all credibility when it considers Strawberry Fields the best Beatles song. That is absolutely laughable and actually an insult to their material was great. If this is young people who want their own music, why are they selecting Big Mama Thornton's version of Hound Dog (a terrible record IMO)? This is simply political correctness run amok. These musical geniuses fall into the trap of cultural appropriation which is a farce. The idea that music of any genre belongs to a race or culture is absurd and racist. I guess Nat King Cole shouldn't have been allowed to record songs written white people and Charlie Pride shouldn't have been able to sing country music. Music of all genres belongs to everyone and everyone is free to choose who they want to hear sing a particular type of music. Funny how Elvis "stole" from African American artists like Big Mama when in fact the song was written by two white Jewish men. Rolling Rag magazine, an insult to music since 1967.
Yep we are in the age of generally being easily offended and over reacting. Ignoring Elvis my immediate reaction was identical to Deano1 -Strawberry Fields The Beatles best song WHAT !!! The disappearance of Good Vibrations, Satisfaction and Johnny B Goode is a surprise. I have previously commented on YouTube reactors to Elvis and like the top few in this list the favourites seem to be message songs If I Can Dream and In The Ghetto obliquely reflecting I guess to the current thinking and feeling on the equality push.
Commie scum have never been Elvis fans and in fact that only speaks in favor of our guy.
What ? His Bobness is not #1 anymore on this list ! I am shocked. Seriously: who cares about this list ? In a few years there is another #1. And I love Dylan.
He will always be The King no matter what. Long live The King!
Hey, it's about the songs not about the singers.
And you think Elvis will be the #1 singer ? No, I guess it will be Freddie Mercury or this kind of singer. Don´t get me wrong, for me it is Jonas Kaufman, a german opera singer. Or even Pavarotti, Maria Callas too.
Bluesboy, "it's about the songs not about the singers." ??? song "Respect" : written by Otis Redding, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" : songwriters : Chris Novoselic / David Grohl / Kurt Cobain, song "Dreams" : written by Stevie Nicks, song "Strawberry Fields Forever" : songwriters : Lennon/McCartney etc.. If it was Rolling Stone's intention to give priority to the songs 'an sich' and not the singers, they should have mentioned just the names of the songwriters instead of the names of the artists or bands who hit the charts with their version. So Rolling Stone did take into account the singers. Just my opinion ! Best regards.
Interesting Gladyslove. As a dyed in the wool Elvis fan for over 50 years he will always be my number 1. However a guy I have mentioned before Dimash Kudaibergen is what 9/10 people who hear of him rate as the greatest talent in the world right now even if they don't like the genre. I have listened to him for 2 -3 years and now all his 2021 offerings and one of them Stranger is mind blowing, and another Olimpico even more so which I doubt any other living artist can get anywhere near. Where is he in the list - nowhere..