500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll
Selected by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum curatorial staff and a number of rock critics and historians, these 500 songs are some of rock and roll’s most popular and influential recordings. Arranged by artist and song title, the songs cover a variety of musicians and genres illustrating the evolution of rock and roll over the last century.
Artists A-C
a
- AC/DC - Back in Black
- AC/DC - Highway to Hell
- Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys - Wabash Cannonball
- Aerosmith - Dream On
- Aerosmith - Toys 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 - Rock 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
- The Beach Boys - California Girls
- The Beach Boys - Don’t Worry Baby
- The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
- The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
- The 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 & the Drells - Tighten Up
- Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode
- Chuck Berry - Maybellene
- Chuck Berry - Rock & Roll Music
- The Big Bopper - Chantilly Lace
- Big Brother & 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 MG’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 - The 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 & I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag
- Don Covey - 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 & Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & 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)
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500 Songs
Sorted by Artist
Sorted by Song
Otis Redding Plane Part, 1967.
Recovered from Madison, WI crash site 12/10/67.
Photo by Design Photography
Collection of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
