Rolling Stone updates '500 Greatest Songs of All Time'; Aretha Franklin tops the list

Rolling Stone is back with the '500 Greatest Songs of all time' and music-lovers are sure to be divided on many of the choices and the positions that are given to them. The list, 17 years after the inaugural edition, has made major changes after minor changes were introduced in the list in 2010.

The list was compiled from analysis by 250 'artists, writers and industry figures' who were hired to become a part of a poll of close to 4,000 songs to determine the top 500. They voted for their top 50 songs of all time. Here are some of the highlights of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs in 2021.

Rolling Stone updates 500 Greatest Songs list 

The list is led by Aretha Franklin for her cover of Otis Redding's Respect. The song was at no 5 in the 2004 list.

Second, on the list was Public Enemy's Fight the Power. Next on the list was Sam Cooke's A Change is Gonna, while Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone and Nirvana's Smells like Teen Spirit took the next two spots in the top 5.

Like a Rolling Stone had topped the 2004 list and while the Rolling Stone's I Can't Get No Satisfaction at No  2. Meanwhile, John Lennon's Imagine and Marvin Gaye's What's Goin On had been listed as No 3 and No 4, before Respect. 

Marvin Gaye's What's Going On came in at No. 6, the Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever at No. 7, Missy Elliott's Get Ur Freak On No. 8), Fleetwood Mac's Dreams at No. 9 and Outkast's Hey Ya at No. 10 completed the Top 10. Out of the list, 245 songs were not a part of the previous list.

Iconic bands like The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Fleetwood Mac find a mention again and enjoy a better position than last time. However, there are numerous new entrants to the list like Kendrick Lamar, Lizzo, Kanye West, Lode  Lil Nas X, The Weeknd, Robyn, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish,  Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Amy Winehouse and Adele and BTS too found a mention. The only song in the top 20 from the post-2004 era is Robyn’s Dancing On My Own at No 20. 

(Image: AP)