The Greatest Music The Greatest Music

The 100 Greatest Singles of All Time

Source: Spin
Year: 1989
100 songs
5 voters

Weight: 35%

How much this list influences our overall rankings. Higher weight means more reliable data.

Penalties Applied:

Voters: are mostly from a single country/location: 10%
Voters: Voter Count: 39.9%
Voters: Unknown Names: 10%
Voters: Estimated Count: 5%

SPIN’s “100 Greatest Singles of All Time” was published in the magazine’s April 1989 (Vol. 5 No. 1) 4th Anniversary Special, an issue themed around “The Greatest Records of All Time.” The list is best understood as a staff-selected canon (often described as voted by SPIN’s editorial staff) and is notable for its eclectic, contemporary-leaning choices—most famously placing Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock’s “It Takes Two” at #1.

View Original List
Rank Song Artists Year
#1 It Takes Two Rob Base & D.J. E‐Z Rock 1988
#2 Ooh Poo Pah Doo Jessie Hill 2012
#3 Tumblin' Dice The Rolling Stones 1995
#4 It's Raining Irma Thomas 2002
#5 Sweet Child o' Mine Guns N' Roses 1987
#6 When Doves Cry Prince, The Revolution 1984
#7 One Fine Day The Chiffons 1992
#8 Maggie Mae Rod Stewart 1996
#9 Walk On By Dionne Warwick 1964
#10 True Faith New Order 1987
#11 Don't Worry Baby The Beach Boys 1964
#12 Remember (Walking in the Sand) The Shangri‐Las 2011
#13 La Di Da Di Doug E. Fresh, The Get Fresh Crew 2009
#14 Green River Creedence Clearwater Revival 1969
#15 One Night Elvis Presley 1958
#16 There Is a Light That Never Goes Out The Smiths 1986
#17 Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) The Temptations 1971
#18 Bad Girls Donna Summer 1979
#19 Young Americans David Bowie 1975
#20 Bring the Noise Public Enemy 1987
#21 A Night Like This The Cure 1985
#22 Can't Get Enough Bad Company 1974
#23 Borderline Madonna 1983
#24 Lipstick Vogue Elvis Costello & The Attractions 1977
#25 Aint Nothing Going On (but the Rent) Gwen Guthrie 1992
#26 Lightnin' Strikes Lou Christie 1998
#27 I Melt With You Modern English 1982
#28 Walk This Way Aerosmith 1975
#29 Ooh Baby Baby The Miracles 2002
#30 Behind the Wheel / Route 66 Depeche Mode 2001
#31 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry Hank Williams, Drifting Cowboys 1949
#32 What's Going On Marvin Gaye 1971
#33 Just Because Lloyd Price 1988
#34 Mercedes Boy Pebbles 1987
#35 Respect Aretha Franklin 1967
#36 Where's the Party Madonna 1986
#37 Love Will Tear Us Apart Joy Division 1980
#38 Things We Do for Love 10cc 1976
#39 Whole Lotta Love Led Zeppelin 1969
#40 Satellite of Love Lou Reed 1972
#41 This Is Not a Love Song Public Image Ltd 1983
#42 Tonight's the Night The Shirelles 1960
#43 Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) Rod Stewart 1976
#44 Back in Black AC/DC 1980
#45 (Don't Go Back to) Rockville R.E.M. 1984
#46 Glory Days Bruce Springsteen 1984
#47 Foxy Lady Jimi Hendrix 1991
#48 The Killing Moon Echo & the Bunnymen 1983
#49 Running With the Devil Van Halen -
#50 It's in His Kiss (The Shoop, Shoop Song) Betty Everett 1964
#51 Lola The Kinks 1970
#52 Bring It On Home to Me Sam Cooke 1962
#53 Lonely Teardrops Jackie Wilson 1959
#54 Kiss Me on the Bus The Replacements 1985
#55 Night Moves Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band 1976
#56 All the Young Dudes Mott the Hoople 1972
#57 Midnight Train to Georgia Gladys Knight & the Pips 1973
#58 Brass in Pocket (I'm Special) Pretenders 1981
#59 I Can't Explain The Who 1965
#60 Heat Wave Martha Reeves and the Vandellas 1963
#61 Me and Bobby McGee Janis Joplin 1970
#62 Riot in Cell Block #9 The Robins 1954
#63 It's Too Late Chuck Willis 1985
#64 Hey DJ The World's Famous Supreme Team 2008
#65 Pride (In the Name of Love) U2 1988
#66 Anarchy in the U.K. Sex Pistols 1976
#67 It's Not Unusual Tom Jones 2015
#68 "Heroes" David Bowie 1977
#69 World Destruction Time Zone 1984
#70 Waiting for the Man The Velvet Underground 1967
#71 Knockin' on Heaven's Door Bob Dylan 1973
#72 My Prerogative Bobby Brown 1988
#73 Standing in the Shadows of Love Four Tops 2002
#74 Lust for Life Iggy Pop 1977
#75 D-I-V-O-R-C-E Tammy Wynette 1968
#76 Troy Sinéad O'Connor 1992
#77 Slap and Tickle Squeeze -
#78 Free Ride The Edgar Winter Group 1972
#79 Away The Feelies 2016
#81 Paranoid Black Sabbath 1970
#82 Point of No Return Exposé 1985
#83 Iko Iko The Dixie Cups 1979
#84 Aqualung Jethro Tull 1971
#85 I Want You Back The Jacksons 1969
#86 Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley 1957
#87 Do You Feel Like We Do Peter Frampton 1973
#88 White Riot The Clash 1977
#89 Someday We'll Be Together The Supremes 1969
#90 Motorcrash The Sugarcubes 1987
#91 Go All the Way Raspberries 1972
#92 Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want The Smiths 1984
#93 Please Please Me The Beatles 1963
#94 Why Can't I Be You? The Cure 1987
#95 China Cat Sunflower Grateful Dead 2010
#96 Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough Michael Jackson 1979
#97 People Are Strange The Doors 1967
#98 Best of My Love The Emotions 1978
#99 Delta Lady Joe Cocker 1969
#100 Eighties Killing Joke 1985

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