Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll

Source: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Year: 2006
659 songs
20 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: Unknown Names: 10%
Voters: Estimated Count: 5%
List: only covers 1 specific genre: 40%

“Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll” is an unranked, influence-based exhibit list from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, originally 500 songs and later expanded to roughly 660, spanning recordings from the 1920s into the 2000s; it was compiled by chief curator Jim Henke with input from the Hall’s curatorial staff and numerous outside critics and music experts, but aside from Henke the Hall has not published contributor names, so a reasonable estimate of participants is about 20–40 people in total.

Rank Song Artists Year
- Billie Jean Michael Jackson 1982
- Juke Little Walter & His Night Cats 1988
- In the City The Jam 1977
- Dust My Broom Elmore James 1976
- Shake Your Moneymaker Elmore James 1961
- The Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry) Etta James & The Peaches 1955
- Crimson & Clover Tommy James & the Shondells 1967
- Hanky Panky Tommy James & the Shondells 1966
- S K Blues Pt. 2 AKA New S K Blues Saunders King 1999
- In the Court of the Crimson King King Crimson 1998
- Louie Louie The Kingsmen 1963
- Lola The Kinks 1970
- Waterloo Sunset The Kinks 1967
- A Well-Respected Man The Kinks 1965
- You Really Got Me The Kinks 1964
- Party Doll Buddy Knox 1957
- There She Goes The La's 1990
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun Cyndi Lauper 1983
- Whole Lotta Love Led Zeppelin 1969
- The Midnight Special Lead Belly 1941
- Walk Away Renee The Left Banke 1966
- Give Peace a Chance John Lennon 1989
- Imagine John Lennon 1971
- Instant Karma (We All Shine on) John Lennon 1970
- Shakin' (Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On) Jerry Lee Lewis 1970
- The Honeydripper Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers 1945
- The Loco‐Motion Little Eva 1962
- Match Box Blues #4 Blind Lemon Jefferson 1927
- I Love Rock & Roll Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 1981
- When Doves Cry Prince, The Revolution 1984
- Bennie and the Jets Elton John 1973
- Fever Little Willie John 1956
- Mother's Children Have a Hard Time Blind Willie Johnson 1928
- Caldonia Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five 1945
- Saturday Night Fish Fry Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five 1965
- Love Will Tear Us Apart Joy Division 1980
- Born Under a Bad Sign Albert King 1967
- Three O'Clock Blues B.B. King 1977
- Thrill Is Gone B.B. King 1983
- Stand by Me (from 'Stand by Me') Ben E. King 2024
- Hide Away Freddie King 1960
- Work With Me Annie Hank Ballard and the Midnighters 1954
- Chicken Shack Boogie Amos Milburn 1977
- Let's Have a Party Amos Milburn 1983
- Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well? Lucky Millinder 1996
- Stigmata Ministry 1988
- Tutti Frutti Little Richard 1955
- Lucky Number Lene Lovich 1978
- Heart of the City Nick Lowe 1976
- Juvenile Delinquent The Teenagers 1956
- Why Do Fools Fall in Love? The Teenagers 1977
- Sweet Home Alabama Lynyrd Skynyrd 1977
- California Dreamin' (California Dreamin') The Mamas & the Papas 1980
- Blue Moon The Marcels 1961
- No Woman No Cry Bob Marley & The Wailers 1984
- Superfly (Superfly) Curtis Mayfield 1972
- U Can't Touch This MC Hammer 1990
- Drinkin' Wine Spo‐Dee‐O‐Dee Stick McGhee 1947
- Eve of Destruction Barry McGuire 1965
- Statesboro Blues Blind Willie McTell 1929
- Pink Houses John Mellencamp 1983
- Authority Song John Mellencamp 1983
- Enter Sandman Metallica 1990
- Conga Miami Sound Machine 1985
- Beds Are Burning Midnight Oil 1987
- Rock the Joint Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians 1949
- Shop Around The Miracles 1960
- You Really Got a Hold on Me The Miracles 1963
- Help Me Joni Mitchell 1974
- I'm a Believer The Monkees 1966
- Last Train to Clarksville The Monkees 1966
- Book of Love The Monotones 1957
- Blue Moon of Kentucky Bill Monroe 2001
- Mule Skinner Blues Bill Monroe 1940
- Sincerely The Moonglows 1954
- Rock and Roll Wild Bill Moore 2004
- All the Young Dudes Mott the Hoople 1972
- O.P.P. Naughty by Nature 1991
- Hello Mary Lou Rick Nelson 1961
- Tell It Like It Is Aaron Neville 2006
- Blue Monday New Order 1983
- Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana 1991
- Wonderwall Oasis 1995
- I Ain't Marchin' Anymore Phil Ochs 1965
- Oh Pretty Woman (Oh Pretty Woman) Roy Orbison 1980
- Only the Lonely Roy Orbison 1987
- Crying in the Chapel The Orioles 1953
- Crazy Train Ozzy Osbourne 1981
- Willie and the Hand Jive Johnny Otis 1989
- Hey Ya OutKast 2003
- Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk) Parliament 1975
- How High the Moon Les Paul & Mary Ford 1951
- Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) The Penguins 1954
- Final Solution Pere Ubu 1976
- A World Without Love Peter & Gordon 1964
- If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song) Peter, Paul and Mary 1962
- Chalk Dust Torture Phish 2005
- Another Brick in the Wall, Part II Pink Floyd 1979
- Where Is My Mind? Pixies 1988
- Great Pretender The Platters 1981