The Greatest Music The Greatest Music

1001 Best Songs Ever

Source: Q (Magazine)
Year: 2003
1,001 songs
12 voters

Weight: 38%

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%
List: contains over 500 items(Quantity over Quality): 10%
Voters: Voter Count: 6.9%
Voters: Unknown Names: 10%
Voters: Estimated Count: 5%
List: number of years covered: 19.9%

Published in late 2003 as a one-off special, Q’s 1001 Best Songs Ever is a cheeky, sweep-all-eras ranked survey of pop and rock that doubles as a buy-this-now jukebox: U2’s “One” tops a list that runs from 1950s standards to millennial hits, each entry tagged with punchy “best for…” recommendations and punctuated by celebrity/artist mini-lists. Compiled by Q’s editorial team (with guest contributions) rather than a readers’ poll, the 146–148-page “bookazine” aimed to be an instant library you could beg, borrow, or download right then and there.

View Original List
Rank Song Artists Year
#401 You Made Me Realise My Bloody Valentine 1988
#402 Song for Whoever The Beautiful South 1989
#403 Satisfaction Benny Benassi, The Biz 2003
#404 (Don't Fear) The Reaper Blue Öyster Cult 1976
#405 The Warmth of the Sun The Beach Boys 1964
#406 Sweet Thing Van Morrison 1968
#407 No Diggity Blackstreet, Dr. Dre 1996
#408 Dy‐na‐mi‐tee Ms. Dynamite 2002
#409 My Life Mary J. Blige 1994
#410 We've Only Just Begun Carpenters 1970
#411 Feel Good Hit of the Summer Queens of the Stone Age 2000
#412 Shakespeare's (Way With) Words One True Voice 2003
#413 American Pie Madonna 2000
#414 The Swan Camille Saint‐Saëns 2007
#415 I Know Him So Well Barbara Dickson, Elaine Paige 1984
#416 Someone Like You Russell Watson, Faye Tozer 2002
#417 One Day In Your Life Anastacia 2001
#418 Bring Me Sunshine Morecambe & Wise 1996
#419 Sunday Bloody Sunday U2 1983
#420 Raja KO Rani Se Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik 1995
#421 Storm Over Royston Vasey Joby Talbot, RTÉ Concert Orchestra 2005
#422 Chime Orbital 1990
#423 Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops Cocteau Twins 1984
#424 Every Breath You Take The Police 1983
#425 Autobahn Kraftwerk 1974
#426 Whatever Happened to My Rock 'n' Roll (Punk Song) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 2001
#427 Freak Like Me Sugababes 2002
#428 My Generation The Who 1965
#429 Waterloo Sunset The Kinks 1967
#430 Pacific State 808 State 1989
#431 Albatross Fleetwood Mac 1968
#432 Izzo (H.O.V.A.) JAY‐Z 2001
#433 Stockholm Syndrome Muse 2003
#434 Low Rider War 1975
#435 Since You've Been Gone Rainbow 1979
#436 Insane in the Brain Cypress Hill 1993
#437 Summer Breeze The Isley Brothers 1973
#438 Gimme All Your Lovin' ZZ Top 1983
#439 My Sharona The Knack 1979
#440 Under Me Sleng Teng Wayne Smith 1985
#441 What You Do to Me Teenage Fanclub 1991
#442 Fun Lovin' Criminals Fun Lovin' Criminals 2002
#443 Eurochild Massive Attack 1994
#444 Night and Day (Twilight remix) U2 1990
#445 Where I End and You Begin. (The Sky Is Falling In.) Radiohead 2003
#446 Snow Brigade Mew 2003
#447 Bachelorette Björk 1996
#448 Straight, No Chaser Thelonious Monk 1952
#449 Straight Life Art Pepper 1957
#450 A Night in Tunisia Dexter Gordon 1963
#451 Sing, Sing, Sing Benny Goodman 1958
#452 Some Skunk Funk The Brecker Brothers 1975
#453 This Masquerade George Benson 1976
#454 Let's Get Lost Chet Baker 2002
#455 The Sidewinder Lee Morgan 1964
#456 What Game Shall We Play Today Chick Corea 1972
#457 So What Miles Davis 1959
#458 Once in a Lifetime Talking Heads 1980
#459 Where the Streets Have No Name U2 1987
#460 Regulate Warren G, Nate Dogg 1994
#461 Ghost Town The Specials 1981
#462 Today The Smashing Pumpkins 1993
#463 Superstition Stevie Wonder 1972
#464 Weak Become Heroes The Streets 2002
#465 I Put a Spell on You Screamin' Jay Hawkins 1956
#466 I Could Be So Good for You Dennis Waterman 1979
#467 Devils Haircut Beck 1996
#468 Rock Star N*E*R*D 2001
#469 Help The Beatles 1965
#470 Pour Some Sugar on Me Def Leppard 1987
#471 Green Onions Booker T. & the MG's 1962
#472 Personal Jesus Depeche Mode 1989
#473 Private Life Grace Jones 1980
#474 Pump It Up Elvis Costello 1980
#475 The Harder They Come Jimmy Cliff 1972
#476 I Wanna Be Your Dog The Stooges 1969
#477 You Don't Love Me (No, No, No) Dawn Penn 1994
#478 Debris Faces 1971
#479 Big Star The Jayhawks 1997
#480 Ode to Billie Joe Bobbie Gentry 1967
#481 Return of the Grievous Angel Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris 1974
#482 Sunday Morning Coming Down Kris Kristofferson 1970
#483 Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash 1955
#484 Louie Louie The Kingsmen 1963
#485 Gloria Them 1964
#486 Pushin' Too Hard The Seeds 1965
#487 I Hate You The Monks 1966
#488 96 Tears ? and the Mysterians 1966
#489 Psychotic Reaction Count Five 1966
#490 Hey Joe The Leaves 1966
#491 1969 The Stooges 1969
#492 Your Love Belongs Under a Rock The Dirtbombs 2001
#493 Die, All Right! The Hives 2000
#494 Work It Missy Elliott 2002
#495 Shoot Out the Lights Richard & Linda Thompson 1982
#496 Tour de France Kraftwerk 1983
#497 Alive Pearl Jam 1991
#498 Cannonball The Breeders 1993
#499 Up With People Lambchop 1999
#500 Mr. Blue Sky Electric Light Orchestra 1977

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