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100 (+21) Favorite Singles of the Last 50 Years

Source: Popdose
Year: 2008
100 songs
17 voters

Weight: 63%

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: Estimated Count: 5%
List: number of years covered: 21.6%

The intro explicitly says the list combines votes from Popdose staff plus four friends (Peter Lubin, Amy Davis, Carl Abernathy, Mike Heyliger). Popdose doesn’t state the exact number of staff voters in the post, but looking at other Popdose “staff list” projects from the same period shows roughly a dozen-ish recurring staff contributors.

View Original List
Rank Song Artists Year
#1 God Only Knows The Beach Boys 1966
#2 Superstition Stevie Wonder 1972
#3 Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana 1991
#4 What's Going On Marvin Gaye 1971
#5 Imagine John Lennon 1971
#6 (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay Otis Redding 1964
#7 A Change Is Gonna Come Sam Cooke 1964
#8 When Doves Cry Prince, The Revolution 1984
#9 Bohemian Rhapsody Queen 1975
#10 Born to Run Bruce Springsteen, The E Street Band -
#11 The Mayor of Simpleton XTC 1989
#12 Sexual Healing Marvin Gaye 1982
#13 Georgia on My Mind Ray Charles 1960
#14 Tangled Up In Blue Bob Dylan 1975
#15 The Weight The Band 1968
#16 One U2 1991
#17 Cruel to Be Kind Nick Lowe 1978
#18 Moondance Van Morrison 1970
#19 Chain of Fools Aretha Franklin 1967
#20 Don't Dream It's Over Crowded House 1986
#21 Little Red Corvette Prince 1982
#22 Wouldn't It Be Nice The Beach Boys 1966
#23 People Get Ready The Impressions 1965
#24 Billie Jean Michael Jackson 1982
#25 What'd I Say Ray Charles 1965
#26 Hey Jude The Beatles 1968
#27 Gimme Some Lovin' The Spencer Davis Group 1966
#28 Sister Golden Hair America 1975
#29 Theme From Shaft Isaac Hayes 1971
#30 Ain't No Sunshine Bill Withers 1971
#31 Layla Derek and the Dominos 1970
#32 Freedom 90 George Michael 1990
#33 Another One Bites the Dust Queen 1980
#34 Veronica Elvis Costello 1989
#35 (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher Jackie Wilson 1967
#36 Photograph Def Leppard 1983
#37 Bizarre Love Triangle New Order 1986
#38 The Waiting Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 1981
#39 Is She Really Going Out With Him? Joe Jackson 1979
#40 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Elton John 1973
#41 Welcome to the Jungle Guns N' Roses 1986
#42 Try a Little Tenderness Otis Redding 1964
#43 All Along the Watchtower The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1968
#44 Good Vibrations The Beach Boys 1966
#45 Losing My Religion R.E.M. 1991
#46 Mama Said Knock You Out LL Cool J 1990
#47 What a Fool Believes The Doobie Brothers 1978
#48 Into the Mystic Van Morrison 1970
#49 Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley 1969
#50 Big Time Peter Gabriel 1986
#51 The Only Living Boy in New York Simon & Garfunkel 1970
#52 Comfortably Numb Pink Floyd 1979
#53 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction The Rolling Stones 1965
#54 Come Together The Beatles 1969
#55 Under Pressure Queen, David Bowie 1981
#56 The Rising Bruce Springsteen 2002
#57 Something The Beatles 1969
#58 Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) Sly & the Family Stone 1969
#59 Like a Rolling Stone Bob Dylan 1965
#60 Faith George Michael 1987
#61 In Your Eyes Peter Gabriel 1986
#62 Someone Saved My Life Tonight Elton John 1975
#63 Ring of Fire Johnny Cash 1963
#64 Thrill Is Gone B.B. King 1983
#65 My Girl The Temptations 1964
#66 Sledgehammer Peter Gabriel 1986
#67 Take Five The Dave Brubeck Quartet 1959
#68 4th of July X 1987
#69 Ticket to Ride The Beatles 1965
#70 Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley 1957
#71 Rainy Night in Georgia Brook Benton 1980
#72 Everybody Wants to Rule the World Tears for Fears 1985
#73 Daydream Believer The Monkees 1967
#74 I Heard It Through the Grapevine Marvin Gaye 1968
#75 Respect Aretha Franklin 1967
#76 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman Aretha Franklin 1967
#77 Roots, Rock, Reggae Bob Marley & The Wailers 1976
#78 Kiss Prince, The Revolution 1986
#79 Ohio Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young 1970
#80 (Don't Fear) The Reaper Blue Öyster Cult 1976
#81 Rock the Boat The Hues Corporation 1973
#82 Up on Cripple Creek The Band 1969
#83 In Dreams Roy Orbison 1963
#84 A Whiter Shade of Pale Procol Harum 1967
#85 Back in Black AC/DC 1980
#86 Drop the Pilot Joan Armatrading 1983
#87 Bridge Over Troubled Water Simon & Garfunkel 1970
#88 (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding Elvis Costello & The Attractions 1979
#89 More Than This Roxy Music 1982
#90 Message in a Bottle The Police 1979
#91 At Last Etta James 1960
#92 This Beat Goes On/Switchin' to Glide The Kings 1980
#93 No Particular Place to Go Chuck Berry 1964
#94 Perfect Way Scritti Politti 1985
#95 Wichita Lineman Glen Campbell 1968
#96 A Day in the Life The Beatles 1967
#97 Papa's Got a Brand New Bag James Brown 1977
#98 The Message Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five 1982
#99 Radio Free Europe R.E.M. 1983
#100 Sowing the Seeds of Love Tears for Fears 1989

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