NEW YORK – Rolling Stone magazine has named the top 500 songs of all time in its new issue, and, well, the No. 1 song isn't exactly a complete unknown.
Bob Dylan's (search) "Like A Rolling Stone" tops the list, compiled from votes by 172 critics and musicians that included Brian Wilson (search), Joni Mitchell, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco (search) and others — in a special issue that hits newsstands Friday.
"No other pop song has so thoroughly challenged and transformed the commercial laws and artistic conventions of its time, for all time," writes David Fricke, a senior editor of Rolling Stone.
Following Dylan is the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," John Lennon's "Imagine," Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and "Aretha Franklin's "Respect."
"It's worth noting that "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Satisfaction" were recorded within a month of each other," Fricke told The Associated Press Wednesday. "It says a lot about how fast pop music was moving at that time."
Rounding out the top ten are "Vibrations" by the Beach Boys, "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry, the Beatles' "Hey Jude," Nivana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and Ray Charles' "What'd I Say."
No one makes the chart more than (surprise, surprise) the Beatles, who have 23 tunes on the list. The Rolling Stones have 14 hits, and Dylan 12.
Thought the list is heavy on the `50s, `60s and `70s (voters were told to focus on "the rock 'n' roll era"), the most recent song is 2003's "Hey Ya!" by Outkast, charting at no. 180.
Squeaking in as the 500th all-time best song is Boston's "More Than a Feeling."
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