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These are the tracks that shaped music history and left an everlasting mark on our culture. Join us as we count down our picks for the most important, groundbreaking, and beautifully written songs you absolutely need to hear to truly appreciate music history. Which legendary tune speaks to your soul the most? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most important, ground-breaking
00:13and or well-written tracks you need to listen to in order to better appreciate music history.
00:18And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.
00:2630. Purple Rain – Prince
00:39As a true virtuoso, Prince captivated audiences with his musical output.
00:44Most people point to this rock ballad as the highest point for this commercial artist.
00:49Purple Rain is something more than a song.
00:51As the cornerstone of an amazing soundtrack, the hit single soars to incredible heights.
01:04It seems to channel every subdued emotion before letting the musician unleash a guitar solo.
01:18Few people can say they wrote, sang, and played on one of the best songs of the decade.
01:24An exceptional performer at every level, the purple one dishes out a truly spellbinding work.
01:2929. What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
01:41When you imagine this musician, you probably think of vintage black-and-white footage.
01:46It's hard to imagine that the same man released this track in the late 1960s.
01:56What a Wonderful World seems like a standard that's always existed. In reality, it came at the tail end of
02:03Louis Armstrong's inspiring career.
02:05It's a peaceful and somewhat poignant look at the planet as we know it.
02:09I see friends shaking hands, saying, how do you do?
02:17Embracing the positivity of life, Armstrong sings his way through a message of genuine hope.
02:22The jazz great defied the odds, with a recording that went from flop to 20th century essential.
02:28And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.
02:37Number 28. Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads
02:40To start off the 1980s, David Byrne and Talking Heads seem to offer up a statement about the American dream
02:52and personal crisis.
02:54Once in a Lifetime eventually broke through with its funky beats and Byrne's preacher-like lyrics.
02:59With a beautiful wife, and you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?
03:06With a few simple questions, the words echo through a generation of lost souls.
03:11Its success might seem unlikely given its unusual blend of musical genres or the input of experimental producer Brian Eno.
03:26Speaking to countless listeners, there's more than a few kernels of wisdom buried within this satire.
03:32It also finds a way to make you want to dance.
03:39Number 27. California Dreamin' – The Mamas and the Papas
03:52Synonymous with the Flower Power era, California Dreamin' speaks to the mystical quality of the Golden State.
03:58The pop rock track comes with all the sunshine, rainbows, and exciting imagery of the West Coast.
04:12It's still an amazing song, whether or not you're pining for warmer weather.
04:16You don't have to have any connection to hippie culture to embrace the Mamas and the Papas hit.
04:28Like a burst of happiness, the opening riff gives way to a cheerful assembly of voices.
04:35Mama Cass Elliot, Denny Doherty, and the Phillips worked wonders together in their defining hit.
04:41California Dreamin' – California Dreamin' – On such a winter's day
04:47Number 26. Tiny Dancer – Elton John
04:52Blue jean baby, L.A. lady
04:58How do you sum up the career of a champion pianist and his talented lyricist?
05:02Tiny Dancer might be your best bet to capture the majesty of Elton John.
05:06Powered by Bernie Taupin's poetic lines, the track showcases the singer's ability
05:12to find the slickest melody for the job.
05:14That old man, he makes a stand
05:20This one reads like a short story with its intricate details.
05:24As John dishes out one of his signature performances,
05:27he describes the whimsical journey of the central hero.
05:30And I say softly, slowly,
05:37It's a widely celebrated work that's also been immortalized by films like Almost Famous.
05:43For anyone unsure of this guy's musical abilities,
05:46they should look no further than this gem.
05:49Hold me close, I'm trying to dance, oh
05:55Down the headlight song
05:57Number 25. At Last – Etta James
06:10Among the artist's most iconic songs, At Last – sounds handcrafted for Etta James.
06:16It's among the smoothest vocals ever recorded in R&B history. The latter singer provided the defining
06:22cover for her 1960 album.
06:25At Last –
06:29Many others have tried to redefine the track, but few have the same power as James.
06:35She can elevate a word to a heavenly place or dial back her vocals for a delicate phrase.
06:47Finding an incredible balance, the vocalist essentially raises the bar for an entire genre
06:52in three minutes. It's since become a highly ranked historical document that started a revolutionary
06:58decade.
07:05Number 24 – Heroes – David Bowie
07:09In his Berlin trilogy, David Bowie experimented with this sound until songs like Heroes came out of him.
07:22Thanks to the likes of Tony Visconti and Brian Eno, the artist put out one of his greatest musical statements.
07:34The song sounds futuristic with the help of guitarist Robert Fripp's stunning work.
07:38As anthemic as anything he ever did, Bowie entered the 1970s with a towering performance.
07:45Each verse lets him up the volume until his vocal reaches a blistering yell.
07:56Always ahead of his time, the central performer exemplifies the spirit of a musical genius.
08:09Number 23 – Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
08:22Deep into an impressive run, Pink Floyd released another masterwork.
08:26This classic track blends an acoustic guitar with some of the band's most sobering words.
08:31With David Gilmour singing, Wish You Were Here tells an open-ended tale about grief, love, and existence.
08:46The song feels both epic in scope and intimate in its emotional content. You can't help but
08:51get swept away by it, with the group in top form during one of their greatest decades.
09:04It's also a production that's packed with musical flourishes, just like their other masterpieces.
09:09Blending progressive roots with a nice hook, this folk number washes over you with its soulful core.
09:15Have we found the same old fears? Wish you were here?
09:23Number 22 – Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones
09:35If ever there was a song that was worthy of bringing the free-living ways of the 60s to an
09:40end,
09:41it was the Rolling Stones' 1969 classic, Gimme Shelter.
09:52There was no upbeat, carefree, fun-loving preachery happening here. Gimme Shelter
09:58is a dark and pessimistic track, but man, does it rock hard. Bolstered by guest vocalist Mary
10:04Clayton's powerful singing, Jagger and company managed to redefine rock music all over again
10:11with this bonafide masterpiece. Every single part of this song is iconic, and to this day,
10:25it remains an unmissable part of rock history.
10:36Number 21 – Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
10:47Bruce Springsteen was, in many ways, the artist who best defined the American working-class experience
10:53in the 1970s and 80s, and out of all of his finest moments, Born to Run is as good as
11:00it gets.
11:00Every day we sweat out on the streets of a lonely American group.
11:07Backed by the iconic E Street band, Bruce delivered an anthem that feels completely timeless.
11:13From its opening notes, this song hits its stride almost immediately, setting a pace that only
11:19continues to increase during its four-and-a-half-minute runtime.
11:22Oh! Baby, it's time!
11:28Springsteen had perfected his sound in the mid-70s, and though his catalog
11:32has many other undeniable high points, Born to Run is probably his creative peak.
11:47Number 20 – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
11:52In their final studio release, Simon & Garfunkel went out on a high note.
12:03This ode to love and friendship seemed like a perfect way to cap off the duo's original run.
12:10Bridge Over Troubled Water has a gospel foundation that speaks to its almost otherworldly sound.
12:22Taking the lead vocal, Art Garfunkel delivers what could be his finest performance.
12:27I'm sailing right behind
12:33Paul Simon's lyrics could apply to any listener in need of support or
12:38looking to reach out to a loved one. As an example of Simon's songwriting
12:42and the impact of this iconic partnership, this hit still rings true today.
12:54Number 19 – Straight Outta Compton – NWA
13:02NWA took the hip-hop formula and totally flipped it on its head with Straight Outta Compton.
13:07Music as we know it today changed forever the second Ice Cube uttered those now-iconic opening bars.
13:18By the end of the 1980s, hip-hop was evolving at a steady rate, but NWA cranked the genre's formula
13:26up to 11. There's an urgency to Straight Outta Compton that was unmistakable,
13:31compounded by the fact that NWA were genuinely angry.
13:42Their debut album is littered with classics, but it was the title track that truly managed to capture
13:49the public's imagination.
13:5918. Imagine – John Lennon
14:09John Lennon had more than a few personal demons to battle through during the second half of his career,
14:14but to say he kicked off his solo career with a bang would be an understatement.
14:25Imagine might just be the most essential post-Beatles song there is.
14:30The underlying message of peace calls on the listener to do away with materialism,
14:35which is as relevant a message today as it was then.
14:39You may say I'm a dreamer
14:44But it's the chorus that truly takes this one home.
14:48I hope someday you'll join us
14:52It's John Lennon at his very best, delivering a timeless piece of music.
14:58But I'm not the only one
15:02I hope someday you'll join us
15:11And the world will miss us one
15:1617. Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
15:29We very easily could have picked 10 other Bob Dylan songs here, and Blown In The Wind would have
15:35been at the very front of that list. But no song shook up the world of rock and roll quite
15:40like
15:41Like a Rolling Stone. From its opening snare hit onwards, Dylan and his band dragged the folk genre
15:47into a new era.
16:04Not only does it possess some of Dylan's sharpest lyrics, but also some of his catchiest melodies.
16:11It was the song that totally justified his transition from folk hero to full band musician.
16:17And it is, without question, one of the defining songs of the 1960s.
16:3016. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
16:42Delivering a cover that outshines the original is one of the hardest things to do as a musician.
16:47Though people might be split down the middle when comparing Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston's
16:51versions of I Will Always Love You, both are undeniably classics.
17:02For our money, Houston's powerful delivery is enough to give it the edge.
17:07The song was released in 1992 as part of the soundtrack for the film The Bodyguard,
17:12which had Houston in a starring role.
17:22Whereas Parton's original was a subtle country ballad,
17:26Whitney blows the roof off with one of the most unmissable vocal performances in pop history.
17:4815. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
17:58Hair metal had grown tiresome by the time the 1990s came around,
18:03and rock music was in need of a major shake-up.
18:12Enter Nirvana and the release of one of the most immediate and hard-hitting songs of the decade.
18:18Smells Like Teen Spirit was described by lead singer Kurt Cobain as the band's attempt at writing a pixie song.
18:33But the end product is something truly unique. Nirvana were right at the forefront of the grunge movement
18:40of the 90s, and this song was the anthem that best summed up the entire ethos of the genre.
18:53The song was called The Bodyguard,
19:01Though Cobain's life was cut short at the age of 27,
19:04the fact that Nirvana's music remains as relevant as ever today says it all.
19:09I deny ya! I deny ya!
19:17Number 14. Fight the Power – Public Enemy
19:28Hip-hop was truly never the same after Public Enemy put out Fight the Power in 1989. Chuck D was
19:35the king of socially conscious rapping, and…
19:38This intense and unmissable call to action might just be his masterpiece.
19:49It's a song that demands your attention from its opening verse, refusing to let go until it's done. Samples range
19:57from church services and civil rights exhortations, to the music of James Brown coming together to create the perfect encapsulation
20:05of everything that made Public Enemy great.
20:07And then they try to hand me dry, but then it's do or die when they don't give you a
20:11reason why.
20:12They be sweating for getting, they a point at us, they're disgusting, they be tearing up the joint if…
20:17To this day, it's their best known song, and with good reason.
20:26Number 13. Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
20:31To this day, this track carries some timeless songwriting that crosses generations and cultures.
20:43Fast Car is arguably the most famous track from singer Tracy Chapman. Younger viewers might know it better as a
20:50cover song by Luke Combs, but they should know the original version as well.
21:02It floats between genres and styles, giving listeners a pristine guitar part to push things along. Chapman's lyrics feature glimpses
21:10into the lives of people hoping to escape and follow their dreams.
21:20With the performer's signature voice, she charts a beautiful journey that's among the greatest of any era.
21:27Number 12. Hurt – Johnny Cash
21:30I hurt myself today
21:35This cover proves that anything can be reborn by another artist. When Trent Reznor wrote this song for his band
21:42Nine Inch Nails, he never could have imagined his somber alternative track becoming a country eulogy.
21:47What have I become? My sweetest friend
21:55Johnny Cash then put his own spin on Hurt in the early 2000s.
22:00The result was one of the singer's last big releases, giving the lyrics a new context considering Cash's age and
22:07health status.
22:16A music video also enhanced the experience as the man in black's life played out with some moving visuals.
22:23The older performer's voice added even more emotion to the piece, giving everyone another reason to appreciate his status as
22:31a music icon.
22:32And you could have it all
22:37My empire of dirt
22:41Number 11. A change is gonna come
22:44Sam Cooke
22:51Sam Cooke sensed that a change in the weather was coming when he penned A Change Is Gonna Come
22:57in the early 1960s. The song was inspired by his own personal experiences with racial discrimination,
23:03particularly at a time when he and his entourage were turned away from a white-only motel.
23:19It could be argued that Cooke paints a more vivid picture of this period in American history than
23:24any of his contemporaries. But even when you remove all of the lyrical importance of the track,
23:30it's one of the most beautiful songs of its time.
23:39Cooke's voice, the masterfully woven melodies, and the gorgeous instrumentation
23:44make this one song you simply can't afford to miss.
23:49But I know a change gonna come
23:54Number 10. Billie Jean
24:05Look, they called him the king of pop for more than a few reasons. Just having written,
24:11co-produced, and performed this song would probably be enough for Jackson to justifiably claim that
24:17title. Building on the disco and funk-inspired sounds of Off The Wall, Jackson's previous record,
24:23the former Jackson 5 member and producer Quincy Jones unknowingly stumbled upon the future of pop
24:29music with Billie Jean. A cautionary tale about the trials and tribulations of fame, Billie Jean is
24:43not only one of the best-selling singles of all time, but its iconic video helped to establish
24:48MTV as a major force in the music world. Try not to tap your foot as you listen along.
25:02Number 9. Everywhere
25:04Fleetwood Mac
25:12Are there any other songs that sound as much like Pure Bliss as Everywhere by Fleetwood? Admittedly,
25:19we were tempted to go with the group's earlier hit Dreams from the iconic 1977 record Rumors.
25:26Whatever internal tensions had plagued the band seemed to all but disappear on Everywhere, on which singer
25:32Christine McVie describes the unexpected effects that love can have.
25:44Everywhere is remarkable not only for its exquisitely dreamy vibe and pitch-perfect take on pop music
25:50production, but for its seamless merging of disparate musical elements into a cohesive whole. These are
25:57songs everyone should hear at least once, but good luck playing this Fleetwood Mac classic a single time.
26:11Number 8. Respect
26:13Aretha Franklin
26:22Would it surprise you to learn that the Queen of Soul's signature song is actually a cover?
26:28Originally written and sung by Otis Redding in 1965, Respect was part of Franklin's live repertoire before
26:35appearing on the 1967 album, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You.
26:40Ooh, you kiss it, ooh, sweeter than honey, ooh, and guess what, so is my money.
26:48While Redding was, of course, no slouch, it's hard to deny that Franklin's is the definitive version of
26:55the song, significantly altered, not only musically, but lyrically.
27:00Rewritten to comment on issues of gender disparity, Respect has emerged as a self-empowerment anthem for women,
27:08defined by that inimitable spelling out of its title through Franklin's unmistakable vocals.
27:14R-E-S-B-E-C-T
27:16Find out what it means to me
27:18R-E-S-B-E-C-T
27:20Take out T-C-T
27:22Number 7. Stand By Me
27:25Benny King
27:26When the night
27:28Has come
27:31And the land is dark
27:33Later recording artists like The Beatles and Queen opened the recording studio up to new possibilities.
27:39But it's important to remember that musical complexity and technical proficiency don't
27:44necessarily make a great song in themselves.
27:47Take Stand By Me, for example.
27:49No, I won't be afraid
27:52Oh, I won't be afraid
27:57Inspired by the gospel hymn of the same name by Charles Albert Tinley,
28:02Singer King nearly missed recording what would come to be known as his defining hit.
28:07King's powerfully expressive vocals are guaranteed to send a unique chill down your spine.
28:12Like the best ballads of its time, Stand By Me poses a simple request,
28:17but its stirring, heartfelt arrangement reinforces the scale of the emotions attached to it.
28:22And darling, darling, stand by me
28:27Oh, stand by me
28:31Number 6. Unchained Melody
28:34The Righteous Brothers
28:35I've hungered for your touch
28:41Sometimes, above all, all you want to know is that someone cares.
28:47That's the message behind Unchained Melody,
28:50a pop standard that has been more or less claimed by the Righteous Brothers.
28:55Appearing on their 1965 album, Just Once In My Life,
28:59Unchained Melody describes the universal feeling of longing while in a romantic relationship.
29:04And time goes by
29:10The raw, soulful Righteous Brothers' rendition of Unchained Melody
29:14benefits significantly from singer Bobby Hatfield's soaring, pristine vocals.
29:19It's impossible not to hear the conviction in his voice.
29:24Unchained Melody makes no secret of its narrator's heart-sick pain.
29:28It's relatively simple composition hitting you right in the guts.
29:32This, combined with its grandiose sound, will have you fumbling for tissues in no time.
29:37Only you really sigh, wait for me, wait for me
29:43Number 5. Can't Help Falling In Love
29:47Elvis Presley
29:48Wise men say, only fools, only fools bring you
29:56The king of rock and roll was probably better known for animated hip-shaking and stage presence
30:02than for mellow ballads like this one. However, that didn't stop Can't Help Falling In Love from
30:08becoming one of Presley's signature songs.
30:18Inspired by the French love song,
30:20plaisir d'amour, this sweet, open-hearted love song may very well be the greatest of its kind.
30:26If you need a pick-me-up, you could do a lot worse than this pure, unfiltered expression of romantic
30:33love.
30:34As written by Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore and George David Weiss, the king's unmistakable vocals
30:41elevate Can't Help Falling In Love to one of the all-time great ballads.
30:46Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be
30:52Number 4. Let It Be
30:54The Beatles
30:55When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
31:02Any chance you're familiar with the Fab Four from Liverpool?
31:06All jokes aside, there are probably a dozen Beatles songs we could have put on our list.
31:12But in the end, we had to go with Let It Be.
31:14That would be for its virtually perfect encapsulation of everything that made the Beatles, well, the Beatles.
31:27Inspired by a dream McCartney had in which he was visited by his late mother Mary,
31:32Let It Be takes on an almost religious gospel quality.
31:36Its message is simple and harkens back to a theme that the Beatles hammered home countless times,
31:42but was never quite as succinct as in this song, All You Need Is Love.
31:47Let it be
31:48Let it be
31:50Let it be
31:51Yeah, let it be
31:53Number 3.
31:54God Only Knows
31:56The Beach Boys
32:03Leave it to Brian Wilson to take one of the most feared words in pop music, God, and turn it
32:11into a veritable smash hit for the ages.
32:14Songwriters had had an aversion to using the word to avoid any possible offense, but God Only Knows
32:20wouldn't work any other way.
32:22God only knows why I'd be without you.
32:27Far from challenging religious dogma, Wilson and Tony Asher's song invokes God as a way of
32:33expressing a love so powerful that it'd take the Almighty's wisdom to imagine the alternative.
32:39God Only Knows exemplifies the best of the Beach Boys' knack for mixing enduring, deceptively simple
32:44pop hooks with subtly complex arrangements and song craft. Listen to God Only Knows for a taste of what
32:51music is capable of.
32:53The world could show nothing to me
32:57So what good would nothing to me
33:01Number 2.
33:02What's Going On
33:03Marvin Gaye
33:12In just under four minutes, Marvin Gaye issued what might be the most meaningful commentary
33:18on the Vietnam War. Gaye, who'd previously been well known for his sentimental romantic
33:24ballads, found himself disillusioned with the direction that America was taking at the time,
33:30and felt that he couldn't not speak up.
33:39What's Going On
33:40What's Going On was the result. Inspired by conversations with Gaye's younger brother Frankie,
33:45who'd spent three years fighting the aforementioned war. Although Motown founder Barry Gordy
33:51vigorously discouraged Gaye from releasing the song due to its political implications,
33:56the musician won out, and What's Going On became a huge hit and one of his signature songs.
34:01The song remains a powerful anti-conflict statement over 50 years since its debut.
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34:411. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
34:50Look, maybe you saw this one coming, but can you really blame us? A crowning achievement in studio
34:58recording at the time, it's pretty much impossible to hear any other song with multiple sections and
35:04not compare it to Bohemian Rhapsody. Met with a decidedly mixed reception at the time of its 1975
35:10release, Bohemian Rhapsody has since become renowned for its complex, non-traditional structure,
35:17intricate musicianship, and allusions to opera. With this song, Freddie Mercury and the rest of
35:29Queen blew the doors off the music industry, causing countless musicians to rethink what
35:35could be made possible in the studio. If you've never listened to Bohemian Rhapsody,
35:39what are you doing watching this video? Go put it on!
35:49Did we forget another sumptuous single that defined music? Let us know in the comments below!
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