161 Best Songs Of All Time

Below is a list of the best songs of all time! That may sound like a bold statement, but using our in-house formula, industry figures have gathered the most popular music that’s ever been recorded. Be sure to save & come back to this iconic song list over time; we have a selection of new and old hits you’ll want on repeat.

Eagles – Hotel California

Hotel California might be one of the greatest rock songs ever written. With a long iconic intro and hugely powerful opening vocals, this song literally has everything.

The Eagles have had an excessive number of chart-topping hits, but Hotel California, released on the album of the same name ‘Hotel California', is one of the most recognizable. It’s for this reason that this track continues to receive such heavy rotation on radio station playlists.

Of course, who can deny that one of Hotel California’s most outstanding features is its iconic guitar solo section? The passage features layers of guitar orchestration that come together to bring the song into a climactic point.

Taylor Swift – Blank Space

Taylor Swift is one of the most recent artists to have gained massive worldwide fame. What sets her apart is the fact that she has held her position of dominance for over a decade.

Swift fans (aka Swifties) would probably consider any of her songs to be some of the best songs of all time. However, if you’re new to Swift’s catalog, Blank Space is an ideal place to start.

Interestingly enough, Blank Space has helped other musicians gain fame. Both Ryan Adams and the band ‘I Prevail' have covered the song with extreme success.

a-ha – Take On Me

The 1980s were a bit of an unusual time in the musical landscape, with pop music taking on electronic aspects. This aspect gave much of the decade’s music a sort of futuristic sound, with the synthesizer taking center stage.

Take On Me is a 1980s pop song that has stood the test of time, complete with 1980s music aesthetic. Plus, the song’s chorus is insanely catchy and sure to stick in your head.

You’re going to want to make sure to add this to your 1980s playlist, as it would be incomplete without!

Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud

Ed Sheeran is undoubtedly one of the biggest pop stars in the current generation of musicians. Almost every song he’s released has been a force to be reckoned with in chart domination.

Thinking Out Loud is a track that many Sheeran fans feel never gets old. It has a chill beat that lets Sheeran’s iconic voice take center stage, gripping the ears from the start.

In fact, Thinking Out Loud captured audiences so well that it spent an entire year in UK’s Top 40 charts.

Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive

The era of disco is highlighted by a number of massive hits, which include the track, I Will Survive. Any human who has undergone the challenges of life can relate to the timeless message in the song’s lyrics.

The simple music video actually enhances the song. What’s even more impressive is that Gaynor actually recorded her signature vocals while wearing a back brace. Would you be able to sing with such emotional intensity if your back was out of commission?

Despite its powerful lyrics, I Will Survive is a song that was seemingly made for the dance floor. It isn’t uncommon for a DJ to feature this song any time there’s an occasion where people are encouraged to move their feet.

Post Malone, Swae Lee – Sunflower

Post Malone has been an unlikely success in the pop world, largely due to his physical appearance. At every turn, Post Malone seems to be able to surprise you with just about anything he does.

When he teamed up with Swae Lee, the result was absolutely gigantic. Featured in Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse, Sunflower transcends the film and has become an iconic track in its own right. You can still see the Spidey-related graphics in the music video, however.

Sunflower would eventually spend over half of an entire year in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards.

Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Women in the music industry are not always given the fair shake that they deserve when compared to their male contemporaries. Yet, each decade of pop music has produced some timeless classics written and sung by women.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun has become a sort of anthem that only Cyndi Lauper could have released. This 1980s hit remains just as catchy and popular as it was when Lauper first released the song.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun serves as an anthem of sorts, for both entertainment and social movements.

Drake – Hotline Bling

Drake will probably be considered one of the kings of pop and hip hop music when historians study 2010-2020 music. He started so many trends that continue to be emulated today.

Hotline Bling is a song that is ridiculously catchy, but has a music video that is just as iconic. The popular Drake “not this/that instead” internet meme actually comes from Hotline Bling’s music video.

If Drake’s popularity were to wane, Hotline Bling will likely be the song his career would be remembered by.

Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You

Whitney Houston will forever be considered one of the greatest women vocalists in modern music history. Her voice is absolutely towering, reflecting the odds she has continually overcome in her personal life.

I Will Always Love You, actually written by Dolly Parton, remains one of the most successful pop singles ever released. The soft ballad highlights her vocal prowess, making it a popular choice for slow dances during memorable occasions.

Today, I Will Always Love You is not only perfect for emoting heartfelt feelings for another, but serves as a reminder that Houston’s love for her fans exists beyond her death. A truly iconic song.

Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit

Throughout history, there are certain songs that act as a sort of genre-defining moment. The opening chord of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit marks the moment that grunge was born.

Written by Kurt Cobain, this song shifted the entire landscape of what was popular in mainstream music channels. In turn, numerous great bands were given chances by major record labels that they might not otherwise have gotten.

Smells Like Teen Spirit is a popular first song that many attempt to learn when they’ve purchased their first electric guitar. It’s also been featured in multiple iterations of the Guitar Hero video game series.

Bee Gees – Stayin' Alive

Disco might just be funk music sped up to ridiculous speeds, but it’s also chock full of insane vocal harmonies. The Bee Gees are perhaps the best example of this, with their sound synonymous with the genre.

Stayin’ Alive has managed to live on well beyond the heyday of disco, partly due to its memorable chorus. Plus, the song is actually a template for correctly performing CPR and maintaining a heartbeat.

Let’s face it, in a generation where dancing isn’t as popular as it used to be, it’s hard not to move to Stayin’ Alive. Plus, any time it’s featured in a film, the scene is almost instantly iconic because of it.

Adele – Rolling in the Deep

For being in her mid 30’s, Adele has had a career that others could have only dreamed of. In addition to writing some of the best modern pop songs ever recorded, she’s also one of the greatest vocalists.

Rolling in the Deep is a track that comes from 21, Adele’s 2nd album. This single, along with subsequent others, led Adele to being a familiar name at the top of the charts.

Almost every aspect of this song has been held to critical acclaim, which is one of the main reasons why it is so frequently included top songs lists.

Guns N' Roses – Sweet Child O' Mine

The landscape of rock music in the late 1980s generally featured spandex pants, massive hair, and pyrotechnics. Guns N’ Roses might have fit the bill, but they didn’t have the cheesiness that other hair metal bands possessed.

Sweet Child O’ Mine is just one song from the Guns N’ Roses catalog that remains incredibly popular today. The song’s guitar intro is a common passage that many beginner guitarists learn early in their journey.

What makes Sweet Child O’ Mine have so much replay value is the fact that its exposition takes the listener on a journey. It parallels the dramatics often heard from bands like Queen.