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Top 40+ runners up (I think), not in order (and maybe some of them should be in the top 400??) :

More comments on the list:

With this list, as with the others, I would say that, however different this music may appear from that on my other lists, if you look a bit deeper, you'll find that many of these pieces share a lot in common with my classical and new age favorites. It certainly helps a song's position on my list if there's a good part in it for organ, harpsichord, synthesizer, electronics, sitar; or other interesting sounds; really cool guitar riffs, a strong underlying drone sound; or if it has well-done harmonies and good orchestral arrangements, etc. and of course, a warm, infectious, grand, swingin' melody means a lot!

Most critics would generally agree with the artists who predominate my list for the period covered. That includes British rock (Beatles, The Who, Rolling Stones from 1967-69, etc.,), the Motown sound, California surf sound, folk-rock, and quite a bit of psychedelia (as you might expect of "Eric Mystic."), and related FM classic rock and progressive styles of the late 60s and early 70s, many of them less well-known pieces today. Some popular artists are not represented at all whom lots of other people like (Van Morrison for example, or James Taylor, or James Brown; or John Denver, even though I like him, and some iconic 70s rock artists like ELO, Rush, Foreigner, Van Halen, etc.); not to mention disco, bubblegum and other trifles. Others might include more from the 1950s or 1970s. My preference for the period of "the 60s" (1963-1973) is clear. I like early rock'n'roll (rockabilly, etc.), but it's not my favorite, nor does it compare musically to my mind with the peak of pop around 1966-67. A lot of crooners are missing too. But there are quite a few rock n roll classics included from the earlier years before 1963 on my list, as well as some later ones after 1973. The list rocks hard in places, and mellows out a lot in others, with many combining both. It is a fairly broad-ranging and comprehensive list.

Most common artists on my list, I think (*not counting solo acts): The Who* (28), Beatles* (27), Supremes* (16), Jefferson Airplane/Starship (15), Rolling Stones (13), Beach Boys (12), Bob Dylan (9), Byrds (8), Fleetwood Mac (7), Mamas & Papas (7), Crosby Stills Nash & Young (6). Many artists have about 3 to 5 each.

Why 400+? It just seemed like that was the cut off from records that I might like, even some that are standards and classics, but were not quite as noteworthy, moving, or special to me. There is a finite number of songs and pieces available to me from those years, so there's a finite number of favorites. A longer list would be needed for a longer period, but, maybe not MUCH longer. I genuinely feel that these years were the best. At the same time, I recognize that there are probably lots of other good songs from later years that I do not know (and there's some that I DO know)! On the other hand, much of heavy metal, hard core punk rock, grunge, commercial pop, and rap leaves me cold as ice.

I've often wondered, should I include "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in my list of runners-up? It wasn't my favorite of the Beatles' early hits because in parts the melody seems too simple and a bit ponderous. Of course people also knock it by comparing it to their more profound work later. But I can't deny that when they jumped an octave and sang "Hand" and "I can't Hide" that they created an infectious, joyous, sexy, explosive feeling that virtually by-itself created Beatlemania in America in 1964 and made it the biggest number one song of the sixties. And the potent, dynamic, base guitar sounds have the same dynamic effect of an almost supernatural power The Beatles exercized over us. And they use some of the pop styles from earlier pre-rock years for the song that are ingrained in us, much like "Hey Jude" also does, their other huge hit that I also do not include in my list in spite of its joyous, inspiring repeated chorus at the end that embodies the collective love-spirit of the sixties. So I leave my decision up in the air.

I had a brief list somewhere of post-1977 songs that might have made my list. I know I liked 9 to 5 by country artist Dolly Parton, I Want a New Drug by Huey Lewis and The News, "What I Like About You" by the Romantics, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes, and some U2 and Police songs. The Doobie Bros. big hit "What a Fool Believes" was released in 1978. Of course there were a few later Who and Pete Townshend songs too, like You Better You Bet, Eminence Front and Gonna Get Ya. In fact, much later in 2019 The Who returned with the Who album, including some great, glorious songs as good as their oldies. All This Music Must Fade is an ironic tribute to mutual influence and theft, and this wonderful comment on the prisoners we've still got that offers a glimpse of the free and vibrant life that lies beyond our walls and back in the old days, Ball and Chain. Pete's guitar still at its best! And one of Roger's best vocal performances ever.

Many have paid tribute to the late great King of Pop, Michael Jackson (who died in 2009). I do like some of his songs, including Don't Stop Till You Get Enough (1979) and The Way You Make Me Feel (1987). Latter day "rainbow songs" I like include Rainbow Connection (1979) by Jim Henson/Kermit the Frog, and Rainbow Inside My Heart (1983) by Angela Bofill. Green Day is a good group from the 2000s, and there are others, especially European/UK groups like Everything Everything. Santana's 2000 album Supernatural was justly acclaimed, including the song "Smooth." Melissa Etheridge won a very well-deserved Academy Award for I Need to Wake Up in 2006, from Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, the only documentary ever to win an award for best original song. But overall I am not very well informed about later years, and most later pop artists don't impress me.

However, there was a new trend in pop music in the early 2010s that showed some talent and artistry. It tends toward the simple and upbeat, and sometimes I listened in. The successor to Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber (the Prince of Pop) put out a song in Nov. 2010 that easily would make my list today (even high up in the Top 100), Pray. I consider it the best song since 1973. A few others of his many good songs might have slipped onto the list, had they come out in the old days, such as What Do You Mean, Bigger, All I Want Is You, One Less Lonely Girl, Be Alright, Believe, All Around the World, and Mistletoe. Owl City and Bieber's protege Carly Rae Jepsen's song Good Time (2012) is magical and makes my soul dance; definitely would make my list high! Carly Rae Jepsen would score with Curiosity. The boy band One Direction has led the "new British invasion," and their best song is, appropriately, the Best Song Ever. Another new favorite singer-songwriter is Joe Brooks, whose 2010 song These Broken Hands of Mine is excellent. The popular group Maroon 5 had some fine hits in 2012, "Payphone" and "One More Night." The top international hit Happy by Pharrell Williams would make my list, and probably its parody by Wierd Al Yankovic too! Rude by Magic, and co-written by Nasri Atweh, the co-arranger of Bieber's Pray and Mistletoe, is brilliant and catchy, and I like The Best Day of My Life by the group American Authors, even though it was used to advertise a casino, and partly because it was influenced by Good Time. The cool song Feel It Still was also used in these ads, and it actually refers to feeling like it's 1966 or 1986.

The earlier years, extending back to Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, Hollywood's Golden Age, the "American songbook," big band/jazz, and the blues, is another vast field in itself. The instrumental arrangement (and in some cases, topical relevance) of these earlier songs are sometimes not as good, but vocals, melodies and lyrics are sometimes superior. Somewhere Over the Rainbow is my favorite old song. "Stormy Weather" is by the same composers (Harold Arlen, & Yip Harburg). I'm often In the Mood for Glenn Miller and for Sing Sing Sing by the great Benny Goodman Orchestra. Moonlight Serenade, especially the influential and famous Glenn Miller version, is an incredible romantic song, a monument to its times, and great anytime; this site includes this and many other Miller records. We Boomers didn't hear much of the big band genre in its original form in our youth; we missed out then on some great music like this, much as many miss out on the sixties-seventies era today. I also didn't include later examples of these older genres, of which My Fair Lady is outstanding.

I am no expert on Jazz, but Ken Burns' film is an excellent introduction and review of this rich and brilliant tradition, from Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway and Artie Shaw to Dave Brubeck and John Coltraine and everything in between. Here is episode 1

Is there a WORST song in the classic rock genre? Of course, it's Free Bird by Leonard Skynyrd. No contest. And obscenely popular too. Sorry, I won't make a link to it; find it yourself if you want.

You Tube is a new and wonderful thing. I have been able to find links for most of the songs there, or elsewhere on the web, but they get taken down frequently. I prefer the original recordings, where they are allowed to be posted. Only a few live versions or covers are anywhere near adequate to convey the musicianship, sounds and feelings of the original. Some songs can be found on other sites like grooveshark, dizzler, deezer, metacafe, and rhapsody (which is only available for limited plays). Dizzler may take a couple of tries to get the right track; and 5 clicks to get back here.

Rock-songs.com all-time favorite Top 500 list

Top 100 songs of the year, 1946-2010

New Age and Ambient favorites

Western Classical Music favorites

Classical Organ Music favorites