The Greatest Songs of All Time: 750-701

#750: Billy Joel - Uptown Girl

Billy Joel doesn't always venture into pop rock, but when he does the results are infectiously good. I suppose there's a certain irony in Billy Joel singing about fancying women above his class when he's a multi-millionaire, but Billy pulls off the role quite well, with the vocals being a particular highlight. Westlife failed to understand any of this in their pathetic cover version.
 

#749: Run-DMC - It's Like That

Funky hip hop that oozes style. The beat is the real high point of the release. It's not complex, but it thumps over the record like a sledgehammer. Maybe the single sounds dated nowadays, but back in the 80s this not only announced the group to the world, but also signalled a shift of urban music to pounding tracks like the one here.

#748: Martha and the Vandellas - Dancing in the Street

I'm sure we've all been victimised by the atrocious Bowie and Jagger cover of this classic, but the original really is a great soul record. The song has a cheerful tone, but most importantly has some brilliant vocals that could force a smile on any man's face.

#747: Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?

A moody indie hit that's seen a surge in popularity from the alternative crowds. The depressing and downtempo verses give way to falsetto chants and a strong chorus that easily set this song apart from the many sad sounding alternative bands still hanging around.

#746: Dio - Rainbow in the Dark

You must be crazy to include the forbidden art of catchy keyboards within a serious heavy metal song, but Dio here pulls it off like a charm. The man also sounds great. Almost as great as the heavy guitar riffs.

#745: Rod Stewart - Sailing

Yes, we may be over a quarter of the way through this list but that doesn't mean my guilty pleasures won't still be featuring. Rod Stewart quits his bravado inspired act for once and actually powers his way through a heartwarming track.
 
#744: Supertramp - The Logical Song

The Logical Song is a track that intrigues rather than forcing itself upon you. It's not a pop record, and the themes are surprisingly deep, but it does have that user-friendly charm. The lyrics are interesting and yet somehow almost universally relatable.

#743: Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual

A Tom Jones classic. I know it's supposed to be young women who threw their underwear at him, but after a listen I'll happily strip for Tom. I don't know what's more legendary, the beat or the booming voice. The combination of both makes this an iconic release.

#742: Billy Joel - Just the Way You Are

A popular ballad with one of the most wholesome messages in music history. It's just so refreshing to have such a great song so perfectly encapsulate an average relationship without any gimmicks. Billy Joel may sound great, but it's that smooth saxophone that gets me every single time.

#741: U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Whilst a pompous douchebag not finding what he's looking for in life really isn't news there is no denying this is one of Bono's standout performances. The vocals are powerful, contrasting the subdued bassline and isolated acoustics. I have no idea what Bono is trying to find, with any luck a faulty nuclear reactor, but he sounds damn passionate about finding this said thing.

#740: Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back in Town

More at home in an epic compilation than a list of great songs, but you can't help but love it. I don't know if the boys are often back in town in Thin Lizzy's native Ireland, but they seem damn keen on reminding us with that infectious hook. I love the riff as well.

#739: David Bowie - Young Americans

Young Americans is a far cry from Bowie's early and best years, but still a cracking song nonetheless. The soul influenced track sound as good today as it ever did, with a saxophone filled melody that's damn fine to hear.

#738: The Beatles - Love Me Do

That harmonica has now become legendary, as has the doe-eyed vocals. It may not be the greatest rock track of all time, but it's a fine Merseybeat song that would launch The Beatles in their native Britain.
 
#737: Elton John - Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

It's not often Elton John sounds like he could kick the shit out of you, but this song has a lively edge about it. It's a tune to blast out Saturday night down the pub after about five too many. I don't know how Elton John manages to pull it off, but boy does he do it in style.

#736: Lionel Richie - Hello

Cheesy ballad royalty. Lionel Richie is almost oppressively cheesy in this, but I can't help but fucking love it. His voice and the lyrics are like bargain bin Viagra. The music video has to be seen to be believed as well. All this is just brilliant 80s cringe.
 
#735: Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way

Lenny Kravitz quite correctly decides that 70s hard rock is better for his style and produces a hit that seems so out of place in the early 90s. Those big repeating riffs and the shouted vocals take you back to the days when legends played the guitar. Okay, Kravitz is hardly Hendrix, but I hardly find myself caring when I turn the volume dial up.

#734: House of Pain - Jump Around

It's pretty self-explanatory what to do when you hear this banger, and the song gives you a massive helping hand. It might be a dance song, but it certainly doesn't feel corny or contrived. It has all the intensity of a serious rap song, all whilst maintaining a massive grin throughout.

#733: Roy Orbison - Crying

Wow, Orbison's voice is incredible in this. Even the falsetto fits absolutely perfectly into this downtrodden classic. When most legendary rock songs are about chatting up girls it's refreshing to have one of the best vocalists of all time pour his soul into this timeless piece.

#732: The 5th Dimension - Aquarius/ Let the Sunshine In

What the fuck was going on in America during 1969? I know it was written for the musical 'Hair', but even still, this is way out there even for a flamboyant musical. Having said that, the harmonies are actually brilliant, and the chorus even better. Interestingly we will not be in the age of Aquarius until 2448, and even then this song will still sound mental.

#731: Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street

You know this one for the epic saxophone. There's far more to the song than the saxophone however. The lyrics are better constructed than a Sherlock Holmes case, and the production is ridiculously good for the late 70s. I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but the saxophone is also fucking brilliant.

#730: Daft Punk - Da Funk

Take a guess when this was released. No, you're wrong, it was 1995. The concept is very simple, but back in 1995 this would have turned heads in clubs, and even today is still a blast to turn up. You can clearly hear the influence this banger has had on almost every single piece of chart music today.

#729: The Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand

The iconic track that kicked off Beatlemania in America, and the rest of the world for that matter. Who can resist the charming tone of this foursome asking for a simple pleasure? Back in the 60s this pop record instantly made every other song in the charts obsolete.

#728: The Troggs - Wild Thing

Actually, this is a cover version of a song that never charted, although you wouldn't know that from the way The Troggs made this their signature track. It's since become a garage rock classic, helped by not only the now iconic lyrics, but that even better riff. It's primitive punk with a healthy dose of 60s rock.

#727: Ricky Nelson - Hello Mary Lou

Released as a B side to a rather average lead single. Hello Mary Lou is anything but average, with incredibly smooth vocals and a surprising guitar solo that even the best rock bands of all time weren't afraid to steal. All this from a pop song from the olden days.

#726: Queen - Killer Queen

This is the best sort of Queen. Killer Queen is a glam rock classic with enough of a pop influence and stellar production to captivate millions. I don't know why Freddie Mercury wrote a song about a call girl, or even if he knew anything about them, but I'm glad he did. I just wish Queen stuck with their glam rock sound.

#725: Cat Stevens - The First Cut Is the Deepest

A charming little tune that makes a dramatic downturn with a depressing chorus out of nowhere. There are excellent songwriting skills on display here, with the vocal tone matching the mood swing perfectly. The song may have had more success with Rod Stewart, but the more innocent Cat Stevens version will always be the better track.

#724: Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing

The perfect live track to demonstrate what a master guitarist Hendrix was. Little Wing is not the most ferocious and high tempo virtuoso performance from the man, but rather a blues inspired and narcotic expression of rock music. Many have tried to copy the record, but none have even come close to Hendrix's level.

#723: Chubby Checker - The Twist

There's something so wholesome about watching an overweight black man instructing you how to do a simple dance. Maybe that's why this innocent little song started a massive dance craze that many have joined in over the years. For a dance song this is pretty damn good.

#722: The Beach Boys - Surfin' Safari

The centrepiece for their debut album of the same name, and if we're being honest the only good song on it. The Beach Boys hadn't quite nailed that beach vibe yet, and just look like low paid accountants having a night out, but this song was our first chance to hear those charming harmonies that would lead the group onto far better projects.

#721: Madonna - Like a Virgin

Classic Madonna. Provocative, catchy, and a huge hook that wants you to sing along. There's not a lot in the song, but there doesn't need to be when you have Madonna's iconic voice carrying the whole thing. This is the song that turned Madonna into the pop icon she is today.

#720: Kiss - Crazy Crazy Nights

Classic Kiss. It's not sophisticated and it's extremely repetitive, but that's not the point. This is a song for thousands to shout out at live concerts, and for anyone to belt out in the shower. The hook is incredible, only bettered by vocalist Paul Stanley's voice.

#719: Culture Club - Do You Want to Hurt Me

Interestingly this is now what most Norwegians cry when Boy George has them handcuffed in his basement. The music video is actually live footage of him being sentenced. The song itself is an interesting mix of new wave and reggae with the centrepiece being the extravagance and smoothness of Boy George himself.

#718: Pet Shop Boys - It's a Sin

Here we see the natural behaviour of the homosexual when brought up as a Catholic, singing and dancing their way through the admittance of their sins. The song is actually a really good synthpop track with a massive overblown production that would have turned heads in the 80s. Interestingly the group were sued by Jonathan King for plagiarism, with Jonathan then going on to plagiarise the theme of the song himself by raping children.

#717: Fontella Bass - Rescue Me

Fontella Bass puts on a vocal performance that Aretha Franklin would envy. They even sound similar, but I don't think for one moment Aretha could pull off the hook as well as Fontella does here. It's a shame the lady never had another hit. That bass line is also fucking brilliant.

#716: The Shirelles - Will You Love Me Tomorrow

The smash hit that paved the way for girl groups to dominate the charts for the next few years. The song is beautifully written and performed even better. It's a sweet song with surprisingly deep themes, providing a great little anthem for romantic teenagers in the 60s.

#715: The Beatles - Rain

The B side to Paperback Writer that proved Ringo Starr was a seriously talented drummer. I love the psychedelic feel of the song, which The Beatles would go on and nail for the next few years. It actually sounds like it's being played at half speed. The production of the song is fantastic for the mid-60s, containing large hints for the musical direction the band were travelling.

#714: Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

What a breakup anthem. Every time I belt this out I feel like the most empowered woman in the world. I love its disco and soul inspired soundtrack, and Gloria's voice has now become iconic for a great many people who so strongly relate to the clear message of this powerful track.

#713: Solomon Burke - Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

Solomon Burke sounds like an American preacher throughout most of this record and then blows you away with the smoothness of the chorus. The Blues Brothers can fuck off with their version.

#712: M.I.A. - Paper Planes

One of the most hard-hitting hip hop tracks of all time comes all the way from the streets of Hounslow. Yeah, not exactly an impoverished ghetto like the song makes it out to be. The themes of immigration presented by the song are all the more relevant today, even if the lines of the song are wrapped in a thick layer of sarcasm.

#711: Run-D.M.C. - It's Tricky

For me this song is forever synonymous with snowboarding games. It's not a typical rap number, and actually uses a guitar riff as the main beat, but still being full of personality and energy. There's no explicit behaviour, and all in all it's just honest and clean fun.

#710: Ozzy Osbourne - Mama, I'm Coming Home

No, this really is an Ozzy Osbourne song. I don't know if anyone knew he had a sensitive side, but here it is out in the open. The song is a touching ballad with a surprising amount of finesse from the metal legend. The pacing is just fantastic and ends with an outpouring of emotion that pleases the soul instead of repetitively battering it like a classic Ozzy anthem.
 

#709: Catatonia - Mulder and Scully

A good case for Mulder and Scully would be working out how the hell this song isn't considered a classic. It's a cracking Britpop number with a massive dose of Welsh warbling. Cerys Matthews sounds more Welsh than Tom Jones, and there are enough nostalgic references lying around to give the single an underlying sense of fun.

#708: Wings - Live and Let Die

The song that now seems to be a soundtrack to just about everything. Originally it was for a James Bond film of the same name, but now it's become so ingrained in pop culture that you can attach it to anything vaguely dramatic. Today it's the best Bond theme by a mile, and a damn good single in its own right.

#707: Tammy Wynette - Stand by Your Man

It's incredible how so much pain can be transmitted through one voice. This is a beautiful love song that unfortunately now seems to exist for gender debates on the internet. Interestingly 'The First Lady of Country' was married a total of five times, but regardless of her blatant hypocrisy she still sounds fucking amazing.

#706: The Beatles - Think for Yourself

Fitting perfectly into the exemplary 'Rubber Soul' album is this gem. It's one of the best classics that George Harrison penned and illustrated the more serious and thoughtful tones that would dominate the greatest albums the band would produce. The bass line is especially pleasing, as is the vocal sound.

#705: The Supremes - Stop! In the Name of Love

Has there ever been a more startling hook than having one of the all-time great girl groups screaming at you? This song is a fine girl group banger that just about everyone can recite. Classic Motown and a classic pop record.

#704: T. Rex - Jeepster

A simple and repetitive song that's brought to life by the charisma of Marc Bolan. Some of the phrases he uses to describe the focal lady are mental, with the song containing some of the best car based sexual metaphors I've ever heard. Bolan still makes his lines sound sexy, with the rest of the song oozing in glam rock chic.

#703: The Small Faces - Itchycoo Park

A charming ditty about feeding ducks in a park whilst smoking a shit ton of marijuana. The Small Faces make East London sound charming, but then maybe weed masks the constant threat of being stabbed. East London is not too beautiful, but this song is to the ears.

#702: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar Tissue

A soulful and funk-infused track that could chill just about anyone. The hook in particular is mellow yet infectious, mirroring the stellar guitar playing in the background. The guitar solos are so pleasant to admire, bridging out an expertly placed jam.

#701: Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows

You know this one for that riff. Actually, I think everyone has heard that riff. The blues-inspired riff carries this song, not sounding outdated or contrived in any way. Why 'Queens of the Stone Age' couldn't produce more music like this is my big question? I guess no one knows.