Of the 1000’s of songs that hit the charts and many more that didn’t it’s quite the task to pick the best 100 of the lot…people’s tastes differ and this list may not reflect everyone’s concept of what constitutes a rock classic…

popularity is just one issue in determining what is a rock classic…some artists/groups had very poor showings on major charts but had a loyal and very active cult following…

there is also the quality of the song, the music and the lyrics…a song that continually repeats the same lyrics over and over may make for a good dance tune but it makes for a lousy rock classic…

although, having said that, there are some songs that have repetitive lyrics that do qualify as rock classics for other reasons…

most people, when arranging a list like this, from what I’ve seen on the Net, take very little thought into the songs they include…if they like it they include it…

a true rock classic is typically a song that has usually some meaning or story, and helped to mold/shape the artists and music of it’s day…

this list hopes to be a little bit more thoughtful…a little bit more discerning…a little bit more Rock N’ Roll.

This list is in no specific order of importance…the first song does not mean we consider it to be number one…

however the list is arranged by decade…so the first songs you’ll see are from the 60’s, then the 70’s, and so on.

As always the links go to the song we posted on Blip…however at different times these songs may or may not be available, and we have no control over the fickle nature of Blip.

These songs may not reflect their release date, but may rather reflect the decade they became popular, received international air-play, or reached a major chart ranking.

100 Greatest Rock Classics: 1960-1999

The 60’s

Beatles – A Day in the Life

The Rolling Stones – Satisfaction

Beach Boys – Good Vibrations

Righteous Brothers – You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

The Temptations – My Girl

Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze

The Doors – Light My Fire

Cream – Sunshine of Your Love

Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade Of Pale

Moody Blues – Nights In White Satin

The Who – My Generation

Jimi Hendrix – All Along The Watchtower

Animals – House Of The Rising Sun

Jefferson Airplane – Somebody To Love

Simon & Garfunkel – The Sounds Of Silence

Four Tops – Reach Out, I’ll Be There

The Mamas & the Papas – California Dreamin

Buffalo Springfield – For What It’s Worth

Beatles – Day Tripper

Tommy James & the Shondells – Crimson and Clover

Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild

Cream – White Room

Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The Devil

Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A’Changin’

Donovan – Sunshine Superman

The 70’s

Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven

John Lennon – Imagine

Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird

Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way

Boston – More Than A Feeling

Aerosmith – Dream On

Pink Floyd – Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2

The Sex Pistols – Anarchy in the UK

Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Who’ll Stop the Rain

Led Zeppelin – Kashmir

Blondie – Heart of Glass

James Taylor – Fire and Rain

Black Sabbath – Paranoid

Free – All Right Now

Blue Oyster Cult – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper

Santana – Black Magic Woman

The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated

David Bowie – Changes

Bob Seger – Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll

Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Chicago – Saturday in the Park

The Eagles – One of These Nights

Three Dog Night – One

The 80’s

Prince – When Doves Cry

Madonna – Like a Virgin

Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine

U2 – With or Without You

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll

Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want To Have Fun

AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long

Metallica – One

Prince – Purple Rain

Clash – Rock the Casbah

Bon Jovi – Livin’ On a Prayer

Berlin – Take My Breath Away

Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me

Duran Duran – Hungry Like the Wolf

Tears For Fears – Everybody Wants To Rule the World

Robert Palmer – Addicted To Love

Scorpions – Rock You Like a Hurricane

Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy

Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax

Z.Z.Top – Legs

U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday

John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over

Madonna – Like a Prayer

Go-Gos – Our Lips Are Sealed

The 90’s

Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit

R.E.M. – Losing My Religion

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge

Eric Clapton – Tears In Heaven

Oasis – Wonderwall

Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun

Metallica – Enter Sandman

Santana and Rob Thomas – Smooth

Sheryl Crow – All I Wanna Do

Rage Against The Machine – Killing In The Name

Stone Temple Pilots – Plush

Green Day – Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

R.E.M. – Everybody Hurts

Smashing Pumpkins – Today

Alice In Chains – Man In The Box

Counting Crows – Mr. Jones

Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song

Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life

Blind Melon – No Rain

Barenaked Ladies – One Week

Aerosmith – I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing

Matchbox 20 – 3 AM

Smash Mouth – All Star

Blink 182 – All the Small Things

Creed – Higher

You might want to check out our one-hit wonder collection lists:

One-Hit Wonders: Popular and Rare

One-Hit Wonders of the 60’s: Popular and Rare

Top Twenty One-Hit Wonders in the UK: 1960-1999

Top Ten One-Hit Wonders of the 90’s

Top Ten One-Hit Wonders of the 80’s

Top Ten One-Hit Wonders of the 70’s

Top Ten One-Hit Wonders of the 60’s

also our number-one hit collections:

Number One Hits in the UK: 1960s

Number One Hits in the UK: 1970s

Number One Hits in the UK: 1980s

Number One Hits in the UK: 1990s

also our hit collections:

Canadian Rock Classics

Rock Classics: Remembering the Classics…songs that never made our other lists

Rock Classics: Remembering the Classics…songs that never made our other lists : Part Two

Rock Classics: that almost never get played anymore

Rock Classics: that almost never get played anymore: Part Two

Rock Classics: that almost never get played anymore: Part Three

Weird and Wacky Rock Classics: sometimes NSFW