Curious what the 10 most popular songs of all time are? We all have that one song, or more than one for that matter, that we will always love or that is stuck in our mind, regardless of how many times we listen to it or how long it has been since we first heard it. Wondering which are the most popular songs of all time? Well, we have compiled a list which attempts to pinpoint the 10 greatest songs in history.
But how can one judge a single song’s popularity? With a music album, you can simply check sales figures, but you cannot exactly buy a song (at least before the advent of iTunes and similar services), so this particular indicator becomes irrelevant in this case. Rolling Stone, probably the biggest and most famous magazine in the music industry, attempted to come up with a list containing the 500 greatest songs in history, for which it used the input of more than 170 musicians, industry personnel, and critics. Out of this very comprehensive countdown, we have chosen to present you with the top 10.
You may not agree with all the choices in our countdown as music, after all, is a matter of personal taste, but you cannot deny that each and every one of the songs featured in the top ten have represented, and continue to, milestones in the music industry. We have also compiled the following lists that you may find relevant:
1. 10 most romantic songs of all time
2. 11 most annoying songs of all time
3. 11 most popular kids songs of all time
4. 11 most popular disney songs of all time
5. 10 best party songs of all time
6. 11 best workout songs of all time
7. 10 most popular rock songs of all time
8. 10 most popular jazz songs of all time
9. 10 most popular Youtube songs of all time
10. Most controversial songs of all time
On the following pages you can check out the ten most popular songs of all time.
No. 10: Ray Charles – What’d I Say
Writer: Ray Charles
Recorded: February 1959
Released: July 1959
Genre: Rhythm & Blues
Length: 6:30
Label: Atlantic
Producer: Jerry Wexler
No. 9: Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
Writers: Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl
Recorded: May 1991
Released: September 1991
Genre: Grunge, Alternative Rock
Length: 5:01 – album version. 4:30 – single version
Label: DGC
Producer: Butch Vig
See the rest of the most popular songs of all-time:
No. 8: The Beatles – Hey Jude
Writers: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Recorded: 31 July – 2 August 1968
Released: August 1968
Genre: Pop, Rock
Length: 7:11
Label: Apple
Producer: George Martin
No. 7: Chuck Berry – Johnny B. Goode
Writer: Chuck Berry
Recorded: January 1958
Released: March 1958
Genre: Rock & Roll
Length: 2:40
Label: Chess
Producer: “Bongo” Kraus
No. 6: The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations
Writers: Mike Love, Brian Wilson
Recorded: February – September 1966
Released: October 1966
Genre: Pop
Length: 3:39
Label: Capitol
Producer: Brian Wilson
No. 5: Aretha Franklin – Respect
Writer: Otis Redding
Recorded: July 1965
Released: August 1965
Genre: Rhythm & Blues
Length: 2:08
Label: Volt/Atco
Producer: Steve Cropper
No. 4: Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
Writers: Marvin Gaye, Al Cleveland, Renaldo Benson
Recorded: June 1970
Released: January 1971
Genre: Soul
Length: 3:40
Label: Tamla
Producer: Marvin Gaye
No. 3: John Lennon – Imagine
Writer: John Lennon
Recorded: May – June 1971
Released: January 1971
Genre: Rock
Length: 3:03
Label: Apple
Producers: John Lennon, Phil Spector, Yoko Ono
No. 2: The Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
Writer: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Recorded: May 1965
Released: June 1965
Genre: Hard rock
Length: 3:44
Label: London
Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham
No. 1: Bob Dylan – Like a Rolling Stone
Writer: Bob Dylan
Recorded: June 1965
Released: July 1965
Genre: Rock
Length: 6:13
Label: Columbia
Producer: Tom Wilson
Update: This article was originally published in July 2013 and updated on May 4th 2018.
