Best song of the 20th century and why?

Here's my choice:



For me the lyrics capture the nature of Rock 'n' Roll, often called the Devil's music at the time. So Jagger writes a song about the Devil. I love the lines 'Rode a tank, held a General's rank, when the Blitzkrieg raged and the bodies stank'. Also 'Just as every cop is a criminal, and all the sinners saints'. Pure genius, and a fantastic catchy hook as well.

Sympathy for the Devil - Wikipedia

 

Think you need a top 100 . One is impossible. A good song, yes. I like Wild Horses better. The 100 leaves more room for diversity. Still if you think about it, that's only 1 song per year. Again, fairly impossible. Pop, rock, rap, hip hop, opera. And some focus more on music than lyrics and vice versa. Some go for balance.

 

Don't know how to add a video but my pick would be
The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel
To me the lyrics capture the deepest issue plaguing our society today. Not to mention that it is one of only three songs that can bring me to tears.

 

Here's a live version from 1967:



Yes definitely a great song.

 

Yes I know it's very hard to pick one song. What I like about Sympathy For The Devil is the scope of what the lyrics cover, combining man's atrocities over the years with a slant which almost praises the Devil in a way that is sticking two fingers up to the Establishment view of pop culture at the time.

 

This is the song that really started Rock n Roll, maybe not the best song of the 20th century, but probably the most important for anything to do with rock through to metal




When it comes to best song of the 20th century, there is only one song i can think of where just about everyone knows the lyrics, and all the lyrics, its been done to death, I know, but:

 

I like Queen for this because they clearly had a lot of knowledge musically. It wasn't a garage band (nothin against garage bands), but more like a symphony.

 

Oh I get that Josh!

 

One spare and electric, the other lush and electronic!

 

This:



It's so good, they even made a movie about it.

 

Both recording this work and then seeing the reaction at the premier of this film is something that I will never forget. You could have heard a pin drop in the theater.

 

Brilliant Beatles song

 

Yeah, pretty much this.

Some songs are aesthetically perfect. Some have an important message. Some are timeless while others capture the cultural climate of their times like lightning in a bottle, and preserve it for future generations. Some songs kicked off whole music genres and even revolutions.

To pick only one is to ignore some things that are ver important.

I think this thread would work great if it was more like those obnoxiously stupid sex survey threads, but with questions like, "Most revolutionary song" or "Song most important to such-and such genre" etc.

I know I can't just pick one. Like eating potato chips

 

This is an excellent topic! I’m going to stay out though. I have a hard time picking favorites. Be it music or literature. Great question though!

 

Its easy ! Do I need to explain why ? )