"Smooth" Ranked As #1 Rock Song Of All-time

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

A new Billboard book ranks Santana's hit song "Smooth" as the #1 rock song since 1955. The ranking is based on number of weeks on the chart in various positions. The complete top 40 is as follows:

 

1. "Smooth," Santana featuring Rob Thomas (1999)

2. "Un-Break My Heart," Toni Braxton (1996)

3. "Macarena" (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Rio (1996)

4. "One Sweet Day," Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (1995)

5. "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men (1994)

6. "I Will Always Love You," Whitney Houston

7. "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight," Elton John (1997)

8. "How Do I Live," LeAnn Rimes (1997)

9. "End of the Road," Boyz II Men (1992)

10. "Too Close," Next (1998)

11. "The Boy Is Mine," Brandy & Monica (1998)

12. "The Sign," Ace of Base (1994)

13. "How You Remind Me," Nickelback (2001)

14. "Don't Be Cruel" / "Hound Dog," Elvis Presley (1956)

15. "Maria Maria," Santana featuring the Product G&B (2000)

16. "I'll Be Missing You," Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112 (1997)

17. "I Swear," All-4-One (1994)

18. "Mo Money Mo Problems," The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Mase (1997)

19. "The Twist," Chubby Checker (1960)

20. "You're Still the One," Shania Twain (1998)

21. "Independent Women Part I," Destiny's Child (2000)

22. "Gangsta's Paradise," Coolio featuring L.V. (1995)

23. "Family Affair," Mary J. Blige (2001)

24. "U Got It Bad," Usher (2001)

25. "I'm Real," Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule (2001)

26. "Fallin'," Alicia Keys (2001)

27. "On Bended Knee," Boyz II Men (1994)

28. "You Light Up My Life," Debby Boone (1977)

29. "You Were Meant for Me" / "Foolish Games," Jewel (1997)

30. "Whoomp! (There It Is)," Tag Team (1993)

31. "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock," Bill Haley & His Comets (1955)

32. "Love Letters in the Sand," Pat Boone (1957)

33. "Mack the Knife," Bobby Darin (1959)

34. "Breathe," Faith Hill (2000)

35. "Creep," TLC (1995)

36. "Foolish," Ashanti (2002)

37. "Physical," Olivia Newton-John (1981)

38. "Because You Loved Me," Celine Dion (1996)

39. "Endless Love," Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (1981)

40. "Singing the Blues," Guy Mitchell (1956)

 

Credit: Billboard

 

Um, Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" was on the charts and at #1 a lot longer then most of those.

 

and where the Hell is Elvis?

[Guest Kinetic]

At #14. This is one of those completely meaningless lists that I have no desire to comment on. I will say, however, that Billboard's definition of "rock" is looser than Alina after a week at soccer camp.

 

I don't know where that came from. Merry Christmas, everybody.

[Guest saturnmark4life]

It's not a list, it's an endurance test.

[B. Brian Brunzell 0]

"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" topped the charts for four weeks in 1998.

[Guest Kibagami]

This list makes me sad.

 

K.

[Guest razazteca]

maybe rock = pop?

 

that list is full of R&B and Rap

[Guest Will Scarlet]

3. "Macarena" (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Rio (1996)

 

Wow. That is just totally shocking, and sad, really sad.

[Guest Downhome]

Let me ask this, are there ANY songs on the list that you guys feel should be there?

[Guest Kinetic]

They all deserve to be there because this is based on actual statistical information, rather than just opinion. I do not personally care for any of these songs, however.

[Guest MrRant]

Motherfuckers

[Guest Downhome]

They all deserve to be there because this is based on actual statistical information, rather than just opinion. I do not personally care for any of these songs, however.

Yes, I understand that, and I obviously agree. I actually love many of the songs, so let me rephrase my question...

 

...are there any songs on there that any of you feel SHOULD be on that list, meaning, are there any that you feel should be that high statisticly?

[Guest Kinetic]

Yes again, because the American buying public is full of weak-minded people who like what they're told to like. And in order to appeal to the widest group of mouth-breathing half-wits, lowest common denominator tripe like 95% of everything on that list is released and heavily marketed by opportunistic record companies. It's my opinion that idiots and mainstream music deserve each other, so it's definitely not surprising to see that stuff on a list of hit songs.

[Guest Downhome]

Yes again, because the American buying public is full of weak-minded people who like what they're told to like. And in order to appeal to the widest group of mouth-breathing half-wits, lowest common denominator tripe like 95% of everything on that list is released and heavily marketed by opportunistic record companies. It's my opinion that idiots and mainstream music deserve each other, so it's definitely not surprising to see that stuff on a list of hit songs.

You are not understanding what I mean. Let me put it like this...

 

...on your own personal list, do you feel ANY of these songs would be on it?

[Guest Kinetic]

Absolutely not. I thought I made that pretty clear when I called it "lowest common denominator tripe."

[Guest Downhome]

Absolutely not. I thought I made that pretty clear when I called it "lowest common denominator tripe."

I am not only asking you, I'm simply stating it that way in case anyone else looks at my question as you did.

[Guest Banky]

I honestly haven't even heard of some of those tracks. I am so lame. Or am I.

[Guest Incandenza]

Yes again, because the American buying public is full of weak-minded people who like what they're told to like. And in order to appeal to the widest group of mouth-breathing half-wits, lowest common denominator tripe like 95% of everything on that list is released and heavily marketed by opportunistic record companies. It's my opinion that idiots and mainstream music deserve each other, so it's definitely not surprising to see that stuff on a list of hit songs.

I remember when mainstream music would piss me off like that. I was so young.

 

::ruffles Kinetic's hair::

 

Seriously, I agree with just about everything you say, but I've long been unable to get myself worked up about it to that extreme of a state. The music that the masses eagerly fatten themselves on will always be tripe, and I can't be bothered to work up the energy to hate.

[Guest Kinetic]

Well, it's Christmas. All of that repressed anger boils over with each terrible gift, more often than not. This year, however, I didn't even get any fucking gifts, so I'm seething. The more perceptive reader would be able recognize that "Damn you, corporate culture!" is just a thinly-veiled "Why don't you love me, mommy?"

[Guest spiny norman]

Don't be so hasty. Some of the songs deserve to be there. Like Rock Around The Clock. And Hound Dog. And that's about it.

 

Okay, this list sucks, I agree.

[Guest DrTom]

Elvis should be on the list for historical reasons. Other than that, the only other songs I like are "Smooth" and "How You Remind Me." The latter is nothing special within its genre, though, let alone music as a whole; I just like the riff and most of the lyrics. "Smooth," however, is a great, great rock song.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I wouldn't make my worst enemies listen to that list. Well, maybe Kotzenjunge.

[Guest CanadianChick]

This is a Rock song list? Wow, that has to be the loosest definition of Rock I have ever encountered.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

I wouldn't make my worst enemies listen to that list. Well, maybe Kotzenjunge.

Here's the SWERVE~! in that idea:

 

I really wouldn't mind it.

 

As for the mainstream hate: I'll never understand it, and the railing against it seems almost more like a personal statement of rebellion more than anything. I've discovered that disliking mainstream material is really rather pointless, since, being MAINSTREAM, it'll never go away, and I'd always be in the minority, stuck being some bitter little person with a bunch of albums none of my friends have heard of, stuck in a situation that only I could understand. Do what I did, and that's find a healthy balance between mainstream and counterculture. Pick the best from each, and you can maintain artistic integrity while still getting along well with most people.

 

As for this list, I hate Matchbox 20 and all of its members and/or incarnations, so I might take issue with listening to the #1 song.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Eh, call me elitist, but I actively detest every single song on that list.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Oh, it's okay to dislike them all, never said it wasn't. None of what I'd call my favorites are on there. After all, it's based on sales, not actual quality. I just find it more fulfilling to enjoy the best of both worlds.

 

Honestly, who else do you know who could tell you his opinions on Acid Bath and KYLIE~! ? Not bloody many. It's fun to surprise people on both sides too.

 

EDIT: I just saw "Gangstas Paradise," "I'll Be Missing You," and "Endless Love" on there. So there are some of my favorites on there. Of course, my favorite songs list would read like The Brothers Karamozov if annotated somehow.

[Guest J*ingus]

Eh, call me elitist, but I actively detest every single song on that list.

You diss Mack the Knife? Fucking elitist. (Candle in the Wind wasn't terrible either.)

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I can't pick a worst song on there...Gun to my head, and I'd listen to Elvis or Bill Haley. That Whitney Houston song is worse than a bullet.

[Guest saturnmark4life]

I wouldn't make my worst enemies listen to that list. Well, maybe Kotzenjunge.

Here's the SWERVE~! in that idea:

 

I really wouldn't mind it.

 

As for the mainstream hate: I'll never understand it, and the railing against it seems almost more like a personal statement of rebellion more than anything. I've discovered that disliking mainstream material is really rather pointless, since, being MAINSTREAM, it'll never go away, and I'd always be in the minority, stuck being some bitter little person with a bunch of albums none of my friends have heard of, stuck in a situation that only I could understand. Do what I did, and that's find a healthy balance between mainstream and counterculture. Pick the best from each, and you can maintain artistic integrity while still getting along well with most people.

 

As for this list, I hate Matchbox 20 and all of its members and/or incarnations, so I might take issue with listening to the #1 song.

I'm not going to flame you for listening to different stuff to me, but you basically seem to be admitting defeat. It won't go away, so you have to listen to it? what the fuck?

[Guest pochorenella]

As a long-time Billboard reader I must say that this list is based on actual chart performance on Billboards "Hot 100" list that has been published since the late 50s (I think). So it's actually based on how popular the songs were on radio and how much they sold on record stores.

 

If you didn't like, say, "How You Remind Me", then let me say that it was the #1 song for 2002 according to Billboards Year End Charts, so it's understandable that it's included. Same for "Macarena" which was also #1 for it's respective year. It's not a matter of wether you like the song or not. It's how well each song performed on the Charts on Billboard, how many times it's played on the radio, how many copies it sold, how many weeks it stayed on the charts, etc.

 

Do I like the list? Not much ("Every Breath You Take" not being included is a mortal sin) but then again these are the songs people have bought and requested on the radio for many years. I've heard pretty much every song listed, and I've checked with my archives on some song's chart performance. All did pretty well so they have to be included. Wether you or I like them it's another thing.

 

And the term "Rock Song" comes form the fact that the "Rock Era" officially started on 1955, so it wouldn't include songs from previous years. It doesn't actually mean that the song must be a rock song. It's from the Rock Era so it's catalogued as Rock by Billboard. It's a pretty loose term here, don't take it as gospel.

[Guest Kinetic]

Well, Kotz, I'd have no trouble listening to mainstream music if it was any good. The few mainstream hits that I have enjoyed over the last several years--2002's shining example being "Hot in Herre"--were not represented on this list, however. I don't want to give the impression that my tastes are willfully obscure, because that really isn't the case at all. I just happen to dislike most of what major record companies put all of their money into because I'm not a braindead hick or a pubescent girl.