The Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
Who will make Number 1?!
After thousands of you cast your votes in recent weeks, Planet Rock can now reveal the 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time.
The listener poll was an open vote meaning that any rock song in recorded history was eligible for inclusion, and the results were aired throughout the day on Planet Rock on Friday 3rd June from 8am to 6pm.
In terms of numbers of tracks inside the Top 70, AC/DC are the most popular band with seven songs making the countdown – three Bon Scott-era anthems and four featuring vocals from Brian Johnson.
Testament to their continued legendary status, Led Zeppelin weren’t too far behind AC/DC with six entries, Iron Maiden had five, and Pink Floyd, Rush, Guns N’ Roses, Black Sabbath and Metallica all had four apiece.
Incredibly, despite their massive stature, Queen and Lynyrd Skynyrd only had one song each in the Top 70 – however both tracks are in the upper echelons of the countdown.
The 1970s proved to be the most popular decade amongst Planet Rock listeners, with a whopping seven songs from 1976 alone making the countdown.
Another vintage decade for rock music, the 1980s is the second most represented decade, followed by the 1990s, the 1960s and, lastly, the 2000s.
Check out the full countdown below!
The Greatest Rock Songs of All Time:
70) Thin Lizzy – ‘Emerald’ (1976)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
69) Rush - ‘2112’ (1976)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
68) Pink Floyd - ‘Wish You Were Here’ (1975)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
67) Pink Floyd – ‘Time’ (1973)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
66) Led Zeppelin – ‘When The Levee Breaks’ (1971)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
65) Led Zeppelin – ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ (1970)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
64) Journey – ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ (1981)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
63) Def Leppard – ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ (1987)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
62) Van Halen – ‘Jump’ (1983)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
61) UFO – ‘Rock Bottom’ (1974)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
60) The Cult – ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ (1985)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
59) Rush – ‘Xanadu’ (1977)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
58) Jimi Hendrix – ‘Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)’ (1968)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
57) Aerosmith – ‘Dream On’ (1973)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
56) UFO – ‘Love To Love’ (1977)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
55) Black Sabbath – ‘Black Sabbath’ (1970)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
54) AC/DC – ‘For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)’ (1981)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
53) Thin Lizzy – ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ (1976)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
52) UFO – ‘Doctor Doctor’ (1974)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
51) Iron Maiden – ‘Fear of the Dark’ (1992)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
50) Boston – ‘More Than A Feeling’ (1976)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
49) Blue Öyster Cult – ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ (1976)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
48) AC/DC – ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ (1980)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
47) Iron Maiden – ‘Run to the Hills’ (1982)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
46) Gun N’ Roses – ‘November Rain’ (1991)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
45) Pink Floyd – ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ (1975)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
44) Gun N’ Roses – ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ (1987)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
43) Rush – ‘Tom Sawyer’ (1981)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
42) Metallica – ‘One’ (1988)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
41) Metallica – ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
40) Jimi Hendrix – ‘All Along the Watchtower’ (1968)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
39) Gun N’ Roses – ‘Paradise City’ (1987)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
38) The Rolling Stones – ‘Gimme Shelter’ (1969)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
37) Deep Purple – ‘Burn’ (1974)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
36) Bruce Springsteen – ‘Born To Run’ (1975)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
35) Foo Fighters – ‘Everlong’ (1997)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
34) Metallica – ‘Nothing Else Matters’ (1991)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
33) Eagles – ‘Hotel California’ (1976)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
32) Deep Purple – ‘Highway Star’ (1972)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
31) Black Sabbath – ‘Heaven and Hell’ (1980)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
30) Iron Maiden – ‘The Number of the Beast’ (1982)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
29) Tenacious D – ‘Tribute’ (2002)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
28) Rush – ‘The Spirit of Radio’ (1980)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
27) Bon Jovi – ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ (1986)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
26) AC/DC – ‘Let There Be Rock’ (1977)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
25) Free – ‘All Right Now’ (1970)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
24) Black Sabbath – ‘War Pigs’ (1970)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
23) Led Zeppelin – ‘Rock and Roll’ (1971)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
22) Iron Maiden – ‘The Trooper’ (1983)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
21) Black Sabbath – ‘Paranoid’ (1970)
The 70 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time
20) The Who – ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ (1971)
A Top 10 hit upon its release in 1971 as a trimmed down three-minute single, to truly understand the brilliance of 'Won't Get Fooled Again' you have to listen to the sprawling eight-and-a-half-minute album version. Pete Townshend wrote 'Won't Get Fooled Again' as a critique about power and revolution, and the song is loosely broken down into three thematic parts – the uprising in the first verse, the overthrow of power in the middle, and the new regime being a replica of the old regime later in the song, hence lines like "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."
19) Deep Purple – ‘Child in Time’ (1970)
Loosely inspired by the Cold War and themes of inhumanity, Deep Purple's progressive rock opus is a musical odyssey of the highest calibre. Embracing the quiet/loud dynamic, throughout the all-too-short 10 minutes each band member is at the top of the game - from Ritchie Blackmore's searing riffs to Ian Gillan's emotionally wrought (and oft screeching) vocals to Jon Lord's ominous organs to the pulsing rhythms of Roger Glover and Ian Paice. A monumental and magnificent rock epic.
18) Metallica – ‘Enter Sandman’ (1991)
The opening track and lead single from Metallica's 1991 self-titled album (aka 'The Black Album'), 'Enter Sandman' opens with Kirk Hammett's plaintive guitar playing before crushing guitars and sonic fury are unleashed on the listener. True it's not as raw as some of Metallica's earlier songs, but 'Enter Sandman' is a heavy metal masterclass that fuses nightmarish lyrics with thunderous music and searing riffs.
17) Led Zeppelin – ‘Whole Lotta Love’ (1969)
Colossal sounding, dirty-as-hell, gloriously lewd and sonically experimental, 'Whole Lotta Love' needs very little introduction. Jimmy Page's iconic riff is one of the purest and most timeless riffs he ever created with Led Zeppelin, while John Paul Jones and John Bonham give the track poise, rhythm and muscle. However, it's Robert Plant who manages to grab the headlines with his sexually charged and highly lascivious lines like "Way down inside", "I'm gonna give you every inch of my love" and, of course, "I wanna be your backdoor man!"
16) Motörhead – ‘Ace of Spades’ (1980)
Motörhead purists might argue that there are better songs in the band's formidable musical arsenal, but 'Ace of Spades' is easily Lemmy, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and "Fast" Eddie Clarke's most popular and enduring tracks. Pure musical alchemy, 'Ace of Spades' opens with Lemmy's pummelling bass intro before crashing drums and whirring guitars enter the fray and Mr Kilmeister spouts gambling themed lyrics in his idiosyncratic guttural growl. Exhilarating and electric.
15) AC/DC – ‘Highway to Hell’ (1979)
The second highest placing Bon Scott-era AC/DC song on our countdown, 'Highway to Hell' is three-and-a-half minutes of primal, powerful and perfect guitar-drive rock. Like so many riffs in AC/DC's legendary repertoire, Angus Young's riff is truly timeless, while Bon Scott is at his commanding best. With 'Highway to Hell', AC/DC once again proved that simplicity is often the key to rock n' roll brilliance.
14) AC/DC – ‘Thunderstruck’ (1990)
Powered by scintillating riffs from Angus and Malcolm Young, rabble-rousing chants, screeching vocals from Brian Johnson and muscular rhythms from Chris Slade and Cliff Williams, 'Thunderstruck' is the sound of AC/DC at their most electrifying and one of the standout moments of the post-Bon Scott era. Such is its popularity, 'Thunderstruck' was the first AC/DC track to surpass one billion views on YouTube.
13) Gun N’ Roses – ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ (1987)
Of course, it wouldn't be a Greatest Rock Song poll without Gun N' Roses' signature song 'Sweet Child O' Mine' rearing its head. The 'Appetite for Destruction' anthem is so all-pervading and ubiquitous that even Slash says he "cringes" when he hears his iconic riff in public, however, ignoring the over-exposure, there's no doubt that 'Sweet Child O' Mine' is a rock classic.
12) Iron Maiden – ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ (1982)
Iron Maiden's fifth song to appear on our countdown is 'The Number of the Beast' classic 'Hallowed Be Thy Name'. Performed on every Iron Maiden tour – except the Maiden England World Tour and The Book of Souls World Tour – for the past four decades, the Steve Harris penned seven-minute epic details the macabre story of a prisoner about the be hanged. Not only is it one of Iron Maiden's greatest songs from their legendary back catalogue, it's also one of the greatest rock songs of all time.
11) Deep Purple – ‘Smoke on the Water’ (1972)
Ritchie Blackmore's instantly recognisable guitar riff on 'Smoke on the Water' was voted the Greatest Rock Riff of All Time by Planet Rock listeners five years ago, and the seminal song has duly been voted into the Top 20 on our new poll. Blackmore noted years later that he took inspiration from Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven, and he owes the deceased composer a lot of money. Thematically, 'Smoke on the Water' was inspired by the devastating fire at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland in December 1971 where the band had decamped to record what would become their sixth album, 'Machine Head.'
10) Meat Loaf – ‘Bat Out of Hell’ (1977)
The opening track on Meat Loaf's debut album of the same name, as statements of intent go, they don't get much better than 'Bat Out of Hell.' The brilliantly bombastic track's lyrics were described as "a rock 'n roll sci-fi version of Peter Pan" by songwriter Jim Steinman, while musically it's gloriously overblown and the perfect vehicle for the late-great Meat Loaf's theatrical and impossibly powerful voice. An irrefutable rock magnum opus.
9) AC/DC – ‘Back in Black’ (1980)
Opening with one of the greatest riffs in rock history, AC/DC's title track from their blockbuster 'Back in Black' album was written in response to the death of Bon Scott. New frontman Brian Johnson was asking not to be morbid when penning the lyrics, and, duly, the track is a celebration of the rock legend. Johnson noted years later: "I just wrote what came into my head, which at the time seemed like mumbo, jumbo. 'Nine lives. Cats eyes. Abusing every one of them and running wild.' The boys got it though. They saw Bon's life in that lyric."
8) AC/DC – ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ (1977)
The seventh AC/DC song to feature in our Top 70 is the band's riff-heavy hard rock anthem 'Whole Lotta Rosie.' Written by Angus Young, Bon Scott, Malcolm Young, 'Whole Lotta Rosie' details a mind-blowing one-night stand Scott had with a Tasmanian woman called Rosie. A mainstay of AC/DC's live shows since it was released (only 'The Jack' has been performed live more), more recent performances of 'Whole Lotta Rosie' have featured a giant inflatable Rosie on the stage's backdrop.
7) Alter Bridge - ‘Blackbird’ (2007)
The only song from the 21st Century to feature in our Top 20, 'Blackbird' is the crowning glory of Alter Bridge's second studio album and arguably the highpoint of their illustrious career so far. Lyrically poignant, Myles Kennedy wrote the lyrics for 'Blackbird' about the death of his close friend Mark Morse. Kennedy said: "It's really about seeing the suffering he was going through and hoping he would find his solace soon and be free from all of that." The eight-minute track also features a colossal guitar solo from both Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti that was voted the third greatest guitar solo ever by Planet Rock listeners in 2019.
6) Led Zeppelin – ‘Kashmir’ (1975)
The towering musical behemoth that is 'Kashmir' is Led Zeppelin's second-highest polling song from their fabled back catalogue. A track so good that it has you thumbing at the thesaurus looking for suitable superlatives, it's no surprise that the surviving members of Led Zeppelin regard 'Kashmir' as one of their career zeniths. Jimmy Page said of the track: "The intensity of 'Kashmir' was such that when we had it completed, we knew there was something really hypnotic to it, we couldn't even describe such a quality…. It sounded so frightening at first."
5) Pink Floyd - ‘Comfortably Numb’ (1979)
David Gilmour's transcendental playing on Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' was voted the Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time by Planet Rock listeners in 2019, and the song itself is rightfully in the upper echelons of our Greatest Rock Songs poll at Number 5. Penned by Roger Waters and David Gilmour, 'Comfortably Numb' is one of the defining moments of their songwriting partnership, yet such was the friction between the two during the recording process that Gilmour later noted it represents "the last embers of mine and Roger's ability to work collaboratively together." Poignantly, 'Comfortably Numb' was the last song Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and the late-great Richard Wright performed together at Live Aid in 2005.
4) Lynyrd Skynyrd – ‘Free Bird’ (1973)
The only Lynyrd Skynyrd to make our Top 70, the Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins penned 'Free Bird' is the band's signature song and truly one of the finest tracks in rock history. Delivered in Van Zant's trademark southern rock drawl, the track opens with him singing "If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?", hinting at a man unable to settle down. Just past the midway point, 'Free Bird' morphs into a crescendo of glorious guitar solos and frenetic instrumentation – an life-affirming aural onslaught that still sounds as fresh now as it did almost half a century ago.
3) Rainbow – ‘Stargazer’ (1976)
The standout song from Rainbow's seminal 'Rising' album, 'Stargazer' sees the inimitable, late-great Ronnie James Dio narrate the ominous story of a wizard whose attempt to fly by constructing a tower to the stars leads to the enslavement of countless people. A musically complex, powerful and majestic heavy metal tour-de-force, 'Stargazer' flaunts the imperious talents of the respective Rainbow band members, from Dio's astonishing pipes to Cozy Powell's titanic drums to Ritchie Blackmore's mercurial guitar playing. Nothing short of a masterpiece.
2) Led Zeppelin – ‘Stairway To Heaven’ (1971)
Number 2 on our Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs poll in September 2018 to mark the band's 50th anniversary, 'Stairway To Heaven' is also at No.2 in our Greatest Rock Song poll. Clocking in at just over eight minutes, every second of 'Stairway To Heaven' is iconic; from the opening, Renaissance-tinged finger-picked guitars and recorders to Jimmy Page's legendary solo and right through to Robert Plant's ultimate, plaintive "and she's buying the stairway to heaven" refrain. A true timeless classic that will be listened to in centuries to come.
1) Queen – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975)
Having previously finished at No.2 in our previous Greatest Rock Song poll a decade ago, Queen's timeless and ubiquitous rock epic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' has climbed to Number 1 in 2022. Multi-layered and ambitious in musical scope, the Freddie Mercury penned 'Bohemian Rhapsody' has topped the charts twice in the UK and has been introduced to new generations of fans via 1992's Wayne's World and the 2018 Queen biopic of the same name, Bohemian Rhapsody.
Now read:
The 40 Greatest Rock Riffs of All Time
The 40 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
The 20 Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs of All Time