Legendary Songs of All Time Part One

Do you ever wonder which songs have been considered to be legendary? According to online sources these are the songs not to be forgotten. Of course, besides there are many others as it is I have listed these in two parts of ten songs each.

"A Day in the Life" is a song that was recorded by the English rock band The Beatles. It is featured on their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The song is credited to Lennon-McCartney with the opening and closing sections written by John Lennon and the middle section by Paul McCartney. The song is at number 28 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Pitchfork has it at number 5 on their list of The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s.

“Billie Jean” is a song that was recorded by the American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson. It is the second single from his 1982 album Thriller. The song was written and composed by Jackson. It blends post-disco, R&B, funk, and dance-pop. The song went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also topped the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. The song became Jackson’s fastest-rising number one single since 1970. RIAA certified it Diamond. It introduced a number of Jackson's signatures, including the moonwalk, rhinestone glove, black sequined jacket, and high-water pants, and was widely imitated.

"Blowin' in the Wind" is a song that was written by the American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan. It is featured on his 1963 album Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. The song is described as a protest song posing question about peace, war, and freedom. In 1994 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and is at number 14 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. American folk group Peter, Paul, & Mary recorded a version of the song three weeks after Dylan recorded it and it became the most commercially successful version of this song. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went to number one on the Middle-Road charts. Their version won two Grammy Awards – Best Folk Recording and Best Performance by a Vocal Group and this version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is a song that was recorded by the British rock band Queen. It is the lead single on their 1975 album A Night at the Opera. The song was written by lead singer Freddie Mercury and is a six minute suite. The song consists of an intro, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock part, and a reflective coda. It is one of the only progressive rock songs of the 1970s to have proved accessible to a mainstream audience. The song parodies elements of opera with bombastic choruses, sarcastic recitative, and distorted Italian operatic phrases. The song is at number 17 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It topped the UK Singles chart and returned to the chart after Mercury’s death in 1991.

“Born to Run” is a song that was recorded by the American singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It is featured on his album of the same name. This was one of two singles released from the album. The album became Springsteen’s breakthrough album.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” is a song that was recorded by the American folk/rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. It was the second single released from their 1970 album of the same name. The song features lead vocals by Art Garfunkel and a piano accompaniment influenced by gospel music. The song won five Grammy awards among them Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It was the number one song on the Billboard Year End Hot 100 Singles of 1970.

“Free Bird” is a song that was recorded by the American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was written by guitarist Allen Collins and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant. The song is featured on their 1973 debut album. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 3 on Guitar World’s list of greatest guitar solos of all time. It became the band’s signature song and is their longest song over 14 minutes.

“Good Vibrations” is a song that was recorded by the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. The song was released as a single in 1966 becoming a commercial success. The song charted on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box charts. It is considered one of the greatest works of rock, pop, and psychedelia. The song was certified Gold by the RIAA.

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” is a song that was recorded by the English rock band The Rolling Stones. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The song feature a guitar riff by Richards that opens and drives the song. It is featured on their album Out of Our Heads and became their first number one hit in the US. The song is at number 31 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 1998 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” is a song that was recorded by the English rock band The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The song became the band’s first US number one hit. It became their best-selling single worldwide.