When “ Kid A” dropped, people didn’t like it. No one can deny the staying power of the band during their first five years of existence, but perhaps most impressive is their tendency to shift focus and leave listeners confused as to their intention. Then the second album came, then the massive thud of the third. No one had any reason to be inspired other than fumbling through their pockets digging for ear plugs. The performance was sloppy, the members were moody, and the sound akin to a rickety boombox with a bad cone blaring through an overly mic’ed up sound system. I first saw Radiohead live on the Pablo Honey tour, and I can confirm that myself, along with about 50 other slightly bored listeners that night, had no idea what this band was trying to accomplish, nor did we have much interest. As someone who was there watching it happen from the get-go, I don’t think anyone foresaw what was coming. In the early days, Radiohead scrambled to find an identity, naming themselves after a Talking Heads song, and evolving their sound to unrecognizable pitches. This fact alone puts them in a rarified air which warrants a deep respect across the board. They’re one of those once-in-a-lifetime happenstances where a band can create really life-shifting music while pushing the boundaries of creativity while still enjoying a modicum of popular success without losing an ounce of credibility. So yeah, we all understand why Radiohead is good by now. So, after long last and massive popular requests, we give you a top ten list sure to touch upon every person’s viewpoints and feelings regarding why Radiohead are so amazing, and maybe even discuss this little-known album celebrating it’s 20th birthday this year…oh, shit, sorry…disregard everything I just said - I was thinking of Hanson.
After all, the upsetting shortage of Radiohead fans out there with few opinions is palpable, and forgetting the band’s music begins to get altogether too easy. Dre feat.What the world really needs is one more Radiohead piece, right? The planet continues to spin at its orbiting best, but what would really hit the spot for earthlings at this very moment is one more person’s opinions about why Radiohead are great, and all the ways their music touches so many people.
Here is the full top 50 entries on the list: The list has drawn a considerable amount of controversy online, with many noting how many of the songs featured in the updated list are too recent to be considered among the all-time greats, such as BTS’s “Dynamite,” Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina.”Īdditionally, many fans of the magazine’s original rock-and-roll focus said the list leans too far toward pop, R&B and dance. Here are the songs from both featured throughout the list, and where they ranked: The Rolling Stone, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965)īoth Dylan and Minnesota’s other most famous musical ambassador - Prince - managed multiple spots in the top 100, and even more in the rest of the full 500.In comparison, here’s the 2004 list’s top five, of which only Franklin’s and Dylan’s songs were included: Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (1991).Bob Dylan, “Like A Rolling Stone” (1965).Sam Cooke, “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1964).
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The last time Rolling Stone magazine compiled its list of the top 500 songs of all-time (meaning the last 60 or 70 years, in practice), Minnesota’s own Bob Dylan stood at the top of the heap with his signature song “Like a Rolling Stone.”īut in 2021, that stone has decidedly rolled out of the #1 spot, making way for Aretha Franklin’s anthemic “Respect.” Rolling Stone argued it was Franklin’s first number-one hit and the single that established her as the Queen of Soul.ĭylan’s song managed to hold onto a spot in the top five, though, surrounded by a much different set of songs than the 2004 iteration.