Waiting on the World to Change
2006
Steve Jordan on drums, Pino Palladino on bass, and a Grammy for a chorus about feeling politically stuck.
★ 3.9
The Songs canon
Sourced and sung.
Every song chosen by hand, with the recording to play it.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
If You Don't Know Me By Now
1989
A Gamble and Huff ballad first sung by Teddy Pendergrass in 1972, taken by Hucknall to number one in America.
★ 4.0
Holding Back the Years
1985
Hucknall wrote the words at seventeen, his punk band cut it first, and the chorus made it an American number one.
★ 4.3
Change the World
1996
Wynonna Judd cut it first as country; Babyface gave Clapton a soul groove and the Grammys gave back three.
★ 4.5
I'm Not the Only One
2014
Smith and Jimmy Napes wrote it about someone else's marriage, and Simon Hale's strings carry the slow march.
★ 4.6
Crystal Blue Persuasion
1969
James took the title from Revelation's New Jerusalem and floated it over organ, acoustic guitar and overdubbed bongos.
★ 5.3
Stay With Me
2014
One voice layered roughly twenty times into a choir, and a settlement that added Petty and Lynne.
★ 5.3
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
1982
A soft reggae beat from Mikey Craig's Caribbean instincts, Steve Levine's polish, and Boy George on Top of the Pops.
★ 5.7
Maneater
1982
Oates started it as reggae; Hall swapped in a Motown bassline, and it sat four weeks at number one.
★ 5.9
Groovin'
1967
No drum kit on the record at all, just percussion, harmonica and birdsong, and Cavaliere's Sundays off tour.
★ 6.0
Tupelo Honey
1971 · From Tupelo Honey
Written in Woodstock, cut in San Francisco with Modern Jazz Quartet drummer Connie Kay behind Morrison's warmest melody.
★ 6.0
Rich Girl
1977
Hall wrote it about a fast-food heir, changed Rich Boy to Rich Girl, and took the duo to number one.
★ 6.0
Thinking Out Loud
2014
Wadge was playing chords while Sheeran showered; twenty minutes later they had a Song of the Year.
★ 6.0
Good Lovin'
1967
Cavaliere heard the Olympics' version on New York radio, and the Rascals turned a number 81 into a number one.
★ 6.2
Higher Love
1986
Chaka Khan's backing vocals lift Winwood's first solo number one, and the Grammy for Record of the Year followed.
★ 6.2
Gimme Some Lovin'
1966
Half an hour in a Marquee rehearsal room, by Muff Winwood's account, and Steve's placeholder yell became the title.
★ 6.5
I Can't Go For That
1981
Hall started with a Roland preset and a Korg bass line, the one Jackson borrowed for Billie Jean.
★ 6.7
Son of a Preacher Man
1968 · From Dusty in Memphis
Written with Aretha in mind, handed to Springfield by Jerry Wexler; Memphis cut the track, New York got her vocal.
★ 7.6
Can't Help Falling in LoveElvis Presley
Can't Help Falling in Love
1961 · From Blue Hawaii
A 1784 French melody rewritten for Blue Hawaii, and the song Presley chose to close his shows for a decade.
★ 7.7
Unchained Melody
1965
Written for a 1955 prison film, buried on a B-side, and Hatfield sang the whole thing alone.
★ 7.7