One Of Us
1995
Bazilian wrote it in one night to impress the woman he later married; Osborne's vocal earned three Grammy nominations.
★ 3.3
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.
Don't Know Much
1989 · From Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind
Barry Mann and Bill Medley both cut it first; Neville's tenor against Ronstadt is what finally carried it to a Grammy.
★ 3.8
Is This Love (Whitesnake)Whitesnake
Is This Love (Whitesnake)
1987
Coverdale began it as a Tina Turner idea, Geffen told him to keep it, and it climbed to number two.
★ 4.0
Follow You Down
1996
Jesse Valenzuela had the chords by the time the sessions ended; the double A-side climbed to number nine.
★ 4.1
The River of Dreams
1993 · From River of Dreams
Joel woke with the melody, tried to wash it away in the shower, and gave in to gospel.
★ 4.2
If You Had My Love
1999
Five weeks at number one, Rodney Jerkins's skittering beat, and an actress rebuilt overnight as a pop star.
★ 4.5
Shine
1993
A basement demo meant only for publishers, until an Atlanta college station put it into rotation and Atlantic came calling.
★ 4.6
Straight Up
1988
Elliot Wolff wrote and programmed it alone, Fincher shot the video in black and white, three weeks at number one.
★ 4.9
Kryptonite
2000
Fifteen years old and stuck in a math class when Arnold wrote it; he sang it from the drum stool.
★ 5.1
21 Questions
2003 · From Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Dre objected to a love song on a gangsta album, then mixed it into four weeks atop the Hot 100.
★ 5.1
Hold the Line
1978
Paich's pounding piano intro, Porcaro's triplet hi-hat, and Lukather's solo, all on a debut single that hit number five.
★ 5.2
Can You Stand the Rain
1988
Jam and Lewis wrote and produced it for Johnny Gill's first New Edition album, and it topped the R&B chart.
★ 5.5
Ocean Breathes Salty
2004
Recorded at Sweet Tea in Oxford, Mississippi, and it turns a hard look at mortality into something close to serene.
★ 5.6
Hannah Hunt
2013 · From Modern Vampires of the City
Koenig named it for a Columbia classmate from his Buddhism class, and the final minute cracks wide open.
★ 5.8
Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Carole King)Carole King
Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Carole King)
1971 · From Tapestry
A decade after the Shirelles made it the first girl-group number one, King slowed it down with Taylor and Mitchell.
★ 5.9
Young and Beautiful
2013
Six-times platinum for a soundtrack ballad: Rick Nowels producing, Craig Armstrong's strings, Del Rey singing Daisy Buchanan's doubt.
★ 6.0
How Will I Know
1985 · From Whitney Houston
A demo Janet Jackson's camp turned down, which Houston rode to number one over her cousin Dionne Warwick.
★ 6.2
I'm a BelieverThe Monkees
I'm a Believer
1966
Seven weeks at number one for Neil Diamond's song, with Diamond himself on acoustic guitar behind Dolenz's lead.
★ 6.2
Two Weeks (Grizzly Bears)
2009
Chris Bear started the piano line on a Cape Cod weekend; Victoria Legrand's stacked harmonies make the rest glow.
★ 6.3
I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better
1965 · From Mr. Tambourine Man
A few minutes' work by Clark about a girlfriend from the Ciro's residency, and a refrain hinging on "probably".
★ 6.3
Show Me Love
1992
One Korg M1 preset, stripped to vocal and kick, and Beyonce was still borrowing that organ in 2022.
★ 6.4
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
2004 · From American Idiot
Armstrong wrote the lyrics alone in an East Village apartment, and that loneliness won Record of the Year.
★ 6.6
Carry On Wayward Son
1976
Kerry Livgren's last-minute addition to Leftoverture opens a cappella, then hands Kansas their first top forty hit.
★ 6.7
Love Lockdown
2008 · From 808s & Heartbreak
Taiko drums against an 808 heartbeat, Auto-Tune everywhere, and a version West scrapped and recut after the fan backlash.
★ 6.7
How Deep Is Your Love
1977 · From Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
Seventeen weeks in the American top ten, and a ballad Stigwood refused to let them hand to Yvonne Elliman.
★ 6.9
Should I Stay or Should I Go
1982 · From Combat Rock
Spanish backing vocals translated by the tape operator's mother over the phone, and a jeans advert made it number one.
★ 7.0
You Got Me
The Roots and Erykah Badu
1999 · From Things Fall Apart
Jill Scott's hook, re-sung by Badu at the label's request, and Questlove driving the outro into drum and bass.
★ 7.1
Man on the Moon
1992
Berry's chords, Buck's arrangement, and lyrics Stipe wrote at the last minute about Andy Kaufman, Elvis impression included.
★ 7.3
Both Sides Now
1968 · From Clouds
Mitchell was reading Henderson the Rain King on a plane, looked out at the clouds, and started writing immediately.
★ 7.5
Do I Wanna Know?
2013 · From AM
A stomping riff, a desert studio in Joshua Tree, and the band's first single to reach the Billboard Hot 100.
★ 7.5
Will You Love Me Tomorrow (The Shirelles)
1960
King wrote the melody and the string arrangement, and a girl group topped the Hot 100 for the first time.
★ 8.0