Beat It
1982 · From Thriller
Van Halen dropped in, played the solo for free, and Jackson made rock and pop the same building.
★ 9.2
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.
Sledgehammer
1986 · From So
Gabriel wanted real brass, hired the Memphis Horns' Wayne Jackson, then knocked his old band Genesis off number one.
★ 7.5
Bizarre Love Triangle
1985
It missed the UK top forty, all Fairlight sequencing except Hook's bass, and now every indie disco needs it.
★ 7.5
Love Shack
1989
Don Was suggested welding a fifteen-minute jam to a shouted chorus, and Cindy Wilson's tin-roof ad-lib stayed in.
★ 7.0
Don't You (Forget About Me)
1985
Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol passed; Simple Minds cut it reluctantly, then kept the placeholder chant that closes it.
★ 7.0
Call Me
1980
Moroder cut the backing track in Los Angeles, Harry wrote the words in hours, and it ruled 1980.
★ 6.9
Rock Lobster
1978 · From The B-52s
A baritone Mosrite missing its two middle strings, and a party record that talked Lennon out of retirement.
★ 6.7
Hungry Like the Wolf
1982 · From Rio
Rhodes had the backing track in mind before reaching the studio; the Sri Lanka video carried it to number three.
★ 6.7
You Make My Dreams Come True
1981
A rare Yamaha CP-30 supplies the riff, and Oates traced the song to Delta blues jammed against Texas swing.
★ 6.5
Addicted to Love
1986
Chaka Khan's label blocked her from the duet, so Palmer sang it alone over Tony Thompson's drum intro.
★ 6.3
December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)
1975
Gaudio first wrote it about Prohibition's repeal, then Judy Parker rewrote the lyric and drummer Gerry Polci sang lead.
★ 6.2
Reflektor
2013 · From Reflektor
Seven and a half minutes, James Murphy at the desk, Haitian percussion, and Bowie volunteering his voice.
★ 5.2
Simply Irresistible
1988
Number two in America, three weeks atop the rock chart, and the video that closed Palmer's mannequin trilogy.
★ 4.2
One Thing Leads to Another
1983
Curnin called it an indictment of dishonest politicians, Rupert Hine produced it, and America took it to number four.
★ 3.8
You Keep Me Hangin' On (Kim Wilde)
1987
Wilde rebuilt the Holland-Dozier-Holland original as hi-NRG and became the second act to take it to number one.
★ 3.4
If I Could Change Your Mind
2014
James Ford produced it, all three sisters wrote it, and the harmonies turn a plea into a groove.
★ 3.3
Tubthumping
1997
An anarchist collective from Leeds, a sample from Brassed Off, and a chorus about ordinary people refusing to stay down.
★ 3.0
Shake It
2008
Trace Cyrus, Billy Ray's adopted son, and Mason Musso built a synth hook that went double platinum.
★ 1.5