I Walk the Line
1956 · From Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar
Cash slipped paper under his guitar strings for that snare tick, and hums to find each new key.
★ 8.8
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.
Hotel CaliforniaThe Eagles
Hotel California
1977 · From Hotel California
Felder demoed it on a four-track in Malibu, and his Les Paul duels Walsh's Telecaster through the outro.
★ 8.8
Welcome to the Jungle
1987 · From Appetite for Destruction
Slash's riff, McKagan's breakdown recycled from his old punk band, and roughly three hours from nothing to finished song.
★ 8.4
Toxic
2003
Minogue passed on it; Bloodshy and Avant hung a Bollywood string sample over surf guitar for Spears's only Grammy.
★ 8.2
Great Balls of Fire
1957
Lewis argued theology with Sam Phillips between takes at Sun, decided the devil could wait, and cut it anyway.
★ 7.7
FaithGeorge Michael
Faith
1987
A church organ quoting Wham!'s Freedom, then Hugh Burns's Bo Diddley rhythm, and four weeks at number one.
★ 7.4
Bette Davis Eyes
1981
A DeShannon album track from 1975 until Bill Cuomo's Prophet-5 riff arrived; nine non-consecutive weeks at number one followed.
★ 6.5
Between the Bars
1997 · From Either/Or
A lullaby melody hiding a song about alcohol, and one of three Either/Or tracks in Good Will Hunting.
★ 6.5
Don't Stand So Close to Me
1980 · From Zenyatta Mondatta
Sting drew on his years teaching and on Nabokov, then watched it become Britain's best-selling single of 1980.
★ 6.3
Poison
1990
Elliot Straite, as Dr. Freeze, turned a letter to an ex-girlfriend into new jack swing at its sharpest.
★ 6.3
Livin' La Vida Loca
1999
Five weeks at number one, reportedly the first chart-topper built entirely in Pro Tools, and Latin pop's door kicked open.
★ 6.1
You Make Me Wanna...
1997
Seven weeks at number two in America and a straight-in number one in Britain, all from Dupri's Atlanta studio.
★ 6.0
Self ControlLaura Branigan
Self Control
1984
Raf's Italo-disco original topped Italy's chart first; Friedkin directed Branigan's video and MTV demanded cuts before airing.
★ 5.3
Gravity
2006
Alicia Keys sings backing behind Pino Palladino's bass, and Mayer called it the most important song he has written.
★ 5.3
Bump n' GrindR. Kelly
Bump n' Grind
1994
Twelve weeks at number one on the R&B chart, a record then, and one of 1994's smoothest hooks.
★ 5.0
Run to You
1984
Blue Oyster Cult passed, .38 Special passed, and Adams kept the riff; the first full take made the record.
★ 4.8
Don't Cha
2005
CeeLo Green produced it for Tori Alamaze first, and the Dolls took her taunt to number one in fifteen countries.
★ 4.6
Nothin' On You
B.o.B and Bruno Mars
2010
A Joe Tex drum break under a Smeezingtons hook, and Bruno Mars stepping out from behind the songwriting desk.
★ 4.2
Every Morning
1998
Drummer Stan Frazier sang the hook on his way out of the studio, and the chorus borrows Malo's Suavecito.
★ 3.1
Someday
1999
Sugar Ray's drummer co-wrote it about touring temptation and a faithful girlfriend; the album title joked about vanishing fame.
★ 1.7