Thank You
1969 · From Greatest Hits
Larry Graham slapping and popping the bass line credited with inventing the technique, and a verse quoting their own hits.
★ 7.8
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.
Maybe I'm AmazedPaul McCartney
Maybe I'm Amazed
1970
Booked into Abbey Road as Billy Martin, McCartney played every instrument in a day and declined to release a single.
★ 7.4
Vision of Love
1990
Written with Ben Margulies in a studio behind his father's cabinet factory, and the whistle-register note that reset pop singing.
★ 7.3
In the Aeroplace Over the Sea
1998 · From In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Julian Koster's singing saw over double-tracked acoustics, cut in Denver with Robert Schneider, and a chorus that faces death smiling.
★ 6.9
Beautiful Day
2000 · From All That You Can't Leave Behind
Eno programmed the drum machine, Lanois played the Telecaster, and the Edge won the argument for his old delay-drenched sound.
★ 6.9
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (Marvin Gaye)Marvin Gaye
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (Marvin Gaye)
1964 · From How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You
Holland-Dozier-Holland gave Gaye a rare uncomplicated love song, and that rolling piano and the Andantes carried it to number six.
★ 6.9
The Dance
1989
Tony Arata's lyric works as a breakup song or an elegy, and Brooks' video chose the elegy.
★ 6.6
You Are the Sunshine of My Life
1973 · From Talking Book
Wonder hands the first four lines to Jim Gilstrap and Lani Groves, then walks in over his own Fender Rhodes.
★ 6.5
(I've Had) The Time Of My Life
1987
Medley said no repeatedly until Warnes signed on, and the two finished the vocal in about an hour.
★ 6.1
Praise You
1999
Camille Yarbrough's 1975 vocal over a lo-fi piano loop, and a Spike Jonze video reportedly shot for eight hundred dollars.
★ 6.0
Head Over Feet
1995
Harmonica played by Morissette herself, Ballard's warm production, and a rare Jagged Little Pill song that is simply grateful.
★ 5.5
Angel of Mine
1998
Eternal cut it first in Britain; Rodney Jerkins rebuilt it for Monica, who held number one four weeks.
★ 4.4
Sunshine
2007
A hangover, a bike ride to Ant's house, and an optimistic beat that became Atmosphere's biggest song.
★ 4.4
All My Life
1998
JoJo Hailey wrote it thinking of his daughter, then kept it, and weddings have not let go since.
★ 4.4
You Didn't Have to Be So NiceThe Lovin' Spoonful
You Didn't Have to Be So Nice
1965
Tubular bells, autoharp and a muted guitar imitating pedal steel; Sebastian finished Boone's melody in half an hour.
★ 4.3
Just BreathePearl Jam
Just Breathe
2009 · From Backspacer
Vedder lifted the opening chord from Tuolumne, an Into the Wild instrumental, and Willie Nelson later took the song.
★ 4.2
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (James Taylor)
1975 · From Gorilla
Carly Simon sings harmony behind her husband, David Sanborn takes the sax, and Holland-Dozier-Holland's Motown tune turns Californian.
★ 4.1
Because of You
1951
A 1940 flop revived by a film, cut with Percy Faith conducting, and ten weeks at number one.
★ 4.1
Wind Beneath My Wings
1989
A 1982 song already cut by Lou Rawls and Gary Morris before Beaches made it Record of the Year.
★ 4.1