New Musical Express (NME) Top 100 Songs

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NME (New Musical Express) is a British music magazine which has published numerous best-of lists over the years. In light of their most recent list last week (30 Beautiful Song Lyrics), I have updated the Dave’s Music Database list in which I consolidated the various NME lists into an aggregate list.

1. Bob Dylan…Like a Rolling Stone (1965)
2. The Rolling Stones…Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1968)
3. The Beach Boys…Good Vibrations (1966)
4. The Strokes…Last Nite (2001)
5. The Beatles…Strawberry Fields Forever (1967)
6. The Rolling Stones…(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (1965)
7. Joy Division…Love Will Tear Us Apart (1980)
8. The Smiths…This Charming Man (1983)
9. Futureheads…Hounds of Love (2005)
10. Stone Roses…Fools Gold (1989)

    Like a Rolling Stone

11. The Beatles…Paperback Writer (1966)
12. The Miracles…The Tracks of My Tears (1965)
13. The Smiths…How Soon Is Now? (1985)
14. The Kinks…You Really Got Me (1964)
15. This Mortal Coil…Song to the Siren (1982)
16. Yeah Yeah Yeahs…Maps (2003)
17. The Verve…Bittersweet Symphony (1997)
18. The Who…My Generation (1965)
19. Franz Ferdinand…Take Me Out (2004)
20. Ike & Tina Turner…River Deep, Mountain High (1966)

    Jumpin’ Jack Flash

21. The Rapture…House of Jealous Lovers (2002)
22. The Libertines…Time for Heroes (2003)
23. The Jimi Hendrix Experience…All Along the Watchtower (1968)
24. Marvin Gaye…What’s Going On (1971)
25. The Streets…Dry Your Eyes (2004)
26. Arcade Fire…Rebellion (Lies) (2005)
27. The Beatles…Penny Lane (1967)
28. Joy Division…Transmission (1979)
29. Marvin Gaye…I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1968)
30. The Byrds…Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)

    Good Vibrations

31. The Kinks…Waterloo Sunset (1967)
32. Sex Pistols…Anarchy in the U.K. (1976)
33. Wolfman with Pete Doherty…For Lovers (2004)
34. Lou Reed…Walk on the Wild Side (1973)
35. Manic Street Preachers…A Design for Life (1996)
36. Aretha Franklin…Respect (1967)
37. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott…Get Ur Freak On (2001)
38. Robert Wyatt…Shipbuilding (1982)
39. The Righteous Brothers…You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (1964)
40. Johnny Cash…Hurt (2003)

    Last Nite

41. The Beatles…She Loves You (1963)
42. Derek and the Dominos…Layla (1963)
43. The Who…I Can’t Explain (1965)
44. Four Tops…Reach Out (I’ll Be There) (1966)
45. The Byrds…Eight Miles High (1966)
46. Stevie Wonder…Superstition (1972)
47. The Doors…Light My Fire (1967)
48. Kylie Minogue…Can’t Get You Out of My Head (2001)
49. The Ronettes…Be My Baby (1963)
50. The Beatles…Hey Jude (1968)

    Strawberry Fields Forever

51. The Jimi Hendrix Experience…Purple Haze (1967)
52. The Pixies…Gigantic (1988)
53. Otis Redding…(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay (1968)
54. The Jimi Hendrix Experience…Hey Joe (1966)
55. The Beach Boys…God Only Knows (1966)
56. Roxy Music…Virginia Plain (1972)
57. My Bloody Valentine…You Made Me Realise (1988)
58. The Beatles…I Want to Hold Your Hand (1963)
59. The Undertones…Teenage Kicks (1978)
60. The Rolling Stones…The Last Time (1965)

    (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

61. Nirvana…Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991)
62. Oasis…Live Forever (1994)
63. The White Stripes…Seven Nation Army (2003)
64. OutKast…Hey Ya! (2003)
65. The Rolling Stones…Brown Sugar (1971)
66. The Walkmen…The Rat (2004)
67. The Libertines…Can’t Stand Me Now (2004)
68. The Rolling Stones…Honky Tonk Women (1969)
69. Dionne Warwick…Walk on By (1964)
70. Kate Bush…Running Up That Hill (1985)

    Love Will Tear Us Apart

71. The Smiths…There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (1986)
72. Aretha Franklin…I Say a Little Prayer (1968)
73. Oasis…Don’t Look Back in Anger (1996)
74. Arctic Monkeys…I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor (2005)
75. Beyonce with Jay-Z…Crazy in Love (2003)
76. The Beach Boys…I Get Around (1964)
77. Prince…Kiss (1986)
78. Queens of the Stone Age…No One Knows (2002)
79. Klaxons…Golden Skans (2007)
80. LCD Soundsystem…Losing My Edge (2002)

    This Charming Man

81. The Who…Substitute (1966)
82. Rod Stewart…Maggie May (1971)
83. Procol Harum…A Whiter Shade of Pale (1967)
84. Bob Dylan…Positively 4th Street (1966)
85. Dizzee Rascal…Fix Up Look Sharp (2003)
86. Coldplay…Yellow (2000)
87. Pulp…Common People (1995)
88. Bloc Party..>Banquet (2005)
89. Oasis…Supersonic (1994)
90. The Clash…London Calling (1979)

    Hounds of Love

91. Percy Sledge…When a Man Loves a Woman (1966)
92. Martha & the Vandellas…Dancing in the Street (1964)
93. The Who…Pinball Wizard (1969)
94. Underworld…Born Slippy (1995)
95. The Gossip…Standing in the Way of Control (2007)
96. Kaiser Chiefs…I Predict a Riot (2004)
97. Sex Pistols…God Save the Queen (1977)
98. The Killers…Mr. Brightside (2004)
99. Pink Floyd…See Emily Play (1967)
100. Joe Cocker…With a Little Help from My Friends (1968)

Fools Gold

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Resources and Related Links:

• Top 100 Singles of All Time (1976)
• Readers All Time Top 100 Singles) (2/76)
• Writers All-Time Top 150 Singles (2/28/87)
• 40 Records That Captured the Moment (5/9/92)
• Writers’ 100 Best Indie Singles Ever (7/25/92)
• 100 Greatest Singles of All Time (11/02)
• 50 Top Cover Versions of All Time (5/05)
• The Greatest Tracks of the Decade 1996-2006 (9/06)
• The Greatest Indie Anthems Ever (5/5/07)
• The 25 Greatest Alternative Love Songs (2/14/09)
• Tracks of the Decade (2000-2009) (11/09)
• 30 Beautiful Song Lyrics (5/24/12)

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