Rolling Stone Magazine: Songs of the Year, 1949-2022

Rolling Stone: Songs of the Year, 1949-2022

These are the songs of each year as selected by Rolling Stone. The magazine was first published in 1967. By at least 1977, the magazine was selecting a “song of the year” annually. Prior to that, the songs of the year listed below were determined by the song with the highest ranking based on an aggregate of multiple best-of lists (see resources at bottom of page) over the years. You can also see the result of the aggregate as a list of Rolling Stone’s top 200 songs). Click here to see other genre-specific song lists. 2022: Bad Bunny “Tití Me Preguntó” 2021: WizKid with Tems “Essence” 2020: Cardi B with Megan Thee Stallion “WAP” 2019: Billie Eilish “Bad Guy” 2018: Drake “In My Feelings” 2017: Harry Styles “Sign of the Times” 2016: Beyoncé “Formation” 2015: The Weeknd “Can’t Feel My Face” 2014: Beyoncé with Jay-Z “Drunk in Love” 2013: Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams “Get Lucky” 2012: Alabama Shakes “Hold On” 2011: Adele “Rolling in the Deep” 2010: Kanye West with Pusha T “Runaway” 2009: U2 “Moment of Surrender” 2008: Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” 2007: Jay-Z “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)” 2006: Gnarls Barkley “Crazy” 2005: Arctic Monkeys “I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor” 2004: Jay-Z “99 Problems” 2003: OutKast “Hey Ya!” 2002: Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott “Work It” 2001: Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott “Get Ur Freak On” 2000: Madonna “Music” 1999: TLC “No Scrubs” 1998: Lauryn Hill “Doo Wop (That Thing)” 1997: The Verve “Bitter Sweet Symphony” 1996: Smashing Pumpkins “1979” 1995: Coolio with L.V. “Gangsta’s Paradise” 1994: Beck “Loser” 1993: Soul Asylum “Runaway Train” 1992: Arrested Development “Tennessee” 1991: R.E.M. “Losing My Religion” 1990: Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” 1989: Public Enemy “Fight the Power” 1988: Tracy Chapman “Fast Car” 1987: Bruce Springsteen “Tunnel of Love” 1986: Prince “Kiss” 1985: Artists United Against Apartheid “Sun City” 1984: Tina Turner “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” 1983: The Police “Every Breath You Take” 1982: Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five “The Message” 1981: The Rolling Stones “Start Me Up” 1980: Joy Division “Love Will Tear Us Apart” 1979: The Rolling Stones “Miss You” 1978: Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” 1977: Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band “Night Moves” 1976: Eagles “Hotel California” 1975: Bruce Springsteen “Born to Run” 1974: Joni Mitchell “Help Me” 1973: Marvin Gaye “Let’s Get It On” 1972: Stevie Wonder “Superstition” 1971: Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On” 1970: Elton John “Your Song” 1969: The Jackson 5 “I Want You Back” 1968: The Beatles “Hey Jude” 1967: Aretha Franklin “Respect” 1966: The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” 1965: The Miracles “The Tracks of My Tears” 1964: Sam Cooke “A Change Is Gonna Come” 1963: The Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand” 1962: The Drifters “Up on the Roof” 1961: Ben E. King “Stand by Me” 1960: Ray Charles “Georgia on My Mind” 1959: Ray Charles “What’d I Say” 1958: Chuck Berry “Johnny B. Goode” 1957: Buddy Holly & the Crickets “That’ll Be the Day” 1956: Elvis Presley “Heartbreak Hotel” 1955: Muddy Waters “Mannish Boy” 1954: Elvis Presley “That’s All Right, Mama” 1953: Hank Williams “Your Cheatin’ Heart” 1952: Lloyd Price “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” 1951: Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats “Rocket 88” 1950: Muddy Waters “Rollin’ Stone” 1949: Hank Williams “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Lists from other publications and/or organizations” Dave’s Music Database (9/16/2021). “Rolling Stone Magazine’s Top 200 Songs” RockListMusic.co.uk: “Rolling Stone Album of the Year and End of Year Critic Lists” (includes song of the year for 1978 to 2020) Rolling Stone (Sept. 2021). “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” Rolling Stone (July 2018, print issue). “Greatest Songs of the Century So Far.” Page 92. Rolling Stone (5/7/2013). “Top 500: Critics and Reader Polls, 1967-2012.” Compiled by Steve Sullivan. Rolling Stone (April 2010). “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” Rolling Stone “Songs of the Decade (2000-2009)” Rolling Stone (Dec. 2004). “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Rolling Stone and MTV (12/7/00). “100 Greatest Pop Songs” Rolling Stone (Aug. 1997). “The Best Records of 5 Decades” Rolling Stone (9/8/1988, print issue #534). “The 100 Best Singles of the Last 25 Years.” First posted 4/15/2019; last updated 12/5/2022.