Sunday, January 31, 2021

BBC Radio: Top 200 Songs

BBC Radio:

Top 200 Songs

BBC Radio has operated in the UK since 1927 underneath the banner of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. They provide various radio stations. Over the years, they have presented a variety of best-of lists. This page aggregates 12 song-focused lists. Four of them are more general while the other eight are more specific, such as Motown, rap, or songs banned by the BBC. Because of that, the lists have been weighted so that the four more general lists have more impact. Links to the specific lists are at the bottom of the page.

Click here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations.

1. John Lennon “Imagine” (1971)
2. Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975)
3. Marvin Gaye “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968)
4. The Beatles “Hey Jude” (1968)
5. Simon & Garfunkel “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970)
6. The Beatles “Yesterday” (1965)
7. Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” (1971)
8. Procol Harum “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (1967)
9. Eagles “Hotel California” (1976)
10. U2 “One” (1991)

11. U2 “With or Without You” (1987)
12. The Beach Boys “God Only Knows” (1966)
13. Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (1991)
14. Don McLean “American Pie” (1971)
15. Bob Dylan “Like a Rolling Stone” (1965)
16. The Beatles “Let It Be” (1970)
17. Oasis “Live Forever” (1994)
18. Oasis “Wonderwall” (1995)
19. R.E.M. “Losing My Religion” (1991)
20. Robbie Williams “Angels” (1997)

21. Otis Redding “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” (1968)
22. R.E.M. “Everybody Hurts” (1992)
23. The Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever” (1967)
24. The Police “Every Breath You Take” (1983)
25. The Moody Blues “Nights in White Satin” (1967)
26. Celine Dion “My Heart Will Go On” (1997)
27. Massive Attack “Unfinished Sympathy” (1991)
28. Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (1991)
29. Gerry Rafferty “Baker Street” (1978)
30. The Beatles “Something” (1969)

31. Harry Nilsson “Without You” (1971)
32. George Michael “Careless Whisper” (1984)
33. The Stone Roses “I Am the Resurrection” (1989)
34. Fugees “Killing Me Softly” (1996)
35. Oasis” Don’t Look Back in Anger” (1995)
36. Judy Garland “Over the Rainbow” (1939)
37. Radiohead “Creep” (1992)
38. The Beatles “A Day in the Life” (1967)
39. Billie Holiday “Summertime” (1936)
40. Natalie Imbruglia “Torn” (1997)

41. The Who “My Generation” (1965)
42. Frankie Goes to Hollywood “Relax” (1983)
43. The Kinks “Lola” (1970)
44. N.W.A. “Fuck tha Police” (1988)
45. Artie Shaw “Stardust” (1941)
46. Bill Haley & the Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (1954)
47. The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” (1966)
48. The Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody” (1965)
49. The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)
50. Elvis Presley “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956)

51. Bing Crosby with the Ken Darby Singers “White Christmas” (1942)
52. Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (1992)
53. Bruce Springsteen “Born to Run” (1975)
54. Elton John “Candle in the Wind 1997 (Goodbye England’s Rose)” (1997)
55. The Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965)
56. The Verve “Bitter Sweet Symphony” (1997)
57. Elvis Presley “Hound Dog” (1956)
58. Abba “Dancing Queen” (1976)
59. The Kinks “Waterloo Sunset” (1967)
60. Louis Armstrong “What a Wonderful World” (1967)

61. Bobby Darin “Mack the Knife” (1959)
62. Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On” (1971)
63. The Beatles “In My Life” (1965)
64. Derek & the Dominos “Layla” (1971)
65. OutKast “Hey Ya!” (2003)
66. Joy Division “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (1980)
67. Glenn Miller “In the Mood” (1939)
68. Bob Dylan “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1963)
69. Pulp “Common People” (1995)
70. Michael Jackson “Billie Jean” (1982)

71. The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” (2003)
72. New Order “Blue Monday” (1983)
73. Radiohead “Paranoid Android” (1997)
74. Frank Sinatra “My Way” (1969)
75. Elvis Presley “Suspicious Minds” (1969)
76. The Platters “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1958)
77. Patsy Cline “Crazy” (1961)
78. Ben E. King “Stand by Me” (1961)
79. Elton John “Your Song” (1970)
80. The Killers “Mr. Brightside” (2004)

81. Gnarls Barkley “Crazy” (2006)
82. Arthur Collins with Bryon G. Harlan “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911)
83. Blur “Song 2” (1997)
84. Lynyrd Skynyrd “Free Bird” (1974)
85. The Jimi Hendrix Experience “All Along the Watchtower” (1968)
86. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under the Bridge” (1992)
87. The Smiths “How Soon Is Now?” (1984)
88. Mariah Carey with Boyz II Men “One Sweet Day” (1995)
89. Bruce Springsteen “Thunder Road” (1975)
90. Kate Bush “Wuthering Heights” (1978)

91. David Bowie “Heroes” (1977)
92. Coldplay “Clocks” (2002)
93. George Harrison “My Sweet Lord” (1970)
94. Madonna “Like a Prayer” (1989)
95. Gene Austin “My Blue Heaven” (1927)
96. Fred Astaire with Leo Reisman’s Orchestra “Night and Day” (1932)
97. Arctic Monkeys “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” (2005)
98. Pink Floyd “Wish You Were Here” (1975)
99. Amy Winehouse “Rehab” (2006)
100. Van Morrison “Brown-Eyed Girl” (1967)

101. Patti Page “Tennessee Waltz” (1950)
102. Underworld “Born Slippy” (1995)
103. Franz Ferdinand “Take Me Out” (2004)
104. The Stone Roses “Fools Gold” (1989)
105. The La’s “There She Goes” by (1988)
106. The Flamingos “I Only Have Eyes for You” (1959)
107. Dionne Warwick “Walk on By” (1964)
108. Johnny Cash “Hurt” (2003)
109. The Miracles “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965)
110. Cher “Believe” (1998)

111. Spice Girls “Wannabe” (1996)
112. Roberta Flack “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1969)
113. Petula Clark “Downtown” (1964)
114. The Undertones “Teenage Kicks” (1978)
115. Elvis Presley “That’s All Right, Mama” (1954)
116. Oasis “Champagne Supernova” (1995)
117. The Prodigy “Firestarter” (1996)
118. Puff Daddy with Faith Evans & 112 “I’ll Be Missing You” (1997)
119. James Taylor “Fire and Rain” (1970)
120. Pink Floyd “Comfortably Numb” (1979)

121. Bessie Smith with Louis Armstrong “St. Louis Blues” (1925)
122. Ray Charles “Georgia on My Mind” (1960)
123. Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Maps” (2003)
124. Radiohead “Fake Plastic Trees” (1995)
125. Dooley Wilson “As Time Goes By” (1942)
126. Stevie Wonder “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (1984)
127. David Bowie “Life on Mars?” (1973)
128. Radiohead “Karma Police” (1997)
129. Green Day “Basket Case” (1994)
130. Blackstreet with Dr. Dre & Queen Pen “No Diggity” (1996)

131. Meat Loaf “Bat Out of Hell” (1979)
132. Manic Street Preachers “A Design for Life” (1996)
133. Barbra Streisand “The Way We Were” (1973)
134. Electric Light Orchestra “Mr. Blue Sky” (1978)
135. Artie Shaw “Begin the Beguine” (1938)
136. Ethel Waters “Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” (1933)
137. The Jam “That’s Entertainment” (1981)
138. Mariah Carey “Hero” (1993)
139. 10cc “I’m Not in Love” (1975)
140. U2 “Where the Streets Have No Name” (1987)

141. Madonna “Ray of Light” (1998)
142. Ray Noble “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1936)
143. Larry Clinton with Bea Wain “Deep Purple” (1939)
144. Crowded House “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (1987)
145. Queens of the Stone Age “No One Knows” (2002)
146. Depeche Mode “Enjoy the Silence” (1990)
147. Peerless Quartet “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” (1911)
148. The Smiths “This Charming Man” (1983)
149. Gilbert O’Sullivan “Alone Again (Naturally)” (1972)
150. Glen Campbell “Wichita Lineman” (1968)

151. M.I.A. “Paper Planes” (2008)
152. Haydn Quartet “Sweet Adeline (You’re the Flower of My Heart)” (1904)
153. Glen Gray with Kenny Sargent “Blue Moon” (1935)
154. Fred Astaire “The Way You Look Tonight” (1936)
155. John McCormack “It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary” (1915)
156. Alanis Morissette “Ironic” (1996)
157. Manic Street Preachers “Motorcycle Emptiness” (1992)
158. Green Day “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” (1997)
159. Aretha Franklin “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968)
160. House of Pain “Jump Around” (1992)

161. Bryan Adams “Summer of ‘69” (1984)
162. Meat Loaf “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” (1993)
163. The Rapture “House of Jealous Lovers” (2002)
164. Iggy Pop “Lust for Life” (1977)
165. Kanye West “Jesus Walks” (2004)
166. The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl “Fairytale of New York” (1987)
167. Cornershop “Brimful of Asha” (1997)
168. Cliff Edwards “Singin’ in the Rain” (1929)
169. Judy Collins “Send in the Clowns” (1975)
170. Marni Nixon “Somewhere” (1961)

171. Madonna “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” (1997)
172. Stevie Wonder “Superstition” (1972)
173. The Temptations “My Girl” (1964)
174. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five “The Message” (1982)
175. The Jackson 5 “I Want You Back” (1969)
176. Sex Pistols “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1976)
177. David Bowie “Space Oddity” (1969)
178. Sex Pistols “God Save the Queen” (1977)
179. Public Enemy “Fight the Power” (1989)
180. Donna Summer “I Feel Love” (1977)

181. Marvin Gaye “Let’s Get It On” (1973)
182. Eminem “Lose Yourself” (2002)
183. Chuck Berry “Maybellene” (1955)
184. Billie Holiday “Strange Fruit” (1939)
185. Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling” (2009)
186. Olivia Newton-John “Physical” (1981)
187. Adele “Rolling in the Deep” (2010)
188. The Sugarhill Gang “Rapper’s Delight” (1979)
189. Marc Ronson & Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk!” (2014)
190. Dr. Dre with Snoop Doggy Dogg “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” (1992)

191. Lionel Richie “All Night Long (All Night)” (1983)
192. Gotye with Kimbra “Somebody That I Used to Know” (2011)
193. Pharrell Williams “Happy” (2013)
194. Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera “Moves Like Jagger” (2011)
195. The Shangri-La’s “Leader of the Pack” (1964)
196. Bruno Mars “Just the Way You Are (Amazing)” (2010)
197. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1967)
198. Carly Rae Jepsen “Call Me Maybe” (2011)
199. Adele “Someone Like You (2011)
200. Robin Thicke with T.I. & Pharrell Williams “Blurred Lines” (2013)


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First posted 4/10/2021; last updated 12/24/2023.

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Olivia Rodrigo debuted at #1 with “Drivers License”

Drivers License

Olivia Rodrigo

Writer(s): Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro (see lyrics here)


Released: January 8, 2021


First Charted: January 23, 2021


Peak: 18 US, 15 BA, 13 DG, 14 ST, 16 RR, 9 AC, 14 A40, 19 UK, 17 CN, 16 AU, 7 DF (Click for codes to charts.)


Sales (in millions): 6.0 US, 1.7 UK, 11.55 world (includes US + UK)


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 681.40 video, 2065.84 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

Olivia Rodrigo was only 17 years old when she hit #1 with “Drivers License.” She had previously been known for roles on Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. The “atmospheric power ballad,” WK produced by Dan Nigro, was the lead single from her first album, Sour. Billboard magazine’s Gab Linsberg and Jason Lipshutz called it the kind of debut single “that aspiring artists dream of.” WK

The song mixes “bedroom pop, indie pop, and power pop” WK and is characterized by “a minimalist, piano-led production, incorporating kick drums, harmonies, syncopated hand-claps, and a dreamy bridge.” WK Rodrigo has said the song has Taylor Swift and Lorde influences. WK Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos echoed this, saying the production of the song “is reminiscent of Lorde’s Melodrama…while the lyrics and detailed storytelling channel Swift’s Fearless.” WK

She was inspired to write the song after breaking up with her boyfriend. They used to talk about how exciting it would be once she had her driver’s license and could drive to his home. Instead, she ended up driving aimlessly around the suburbs of Los Angeles listening to sad songs and longing for him. SF She said, “Putting all those feelings into a song made everything seem so much simpler and clearer – and at the end of the day, I think that’s the whole purpose of songwriting. There’s nothing like sitting at the piano in my bedroom and writing a really sad song. It’s truly my favorite thing in the world.” UR

On its fourth day of release, the song set a record on Spotify for the most single-day streams for a non-holiday song. It also had the biggest first week for a song on Spotify (65 million) SF as well as Amazon Music. The song debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, making her the youngest artist to achieve that feat. The song’s eight weeks at the pinnacle made it the longest-running number-one debut single in the history of the chart. WK It also hit #1 in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.


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First posted 10/26/2021; last updated 2/18/2024.

Friday, January 22, 2021

Dave's Music Database Hall of Fame: Song Inductees (January 2021)

Originally posted 1/22/2021.

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the DMDB blog on January 22, 2019, Dave’s Music Database launched its own Hall of Fame. This is the ninth set of song inductees. From 1973 to 1982, there were four major charts which tracked U.S. pop songs: Billboard (1898-), Cashbox (1950-1996), Hit Records (1954-1982), and Radio & Records (1973-). 106 songs topped all four charts during that time. (See “USA #1 Pop Songs: 1890-present”). When narrowed down further, there were only 12 songs which combined for 20 or more weeks on top of those four charts.

Bee Gees “Night Fever” (1977)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

“How Deep Is Your Love” was the first single from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and “Stayin’ Alive” is the one which endured to become the most iconic, but “Night Fever” was the biggest hit at the time. In the U.S., the first two spent a combined 7 weeks atop the chart, but “Night Fever” stayed there for a whopping 8 weeks. It was the biggest #1 of the year. Read more.

Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” (1977)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

For better or worse, there are few songs more associated with disco than “Stayin’ Alive.” BB100 “Confident, cocky, streetwise and upbeat,” LW the song perfectly complements John Travolta’s character in Saturday Night Fever, the movie from which the song came. LW The song was not intended as a single, but after fans saw trailers for the movie, they swamped radio stations and RSO Records with calls for the song. WK Read more.

Blondie “Call Me” (1980)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

Composer and producer Giorgio Moroder, best known for his work with Donna Summer, approached Blondie about writing the theme song for the movie American Gigolo. BB Debbie Harry, the lead singer, said the band jumped at the chance “to work with their hero…‘He was the king of disco…And we were still the anti-establishment invaders.’” RS After seeing a rough cut of the film, BR1 she wrote lyrics in just a few hours from the perspective of a male prostitute – the main character of the film. WK The song’s six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart earned it the distinction of the magazine’s top song of the year. Read more.

Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (1977)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

Director Joe Brooks commissioned Debby Boone, the daughter of legendary singer Pat Boone, to record a new version of his song “You Light Up My Life” initially featured in the 1977 movie of the same name. Her version became the biggest #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit of the 1970s. Its 10 weeks on top of the chart made it the biggest #1 since Elvis Presley topped the charts for 11 weeks in 1956 with his double A-side hit “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Hound Dog.” Read more.

Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

Songwriter Donna Weiss wrote the lyrics while Jackie DeShannon, whose “What the World Needs Now Is Now” and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” were both top tens, wrote most of the music. BR1 DeShannon recorded a honky-tonk version of the song for her 1975 album New Arrangement. When Carnes was given the song, she wasn’t convinced it had hit potential. BR1 However, when her synthesizer player, Bill Cuomo, reworked the track into a new-wavish pop song, BB100 Carnes was sold. So was the record buying public – it hit #1 in 31 countries WK and topped 1981’s year-end Hot 100 in the U.S. BB100 Read more.

Chic “Le Freak” (1978)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

“Le Freak” became the best-selling single in the history of Atlantic Records. BR1 It came about when Chic members Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were invited to New York City’s famed disco club Studio 54 by Grace Jones on New Year’s Eve in 1977. However, she forgot to notify the staff and the pair and the doorman told them to “fuck off” as he slammed the door on them. They used it in a song, changing it to “freak out” after realizing radio would never play it otherwise. WK Read more.

Andy Gibb “Shadow Dancing” (1978)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

The Gibb brothers (Barry, Maurice, Robin, and Andy) dominated the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978. Andy’s brothers – the Bee Gees – had three #1 songs from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack while “Shadow Dancing” was Andy’s third #1 song, making him the first solo artist in the U.S. pop chart history to have his first three releases hit #1. WK “Shadow Dancing” was also named the biggest song of the year by Billboard magazine. Read more.

The Knack “My Sharona” (1979)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

The New York Times called “My Sharona” “an emblem of the new wave era in rock.” WK Doug Fieger, the lead singer of the Knack, fell for the real-life Sharona Alperin when she was in a relationship with someone else. He wrote the song in about 15 minutes, saying she “sparked something and I started writing a lot of songs feverishly in a short amount of time.” WK The song “compressed a sense of teenage sexual frustration into its stutter beat built on simple rock and roll.” BR1 They eventually ended up together and even became engaged, but his alcoholism and rock n’ roll lifestyle led to their breakup. Read more.

Lionel Richie & Diana Ross “Endless Love” (1981)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

In 2002, Richie told Billboard magazine, “When I put out ‘Endless Love’…during the days of disco, the reaction was, ‘Are you nuts?’” BB100 However, this unforgettable ballad from the completely forgettable Brooke Shields and Tom Cruise movie of the same name was the biggest hit Motown had up to that time, not to mention the biggest soundtrack single and most successful duet. BR1 Richie and Ross both had numerous #1’s with their groups the Supremes and the Commodores respectively and as solo acts, but this was the biggest hit for both of them. Read more.

Kenny Rogers “Lady” (1980)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

In 1980, Kenny Rogers’ record label wanted a Greatest Hits package to ring in the Christmas season. Rogers turned to the Commodores’ Lionel Richie for new material to add to the collection. Rogers said, “The idea was that Lionel would come from R&B and I’d come from country, and we’d meet somewhere in the middle.” BR1 The resulting “Lady” became Rogers’ fourth million-selling single and his first #1 on the pop charts. BB100 It was also the biggest pop song of 1980 WHC and the first song of the decade to hit Billboard’s pop, country, adult contemporary, and R&B charts, BR1 hitting #1 on the first three. Read more.

Rod Stewart “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” (1976)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

Some radio programmers, the BBC, and Jesse Jackson’s People United to Save Humanity all saw this song as too sexually explicit, but public demand won out in the end and the song became the biggest #1 of 1976 WHC and the best-sellig song in the United States the following year. WK Its eight weeks on top made it the biggest #1 since the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” in November 1968. It was also the biggest hit of Stewart’s career. In 2018, Billboard ranked the song the 19th biggest in the history of the Hot 100. Read more.

Rod Stewart “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” (1978)

Inducted January 2021 as “Song with 20+ weeks atop 4 pop charts”

According to Carmine Appice, who had recently joined Stewart’s band and co-wrote the song, Stewart “was always looking at the charts and listening. He was a big fan of the Rolling Stones…so he wanted to do some kind of disco-y song, something like ‘Miss You.’” SF Some fans and critics thought his “defection to disco was unforgivable” BR1 but “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” gave Stewart his third chart-topping hit after “Maggie May” in 1971 and “Tonight’s the Night” in 1976. Read more.

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Rock Tracks: Top 200 Songs, 1981-2021

First posted 1/16/2021.

Rock Tracks:

Top 200 Songs, 1981-2021

Billboard launched its Album Rock Tracks chart (now called “Mainstream Rock”) on March 21, 1981. On September 10, 1988, the magazine followed with its Modern Rock Tracks chart (now known as “Alternative Rock”). Numerous songs have overlapped between the charts over the years. Because of that, this list consolidates the two charts, ranking the top 200 songs between the two charts. This list includes all songs which hit #1 on one or both charts for a combined six weeks. Ties are broken by songs’ overall Dave’s Music Database status. Weeks at #1 on each chart are noted with an M for mainstream rock and A for alternative rock.

Note: click here to see other genre-specific song lists.

36 weeks:

1. Staind “It’s Been Awhile” (2001) M: 20, A: 16

30 weeks:

2. Green Day “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (2004) M: 14, A: 16

26 weeks:

3. Nickelback “How You Remind Me” (2001) M: 13, A: 13
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Dani California” (2006) M: 12, A: 14
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Scar Tissue” (1999) M: 10, A: 16

24 weeks:

6. Foo Fighters “The Pretender” (2007) M: 6, A: 18

23 weeks:

7. Linkin Park “What I’ve Done” (2007) M: 8, A: 15

22 weeks:

8. Seether “Fake It” (2007) M: 14, A: 8

21 weeks:

9. U2 “Mysterious Ways” (1991) M: 12, A: 9
10. Red Hot Chili Peppers “By the Way” (2002) M: 7, A: 14
11. Staind “So Far Away” (2003) M: 14, A: 7
12. Foo Fighters “Something from Nothing” (2014) M: 13, A: 8
13. 3 Doors Down “Loser” (2000) M: 21

20 weeks:

14. 3 Doors Down “Kryptonite” (2000) M: 9, A: 11
15. Portugal, the Man “Feel It Still” (2017) A: 20
16. Creed “Higher” (1999) M: 17, A: 3
17. Linkin Park “New Divide” (2009) M: 8, A: 12

19 weeks:

18. Live “Lightning Crashes” (1994) M: 10, A: 9
19. Puddle of Mudd “Blurry” (2001) M: 10, A: 9
20. Muse “Madness” (2012) A; 19

18 weeks:

21. Foo Fighters “Rope” (2011) M: 5, A: 13

17 weeks:

22. 3 Doors Down “When I’m Gone” (2002) M: 17
23. Muse “Uprising” (2009) A: 17
24. Three Days Grace “Pain” (2006) M: 13, A: 4
25. All Time Low with Blackbear (2020) M: 17

16 weeks:

26. Panic! At the Disco “High Hopes” (2018) A: 16
27. Days of the New “Touch, Peel, and Stand” (1997) M: 16

15 weeks:

28. Stone Temple Pilots “Interstate Love Song” (1994) M: 15
29. Linkin Park “Numb” (2003) M: 3, A: 12
30. Collective Soul “Heavy” (1999) M: 15

14 weeks:

31. Marcy Playground “Sex and Candy” (1997) A: 14
32. Audioslave “Like a Stone” (2002) M: 12, A: 2
33. Twenty One Pilots “Level of Concern” (2020) A: 14
34. Disturbed “Inside the Fire” (2008) M: 14

13 weeks:

35. Imagine Dragons “Radioactive” (2012) M: 13
36. The Rolling Stones “Start Me Up” (1981) A: 13
37. Imagine Dragons “Believer” (2017) A: 13
38. Shinedown “Second Chance” (2008) M: 10, A: 3
39. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Other Side” (1999) A: 13
40. Velvet Revolver “Slither” (2004) M: 9, A: 4

41. Breaking Benjamin “Breath” (2006) M: 7, A: 6
42. Three Days Grace “Chalk Outline” A: 13

12 weeks:

43. Gotye with Kimbra “Somebody That I Used to Know” (2011) A: 12
44. Twenty One Pilots “Stressed Out” (2015) A: 12
45. Fuel “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” (2000) A: 12
46. Trapt “Headstrong” (2002) M: 7, A: 5
47. Foo Fighters “Walk” (2011) M: 4, A: 8
48. Shinedown “Save Me” (2005) M: 12
49. Shinedown “Bully” (2012) M: 12
50. Chevelle “Face to the Floor” (2011) M: 12

11 weeks:

51. R.E.M. “Losing My Religion” (1991) M: 3, A: 8
52. Twenty One Pilots “Heathens” (2016) A: 11
53. The Black Keys “Lonely Boy” (2011) A: 11
54. X Ambassadors “Renegades” (2015) A: 11
55. Foo Fighters “Best of You” (2005) M: 4, A: 7
56. Weezer “Pork and Beans” (2008) A: 11
57. The Black Keys “Fever” (2014) A: 11
58. Audioslave “Be Yourself” (2005) M: 7, A: 4
59. Velvet Revolver “Fall to Pieces” (2004) M: 11
60. The Black Crowes “Remedy” (1992) M: 11

61. The Offspring “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” (2008) A: 11
62. Lit “My Own Worst Enemy” (1999) A: 11
63. The Dirty Heads with Rome “Lay Me Down” (2010) A: 11
64. Metallica “Turn the Page” (1998) M: 11
65. Jet “Cold Hard Bitch” (2004) M: 8, A: 3
66. Nickelback “Figured You Out” (2003) M: 11
67. Puddle of Mudd “Psycho” (2007) M: 9, A: 2
68. Three Days Grace “Break” (2009) M: 11
69. Three Days Grace “Misery Loves My Company” (2012) M: 11

10 weeks:

70. Oasis “Wonderwall” (1995) A: 10
71. The Wallflowers “One Headlight” (1996) M: 5, A: 5
72. U2 “Desire” (1988) M: 5, A: 5
73. Milky Chance “Stolen Dance” (2013) A: 10
74. Arctic Monkeys “Do I Wanna Know?” (2013) A: 10
75. The Black Keys “Tighten Up” (2010) A: 10
76. Everlast “What It’s Like” (1998) M: 1, A: 9
77. Foo Fighters “All My Life” (2002) M: 10
78. R.E.M. “Orange Crush” (1988) M: 2, A: 8
79. Avenged Sevenfold “Hail to the King” (2013) M: 10
80. Cage the Elephant “Come a Little Closer” (2013) M: 10
81. Seether “Country Song” (2011) M: 10
82. Days of the New “The Down Town” (1997) M: 10

9 weeks:

83. The Police “Every Breath You Take” (1983) M: 9
84. Pearl Jam “Daughter” (1993) M: 8, A: 1
85. Collective Soul “December” (1995) M: 9
86. Goo Goo Dolls “Name” (1995) M: 5, A: 4
87. Sting “All This Time” (1990) M: 7, A: 2
88. Imagine Dragons “Natural” (2018) A: 9
89. Creed “My Sacrifice” (2001) M: 9
90. Green Day “Know My Enemy” (2009) M: 3, A: 6

91. Aerosmith “Livin’ on the Edge” (1993) M: 9
92. The Neighbourhood “Sweater Weather” (2012) A: 9
93. Lovelytheband “Broken” (2017) A: 9
94. Three Days Grace “Animal I Have Become” (2006) M: 7, A: 2
95. Metallica “The Day That Never Comes” (2008) M: 9
96. Alice in Chains “Check My Brain” (2009) M: 8, A: 1
97. The Lemonheads “Into Your Arms” (1993) A: 9
98. Breaking Benjamin “Failure” (2015) M: 9
99. Volbeat “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” (2016) M: 9

8 weeks:

100. Van Halen “Jump” (1983) M: 8
101. Kings of Leon “Sex on Fire” (2008) A: 8
102. Sugar Ray “Fly” (1997) A: 8
103. Third Eye Blind “Semi-Charmed Life” (1997) A: 8
104. Collective Soul “Shine” (1993) M: 8
105. Blink-182 “All the Small Things” (1999) A: 8
106. Incubus “Drive” (1999) A: 8
107. Pearl Jam “Better Man” (1994) M: 8
108. Nirvana “You Know You’re Right” (1994) M: 4, A: 4
109. Red Hot Chili Peppers “My Friends” (1995) M: 4, A: 4
110. Metallica “Until It Sleeps” (1996) M: 8

111. Green Day “Bang Bang” (2016) M: 7, A: 1
112. Disturbed “Another Way to Die” (2010) M: 8
113. Stone Sour “Say You’ll Haunt Me” (2010) M: 8
114. Alice in Chains “Your Decision” (2009) M: 8
115. Highly Suspect “My Name Is Human” (2016) M: 8
116. Disturbed “Are You Ready” (2018) M: 8

7 weeks:

117. Lorde “Royals” (2013) A: 7
118. Chumbawamba “Tubthumping” (1997) A: 7
119. Gorillaz with De La Soul “Feel Good Inc.” (2005) A: 7
120. Soundgarden “Black Hole Sun” (1994) M: 7

121. Twenty One Pilots “Ride” (2015) A: 7
122. Nickelback “Photograph” (2005) M: 7
123. Green Day “When I Come Around” (1994) A: 7
124. Fastball “The Way” (1998) A: 7
125. Disturbed “The Sounds of Silence” (2015) M: 7
126. Three Days Grace “Never Too Late” (2006) M: 7
127. Stone Sour “Through Glass” (2006) M: 7
128. Linkin Park “Breaking the Habit” (2003) M: 3, A: 4
129. Bush “Swallowed” (1996) A: 7
130. Beck “Up All Night” (2017) A: 7

131. Papa Roach “Last Resort” (2000) A: 7
132. Nine Inch Nails “Only” (2005) A: 7
133. Morrissey “The More You Ignore Me, the Closer You Get” (1994) A: 7
134. Foo Fighters “Long Road to Ruin” (2007) A: 7
135. Peter Murphy “Cuts You Up” (1990) A: 7
136. The Cure “Fascination Street” (1989) A: 7
137. Metallica “I Disappear” (2000) M: 7
138. Metallica “No Leaf Clover” (1999) M: 7
139. Twenty One Pilots “The Hype” (2018) A: 7
140. Shinedown “Cut the Cord” (2015) M: 7

141. Soundgarden “Been Away Too Long” (2012) M: 7
142. Cold War Kids “First” (2014) A: 7
143. Avenged Sevenfold “Shepherd of Fire” (2013) M: 7
144. Alter Bridge “Isolation” (2010) M: 7
145. Staind “Not Again” (2011) M: 7
146. Ghost “Rats” (2018) M: 7

6 weeks:

147. Bruce Springsteen “Dancing in the Dark” (1984) M: 6
148. Green Day “American Idiot” (2004) A: 6
149. Silverchair “Tomorrow” (1994) M: 3, A: 3
150. Sugar Ray “Every Morning” (1998) A: 6

151. The Cranberries “Zombie” (1994) A: 6
152. Def Leppard “Photograph” (1983) M: 6
153. Primitive Radio Gods “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand” (1996) A: 6
154. U2 “Angel of Harlem” (1988) M: 6
155. Green Day “Holiday” (2004) M: 3, A: 3
156. Aerosmith “Cryin’” (1993) M: 6
157. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers “The Waiting” (1981) M: 6
158. Asia “Heat of the Moment” (1982) M: 6
159. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers “Learning to Fly” (1991) M: 6
160. Linkin Park “Somewhere I Belong” (2003) M: 1, A: 5

161. Toad the Wet Sprocket “Fall Down” (1994) A: 6
162. New Order “Regret” (1993) A: 6
163. Robert Plant “Hurting Kind” (1990) M: 6
164. Eric Clapton “Pretending” (1989) M: 6
165. Pearl Jam “Given to Fly” (1997) M: 6
166. Cage the Elephant “Ready to Let Go” (2019) A: 6
167. Linkin Park “Faint” (2003) A: 6
168. Incubus “Megalomaniac” (2003) A: 6
169. Robert Plant “Heaven Knows’ (1988) M: 6
170. Billy Squier “Everybody Wants You” (1982) M: 6

171. Pink Floyd “Keep Talking” (1994) M: 6
172. Bad Company “How About That” (1992) M: 6
173. Kenny Wayne Shepherd “Blue on Black” (1998) M: 6
174. Papa Roach “Lifeline” (2009) M: 6
175. ZZ Top “My Head’s in Mississippi” (1990) M: 6
176. Green Day “Still Breathing” (2016) M: 1, A: 5
177. Foo Fighters “DOA” (2005) A: 6
178. Yes “Lift Me Up” (1991) M: 6
179. Steve Miller Band “I Want to Make the World Turn Around” (1986) M: 6
180. Puddle of Mudd “Drift and Die” (2002) M: 6

181. Cage the Elephant “Shake Me Down” (2010) A: 6
182. Bush “The Sound of Winter” (2011) A: 6
183. Theory of a Deadman “RX (Medicate)” (2017) M: 6
184. Brother Cane “And Fools Shine On” (1995) M: 6
185. Nickelback “Animals” (2005) M: 6
186. Creed “What’s This Life For” (1997) M: 6
187. Soundgarden “Live to Rise” (2012) M: 6
188. Three Days Grace “Just Like You” M: 3, A: 3
189. Godsmack “Speak” (2006) M: 6
190. The Black Crowes “Hotel Illness” (1992) M: 6

191. Jesus Jones “The Devil You Know” (1993) A: 6
192. Van Halen “Me Wise Magic” (1996) M: 6
193. David Coverdale & Jimmy Page “Pride and Joy” (1993) M: 6
194. Morrissey “Tomorrow” (1992) A: 6
195. Royal Blood “I Only Lie When I Love You” (2017) M: 6
196. Shinedown “State of My Head” (2015) M: 6
197. Three Days Grace “I Am Machine” (2014) M: 6
198. Papa Roach “Help” (2017) M: 6
199. Van Halen “Without You” (1998) M: 6
200. Ozzy Osbourne “Under the Graveyard” (2019) M: 6


Resources and Related Links:

Friday, January 15, 2021

National Medal of Arts

Medal of Arts:

1985-2020

The Medal of Arts was established by Congress in 1984 to be selected by the National Endowment for the Arts and be awarded by the President of the United States of America. It is given to artists and art patrons who are, as the site says, “deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States.” Nearly 300 artists in areas from dance, film, design, architecture, literature, music, painting, sculpture, theater, and more have been given the honor. Only those awarded for music are recognized on this page.

See other lifetime achievement awards.

  • Maurice Abravanel (1991)
  • Roy Acuff (1991)
  • Licia Albanese (1995)
  • Herb Alpert (2012)
  • Marian Anderson (1986)
  • Eddy Arnold (2000)
  • Harry Belafonte (1994)
  • William Bolcom (2006)
  • Dave Brubeck (1994)
  • Sarah Caldwell (1996)
  • Cab Calloway (1993)
  • Benny Carter (1993)
  • Betty Carter (1997)
  • Elliott Carter Jr. (1985)
  • Johnny Cash (2001)

    Johnny Cash receives the Medal of Arts from President Bush, image from bbc.co.uk

  • Ray Charles (1993)
  • Van Cliburn (2010)
  • Aaron Copland (1986)
  • Mary Costa (2020)
  • John O. Crosby (1991)
  • Celia Cruz (1994)
  • Dorothy DeLay (1994)
  • James DePriest (2005)
  • David Diamond (1995)
  • Fats Domino (1998)
  • Paquito D’Rivera (2005)
  • Bob Dylan (2009)
  • Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (1998)
  • Fisk Jubilee Singers (2008)
  • Ella Fitzgerald (1987)
  • Renée Fleming (2012)
  • Carlisle Floyd (2004)
  • Aretha Franklin (1999)
  • Dizzy Gillespie (1989)
  • Philip Glass (2015)
  • Francis Goelet (1988)
  • Berry Gordy Jr. (2015)
  • Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero (1996)
  • Buddy Guy (2003)
  • Lionel Hampton (1996)
  • Kitty Carlisle Hart (1991)
  • Marilyn Horne (1992)
  • Vladimir Horowitz (1989)
  • Santiago Jiménez, Jr. (2015)
  • George Jones (2002)
  • Henry “Hank” Jones (2008)
  • Quincy Jones (2010)
  • John Kander (2013)
  • Toby Keith (2020)
  • Gene Kelly (1994)
  • B.B. King (1990)

    1990 Medal of Arts recipient B.B. King, image from longshotsblues.files.wordpress.com

  • Alison Krauss (2019)
  • Erich Kunzel (2006)
  • Morten Lauridsen (2007)
  • James Levine (1997)
  • Alan Lomax (1986)
  • Yo-Yo Ma (2001)
  • Wynton Marsalis (2005)
  • Lydia Mendoza (1999)
  • Robert Merrill (1993)
  • Meredith Monk (2014)
  • Bill Monroe (1995)
  • Rita Moreno (2009)
  • Mormon Tabernacle Choir (2003)
  • Jessye Norman (2009)
  • Odetta (1999)
  • Dolly Parton (2005)
  • Les Paul (2007)
  • Minnie Pearl (1992)
  • Itzhak Perlman (2000)
  • Roberta Peters (1998)
  • Preservation Hall Jazz Band (2008)
  • The Presser Foundation (2008)
  • Leontyne Price (1985)
  • Tito Puento (1997)
  • Smokey Robinson (2002)
  • Sonny Rollins (2010)
  • Linda Ronstadt (2013)
  • William Schuman (1987)
  • Earl Scruggs (1992)
  • Pete Seeger (1994)
  • Rudolf Serkin (1988)
  • Robert Shaw (1992)
  • Richard Sherman (2008)
  • Robert Sherman (2008)
  • George Shirley (2014)
  • Beverly Sills (1990)
  • Ricky Skaggs (2020)
  • Leonard Slatkin (2003)
  • Stephen Sondheim (1996)
  • Ralph Stanley (2006)
  • Isaac Stern (1991)
  • George Strait (2003)
  • Barbra Streisand (2000)
  • Billy Taylor (1992)
  • James Taylor (2010)
  • Michael Tilson Thomas (1988)
  • Mel Tillis (2011)

    President Barack Obama awards singer Mel Tillis the Medal of Arts, image from zimbio.com

  • Allen Toussaint (2012)
  • University of Idaho Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival (2007)
  • Doc Watson (1997)
  • Andre Watts (2011)
  • John Williams (2009)

Resources/Related Links:

First posted 2/13/2012; last updated 1/15/2021.