With the mouldering state of print journalism in the new millennium, the ‘Greatest of All Time’ list has become the cornerstone of magazines’ cheap ploys at remaining relevant and drawing readers, with the UK’s NME the latest perpetrator, today unveiling their 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.
It’s not the first time a famous music publication has curated such a list, with Rolling Stone unveiling theirs back in 2011 and granting the number one spot to Bob Dylan‘s Like a Rolling Stone, with The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin rounding out the top five.
Nor is this the first time that NME, which in the past has been home to legendary rock journalists like Nick Kent and Lester Bangs, has published such a list, with previous countdowns including 150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years and 100 Greatest Songs of NME’s Lifetime.
The coveted top spot has this time been given to Nirvana for their 1991 generation-defining anthem Smells Like Teen Spirit from the album Nevermind, followed by Joy Division‘s Love Will Tear Us Apart, Donna Summer‘s I Feel Love, The Smiths‘ How Soon Is Now?, and The Strokes‘ Last Nite.
It’s interesting to note that in the magazine’s recent 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time list, which was unveiled back in October, Nevermind was placed 11th in the countdown, with The Smiths’ 1986 release The Queen Is Dead coming first, followed by The Beatles‘ seminal 1966 release, Revolver.
The only way to check out the list in its entirety is to buy the magazine (we know, right?), but the editors have kindly offered the bottom one hundred entries, which include The Jimi Hendrix Experience‘s recording of Hey Joe at 496 and Tame Impala‘s Elephant at a respectable 426.
NME Top 5 Greatest Songs Of All Time
1. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
2. Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
3. Donna Summer – I Feel Love
4. The Smiths – How Soon Is Now?
5. The Strokes – Last Nite
Gallery: NME’s Top 25 Albums Of All Time
NME Top 25 Albums
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Whatsgoing
25. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On? -
Exile on Main Street Front
24. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St -
Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars
23. David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars -
Blur Parklife
22. Blur - Parklife -
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Deluxe Kanye West 28132129
21. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy -
OKComputercover
20. Radiohead - OK Computer -
Arctic Monkey
19. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not -
MBV Loveless
18. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless -
PublicEnemy ItTakesANationOfMillionsToHoldUsBack Frontal
17. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back -
Joy Division Closer
16. Joy Division - Closer -
Pj Harvey Let England Shake
15. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake -
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14. David Bowie - Low -
Arcadefire1
13. Arcade Fire - Funeral -
Patti Smith Horses
12. Patti Smith - Horses -
Nirvana Nevermind 20 Year Anniversary
11. Nirvana - Nevermind -
Album Definitely Maybe
10. Oasis - Definitely Maybe -
TheBeatlesWhiteAlbumCD2beatleswhitealbum
9. The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album) -
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8. Pixies - Doolittle -
Stoneroses
7. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses -
Different Class
6. Pulp - Different Class -
Velvet Underground Nico
5. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground -
Thestrokes Isthisita
4. The Strokes - Is This It -
David Bowie Hunky Dory
3. David Bowie - Hunky Dory -
Beatles Revolver
2. The Beatles - Revolver -
Ts The Queen is Dead
1. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
