Top 200: Greatest Songs (of All-Time)

121. Falling Slowly (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova)

Written and performed by Glen Hansard, his band The Frames, and Markéta Irglová, “Falling Slowly” was recorded during the production of (and for) the 2007 film, Once. John Carney developed the script around songs provided by Hansard and IrglováIn the movie, the duo play the song in Walton’s music shop in Dublin, with Hansard on guitar and Irglová on piano. The couple performed it at gigs in various European venues over the next two yearsVersions appeared in 2006 on two albums: The Cost by Hansard’s band The Frames, and The Swell Season, an album by Hansard and Irglová..

Meaning of the Song: Among several competing theories, one alleges that “Falling Slowly”is about love at first sight–about meeting someone who seems to know you better than even you. And even though one wants to be with this other person, both have different backgrounds that’ll ultimately test their commitment to one another.

Accolades: Won the Academy Award for Best Original Song (80th Academy Awards); nominated for Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media; No. 16 on the Irish Singles Chart when initially released by The Frames; the Hansard and Irglová version peaked at No. 2 in March of 2008.

122. Dear Mama (2Pac)

Recorded for 2Pac’s third solo album, Me Against the World (1995), “Dear Mama” was, by far, the most successful track on the album, and is commonly believed to be one of the greatest hip hop songs ever (as well as 2Pac’s signature song). In an interview, Snoop Dog has bargained that “Dear Mama” is an introspective look at 2Pac’s life, saying that “he went inside”, something other rappers had generally refused to do. “Dear Mama” samples the songs “Sadie” (1974) by The Spinners and Joe Sample’s 1978 “In All My Wildest Dreams”.

Meaning of the Song: The song was written by 2Pac as an ode to his mother, Afeni Shakur. Record producer Tony Pizarro, explained that “Pac used to make references to ‘Dear Mama’ in a lot of different songs and I’d always be like ‘You know thats a songs in itself.’ And one day he was like ‘I got somethin’ for that.’ And he was like ‘Man, you have In My Wildest Dreams by the Crusaders and I was like ‘Yeah.’ He was like ‘Yeah, I got something for that.’ So I got the track ready. Pac just came through and just dropped it and blessed it with them vocals”

Accolades: Library of Congress-inducted to the National Recording Registry for its ‘cultural significance’ (2010); topped the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart for five weeks, the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles for one week, and peaked at N0. 9 on the Hot 100; RIAA-certified Platinum; considered by many to be 2Pac’s most respected song; listed in the musical reference guide, 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die: And 10,001 You Must Download.

123. That’ll Be the Day (Buddy Holly and the Crickets)

Written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison, “That’ll Be the Day” has been recorded by myriad high-profile artists, even The Beatles when they were still relatively unknown and called ‘The Quarrymen’. Holly and his Crickets (including Allison, Don Guess, and Sonny Curtis) first recorded the song in 1956. However, it wasn’t until 1957, when the band recorded a better version at the Norman Petty studios in Clovis, New Mexico, that musical magic really happened; the song premiered on the Brunswick (Decca) label weeks afterward.

Meaning of the Song: According to historians, the song was inspired by John Wayne’s memorable line “that’ll be the day” in the movie “The Searchers”.

Accolades: Became a No. 1 hit “(1957 Brunswick single version) on the “Best Sellers in Stores” chart in Billboard magazine; peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart, and at No. 85 on in UK Single Charts at #85; in 1969, the RIAA awarded the re-issue of the single by Coral Records a gold single.

124. Heart-Shaped Box (Nirvana)

Grunge-rock band Nirvana, led by the late frontman Kurt Cobain, recorded and released “Heart Shaped Box” in 1993 for its third (and last) album, Utero. Cobain had initially, allegedly, titled the song “Heart-Shaped Coffin”. Additionally, the lyrics “throw down your umbilical noose so i can climb right back” is widely believed to be Kurt’s implied desire to climb back into his mother’s womb, starting life anew–and that ‘umbilical noose’ referenced the singer’s suicidal tendencies.

Meaning of the Song: Cobain, probably disingenuously, claimed that “Heart-Shaped Box” was inspired by kids dealing with cancer. However, in his biographer’s book, Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana, it’s–despite Cobain’s explanation–more likely about Courtney Love. And Charles Cross, in his book “Heavier Than Heaven“, asserts that the line “I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black” was “…what has to be the most convoluted route any songwriter undertook in pop history to say ‘I love you'”. In 2012, Courtney Love posted on Twitter that “Box” was actually her vagina. The actual post was soon after taken down.

Accolades: Peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart; reached No. 4 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart; peaked at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart; the music video won two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Alternative Video and Best Art Direction; topped the music video category on Village Voice Pazz & Jop chart (1993).

125. Hey Good Lookin’ (Hank Williams)

‘Hey Good Looking’ is a 1951 song written and recorded by Hank Williams, the one in which “Say hey, good lookin’. What ya got cookin’?/How’s about cookin’ something up with me?” is an accurate embodiment of the whole song. Critics usually acknowledge the epic appeal of ‘Good Lookin’, both then and now, yet simultaneously questioned its artistic merit–often mocking the lyrics as ‘trite’–as being somewhat sub-par of Williams’ capability. And since Williams’ debuted the song in 1951, literally dozens of high-profile artists have recorded (and even put their own spin on) it.

Meaning of the Song: A romantic country song, the narrator employs flattery to “cook up” some homemade love. Alternatively, the song’s character wants the woman mentioned and that he’s going to make all of the time in the world for her.
Accolades: Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001; ranked No. 19 on CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music list in 2003; peaked at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country singles.

126. Check Yes or No (George Strait)

Recorded by American country singer George Strait in 1995 as the lead single from the box set Strait Out of the Box, …….Deborah Evans Price (Billboard magazine) fawned over the song, saying that “Check Yes or No” “is another winner from country music’s most consistent hit maker,” and that it oozes “warmth and charm, as well as with an upbeat melody tailor-made for country radio.”

Meaning of the Song: “Check Yes or No” is a tribute to a lover in which the narrator reminisces about their relationship, explaining how their romance blossomed when they were only schoolchildren.

Accolades: Peaked at No. 1 on both the U.S. Billboard Country chart and the Canadian RPM counterpart.

127. Friends in Low Places (Garth Brooks)


“Friends in Low Places” is a 1990 hit country song by Garth Brooks as the lead single on his second album, No Fences. The song made the Top 40 on the British music charts in 1995 as a double-sided reissue hit with “The Dance”. “Friends” also appears on Brooks’ 1994 compilation, The Hits, and earned the No. 6 position on the CMT 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music broadcast; it also topped CMT‘s 40 Greatest Drinking Songs: Morning After ranking.

Meaning of the Song: As one of the song’s co-writers (Earl Bud Lee) explained, the idea for “Friends” came at the Tavern on the Row restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee, when he–with several songwriting friends in attendance–realized that he had forgotten his money. Asked how he was going to pay, Lee replied “Don’t worry. I have friends in low places. I know the cook.” And while Lee and DeWayne Blackwell (the other co-writer of “Friends”) didn’t immediately jump to record it, they realized that the line “friends in low places” could be big. Real big.

Accolades: Peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. country singles charts, remaining there for four weeks; won the Academy of Country Music and CMA awards for 1990 Single of the Year.

128. Drive (For Daddy Gene) (Alan Jackson)

Written and recorded by American country singer Alan Jackson, “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” debuted in January of 2002 as the second single from the album Drive.

Meaning of the Song: The song is dedicated to Alan’s father, Eugene Jackson, who had died on January 31, 2000. In the song, Alan recalls as a child he and his father driving around the countryside in an old beat up truck that they fixed up together as well as a boat they would drive around the lake. In the final verse, Alan talks about sharing his childhood experiences with his daughters and letting them drive his Jeep.

Accolades: Peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (May, 2002); peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100; made No. 2 on Billboard‘s 2002 U.S. Country Songs Year-End chart.

129. Live Like You Were Dying (Tim McGraw)

Recorded by country artist Tim McGraw and written by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman, “Live Like You Were Dyingappeared on the 2004 album of the same name.

Meaning of the Song: “Live Like You Were Dying” tells the story of a man in his early forties who gets the news that his father has an unspecified, life threatening illness. His father’s message is to live life to the fullest and do things that he had always wanted to do, such as skydiving, mountain climbing, fishing, and bull riding. He also says that he became a better husband and friend. McGraw then switches perspective to himself, talking about how going fishing with his dad stopped being an imposition and how he finally, after reading the Bible, took a long hard look back over his life and took his father’s advice by going skydiving, mountain climbing, and bull riding.This song is associated with McGraw’s father, Tug McGraw, who was hospitalized with a brain tumor on March 12, 2003. It was revealed that he had cancer. He was given three weeks to live by the doctors, but survived nine months. He died on January 5, 2004

Accolades: Peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard country music chart, remaining there for seven weeks; named the Number One country song of 2004 (Billboard); its music video counterpart was a nominee for Video of the Year at the 2006 Academy of Country Music Awards.

130. Somethin’ Like That (Tim McGraw)

A 1999 as single from the album A Place in the Sun, country singer Tim McGraw’s “Somethin’ Like That” was written by Rick Ferrell and Keith Follesé. Even though considered a “minor crossover hit” by some, Kevin John Coyne (Country Universe, 2001) proclaimed of the song that “through its vivid, detail-laden approach, the lyric effectively hones in on the fact that the experience of one’s first love is, in itself, unforgettable,” continuing by stating that the song’s core “is driven home by a sprightly piano hook, toe-tapping rhythm, and wildly catchy singalong-friendly chorus – a one-two punch that helps the record make an impression both as a great lyric and as a fun, catchy listen.”

Meaning of the Song: “Somethin’ Like That” recalls the 17 year-old narrator’s youthful experience of falling in love for the first time. He describes how he spotted a special lady at a Labor Day county fair and–five years later on his way to Mardis Gras–sees her again on a plane. The bridge articulates how true love never dissipates, regardless of how long two lovers are separated.

Accolades: Peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart; attained No. 1 on Canada’s RPM Country Singles; peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100; per Nielsen BDS, it was the top-played radio single in any musical genre in the 2000s with 487,343 spins from January of 2000 to December of 2009.