Rolling Stone has updated their list of the greatest 500 songs for the first time in 17 years, with a markedly more diverse chart that sees Aretha Franklin bumping Bob Dylan off the top spot.
The most prominent changes are seen in the coveted top three positions, which went to three famous black singers: Aretha Franklin, Public Enemy and Sam Cooke, respectively.
Rolling Stone's last chart, published in 2004, was topped by three white artists - Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and John Lennon.
The famed music publication wrote that its original list was 'dominated by early rock and soul,' while the new one includes a wider genre pallet that includes hip-hop, Latin pop, rap, country, indie rock and reggae.
An introduction to the list notes, ‘a lot has changed since 2004; back then the iPod was relatively new, and Billie Eilish was three years old. So we’ve decided to give the list a total reboot . . . The result is a more expansive, inclusive vision of pop, music that keeps rewriting its history with every beat.'
NUMBER ONE - 2004 AND 2021: Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ came in at number one – moving up four places – toppling Bob Dylan’s ‘Like a Rolling Stone,’ which moved from first to fourth
NUMBER TWO - 2004 and 2021: Public Enemy’s activist anthem ‘Fight the Power’ made its debut on the list at number two and ousted The Rolling Stones' hit '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,' which took a steep drop to 31
NUMBER THREE - 2004 and 2021: Soul musician Sam Cooke moved from number 12 to number three with ‘A Change is Gonna Come,’ bumping John Lennon's 'Imagine' to 19
The updated list was created with input from players across the music industry as Rolling Stone asked 250 musicians, journalists and producers to vote for their top 50 songs of all time. Over 4,000 songs received at list one vote and the completed list features 254 songs that weren't featured in 2004.
Artists surveyed included classic pop icons like Cyndi Lauper and Annie Lennox, modern hit makers like Sam Smith and Megan Thee Stallion, rock legends like The Eagle’s Don Henley and Slipknot’s Tainy Corey Taylor as well as rising indie darlings Lucy Dacus and Tash Sultana.
Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ came in at number one – moving up four places – as opposed to Bob Dylan’s ‘Like a Rolling Stone,’ which was moved from first to fourth. Public Enemy’s civil rights activist anthem ‘Fight the Power’ made its debut on the list at number two and ousted The Rolling Stones' hit '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,' which took a steep drop to 31.
NUMBER FOUR - 2004 and 2021: Bob Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone' dropped from its coveted first place position to fourth on the list
NUMBER FIVE - 2004 and 2021: Nirvana’s grunge hit ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ moved up four places and filled the slot ‘Respect’ held in 2004
NUMBER SIX - 2004 and 2021: The Beach Boys' 'Good Vibrations' has been knocked off the list entirely and Marvin Gaye's ‘What’s Going On' dropped two places to six
Soul musician Sam Cooke moved from number 12 to number three with ‘A Change is Gonna Come,’ bumping John Lennon's 'Imagine' to 19. And following ‘Like a Rolling Stone’