Without a 500 person panel like Rolling Stone had to find the 100 best songs of all time, I reverted to my own canny sense of the best of what I’ve heard in my own library. Don’t consider this an all inclusive list, but trust in the fact that I don’t need twitter validation to feel this is a legitimate list.

• 1. Toto – Africa
• 2. The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
• 3. U2 – Beautiful Day
• 4. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
• 5. The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again
• 6. Oasis – Live Forever
• 7. Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing
• 8. The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony
• 9. Boston – More Than a Feeling
• 10. Blue Oyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper

I know your favorite song was left off the top 10, remain calm, here’s another 10.

• 11. Derek and the Dominoes – Layla
• 12. Neil Young – Heart of Gold
• 13. Foo Fighters – Everlong
• 14. Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine
• 15. Eminem – Lose Yourself
• 16. Head East – Never Been Any Reason
• 17. The Eagles – Hotel California
• 18. Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb
• 19. Train – Drops of Jupiter
• 20. The Velvet Underground – Sweet Jane

Still didn’t see it? C’mon, it will be in the next 10.

• 21. Incubus – Drive
• 22. The Guess Who – No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
• 23. Third Eye Blind – How’s it Gonna Be
• 24. Bob Dylan – Shelter From the Storm
• 25. The Wallflowers – One Headlight
• 26. Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven
• 27. Weezer – Say it Ain’t So
• 28. John Mayer Trio – Who Did You Think I Was?
• 29. R.E.M. – Losing My Religion
• 30. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication

Maybe we don’t have the same playlist:

• 31. Rod Stewart – Forever Young
• 32. The Stone Roses – Waterfall
• 33. The Rolling Stones – Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’
• 34. U2 – Where the Streets Have No Name
• 35. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
• 36. The Strokes – Reptillia
• 37. The Clash – Train in Vain
• 38. Coldplay – Yellow
• 39. The Cars – Just What I Needed
• 40. Cream – White Room

Top 40 under 40 say you will like the next 10.

• 41. Dr. Dre – The Next Episode
• 42. Electric Light Orchestra – Evil Woman
• 43. Elliot Smith – Son of Sam
• 44. Foo Fighters – Times Like These
• 45. Oasis – Supersonic
• 46. Beck – Where it’s at
• 47. Green Day – When I Come Around
• 48. Ice Cube – It Was a Good Day
• 49. The Black Keys – Gold On the Ceiling
• 50. Goo Goo Dolls – Iris

Halftime, and Michigan is down.

• 51. Weezer – Buddy Holly
• 52. The Hives – Hate to Say I Told You So
• 53. The Vines – Ride
• 54. Van Halen – Panama
• 55. Toto – Hold the Line
• 56. Steve Miller Band – Take the Money and Run
• 57. Incubus – Wish You Were Here
• 58. Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy
• 59. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – If I Had a Gun
• 60. The Marshall Tucker Band – Can’t You See

Here comes the decade of love.

• 61. Nirvana – Come As You Are
• 62. Oasis – Wonderwall
• 63. Neil Young – Ohio
• 64. Foo Fighters – Learn To Fly
• 65. Jet – Cold Hard Bitch
• 66. Beck – E-Pro
• 67. Audioslave – Cochise
• 68. The Beatles – Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
• 69. Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American
• 70. John Mayer – Waiting On the World to Change

The final 30.

• 71. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze
• 72. Oasis – Champagne Supernova
• 73. Third Eye Blind – Never Let You Go
• 74. The Who – Baba O’Riley
• 75. MGMT – Time To Pretend
• 76. Muse – Hysteria
• 77. Rage Against the Machine – Sleep Now in the Fire
• 78. The Bravery – Believe
• 79. Phoenix – Armistice
• 80. The Red Hot Chili Peppers – Dani California

The hair band years.

• 81. The Rolling Stones – Jumpin’ Jack Flash
• 82. David Bowie – Heroes
• 83. The Darkness – I Believe in a Thing Called Love
• 84. Dr Dre – Still D.R.E.
• 85. Snoop Dogg – Gin’n’Juice
• 86. The Eagles – Take it Easy
• 87. Iggy Pop – The Passenger
• 88. Jimmy Eat World – The Authority Song
• 89. John Mayer – Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
• 90. Neil Young – Rockin’ in the Free World

Shit, this is a playlist on its’ own.

• 91. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – The Dying of the Light
• 92. Jimmy Eat World – Big Casino
• 93. Pavement – Cut Your Hair
• 94. R.E.M. – What’s the Frequency Kenneth?
• 95. Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows
• 96. Radiohead – Street Spirit (Fade Out)
• 97. The Rolling Stones – Rough Justice
• 98. Rush – Fly By Night
• 99. The Smiths – How Soon is Now?
• 100. The Stone Roses – Love Spreads