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Music has the power to move us, to inspire us, and to define moments in time. Join us as we explore a curated selection of songs that have left a lasting impact on listeners around the world. From timeless classics to groundbreaking hits, these tracks are essential listening for anyone who loves great music. Which tunes have left their mark on you? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00You get a fast car, I want a ticket to anywhere.
00:04Welcome to Miss Mojo.
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the top 20 songs that you absolutely should
00:11not go through life without hearing.
00:14It's been a long, a long time coming.
00:21Number 20, Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones.
00:34If ever there was a song that was worthy of bringing the free-living ways of the 60s to
00:39an end, it was The Rolling Stones' 1969 classic, Gimme Shelter.
00:51There was no upbeat, carefree, fun-loving, preachery happening here.
00:55Gimme Shelter is a dark and pessimistic track.
00:59But man, does it rock hard.
01:01Bolstered by guest vocalist Mary Clayton's powerful singing, Jagger and company managed
01:06to redefine rock music all over again with this bonafide masterpiece.
01:20Every single part of this song is iconic.
01:22And to this day, it remains an unmissable part of rock history.
01:34Number 19, Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen.
01:46Bruce Springsteen was, in many ways, the artist who best defined the American working-class
01:52experience in the 1970s and 80s.
01:55And out of all of his finest moments, Born to Run is as good as it gets.
01:59Every day we sweat out on the streets of a lonely American day.
02:06Backed by the iconic E Street band, Bruce delivered an anthem that feels completely timeless.
02:12From its opening notes, this song hits its stride almost immediately, setting a pace that only
02:18continues to increase during its four-and-a-half-minute runtime.
02:27Springsteen had perfected his sound in the mid-70s.
02:30And though his catalogue has many other undeniable high points, Born to Run is…
02:36probably, his creative peak.
02:46Number 18, Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A.
02:54N.W.A. took the hip-hop formula and totally flipped it on its head with Straight Outta Compton.
03:00Music, as we know it today, changed forever.
03:03The second Ice Cube uttered those now-iconic opening bars.
03:11By the end of the 1980s, hip-hop was evolving at a steady rate,
03:16but N.W.A. cranked the genre's formula up to 11.
03:20There's an urgency to Straight Outta Compton that was unmistakable,
03:24compounded by the fact that N.W.A. were genuinely angry.
03:28Every time I pull an AK off the shelf, security is maximum, man that's a long,
03:33R-E-N spells red but I'm wrong.
03:35Their debut album is littered with classics, but it was the title track that truly managed
03:42to capture the public's imagination.
03:51Number 17, Imagine, John Lennon
04:03John Lennon had more than a few personal demons to battle through during the second
04:07half of his career. But to say he kicked off his solo career with a bang would be an understatement.
04:19Imagine might just be the most essential post-Beatles song there is.
04:24The underlying message of peace calls on the listener to do away with materialism,
04:29which is as relevant a message today as it was then.
04:38But it's the chorus that truly takes this one home.
04:46It's John Lennon at his very best, delivering a timeless piece of music.
05:11Number 16, Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan.
05:16Once upon a time you dressed so fine, through the books of time in your prime, then you...
05:23We very easily could have picked 10 other Bob Dylan songs here, and
05:28Blown In The Wind would have been at the very front of that list.
05:32But no song shook up the world of rock and roll quite like Like a Rolling Stone.
05:37From its opening snare hit onwards, Dylan and his band dragged the folk genre into a new era.
05:43How does it feel?
05:47How does it feel?
05:58Not only does it possess some of Dylan's sharpest lyrics, but also some of his catchiest melodies.
06:05It was the song that totally justified his transition from folk hero to full band musician.
06:11And it is without question one of the defining songs of the 1960s.
06:17Like a completed note, like a rolling stone.
06:25Number 15, I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston.
06:37Delivering a cover that outshines the original is one of the hardest things to do as a musician.
06:42Though people might be split down the middle when comparing Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston's
06:46versions of I Will Always Love You, both are undeniably classics.
06:57For our money, Houston's powerful delivery is enough to give it the edge.
07:02The song was released in 1992 as part of the soundtrack for the film The Body Gone,
07:07which had Houston in a starring role.
07:18Whereas Parton's original was a subtle country ballad,
07:21Whitney blows the roof off with one of the most unmissable vocal performances in pop history.
07:26And I, I, I will always love you, I will always love you, I will always love you, Santa.
07:44Number 14, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana.
07:54Hair metal had grown tiresome by the time the 1990s came around,
07:58and rock music was in need of a major shake-up.
08:08Enter Nirvana and the release of one of the most immediate and hard-hitting songs of the decade.
08:14Smells Like Teen Spirit was described by lead singer Kurt Cobain as the band's attempt at writing a pixie song.
08:28But the end product is something truly unique. Nirvana, we're right at the forefront of the grunge
08:35movement of the 90s, and this song was the anthem that best summed up the entire ethos of the genre.
08:42Oh, hello, hello, hello, I'm alone, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello.
08:56Though Cobain's life was cut short at the age of 27,
09:00the fact that Nirvana's music remains as relevant as ever today says it all.
09:05I deny you, I deny you!
09:08The current song is used for 50 years.
09:13Number 13, Fight the Power, Public Enemy.
09:24Hip-Hop was truly never the same after Public Enemy put out Fight the Power in 1989.
09:31Chuck D was the king of socially conscious rapping and this intense and unmissable call to action might just
09:37be his masterpiece.
09:46It's a song that demands your attention from its opening verse, refusing to let go until
09:51it's done.
09:52Samples range from church services and civil rights exhortations, to the music of James
09:57Brown coming together to create the perfect encapsulation of everything that made Public
10:03Enemy great.
10:13To this day, it's their best-known song, and with good reason.
10:2312.
10:25Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
10:34Stairway to Heaven is one of the most essential pieces of rock music ever recorded.
10:52From its iconic opening guitar phrase to its explosive bombastic finale, Led Zeppelin have
10:59truly never sounded better.
11:11Every single passing section builds the track's momentum, culminating in one of the most memorable
11:18guitar solos of all time, courtesy of Mr. Jimmy Page.
11:30To this day, do we know what the lyrics are truly about?
11:34Not really.
11:35But when the song is this good, it doesn't matter.
11:38Zeppelin were a band who had a number of creative peaks, but they never truly managed to fire
11:43on all cylinders quite like they did on this track.
12:0111.
12:02A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
12:11Sam Cooke sensed that a change in the weather was coming when he penned A Change Is Gonna
12:16Come in the early 1960s.
12:19The song was inspired by his own personal experiences with racial discrimination, particularly at
12:24a time when he and his entourage were turned away from a white-only motel.
12:38It could be argued that Cooke paints a more vivid picture of this period in American history than
12:44any of his contemporaries.
12:46But even when you remove all the lyrical importance of the track, it's one of the most beautiful
12:51songs of its time.
12:59Cooke's voice, the masterfully woven melodies, and the gorgeous instrumentation make this one
13:05song you simply can't afford to miss.
13:1410.
13:16Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
13:25Look, they called him the king of pop for more than a few reasons.
13:29Just having written, co-produced, and performed this song would probably be enough for Jackson
13:35to justifiably claim that title.
13:37Building on the disco and funk-inspired sounds of Off The Wall, Jackson's previous record,
13:43the former Jackson 5 member and producer Quincy Jones unknowingly stumbled upon the future
13:48of pop music with Billie Jean.
13:50People always told me, be careful what you do, don't go around breaking young girls'
13:57hearts.
13:57A cautionary tale about the trials and tribulations of fame, Billie Jean is not only one of the best-selling
14:04singles of all time, but its iconic video helped to establish MTV as a major force in the music
14:10world.
14:11Well, try not to tap your foot as you listen along.
14:14Billie Jean is not my lover, but she's just a girl, I'm a friend that I am the one.
14:229.
14:23Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac
14:25Are there any other songs that sound as much like Pure Bliss as Everywhere by Fleetwood?
14:38Admittedly, we were tempted to go with the group's earlier hit, Dreams from the iconic 1977 record,
14:45Rumors.
14:46Whatever internal tensions had plagued the band seemed to all but disappear on Everywhere,
14:51on which singer Christine McVie describes the unexpected effects that love can have.
15:03Everywhere is remarkable not only for its exquisitely dreamy vibe and pitch-perfect take on pop music
15:10production, but for its seamless merging of disparate musical elements into a cohesive whole.
15:16These are songs everyone should hear at least once, but good luck playing this Fleetwood Mac classic a single time.
15:23Come on baby, we better make a start.
15:27You better make it soon before you break my heart
15:308.
15:32Respect – Aretha Franklin
15:34Would it surprise you to learn that the Queen of Soul's signature song is actually a cover?
15:48Originally written and sung by Otis Redding in 1965, Respect was part of Franklin's live repertoire
15:55before appearing on the 1967 album, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You.
16:08While Redding was, of course, no slouch, it's hard to deny that Franklin's is the definitive version of the song,
16:15significantly altered, not only musically, but lyrically.
16:20Rewritten to comment on issues of gender disparity,
16:24Respect has emerged as a self-empowerment anthem for women,
16:28defined by that inevitable spelling out of its title through Franklin's unmistakable vocals.
16:34R-E-S-B-E-C-T
16:36R-E-S-B-E-C-T
16:38R-E-S-B-E-C-T
16:40Take out T-C-T
16:42Number 7. Stand By Me – Benny King
16:46When the night has come
16:51And the land is dark
16:53Later recording artists like The Beatles and Queen
16:56opened the recording studio up to new possibilities.
16:59But it's important to remember that musical complexity and technical proficiency don't necessarily make a great song in themselves.
17:07Take Stand By Me, for example.
17:09No, I won't be afraid
17:12Oh, I won't be afraid
17:17Inspired by the gospel hymn of the same name by Charles Albert Tinley, singer King nearly missed recording what would
17:24come to be known as his defining hit.
17:26King's powerfully expressive vocals are guaranteed to send a unique chill down your spine.
17:32Like the best ballads of its time, Stand By Me poses a simple request, but its stirring, heartfelt arrangement reinforces
17:39the scale of the emotions attached to it.
17:42And darling, darling, stand by me
17:47Oh, stand by me
17:50Number 6. Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
17:55I've hungered for your touch
18:02Sometimes, above all, all you want to know is that someone cares.
18:07That's the message behind Unchained Melody, a pop standard that has been more or less claimed by the Righteous Brothers.
18:14Appearing on their 1965 album, Just Once In My Life, Unchained Melody describes the universal feeling of longing while in
18:22a romantic relationship.
18:23And time goes by
18:30The raw, soulful, Righteous Brothers rendition of Unchained Melody benefits significantly from singer Bobby Hatfield's soaring, pristine vocals.
18:39It's impossible not to hear the conviction in his voice.
18:43Unchained Melody makes no secret of its narrator's heart-sick pain.
18:47It's relatively simple composition hitting you right in the guts.
18:52This, combined with its grandiose sound, will have you fumbling for tissues in no time.
18:57Lonely river sigh
19:00Wait for me, wait for me
19:03Number 5. Can't Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley
19:08Wise men say
19:12Only fools, only fools bring
19:16The king of rock and roll was probably better known for animated hip-shaking and stage presence than for mellow
19:23ballads like this one.
19:24However, that didn't stop Can't Help Falling In Love from becoming one of Presley's signature songs.
19:30But I am falling in love with you
19:38Inspired by the French love song, plaisir d'amour, this sweet, open-hearted love song may very well be the
19:45greatest of its kind.
19:46If you need a pick-me-up, you could do a lot worse than this pure, unfiltered expression of romantic
19:53love.
19:53As written by Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore and George David Weiss, the king's unmistakable vocals elevate Can't Help Falling
20:02In Love to one of the all-time great ballads.
20:05Darling, so it goes, something's coming to me
20:12Number 4. Let It Be – The Beatles
20:15When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me
20:22Any chance you're familiar with the Fab Four from Liverpool?
20:25All jokes aside, there are probably a dozen Beatles songs we could have put on our list.
20:32But in the end, we had to go with Let It Be.
20:34That would be for its virtually perfect encapsulation of everything that made the Beatles, well, the Beatles.
20:47Inspired by a dream McCartney had in which he was visited by his late mother Mary,
20:51Let It Be takes on an almost religious gospel quality.
20:56Its message is simple and harkens back to a theme that the Beatles hammered home countless times,
21:01but was never quite as succinct as in this song,
21:05All You Need Is Love.
21:06Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
21:12Number 3. God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
21:17I may not always love you
21:20For long as there are stars above you
21:24Leave it to Brian Wilson to take one of the most feared words in pop music, God,
21:29and turn it into a veritable smash hit for the ages.
21:33Songwriters had had an aversion to using the word to avoid any possible offense,
21:38but God Only Knows wouldn't work any other way.
21:42God only knows what I'd be without you
21:47Far from challenging religious dogma,
21:49Wilson and Tony Asher's song invokes God as a way of expressing a love so powerful
21:54that it'd take the Almighty's wisdom to imagine the alternative.
21:58God Only Knows exemplifies the best of the Beach Boys knack for mixing enduring, deceptively simple pop hooks
22:05with subtly complex arrangements and song craft.
22:08Listen to God Only Knows for a taste of what music is capable of.
22:13The world could show nothing to me
22:16So what good would they make to me?
22:21Number 2. What's Going On – Marvin Gaye
22:32In just under 4 minutes, Marvin Gaye issued what might be the most meaningful commentary on the Vietnam War.
22:40Gaye, who'd previously been well known for his sentimental romantic ballads,
22:45found himself disillusioned with the direction that America was taking at the time,
22:49and felt that he couldn't not speak up.
22:52You've got to find a way, you've got to find a way, you've got to find a way, raise a
22:57movie.
22:59What's Going On was the result.
23:01Inspired by conversations with Gaye's younger brother Frankie,
23:05who'd spent three years fighting the aforementioned war.
23:08Although Motown founder Barry Gordy vigorously discouraged Gaye from releasing the song due to its political implications,
23:15the musician won out, and What's Going On became a huge hit and one of his signature songs.
23:21The song remains a powerful anti-conflict statement over 50 years since its debut.
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23:491. Bohemian Rhapsody
23:53Queen
23:54Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
24:01Look, maybe you saw this one coming, but can you really blame us?
24:06A crowning achievement in studio recording at the time, it's pretty much impossible to hear any other song with multiple
24:13sections and not compare it to Bohemian Rhapsody.
24:17Met with a decidedly mixed reception at the time of its 1975 release, Bohemian Rhapsody has since become renowned for
24:25its complex, non-traditional structure, intricate musicianship, and allusions to opera.
24:31I see a little silhouette of a man
24:33Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the bandango?
24:37With this song, Freddie Mercury and the rest of Queen blew the doors off the music industry, causing countless musicians
24:44to rethink what could be made possible in the studio.
24:47If you've never listened to Bohemian Rhapsody, what are you doing watching this video? Go put it on!
24:59What song do you think should be a must listen for any music fan? Let us know in the comments
25:05below!
25:07Let us know in the comments below!
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