What makes a song "great"? 

I don’t know what the greatest song ever made was, but Tenacious D wrote an epic song about it

Heroes by Bowie. Fripp's guitar is amazing, Bowie's singing and lyrics are amazing. Pure bliss.

I've lived in Japan for the past 20 years and listened to some incredible Japanese pop and rock music - songs that would transcend if they weren't in Japanese. Also, I heard once that one of the biggest artists in the world, altho he rarely gets mentioned on these lists, is Bob Marley. I think if you looked at a poll from Jamaica, many African counties and some Central/South American countries, Mr Marley would probably top the list.

Even if art is subjective I believe greatness is undeniable

My personal list: 1: Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones 2: Time - Pink Floyd 3: Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen 4: Stairway to heaven - Led Zeppelin 5: The Chain - Fleetwood Mac

Nothing hits harder than "Strange Fruit", but Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" is my vote for the most perfect song.

This is something I’ve pondered for a long time and from my perspective, good songs are written, great songs are crafted. When I think of songwriting, I think of music theory and while that’s absolutely important, I think the greatest songs focus more on crafting an experience for the listener. It’s about the dynamics and how everything works with each other to evoke an idea or feeling to the listener

"Vienna" by Billy Joel is one of my all-time favourites!!! Absolutely brilliant composition, songwriting and a overall beautiful song

Today has been 32 years since Freddie Mercury passed away. I'm glad you respected him and his legacy by putting him in the thumbnail

we all know Monster Mash is the greatest song ever

In college I took a course called, “Can’t Help Falling in Love: American Popular Song” that traced the evolution of popular music from Tin Pan Alley through the present. The professor used the Elvis recorded tune as the archetype by which to measure all other songs, for exactly the reason you mention at the top of this video: love and heartbreak, universalized in a 3 minute track.

For the Spanish listeners I would add De Musica Ligera by Soda Stereo as the most iconic, there is not a single argentinian that wouldn't sing it together when it comes up

Another amazing video. I’m 50 years old and have been music obsessed my whole life. It’s just such a part of my life that when I see such intelligent discussion it makes me happy. Great job as always. I’m a fan.

"Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" Otis Redding, cowritten by guitarist Steve Cropper. I think I love that song more every time I hear it. It's a shame Otis died before it was released.

All Along the Watchtower by Jimi. Stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it, and I still have to pause whatever I'm doing until he finishes those slides. It's not even my favorite song, but it is the greatest ever. Green Onions in a close second.

I think that Bohemian Rhapsody and Queen in general was far bigger in Europe than the States and had a far bigger impact here than across the pond. Since 99, in a yearly vote for a list of the 2000 best songs ever, Bohemian Rhapsody has been number one 19 times.

I agree that there is no definitive answer, but it is a fun conversation to have. My bet would be something that is simple, yet epic. Something that is dynamic and builds. Not too heavy, but still complex. Something engaging. My vote would go to “Heroes” by David Bowie.

Would be interesting to see a same kind of a video made for the best albums ever.

Personally, I'd say that shine on you crazy diamond (all parts) is the best song

I have plenty of personal favorite songs and my preference is always changing but I think the best song ever written is probably Eric Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1. It's not exceptionally complex, has no message, no words or meaning but is able to evoke so much emotion. Pure music.

Most of those songs are great in their own way. However I believe "Imagine" (11:35 😉) has reached a higher level of emotional connection on a world-wide level. I'm not even saying it would be my personal choice, but it's possibly the most recognizable song in the entire world, and that's a lot.

If a song can stand the test of time and feel and sound good then it’s great

As always, brilliant writing and presentation. I always feel happiness when I see a new Polyphonic video is out :)

I’m a life king metal head and hip hop aficionado, and I’d never have a list of greatest song without Fast Car in the top 5. I also don’t think I could come up with the other 5 that would last long.

The truly great songs have an impact on you that lasts for a life time. You have an emotional connection to them. For me personally, one of the best is 'Ben E. King - Stand By Me'. Or a more modern one that springs to mind is 'Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men - One Sweet Day'.

You are so right, Noah: these kinds of discussions and debates are great fun. It always shows how personal and subjective each person's own experience of art is. I listen to way too much music from way too many genres to even have a list anymore. It's all so fluid to me, becoming more so as I age. These days, I tend to let whatever I'm listening to be what it is, letting it just take me along with it. I am a music student, too, have been for a few years now, so I listen differently. I absolutely love how the listening experience is changing and evolving for me.

Man thank you Polyphonic, dropping all these righteously badass videos for us. Especially the Pink Floyd stuff. For real, hell of a time of the year so, again, thank you

I think a great song can also be great depending on the circumstances in which you hear it for the first time. Growing up in rural isolated Canada with no internet, I got my hands on a Guitar World magazine that featured lists of essential songs to learn on the guitar. I bought Misfits and Zeppelin CDs based on those articles and on my two hour morning school bus rides would listen to those things all the time. So songs like Stairway to Heaven and Last Caress just melted my brain and left me stunned.

Another great video. I think there's many factors that make a song great. As I've gotten older I listen to the lyrics more and those meanings have changed since I've gotten older. The way it was recorded, the instrument choice, a solo...the ti.e it was written in. Blowing in the Wind to me is one of those songs that is just as prevelant today as it was back in the 60's. How many ears must one man have, before he can hear people cry? I watched the video of George Floyd being sufficated and that song popped into my head and I broke down. Music is so powerful...💔 Lots of great ways a song can be great. ✌️

The best song ever is whatever song most captures the listener's attention and speaks to them on an emotional level. This is gonna be different for everyone because for some that song is one that speaks to a deeply held emotion like sorrow or anger, but for others it's one that makes them happy or even just fits an already jovial personality. Alas this can result in a bias toward's the speaker's language, though I will say a few of my favorite songs are in French, Spanish, Japanese, and even Mandarin, of which I can only even vaguely understand one of, because they resonate on an emotional level. And on the subject of age I gotta shout out Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World", which ranked in Rolling Stone's top 500 and was performed by a 66 year old great in his twilight, singing about his hope for a world he would never live to see. The industry can be ageist but that doesn't mean greatness never came from old people!

Some both in the northern anglosphere and outside of it that I felt this list was missing: Rocky Mountain High (John Denver) Heroes (David Bowie) Crazy (Patsy Cline) Blowin' In The Wind (Bob Dylan) Close To The Edge (Yes) Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones) The End (The Doors) What's Going On (Marvin Gaye) Where The Streets Have No Name (U2) Fight The Power (Public Enemy) The Chronic (Dr. Dre) The Message (Grandmaster Flash) As for songs from other countries, might I suggest: The Dead Heart (Midnight Oil) Comme D'Habitude (Claude Francois), which was turned into Frank Sinatra's "My Way" Ne Me Quitte Pas (Jacques Brel) La Vie En Rose (Edith Piaf) Besame Mucho Aquarela Do Brasil The Girl From Ipanema La Musica Ligera (Soda Stereo) 33 Jaar (Seens een dag of tve) (Doe Maar) 99 Luftballons (Nena) Hurra (Die Ärzte) Ue O Muite Arukou (Kyu Sakamoto) Holy Ghost (Omah Ley) Yuèliàng dàibiǎo wǒ de xīn (Theresa Tang)

For me, I guess the main criterion is like “how skillfully does this song express something that can only be expressed with music?” Hard to think of a better one than “God Only Knows”…

The greatest song of all time is "Happy Birthday", yeah, I said it. I may be trolling a little, but I still said it. It means something to everyone in the west, and everyone knows the words. Not my favorite but I think there could be an argument to be made as far as " Most Well Known". Thanks for the video, guys! Recently showed my mom the Pink-Floyd videos. I had to show her because she introduced me to their music. Love Peace and Unity!

Great video. Another criteria is how deeply a song gets absorbed into folk culture. This is a very narrow subset of songs, but there are a few major examples that become so timeless, that the person who wrote them almost becomes immaterial. This includes stuff like Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind" and Woodie Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." But I would also include songs that have become ubiquitous in public settings, to the point that they are almost just cheers. Think things like "We Will Rock You," "Seven Nation Army," and "Rock & Roll Pt. 2."

For me, a great song has to have a lot of emotion behind it, and really mean something, either to the artist or the world as a whole. Theese are some of my favorites right now though (in no particular order): 1. Suit and Jacket- Judah and the Lion 2. One Day- Matisyahu 3. Just Breathe- Pearl Jam

love you man, I love the way you talk about art.

The upcoming book "SongMatrix: How Songwriting Really Works" by Wayne Chase will go into great detail on what makes lyrics and music great in a timeless masterpiece, based on tested evidence using research methods that can be replicated as well

Firstly, thank you for the video. Secondly, i agree with the conclusion, but would like to add a second axis. Not only is it something that changes with biases, but also by what criteria one is using. Is it the greatest protest song, dance song, etc etc (you touched upon this briefly)? And are we measuring sales, popular opinion, critical aclaim, or even ratios between these criteria, who knows! I recon that as well as the fact that there might not be an answer, it might not even be "1" answer! Love that about art tbh

I was going to leave a murderous comment halfway through the video, and then I kept watching and listening. In the end, you said what I was thinking. Success doesn't guarantee quality. Lyrics resonate at a certain moment, in a specific context, shaky structures become a norm in one era and an anomaly in others. No matter, the ultimate critic is emotion, so volatile and unpredictable, as insubstantial as the music that generated it. I don't have any song names to propose, or rather I have maybe 350 or 500, I don't know, I've never made the list, but it's surely a long one...

You made a good point about the recency bias of these lists. I can think of a handful of songs id consider to be the greatest of all time but I doubt id be able to convince my parents the same or anyone from their generation. I think its going to be fascinating to see the way the lists change as I get older and the my generation starts getting more input on these lists.

Thank you. Always great content.

My top three has been the same for years. I just cannot displace them with anything else. The Bands "The night they drove ol dixie down", Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash "Girl from the north country" and Glen Campbell "Wichita Lineman". Right behind those theres Pancho and Lefty, Fade into you, Love will tear us apart, Gyongyhaju lany, Dreams, Waterloo sunset etc etc

My Top 3 of All Time The Velvet Underground - Heroin The Beach Boys - God Only Knows Suicide - Surrender

A great song is a song that moves you. Emotionally, "She Used to be Mine". Intellectually, "Wrapped Around Your Finger". Physically, "Play That Funky Music". Spiritually, "The Beautiful Letdown". Sexually, "Pour Some Sugar on Me." Or all of them, Bo Rap. The more, in both ways and volume, a song can move you the greater it is.

The "fast" version of We Will Rock You by Queen, not the commonly known version that's just Freddy Mercury singing over percussion the original version with killer riffs

12:46 is a phenomenal statement

Fun fact, in the Netherlands, each year we can vote on the Top 2000 list. Anyone can compile a list of ~20 songs to cast their vote on. Since 1999, BoRhap has won all but 5 times. So at least in the Netherlands, that seems pretty conclusive. The other songs were: Avond (By Dutch artist Boudewijn de Groot) 1 time Hotel California 2 times Imagine 1 time Roller Coaster (by Dutch artist Danny Vera) 1 time

Brilliant video 👏 Thank you.

No such thing as a greatest song ever. All depends on emotional state at the time of listening and how it resonates with you at that time. Impossible to compare The Beatles "Hey Jude" and King Crimson's "Fracture" to one another, but both amazingly powerful. Your statement about how this ranking changes over time is quite right. The greatest song is always the one that resonates with you most at that time with the person you are at that time.

I recently did a video on my music YT about something that correlates directly with this topic. It's about, your impact. In this setting, musically speaking. The bigger your impact, the finer the definition of greatness becomes. The reason I went on this topic, was in response to The Beatles releasing their final song, Now & Then. I would posit that The Beatles have made such an impact on music in the last century, that any number of their songs could be considered "the greatest." But, the theory you addressed in your video holds contemplation. Are they the greatest band because they made the greatest impact? Or did their impact shift their destiny to become great? None of us will live long enough to know. And in that notion, it is up to society, culture, and memetics to carry that answer forward. Why do we still know musicians and composers from centuries past? Is it from their impact? Could one ask, if Beethoven is still remembered, and his works performed to this day, is any of their work possibly the greatest? What about names forgotten to history, but songs still kept alive in folk bands, indigenous tribes, and other societies stretching millennia? I don't think we can choose the greatest song, and the search is futile. What we may find is the greatest band/artist, but what is finite and answerable, is whom left the biggest impact.

If someone asked me what I personally believe is the greatest song of all time, it'd be between Imagine by John Lennon or Time by Pink Floyd. But there really just isn't a definitive answer.

It’s funny that I don’t consider any of those songs to be their artists’ best song. Also surprised Good Vibrations didn’t top any list.

How about Stagger Lee? Published on 1911 and first recorded in 1923. Many many artists have covered the song or integrated the character or the idea of Stagger Lee into their own songs. Stagger Lee has also spread out into other artistic endeavors--novels, film, visual art, etc. Something about that song and that character has captured the imagination of the artistic world.

ur good at this thank u

the song that moves you - the one you would want played at your eulogy

It's interesting that there isn't much overlap between the lists of songs you found and the list of songs that have been played the most on radio all time. "Every Breath You Take", "Brown Eyed Girl", and "Never My Love" were probably pretty far down on your lists but radio has played them tens of millions of time each. I don't know what that means.

Here's one fixed fact about all candidates for "greatest song ever": they all have lyrics in English. Interesting how that goes... Seriously, one major blindspot music youtube has had for years, and keeps having, is the near-total ignoring of non-Anglophone music. There are some videos out there devoted to music from Brazil, the Balkans, and a few other places, but when it comes to assessing "greatness", it always has to be in English. PS: To Polyphonic's credit, he does address this bias, as well as several others, in his dataset. But it's still there.

I have a list of greatest songs of all time, and one of them I put near the top is Ive Been Working On The Railroad. There is just something about it. Ive got lots of odd songs on that list

I have a few: Heroes by David Bowie, Bohemia Rhapsody by Queen, Respect by Aretha Franklin and I am sure I have many more that I do not remember at the moment, but there are too many to choose from

The Mamas & The Papas’ “California Dreamin’”, of course

In terms of songs that have affected me emotionally and continue to do so every time i listen to them, my pick is King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's "Float Along - Fill Your Lungs."

The greatest song is different for each person. What makes a song great also varies with the listener. For me there is no one best. I could list at least 15 candidates that I like but cannot rank.

Band On The Run was much like Bohemian Rhapsody, a story in song with another song. Like Hotel California. Can’t stand listening to them now after 50 years but epic in the day.

For it me it has to be, Don’t fear the Reaper by Blue Oÿster Cult No other song has ever touched upon the two most powerful ideas and forces in our modern world, that being death and Love. It’s simple, yet beautiful motif of Shakespearian dramatics convey the power of love between two people.

Obviously, "Tribute" is the greatest and best song in the world. It says it right there in the intro. End of story, end of list. Also, though, some other songs in the running for me are "Wish You Were Here" and "Time" by Pink Floyd, "Black" by Pearl Jam, "Straight Outta Compton" by NWA, and "Vampyre of Time & Memory" by Queens of the Stone Age. "Free Your Mind" by En Vogue is probably my favorite song by a female artist, and should be in the conversation as well. If you go by how many times you've listened to a song, "Maximum Radiation Level" by Man or Astro-man is probably my favorite song.

Time by Pink Floyd, All Along the Watchtower are two shocking no mentions

Your theme song is the greatest song. Straight slaps.

At the end of the year many Belgian radio stations doe their 'all time top 100' type list. Like many other nations I assume. It's interesting to see that some songs swing up and down through the years, get some hype (like when a member dies) etc. Then some other songs are just always there, whithout hype, without much thought, no discussion, just chilling between places five and fiveteen for decades. I think those might be the actual greatest songs ever.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Syd Barrett's solo albums like The Madcap Laughs

My personal favorite song might not count as one song, but it does to me. The entire first side of Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk is my personal favorite song of all time.

Not having listened to nearly as much music as a lot of people, but still recently delving into a lot of artists and songs I've never heard before, I would say I think one of the greatest songs, maybe not THE greatest, but one of them, would be Echoes by Pink Floyd.

These are some of my top songs of all time. Billie Jean/Rock With You MJ, Hey Ya!! OutKast, Prince When Doves Cry and I Would Die 4 U and Earth Wind & Fire's September and Let's Groove. To me these songs are not only great but truly timeless. You can feel the passion vocally and instrumentally on these given tracks. If popular music or songs like these withstand the test of time for anyone you know that artists like these have done their job.

I'm glad to hear, at last, an anglosaxon guy talkin about the cultural and geographic byass among music critics; I'm sure that nowadays there's many more people than formerly in the Anglosaxon world who listen to music from overseas and can identify and list some great Non-Anglosaxon songs; or at least they should, because there's a lot of good stuff out there; specially, Brazil, Italy and France are real powerhouses in songwriting, and Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Greece, Turkey and others have great scenes too. Let's be curious.

Me and my brother have a running joke/commentary where we'll randomly message each other with "2BSE" (2nd Best Song Ever). It's usually the one you listened to most recently.

Bohemian Rhapsody and Stairway to Heaven are the best songs ever IMHO.

My personal current pic is a tie between Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears and Baba O’Reilly by The Who. One Direction had an entire song about how Baba O’Reilly is the best song ever, and talking about those two songs with my mom and dad is what got me really into music. Also, if the Taylor Swift song that inevitably tops one of those lists someday is not Cruel Summer I swear.

Great video.

Sandstorm 🤭 I love that you are able to cover something so nebulous and still make such thoughtful and engaging content 🙌 No pun intended #nebula XD

Fuck yeah Mayfield! I just HAD to go listen to the extened jam version of Move On Up, then come back here!

Songs that people can sing in unison like hey jude or we will rock you are both in top 5 of all time

Love this video, and i agree there is no definitive answer and that the lists are for everyone to discover and rediscover the artform. I’m more of a rock influenced person so here’s my list: 1. Let it be - The Beatles 2. Everlong - Foo Fighters 3. Teen spirit - Nirvana 4. Live forever - Oasis 5. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen 6. Stairway - Led Zeppelin 7. The scientist - Coldplay 8. Dancing queen - Abba 9. Billie Jean - MJ 10. Mr brightside - The Killers

telegraph road is in my personal top 5 for sure

Great subject and well thought out, and equally impossible to objectively answer of course. Much of the list is as much about what is the most popularity as what is the best in quality. My subjective opinion is that there is no possible of all time there seems to be more best of their time, while some manage to transcend their own time to a degree, making them extra special but even Like a Rolling Stone or Smells Like Teen Spirit as examples only can continue popularity for a time, and Smells Like Teen Spirit was hated by many older people when it came out, and they (probably) came around tonic because they hated subsequent music even more. I guess that also happens frequently, including with Dylan and his early work.

Don't forget that it was Otis Redding that wrote "Respect."

When I started listening to electronic music, I discovered songs that are now to me as great as many, the greatest of all-time songs. For example: Azzurra from Gui Boratto (all about feelings); Return to OZ from ARTBAT (deep reflective and geniously put together); and many others. As a Brazilian, I also noticed that all the greatest songs of all time have one thing in common: they are all in English 😂 that is funny because music is universal and there are incredible artists and songs worldwide. So obviously in all of these lists there is a strong mainstream bias

Motorhead by Motorhead. It's everything that is rock n roll (and it's fun to drink to)

Thanks for this video, I enjoyed it. I would like to spark a discussion, tho. I'm not sure that It's My Life is a love/heartbreak song. It explicitly starts with "this AIN'T a song for the broken-hearted", and doesn't diverge from that theme, other than mentioning Tommy and Gina. What's your opinion? Keep on with your great work, mate!

Suite Judy Blue Eyes for me (I have nothing to back this up with)

Anak by Freddie Aguilar, is definitely one of the greatest songs (if not the greatest), in terms of message, storytelling, melody, and emotional truth; a song of immense power. A song for the soul.

There are two ways to define this question: greatest "song" and greatest "recording of a song" or song performance, and I think your video did a great job of explaining the latter. Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" are great song performances iconic to those bands that can't be covered to exceed their performance. They are IMHO the greatest recording of a song. I thing greatest "songs" are defined by their ability to be covered and changed to adapt to different times and genres. One of the most covered songs of all times is "Money (That's What I Want)" a song that has been recorded by Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, and so many other great artists, though strangely the best version was recorded by The Flying Lizards. This is probably due to the timing of the song being written in the 1950's and quickly becoming a standard. Bob Dylan has written many great songs by this definition, with "House of the Rising Sun" and "All Along The Watchtower" probably being the greatest thanks to covers by The Animals and Jimi Hendrix blowing the originals out of the water, and both songs being covered by many people. By this definition Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" has been covered over 200 times in many different genres and might be the greatest 80's song, and Trent Reznor's "Hurt" being the best of the 90's with NIN topping heavy metal charts, and Johnny Cash's sweet cover topping country charts.

In my personal experiences I've noticed it is mostly that you have to sell to be great more often than you have to be great to sell. I've been in the music industry and I've seen it first hand. This is true because theres a lot of talent out there whos not famous and a lot of famous artists who are terrible as far as talent goes. Theres bands thats only famous because they sell while theres amazing people nobody has heard of because they can't sell to a wider market, usually because it costs money to market your music most of the time. Also that being said, with enough money invested you can make literally anything sell (like modern pop music). Whoever gets more investment in advertising and awareness usually sells more not whos more talented.

I think my favorite to listen is I got the... by Labi Siffre. The most touching or that resonate the most with me is kinda hard to determine, but America by Simon & Garfunkel always strike a chord, as does I wish i knew how it would feel to be free by Nina Simone and Otis Redding's Sitting on the dock of the bay. I'm from Brazil though, and there are definitely national songs that rival those for me, but I chose to focus on english speaking songs here.

When it's My Pal Foot Foot.

I don't think this question is unanswerable. I do however agree that whatever you answer is always gonna be 100% subjective. I do have to say I think it's quite telling that most songs that make these lists are very recognisable to a lot of people. I'd love to see a list that takes songs from a lot of different languages. There are a few songs in my native finnish and swedish that I'd consider "among the greatest", but most of those who listen to these songs speak the languages they're sung in. I also listen to a lot of music in languages that I don't know. Some of those songs I might also consider "great". Do you have to understand the lyrics to resonate with a song? I don't, but it definitely helps. I think I'll just conclude with saying that whatever art is "great" probably just means you like said art.

impossible really to choose what the greatest song of all time is but if you are going to do it then it surely needs to be based on a set of criteria. i personally think massive attack unfinished symphony takes the top spot but that's more based on how it speaks to my soul and how peerless it is

Since 1999, we have a list by voters in the Netherlands called the Top 2000. Most years, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen was voted the best apart from 2005 (Avond by Boudewijn de Groot), 2010 (Hotel California by The Eagles), 2015 (Imagine by John Lennon) and 2020 (Roller Coaster by Danny Vera). It's also interesting to notice changes caused by events that year. In 2015, Imagine by John Lennon went to number one after it was used to honour the deaths of the terrorist attacks in Paris. In 2019, De boer dat is de keerl (The farmer is the man) by Normaal went to number 9 because of the farmers protests of that year. In 2021, A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procul Harum went to number 3 because of the murder on crime journalist Peter R. de Vries who said it was his favourite song. Deaths of artist also have effect on their rankings in the Top 2000. In 2009 Michael Jackson saw a massive rise in succes in the list because of his death. This was also the case for famous Dutch band Doe Maar in 2022 when their lead singer and bassist Henny Vrienten died. What is also fun to note is that the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody in 2019 saw an increase of amount of Queen songs in the list. Since 2019, Queen has more songs in the list than The Beatles.

I have an opinion on this. I think the best song ever written by human kind is Toccata & Fugue in D minor. Its spectacular and nothing I've heard has surpassed it.

Toda arte é fundamentalmente subjetiva.

Ant Marching by tDMB, and LOVE by Kendrick are the only 2 songs I can listen to, no matter what mood I’m in.

"Construção" by Chico Buarque is the GOAT song in my opinion