Publications Rank Five Songs Among All-Time Greats

Several classic and contemporary tracks are drawing renewed attention through rankings of great songs. John Lennon’s “Imagine” topped a new all-time list, narrowly ahead of the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” which itself reached No. 1 in 1965 and was nearly withheld because Paul McCartney feared its melody might resemble an existing song. Boygenius’ “Not Strong Enough” led a list of great supergroup songs, while James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”—a landmark early funk hit—ranked 34th on Rolling Stone’s 2024 all-time list. Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” shaped from extensive handwritten notes, is also celebrated among the greatest songs and marked a shift toward blending his socially conscious writing with a more expansive rock sound.