The 28th Annual Top 77 Songs Of All Time Survey!

The Original Internet Voted Songs Survey!
A Quarter Century and counting! 

 Here Are the Top 77 Songs - VOTED by YOU!

 (Voting took place from 10/19/25 to 12/8/25)

(Asterisk) Indicates a former #1 song on Billboard charts and/or WABC Radio in New York. References to national rankings are based on Billboard's Top 100 or Hot 100 Charts. "Top 77" references reflect the Top 77 portion of overall songs that received votes. All votes that were illegitimate and attempts to "stuff the ballot box" were eliminated.

2025 Rank/Title/Artist/Year

From #77 to #1 - Here Are the Results of YOUR Votes!

77. *Crystal Blue Persuasion - Tommy James and the Shondells (1969)
Tommy had two national #1 songs but this wasn't one of them. "Crimson and Clover" went to #1, and his other chart topper was his first release, "Mony Mony".

76. *Maggie May - Rod Stewart (1971)
 One of three solo number one songs for Rod...he would return in 1994 to reach the top of the chart with Sting and Bryan Adams on "All for Love".

75. Mr. Dieingly Sad - Critters (1966)
 Although they charted big on WABC in New York, this was their only national top 20 song; however, group member Joe Ciccone later seasoned his career for the better by becoming a member of the 4 Seasons!

74. Day After Day - Badfinger (1972)
 Originally known as "The Iveys" (remember "Maybe Tomorrow"? No worries, not many people do) this was their biggest chart hit, helped along by George Harrison on guitar and Leon Russell on piano.

73. *Hound Dog - Elvis Presley (1956)
 Believe it or not, this flip side of "Don't Be Cruel" is getting into the Top 77 for the very first time. Through the years, seven other Elvis song have made it to #77 or higher.

72. Midnight Confessions - Grass Roots (1968)
 Even if you watched "The Office", you might not realize that Grass Roots guitarist Creed Bratton did indeed play "Creed" on that show. After a conflict with the band, Bratton left the Grass Roots in 1969, which most people felt would happen..."sooner or later." (Ouch!)

71. Wouldn't It Be Nice - Beach Boys (1966)
This was one of THREE top ten hits in 1966 for these guys. But after this run, it would be ten years before they returned to the top ten with "Rock and Roll Music".

70. *The Long and Winding Road - Beatles (1970)
 Sometimes listed with the flip side "For You Blue", this song was their last #1 record in the Beatles era.

69. Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (1967)
 Marvin had five top 20 hits with Tammi Terrell and only one of those five did NOT make the top ten. Believe it or not, it was this song.

68. Taxi - Harry Chapin (1972)
This was Harry's first top 100 song to chart (#24). His 8th and final charted song came eight years later with the follow-up to "Taxi" called "Sequel" (#23).

67. Imagine - John Lennon (1971)
 After the breakup of The Beatles, John had two #1 songs, Ringo also had two. George had three #1 songs (four if you count "Isn't It a Pity", the flip side of "My Sweet Lord"). And Paul? Well, he had nine number ones in his various conglomerations.

66. *It's Too Late - Carole King (1971)
 Eleven years after writing a #1 hit for The Shirelles ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow"), Carole got to the top with this song from her "Tapestry" LP.

65. *Penny Lane - Beatles (1967)
 This was the Fab Four's seventeenth double-sided top 100 record.

64. Can't Help Falling in Love - Elvis Presley (1962)
 This was one of six songs for the King that stopped at #2, just missing the top slot.

63. *I Can't Help Myself - Four Tops (1965)
 These Motown legends had ten top ten hits, their last one coming in 1973 on a different record label, Dunhill/ABC, with "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I Got).

62. *One Less Bell to Answer - 5th Dimension (1970)
 This was this group's longest charting song, staying on the Hot 100 for 19 weeks, beating the iconic "Aquarius..." by two weeks.

61. Morning Girl - Neon Philharmonic (1969)
 It was a hit in many areas of the country, but not at the same time. So it ended up peaking at #17 nationally.

60. *Brown Sugar - Rolling Stones (1971)
 Their first top 40 hit since 1969's "Honky Tonk Women," it would also become their last #1 song until 1973's "Angie".

59. *The Rain, the Park and Other Things - Cowsills (1967)
 The band served as the inspiration for "The Partridge Family" group and the TV show. The Cowsills ended up with three national top 20 hits and no number one songs. The Partridges ended up with five national top 20 hits and a #1 song on WABC in New York...PLUS a TV show. Hmmm...that's SOME inspiration!

58. Piano Man - Billy Joel  (1974)
 Surprisingly, this debut chart song for Billy never made the top 20, stalling at #25. He'd have to wait over 3 years for that to happen when "Just the Way You Are" went to #3.

57. *What's Going On - Marvin Gaye (1971)
 From "Pride and Joy" in 1963 to "Sexual Healing" in 1982, Marvin charted 28 top 20 hits and 40 top 40 hits.

56. *You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers (1965)
 This act owns one of the most unique accomplishments in chart history by climbing into the top 20 three times in two decades with two versions of the same song ("Unchained Melody)."

55. Here Comes the Sun - Beatles (1969)
 This one's from the "Abbey Road" LP, which was the last album The Beatles actually recorded together.

54. *Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones (1969)
 This song actually started with a country music flavor before the Stones decided to record it in the version we're now familar with.

53. Dawn (Go Away) - The 4 Seasons (1964)
 They are one of only a few acts to have a #1 song on three different record labels.

52. *Respect - Aretha Franklin (1967)
 She charted 88 times. Believe it or not, this was her only #1 song.

51. *Paint It, Black - Rolling Stones (1966)
 This was the third of eight number one songs for the Stones, but my question after 59 years remains...why is there a comma after "Paint It"?

50. Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
 The "other " Cousin Brucie bounces back into the Top 77 from #98 last year. I guess his real "cousins" must have voted! 

49. *Downtown - Petula Clark (1965)
 Pet packed 15 top 40 songs in just a little over three years (1965-1968). And this, her first, was the biggest.

48. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen. (1976/1992)
 The song was a hit in in two decades, but let's salute THIS achievement by the band: From 1955-1989, they were one of only FOUR groups whose name began with "Q" that had a top 20 hit.

47. *Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass (1972)
 One big hit, and then Looking Glass cracked. Their only other charter stopped at an anemic #33. Now I will explain this one more time, as I did last year, so follow carefully: A different song called "Brandy" became "Mandy" to avoid confusion when Barry Manilow recorded that "Brandy" (by then known as "Mandy") allowing "Brandy" to remain as "Brandy" and not "Mandy". Got it? Good! Now, please explain it to me.

46. *Daydream Believer - Monkees (1967)
 These guys had eleven top 40 hits in two years beginning September of 1966. After that chart run, they had ONE...in 1986 ("That Was Then, This Is Now").

45. Beginnings - Chicago (1971)
 It bombed when released in 1969, but it was re-released in 1971 with its flip side "Colour My World" and reached #7. The edited 45 rpm version (approximately 3 minutes versus the LP 8 minute version) is perhaps one of the best 45 rpm edits ever.

44. *Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin (1959)
 Did you know that eight versions of this song have charted, with six of those coming in 1956 alone?

43. Can't Find the Time - Orpheus (1969)
 It only got to #111 the first time it was released in 1968, but then was re-released in 1968 and ROARED back onto the charts to number...number...number...80...???...HUH? That's some "roar"!

42. A Day in the Life - Beatles (1967)
 From "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In case you're wondering, that last note goes on for 40-43 seconds (depending how good...or bad...your hearing is!)

41.*Will You Love Me Tommorow - Shirelles (1961)
This was the first female act to have a number one song, and it happened with THIS song!

40. *Sherry - 4 Seasons (1962)
 First titled "Jackie Baby" to honor the then-current First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, it was changed to "Terri Baby" and "Peri Baby" and then finally "Sherry," after the daughter of WMCA New York DJ Jack Spector. "Look out street, here (she) comes!" (as Jack used to end his show with.)

39. *Dancing Queen - ABBA (1977)
Among their many incredible achievements is that - alphabetically - they were listed as the first top 100 act in Joel Whitburn's "Record Research" books until 1994! It could be why they decided to name the group "ABBA"...well, it IS possible, right?

38.*I Want to Hold Your Hand - Beatles (1964)
 The first of their 31 tracks to chart in 1964, it was also the first of six number one songs that year. (Wow! I want to hold their bank account!)

37. Superstar - Carpenters (1971)
 Betcha don't know who Wes Jacobs was...OK...time's up! He was the bass player in the group known as The Richard Carpenter Trio before the band became the duo we all remember. The Carpenters` reached #1 three times but lost in history is that they peaked at #2 five times in their chart history

36. A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum (1967)
 After 40 years of millions of people trying to figure out what the heck this song was about, writer Keith Reid says it was about NOTHING! "I was trying to conjure a mood...(and not) tell a straightforward, girl-leaves-boy story. Gee, thanks, Keith. NOW you tell us! 

35. Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones (1970)
 From the "Let It Bleed" LP, people were saying "Merry Clayton" that year and not "Merry Christmas" as that studio singer went one on one with Mick to belt out the vocals on this track and becoming a bit of a legend on her own. She ended up recording her own version of the song too.

34. *Yesterday - Beatles (1965)
 Paul practiced this song so much that George Harrison complained, saying..."Blimey, he's always talking about that song. You'd think he was Beethoven or somebody!" The final recording was so different from other works by the Beatles that the band members vetoed the song's release as a single in the United Kingdom. It was finally released as a U.K. single 1976 when it peaked at number 8.

33. Layla - Derek and the Dominos (1971/1972)
 The biggest version of this song was in a 1972 release that reached #10, longer than the 1971 release, which only got to #51. A completely revamped live version by Eric Clapton, who really IS Derek anyway, got to #12 in 1992. And I'm still wondering why Eric Clapton just didn't call his act "ERIC and the Dominos."

32. *The Sounds of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel (1965)
 As the world ponders the deep meaning of this classic, I am left pondering...Is it "SOUNDS" of Silence or "SOUND" of Silence? (Sources cite both). The duo followed up this #1 song with 18 Top 100 songs, 16 top 40's, seven top tens, and two more #1 songs. Simon did much better with Garfunkel than he did with the Chipmunks...oh, sorry, wrong Simon.

31. *Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) 5th Dimension (1969)
 And yes, this is the complete and accurate title of the song. It won a Grammy for "Record of the Year" and the group won "Best Vocal Group" honors.

30. I Only Have Eyes for You - Flamingos (1959)
 A staple on our Top 77, this was the group's only appearance on the Hot 100 to crack the Top 20.

29. *Happy Together - Turtles (1967)
 They ended up with a nice streak of nine top 20 hits over four years or so. Eventually Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan performed as a duo and were instrumental in creating the "Happy Together" tours, uniting various 60's pop act in one show. Mark Volman passed away this past September, and along with him went the humor and fun that was called "Flo and Eddie/The Turtles".

28. *Sugar, Sugar - Archies (1969)
 Ron Dante along with Ellie Greenwich and Andy Kim made this make-believe band come to life for one of the biggest hits of all time. Sweet! Dante was also the voice of The Cuff-Links, on the chart at the time with "Tracy", but no one really realized that.

27. *Hotel California - Eagles (1977)
 The namesake's identity is pretty much centered around "The Beverly Hills Hotel". But did you know the original title of this song was "Mexican Reggae"?

26. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
 Surprisingly, Springsteen had to wait five years to crack the top 20 ("Hungry Heart #5). "Born to Run" ran out of steam at #23.

25. Everything That Touches You - Association (1968)
 This six to eight-man group had a run of five top ten hits and two number ones in just under two years.

24. *California Dreamin' - Mamas and the Papas (1966)
 Another "shooting star" group, that is to say, they came in like a lion and then disappeared like a lamb in a short period of time. The evidence? From January, 1966 to the end of 1967, the group released nine singles. They had nine top 30 songs, including a #1 song and six top tens. After only two years or so, they basically disappeared under a mess of personal and professional problems.

23. Jumpin' Jack Flash - Rolling Stones (1968)
 Wanna know who "Jack" really was? According to Keith Richards, it was his gardener, Jack Dyer, walking around the property in heavy boots, waking the residents. Jagger asked who was making all that noise, and Keith said, "Oh, that's Jack – that's jumping Jack". The song's foundation was laid. And this year, in a flash Jack jumped up 43 slots on our list.

22. In My Life - Beatles (1966)
 From the "Rubber Soul" LP comes a song that seems to grow in popularity every year. It's interesting that the Baroque-like piano break was actually recorded at half-speed and then sped up mechanically for the final mix. Check it out next time you hear this song with that in mind.

21. *Cherish - Association (1966)
 This group's first #1 song came in a year that had 27 number one songs, which was the most amount of number one songs in any year of the 1960s. That record was shattered in the 1970s, when both 1974 and 1975 had 36 songs reach the top slot.

20. In the Still of the Nite - Five Satins (1956)
 OK, so let's settle a question. Could these guys just not spell? Well, it turns out that the songwriter, Fred Parris, specifically chose the "Nite" spelling to be sure that the song wouldn't be mistaken for the famous Cole Porter classic, "In the Still of the NIGHT". Dilemma solved.

19. *She Loves You - Beatles (1964)
 Riddle me this, Batman. Can a song be both an act's BIGGEST hit and SMALLEST hit? Sure, if it's a Beatles #1 song recorded in German and only getting to #97. "She Loves You" got to #1 on Billboard's chart. "Sie Liebt Dich" (the song sung in German) peaked at #97, which was their lowest charting song ever on the Billboard Hot 100.

18. *Good Vibrations - Beach Boys (1966)
 The Beach Boys had four #1 songs, but none stayed at #1 for more than 2 weeks. This song and "Kokomo" spent one week on top. "I Get Around" and "Help Me Rhonda" were #1 for rwo weeks.

17. *Let It Be - Beatles (1970)
 Paul absolutely hated the Phil Spector overdone string orchestral remix of this song, and that dislike led to the 2003 release of the stripped-down-to-basic version of the song on the "Let It Be (Naked)" LP.

16. Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley (1969)
 So what's the deal with this song fading out at the end and then coming back again? Well, it turns out that producer Felton Jarvis did the fade-out fade-back in to mimic what Elvis did at his live Vegas performances, lowering the music, walking off, and then coming back to make it a memorable, show-stopping climax. Hmmph! And to think of all the times I returned that 45 to the store complaining that it was "defective"!

15. *Nights in White Satin - Moody Blues (1972)
 Although it was the biggest hit for the Moody's, peaking at #2 in 1972, its 18 week stay for the group on the Hot 100 was surpassed in 1986, when "Your Wildest Dreams" hung out for 21 weeks, a run that took it from April to just before October!

14. *My Girl - Temptations (1965)
 The Temptations had 53 Hot 100 songs, 38 top 40's, 25 top 20 hits, 16 top tens, and four #1 hits...and 27 members. Yup, you heard me right. 27 members have been part of this iconic group through the years.

13. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan (1965)
 OK...time to solve another mystery. WHY is this song so long, which was pretty unconventional for 1965? Answer: It ran for over 6 minutes because it originated from a excessively long 10-page work that Dylan wrote, and he refused to cut the recording down. Record heads hesitated to release it. But once copies got out to important influencers, the "die was cast", so to speak'.

12. Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell (1968)
 As a session player and recording act (he released his version of "Turn Around Look at Me" almost seven years before the Vogues' hit version), Glen couldn't get traction on the pop charts...until this song rose to #3 in 1968, followed by six more top 20 hits, thirteen top 40s and two #1 songs.

11. *Be My Baby - Ronettes (1963)
 Well, actually the song should have been titled "With a Little Help from My Friends". Why? Well Ronnie Spector sang lead, and on BACKING VOCALS as "The Ronettes", we have Darlene Love, Sonny Bono, Cher, Fanita James, Gracia Nitzsche, Nino Tempo, Bobby Sheen, Ellie Greenwich, Carol Kaye, and two actual Ronettes, Estelle Bennett & Nedra Talley. "Ummm, Mr. Spector, we need a bigger room."

10. *Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross (1970)
 This big hit by Dusty Springfield...oh wait, stop. Actually, Dusty asked to record it but writers Ashford and Simpson told her it was for Ms. Ross. So Nick Ashford wrote another song that was somewhat similar, called "I'm Gonna Leave You". Ms. Ross definitely got the better deal.

9. MacArthur Park - Richard Harris (1968)
 A little more than ten years later, Donna Summer had a bigger hit version of this when her disco take on this park got to #1.

8. *American Pie - Don McLean (1972)
 Let us digress. Can you guess who was the only other act to have a #1 song that began with the word "American"? As for Mr. McLean, he actually had one other top ten hit that many don't remember. And no, it wasn't "Vincent (Starry Starry Night)". It was his version of Roy Orbison's "Crying", which peaked at #5 in 1981. And oh yeah, you wanted to guess who was the only other act to have a #1 song that began with the word "American"? Well, Guess Who was the only other act to have a #1 song that began with the word "American." I've been telling you that all along.

7. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin (1971)
 Never released as a single, this song is one of a handful that have made our Top 77 every single year. Curious what Led Zeppelin members chose as their LEAST favorite Led Zeppelin song? OK, deep breath: Led Zeppelin members' least favorite songs:
- Jimmy Page -- "Living Loving Maid" / John Bonham -- "D'yer Mak'er" / John Paul Jones -- "Royal Orleans" / Robert Plant -- ...UH, OH!..."Stairway to Heaven"

6. *Rag Doll - Four Seasons (1964)
 Twenty-one top 20 hits and five number ones is quite a resume. But add in Frankie Valli's songs (which were essentially 4 Seasons' recording with label credit given only to Frankie) and you'll get six more top 20 hits, including two more number ones.

5. *Light My Fire - Doors (1967)
 Any time you heard the LP (long) version of this song from 1967 until the 2006 remasters were released, you were NOT hearing the song at the correct speed! You heard it in a key almost a half step higher than the stereo LP release. Until the 2006 remasters, only the original 45 RPM single of "Light My Fire" was produced at the correct speed.

4. *Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel (1970)
 This was both the Grammy winner for "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year". It spent six weeks at #1.

3. *(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones (1965)
 Along with "Rag Doll", it's one of only two songs that have topped the Top 77 besides the reigning champ. A former #1, it spent 15 weeks on the chart. But surprisingly enough, if you go strictly by high chart position and weeks on the chart, the following #1 Stones songs all finished stronger than "Satisfaction":"Miss You" with 20 weeks on the chart, "Angie" with 16 weeks on the chart, and "Honky Tonk Women" with 15 weeks on the chart.

2. God Only Knows - Beach Boys (1966)
 This was the flip side of "Wouldn't It Be Nice", a #8 song. "God Only Knows" only got to #39 nationally in 1966 and wasn't even played on WABC!  It's on the Top 77 for the 25th time.

1.*Hey Jude - Beatles (1968)
 Well, once again, it's back on top...for the 26^th time. In 1968 it was #1 for an impressive 9 weeks. And also was on the Hot 100 for 19 weeks, which was the most weeks by any Beatles song. And this year, it's baaaaack! With a big congratulations to the Top 77 Champion.

Remember to listen to Rewound Radio all holiday week long to hear ONLY the songs that got votes in the 28^th edition of the Top 77...that's over 3,429 songs. And be checking here to get your own copy of the Top 77 "Suitable for Framing" List. It's a "Bonus Booklet" listing all the songs that got votes IN ORDER of their placement. And there are lots of special sections about "Everything Top 77."

Special "Thanks" goes to Frank Thomas for his exceptional work on the technical end helping me in compiling this list and researching the statistics we present and for consultation on the overall project...He's an invaluable part of the Top 77 team.

And thanks to Allan Sniffen for turning the list into a great week of music on Rewound Radio.

Remember...

For your FREE copy of the Top 77 results booklet with photos, fun facts, and information about the songs and more...keep checking here for the link, which will be up soon!