The 25 Best Rock Songs of All Time

Rock & roll is, at its core, a rebellion against the status quo — a state of defiance that isn't afraid to make noise and create chaos. That's why compiling a list of "the best rock songs of all time" is a somewhat contradictory task. But Entertainment Weekly took on this challenge and selected 25 songs that have left their mark on the genre's history.

1. "Let's Go Crazy" — Prince

The Purple Rain opener; a perfect fusion of funk, rock, and gospel. Prince's knee-slide entrance still gives you goosebumps.

2. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" — Nirvana

The manifesto of a generation in the 90s. Butch Vig's production and Kurt Cobain's vocal breaks still sound fresh.

3. "Stairway to Heaven" — Led Zeppelin

Perhaps rock's most controversial "best." It climbs from an acoustic beginning to an electric peak over eight minutes.

4. "Bohemian Rhapsody" — Queen

Its rule-defying structure, a mix of opera, rock, and ballad, redefined the boundaries of the genre.

5. "Like a Rolling Stone" — Bob Dylan

The song where he declared his transition from folk to rock. The Newport 1965 audience couldn't forget it.

6. "Born to Run" — Bruce Springsteen

The streets of New Jersey are woven into rock like poetry. The beginning of "The Boss" moniker.

7. "London Calling" — The Clash

Punk's most political moment. It has been re-listened to during every crisis since its release in 1979.

8. "Respect" — Aretha Franklin

Otis Redding's original transformed into a feminist anthem in Aretha's hands.

9. "Hey Jude" — The Beatles

Paul McCartney's song for Julian Lennon, with its seven-minute choral finale, started the stadium rock format.

10. "Purple Haze" — Jimi Hendrix

A manifesto demonstrating what the electric guitar could do.

The rest of the list: "Whole Lotta Love", "Satisfaction", "Sweet Child o' Mine", "November Rain", "Comfortably Numb", "Won't Get Fooled Again", "Baba O'Riley", "Layla", "Free Bird", "Thunderstruck", "Enter Sandman", "One", "Black", "Everlong", "Somebody to Love" and "Immigrant Song".

Source: Entertainment Weekly – "The 25 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time".