Ever-changing: Modern-day rock ‘n’ roll ranked

Musician Chuck Berry is credited as a pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll. Now, a century after his birth, rock still lives on. On Oct. 27, Rolling Stone released “The 200 Greatest Rock Songs of the 21st Century So Far” to commemorate a century of rock ‘n’ roll. The list serves as a companion piece to their “Reasons to Love Rock” feature. 

The list is more comprehensive than it sounds on paper. It does not confine rock ‘n’ roll to anyone’s definition; instead, it encompasses the genre in all its forms. The songs range from heavier screamo to lighter folk songs.

“Rock keeps growing because rock keeps changing,” Rolling Stone writes. The magazine says rock is not just what it was, because that would stop it from becoming what it can be.

Some of the artists on the list are new and familiar, such as Noah Kahan, Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. Some are older and still familiar, such as Prince, David Bowie and Bob Dylan. The list also features more underground artists, both old and new.

The top 10 songs on the list were released between 2000 and 2021 and cover a wide range of genres.

“In our Top 10 alone, we’ve got the blues, we’ve got dance-floor glam, we’ve got gritty punk and psychedelic jams and high-tech dystopia and acoustic storytellers, along with loads of air-guitar riffs,” Rolling Stone writes.

The diversity of artists, genres and eras means there is probably something for everyone. Paired with the “Reasons to Love Rock” feature, the list completes a love letter to rock ‘n’ roll – all that it is and all that it can be.

Here is my own ranking of the 10 songs from the list. I agreed with some of Rolling Stone’s rankings, but I thought a couple of songs deserved higher spots than they had received. My top 10 still includes a wide variety of genres, as well as songs such as “Reptilia” by The Strokes, which are hard not to love for their musicality and timelessness.

Their top 10

1. “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2003)
2. “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes (2003)
3. “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers (2004)
4. “Good 4 U” by Olivia Rodrigo (2021)
5. “The National Anthem” by Radiohead (2000)
6. “I know the end” by Phoebe Bridgers (2020)
7. “Last Nite” by The Strokes (2001)
8. “99 Problems” by Jay-Z (2003)
9. “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” by The Arctic Monkeys (2005)
10. ch“Impossible Germany” by Wilco (2007)

My top 10 (of the 200 listed)

1. “Reptilia” by The Strokes (No. 138)
2. “Your Best American Girl” by Mitski (No. 19)
3. “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers (No. 3)
4. “Change (In the House of Flies)” by Deftones (No. 47)
5. “Got Some” by Pearl Jam (No. 114)
6. “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” by Car Seat Headrest (No. 64)
7. “The Rat” by The Walkmen (No. 66)
8. “I’ll Believe in Anything” by Wolf Parade (No. 191)
9. “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” by The Arctic Monkeys (No. 9)
10.  “Not” by Big Thief (No. 137)