This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Who doesn't like lists?

This week, music website Consequence of Sound marks its fifth anniversary with the unveiling of its 100 Greatest Songs Ever.

"Two years ago, we put together a similar list, only for albums. I insisted that 'lists have become synonymous with identity,' and that our top album picks 'summarize[d] where we [stood] with our views on music,'" CoS Editor-in-Chief Michael Roffman wrote in a letter introducing the list. "I'd like to think - actually, I know - we've changed for the better since then. Our collective minds are different, we're listening to a wider spectrum of artists, and we're a little more hip to certain facets that were alien to us back in 2010. The best in music should move and inform us: emotionally, physically, or spiritually. The truly memorable stuff influences change. Whether it hits us instantaneously or it takes years to apply, these are tracks worthy of everyone's time and patience. They may not foretell where things are heading next, but they'll undoubtedly offer some context as to what the hell's going on today."

Here are the top 50. Interesting choice for No. 1, but after much thought, it's hard to argue against. 01. The Beach Boys - "God Only Knows"02. Talking Heads - "Once In a Lifetime"03. Bob Dylan - "Like a Rolling Stone"04. Michael Jackson - "Man in the Mirror"05. The Beatles - "A Day in the Life"06. The Velvet Underground - "Sister Ray"07. The Rolling Stones - "Sympathy for the Devil"08. Aretha Franklin - "Respect"09. The Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"10. Radiohead - "Idioteque"11. Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"12. Marvin Gaye - "What's Going On"13. Led Zeppelin - "Dazed and Confused"14. The Knife - "Heartbeats"15. Jackson 5 - "I Want You Back"16. Bruce Springsteen - "Jungleland"17. Otis Redding - "Try a Little Tenderness"18. Bob Dylan - "Shelter from the Storm"19. Prince - "When Doves Cry"20. Kate Bush - "Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God)"21. Public Enemy - "Fight the Power"22. Pulp - "Common People"23. The Beatles - "Tomorrow Never Knows"24. The Rolling Stones - "Gimme Shelter"25. John Coltrane - "A Love Supreme Part 1: Acknowledgment"26. Beastie Boys - "Shadrach"27. The Who - "My Generation"28. Neutral Milk Hotel - "In The Aeroplane Over the Sea"29. Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"30. Jimi Hendrix Experience - "All Along The Watchtower"31. Patti Smith Group - "Rock N Roll Nigger"32. Black Sabbath - "War Pigs"33. The Clash - "London Calling"34. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)"35. Daft Punk - "One More Time"36. The Ronettes - "Be My Baby"37. The Replacements - "I Will Dare"38. Sam Cooke - "A Change is Gonna Come"39. Talking Heads - "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)"40. The Stooges - "Search and Destroy"41. Al Green - "Let's Stay Together"42. Michael Jackson - "Billie Jean"43. David Bowie - "Space Oddity"44. LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"45. N.W.A. - "Fuck Tha Police"46. Madonna - "Like a Virgin"47. The Beach Boys - "Good Vibrations"48. Can - "Halleluhwah"49. Metallica - "One"50. Pavement - "Summer Babe (Winter Version)"