If you were stranded on an uncharted desert island, hopefully with Mary Ann, not Gilligan, you’d be stoked to be left with only this playlist. Yep, the Professor could make you an iPod from a coconut shell and you could listen to epic tunes day in, day out until you were rescued by a pirate galleon. Even with a scraggly beard and an insect diet you’d have a melody in your head and a song in your heart.

Here’s how this groovy playlist – some say the greatest ever compiled – works. In this space, in the recent past, I posted a list of the greatest musical acts of the twentieth century. I went back to that list, to the best 100 songsters in history, and then picked a signature tune from each. So we have 100 songs from 100 artists.

Are these the single best songs ever recorded by these rock bands (and other greats like Sinatra)? Well, to say so would make me the smartest dude in rock (probably a stretch). What I will say is that all of these songs are delicious selections that will have you and Gilligan pinching each other and saying, “Oh righteous! I love this song!”

The songs aren’t ranked in any specific order, just listed randomly so you can shuffle this list early in the morning, late at night and twice on Sunday, and your little foot will be tapping the whole damn time.

Every day there is a titanic battle between rockers and modsters and hipsters. Armed with this list, you cannot be defeated and you will be doing your part to preserve rock for the ages. God gave rock & roll to you, enjoy this gift at an appropriate volume.

The Playlist For The Ages

  • “Since I’ve Been Loving You” – Led Zeppelin
  • “Point Blank” – Bruce Springsteen
  • “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – The Beatles
  • “Tequila Sunrise” – The Eagles
  • “Somebody To Love” – Queen
  • “Waiting On a Friend” – The Rolling Stones
  • “Always True To You In My Fashion” – Ella Fitzgerald
  • “Child In Time” – Deep Purple
  • “Suite Madame Blue” – Styx
  • “Where Eagles Dare” – Iron Maiden
  • “Rockaria!” – Electric Light Orchestra
  • “Heaven & Hell” – Black Sabbath
  • “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” – Pink Floyd
  • “Red House” – Jimi Hendrix
  • “Melissa” – The Allman Brothers Band
  • “I’m Crying” – Journey
  • “Strangers In The Night” – Frank Sinatra
  • “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” – Metallica
  • “Desolation Road” – Bob Dylan
  • “Substitute” – The Who
  • “Lee Shore” – Crosby, Stills & Nash
  • “That Smell” – Lynyrd Skynyrd
  • “I’m A Loser” – UFO
  • “2112” – Rush
  • “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” – Billy Joel
  • “D.O.A.” – Van Halen
  • “Mind Your Own Business” – Hank Williams
  • “Don’t Talk To Strangers” – Ronnie James Dio
  • “SWLABR” – Cream
  • “When The Music’s Over” – The Doors
  • “Dirty Pool” – Stevie Ray Vaughan
  • “Cry, Cry, Cry” – Johnny Cash
  • “Box Of Rain” – The Grateful Dead
  • “Powderfinger” – Neil Young
  • “And You And I” – Yes
  • “Wild One” – Thin Lizzy
  • “A Case Of You” – Joni Mitchell
  • “She’s Not You” – Elvis Presley
  • “Early In The Morning” – Bad Company
  • “Wah-Wah” – George Harrison
  • “Still Got The Blues” – Gary Moore
  • “Mr. Spaceman” – The Byrds
  • “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” – Eric Clapton
  • “Don’t Worry Baby” – The Beach Boys
  • “Leah”- Roy Orbison
  • “I’ve Seen That Movie Too” – Elton John
  • “Do Re Mi” – Woody Guthrie
  • “Space Station #5” – Montrose
  • “John Barleycorn” – Traffic
  • “Samba Pa Ti” – Santana
  • “Tombstone Shadow” – Credence Clearwater Revival
  • “Rave On” – Buddy Holly
  • “Mr. You’re A Better Man Than I” – The Yardbirds
  • “Cross Roads Blues” – Robert Johnson
  • “The Railroad” – Grand Funk Railroad
  • “A Man I’ll Never Be” – Boston
  • “Reason To Believe” – Rod Stewart
  • “Undun” – The Guess Who
  • “Into The Mystic” – Van Morrison
  • “Against The Wind” – Bob Seger
  • “A Change Gonna Come” – Sam Cooke
  • “Beginnings” – Chicago
  • “Every Night” – Paul McCartney
  • “The Sentinel” – Judas Priest
  • “Jealous Guy” – John Lennon
  • “Alone Again” – Dokken
  • “Perry Mason” – Ozzy Osbourne
  • “America” – Simon & Garfunkel
  • “Don’t Answer The Door” – BB King
  • “Song And Emotion” – Tesla
  • “Take The Highway” – The Marshall Tucker Band
  • “Heartbreak Station” – Cinderella
  • “Romeo & Juliet” – Dire Straits
  • “Another Park Another Sunday” – The Doobie Brothers
  • “Blinded By Science” – Foreigner
  • “C’est la vie” – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
  • “Body Talk” – Ratt
  • “For Everyman” – Jackson Browne
  • “The Torch” – Dropkick Murphys
  • “Prisoner In Disguise” – Linda Ronstadt
  • “500 Miles” – Peter, Paul & Mary
  • “You Beat Me To The Punch” – Mary Wells
  • “Stargazer” – Rainbow
  • “Which Side Are You On” – Pete Seeger
  • “Lovers Who Wander” – Dion
  • “Twelve Thirty” – The Mamas & The Papas
  • “Caught Up In You” – 38 Special
  • “Copperline” – James Taylor
  • “Miracles” – Jefferson Starship
  • “Summertime” – Janis Joplin
  • “Black Diamond” – Kiss
  • “Inner City Blues” – Marvin Gaye
  • “You Never Can Tell” – Chuck Berry
  • “Dedicated Follower Of Fashion” – The Kinks
  • “Killed By Death” – Motorhead
  • “The Auld Triangle” – The Pogues
  • “Ordinary Man” – Triumph
  • “Skin O’My Teeth” – Megadeth
  • “All I Want To Be (Is By Your Side)” – Peter Frampton
  • “What’s Left Of The Flag” – Flogging Molly