This topic may have already been started before (I might have even started a similar topic previously), but after doing some reading on Scott Joplin, who has the distinction of having our oldest entry in Acclaimed Music (1902's "The Entertainer" at #1611), I was surprised to see that "one of his first pieces, the 'Maple Leaf Rag' (1899)... ragtime's first and most influential hit," is not included, despite its regarded impact.

This got me thinking, why not start a topic devoted to songs that you would have expected to be in Acclaimed Music's Top 3000 songs, yet are not.

My picks so far:

Scott Joplin - Maple Leaf Rag (1899)
Frank Sinatra - Come Fly with Me (1958)
Frank Sinatra - Fly Me to the Moon (1964)
Frank Sinatra - Luck Be a Lady (1965)
Cat Stevens - The First Cut Is the Deepest (1967)
Led Zeppelin - Ramble On (1969)
Cat Stevens - Wild World (1970)
Cat Stevens - Morning Has Broken (1971)
Cat Stevens - Peace Train (1971)
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded by the Light (1976)
Pink Floyd - Hey You (1979)
Frank Sinatra - (Theme from) New York, New York (1980)
Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel (1987)
Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It for You (1991)
Seal - Kiss from a Rose (1994)
Radiohead - Just (1995)

It is harder to add compositions on pre-record saturation of the market. The Maple Leaf Rag and most Joplin songs were not performed by him and then sold out as cylinders, but rather as sheet music, and a song was deemed a success by how many copies of sheet music or piano rolls it sold. That is why I hold any rankings of pre-WWI songs suspect.

was fine top 40 fare, but it's looked upon as kinda "schlocky" (why Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" isn't ranked all that high, either).

Sometimes, "later" singles from an album don't get the same acclaim that an earlier single may get (i.e. 'The Way You Make Me Feel"). It's true of Madonna's songs, too- the lead tracks often get the lion's share of acclaim; "Ray of Light" was an exception, though, as it easily got more than "Frozen." Look at singles like "Open Your Heart," "La Isla Bonita," "Express Yourself"- undispited classis, but left off a lot of lists in favor of earlier singles from an album.

Oh, there are a bunch.

-The Flaming Lips, "Waitin' for a Superman"
-Talking Heads, "Memories Can't Wait"
-Radiohead, "Reckoner" (although I have hopes for the next update)
-There's nothing from Murmur except "Radio Free Europe" (the first version of which actually predates the album by two years). There are at least three other songs from that album that I figure would have enough juice to be bubbling under, at least.

Let's see. Some of my all time favorite songs are not, suck as Manfred Mann's Earth Band's Blinded by the Light, The Outlaws' Green Grass and High Tides, Tommy Tutone's Jenny Jenny 8675309, Pearl Jam's Better Man, Pearl Jam's Black, Metallica's Fade to Black, Guns and Roses' November Rain, Green Day's Wake Me Up When September Ends, Bush's Glycerine... lest I go on?

for having the second best album rating of any band from the past 15 years other than Radiohead, Wilco's song list is pathetically small.

As a fan I could name countless songs I feel are worthy of the top 3000, but I'll real it in and do one per album.

Being There: Misunderstood
Mermaid Avenue: California Stars
Summerteeth: Via Chicago
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: Poor Places
A Ghost is Born: Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Sky Blue Sky: Impossible Germany
Wilco (The Album): Bull Black Nova

Oh, there are tons!

I'll list a few by my favorite artists:

Prince- "Uptown": His first classic, IMO, and the first song that defined his utopian vision of what he was all about.

Madonna- "Oh Father": My favorite song of hers is "Burning Up", but "Oh Father" is probably her "best" song.

Björk- "Isobel": The song that opened Björk up into atmospheric, lush, bizarre storytelling.

The Cure- "The Lovecats": It seems to be one of their classics according to radio.

Eurythmics- "Here Comes the Rain Again": Honestly, I think Eurythmics are one of the most underrepresented artists on the entire site. They were genuine masters of synth pop. I can think of about 20 songs that deserve mention, but "Here Comes the Rain Again" is the most surprising omission.

Janet Jackson- "Rhythm Nation": Any of the singles from Rhythm Nation deserve mention, but the title track is the most iconic, and iconic pop seems to garner enough acclaim to be included here more often than not.

Blondie- "Rip Her to Shreds": Shades of their punkier side aren't represented by their songs. The parent album is included, so why not this or "X Offender"?

David Bowie- "Aladdin Sane": If "Maggot Brain" can get in (and it totally deserves it!) on the strength of a mind-boggling instrumental solo, why not this? To top it off, it features a wonderful vocal performance by Bowie.

Kylie Minogue- "Slow": This percolating slice of icy electro seemed perfect for the Pitchfork crowd.

Siouxsie and the Banshees- "Israel": A band that is both misrepresented and underrepresented here, in my opinion, they were at their best when they defied genre boundaries from 1980-1982. This song is unlike anything I've heard before, a "Christmas" single with a somewhat disco/funk beat, other-worldly bass line, Eastern chants, religious imagery and a killer chorus!

Visage - Fade to Grey

I agree there are tons. I'll start with some of the songs from some of the performers that I enjoy the most. Starting with the Beatles (I wouldn't be surprised if some of these are in the AM3000, but hopefully there aren't too many songs already included in the list below) -

Got To Get You Into My Life 1966
Michelle 1965
Do You Want To Know A Secret 1963
All My Loving 1963
No Reply 1964
When I'm Sixty-Four 1967
Good Day Sunshine 1966
I Want You (She's So Heavy) 1969
It Won't Be Long 1963
Lovely Rita 1967
Lady Madonna 1968
Oh! Darling 1969
This Boy 1963
Yellow Submarine 1966
You Never Give Me Your Money 1969
Maxwell's Silver Hammer 1969
The Fool On The Hill 1967
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 1969
Birthday 1968
Because 1969
I've Just Seen a Face 1965
I Want To Tell You 1966
I Need You 1965
If I Needed Someone 1965
Magical Mystery Tour 1967
The Night Before 1965
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da 1968
Your Mother Should Know 1967
You Won't See Me 1965
You're Gonna Lose That Girl 1965
Taxman 1966
Polythene Pam 1969
Rocky Racoon 1968
She's Leaving Home 1967

This time I am listing songs from Steely Dan that I am a bit surprised didn't make the cut.

Aja 1977
Any Major Dude Will Tell You 1974
Babylon Sisters 1980
Barrytown 1974
Black Cow 1977
Bodhisattva 1973
Chain Lightning 1975
Change Of The Guard 1972
Dirty Work 1972
Don't Take Me Alive 1976
Gaucho 1980
Hey Nineteen 1980
Home At Last 1977
Josie 1977
Kid Charlemagne 1976
King Of The World 1973
My Old School 1973
Night by Night 1974
Only A Fool Would Say That 1972
Parker's Band 1974
Pearl Of The Quarter 1973
Peg 1977
Pretzel Logic 1974
Steely Dan 1976
Third World Man 1980
Time Out of Mind 1980
Turn That Heartbeat Over Again 1972

Some Dylan songs missing:


Chimes of Freedom (1964)
My Back Pages (1964)
Mama, You've Been on My Mind (1965)
Maggie's Farm (1965)
Queen Jane Approximately (1965)
Absolutely Sweet Marie (1966)
You Ain't Going Nowhere (1967)
I Shall Be Released (1967)
Down in The Flood (1967)
I'm Not There (1967)
Dear Landlord (1967)
I Threw It All Away (1969)
Simple Twist of Fate (1975)
If You See Her Say Hello (1975)
Sara (1976)

As you can tell by the following list, I am way too fond of Todd Rundgren's efforts to reasonably limit my "surprised" list. I apologize in advance for any perceived excesses in this list.

A Dream Goes On Forever 1974
A Long Time, A Long Way To Go 1971
Bang The Drum All Day 1983
Be Nice To Me 1971
Believe In Me 1971
Black and White 1976
Bread 1978
Can We Still Be Friends 1978
Can't Stop Running 1989
Chain Letter 1971
Change Myself 1991
Cold Morning Light 1972
Compassion 1981
Couldn't I Just Tell You 1972
Determination 1978
Does Anybody Love You? 1973
Dust In The Wind 1972
Fidelity 1989
Hawking 1989
Healing Part III 1981
Heavy Metal Kids 1974
Hideaway 1983
Hope I'm Around 1971
I Think You Know 1974
Influenza 1983
Initiation 1975
It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference 1972
Izzat Love? 1974
Just One Victory 1973
Long Flowing Robe 1971
Lucky Guy 1978
Marlene 1972
No World Order 1.1 1993
Number 1 Lowest Common Denominator 1974
Parole 1971
Property 1.0 1993
Real Man 1975
Saving Grace 1972
Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel 1974
Stood Up 2004
Sweet 2004
Sweeter Memories 1972
The Ballad (Denny & Jean) 1971
The Last Ride 1974
The Ultimate Crime 1995
The Verb "To Love" 1976
The Waiting Game 1989
The Want of a Nail 1989
Time Heals 1978
Truth 2004
Useless Begging 1974
Wailing Wall 1971
We Gotta Get You A Woman 1971
When The Shit Hits The Fan-Sunset Blvd. 1973
Woman's World 1995
Wondering 2004

Many of these picks fall under the 'best unranked tracks from classic albums' category rather than songs I'm legitimately surprised aren't in the top 3000, but still, they all should be up there. Many are bubbling under though, so I have hope for the next update.


The Zombies:
"Time of the Season"
"Hung Up on a Dream"
"This Will Be Our Year"

Neutral Milk Hotel:
"In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"
"Holland, 1945"

Love:
"The Red Telephone"
"You Set the Scene"

Radiohead:
"Let Down"
"Everything in its Right Place"
"Idioteque"

King Crimson:
"Epitaph"
"Starless"

Talking Heads:
"The Great Curve"
"Born Under Punches"

Spiritualized:
"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space"

The Beach Boys:
"Til I Die"
"Don't Talk"

The Kinks:
"The Village Green Preservation Society"
"David Watts"
"Shangri-La"

The Clash:
"Spanish Bombs"
"Death or Glory"

Brian Eno:
"St. Elmo's Fire"
"The Big Ship"
"Needle in the Camel's Eye"

David Bowie:
"Five Years"
"Rock 'n Roll Suicide"

Wire:
"Mannequin"
"Outdoor Miner"

Slint:
"Good Morning Captain"

as long as we're being excessive...I'll redo my Wilco list:


Misunderstood (1996)
Outtasite (Outtamind) (1996)
Sunken Treasuer (1996)
Californai Stars (1998)
Another Man's Done Gone (1998)
I Can't Stand It (1999)
A Shot in The Arm (1999)
She's a Jar (1999)
I'm Always in Love (1999)
Via Chicago (1999)
Ashes of American Flags (2002)
Poor Places (2002)
Reservations (2002)
A Magazine Called Sunset (2003)
Spiders (Kidsmoke) (2004)
Theologians (2004)
Wishful Thinking (2004)
Handshake Drugs (2004)
Impossible Germany (2007)
Bull Black Nova (2009)
Country Disappeared (2009)

Bruce Springsteen- Roselita


One of the best and most awesome songs ever period. It's unfathomable to me that it's not in there.

Some more "surprises."

Genesis Behind The Lines 1980
Genesis Home By The Sea 1983
Genesis Throwing It All Away 1986

Jackson, Joe Be My Number Two 1984
Jackson, Joe Breaking Us In Two 1982
Jackson, Joe Don't Wanna Be Like That 1979
Jackson, Joe Geraldine And John 1979
Jackson, Joe Happy Ending 1984
Jackson, Joe Happy Loving Couples 1979
Jackson, Joe I'm The Man 1979
Jackson, Joe It's Different For Girls 1979
Jackson, Joe Kinda Kute 1979
Jackson, Joe Look Sharp! 1979
Jackson, Joe On Your Radio 1979
Jackson, Joe One More Time 1979
Jackson, Joe Pretty Girls 1979
Jackson, Joe Right And Wrong 1986

Jethro Tull Locomotive Breath 1971
Jethro Tull Up To Me 1971
Jethro Tull Wind-Up 1971
Jethro Tull My God 1971
Jethro Tull Thick as a Brick
Jethro Tull Living In The Past
Jethro Tull Cross-Eyed Mary 1971

Thanks for sharing the excessiveness with me

"Crazy Train" -Ozzy Osbourne
Great song, excellent guitar solo, it''s album is ranked, but, sadly, the song isn't.
"Mojo Pin"- Jeff Buckley
Off an excellent album, definately could make the cut.
"Peace of Mind"- Boston
Always gets overshadowed by "More than a Feeling"
"Only the Good Die Young"- Billy Joel
Off his best album.
"Follin'"- Def Leppard
Another dynamite album track that wasn't the best on it's album (according to critics), so it didn't make the cut.
"Ramble On"- Led Zeppelin
Inexcusable.

First and foremost: Nina Simone - Sinner Man

We've discussed this in some topic.

I'm Into Something Good- Herman's Hermit's.

To me, this is one of the most surprising omissions of the site. It's not an incredible song by any means, but it pretty much is an early 60's classic.

I always thought that Janet Jackson circa Rhythm Nation would get more love in the top 3000 tracks. Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now, Van Morrison's Astral Weeks and come on: The Zombies's Time of the Season! That's a classic!