Great songs that just don’t rock: the problem with that top 100 list

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I’ve been reviewing several “best of” music lists and pointing out artists who were surprisingly left off. Recently, I noticed five essential guitarists missing from a BBC list of 31, and then five great rock drummers overlooked in a list of 33. Now, another music list has caught my eye.

Ultimate Classic Rock recently published their list of the top 100 rock songs, and I – along with others at Audiophix – disagree with some of the choices. It’s not that the songs are bad, but they just don’t quite fit the definition of ‘rock’ for me.

When making any list, the rules matter. For a ‘Top 100 Rock Songs’ list, you’d expect only rock songs to be included – that’s the basic idea. The person who made this list admits it sometimes includes songs that aren’t rock, which makes it strange, or simply mislabeled.

6 ‘rock’ songs that just don’t rock

There’s no shortage of great rock songs to choose from – the real challenge is limiting a list to just 100! That makes it really strange to see six soul, R&B, and funk songs included on a recent ‘Ultimate Classic Rock’ list.

Percy Sledge – “When a Man Loves a Woman”

Coming in at number 87 is a classic song by Percy Sledge. It’s a wonderful tune performed by a talented singer, though he’s not known as a rock star and this isn’t a rock and roll song.

Four Tops – “Reach Out I’ll Be There”

The same holds true for The Four Tops. Their song was ranked number 65 on the list, which was a bit surprising since it’s a Motown track – no one really anticipated a Motown hit making the cut.

James Brown – “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine”

Coming in at number 57 is James Brown, widely known as the Godfather of Soul. His music is vibrant, full of energy, and powerful, but it doesn’t really fit into the rock genre.

The Supremes – “Where Did Our Love Go” 

Like many other Motown artists, The Supremes achieved huge success with this song – it was their first to reach number one. Surprisingly, despite its popularity, it only landed at number 45 on the list of top 100 rock songs.

The Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back”

As the Jackson 5 entered the 1970s, they really began to succeed with a fantastic song. Michael Jackson was only 11 years old then, with a long and impressive career still ahead of him. While he explored different music styles, Michael and his family generally avoided being categorized as a rock band.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – “The Tracks of My Tears” 

At number 35, we have a major hit from the 1960s that remains popular today. The singer, Smokey Robinson, with his incredible voice, became known as the ‘King of Motown,’ giving you a hint about the song’s musical style!

Several other songs on the list seem questionable as well. It includes more Motown classics and a very sparkly disco track by Abba. While “Dancing Queen” reached number nine, the bigger issue is that a list of rock songs shouldn’t include tracks that don’t really fit the genre.

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2026-04-26 00:30