So, What Was ‘Rolling Stone’ Thinking When We Made Our New 500 Greatest Songs List?

Rolling Stone’s brand-new list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time got the whole world talking (including Carson Daly, who was super-mad about a perceived lack of classic rock). On the new episode of our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, we begin what will become a multi-part discussion of the list.

Brittany Spanos, Rob Sheffield and Jon Dolan join host Brian Hiatt for the discussion, which explains some of the logistics behind the list (it was assembled via a vote by over 250 people!), and delves into the reaction to it, digs into its differences from the 2004 version, before going song by song through the top 20.

To hear the entire episode, press play above, or download and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Download and subscribe to our weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts), and check out three years’ worth of episodes in the archive, including in-depth, career-spanning interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Halsey, Neil Young, Alicia Keys, Phoebe Bridgers, the National, Ice Cube, Dua Lipa, Questlove, Killer Mike, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Liam Gallagher, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Donald Fagen, Phil Collins, Justin Townes Earle,  Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Eddie Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, the Zombies, Gary Clark Jr., and many more — plus dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions, debates, and explainers with Rolling Stone’s critics and reporters. Tune in every Friday at 1 p.m. ET to hear Rolling Stone Music Now broadcast on SiriusXM’s Volume, channel 106.