Elvis Presley is known as the "King of Rock and Roll". His first single, "Heartbreak Hotel", became a number one hit in the United States. Elvis went on to have an immensely successful music career and even dabbled in movies.
"Hound Dog" was originally recorded by American blues singer Big Mama Thornton and was her only hit. The song has been recorded over 250 times with Presley's version being one of the most famous. It earned the distinction of simultaneously holding the number one position on the US pop, country, and R&B charts in 1956.
2. Led Zeppelin
"Stairway to Heaven" is an iconic rock song by the band Led Zeppelin. It was written by lead singer Robert Plant and the music was composed by the band's guitarist, Jimmy Page. The band was formed in London, England in 1968 and initially called themselves the New Yardbirds after the original band. Their music spanned genres like hard rock, heavy metal and folk rock.
3. The Beatles
The Beatles are unarguably among the biggest influences on pop music in the 20th century. Dominating the pop culture scene in the 1960s, the 'Fab Four', as they were nicknamed, took both sides of the Atlantic by storm. Released in 1967, "Strawberry Fields Forever" was a change from their earlier music verging more towards the newer psychedelic genre. Written by John Lennon, the song was inspired by Strawberry Field, a Salvation Army children's home in the band's home city of Liverpool in England.
After Lennon was murdered in New York City, a section of Central Park was renamed "Strawberry Fields" as a tribute to the singer.
4. Elton John
Elton John is a British singer and composer who frequently features on lists of all-time great singers and artists. Among his best known songs is "Candle in the Wind". The song was originally written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe in 1973. When Diana, Princess of Wales, died in an untimely accident in 1997, Elton John and his long-time collaborator, Bernie Taupin, rewrote the song and Elton re-recorded it in honour of the "People's Princess".
The song was a massive success becoming the best-selling single in UK chart history.
It also won the 'Best Male Pop Vocal Performance' at the Grammy Awards. Proceeds from the song were donated to charities championed by the late Princess.
5. Survivor
"Eye of the Tiger" was the theme song for the film "Rocky III" starring Sylvester Stallone in the title role. The song was performed by American rock band Survivor and featured on their album also named "Eye of the Tiger". Stallone had first approached Queen for permission to use their song "Another One Bites the Dust".
When they denied, he then signed up "Survivor" and asked them to write a new song for the movie. The title and lyrics were derived from dialogues in the movie and the music was especially composed to match the boxing punches.
The song won "Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group with Vocal" at the Grammys and was also nominated for "Best Original Song" at the Oscars.
6. Simon & Garfunkel
"Bridge over Troubled Water" is a single by folk duo Simon & Garfunkel and features on the album of the same name. The song ended up being their most successful, winning the Grammy Award for 'Song of the Year' and also securing the 66th position on "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" published in 2004.
Singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel met at elementary school in New York City and performed together as teenagers using the stage name Tom and Jerry. Their first major hit was "The Sound of Silence" released in 1965. Other successful songs include "Mrs. Robinson", "The Boxer", and "Cecilia".
7. Billy Joel
Billy Joel is an American singer and songwriter. He is nicknamed "Piano Man" after his hit song of the same name. "We Didn't Start the Fire" was released in 1989. The song includes references to 118 notable events that occurred from Billy's birth to the time of the song release. The events span the spectrum from political and cultural to scientific and sporting.
8. Celine Dion
"My Heart Will Go On" is the theme song for multiple Oscar winning film "Titanic". The song was composed by James Horner and written by Will Jennings. Sung by Celine Dion, it went on to become a blockbuster hit. It won both the Oscar and Golden Globes Award for "Best Original Song" and picked up four Grammy Awards including "Song of the Year" and "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance".
9. Pink Floyd
"Another Brick in the Wall" is a three part song from "Pink Floyd's" album "The Wall". Part 2 was released as a standalone single and topped the charts in the US and UK, among other countries. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award. Roger Waters, the band's bassist and writer of this song, stated that Part 2 was a protest against the rigid schooling system which caused trauma for children.
10. Queen
The popular rock anthem "We Are the Champions" was released by the band Queen" in 1977. It was part of their sixth album "News of the World". Like many of the group's songs, it was written by the lead singer Freddie Mercury. The song quickly gained popularity, topping the charts in multiple countries.
It was designated the official theme song for the 1994 FIFA World Cup and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009.
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