Missy Elliott, Beyoncé and more make ‘Rolling Stone”s top songs of the century list: See #1
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on October 8, 2025
Rolling Stone is taking a look back at the last 25 years of music.
On Wednesday, the outlet released its list of the 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far.
The selections span geography, genre and style, and the list attempts to encapsulate “the full chaotic glory of 21st-century music, one song at a time,” according to Rolling Stone.
Taking home the #1 spot on the expansive list of tunes is Missy Elliott‘s 2001 hit “Get Ur Freak On.” The song played an instrumental role in Elliot’s career, and helped her gain status as the first female hip-hop artist and third rapper ever to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
“Everything vibrant and inventive and cool about 21st-century pop is in here somewhere,” Rolling Stone wrote of the song.
Other songs that made the top 10 include Beyoncé and Jay-Z‘s 2003 jam “Crazy in Love” at #3, 2015’s “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar at #7 and the soulful 2012 song “Thinkin Bout You” by Frank Ocean at #10.
SZA‘s “Snooze,” OutKast‘s “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad),” Mariah Carey‘s “We Belong Together,” Drake‘s “Hotline Bling,” Steve Lacy‘s “Bad Habit,” Wizkid feat. Tems‘ “Essence,” D’Angelo‘s “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” and Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” all made the top 25.
The full list is available on rollingstone.com.
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