Aww, thank you very much for this comment, which not only has "time" in the title but is actually pretty timeless, beyond any meme value. Jim Croce even has several songs that have outlived his generation, such as "I Got a Name." Those are exactly the songs I was referring to - the ones that, decades later, continue to reach new audiences through movie soundtracks and such.
Off the top of my head, and of course these are completely subjective, I just think of songs that still feel relevant or still reflect a popular attitude today. Feel free to agree or not.
You’re So Vain by Carly Simon
Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band
To be truly timeless you need a few things. A band who knows how to name things. Bad ass drum solos. A couple of electric guitars. An accordion. A flute. Yodeling. Mouth noises. And no lyrics to get in the way.
I don't care what song it is, if the place I worked at played one song on an endless loop, by the end of the day I would run screaming from the building. Think about it - you'd be hearing that song in your sleep.
No, no, I mean songs that stand the test of time because they’re so catchy. "Son of a Preacher Man" is definitely one of those songs. I actually hadn’t heard “Just a Day” by Feeder before. Probably because alternative rock was never really my thing - but I can see, or rather hear, the timelessness in this one too :)
Thanks for clarifying because very little music is actually timeless. Electric guitar or syths date it immediately. Maybe some digiredoo or drums and vocals only.
Just a day is such a period piece. The slight fuzziness of a microphone you got from poundland and have lost the little foam bit already but youre still recording with it on the recorder that comes with XP
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J.S. Bach
Brandenburg Concertos by J.S. Bach
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by J.S. Bach
Ode to Joy from Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet in C Sharp Minor by Ludwig van Beethoven
Hallellujah Chorus from The Messiah by George Frideric Handel
Fanfare-Rondeau from the First Suite de Symphonies (the Masterpiece Theater Theme) by Jean-Joseph Mouret
Clarinet Concerto in A Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel
The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi
A few centuries is not timeless, but it is an indication of long term endurance.
Aww, that's such a classic. It seems to me that there aren't many new, heart-felt love songs like this one anymore - not the over the top flashy ones, but rather those with a down-to-earth, relatable charm. But maybe I'm just out of the loop :)
Thank you very muc! I’m not really into jazz, but even I know these songs. It just goes to show how timeless they are—and how well-known they are, even among people who don’t know the first thing about jazz.
Player's "Baby Come Back" and John Lennon's "Woman" come to mind. Also, Juan Gabriel's "Amor Eterno" (Eternal Love), an ode to dead moms and the love we have for them despite their absence.
There's ice cream vans round my ends that still play Green Sleeves, so probably that. I really don't get how that piece has been so popular for so long, it's seriously fucking creepy and gross sounding.
The Holy Quad of songs that were written for one opinion and will forever be utilized and replayed by those who don’t get it but think it’s speaking to them.
71 replies
Darude - Sandstorm
Here's the best version
I'd say this is the best version, and a very useful one at that
Sixteen Tons (1946), timeless lyrics.
As relevant today as ever
Tribute - Tenacious D
Sadly not as good as the original.
That is why it's a tribute.
Let's be real, there's only ever gonne be one song that's never gonna give us up, let us down or desert us.
The Song That Never Ends.
Timeless in more ways than one. 😌
Yes it goes on and on my friend
Time - pink floyd
Time in a bottle - jim croce
Aww, thank you very much for this comment, which not only has "time" in the title but is actually pretty timeless, beyond any meme value. Jim Croce even has several songs that have outlived his generation, such as "I Got a Name." Those are exactly the songs I was referring to - the ones that, decades later, continue to reach new audiences through movie soundtracks and such.
Hotel california - the eagles
Badfish by Sublime
Stairway To Heaven
Morning Dew
Suspicious Minds
Three Little Birds
Beethoven’s Fifth
The Washington Post March
Happy birthday.
Off the top of my head, and of course these are completely subjective, I just think of songs that still feel relevant or still reflect a popular attitude today. Feel free to agree or not.
You’re So Vain by Carly Simon
Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band
Piano Man by Billy Joel
Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine
Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
To be truly timeless you need a few things. A band who knows how to name things. Bad ass drum solos. A couple of electric guitars. An accordion. A flute. Yodeling. Mouth noises. And no lyrics to get in the way.
I give you “Hocus Pocus” by Focus.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Not sure if it counts but Toto's song Africa has an installation in Africa, powered by solar panels and batteries and it's played on an endless loop.
I don't care what song it is, if the place I worked at played one song on an endless loop, by the end of the day I would run screaming from the building. Think about it - you'd be hearing that song in your sleep.
Fanfare for the Common Man - Aaron Copland
Beatles songs like Yesterday seem to have held up pretty well.
Songs that will always be good are like:
Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
Just a Day - Feeder
Or do you mean songs that will always sound new? That’s a harder one.
No, no, I mean songs that stand the test of time because they’re so catchy. "Son of a Preacher Man" is definitely one of those songs. I actually hadn’t heard “Just a Day” by Feeder before. Probably because alternative rock was never really my thing - but I can see, or rather hear, the timelessness in this one too :)
Thanks for clarifying because very little music is actually timeless. Electric guitar or syths date it immediately. Maybe some digiredoo or drums and vocals only.
Just a day is such a period piece. The slight fuzziness of a microphone you got from poundland and have lost the little foam bit already but youre still recording with it on the recorder that comes with XP
Father & Son by Cat Stevens
Morning has broken also by Cat Stevens.
Yes, Yusuf Islam is truly timeless, even though he probably wouldn't be very successful in the U.S. today under his new name
Tea for the tillerman is a must have on vinyl.
Scorpions - Wind of Change
Edit: fixed link.
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J.S. Bach
Brandenburg Concertos by J.S. Bach
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by J.S. Bach
Ode to Joy from Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet in C Sharp Minor by Ludwig van Beethoven
Hallellujah Chorus from The Messiah by George Frideric Handel
Fanfare-Rondeau from the First Suite de Symphonies (the Masterpiece Theater Theme) by Jean-Joseph Mouret
Clarinet Concerto in A Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel
The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi
A few centuries is not timeless, but it is an indication of long term endurance.
Mozart's Requiem (especially the Miserere part).
I certainly won't argue with that.
The Entertainer.
1902, 124 years old. Scott Joplin.
1916:
https://youtu.be/ND2rMET4MVw
1974:
https://youtu.be/vsFGcPujqKE
Chet Atkins:
https://youtu.be/kHtwF-gpluc
The Muppets:
https://youtu.be/p9gSvM4uR3s
3D Printed:
https://youtube.com/shorts/SdG239y8Qnk
I was going to also suggest Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin from 1924
https://youtu.be/ynEOo28lsbc
That one Adagio by Albinoni. The one in G minor. You know it when you hear it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xYfc-o5vjWY
Beethovens 5th Symphony
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTUhnIY3oRM
Otis Redding - Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C-VscEQugk
Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nuanwn3v-2I
Pulp - Common People
Liquido - narcotic
I don't think I ever knew the name of this song, even though everyone knows it, of course. Thank you so much!
Same goes for me :) now you go and pass it to the next person
I'll definitely do that—just like Blur's "Song 2"
Haha that one I’ve known for ages but never knew the title. Uno reverse
Was thinking about this the other day for a modern song that has really stuck around. Not a power ballad or a big rock song by any stretch, but:
Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
Late edit: these, too:
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright’s version of Cohen’s original
Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Just gonna drop Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah cover for consideration as to why this is a top tier song.
https://youtu.be/y8AWFf7EAc4
That’s a fantastic version, too.
Aww, that's such a classic. It seems to me that there aren't many new, heart-felt love songs like this one anymore - not the over the top flashy ones, but rather those with a down-to-earth, relatable charm. But maybe I'm just out of the loop :)
But that song has all kinds of times in it. Even the title!
Some beautiful and sad timelessness songs:
New Order - Ceremony https://youtu.be/kkASIx9Xk6s?is=5ySoad0UUJEiL-xp
Tim Buckley - Song to the siren https://youtu.be/b6a50loAOIk?is=nsOUnfCH626-X8oh
Tuxedomoon - In a matter of speaking https://youtu.be/l6H-ESkf2bU?is=UkuZZ4jE66yukBH0
Summertime - lots of great versions
Take five - Brubeck
So what - Miles
The girl from ipanema - Gilberto
My favorite things - Coltrane
Speak low - Holiday
Thank you very muc! I’m not really into jazz, but even I know these songs. It just goes to show how timeless they are—and how well-known they are, even among people who don’t know the first thing about jazz.
for me its jethro tulls wondering again.
I mean, John Cage’s 4’33” is the only piece that will outlive life.
time after time
"Hard Times Come Again No More"
If you tolerate this…
Depeche mode - Enjoy the silence. Most timeless song to me.
Catch the wind by Donovan
The nursery rhyme Ding Dong Bell is from at least 1580, probably earlier
Interesting, I just looked it up and played it. I remember a lot of the words but not the tune at all. I don't think I ever heard it as a song.
Walk don’t run , personally I like the cover by Chet Atkins best but the original is by Johnny Smith.
Oh yeah, that's great, but I've always thought the Ventures' version is the most badass.
Player's "Baby Come Back" and John Lennon's "Woman" come to mind. Also, Juan Gabriel's "Amor Eterno" (Eternal Love), an ode to dead moms and the love we have for them despite their absence.
I have prepared this playlist for this question. These are all songs related to being out of time. (Ordered roughly by relevance)
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdhMu7XX4FMWae_Zei3Jj9Sn-rBWb1vgZ
There's ice cream vans round my ends that still play Green Sleeves, so probably that. I really don't get how that piece has been so popular for so long, it's seriously fucking creepy and gross sounding.
The Times They Are A-Changin' - Bob Dylan
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
CCR - Fortunate Son
Twisted Sister - We’re Not Gonna Take It
RATM - Killing In the Name
The Holy Quad of songs that were written for one opinion and will forever be utilized and replayed by those who don’t get it but think it’s speaking to them.