The most-charted alternative rock songs
Every song in the archive ranked by its combined results across all 1,186 countdowns: year-end lists, all-time lists and decade lists alike. A song rises here by appearing often and placing high. For rankings by year see songs by year; for the listener-voted all-time lists only, see the greatest songs of all time.
| # | Song | Lists | Stations | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana | 231 | 65 | #1 | 58 | 1991–2026 |
| 2 | Stairway to HeavenLed Zeppelin | 169 | 42 | #1 | 52 | 1976–2026 |
| 3 | AlivePearl Jam | 202 | 55 | #1 | 1 | 1991–2026 |
| 4 | Bohemian RhapsodyQueen | 169 | 42 | #1 | 8 | 1982–2026 |
| 5 | Under the BridgeRed Hot Chili Peppers | 204 | 60 | #1 | 4 | 1991–2026 |
| 6 | With or Without YouU2 | 213 | 54 | #3 | – | 1987–2026 |
| 7 | Sunday Bloody SundayU2 | 204 | 55 | #2 | – | 1983–2026 |
| 8 | Hotel CaliforniaThe Eagles | 160 | 41 | #1 | 1 | 1982–2026 |
| 9 | JeremyPearl Jam | 187 | 56 | #1 | 1 | 1992–2026 |
| 10 | BlackPearl Jam | 179 | 51 | #1 | 11 | 1992–2026 |
| 11 | Come As You AreNirvana | 175 | 53 | #1 | 1 | 1991–2026 |
| 12 | CreepRadiohead | 158 | 44 | #1 | 1 | 1992–2026 |
| 13 | EverlongFoo Fighters | 175 | 56 | #1 | 4 | 1997–2026 |
| 14 | Losing My ReligionR.E.M. | 173 | 49 | #1 | 2 | 1991–2026 |
| 15 | Wish You Were HerePink Floyd | 148 | 39 | #2 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 16 | Enter SandmanMetallica | 164 | 50 | #2 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 17 | Comfortably NumbPink Floyd | 141 | 42 | #1 | 1 | 1980–2026 |
| 18 | Sympathy For The DevilThe Rolling Stones | 156 | 40 | #1 | 1 | 1982–2026 |
| 19 | OneU2 | 172 | 48 | #1 | 1 | 1991–2026 |
| 20 | RoxanneThe Police | 167 | 51 | #10 | – | 1978–2026 |
| 21 | Pride (In the Name of Love)U2 | 168 | 52 | #1 | 1 | 1984–2026 |
| 22 | New Year's DayU2 | 182 | 53 | #4 | – | 1983–2026 |
| 23 | Sweet Child o' MineGuns N Roses | 136 | 46 | #1 | 3 | 1988–2026 |
| 24 | Even FlowPearl Jam | 145 | 49 | #2 | – | 1992–2026 |
| 25 | Black Hole SunSoundgarden | 154 | 57 | #1 | 1 | 1994–2026 |
| 26 | LaylaDerek and the Dominos | 132 | 41 | #2 | – | 1976–2026 |
| 27 | Sultans of SwingDire Straits | 143 | 38 | #6 | – | 1978–2026 |
| 28 | FreebirdLynyrd Skynyrd | 122 | 40 | #1 | 4 | 1976–2026 |
| 29 | KashmirLed Zeppelin | 128 | 44 | #1 | 5 | 1976–2026 |
| 30 | Should I Stay or Should I Go?The Clash | 163 | 53 | #8 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 31 | I Wanna Be SedatedThe Ramones | 158 | 48 | #1 | 2 | 1978–2026 |
| 32 | All Along the WatchtowerJimi Hendrix | 148 | 42 | #2 | – | 1976–2026 |
| 33 | Back in BlackAC/DC | 133 | 46 | #1 | 6 | 1980–2026 |
| 34 | Rock the CasbahThe Clash | 164 | 54 | #1 | 1 | 1982–2026 |
| 35 | ParanoidBlack Sabbath | 150 | 37 | #4 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 36 | Whole Lotta LoveLed Zeppelin | 151 | 42 | #4 | – | 1976–2026 |
| 37 | Dream OnAerosmith | 112 | 38 | #1 | 1 | 1982–2026 |
| 38 | PlushStone Temple Pilots | 135 | 54 | #1 | 2 | 1993–2026 |
| 39 | Sweet Home AlabamaLynyrd Skynyrd | 118 | 39 | #1 | 1 | 1982–2026 |
| 40 | More than a FeelingBoston | 117 | 38 | #2 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 41 | Love Will Tear Us ApartJoy Division | 138 | 30 | #1 | 3 | 1980–2026 |
| 42 | Highway to HellAC/DC | 131 | 41 | #2 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 43 | Sweet EmotionAerosmith | 108 | 37 | #1 | 5 | 1982–2026 |
| 44 | I Can't Get No SatisfactionThe Rolling Stones | 116 | 38 | #2 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 45 | Won't Get Fooled AgainThe Who | 119 | 39 | #4 | – | 1976–2026 |
| 46 | All ApologiesNirvana | 145 | 53 | #2 | – | 1993–2026 |
| 47 | WonderwallOasis | 142 | 45 | #1 | 6 | 1995–2026 |
| 48 | Space OddityDavid Bowie | 157 | 45 | #8 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 49 | Black DogLed Zeppelin | 112 | 39 | #1 | 1 | 1982–2026 |
| 50 | You Shook Me All Night LongAC/DC | 111 | 41 | #1 | 1 | 1980–2026 |
| 51 | Where the Streets Have No NameU2 | 151 | 49 | #3 | – | 1987–2026 |
| 52 | Born to RunBruce Springsteen | 139 | 41 | #1 | 1 | 1978–2026 |
| 53 | Interstate Love SongStone Temple Pilots | 135 | 55 | #3 | – | 1994–2026 |
| 54 | LoserBeck | 125 | 43 | #2 | – | 1993–2026 |
| 55 | Killing in the NameRage Against the Machine | 135 | 36 | #2 | – | 1993–2026 |
| 56 | LithiumNirvana | 150 | 48 | #3 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 57 | Tom SawyerRush | 113 | 41 | #2 | – | 1981–2026 |
| 58 | Better ManPearl Jam | 148 | 57 | #2 | – | 1994–2026 |
| 59 | Nothing Else MattersMetallica | 140 | 38 | #5 | – | 1992–2026 |
| 60 | Song 2Blur | 124 | 47 | #1 | 1 | 1997–2026 |
| 61 | How Soon is Now?The Smiths | 106 | 32 | #1 | 14 | 1984–2026 |
| 62 | Gimme ShelterThe Rolling Stones | 124 | 40 | #4 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 63 | I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking ForU2 | 140 | 49 | #9 | – | 1987–2026 |
| 64 | Don't Stop BelievingJourney | 116 | 38 | #1 | 2 | 1981–2026 |
| 65 | Burning Down the HouseTalking Heads | 154 | 49 | #8 | – | 1983–2026 |
| 66 | Paint It BlackThe Rolling Stones | 146 | 37 | #7 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 67 | Under PressureQueen | 130 | 43 | #2 | – | 1981–2026 |
| 68 | Just Like HeavenThe Cure | 104 | 33 | #1 | 3 | 1987–2026 |
| 69 | ThunderstruckAC/DC | 132 | 33 | #1 | 1 | 1990–2026 |
| 70 | ImagineJohn Lennon | 121 | 33 | #1 | 5 | 1982–2026 |
| 71 | White WeddingBilly Idol | 152 | 48 | #7 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 72 | Immigrant SongLed Zeppelin | 116 | 41 | #6 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 73 | It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)R.E.M. | 138 | 46 | #2 | – | 1987–2026 |
| 74 | Seven Nation ArmyThe White Stripes | 112 | 51 | #1 | 14 | 2003–2026 |
| 75 | Crazy TrainOzzy Osbourne | 111 | 39 | #1 | 2 | 1980–2026 |
| 76 | Give It AwayRed Hot Chili Peppers | 115 | 41 | #3 | – | 1991–2026 |
| 77 | HeroesDavid Bowie | 125 | 31 | #1 | 2 | 1977–2026 |
| 78 | Man in the BoxAlice In Chains | 129 | 46 | #3 | – | 1994–2026 |
| 79 | Free Fallin'Tom Petty | 116 | 39 | #10 | – | 1989–2026 |
| 80 | Welcome to the JungleGuns N Roses | 106 | 42 | #1 | 3 | 1990–2026 |
| 81 | Baba O'RileyThe Who | 101 | 34 | #1 | 1 | 1982–2026 |
| 82 | MoneyPink Floyd | 113 | 38 | #2 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 83 | Don't Fear the ReaperBlue Oyster Cult | 114 | 36 | #1 | 1 | 1978–2026 |
| 84 | Mr. BrightsideThe Killers | 114 | 45 | #1 | 4 | 2004–2026 |
| 85 | London CallingThe Clash | 122 | 40 | #1 | 3 | 1980–2026 |
| 86 | Hey JudeThe Beatles | 105 | 30 | #1 | 1 | 1976–2026 |
| 87 | Walk This WayAerosmith | 104 | 34 | #12 | – | 1982–2026 |
| 88 | DaughterPearl Jam | 132 | 47 | #1 | 1 | 1993–2026 |
| 89 | DisarmThe Smashing Pumpkins | 125 | 35 | #3 | – | 1993–2026 |
| 90 | Been Caught StealingJane's Addiction | 112 | 38 | #1 | 7 | 1990–2026 |
| 91 | Who Are YouThe Who | 107 | 35 | #2 | – | 1978–2026 |
| 92 | Light My FireThe Doors | 127 | 36 | #5 | – | 1976–2026 |
| 93 | Rebel YellBilly Idol | 143 | 44 | #3 | – | 1983–2026 |
| 94 | The One I LoveR.E.M. | 150 | 47 | #5 | – | 1987–2026 |
| 95 | Rock and RollLed Zeppelin | 102 | 31 | #1 | 1 | 1991–2026 |
| 96 | Blister in the SunViolent Femmes | 102 | 34 | #1 | 4 | 1988–2026 |
| 97 | In BloomNirvana | 117 | 43 | #5 | – | 1992–2026 |
| 98 | Paradise CityGuns N Roses | 112 | 39 | #2 | – | 1989–2026 |
| 99 | TodayThe Smashing Pumpkins | 108 | 39 | #2 | – | 1993–2026 |
| 100 | PanamaVan Halen | 104 | 34 | #1 | 2 | 1991–2026 |