400The Four Tops, 'Baby I Need Your Loving'

Writers:Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie HollandProducers:Holland, Dozier, HollandReleased:July '64, Motown12 weeks; No. 11The Four Topswere playing a Detroit nightclub when they got a call from Brian Holland saying he had a song ready for them. After their show ended, they arrived at Hitsville at 2 a.m. to record "Baby I Need Your Loving," which would become their first single for Motown.Appears on:The Ultimate Collection(Motown)RELATED:100 Greatest Artists of All Time: The Four Tops 399The Temptations, 'Just My Imagination'

Writers:Norman Whitfield, Barrett StrongProducer:WhitfieldReleased:Jan. '71, Gordy15 weeks; No. 1Eddie Kendricks, who'd sung lead on theTemptations' first hit, "The Way You Do the Things You Do" in 1964, took his last lead as a Tempt. By the time the song hit Number One, Kendricks had left the group for a solo career. But he gave this one his all: Tempt Otis Williams said he left the studio at 6 a.m. the night they cut it, and Kendricks was still there, working out his part.Appears on:Anthology(Motown)RELATED:100 Greatest Artists of All Time: The Temptations500 Greatest Albums of All Time: The Temptations'Anthology 398The Police, 'Roxanne'

Writer:StingProducers:The PoliceReleased:Jan '79, A&M13 weeks; No. 32"That song has been the turnaround for us," Stewart Copeland toldRolling Stone.Stingcame up with the idea for the song while wandering around the red-light district of Paris after a canceled show, wondering what it would be like to be in love with a prostitute. The title came from a poster for the playCyrano de Bergerac featuring a heroine named Roxanne in the band's hotel lobby in Paris.Appears on:Outlandos d'Amour(Interscope)RELATED:100 Greatest Artists of All Time: The Police500 Greatest Albums of All Time: The Police'sOutlandos d'Amour 397Elton John, 'Tiny Dancer'

Writers:John, Bernie TaupinProducer:Gus DudgeonReleased:Nov. '71, Uni7 weeks; No. 41Lyricist Taupin wrote this 1971 song about his first wife, Maxine Feibelman, who really was a seamstress forJohn's band and obviously did marry a music man. John's skyrocketing melody got a little help from Paul Buckmaster's strings and from Rick Wakeman, soon to join prog-rockersYes, who played organ. "Tiny Dancer" was revived in the 2000 filmAlmost Famous.Appears on:Madman Across the Water(Island)RELATED:100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Elton John100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Elton John 396Eric B. and Rakim, 'Know You Got Soul'

Writers:Eric B. and RakimProducers:Eric B. and RakimReleased:July '87, 4th and BroadwayDid Not ChartRakimwas the microphone fiend who was dripping steam. Eric B. was the DJ with theJames Brownsamples. They were New York legends before ever releasing a song ("Eric B. was driving a Rolls-Royce before he ever put out a record," Chris Rock once toldRolling Stone. "My man was gangsta"), but this cut, named for a 1971 song by Brown sideman Bobby Byrd, made the whole world take notice.Appears on:Paid in Full(Island)RELATED:500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Eric B. and Rakim'sPaid in Full 395Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, 'Ohio'

Writer:Neil YoungProducers:Crosby, Stills, Nash, YoungReleased:June '70, Atlantic9 weeks; No. 14On May 4th, 1970, the National Guard killed four protesters at Kent State University in Ohio.Youngwrote a fiery indictment of the shootings, andCSNYcut their version of the song just 11 days after the tragedy, then rush-released it, knocking their own "Teach Your Children" off the charts. "David Crosby cried when we finished this take," said Young.Appears on:Decade(Reprise) 394The Beatles, 'Ticket to Ride'

Writers:John Lennon, Paul McCartneyProducer:George MartinReleased:April '65, Capitol11 weeks; No. 1Lennonclaimed that this composition of his was the first heavy-metal song. For his part,McCartneyplayed lead guitar. "We almost invented the idea of a new bit of a song on the fade-out," he said of "Ticket." "It was quite radical at the time."Appears on:Help!(Capitol/Apple)RELATED:100 Greatest Artists of All Time: The Beatles500 Greatest Albums of All Time: The Beatles'Help! 393The Allman Brothers Band, 'Whipping Post'

Writer:Gregg AllmanProducer:Tom DowdReleased:Nov. '69, CapricornNon-singleThis anthem was written on an ironing board in a darkened Florida bedroom by Allman. Punctuated by Duane Allman's knifelike guitar incisions, the song is best appreciated in the 23-minute incarnation onAt Fillmore East.Appears on:At Fillmore East(Mercury)RELATED:100 Greatest Artists of All Time: The Allman Brothers Band500 Greatest Albums of All Time: The Allman Brothers Band'sAt Fillmore East100 Greatest Guitarists: Duane Allman100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Gregg Allman 392The Verve, 'Bitter Sweet Symphony'

Writers:Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Richard AshcroftProducers:The Verve, Christopher Marc Potter, YouthReleased:Sept. '97, Virgin20 weeks; No. 12Since it used a sample from an orchestral version of theRolling Stones' "The Last Time," this song was credited toJagger-Richards. But Allen Klein, who owned the "Last Time" rights, broke an agreement and demanded 100 percent of the royalties. Ashcroft called it the best song the Stones had written in 20 years.Appears on:Urban Hymns(Virgin) 391Aaron Neville, 'Tell It Like It Is'

Writers:George Davis, Lee DiamondProducer:DavisReleased:Nov. '66, Par Lo14 weeks; No. 2"I heard 'Tell It Like It Is' and I said, 'Bro, this is the shit right here,'" said Art Neville. Aaron was working as a longshoreman when he cut this sublime ballad. He originally felt something so sweet wouldn't catch on in an era of gritty R&B. "A lot of people come up to me and say, 'That song got me and my wife together,'" he recalled. "And others say, 'It broke me and my wife up.'"Appears on:Tell It Like It Is: Golden Classics(Collectables)

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