We’re a little over a quarter of the way into the 21st century and there’s been no shortage of memorable rock music released in that time frame. Narrowing all of it down to a ranked list of the top 200 songs is a tough task, but Rolling Stone gave it a go.
On Tuesday, the outlet released “The 200 Greatest Rock Songs of the 21st Century So Far,” with a 2003 indie classic sitting at No. 1.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs follow ‘Maps’ to the top
Released as the third single of their debut album Fever to Tell, “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs dropped on Sept. 22, 2003. It only peaked at No. 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 9 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, but it is all alone atop Rolling Stone‘s rankings.
“Though New York art-punk trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs are often celebrated for their off-the-wall energy, it’s a quieter moment that became the band’s most-enduring song,” Rolling Stone writes. “There’s a specific beauty to the stark, bare-naked humanity of Karen O’s performance over Nick Zinner’s quavering guitar: Though Karen often feels like a living firework blazing through the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s most explosive eruptions, she’s suddenly disarmed and unguarded on “Maps,” wielding nothing but a tremble in her voice and the sheer honesty of a heartfelt message.”
“Maps” beats out stiff competition
“Maps” beat out some heavy hitters for the No. 1 spot, including “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes and “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. While 2009’s “Heads Will Roll” was the Yeah Yeah Yeahs biggest international hit, “Maps” is still the group’s most enduring song.
“What remains in “Maps” is pure feeling, so much so that the song has reappeared as musical inspiration for artists from Kelly Clarkson to Beyoncé over the years,” Rolling Stone said. “Still, the original has held out strongest through the decades, speaking to anyone who has understood whispered pleas in the face of cruel timing and inevitable goodbyes — and what it means to hold on even when it hurts.”
This isn’t the first time Rolling Stone has recognized the song, which cracked its list of the top guitar solos of all time earlier this year as well as its 2021 ranking of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
