The first, but not the last, song to appear on this countdown by this group is a huge rock anthem that helped launch this band into the stratosphere. An incredible choral hook with an equally great title makes this a classic that would set the tone for what would come over the next few years with this band. Wrapping up the first quarter of this 1996 countdown at #16 is You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi.

We return to the groove with this next hip-hop track that still carries some weight. Lots of R&B and hip-hop records were being generated during this time, but few managed to carry on for years down the road. This song’s title and groove kept it rolling through the millennium and is considered an R&B classic today. At #16 it’s No Diggity by Blackstreet (featuring Dr. Dre).

After quite a few mellow songs to start the 30 year old countdown, we now have our first heavy-hitting rocker, and it’s by a legendary group that pulled no punches, both musically and lyrically. While not the first, they are arguably the most legendary rap/rock group in history, and to this day, they still channel their artistry into activism. They were massive underground sensations and broke through the mainstream with this song, coming in at #17, it’s Bulls On Parade by Rage Against The Machine.

From one soundtrack classic, to another, and a major one at that. While this artist already had a major reputation for making timeless soundtrack songs, this is arguably one of his biggest if not the biggest, and firmly cemented him as the soundtrack king. Another track synonymous with the movie it belongs to, it’s hard not to get fired up listening to this song. Flying in hard at #17 is Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins.

In this countdown of songs turning 40 years old we will hit some tunes that helped lay more foundation to the art of soundtrack songs. This is one of the first ones. It takes guts to leave one of the biggest rock bands in the world to go out on your own and still make it big, and this artist does so with this track, almost synonymous with the movie it belongs to. Coming in at #18 is Glory of Love by Peter Cetera.

Entering our countdown is an artist you do not hear of that much of these days, but I’ll be damned if you haven’t heard this song played numerous times. Despite a rather unassuming voice, the song is incredibly hooky and will remain in your head for quite a while after listening to it. At #18 it’s Barely Breathing by Duncan Sheik.