America at 250: Songs

Here (not including classical) is my list of 250 songs that represent America. A diverse array of styles, from Broadway to blues, salsa to soul, and folk to rap. Artists are listed either by composer (if the recording doesn't matter), or, more often, by performer when there's a specific recording in mind (such as Ella Fitzgerald's version of Summertime). Artists don't repeat (with one or two sly exceptions) for maximum variety. Without further ado:

Yankee Doodle – unknown (c.1770)

The Star-Spangled Banner – Francis Scott Key (1814)

Oh, Susanna – Stephen Foster (1848)

Dixie – Dan Emmett (1859)

Battle Hymn of the Republic – Julia Ward Howe (1862)

When Johnny Comes Marching Home – Patrick Gilmore (1863)

The Entertainer – Scott Joplin (1902)

Lift Every Voice and Sing – Manhattan Harmony Four (1905)

You’re a Grand Old Flag – George M. Cohan (1906)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Edward Meeker (1908)

Swing Low Sweet Chariot – Fisk Jubilee Singers (1909)

America the Beautiful – Katharine Lee Bates (1911)

I Ain’t Got Nobody – Marion Harris (1916)

Original Dixieland Jass Band – Livery Stable Blues (1917)

The Moon Shines on the Moonshine – Bert Williams (1919)

I’m Just Wild About Harry – Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake (1921)

Ain’t We Got Fun – Billy Jones and Ernest Hare (1921)

Turkey in the Straw – Eck Robertson (1923)

The Charleston – James P. Johnson (1923)

See See Rider – Ma Rainy (1924)

St. Louis Blues – WC Handy (1925)

Black Bottom Stomp – Jelly Roll Morton (1926)

Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground – Blind Willie Johnson (1927)

Ol’ Man River – Paul Robeson (1927)

Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael (1927)

Blue Skies – Irving Kaufman (1927)

Toot Toot Tootsie – Al Jolson (1927)

Big Rock Candy Mountains – Harry McClintock (1928)

St. James Infirmary – Hot Fives (1928)

Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out – Bessie Smith (1929)

Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Fats Waller (1929)

Mood Indigo – Duke Ellington (1930)

Puttin’ on the Ritz – Harry Richman (1930)

Minnie the Moocher – Cab Calloway (1931)

House of the Rising Sun – Clarence Ashley (1933)

Tumbling Tumbleweeds – Sons of the Pioneers (1934)

Anything Goes – Cole Porter (1934)

Can the Circle Be Unbroken – The Carter Family (1935)

Wabash Cannonball – Roy Acuff (1936)

The Way You Look Tonight – Fred Astaire (1936)

Hellhound on My Trail – Robert Johnson (1937)

I’m a Ding Dong Daddy – Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (1937)

Where or When – Ray Heatherton (1937)

God Bless America – Irving Berlin (1938)

Sing, Sing, Sing – Benny Goodman (1938)

Fascinating Rhythm – Sol Ho’opi’i (1938)

Strange Fruit – Billie Holiday (1939)

In the Mood – Glenn Miller (1939)

Over the Rainbow – Judy Garland (1939)

Body and Soul – Coleman Hawkins (1939)

If I Didn’t Care – Ink Spots (1939)

You Are My Sunshine – Jimmie Davis (1940)

When You Wish Upon a Star – Cliff Edwards (1940)

Wholly Cats – Charlie Christian and Lester Young (1940)

On Top of Old Smoky – Burl Ives (1941)

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy – The Andrews Sisters (1941)

White Christmas – Bing Crosby (1942)

As Time Goes By – Dooley Wilson (1942)

Stormy Weather – Lena Horne (1943)

Oklahoma – Rodgers and Hammerstein (1943)

This Land Is Your Land – Woody Guthrie (1945)

In The Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night) – Lead Belly (1946)

Amazing Grace – Dixie Hummingbirds (1946)

Yardbird Suite – Charlie Parker Septet (1946)

There’s No Business Like Show Business – Ethel Merman (1946)

Move on Up a Little Higher – Mahalia Jackson (1947)

Home on the Range – Gene Autrey (1947)

Blue Moon of Kentucky – Bill Monroe (1947)

‘Round Midnight – Thelonious Monk (1947)

We Shall Overcome – Pete Seeger (1947)

Mardi Gras in New Orleans – Professor Longhair (1949)

Ghost Riders in the Sky – Stan Jones (1949)

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry – Hank Williams (1949)

Saturday Night Fish Fry – Louis Jordan (1949)

Foggy Mountain Breakdown – Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs (1950)

The Tennessee Waltz – Patti Page (1950)

Man of Constant Sorrow – The Stanley Brothers (1951)

Unforgettable – Nat King Cole (1951)

Go Down, Moses – Marian Anderson (1952)

Singin’ in the Rain – Gene Kelly (1952)

Vaya con Dios – Les Paul and Mary Ford (1953)

Mr. Sandman – Chordettes (1954)

Hoochie Coochie Man – Muddy Waters (1954)

Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley (1954)

April in Paris – Count Basie (1955)

Tutti Frutti – Little Richard (1955)

Every Day I Have the Blues – BB King (1955)

Smokestack Lightening – Howlin’ Wolf (1956)

You Make Me Feel So Young – Frank Sinatra (1956)

Jump, Jive, an’ Wail – Louis Prima (1956)

In the Still of the Night – Five Satins (1956)

Blueberry Hill – Fats Domino (1956)

Hound Dog – Elvis Presley (1956)

I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash (1956)

Summertime – Ella Fitzgerald (1957)

Cool – Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim (1957)

Bye Bye Love – Everly Brothers (1957)

El Cayuco – Tito Puente (1958)

Moanin’ – Art Blakey (1958)

Tom Dooley – Kingston Trio (1958)

Stagger Lee – Lloyd Price (1958)

Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry (1958)

La Bamba – Ritchie Valens (1958)

Sherburne – The United Sacred Harp Musical Association Singing Convention (1959)

So What – Miles Davis (1959)

Take Five – Dave Brubeck (1959)

Mack the Knife – Bobby Darin (1959)

I Only Have Eyes for You – The Flamingos (1959)

Big Iron – Marty Robbins (1959)

Shout – Isley Brothers (1959)

Silver Dagger – Joan Baez (1960)

Ain’t That a Kick in the Head – Dean Martin (1960)

At Last – Etta James (1960)

Georgia on My Mind – Ray Charles (1960)

Giant Steps – John Coltrane (1960)

Stand By Me – Ben E. King (1961)

Crazy – Patsy Cline (1961)

Moon River – Mercer and Mancini (1961)

I Left My Heart in San Francisco – Tony Bennett (1962)

Up on the Roof – The Drifters (1962)

Be My Baby – The Ronettes (1963)

People – Barbra Streisand (1964)

A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke (1964)

Walk On By – Dionne Warwick (1964)

My Girl – The Temptations (1964)

Mississippi Goddam – Nina Simone (1964)

Tracks of My Tears – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1965)

Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag – James Brown (1965)

Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan (1965)

The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel (1965)

God Only Knows – The Beach Boys (1966)

You Keep Me Hangin’ On – The Supremes (1966)

California Dreamin’ – Mamas and the Papas (1966)

Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong (1967)

Respect – Aretha Franklin (1967)

Heroin – The Velvet Underground (1967)

Everyday People – Sly and the Family Stone (1968)

All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix (1968)

Mama Tried – Merle Haggard (1968)

Hickory Wind – The Byrds (1968)

Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond (1969)

Oye Como Va – Santana (1970)

Fire and Rain – James Taylor (1970)

Friend of the Devil – Grateful Dead (1970)

Coal Miner’s Daughter – Loretta Lynn (1970)

You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman – Carole King (1971)

Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin (1971)

What’s Goin’ On – Marvin Gaye (1971)

Let’s Stay Together – Al Green (1971)

Anacaona – Cheo Feliciano (1971)

Superstition – Stevie Wonder (1972)

Jolene – Dolly Parton (1973)

Honky Tonk Heroes – Waylon Jennings (1973)

Piano Man – Billy Joel (1973)

You’re No Good – Linda Ronstadt (1974)

One – Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban (1975)

All That Jazz – Kander and Ebb (1975)

Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen (1975)

Gloria – Patti Smith (1975)

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain – Willie Nelson (1975)

Old Home Place – J.D. Crowe and the New South (1975)

Hotel California – The Eagles (1976)

Blitzkrieg Bop – The Ramones (1976)

Periodico de Ayer – Hector Lavoe (1976)

Birdland – Weather Report (1977)

I Feel Love – Donna Summer (1977)

You’re the One That I Want – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (1978)

September – Earth, Wind, and Fire (1978)

Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock – Funkadelic (1978)

Y.M.C.A. – Village People (1978)

Plastico – Willie Colon and Ruben Blades (1978)

Rainbow Connection – Jim Henson (1979)

He Stopped Loving Her Today – George Jones (1980)

We Got the Beat – The Go-Gos (1980)

Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads (1980)

I Love Rock n Roll – Joan Jett (1981)

Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey (1981)

Super Freak – Rick James (1981)

Planet Rock – Afrika Bambaataa (1982)

The Message – Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five (1982)

Billie Jean – Michael Jackson (1982)

Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper (1983)

Purple Rain – Prince (1984)

Ya Ya – Buckwheat Zydeco (1985)

Livin’ on a Prayer – Jon Bon Jovi (1986)

Walk This Way – Run DMC ft. Aerosmith (1986)

Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns n Roses (1987)

Paid in Full – Eric B and Rakim (1987)

Bring the Noise – Public Enemy (1988)

Fast Car – Tracy Chapman (1988)

Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty (1989)

Like a Prayer – Madonna (1989)

Straight Outta Compton – NWA (1989)

Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks (1990)

I’ve Got That Old Feeling – Alison Krauss (1990)

Fancy – Reb McEntire (1990)

Le Jig Francais – Michael Doucet (1990)

Mind Playing Tricks on Me – Geto Boys (1991)

Scenario – A Tribe Called Quest (1991)

Enter Sandman – Metallica (1991)

Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana (1991)

I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston (1992)

West Texas Waltz – Flaco Jimenez ft. Emmylou Harris (1992)

Juicy – Notorious B.I.G. (1994)

Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley (1994)

Hurt – Nine Inch Nails (1994)

All I Want for Christmas is You – Mariah Carey (1994)

Dear Mama – 2Pac (1995)

Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio ft. L.V. (1995)

Seasons of Love – Jonathan Larson (1996)

Doo Wop (That Thing) – Lauryn Hill (1998)

Paper Bag – Fiona Apple (1999)

Run On – Moby (1999)

B.O.B. – Outkast (2000)

Last Nite – The Strokes (2000)

Fallin’ – Alicia Keys (2001)

Lose Yourself – Eminem (2002)

Come Away with Me – Norah Jones (2002)

None of Us Are Free – Solomon Burke (2002)

Work It – Missy Elliott (2002)

Defying Gravity – Stephen Schwartz (2003)

In da Club – 50 Cent (2003)

Seven Nation Army – White Stripes (2003)

99 Problems – Jay Z (2004)

Toxic – Britney Spears (2004)

Yeah! – Usher ft. Lil John and Ludacris (2004)

Holiday – Green Day (2004)

Chicago – Sufjan Stevens (2005)

Crazy – Gnarls Barkley (2006)

North American Scum – LCD Soundsystem (2007)

Bad Romance – Lady Gaga (2009)

Lost in the World – Kanye West ft. Bon Iver (2010)

Way Down Hadestown – Anais Mitchell (2010)

Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites – Skrillex (2010)

Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO (2011)

Summertime Sadness – Lana del Rey (2012)

Let It Go – Idina Menzel (2013)

Happy – Pharrell Williams (2013)

Q.U.E.E.N. – Janelle Monae ft. Erykah Badu (2013)

Shake It Off – Taylor Swift (2014)

Uptown Funk – Mark Robson ft. Bruno Mars (2014)

Alright – Kendrick Lamar (2015)

Wait For It – Lin-Manuel Miranda (2015)

See You Again – Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth (2015)

Formation – Beyonce (2016)

At the Purchaser’s Option – Rhiannon Giddens (2017)

Despacito – Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee (2017)

Bad Guy – Billie Eilish (2019)

Old Town Road – Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus (2019)

DTMF – Bad Bunny (2025)