Pink Floyd's Only No. 1 Hit Joins Stones, Talking Heads on Greatest-Songs Lists
6 sourcesUpdated Sep 7, 2026
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Several classic rock songs are being revisited through prominent “greatest” lists and retrospective rankings. Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” remains the band’s only No. 1 single, with producer Bob Ezrin helping transform Roger Waters’ spare composition into a commercial hit featuring disco-influenced drums and a children’s choir. The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” was ranked No. 8 among classic rock songs with the greatest opening lines, celebrated for immediately introducing Mick Jagger’s devilish narrator before moving through religion and major historical events. Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” was named among the greatest rock songs despite reaching only No. 103 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under chart; its distinctive sound emerged from David Byrne and Brian Eno’s experimentation and Byrne’s sermon-like vocal approach.
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Once in a Lifetime never charted big but you can't go to a party without someone doing the "same as it ever was" arm move, that's real cultural impact right there.
Funny how "we don't need no education" was Floyd's only #1 - the disco beat Ezrin added is honestly the secret weapon there, kids didn't even know it was a protest song.
