Pink Floyd's Only No. 1 Hit Joins Stones, Talking Heads on Greatest-Songs Lists
8 sourcesUpdated Sep 9, 2026
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.
