Courtney Barnett Ranked Above Deftones In Rolling Stone’s Greatest Rock Songs List

Nick Cave, The Vines, Wolfmother, Jet, King Gizzard and Tame Impala also feature in the 200-song countdown.

Courtney Barnett’s ‘Pedestrian At Best’ has taken No. 43 in Rolling Stone’s ranking of the 200 greatest rock songs of the 21st century so far, four places above Deftones’ ‘Change (In The House Of Flies)’.

Published on 27 October, Rolling Stone’s ranking also places Barnett above Mastodon’s ‘Blood And Thunder’ at No. 60 and Tool’s ‘The Grudge’ at No. 91. System Of A Down’s ‘Chop Suey!’ and Slayer’s ‘Disciple’ finish higher, at No. 34 and No. 40 respectively.

Courtney Barnett leads the Australian contingent, with ‘Pedestrian At Best’ at No. 43. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds follow with ‘Jubilee Street’ at No. 87, ahead of The Vines’ ‘Get Free’ at No. 108, Wolfmother’s ‘Joker & The Thief’ at No. 144 and Jet’s ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ at No. 152.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s ‘Rattlesnake’ takes No. 176, while Tame Impala’s ‘Elephant’ lands at No. 186. Those seven selections span 2002–2017, capturing several distinct chapters of Australian guitar music rather than clustering around one scene or sound.

The heavier end of the countdown reaches beyond its familiar festival headliners too. Mastodon’s ‘Blood And Thunder’ takes No. 60, Converge’s ‘Concubine’ comes in at No. 67 and Turnstile’s ‘Blackout’ reaches No. 74. There’s room for hardcore’s concentrated violence alongside its more expansive, danceable possibilities.

Emo and pop-punk make their mark closer to the top. Paramore’s ‘That’s What You Get’ places at No. 12, with My Chemical Romance’s ‘Welcome To The Black Parade’ at No. 16.

The overall winner is Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ‘Maps’, followed by The White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’ and The Killers’ ‘Mr. Brightside’.

Before arguing the case for your missing favourite, there’s a qualification worth knowing: Rolling Stone says it generally limits repeat appearances by the same artist, with exceptions. Breadth is part of the brief. These are its picks for individual songs, and one track’s placement can only tell you so much about where the band stands.

Rolling Stone: Complete 200 Greatest Rock Songs of the 21st Century So Far

• No. 200: Yellowcard, ‘Ocean Avenue'(2003)
• No. 199: Noah Kahan, ‘American Cars’ (2026)
• No. 198: Speedy Ortiz, ‘The Graduates’ (2015)
• No. 197: Mogwai, ‘2 Rights Make 1 Wrong’ (2001)
• No. 196: Incubus, ‘Circles’ (2001)
• No. 195: The Mountain Goats, ‘This Year’ (2005)
• No. 194: Old 97’s, ‘Rollerskate Skinny’ (2001)
• No. 193: Momma, ‘Speeding 72’ (2022)
• No. 192: Juanes, ‘Es Por Ti’ (2002)
• No. 191: Wolf Parade, ‘I’ll Believe in Anything’ (2005)
• No. 190: Alex G, ‘After Ur Gone’ (2014)
• No. 189: Baroness, ‘Isak’ (2007)
• No. 188: The Raconteurs, ‘Steady, As She Goes’ (2006)
• No. 187: Slipknot, ‘People = Shit’ (2001)
• No. 186: Tame Impala, ‘Elephant’ (2012)
• No. 185: Velvet Revolver, ‘Slither’ (2004)
• No. 184: Mudcrutch, ‘Crystal River’ (2008)
• No. 183: Bombino, ‘Amidinine’ (2013)
• No. 182: Avril Lavigne, ‘My Happy Ending’ (2004)
• No. 181: Yungblud, ‘Hello Heaven, Hello’ (2025)
• No. 180: Downtown Boys, ‘Monstro’ (2015)
• No. 179: Moses Sumney, ‘Virile’ (2019)
• No. 178: Sleigh Bells, ‘Rill Rill’ (2010)
• No. 177: Alejandro Escovedo, ‘Castanets’ (2001)
• No. 176: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, ‘Rattlesnake’ (2017)
• No. 175: Red Clay Strays, ‘Wondering Why’ (2022)
• No. 174: Future Islands, ‘Seasons (Waiting on You)’ (2014)
• No. 173: Blondshell, ‘Salad’ (2023)
• No. 172: The Monkees, ‘Me and Magdalena’ (2016)
• No. 171: Mdou Moctar, ‘Afrique Victime’ (2021)
• No. 170: Sum 41, ‘Fat Lip’ (2001)
• No. 169: The Rolling Stones, ‘Whole Wide World’ (2023)
• No. 168: Electric Six, ‘Danger! High Voltage’ (2002)
• No. 167: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, ‘Cumberland Gap’ (2017)
• No. 166: At the Drive-In, ‘Arcarsenal’ (2000)
• No. 165: Louis XIV, ‘Finding Out True Love Is Blind’ (2005)
• No. 164: Deerhunter, ‘Desire Lines’ (2010)
• No. 163: Sturgill Simpson, ‘Call to Arms’ (2016)
• No. 162: Ought, ‘Beautiful Blue Sky’ (2015)
• No. 161: Metallica, ‘Spit Out the Bone’ (2016)
• No. 160: Water From Your Eyes, ‘Barley’ (2023)
• No. 159: The Shins, ‘Caring Is Creepy’ (2001)
• No. 158: Gossip, ‘Standing in the Way of Control’ (2006)
• No. 157: Hop Along, ‘The Knock’ (2015)
• No. 156: Prince, ‘Guitar’ (2007)
• No. 155: Sky Ferreira, ‘You’re Not the One’ (2013)
• No. 154: Boris with Michio Kurihara, ‘Rainbow’ (2007)
• No. 153: Foo Fighters, ‘Best of You’ (2005)
• No. 152: Jet, ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ (2003)
• No. 151: Kurt Vile, ‘Pretty Pimpin’ (2015)
• No. 150: Bleachers, ‘Jesus Is Dead’ (2024)
• No. 149: Meshuggah, ‘Bleed’ (2008)
• No. 148: Yo La Tengo, ‘Cherry Chapstick’ (2000)
• No. 147: The Libertines, ‘Don’t Look Back Into the Sun’ (2003)
• No. 146: Lou Reed, ‘Big Sky’ (2000)
• No. 145: Songs: Ohia, ‘Farewell Transmission’ (2003)
• No. 144: Wolfmother, ‘Joker & the Thief’ (2005)
• No. 143: Snail Mail, ‘Heat Wave’ (2018)
• No. 142: Low Cut Connie, ‘Revolution Rock n Roll’ (2017)
• No. 141: Soccer Mommy, ‘Circle the Drain’ (2020)
• No. 140: Arch Enemy, ‘We Will Rise’ (2003)
• No. 139: Neil Young and Crazy Horse, ‘Ramada Inn’ (2012)
• No. 138: The Strokes, ‘Reptilia’ (2003)
• No. 137: Big Thief, ‘Not’ (2019)
• No. 136: The Stratford 4, ‘Telephone’ (2003)
• No. 135: The Killers, ‘Read My Mind’ (2006)
• No. 134: Rush, ‘Headlong Flight’ (2012)
• No. 133: Kings of Leon, ‘The Bucket’ (2004)
• No. 132: Japandroids, ‘The Nights of Wine and Roses’ (2012)
• No. 131: Muse, ‘Uprising’ (2009)
• No. 130: Harry Styles, ‘Kiwi’ (2017)
• No. 129: Sonic Youth, ‘Incinerate’ (2006)
• No. 128: Gary Clark Jr., ‘Bright Lights’ (2011)
• No. 127: Audioslave, ‘Like a Stone’ (2002)
• No. 126: Spoon, ‘The Way We Get By’ (2002)
• No. 125: Gojira, ‘Flying Whales’ (2005)
• No. 124: John Mayer, ‘Slow Dancing in a Burning Room’ (2006)
• No. 123: Taking Back Sunday, ‘You’re So Last Summer’ (2002)
• No. 122: Paul McCartney, ‘Fine Line’ (2005)
• No. 121: My Chemical Romance, ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ (2004)
• No. 120: Benjamin Booker, ‘Violent Shiver’ (2014)
• No. 119: Cameron Winter, ‘Love Takes Miles’ (2024)
• No. 118: Silversun Pickups, ‘Lazy Eye’ (2006)
• No. 117: Nine Inch Nails, ‘The Hand That Feeds’ (2005)
• No. 116: Willow feat. Travis Barker, ‘Transparent Soul’ (2021)
• No. 115: Gaslight Anthem, ‘The ’59 Sound’ (2008)
• No. 114: Pearl Jam, ‘Got Some’ (2009)
• No. 113: Elliott Smith, “L.A.” (2000)
• No. 112: Brandi Carlile, ‘The Story’ (2007)
• No. 111: The Darkness, ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ (2003)
• No. 110: Bob Dylan, ‘Key West (Philosopher Pirate)’ (2020)
• No. 109: Black Sabbath, ‘God Is Dead?’ (2013)
• No. 108: The Vines, ‘Get Free’ (2002)
• No. 107: Boygenius, ‘Stay Down’ (2018)
• No. 106: Bartees Strange, ‘Boomer’ (2020)
• No. 105: Death Cab for Cutie, ‘Transatlanticism’ (2003)
• No. 104: White Stripes, ‘Ball and Biscuit’ (2003)
• No. 103: Linkin Park, ‘In the End’ (2000)
• No. 102: The National, ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ (2010)
• No. 101: The Roots feat. Cody Chesnutt, ‘The Seed (2.0)’ (2003)
• No. 100: The 1975, ‘I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)’ (2018)
• No. 99: Drive-By Truckers, ‘Marry Me’ (2003)
• No. 98: Natalia Lafourcade, ‘En el 2000’ (2002)
• No. 97: Japanese Breakfast, ‘Be Sweet’ (2021)
• No. 96: Doves, ‘Black and White Town’ (2005)
• No. 95: R.E.M., ‘Imitation of Life’ (2000)
• No. 94: Opeth, ‘Deliverance’ (2002)
• No. 93: Fiona Apple, ‘Horns of a Bull’ (2026)
• No. 92: Green Day, ‘Holiday’ (2004)
• No. 91: Tool, ‘The Grudge’ (2001)
• No. 90: Against Me!, ‘Transgender Dysphoria Blues’ (2014)
• No. 89: Stephen Malkmus, ‘Real Emotional Trash’ (2008)
• No. 88: Arctic Monkeys, ‘R U Mine’ (2011)
• No. 87: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, ‘Jubilee Street’ (2013)
• No. 86: Black Keys, ‘Lonely Boy’ (2011)
• No. 85: Evanescence, ‘Bring Me to Life’ (2003)
• No. 84: Wet Leg, ‘Chaise Longue’ (2022)
• No. 83: Radiohead, ‘There, There’ (2005)
• No. 82: Lady Gaga, ‘Yoü and I’ (2011)
• No. 81: Interpol, ‘PDA’ (2002)
• No. 80: Maná, ‘Mariposa Traicionera’ (2002)
• No. 79: The War on Drugs, ‘Red Eyes’ (2014)
• No. 78: Jesu, ‘Star’ (2006)
• No. 77: Mannequin Pussy, ‘Drunk II’ (2019)
• No. 76: Kaiser Chiefs, ‘I Predict a Riot’ (2004)
• No. 75: Haim, ‘The Wire’ (2013)
• No. 74: Turnstile, ‘Blackout’ (2021)
• No. 73: Tyler Childers, ‘Eatin’ Big Time’ (2025)
• No. 72: Wheatus, ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ (2000)
• No. 71: Kelly Clarkson, ‘Since U Been Gone’ (2004)
• No. 70: St. Vincent, ‘Marrow’ (2009)
• No. 69: The Hold Steady, ‘Killer Parties’ (2004)
• No. 68: Wednesday, ‘Chosen to Deserve’ (2023)
• No. 67: Converge, ‘Concubine’ (2001)
• No. 66: The Walkmen, ‘The Rat’ (2004)
• No. 65: Fountains of Wayne, ‘Mexican Wine’ (2003)
• No. 64: Car Seat Headrest, ‘Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales’ (2016)
• No. 63: Café Tacvba, ‘Eres’ (2005)
• No. 62: Bloc Party, ‘Banquet’ (2004)
• No. 61: Fontaines D.C., ‘Starburster’ (2024)
• No. 60: Mastodon, ‘Blood and Thunder’ (2004)
• No. 59: D’Angelo and the Vanguard, ‘The Charade’ (2015)
• No. 58: Blink-182, ‘The Rock Show’ (2001)
• No. 57: Parquet Courts, ‘Stoned and Starving’ (2012)
• No. 56: Panic! at the Disco, ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’ (2005)
• No. 55: Waxahatchee, ‘Never Been Wrong’ (2017)
• No. 54: PJ Harvey, ‘This Is Love’ (2000)
• No. 53: Alvvays, ‘Party Police’ (2014)
• No. 52: My Morning Jacket, ‘Wordless Chorus’ (2005)
• No. 51: Muse, ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ (2006)
• No. 50: Red Hot Chili Peppers, ‘By the Way’ (2002)
• No. 49: Weezer, ‘Hash Pipe’ (2001)
• No. 48: The New Pornographers, ‘Letter From an Occupant’ (2000)
• No. 47: Deftones, ‘Change (In the House of Flies)’ (2000)
• No. 46: Beyoncé and Jack White, ‘Don’t Hurt Yourself’ (2016)
• No. 45: Alabama Shakes, ‘Hold On’ (2012)
• No. 44: The Rapture, ‘House of Jealous Lovers’ (2003)
• No. 43: Courtney Barnett, ‘Pedestrian at Best’ (2015)
• No. 42: Vampire Weekend, ‘A-Punk’ (2008)
• No. 41: OutKast, ‘B.O.B.’ (2000)
• No. 40: Slayer, ‘Disciple’ (2001)
• No. 39: Phoenix, ‘1901’ (2009)
• No. 38: Bob Dylan, ‘Honest With Me’ (2001)
• No. 37: Arcade Fire, ‘Rebellion (Lies)’ (2004)
• No. 36: Queens of the Stone Age, ‘No One Knows’ (2002)
• No. 35: MGMT, ‘Time to Pretend’ (2007)
• No. 34: System of a Down, ‘Chop Suey!’ (2001)
• No. 33: Taylor Swift, ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’ (2021)
• No. 32: Sleater-Kinney, ‘Entertain’ (2005)
• No. 31: MJ Lenderman, ‘Hangover Game’ (2022)
• No. 30: Broken Social Scene, ‘7/4 (Shoreline)’ (2005)
• No. 29: Modest Mouse, ‘Float On’ (2004)
• No. 28: Lana Del Rey, ‘Venice Bitch’ (2019)
• No. 27: Bruce Springsteen, ‘The Rising’ (2002)
• No. 26: The Hives, ‘Hate to Say I Told You So’ (2000)
• No. 25: Jimmy Eat World, ‘The Middle’ (2001)
• No. 24: Coldplay, ‘Yellow’ (2000)
• No. 23: David Bowie, ‘Blackstar’ (2016)
• No. 22: U2, ‘Beautiful Day’ (2000)
• No. 21: Geese, ‘Getting Killed’ (2025)
• No. 20: Fall Out Boy, ‘Sugar, We’re Goin Down’ (2005)
• No. 19: Mitski, ‘Your Best American Girl’ (2016)
• No. 18: TV On the Radio, ‘Wolf Like Me’ (2006)
• No. 17: LCD Soundsystem, ‘All My Friends’ (2007)
• No. 16: My Chemical Romance, ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ (2006)
• No. 15: Franz Ferdinand, ‘Take Me Out’ (2003)
• No. 14: Rilo Kiley, ‘Portions for Foxes’ (2004)
• No. 13: Lucy Dacus, ‘Night Shift’ (2018)
• No. 12: Paramore, ‘That’s What You Get’ (2007)
• No. 11: Foo Fighters, ‘Times Like These’ (2002)
• No. 10: Wilco, ‘Impossible Germany’ (2007)
• No. 9: Arctic Monkeys, ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ (2005)
• No. 8: Jay-Z, ’99 Problems’ (2003)
• No. 7: The Strokes, ‘Last Nite’ (2001)
• No. 6: Phoebe Bridgers, ‘I Know the End’ (2020)
• No. 5: Radiohead, ‘The National Anthem’ (2000)
• No. 4: Olivia Rodrigo, ‘Good 4 U’ (2021)
• No. 3: The Killers, ‘Mr. Brightside’ (2004)
• No. 2: The White Stripes, ‘Seven Nation Army’ (2003)
• No. 1: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, ‘Maps’ (2003)