Top 5 compositions in Pop/Rock Music

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Among Paul's songs, John praised For No One, Hey Jude, Here There And Everywhere, Oh Darling, and All My Loving. John even wanted to sing Oh Darling.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I can see there won't be much of a consensus developed in this thread (which is a good thing, as it means a wide range of music will be mentioned), but here goes with an early-morning, top-of-the-head selection:

Led Zeppelin: When the levee breaks
Nick Drake: From the morning
The Beatles: For no one
Gentle Giant: The house, the street, the room
Dylan: Tangled up in blue

Zeppelin's When the levee breaks is a good composition and arrangement imo.

[71 dB]

In a way, it's no more or less impossible (ultimately) than our traditional "20 best symphonies" type of poll. If you like, list five that you happen to regard highly.

Well, choosing one song per artist:

King Crimson - Lizard
Carly Simon - Memorial Day
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
Mama Cass Elliot - Make Your Own Kind of Music
Maureen McGovern - The Morning After

[Karl Henning]

Well, choosing one song per artist:

King Crimson - Lizard
Carly Simon - Memorial Day
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
Mama Cass Elliot - Make Your Own Kind of Music
Maureen McGovern - The Morning After

Very interesting. And you chose a KC song unknown to me!

"I see the doorway of a thousand churches"

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

In case it opens things up for you, I did consider inclusion of numbers from the Great American Songbook.

What's your opinion of Hound Dog by Elvis/Big Mama Thornton?

[71 dB]

Very interesting. And you chose a KC song unknown to me!

"I see the doorway of a thousand churches"

Huh? Unknown to you Karl? What? How many KC songs do you know? Five? 

[foxandpeng]

Huh? Unknown to you Karl? What? How many KC songs do you know? Five? 

5 more than I know 🤷�♂️

[ando]

No, it is unfortunately a matter of public record.

Which says what? Profligates tried to smear Michael Jackson with charges of child molestation? Unless you knew him personally or were privy to his private life you have zero basis to judge his character. Keep that to yourself.

[Spotted Horses]

The best five compositions in popular music? How could I know? I don't care if the music I'm enjoying myself is composed well or not if I enjoy it anyway. It doesn't matter to me WHY I enjoy the music, but of course good composition may help in the enjoyment. Popular music in general isn't based on good composition. Rather, it is an added bonus. A pop song which is banal/simple from composition point of view may have strong hooks, memorable lyrics and driving fun energy to it making it most enjoyable. Newer pop songs can have stunning production creating a sonic world of wonders to the listener.

Another problem with this question to me is that there is so much of popular music out there. Should I select the best composition from each of the last 5 decades? How about the genres?

I agree with the point that "composition" is rarely what distinguishes a Pop/music recording. Most often it is memorable lyrics, arrangement, performance style, production.

Off the top of my head

The Beauty of the Rain, Dar Williams
Raspberry Beret, Prince
Tangled Up in Blue, Bob Dylan
Welcome Me, Indigo Girls
State of Confusion, The Kinks

[Karl Henning]

Profligates tried to smear Michael Jackson with charges of child molestation?

That has the look of blaming the [alleged] victims, you know. (brackets added for your benefit.)

[Spotted Horses]

That has thhe look of blaming the [alleged] victims, you know. (brackets added for your benefit.)

Jackson was creepy in the extreme, accused and tried for sexual abuse of minors, admitted to alarming things such as organizing sleepovers with minors (which he said were non-sexual) but the "public record" shows that he was never convicted of a crime, although there was a large settlement paid in a civil suit.

[Karl Henning]

Jackson was creepy in the extreme, accused and tried for sexual abuse of minors, admitted to alarming things such as organizing sleepovers with minors (which he said were non-sexual) but the "public record" shows that he was never convicted of a crime, although there was a large settlement paid in a civil suit.

Thanks for the additional info. Gratified (if that is quite the word) that I didn't much overspeak, in the phrase terrible, flawed human.

[Ian]

Off the top of my head, limiting to five:

The Cure - All cats are Grey
David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
Peter Gabriel - San Jacinto
Neil Young - Excepting to Fly
Pink Floyd - High Hopes

[drogulus]

    Zappa/MOI - Peaches en Regalia

    Procol Harum - A Salty Dog

    Pink Floyd - Echoes

    Brian Wilson/BBoys - God Only Knows

    Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac - Rattlesnake Shake (extended with Madges)

    A special mention goes to Kate Bush who wrote The Man With A Child In His Eyes when she was 13.

[Szykneij]

The Beauty of the Rain, Dar Williams

Excellent choice! I'm a big Dar Williams fan. I've seen her perform live several times.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Taking the "composition" idea seriously (i.e. as something larger and more complex than a mere song), I come up with the following:

Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield - Yes, it's episodic and somewhat goofy, but it holds my attention for a full 25 minutes at a time, and a lot of major composers can't do that.

"Starless" by King Crimson - Starts as a (rather depressing) song, grows into an instrumental of relentlessly increasing intensity.

"A Very Cellular Song" by the Incredible String Band - Again, episodic and weird, but once heard you won't forget it.

Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull - One album = one 43-minute song, and it never slackens or bores for a second. Intended as a parody of the excesses of prog rock, it turned into one of the greatest prog rock albums ever.

Avocet by Bert Jansch - Depending on how you look at it, either a collection of 6 instrumental pieces (each of them named after a bird), or a complete, bird-inspired suite consisting of 6 movements (no kidding). The long title track is the most impressive.

[Karl Henning]

Thumbs up for "Starless" and "Thick As a Brick."

[Spotted Horses]

Excellent choice! I'm a big Dar Williams fan. I've seen her perform live several times.

Now I'm jealous.

[Madiel]

Oh boy. Please explain the difference between best and favorite. To my mind there IS no objective criteria, especially in pop/rock music, except what you admire.

These are just five tunes right off the top that I think were written/crafted exceptionally well - and, naturally, ones I like. 

The Mexican Babe Ruth

Contusion Stevie Wonder (catalogue full of great ones)

Long Train Running Doobie Brothers (created more than a handful of greats)

Spark Tori Amos (this one or Winter  quite a few good ones)

Interstate Love Song Stone Temple Pilots (closest in this list to a definitive pop/rock track, I guess)

As you've nominated Spark you are my friend for life. No questions asked.

[Madiel]

Also, I dispute the notion that hooks, lyrics and production are somehow not "composition".