ASCAP Lists Its Top 100 Songs For Its 100th Birthday

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ASCAP — The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers — turns 100 today. The venerable performance rights organization manages royalties for more than 50,000 songwriters; everyone from Aerosmith to ZZ Ward. New York City and Tennessee have both declared today “ASCAP Day,” which, for President and Chairman Paul Williams, is something to sing about.

“We’ve spent 100 years building a sustainable world for music creators,” Williams says in a press statement. “This centennial is the start of the next chapter, as we continue shaping a future in which everyone wins – consumers, music delivery platforms and the songwriters and composers who are the backbone of the music ecosystem.”

To help celebrate this milestone, ASCAP has rolled out two expansive, genre-jumping lists of their Top 100 Songs, which include some of the most iconic compositions of all time. There’s “Happy Birthday To You,” presumably written by Mildred and Patty Hill in 1893, and “Money For Nothing,” the 1980’s hit by Dire Straits that still wants its MTV. There’s Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” and The Rolling Stones’ concert staple “Start Me Up.” It’s an incredible time capsule from a company that’s seen it all.

Check out the full list of ASCAP’s Top 100 Songs and Top 100 Songs here, and stream them below.

Top 100 Songs By Year

Top 100 Songs

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