From Tin Pan Alley to the Brill Building, Bob Dylan to Kurt Cobain, and Joni Mitchell to Amy Winehouse, gifted songwriters have crafted a cherished body of music that has become part of our lives. Imagine the Fifties without the magical clamor of 'Tutti Frutti' and 'Hound Dog', the Seventies without the anthemic 'Le Freak' and 'Anarchy in the UK' or the Noughties without the leftfield pop of 'Toxic' or 'Crazy'.

1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die picks through nearly a century of music to bring you an inspiring selection of some of the greatest recordings ever made. Each entry in this wonderfully browsable book tells the story of a great song. Find out what inspired the songwriter, what makes the track so enduring, which songs it influenced in turn and which cover version to listen out for. You'll also pick up a wealth of fascinating trivia along the way.

Fully updated for 2017, this is the ultimate playlist of the most iconic songs of the past century.