not to be cliche…i think stairway to heaven.
great begining, great buildup, great solo, great end.
and im sure people will come back with the same argument for freebird, but i disagree. what are you’re opinions for best song?
Define “song.” Would, say, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony count? How about the last movement? Do you mean a recorded performance, or great sheet music that can be interpreted different ways?
Personally, using a song as being short and with lyrics, I’d vote for “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” Wonderful tune, and astonishingly good lyrics.
Another choice would be “I Get a Kick Out of You.”
For rock music, I’ll go with Springsteen’s “Rosalita.”
As for “Freebird” – yuck 
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s worst song, with the worst guitar solo in rock.
I came across this once before, when I first ever got online. I will have to look for the site to cite later. But the question was about what is the most popular song ever?
Ave Maria
By a huge margin. Most quoted, most sang, in the most countries, yada, yada, yada…
I like Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Listen to it again… AMAZING!
John Coltranes “My Favorite Things”
"Get Over It’ by the Eagles. Outta be the national anthem.
“set the controls for the heart of the sun” - pink floyd
An under-rated, beautiful, haunting song.
Hey Jude
I think the best popular song ever written for melody, simplicity, message and heart is…
Amazing Grace
Either Bohemian Rhapsody or These Foolish Things.
It’s totally impossible to pick one, sorry.
Pre-Jazz
“Ave Maria” (Schubert)
“Greensleeves”
“Danny Boy”
“Auld Lang Syne”
The Beginning of Jazz:
“St. Louis Blues” - Handy
“The Maple Leaf Rag” - Joplin
“Ain’t Misbehavin’” - Waller
The Great Age of Music (30’s and 40’s)
“Stardust” - Hoagy Carmichael
“As Time Goes By” - Hupfield
“Stormy Weather” - Arlen/Koehler
“Over The Rainbow” - Arlen/Harburg
“White Christmas” - Berlin
“Begin The Beguine” - Porter
“Night And Day” - Porter
“The Way You Look Tonight” - Kern/Fields
“All The Things You Are” - Kern/Hammerstein
“Summertime” - Gershwins
“Love is Here To Stay” - Gershwins
“Someone To Watch Over Me” - Gershwins
“Autumn Leaves” - Kosma/Mercer
The Fifties
“I’m So Lonesome I Could Die” - Williams
“Cry Me a River” - Hamilton
“Misty” - Garner/Burke
“Unchained Melody” - North/Zaret
The Sixties and Seventies
“Blowin’ In The Wind” - Dylan
“Moon River” - Mancini
“Look of Love” - Bacharach/David
“Good Vibrations” - Wilson/Love
“Yesterday” - Lennon/McCartney
“A Day In The Life” - Lennon/McCartney
“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” - Whitfield/Strong
“Bridge Over Troubled Waters” - Simon
The Eighties and Nineties
???
Classical music: Kindertotenlieder - Mahler
Jazz: Les feuilles mortes = Autumn leaves
Pop/rock: Mad man moon - Genesis
The Libertines - Up The Bracket
The best musical notes ever composed in the history of the universe belong to The Wall; every single guitar solo blows the hell out of any other musical note ever composed, modern or classical.
But the best song, by an equally great margin, is Birthday by the Sugarcubes. If I heard that song in concert, I seriously think I would faint.
i lied…i meant best rock and roll song ever. some non-rock stuff blows the shit out of stairway. and yes, ludovic, the wall is probably the best album ever - amazing songs on their own, but tied together to tell a story - but thast what it is. an album. i still say best rock song ever is stairway.
There is a Light that Never Goes Out - The Smiths
I’ve always liked “Avalon” by Roxy Music and “Baker Street” by that guy/band whose name escapes me. “Sympathy for the Devil” is really good too.
Baker Street is Steely Dan.
Sympathy… is the Rolling Stones
macarthur park
Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
or maybe…
Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones
feel the angst…
In Your Eyes (original version) by Peter Gabriel
absolute best, brings tears every time I hear it.