Songs of the Century

{{Short description|American music education project for categorization of popular songs}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}

The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America's musical and cultural heritage" in American schools. Hundreds of voters, who included elected officials, people from the music industry and from the media, teachers, and students, were asked in 2001 by the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) to choose the top 365 songs (not necessarily by Americans) of the 20th century with historical significance in mind. RIAA selected the voters, and about 15% (200) of the 1,300 selected voters responded.{{cite web|title= Best Songs Of The Century?|url= https://www.cbsnews.com/news/best-songs-of-the-century/|website=Cbsnews.com|publisher= CBS News|access-date= March 9, 2013|date= February 11, 2009}}{{cite web|title= New song list puts 'Rainbow' way up high|url= http://edition.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/07/365.songs/index.html|work= CNN|access-date= September 7, 2018|date= March 7, 2001}}

{{cite press release

|title= RIAA, NEA Announce Songs of the Century |date= March 2001

|publisher= Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)

|url= https://www.riaa.com/newsitem.php?id=B3DB4887-39EE-F70A-8C7A-3B81B66B2C44

|access-date= March 3, 2013

|archive-date= March 24, 2012 |url-status= unfit

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120324105252/http://www.riaa.com/newsitem.php?id=B3DB4887-39EE-F70A-8C7A-3B81B66B2C44

}}