Rolling Stone’s ‘Greatest Songs’ list exposes persistent Asian artist gap

While Rolling Stone’s “250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far” list features several standout tracks from Asian and Asian-heritage artists, their limited presence underscores the ongoing struggle for equitable representation in Western music canon, according to a Rebel Yellow analysis.

The songs that made it: The list, released on Oct. 8, includes 17 songs from 16 artists of Asian descent, spanning various genres and generations. K-pop acts dominated the selections, with BTS’ emotional ballad “Spring Day” landing at No. 37, Blackpink’s fierce “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” at 142, Girls’ Generation’s iconic “Gee” at 170 and NewJeans’ infectious “Hype Boy” at 206. Asian American indie artist Mitski secured No. 36 with “Your Best American Girl,” while the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Korean American frontwoman Karen O helped propel “Maps” to No. 2. Filipino American Olivia Rodrigo’s breakthrough “Drivers License” claimed spot 38, while Sri Lankan Tamil artist M.I.A.’s provocative “Paper Planes” landed at 48.

Charli XCX, who has Gujarati Indian heritage, made the list with “Vroom Vroom” (86) and “I Love It” with Icona Pop (143). Korean American R&B singer Amerie’s “1 Thing” placed at 178, while South African artist Tyla, who has Indian and Mauritian ancestry, ranked at 135 with “Water.” Australian band Five Seconds of Summer, which includes Calum Hood who has Maori heritage, has “Youngblood” reaching 226. Panic! at the Disco, with Brendon Urie who is part Polynesian, came at 112 with “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” British Pakistani artist Zayn Malik’s work with One Direction secured spot 106 with “Fireproof,” while indie artist Lucy Dacus, who is of Uzbek descent, landed at 126 with “Night Shift.” Chinese-heritage singer Kelis rounded out the selections with “Milkshake” at 105.

Why this matters: The placements represent hard-won recognition in an industry historically dominated by Western perspectives. From K-pop’s global insurgency to Asian American artists grappling with identity and belonging, these songs reflect diverse experiences that resonate across cultural boundaries. They have shattered streaming records, won Grammys and redefined what mainstream success looks like for Asian artists.

BTS’ “Spring Day,” for one, became an anthem of collective grief and resilience tied to national tragedy, while Mitski’s “Your Best American Girl” gave voice to the experience of never quite fitting into American ideals. M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” offered candy-coated satire about immigrant experiences and mistrust. These are not just songs, but cultural milestones that have opened doors for artists who follow, proving that stories told from Asian perspectives can achieve both critical acclaim and commercial dominance while challenging narrow definitions of what constitutes mainstream music.

Still…: Seventeen songs out of 250 means Asian artists represent less than 7% of the list, a stark reminder of systemic underrepresentation that persists even as Asian musicians achieve unprecedented global success. Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list, which was updated last year, has little Asian representation either: There, BTS’ “Spring Day” was the top K-pop track, and it ranked 280.

The disparity becomes more glaring when considering Asia represents about 60% of the world’s population and produces some of the most innovative and commercially successful music today. And even when expanding the definition to include artists with partial Asian heritage or those from Asian diaspora communities, the numbers remain disappointingly low. These artists are not succeeding despite their heritage; their cultural perspectives enrich and expand what popular music can be, offering narratives and sounds that challenge the Western-centric view of what makes a song “great.”

As global music consumption becomes increasingly borderless, future lists will need to reflect that reality more authentically.