It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures.
[1] In 2010, Rolling Stone published a revised edition, drawing on the original and a later survey of songs released up until the early 2000s.
The 2021 list was based on a poll of more than 250 artists, musicians, producers, critics, journalists, and industry figures.
They each sent in a ranked list of their top 50 songs, and Rolling Stone tabulated the results.
[4] In May 2010, Rolling Stone compiled an update, published in a special issue and in digital form for the iPod and iPad.