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 the media, teachers, and students, were asked in 2001 to choose the top 365 songs (not necessarily by
Americans) of the 20th century with historical significance in mind. The voters were selected by RIAA, although only about 15% (200) of the 1,300 selected voters responded.