I'd like to welcome you to what has been my project for the past several months. If you saw my last list of just 100, then welcome back. I hope you enjoy this latest list as much as I'm sure you enjoyed the first. I made my last list as a bored second semester senior in high school, and I made this list as a college freshman who had nothing better to do during the day when I wasn't in class.
My last list featured commentary on each song made by yours truly, and also the original album covers. When I decided to undertake this project again, my initial feeling was that this was going to just be quick update. It would feature the list of the songs, but not the album covers because they take so long to load (especially on a dial-up connection) and not the commentary because even 100 commentaries took a very long time to write. But really without the album covers and commentary... it's just a list. And come on, why settle for just a list? So the album covers are back, and so is the commentary. For my last list I selected lyrics I thought were really good or important in most of the songs, but I didn't this time just because it takes up so much room. I've done it in a few places, but really I've tried the best I can to not post the lyrics.
I have been working on this updated and expanded list for about four months. The first two months were spent rebuilding the list from top to bottom and listening to song after song until I finally assembled a list I was happy with. The last two months have been spent researching each of these songs and writing enjoyable and suitable commentary. If you would just like to look at the list though, right after the last song entry is the list in its entirety without album covers or commentary. Very recently Squidoo has introduced an iTunes module, so you can also buy songs from the list right here from my site.
I have made this list not as a critic, not as a musician, but as a fan. Aside from being able to play a few riffs like "Smoke On The Water" and "Iron Man" on the guitar, my musical instrument experience is pretty limited (the picture up there is just a random Eric Clapton concert pic I found on Google). I'm just an 18-year-old kid (though soon to be 19) who listens to music a lot. I took a one semester rock and roll history course in high school and have just finished taking an "Evolution of Rock" course during my first semester at college. I enjoyed them immensely, and I really believe that everyone should have to take a music history course in their academic career. After all, we have to take all of those courses for American history and European history, so why not force everyone to take a music history course as well? Everyone listens to music of some form or another, so why not educate everyone on something that is such an integral part of our lives? Do yourself a favor and listen to blues music from long ago, like Robert Johnson or B.B. King. That music is so pure, so in touch with what it's really supposed to be. I bought the jazz album Kind of Blue by Miles Davis a couple of years ago, and I think that just might be the greatest album ever made.
A question you might want to ask me is how in the world I actually became familiar with all of these songs. First of all, I have looked at other lists to get ideas of what to listen to. I highly recommend checking out Rolling Stone's lists or Digital Dream Door's lists. Once I found these songs, I used a peer-to-peer program called Gnucleus to download and listen to them all. I feel I must express my thoughts on this so-called "illegal" downloading everyone my age is "guilty" of. You can ask anyone my age if they have ever downloaded music without paying for it, and most of them will tell you they have. I guarantee you most of them will say they don't feel bad about doing it, because I certainly don't.
You see, I created this list as an act of defiance against the control Corporate America has over the entertainment industry. As a film major, it angers me to no end that Hollywood isn't concerned with the quality of movies, but rather how much money they make. They love to make Saw III, Click, Scary Movie 4, and others like it that get slammed by critics but make money just the same. Just because these movies do well, they make millions more just like them and most of them fail because they aren't any good. The problem is that Hollywood starts blaming the failure of movies on piracy and run ad after ad about how movies are made by thousands of people. Please. Those people get paid out of the production budget and will get the same salary no matter how well the movie does. Here's a tip: if you want to make money, make good movies. It's the same thing with the music industry. Make good music and you would have much less of a problem.
I am willing to buy music, and I have done so a fair amount over the years. But just like any other sane person, I only want to buy something worth buying. The internet is a wonderful device. We can communicate with each other and access information in ways we never have before. Hopefully we will all figure out what good music really is, and then we will be able to tell all of the MBA-certified corporate executives what we really should be listening to.
Eric
12/17/06
Links
- Previous List
- The list I made last spring.
- Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs
- The 500 greatest songs of all time according to Rolling Stone.
- Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums
- The 500 greatest albums of all time according to Rolling Stone.
- Digital Dream Door
- DDD is the ultimate music list site. They have lists for every genre you can think of. Definitely worth checking out.
#200: "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)" by Pink Floyd
From the 1979 album The Wall
New Selection"If you don't eat your meat, how can you have any pudding? How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?" Ah, the classic line screamed at the end of the song as it's fading out. Apparently bassist/vocalist/lyricist Roger Waters went to school where fascist teachers reigned supreme.
#199: "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" by The Clash
From the 1982 album Combat Rock
New SelectionThe Clash have never been a very commercially successful band (especially in America), and the only song they had reach #1 in England was "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" when it was re-released in 1991. Although singer Mick Jones claims the title comes from difficulty in his relationship with American singer Ellen Foley, it would be Jones' final album with the band. The Clash made only one more album after Combat Rock, 1985's Cut The Crap.
#198: "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears For Fears
From the 1985 album Songs From The Big Chair
New SelectionI'm not a big fan of the new wave genre that existed in the early to mid '80s, but if I had to pick a song that I really liked, it would easily be this one. The synthesizer riff is fantastic, and the guitar solo is too. The whole song just flows together really well, and it is one of my favorite songs that has a distinctive '80s feel.
#197: "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry
Released as a single in 1955
New Selection
"Maybellene" has to be considered one of the greatest debut singles of all time. Despite the song's enduring popularity and influence, Berry didn't have a song reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 until 1972, which was more than a decade after he faded from the national spotlight (thank the "Mann Act" for that). The song that would become his only #1 hit was a live recording of "My Ding-A-Ling."
"Maybellene" has to be considered one of the greatest debut singles of all time. Despite the song's enduring popularity and influence, Berry didn't have a song reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 until 1972, which was more than a decade after he faded from the national spotlight (thank the "Mann Act" for that). The song that would become his only #1 hit was a live recording of "My Ding-A-Ling."
#196: "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
From the 1969 album Green River
New SelectionIt's hard for me not to laugh or at least smile slightly whenever I hear "Bad Moon Rising." Why did my friend have to let me in the "There's a bathroom on the right" joke translation of "There's a bad moon on the rise"?
#195: "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead
From the 1997 album OK Computer
New Selection"Paranoid Android" is the greatest song by one of the greatest bands of the '90s. When it comes to ranking the best bands of this decade, certainly Nirvana and Pearl Jam, who are somewhat akin to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, respectively, would be at the top. Other '90s bands I would choose are Rage Against The Machine, Soundgarden, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and R.E.M.
#194: "Foxey Lady" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
From the 1967 album Are You Experienced?
New SelectionOn the U.S. edition of Hendrix's debut album, "Purple Haze" is the lead track, but on the U.K. edition, which was released three months earlier, "Foxey Lady" is the lead track. I have read some places that "Foxey" is not supposed to have an "e" in it and it is actually supposed to be spelled "Foxy," but I think this is false. On iTunes it is spelled "Foxey," which is good enough for me.
#193: "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles
From the 1964 album Meet The Beatles
New SelectionMost would feel inclined to place "I Want To Hold Your Hand" surprisingly close (at least to me) to the top. Rolling Stone, for instance, puts it at #16. Sorry, but that's just too high for me. I don't think anything from the Beatles early career (except for "Yesterday") should be ranked as one of the best of the best. I mean sure, this is a great song, but I favor the Beatles' deeper and more complex tunes.
#192: "Ziggy Stardust" by David Bowie
From the 1972 album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
New SelectionHonestly, what kind of name for an album is The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars? I guess it explains the lyrical content, but who exactly is Ziggy Stardust? The answer: Bowie's alter ego. I've seen concert footage of Bowie performing as Ziggy Stardust, and believe me, it's not pretty. While Kiss just look stupid in their outfits, Bowie truly looks weird.
#191: "Under The Bridge" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers
From the 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Previous Position: #91The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been together since 1983, and have never had a #1 hit. "Under The Bridge" is the closest they've come, as it reached #2 in 1992. As is the case with many songs that turned out to be hits, "Under The Bridge" almost didn't get recorded at all, as vocalist Anthony Kiedis was uncomfortable with releasing a song with personal lyrics about his drug addiction.
#190: "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison
From the 1970 album All Things Must Pass
Previous Position: #92Though you always hear about McCartney this or Lennon that when it comes to post-Beatles solo careers, Harrison was actually the first ex-Beatle to score a #1 hit with "My Sweet Lord." Too bad he had to surrender the majority of the royalties from "My Sweet Lord" and some of the royalties for All Things Must Pass due to unintentionally plagiarizing the Chiffons' song "He's So Fine."
#189: "Money For Nothing" by Dire Straits
From the 1985 album Building The Perfect Beast
New SelectionThat high-pitched voice you hear singing the line "I want my MTV"? None other than Sting. "Money For Nothing" was very significant in launching MTV into the mainstream in that the video featured early computer animation illustrating the lyrics. The Brothers In Arms album was also the first album to sell more than 1 million copies in the CD format.
#188: "Dancing In The Dark" by Bruce Springsteen
From the 1984 album Born In The U.S.A.
Previous Position: #67The Born In The U.S.A. album was a monster. "Dancing In The Dark" was the first of seven top 10 singles from the album, tying Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 for the most top ten singles from a single album. "Dancing In The Dark" was the final song Springsteen wrote for the album, as most of the songs had been written about two years previously.
#187: "Bulls On Parade" by Rage Against The Machine
From the 1996 album Evil Empire
New SelectionI think Tom Morello, Rage's guitarist, might be the best I've ever heard. Considering his background, it isn't really hard to understand why. Morello's great-uncle is Jomo Kenyatta, who was the first elected president of Kenya. Morello attended Harvard University and graduated with a degree in political science. As if that wasn't unexpected enough, Morello didn't start playing the guitar until he was 17, and as a result ended up practicing eight hours every day while in college. "In my four years at Harvard, including summers, I probably missed two or three days of practice. Even then, when I missed a day, I suffered a tremendous amount of guilt. I'm telling you this not in any sort of joking way. It was a very unhealthy practice regime, as if I had some kind of disorder. People would say, 'Tom you've got a fever of 102, you have an exam at 8:00 in the morning, and it's 3 a.m.' And I'd say, 'Yeah, that's cool, only two more hours.' It was unshakable. I wouldn't shave five minutes off of it. Not even 45 seconds. I'd watch the clock. It's part of my makeup. With me, once certain things are set, they're set in stone. Practicing all that time was key."
#186: "Do You Feel Like We Do" by Peter Frampton
From the 1976 album Frampton Comes Alive
Previous Position: #81A classic Simpsons episode is "Homerpalooza," which aired near the end of the 7th season on May 19, 1996. Homer goes on tour with Peter Frampton and other musicians like Cypress Hill, Sonic Youth, and the Smashing Pumpkins. Homer doesn't play music though. He stands on stage in front of a cannon that shoots a cannonball into his belly during every show. Other musicians and bands that are shown or referenced in the episode are: Jimi Hendrix, Grand Funk Railroad, Edgar Winter Group, KISS, Led Zeppelin, ABBA, Nine Inch Nails, Jefferson Starship, Jefferson Airplane, The Alan Parsons Project, Styx, Pink Floyd, Bread, the London Symphony Orchestra, Guns N' Roses and Blue Oyster Cult.
#185: "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1978 album Some Girls
New SelectionUnless somehow the Rolling Stones conquer MTV or something, "Miss You" will go down as their last #1 hit. "Start Me Up" came close in 1983 at #2, but it seems to me the catchy disco groove used in "Miss You" perhaps marked the end of an era for the Rolling Stones. By the time the disco craze wore off in the early '80s, the Stones attempted to, in a sense, "start up" their career again by going back to the basics. Though they haven't broken up or anything, they haven't been the fixture of popular culture they used to be for quite some time.
#184: "Talk Shows On Mute" by Incubus
From the 2004 album A Crow Left Of The Murder...
New SelectionSinger Brandon Boyd's inspiration for "Talk Shows On Mute": "I was on an airplane when a talk show began playing on the TVs. I decided to start narrating for the people, which is a really great game if you're ever bored enough. I realized a time will probably come when television will watch us if we're watching it, if that hasn't already happened, figuratively or literally. It sounded like some sort of pseudo-Big Brother nightmare, so I wrote it down."
#183: "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy
From the 1989 Do The Right Thing soundtrack
New Selection"Fight The Power" was the theme song for Spike Lee's movie Do The Right Thing, which depicts bigotry and racial tensions in Brooklyn. Lee's screenplay was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and in 1999 the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. "Fight The Power" would appear on Public Enemy's album Fear Of A Black Planet in 1990, and in 2005 the Library of Congress selected the album for preservation.
#182: "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby & The Range
From the 1986 album The Way It Is
New SelectionThe rapper 2Pac released his song "Changes" posthumously in 1998 on his greatest hits album. I first heard "Changes" several years ago and thought it was a great song. As my music library began to grow and I listened to more rap music of say, the last ten years, I grew suspicious of "Changes." I found it hard to believe a genre where a melody is for the most part non-existent could somehow produce a song with perhaps one of the most brilliant piano melodies ever. Therefore I wasn't really that surprised when I first heard "The Way It Is" and discovered that the piano melody was on "Changes" was actually sampled.
#181: "Marquee Moon" by Television
From the 1977 album Marquee Moon
New SelectionThe term "punk" gets thrown around a lot nowadays, and it is time that we all came to an understanding of what the genre is. The origins of punk can be found in the mid- to late-1970s with bands such as The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash. The Marquee Moon album is considered to be a landmark album in that, although released towards the end of the first wave of punk, it is "post-punk" in style and would be very influential.
#180: "Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin
From the 1969 album Led Zeppelin II
New SelectionI think it's kind of funny that Lord of the Rings references can be found in Led Zeppelin songs. Take "Ramble On," for instance:
"T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor
I met a girl so fair,
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up
And slipped away with her."
They are making a movie of The Hobbit, which is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings. Perhaps some Zeppelin will be featured on the soundtrack? Something tells me that won't happen.
#179: "The Sound Of Silence" by Simon And Garfunkel
From the 1966 album Sounds Of Silence
New SelectionI'm a bit confused as to whether "sound" is supposed to be pluralized or not. I've looked up the Sounds Of Silence album on iTunes, and it isn't plural. Yet I look at Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits and it is pluralized. I'm going to go with the non-pluralized title because that is the first album it appeared on.
#178: "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison
Released as a single in 1964
New Selection
Recently my dad recorded a PBS broadcast of a Roy Orbison concert from about twenty years ago called "Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night." The "friends" included Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Steven Soles, k.d. lang, Jennifer Warnes, and Bonnie Raitt. I'm not a big Roy Orbison fan and I'm only familiar with a few of his songs, and the standout song from the performance was definitely their extended rendition of "Oh, Pretty Woman," which was nominated for a Grammy Award for best live performance.
Recently my dad recorded a PBS broadcast of a Roy Orbison concert from about twenty years ago called "Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night." The "friends" included Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Steven Soles, k.d. lang, Jennifer Warnes, and Bonnie Raitt. I'm not a big Roy Orbison fan and I'm only familiar with a few of his songs, and the standout song from the performance was definitely their extended rendition of "Oh, Pretty Woman," which was nominated for a Grammy Award for best live performance.
#177: "Get Up Stand Up" by The Wailers
From the 1973 album Burnin'
Previous Position: #93You're probably familiar with the organization that promotes human rights called Amnesty International, but you may not know that "Get Up Stand Up" is their official anthem. Bob Marley's final concert was September 23, 1980 at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "Get Up Stand Up" was the last song he performed at the concert.
#176: "Pictures Of You" by The Cure
From the 1989 album Disintegration
New SelectionI really hate it when a single version of a song is different from the album version. In this case, the single version of "Pictures Of You" is 4:48 in length and the album version is 7:24 in length. I'll have to investigate the longer version for next time, but for now I don't see anything wrong with the shorter single release.
#175: "Heart Of Gold" by Neil Young
From the 1972 album Harvest
Previous Position: #86Young is easily one of the greatest lyricists and songwriters of all time, but for some reason "Heart Of Gold" was the only #1 hit he ever had. Part of the reason why this made it to the top of the charts at all might be due to the presence of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt on backup vocals.
#174: "Can't Buy Me Love" by The Beatles
From the 1964 album A Hard Day's Night
New SelectionThe music in the days of the Beatles' early career is simple, catchy, and ingenious. Yet the ingenuity they would display in the latter half of their career would far outweigh their early work. "Can't Buy Me Love" might be their best song from the pre-Rubber Soul period.
#173: "Dancing In The Street" by Martha & The Vandellas
From the 1965 album Dance Party
New SelectionLike a lot of Motown songs, "Dancing In The Street" is just undeniably catchy. However, many radio stations started taking it off their playlists when many African-Americans started riots in several cities and cited "Dancing In The Street" as a civil rights anthem.
#172: "Bennie And The Jets" by Elton John
From the 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Previous Position: #69Believe it or not, "Bennie And The Jets" was not recorded at one of Elton's concerts. After recording the song in France at the Chateau d'Herouville, Elton and the band thought it was too boring. They sent the song to Gus Dudgeon, who added the audience track and made it sound like a live recording.
#171: "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica
From the 1991 album Metallica
Previous Position: #56You know, I find it really funny that Metallica fans complained the band had sold out when they made "Nothing Else Matters," which is (God forbid) a ballad built around acoustic notes singer James Hetfield played with one hand while talking on the phone to his girlfriend. I can understand why fans would be mad at the change in style, but seriously, how can you be irritated at someone for making good music?
#170: "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Released as a single in 1970
Previous Position: #100
Something that bothers me is that we have an unjust war going on in Iraq right now and there is hardly any mainstream lyrical protest about it. Doesn't anyone have a voice anymore? This but one of several songs on this list that protested the Vietnam War, and I think some of the most memorable music was from a time when we as a people had never been so divided.
Something that bothers me is that we have an unjust war going on in Iraq right now and there is hardly any mainstream lyrical protest about it. Doesn't anyone have a voice anymore? This but one of several songs on this list that protested the Vietnam War, and I think some of the most memorable music was from a time when we as a people had never been so divided.
#169: "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1969 album Let It Bleed
New SelectionAlthough it says above that "Honky Tonk Women" is from Let It Bleed, that's not exactly true. Two different versions of this song exist, one called "Country Honk" which appears on Let It Bleed, and another called "Honky Tonk Women" that was released just as a single. Both are similar, but "Country Honk" is much more honky tonk than "Honky Tonk Women," which is more rock in sound.
#168: "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac
From the 1975 album Fleetwood Mac
New SelectionThe first single from the new Fleetwood Mac lineup helped catapult the band into international superstardom. Fleetwood Mac has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, which is a staggering number. The following artists, however, have sold more than 250 million albums worldwide (country of origin in parentheses): ABBA (Sweden), Alla Pugacheva (Russia), The Beatles (UK), Bing Crosby (USA), Chubby Checker (USA), Cliff Richard (UK), Elton John (UK), Elvis Presley (USA), Frank Sinatra (USA), Julio Iglesias (Spain), Led Zeppelin (UK), Madonna (USA), Michael Jackson (USA), Nana Mouskouri (Greece), Queen (UK), and Tino Rossi (France).
#167: "The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff
From the 1973 The Harder They Come soundtrack
New SelectionI felt reggae was underrepresented on my last list, so I decided to include "The Harder They Come" this time. The soundtrack for the 1972 Jamaican film of the same name helped bring reggae to areas that had never been exposed to it before. Cliff's title track was the biggest hit from the album.
#166: "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley
Released as a single in 1956
New Selection
Elvis died at a very young age at just 42, but it isn't that surprising considering some of the things he did. For instance, he performed more than 1,100 concerts in the eight years after his comeback in late 1968 to his death in August of 1977. Granted, he was not the gyrating superstar of his youth anymore, but over 1,100 shows is kind of a lot.
Elvis died at a very young age at just 42, but it isn't that surprising considering some of the things he did. For instance, he performed more than 1,100 concerts in the eight years after his comeback in late 1968 to his death in August of 1977. Granted, he was not the gyrating superstar of his youth anymore, but over 1,100 shows is kind of a lot.
#165: "Reach Out I'll Be There" by The Four Tops
From the 1967 album Reach Out
New SelectionThe house band at Motown Records was a group by the name of the Funk Brothers. They provided the instrumentation for about 80% of the music recorded on the label between 1959 and 1972, and "Reach Out I'll Be There" is one of 58 #1 hits Motown has had over the years. The Funk Brothers are said to have appeared on more #1 records than the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Beach Boys combined.
#164: "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode
From the 1990 album Violator
New SelectionIt's interesting where songwriters get their inspiration sometimes. In the case of Depeche Mode, it was the book Elvis and Me by Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla. "It's a song about being a Jesus for somebody else, someone to give you hope and care. It's about how Elvis was her man and her mentor and how often that happens in love relationships; how everybody's heart is like a god in some way, and that's not a very balanced view of someone, is it?"
#163: "In The Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett
From the 1965 album In The Midnight Hour
New Selection"In The Midnight Hour" rose to #1 on the R&B charts after his first two singles with Atlantic Records ("I'm Gonna Cry" and "Come Home Baby") failed to chart at all. Pickett is also known for his song "Mustang Sally," but "In The Midnight Hour" would always be his best-known hit.
#162: "Little Wing" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
From the 1967 album Axis: Bold As Love
New SelectionAfter Eric Clapton's band Cream broke up in 1968, Clapton proceeded to form the band Derek & The Dominos. They released only one album, the critically acclaimed Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs, in late 1970. Included on this album was a cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing," and while most think this was recorded as a tribute to Hendrix (who died in September of 1970), it was actually recorded a week before Hendrix died. Although the Derek & The Dominos album is now considered to be very critically and commercially successful, it was neither upon its release. The initial failure of the album, combined with Clapton's unrequited love for George Harrison's wife Pattie (which is the subject matter of "Layla") and Hendrix's death sent Clapton spiraling downward into heroin addiction.
#161: "My Girl" by The Temptations
From the 1965 album The Temptations Sing Smokey
New SelectionThe reason why the Temptations have an album called The Temptations Sing Smokey is because fellow Motown star Smokey Robinson is the one who wrote "My Girl." Robinson planned for his group the Miracles to sing "My Girl," but after the Temptations heard Robinson record the rhythm track, they begged Robinson to let them sing it. Robinson chose David Ruffin to sing the lead vocals for the first time in the Temptations career, and after "My Girl" became a hit Ruffin emerged as the dominant singer.
#160: "All Apologies" by Nirvana
From the 1993 album In Utero
New SelectionNirvana was a Seattle-based threesome that led the grunge movement of the early '90s, and easily the most important force in the band was singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain. Their 1991 smash hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit" vaulted the band into the national spotlight, and Cobain was never comfortable with this, saying, "Famous is the last thing I wanted to be." Cobain would commit suicide in April of 1994 after battling fame and drug addiction, and the In Utero album is considered to be a suicide note of sorts. "All Apologies," a hauntingly melodic composition, is the final track of the album.
#159: "Born In The U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen
From the 1984 album Born In The U.S.A.
Previous Position: #99It really irritates me to hear people talk about "Born In The U.S.A." as if it is some kind of nationalistic "America Rules!" anthem, because it's not. "Born In The U.S.A." is a protest song, and apparently then-president Ronald Reagan didn't get the message. "America's future rests in a thousand dreams inside your hearts; it rests in the message of hope in songs so many young Americans admire: New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen. And helping you make those dreams come true is what this job of mine is all about."
#158: "I Can See For Miles" by The Who
From the 1967 album The Who Sell Out
New SelectionDespite charting at #9 in U.S. and #10 U.K., respectively, guitarist Pete Townshend was still disappointed. "To me it was the ultimate Who record, yet it didn't sell. I spat on the British record buyer." At least he didn't spit on the American record buyers.
#157: "California Love" by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre
From the 1996 album All Eyez On Me
Previous Position: #83I will probably request to have my body cremated when I die, but I honestly don't think about my death that much. When Tupac Shakur was murdered almost a year after being released from prison, he was cremated and his ashes went several different places. Some of his ashes were spread over Los Angeles, over the Pacific Ocean, and North Carolina. Apparently three different places was enough, because 2Pac's rap group the Outlawz mixed some of the ashes with marijuana and smoked it. Now that's a new one.
#156: "Roundabout" by Yes
From the 1971 album Fragile
Previous Position: #90When it comes to progressive rock, many artists such as Emerson Lake & Palmer, Rush, Genesis, King Crimson, and even Pink Floyd come to mind, but Yes is considered to be the greatest of them all, and "Roundabout" is their magnum opus. Other ones by Yes I really like are "I've Seen All Good People" and "Owner Of A Lonely Heart."
#155: "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard
From the 1957 album Here's Little Richard
New Selection
Here's Little Richard was Little Richard's first album, but "Tutti Frutti" was actually released in late 1955. In fact, "Tutti Frutti" was one of six 1956 Top 40 hits to appear on Here's Little Richard. It must be pretty easy to sell an album when half of the tracks have already been hits.
Here's Little Richard was Little Richard's first album, but "Tutti Frutti" was actually released in late 1955. In fact, "Tutti Frutti" was one of six 1956 Top 40 hits to appear on Here's Little Richard. It must be pretty easy to sell an album when half of the tracks have already been hits.
#154: "Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino
Released as a single in 1956
New Selection
Perhaps the hardest hit area of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina was the Lower Ninth Ward, which is where Fats Domino is from. I was there this past May "gutting" houses in St. Bernard Parish (the next neighborhood) as part of Habitat For Humanity for a week, but the morning we left we drove through what was left of the 9th Ward. Here is a picture of that one of my friends took:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j145/justaphase182/n1227810004_30007210_8634.jpg?t=1164514143
Perhaps the hardest hit area of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina was the Lower Ninth Ward, which is where Fats Domino is from. I was there this past May "gutting" houses in St. Bernard Parish (the next neighborhood) as part of Habitat For Humanity for a week, but the morning we left we drove through what was left of the 9th Ward. Here is a picture of that one of my friends took:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j145/justaphase182/n1227810004_30007210_8634.jpg?t=1164514143
#153: "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles
From the 1966 album Revolver
New Selection"Eleanor Rigby" is one of the Beatles' most impressive tunes because it doesn't feature any of the primary instruments of rock music. No drums. No guitar. No bass. Just vocals and a eight-man string section.
#152: "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin
From the 1971 album Led Zeppelin IV
New SelectionLed Zeppelin IV has sold over 23 million copies in the United States alone, placing it at #3 on the all-time list, behind Michael Jackson's Thriller (27 million copies) and the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 (29 million copies). Considering the songs on the album it isn't really a surprise this thing is so popular. "Black Dog" leads off the first side and is followed by "Rock and Roll" (which used to be used in every Cadillac commercial), "The Battle of Evermore" and "Stairway To Heaven," which was their biggest hit ever. And that's just the first side. The second side features three non-singles and then ends with "When The Levee Breaks."
#151: "Boom Boom" by John Lee Hooker
Released as a single in 1962
New Selection
The Yardbirds were a 1960s Enlgish rock band that drew heavily from early blues. In their early days the band's guitarist from 1963-1965 was none other than Eric Clapton, and one of the songs they covered was John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom." Back in those days the Billboard charts were divided into Pop and R&B, with the Pop charts for white musicians and the R&B charts for black musicians. Clapton was only interested in making music in the style of black musicians (therefore only appearing on the R&B charts), so when the Yardbirds' single "For Your Love" became a hit on the Pop charts and his fellow band members wanted to capitalize on their mainstream success, Clapton promptly left the band.
The Yardbirds were a 1960s Enlgish rock band that drew heavily from early blues. In their early days the band's guitarist from 1963-1965 was none other than Eric Clapton, and one of the songs they covered was John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom." Back in those days the Billboard charts were divided into Pop and R&B, with the Pop charts for white musicians and the R&B charts for black musicians. Clapton was only interested in making music in the style of black musicians (therefore only appearing on the R&B charts), so when the Yardbirds' single "For Your Love" became a hit on the Pop charts and his fellow band members wanted to capitalize on their mainstream success, Clapton promptly left the band.
#150: "Piano Man" by Billy Joel
From the 1973 album Piano Man
New SelectionBilly Joel's 1985 double album greatest hits set Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2 is the sixth best-selling album ever, at over 21 million copies. His biggest hit ever was his first one, 1973's "Piano Man."
#149: "Money" by Pink Floyd
From the 1973 album Dark Side Of The Moon
New SelectionI think anyone who knows anything about music would agree that "Money" has one of the best basslines of all time. It's just so hummable and distinctive. When Pink Floyd reunited for the Live 8 concert on July 2, 2005, they performed "Money," and the line "Don't give me that do goody-good bullshit" remained uncut by MTV. Interesting that MTV doesn't censor music when the music is actually good.
#148: "Nights In White Satin" by The Moody Blues
From the 1967 album Days Of Future Past
New SelectionI listen to the local Baltimore classic rock station whenever I'm home, and occasionally I would hear this song and I would always think, "What is this song doing on classic rock radio?" The reason why I would ask myself that is because much of the second half of this seven-minute song is orchestrated and sounds like a piece of classical music or something. It would be a very long time before I actually obtained the artist and song title for this one, as they don't play it very often.
#147: "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King
Released as a single in 1961
New Selection
King wrote "Stand By Me" while he was still with the Drifters, a 1950s doo wop group. For some reason the Drifters didn't want to do the song, so King waited until after he left the band to record and release "Stand By Me," which has become more notable than anything the Drifters ever did.
King wrote "Stand By Me" while he was still with the Drifters, a 1950s doo wop group. For some reason the Drifters didn't want to do the song, so King waited until after he left the band to record and release "Stand By Me," which has become more notable than anything the Drifters ever did.
#146: "Street Fighting Man" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1968 album Beggar's Banquet
New Selection"Street Fighting Man" is arguably the Rolling Stones' most political song they ever did. It was covered on Rage Against The Machine's cover album Renegades in 2000, so evidently it got their attention. Also, the end credits for the recent movie V For Vendetta feature this song, and I must say that was a pretty political movie.
#145: "Yellow Ledbetter" by Pearl Jam
From the 2003 album Lost Dogs
New Selection"Yellow Ledbetter" was never released as a single, but it remains one of their most popular songs to this day. It was originally released as a B-side to their single "Jeremy" in 1991, but has never appeared on a full length studio album. It is a staple of their live concerts, and Pearl Jam typically closes their shows with "Yellow Ledbetter."
#144: "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley
Released as a single in 1969
New Selection
Elvis is mostly known for his work during the mid-1950s, but he staged a comeback in the late 1960s and "Suspicious Minds" proved to be a huge hit. Elvis was drafted for the U.S. Army in 1957 and upon his return in 1960 he undertook an acting career and appeared in many successful Hollywood B-movies.
Elvis is mostly known for his work during the mid-1950s, but he staged a comeback in the late 1960s and "Suspicious Minds" proved to be a huge hit. Elvis was drafted for the U.S. Army in 1957 and upon his return in 1960 he undertook an acting career and appeared in many successful Hollywood B-movies.
#143: "Stan" by Eminem
From the 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP
New SelectionYou can frown at Eminem all you want, but his musical ingenuity is undeniable, and in no other song is this apparent than "Stan," a hauntingly brilliant and atmospheric composition about a fan named Stan who writes to Eminem and ends up killing himself and his pregnant girlfriend after Eminem doesn't reply to him in time. The female voice singing the chorus is the British singer Dido, and the vocals are sampled from her song "Thank You." Oddly, Eminem chose to sample not the chorus of "Thank You," but part of the first verse.
#142: "The Thrill Is Gone" by B.B. King
From the 1969 album Completely Well
New Selection"The Thrill Is Gone" is a classic blues recording by a classic blues artist. Though the early blues recordings that would so greatly influence popular music in this country lacked the strings and electric guitar present on this recording, B.B. King is clearly very much in touch with his roots. I think if a blues expert made a list of the greatest blues recordings of all time, "The Thrill Is Gone" would certainly be close to the top.
#141: "When Doves Cry" by Prince
From the 1984 album Purple Rain
New SelectionNot only was "When Doves Cry" written after all the other songs on Purple Rain were completed, but Prince removed the bass guitar track at the last minute. I have no idea if Prince plays the bass guitar, but he does play all of the instruments on the track. Did he play the bass guitar too? I guess that will remain a mystery.
#140: "Green Onions" by Booker T. & the MG's
From the 1962 album Green Onions
New SelectionAtlantic Records is known for signing great artists such as Led Zeppelin and Ray Charles. The producer of Atlantic Records was a man by the name of Jerry Wexler, who frequently brought artists to Stax Records, located in Memphis, Tennessee. The house band at Stax Records was led by pianist Booker T. Jones, and when the house band decided to make their own music they went under the title of Booker T. and the Memphis Group, or Booker T. and the MG's for short. Their debut album was Green Onions, an instrumental soul record, with the title track as the lead single.
#139: "I Can't Explain" by The Who
Released as a single in 1965
New Selection
"I Can't Explain" was the first single The Who ever released. Granted, they were known as The High Numbers for a brief period in 1964 and their original band name was The Detours during the early '60s, but this is still a landmark song. It was The Who's answer to "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks, as evidenced by the similar power chord structure. What's more is that the producer for "You Really Got Me" also produced "I Can't Explain," and one of the things he was responsible for was recruiting additional rhythm guitarists for the recording. One of these guitarists was Jimmy Page.
"I Can't Explain" was the first single The Who ever released. Granted, they were known as The High Numbers for a brief period in 1964 and their original band name was The Detours during the early '60s, but this is still a landmark song. It was The Who's answer to "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks, as evidenced by the similar power chord structure. What's more is that the producer for "You Really Got Me" also produced "I Can't Explain," and one of the things he was responsible for was recruiting additional rhythm guitarists for the recording. One of these guitarists was Jimmy Page.
#138: "La Grange" by ZZ Top
From the 1973 album Tres Hombres
New SelectionThe Baltimore classic rock station does a "Memorial Day Weekend 500 Greatest Classic Rock Songs" countdown every year, and "La Grange" usually finishes in the top five (I think it was #4 this year). I would never put "La Grange" in the top five for my list, but I think it is a classic rock staple and has one of the most definitive guitar riffs ever.
#137: "Everyday People" by Sly and The Family Stone
From the 1969 album Stand!
New SelectionI hate hearing the name "Sly Stone," and it has nothing to do with the musician. You see, "Sly Stone" sounds an awful lot like "Sly Stallone" (which is what he's going by nowadays I guess), and honestly I can't stand Sylvester Stallone anymore. Though Raging Bull is definitely the greatest boxing movie of all time, Rocky was really good too... the first time. Now they don't even bother to go be the Roman numerals anymore, but here is what Stallone's age is now: LX (60). That's too old. Get this guy out of here.
#136: "One Of These Nights" by The Eagles
From the 1975 album One Of These Nights
Previous Position: #26"One Of These Nights" was the second of five #1 hits the Eagles had during the course of their initial run between 1971 and 1982. The others were "The Best Of My Love" from the 1974 album On The Border, "New Kid In Town" and "Hotel California" from the 1976 album Hotel California, and "Heartache Tonight" from their final 1980 album The Long Run. They just recently got back together and are supposed to release a new album sometime next year, so maybe they have a few more #1 hits in them.
#135: "Back In Black" by AC/DC
From the 1979 album Back In Black
Previous Position: #97I realize AC/DC is a hard rock band, but honestly I don't know how much longer I can defend their lack of song variety. Seemingly every song is an anthem about living fast and dying young and I'm growing kind of weary of it. "Back In Black" is certainly the best of the bunch, and if I had to pick a #2 AC/DC song it would probably be "Highway To Hell."
#134: "School Days" by Chuck Berry
From the 1958 album After School Session
New SelectionAs you may or may not know by now, the origins of rock, jazz, blues, and any kind of non-classical music is deeply rooted in the music Africans brought to America. Their work songs, field hollers and such featured a call and response technique which many of Chuck Berry's songs display in a more modern form. For example, in "School Days" Berry will sing a line and then play the same (or very similar) notes on his guitar.
#133: "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
From the 1988 album Tracy Chapman
New Selection"Fast Car" is really a pretty simple song about escape. Chapman's acoustic guitar is simple enough too, and her vocals and guitar play smoothly against soft drums. Sometimes simple is better.
#132: "Jungleland" by Bruce Springsteen
From the 1975 album Born To Run
New SelectionIt's actually pretty hard to remember the first time you hear a song, but I still remember the first time I heard "Jungleland." It was the night before the first day of my junior year of high school, and I was studying like crazy for an AP US History test I had the next morning on the 232 pages of the textbook I had to read over the summer. I had checked out Born To Run from the library and was listening to it while I was reviewing. I completely stopped what I was doing when "Jungleland," in its 9-minute and 33-second glory, came on. I went back to work after it was over, but I must have made a mental note of it because I can still remember the first time I heard it.
#131: "Wake Up" by Rage Against The Machine
From the 1992 album Rage Against The Machine
New Selection"Wake Up" is about the FBI's counterintelligence in the 1960s that sought to suppress criticism and dissent against the government. Two specific figures lyricist Zack de la Rocha mentions are Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.
"Networks at work, keepin' people calm
You know they went after King
When he spoke out on Vietnam
He turned the power to the have-nots
And then came the shot"
"Networks at work, keepin' people calm
Ya know they murdered X
And tried to blame it on Islam
He turned the power to the have-nots
And then came the shot"
#130: "Waterloo Sunset" by The Kinks
From the 1967 album Something Else By The Kinks
New SelectionI was surprised to see "Waterloo Sunset" ranked #42 on Rolling Stone's list when I looked at it about two years ago, as I had never heard it before. I don't think it warrants the title of "Best Kinks Song" (they rated "You Really Got Me" at #82), but it's pretty damn good and is a departure from the sound usually associated with the band.
#129: "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations
From the 1972 album All Directions
Previous Position: #89After "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" the Temptations faded from the spotlight. Typically their songs were written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, and after the success of "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" Whitfield stopped working with Strong and began writing the Temptations' songs on his own. This led to tensions between Whitfield and the group and productivity decreased as a result.
#128: "Here Comes The Sun" by The Beatles
From the 1969 album Abbey Road
New Selection"Here Comes The Sun" is another one of Harrison's masterpieces from the end of the Beatles' career. The band was divided on this particular song like they usually were, but not because they were angry at each other. Ringo, George, and Paul appear on the song, but Lennon has no presence at all because he was recovering from a car crash.
#127: "Roadhouse Blues" by The Doors
From the 1970 album Morrison Hotel
New SelectionAfter their previous album The Soft Parade was not very well-received due to the band's experimental sound, they ventured more into blues territory on Morrison Hotel. Hence the name of the song "Roadhouse Blues," which was the first track on the album.
#126: "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam
From the 1991 album Ten
Previous Position: #95I'm just going to copy and paste what I wrote last time:
There was once a 16-year-old boy from Richardson, Texas named Jeremy Wade Delle. After coming in late to class and being told to get an admittance slip from the school office, Delle left the classroom only to return holding a .357 Magnum revolver. He walked to the front of the classroom, announced "Miss, I got what I really went for," put the barrel in his mouth and pulled the trigger.
#125: "I Fought The Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four
Released as a single in 1965
New Selection
Unfortunately, we tend to be very ignorant when we choose our music. For instance, I had no idea "I Fought The Law" was done by Bobby Fuller until about a year ago. A couple of years ago I bought a double-CD called The Essential Clash, and there was a song called "I Fought The Law" on it. I had no idea this song by The Clash was actually a cover until pretty recently. What I'm trying to say is that all the music we listen to is not what it seems. No matter how original you may think it is, keep in mind that it has been borrowed from somewhere.
Unfortunately, we tend to be very ignorant when we choose our music. For instance, I had no idea "I Fought The Law" was done by Bobby Fuller until about a year ago. A couple of years ago I bought a double-CD called The Essential Clash, and there was a song called "I Fought The Law" on it. I had no idea this song by The Clash was actually a cover until pretty recently. What I'm trying to say is that all the music we listen to is not what it seems. No matter how original you may think it is, keep in mind that it has been borrowed from somewhere.
#124: "Hallowed Be Thy Name" by Iron Maiden
From the 1982 album The Number Of The Beast
New SelectionI've never much cared for metal, but I love "Hallowed Be Thy Name," which is usually considered to be the greatest metal song of all time. I like "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath more just because I like the riff a lot, but I have no qualms with anyone claiming "Hallowed Be Thy Name" is the greatest metal song of all time.
#123: "Walk This Way" by Run DMC
From the 1986 album Raising Hell
New SelectionSure, I like Aerosmith's original version of "Walk This Way," but after hearing Run DMC's cover it has been harder to go back to it. Run DMC's version sounds much more evolved, and it even features Joe Perry on the guitar and Steven Tyler providing backup vocals, so it's almost as if Aerosmith wanted the song to evolve anyway.
#122: "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley
Released as a single in 1957
Previous Position: #78
The songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoler was one of the most important creative forces of the 1950s. In addition to writing "Jailhouse Rock," they wrote "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King and "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton, which was later covered by Presley.
The songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoler was one of the most important creative forces of the 1950s. In addition to writing "Jailhouse Rock," they wrote "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King and "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton, which was later covered by Presley.
#121: "New Year's Day" by U2
From the 1983 album War
Previous Position: #71War was U2's third album, and it put them on the mainstream map for good after their first two albums kept them in the underground. "New Year's Day" was the lead single from War, but "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is probably the most referenced song from the album.
#120: "Heartbreaker" by Led Zeppelin
From the 1969 album Led Zeppelin II
New SelectionJimmy Page is perhaps the most legendary guitar riff creator, and "Heartbreaker" might be the best one he ever did for Led Zeppelin. I also like other famous ones like "Whole Lotta Love," "Kashmir" and "Black Dog," but I think a couple from the 1973 album Houses Of The Holy, "No Quarter" and especially "The Ocean," deserve more recognition.
#119: "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers Band
From the 1969 album The Allman Brothers Band
Previous Position: #98Unfortunately the Allman Brothers Band's great guitarist Duane Allman would die in a motorcycle accident in 1971, but he was still around for their debut album. The Allman Brothers were a terrific live band, and I highly recommend their live double album At Fillmore East, which was released just months before Duane died.
#118: "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers
From the 1971 album Just As I Am
New SelectionWhen Withers recorded "Ain't No Sunshine" at the age of 31, he was working factory that made toilet seats for 747s. He repeats the phrase "I know" 26 times after the first chorus, and while he had planned to replace that section with a verse, other musicians told him to leave it. I'm glad he followed their advice because that's my favorite part of the song.
#117: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd
From the 1975 album Wish You Were Here
Previous Position: #65"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a two-track, 26-minute song that bookends the Wish You Were Here album. On my last list I included "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" but I specified that it was the edited-down 17-minute version that appears on their 2002 greatest hits album Echoes. I've decided to just not worry about the fact that the song exists as two tracks and put it on the list by saying it's from Wish You Were Here.
#116: "Aja" by Steely Dan
From the 1977 album Aja
Previous Position: #53I absolutely love Steely Dan and their blending of jazz and rock, and Aja is their best song and album. It's eight minutes of well-engineered musical bliss.
#115: "Rocket Man" by Elton John
From the 1972 album Honky Chateau
Previous Position: #80Honestly, I don't understand how people can come up with the ideas they sometimes come up with. The lyrics to "Rocket Man" are written by Bernie Taupin, Elton's longtime collaborator, and they describe a Mars-bound astronaut who has mixed feelings about leaving his family. I can't say many songs are written about Mars. Well, except for that album by David Bowie called Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. I guess it does happen.
#114: "Something" by The Beatles
From the 1969 album Abbey Road
New Selection"Something" was the first Harrison-written song to appear as the A-side of a Beatles single. As Lennon later would explain, "There was an embarrassing period when George's songs weren't that good and nobody wanted to say anything. He just wasn't in the same league for a long time - that's not putting him down, he just hadn't had the practice as a writer that we'd had." I would disagree slightly because I think "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from 1968's The White Album is Harrison's best composition, but for the most part Lennon is correct and I think Harrison's growth as a songwriter greatly contributed to the maturity of the Beatles' later sound.
#113: "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan
From the 1976 album Desire
Previous Position: #84Bob Dylan has not performed "Hurricane" since January 25, 1976, in protest of boxer Rubin Carter's conviction on February 9, 1976. At 8-and-a-half minutes in length, "Hurricane" is pretty damn long, so maybe Dylan really is just lazy and doesn't feel like performing a song this long. Or not.
#112: "Touch Me" by The Doors
From the 1969 album The Soft Parade
Previous Position: #40The production values of "Touch Me" is quite impressive. The sound is well-layered with brass and strings. This was new to the Doors' sound, and as a result The Soft Parade was not as successul as their previous albums.
#111: "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic
From the 1971 album Maggot Brain
New Selection"Maggot Brain" is underheard, which I think is a shame. It's basically ten minutes of a excellent guitar solo against a quiet, dreamy acoustic guitar. "Play like your mama just died," George Clinton told guitarist Eddie Hazel. The result is pretty impressive.
#110: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1969 album Let It Bleed
Previous Position: #68Despite iterating that "you can't always get what you want," I find this song to be very peaceful, especially when the French horn is played at the beginning. The London Bach choir (a boys choir) is used at many points of the song, but my favorite is when they are used at the end in an almost climactic way.
#109: "Shake, Rattle & Roll" by Big Joe Turner
Released as a single in 1954
New Selection
The story of "Shake, Rattle & Roll" is pretty typical of the time period. It gets recorded by Turner, a black musician, and becomes a hit on the R&B charts. Then Bill Haley, a white musician, proceeded to take the song, change a few lyrics to appeal more to conservative America, and then record a version himself. Haley's version became a bigger hit. What a surprise.
The story of "Shake, Rattle & Roll" is pretty typical of the time period. It gets recorded by Turner, a black musician, and becomes a hit on the R&B charts. Then Bill Haley, a white musician, proceeded to take the song, change a few lyrics to appeal more to conservative America, and then record a version himself. Haley's version became a bigger hit. What a surprise.
#108: "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan
Released as a single in 1973
Previous Position: #94
Dylan's classic has been covered countless times, but these are the most famous to do it:
The Grateful Dead
Mark Knopfler
Eric Clapton
Roger Waters
Guns N' Roses
Television
Avril Lavigne
Warren Zevon
Bon Jovi
I'd go with Clapton's as my favorite.
Dylan's classic has been covered countless times, but these are the most famous to do it:
The Grateful Dead
Mark Knopfler
Eric Clapton
Roger Waters
Guns N' Roses
Television
Avril Lavigne
Warren Zevon
Bon Jovi
I'd go with Clapton's as my favorite.
#107: "Stayin' Alive" by The Bee Gees
From the 1977 album Saturday Night Fever
New SelectionI'm not much of a fan of the disco genre, but I like some of the songs, and I certainly like "Stayin' Alive." This song is closely associated with the hugely popular disco movie Saturday Night Fever, which put John Travolta on the map. Travolta vanished during the '80s but resurrected his career with Pulp Fiction in 1994. Now it's time for him to resurrect his career again, because I can't even remember the last time he made a good movie.
#106: "Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds
From the 1965 album Mr. Tambourine Man
New SelectionBob Dylan originally wrote this for his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan, but after it was drunkenly recorded Dylan decided to save it for his next album in 1965 called Bringing It All Back Home. Interestingly enough, the Byrds' cover was released before Dylan's original was released.
#105: "Come Together" by The Beatles
From the 1969 album Abbey Road
New SelectionOne of the reasons why the Beatles are the greatest band of all time is because they can make anything work. Some of the lyrics in "Come Together" are just nonsense, like "one and one and one is three." The song is aptly named, however, because it was the last time all four of the Beatles would cut a song together.
#104: "Tears In Heaven" by Eric Clapton
From the 1992 album Unplugged
Previous Position: #79Clapton really is one of the greatest musicians ever to live. Period. The depth of his virtuosity is so incredible that it cannot be expressed with words, but thankfully it can be expressed through his music. Case in point: Clapton wrote this tearful ballad after his four-year-old son died by falling out of a 53rd story window in New York City. The fact that he can vent his emotions through his music so well speaks volumes to his skill as a musician.
#103: "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin
From the 1969 album Led Zeppelin II
New SelectionThe section of "Whole Lotta Love" that lasts from 1:24 to 3:02 is often referred to as the "orgasm section." As audio enginner Eddie Kramer has explained: "The famous Whole Lotta Love mix, where everything is going bananas, is a combination of Jimmy and myself just flying around on a small console twiddling every knob known to man." Why this section of the song exists is beyond me, but attribute it to Led Zeppelin always wanting to push the envelope.
#102: "Anarchy In The U.K." by The Sex Pistols
From the 1977 album Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols
New SelectionIn February of 2006 the Sex Pistols were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but refused to attend their induction, calling the museum a "piss stain." Their career started here with "Anarchy In The U.K." when it was released as a single in November of 1976. When record label EMI pulled the single and dropped the band from the label, lead singer Johnny Rotten responded, "I don't understand it. All we're trying to do is destroy everything."
#101: "Summertime Blues" by Eddie Cochran
Released as a single in 1958
New Selection
"Summertime Blues" is a well-known early rock song, and it has been covered endlessly. Some of those who have covered it include: The Beach Boys, Blue Cheer, Bobby Fuller, Bruce Springsteen, De La Soul, The Flaming Lips, George Thorogood, James Taylor, Joan Jett, Motörhead, The Rolling Stones, Rush, T. Rex, The Who, and Van Halen.
"Summertime Blues" is a well-known early rock song, and it has been covered endlessly. Some of those who have covered it include: The Beach Boys, Blue Cheer, Bobby Fuller, Bruce Springsteen, De La Soul, The Flaming Lips, George Thorogood, James Taylor, Joan Jett, Motörhead, The Rolling Stones, Rush, T. Rex, The Who, and Van Halen.
#100: "Desperado" by The Eagles
From the 1973 album Desperado
Previous Position: #51The Eagles usually close their concerts with this soft ballad. It's interesting how Don Henley sang the vocals on just one song on the Eagles' 1972 debut album ("Witchy Woman"), and yet he eventually emerged as the dominant singer on the 1976 Hotel California album. I think this is due to the Eagles' transition in sound through their career as they dropped the "country" in country-rock. This is only from their second album, but Henley began the process here with "Desperado."
#99: "Lose Yourself" by Eminem
From the 2002 8 Mile soundtrack
New SelectionI was actually around for this one, which is a pretty rare occurrance on this list. Eminem had come up with big hits before, but nothing of this greatness or magnitude. "Lose Yourself" is a rap song with a guitar riff that gives the instrumentation an almost rock sound. Eminem wrote "Lose Yourself" in a portable studio on the set for his movie 8 Mile. "He was on a break from shooting," said engineer Steven King, "and he laid down all three verses in one take."
#98: "Achilles Last Stand" by Led Zeppelin
From the 1976 album Presence
New SelectionWhile most bands would be content to have one song that would be widely considered an epic masterpiece, Led Zeppelin has three: "Stairway To Heaven," "Kashmir," and "Achilles Last Stand." The Presence album would be considered a disappointment, but "Achilles Last Stand" has it all. Bonham is at his best on the drums, Jones plays on his own custom-made 8-string bass guitar, Page turns in a spectacular guitar solo, and Plant returns from a terrible car accident to moan the vocals.
#97: "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath
From the 1970 album Paranoid
New Selection"Iron Man"'s legendary guitar riff is easily among the top five. I think "Layla"'s is the best, followed by "Smoke On The Water." Then I think it's a toss up between "Iron Man" and "Sunshine Of Your Love." Either way, "Iron Man"'s riff is definitive heavy metal.
#96: "House Of The Rising Sun" by The Animals
From the 1964 album The Animals
New SelectionThe Animals' cover of the American folk classic "House Of The Rising Sun" is hauntingly and grittily beautiful. Featuring furious organ-playing and howling vocals, this song became a staple of the British invasion. Unfortunately the line "There is a house in New Orleans" that gets repeated throughout the song needs to be updated.
#95: "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos" by Public Enemy
From the 1988 album It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
New SelectionThe lyrics in "Black Steel" tell the fictional story of Chuck D being drafted for the Vietnam War.
"I got a letter from the government
The other day
I opened and read it
It said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me givin' a damn I said never"
He proceeds to land himself in jail and attempts to escape by means of obtaining black steel (a gun).
#94: "Desolation Row" by Bob Dylan
From the 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited
New SelectionDylan supposedly wrote the lyrics to "Desolation Row" while riding in a taxi in New York City. There are 659 words in this song and it is over 11 minutes long. That's a long cab ride, and I sure wouldn't like to have paid that fare. Luckily for us, Dylan was willing to.
#93: "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane
From the 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow
New SelectionThe first Woodstock concert was held in 1969, and Jefferson Airplane took the stage at 8:00 AM on the third day, following a performance by The Who that started at 3am. "White Rabbit" closed their set.
#92: "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
From the 1969 album Willy And The Poor Boys
Previous Position: #88"Fortunate Son" is about the thoughts of man getting drafted for the Vietnam War. Most of the soldiers came from the working class and were there because they didn't have connections who could get them out. It is sung from the perspective of one of these men, who ends up fighting because he is not a "Senator's son" or a "Fortunate one." Ironically, lead singer John Fogerty managed to dodge the draft in 1966 by joining an army reserve unit.
#91: "Love Reign O'er Me" by The Who
From the 1973 album Quadrophenia
Previous Position: #50The average music listener probably isn't familiar with "Love Reign O'er Me," but I think it's one of The Who's best cuts. The Who are one of the greatest bands ever, and I'd rank them easily in the top 3. The Beatles are obviously #1, and then it's kind of a toss up between The Who and The Rolling Stones for #2, though I'd lean towards The Who.
#90: "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and The Papas
Released as a single in 1963
New Selection
I grew up in Maryland, so I know exactly what this song is about. There have been many times when I wished I could just escape the bitter winter cold and spend some time in sunny Southern Califonia. Now I go to school in Miami so I don't really need to go to California, but still... it's nice to think about.
I grew up in Maryland, so I know exactly what this song is about. There have been many times when I wished I could just escape the bitter winter cold and spend some time in sunny Southern Califonia. Now I go to school in Miami so I don't really need to go to California, but still... it's nice to think about.
#89: "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green
From the 1972 album Let's Stay Together
New Selection"Let's Stay Together" turned out to be Al Green's only #1 hit, and Green didn't even want to record it in the first place. Green wrote the lyrics in just five minutes and finished recording the song late on a Friday night in the fall of 1971. The song was released as a single on that Monday and entered the charts at #8 that Thursday. I wish I could get results that quickly.
#88: "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield
From the 1966 album Buffalo Springfield
New SelectionSpike Lee directed a movie in 1998 called He Got Game, and Public Enemy covered "For What It's Worth" to create a song called "He Got Game." I've never seen the movie, but I like the song a lot. Stephen Stills, who wrote "For What It's Worth," appears on the Public Enemy song as well, over thirty years after recording the original for Buffalo Springfield.
#87: "American Pie" by Don McLean
From the 1971 album American Pie
New SelectionI kind of avoided this one last time, but not anymore. "American Pie" is about a very important day in music history: the day the music died. While this is clearly the subject matter of the song, the lyrics are pretty extensive given the eight-and-a-half-minute length. Asked what "American Pie" meant, McLean once replied, "It means I never have to work again."
#86: "Smoke On The Water" by Deep Purple
From the 1972 album Machine Head
Previous Position: #70I'm still a little unsure of where the correct position for "Smoke On The Water" truly lies. This entire list is nothing more than my opinion of course, but I still like to think that it should be considered a fact that some songs are greater than others. Aside from "Smoke On The Water"'s distinctive guitar riff, Blackmore's solo isn't too shabby either.
#85: "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel
From the 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water
New SelectionA verse was originally written for "The Boxer" but was left off the finished recording:
"Now the years are rolling by me
They are rocking evenly
I am older than I once was
Younger than I'll be, that's not unusual
No, it isn't strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same"
On September 29, 2001, Simon and Garfunkel performed "The Boxer" on Saturday Night Live's first show following 9/11. They also sang the lost verse.
#84: "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder
From the 1973 album Innervisions
Previous Position: #61While Stevie Wonder's blindness is pretty much common knowledge, his inability to smell is not. He permanently lost his sense of smell when he was placed in a coma as a result of an automobile accident that occurred on August 6, 1973, just days after his Innervisions album was released.
#83: "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.
From the 1991 album Out Of Time
Previous Position: #77At the time I wrote the commentary for this song last time, I was surprised to read that to "lose your religion" is to "lose your temper," and that the subject matter of this R.E.M. classic is not religion at all. It's been six months or so since I wrote that and I still have never heard anyone utter the words "losing my religion" aloud in the context of the true meaning of this song.
#82: "Fire And Rain" by James Taylor
From the 1970 album Sweet Baby James
Previous Position: #82The first time I ever heard "Fire And Rain" was during that one Simpsons episode when Homer becomes an astronaut. While disaster occurs on the spaceship, Taylor comes into the Nasa control center and performs "Fire And Rain" to help calm things down. It doesn't work.
#81: "Purple Haze" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
From the 1967 album Are You Experienced
New SelectionRemember this? Check it out from the Purple Haze entry on Wikipedia (I had completely forgotten about it):
"Purple Haze" was once featured in a Pepsi TV commercial first broadcast during the 2004 Super Bowl where Jimi Hendrix in his youth is drawn to a Pepsi vending machine and spies an electric guitar in a pawn shop as the opening riff of the song begins to play as the identity of the boy is revealed. By contrast, the boy glances at a Coca-Cola machine that is across the street right by an accordion store and a deliberately bizarre accordion version of the song's riff is played which soon cuts to the caption, "Whew! That was close!"
#80: "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks
From the 1964 album The Kinks
New SelectionI've never liked Van Halen, and I've especially never liked their cover of "You Really Got Me" that jumpstarted their career in 1978. The Kinks' version has always sounded so pure and so nakedly raw in comparison that I can't stand it that Eddie Van Halen's self-indulgent guitar playing was pushed to the forefront and Davies' simple power chords were pushed aside.
#79: "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys
From the 1966 album Pet Sounds
New SelectionSometimes irony is just too funny to ignore. Despite being one of the greatest love songs of all time, "God Only Knows" begins with "I may not always love you." Also, the society we used to live in seems like it was pretty weird. "God Only Knows" never received the airplay it should have received because it had the word "God" in the title and radio programmers felt it would spark controversy. How exactly is it controversial? I guess I'll need a time machine in order to get the real answer.
#78: "White Room" by Cream
From the 1968 album Wheels Of Fire
Previous Position: #45"White Room"'s lyrics were written by Pete Brown, Cream's lyricist. "It was in my white-painted room that I had the horrible drug experience that made me want to stop everything." I find Clapton's use of the wah-wah pedal during the terrific guitar solo to be the most memorable part.
#77: "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac
From the 1977 album Rumours
Previous Position: #54Fleetwood Mac was founded by Peter Green in 1967 and was replaced by Bob Welch in 1971 due to Green's mental health being mentally unstable. After Welch's departure, Lindsey Buckingham (who is a guy) and Stevie Nicks, a couple, joined John and Christine McVie, a married couple, and Mick Fleetwood. After the newly-formed quintet released their self-titled album in 1975, both couples split up and this became subject matter on their follow-up Rumours. "Go Your Own Way" was written by Buckingham, and Nicks took offense to some of the lyrics. "I very much resented him telling the world that 'packing up, shacking up' with different men was all I wanted to do."
#76: "The Tracks Of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
From the 1965 album Going to a Go-Go
New SelectionI wasn't that big a fan of this song until I saw the Vietnam War movie Platoon about six months ago. During one scene about thirty minutes in, several American soldiers get high and sing "The Tracks Of My Tears." You don't have to be high to start singing along with them.
#75: "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley
Released as a single in 1956
New Selection
While Elvis was regionally popular while he was with Sun Records, it wasn't until the major label RCA bought out Presley's contract at indie SUN that Elvis became a national figure. "Heartbreak Hotel" was Elvis's first song with RCA, and it became the first song to reach #1 on the Pop, R&B, and Country charts.
While Elvis was regionally popular while he was with Sun Records, it wasn't until the major label RCA bought out Presley's contract at indie SUN that Elvis became a national figure. "Heartbreak Hotel" was Elvis's first song with RCA, and it became the first song to reach #1 on the Pop, R&B, and Country charts.
#74: "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" by The Beatles
From the 1965 album Rubber Soul
Previous Position: #63If you ask me what the most important album ever made is, I'd tell you Rubber Soul because it begins the Beatles' transition from making simple pop tunes to deep, heartfelt songs with high production values. In no other song on the album is this more apparent than "Norwegian Wood," which was inspired by one of Lennon's affairs: "I was very careful and paranoid because I didn't want my wife, Cyn, to know that there was something going on."
#73: "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang
Released as a single in 1979
New Selection
The Sugarhill Gang's lone hit consists of good-natured rapping over the beat to the disco hit "Good Times" by Chic. Contemporary rap/hip hop just feels so uninspired to someone like me who seeks out the best music ears can hear. I think now "the rap game" is just about the money, the drugs, the violence, the women, etc. (and the lyrics reflect that). Old school rap was made by artists who having fun pioneering a new genre, and with the success of it came the inevitable corruption that is so obviously evident today. The decidedly uncommercial fourteen-minute "Rapper's Delight" is evidence that these guys weren't in this for the money.
The Sugarhill Gang's lone hit consists of good-natured rapping over the beat to the disco hit "Good Times" by Chic. Contemporary rap/hip hop just feels so uninspired to someone like me who seeks out the best music ears can hear. I think now "the rap game" is just about the money, the drugs, the violence, the women, etc. (and the lyrics reflect that). Old school rap was made by artists who having fun pioneering a new genre, and with the success of it came the inevitable corruption that is so obviously evident today. The decidedly uncommercial fourteen-minute "Rapper's Delight" is evidence that these guys weren't in this for the money.
#72: "I Can't Tell You Why" by The Eagles
From the 1979 album The Long Run
Previous Position: #36The Long Run was the final Eagles studio album, at least until they come out with their new album The Long Road To Eden sometime in the near future. The Long Run was nicknamed "The Long One" due to how long it took to finally be released in September of 1979 because of tension between band members. Nevertheless, "I Can't Tell You Why" is an absolute gem, and remains one of the Eagles more underheard and underrated songs.
#71: "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses
From the 1987 album Appetite For Destruction
Previous Position: #66"Sweet Child O' Mine" is about a love letter Axl Rose wrote for his girlfriend Erin Everly, who is the daughter of the Everly Brothers' Don Everly. They were eventually married, but Rose filed for divorce a month afterwards. Their marriage was reconciled for some time, but Everly had a miscarriage that deeply disappointed Rose, causing an annullment to their marriage in 1991.
#70: "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
From the 1971 album Who's Next
Previous Position: #62I've never seen CSI: New York, the latest (and third) installment of the CBS' successful television series, but I like how CBS continued the trend of using a song by The Who for each CSI show. "Who Are You?" is the theme song for the first CSI and "Won't Get Fooled Again" is the theme song for CSI: Miami. The theme song for CSI: New York? "Baba O'Riley."
#69: "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
From the 1970 album Pendulum
Previous Position: #42My biggest quibble with "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" is that it isn't long enough. At two minutes and forty seconds, it's just too short. And I've always wanted more because it's such a great and heartfelt song.
#68: "Jesus Christ Pose" by Soundgarden
From the 1991 album Badmotorfinger
Previous Position: #52"Jesus Christ Pose" is easily a top-five song from the '90s and should be singled out as one of the greatest grunge songs of all time. The top grunge song would have to go to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" because it put the genre on the map, but I like "Jesus Christ Pose" (and Soundgarden, for that matter) more.
#67: "The Weight" by The Band
From the 1968 album Music From Big Pink
Previous Position: #72The line "I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling about half-past dead" refers to Nazereth, Pennsylvania, which is home to the Martin Guitar Factory. The interesting lyrical allusions of purgatory and sing-along-able (probably not a word, but it sounds good), melodic words make "The Weight" an easily recognizable tune.
#66: "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty
From the 1989 album Full Moon Fever
Previous Position: #37Petty used multiple acoustic guitar tracks to give "Free Fallin'" a thick, dreamy sound. Petty's typical simplicity is deceptive, yet catchy. "Free Fallin'" turned out to be his biggest hit and is likely everyone's favorite Petty tune.
#65: "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley & The Wailers
From the 1980 album Uprising
New Selection"Redemption Song" is the final track on Bob Marley's final album. Unfortunately, Marley died in 1981 of skin cancer, and his pain and unavoidable mortality are apparent in this last hurrah.
#64: "I Got You (I Feel Good)" by James Brown
Released as a single in 1965
Previous Position: #57
James Brown never had a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, but he had 99 singles chart on the Hot 100 throughout his career, which is second only to Elvis Presley. His highest-charting single was "I Got You (I Feel Good)," which reached #3.
James Brown never had a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, but he had 99 singles chart on the Hot 100 throughout his career, which is second only to Elvis Presley. His highest-charting single was "I Got You (I Feel Good)," which reached #3.
#63: "Dream On" by Aerosmith
From the 1973 album Aerosmith
Previous Position: #47It's interesting that in the early days of rock and roll there were covers aplenty, but mostly these covers were done within the same genre by similar artists. There has been considerable divergence in music over the past 25 years or so but I think music genres will converge as time goes on here. Case in point: Eminem sampled the "Dream On" guitar riff for his 2002 song "Sing For The Moment."
#62: "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Cream
From the 1968 album Disraeli Gears
Previous Position: #49I think it's safe to say "Sunshine Of Your Love" has one of the top three most recognizable guitar riffs in history. The most distinctive is probably Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" and then I think it's a toss up between "Layla" and "Sunshine Of Your Love."
#61: "Time" by Pink Floyd
From the 1973 album Dark Side Of The Moon
New SelectionLast time I avoided picking songs from Dark Side Of The Moon because I felt each song on that album is just so meant to be part of the album and isn't supposed to stand alone. It is one of the greatest albums ever and I just didn't want to betray its value by singling out one song when all of them are supposed to coalesce into one 43-minute track. After much thought I have rescinded my earlier sentiment and have selected a couple for this list.
#60: "Respect" by Aretha Franklin
From the 1967 album I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You
New SelectionMost people have no idea "Respect" was originally done by Otis Redding, not Aretha Franklin. Aretha's cover is much more famous and is an enduring classic. It's certainly one of the greatest covers ever, though I'd still rank Hendrix's version of "All Along The Watchtower" and Gaye's version of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" higher.
#59: "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
From the 1972 album Talking Book
Previous Position: #48Stevie had actually written "Superstition" with the intention of it appearing on a Jeff Beck album, but when Beck's album wasn't finished Wonder decided to make it the lead single from his Talking Book album, resulting in his first #1 single since before he dropped the "Little" from Little Stevie Wonder.
#58: "That'll Be The Day" by Buddy Holly and The Crickets
From the 1957 album The "Chirping" Crickets
New SelectionWhen most people hear about "The Day the Music Died" they'll associate Buddy Holly with the plane crash that killed three important musicians on February 9, 1959. The other two are Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, who is more commonly known as "The Big Bopper."
#57: "Sunset Grill" by Don Henley
From the 1984 album Building The Perfect Beast
Previous Position: #41If you are an Eagles fan (and even if you're not), you should check out the Eagles Farewell 1 Tour DVD. The concert was originally broadcast on NBC back in June of 2005 (and is repeated on Bravo), but make sure you get the DVD. The actual concert is about two hours and 45 minutes, and the TV broadcast is only two hours in length. Factor in commercials and some interview material, and in the end you only get to see about half the concert because NBC stuck to only the biggest hits. The Eagles' live shows also feature the solo careers of Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Joe Walsh. One of my favorite songs they perform on the DVD is Henley's "Sunset Grill."
#56: "Running On Empty" by Jackson Browne
From the 1977 album Running On Empty
Previous Position: #34The Running On Empty album is very unusual in that none of the songs that appear on it had appeared on a previous album. What's also unusual is that songs were recorded backstage, on the tour bus and in hotel rooms in addition to on stage.
#55: "My Generation" by The Who
From the 1965 album My Generation
New SelectionRoger Daltrey was only twenty years old when he uttered the line "I hope I die before I get old." Now he's 62, which, at least to me, seems pretty old. Sheesh, talk about not backing up your words.
#54: "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" by Otis Redding
From the 1968 album The Dock Of The Bay
New SelectionUnfortunately Otis Redding never got to see how the American public reacted to "Dock Of The Bay." Redding died on December 10, 1967 in a plane crash and the single was not released until January 1968. Certainly Redding should be included on the list of great musicians who died too young, therefore depriving us of great music he never got to write.
#53: "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen
Released as a single in 1963
New Selection
This song is just about a Jamaican sailor returning home to see his girlfriend, but this Kingsmen cover of Richard Berry's classic was the subject of a 31-month FBI investigation for supposedly obscene lyrics. The lyrics are very hard to understand, but that's hardly the fault of the band since the five of them recorded the song crowded around a single microphone for just $52.
This song is just about a Jamaican sailor returning home to see his girlfriend, but this Kingsmen cover of Richard Berry's classic was the subject of a 31-month FBI investigation for supposedly obscene lyrics. The lyrics are very hard to understand, but that's hardly the fault of the band since the five of them recorded the song crowded around a single microphone for just $52.
#52: "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys
From the 1967 album Smiley Smile
New Selection"Good Vibrations" became a #1 hit in 1966 and was supposed to be included on The Beach Boys' album Smile, but Brian Wilson abandoned the project in 1967 due to depression. "Good Vibrations" instead appeared on the underwhelming album Smiley Smile, and it wasn't until 2004 that Smile was finished and released by Brian Wilson.
#51: "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen
From the 1975 album Born To Run
Previous Position: #59Springsteen designed the track listing on Born To Run to match on both sides in terms of song progression. The album has eight songs total, with four on each side. The first side leads off with "Thunder Road" and ends with "Backstreets," while the second side leads off with "Born To Run" and ends with the 9-minute epic "Jungleland."
#50: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel
From the 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water
New SelectionThis was the unfortunately the final album by Simon and Garfunkel due to the strain in their relationship. The title track itself reveals how deep their disagreements ran. Simon has, ever since the song was conceived, regretted that Garfunkel sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" alone. "He felt I should have done it," Simon said in 1972. "And many times I think I'm sorry I didn't do it."
#49: "London Calling" by The Clash
From the 1979 album London Calling
Previous Position: #55"London Calling" was The Clash's breakthrough. The band had sunk deeply into debt at the time they were making the London Calling album, and it's a miracle this music was made at all. Guitarist Mick Jones was living in his grandmother's apartment because he had nowhere else to live, and that's where Jones and Joe Strummer wrote the songs on the album.
#48: "Somebody To Love" by Jefferson Airplane
From the 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow
New SelectionEver heard of a band called The Great Society? The guitarist for that band, Darby Slick, wrote "Somebody To Love." When singer Grace Slick (his sister in law) left The Great Society and joined Jefferson Airplane, she took "Somebody To Love" with her.
#47: "The End" by The Doors
From the 1967 album The Doors
Previous Position: #16"The End" is a very hard song to describe. It is almost 12 minutes in length and if I'm not mistaken this part is a reference to Oedipus Rex: "Father? Yes, son? I want to kill you. Mother, I want to..." Then Morrison screams two unintelligible words. I have a pretty good idea of what they are. "The End" is just a haunting song and the strangely poetic lyrics will drive you insane if you listen to this often.
#46: "With Or Without You" by U2
From the 1987 album The Joshua Tree
Previous Position: #35"With Or Without You" was the first #1 single for U2, putting the Irish band on the mainstream map after remaining in the relative underground for four albums. The Joshua Tree would become their critical and commercial breakthrough and it is still considered to be their best album. It's certainly one of my favorites.
#45: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1965 album Out Of Our Heads
Previous Position: #20I think anyone's top three Stones songs would include "Satisfaction," "Sympathy For The Devil," and "Gimme Shelter." While Rolling Stone's list lays out the songs in the order I just listed, I put them in the opposite order. I think "Satisfaction" is a bit overrated, and the famous guitar riff is just too oversaturated with distortion.
#44: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
From the 1968 album Electric Ladyland
Previous Position: #60Sometimes the best things happen at the spur of the moment, and the wah-wah intro to "Voodoo Child" is no exception. When a TV crew came into the studio, the band started playing to make it look like they were recording, and Hendrix improvised the "Voodoo Child" opening without even thinking about what he was playing.
#43: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye
Released as a single in 1968
Previous Position: #46
Gaye actually wasn't the first to record "I Heard It Through The Grapevine." Gladys Knight & The Pips recorded it in 1967 and while it became a #2 hit, Gaye's 1968 version has been an enduring classic, and is the version bands like CCR try to emulate.
Gaye actually wasn't the first to record "I Heard It Through The Grapevine." Gladys Knight & The Pips recorded it in 1967 and while it became a #2 hit, Gaye's 1968 version has been an enduring classic, and is the version bands like CCR try to emulate.
#42: "In My Life" by The Beatles
From the 1965 album Rubber Soul
Previous Position: #44The piano solo during the bridge is not played by one of The Beatles, but by their producer George Martin. Martin could not keep up with "In My Life"'s tempo, so the solo was recorded at half-tempo and was played back at twice the speed on the final recording.
#41: "Bo Diddley" by Bo Diddley
From the 1957 album Bo Diddley
New SelectionWhen people say modern music is influenced by the blues, they aren't kidding. Check out this list of songs that use the same rhythm as "Bo Diddley":
"Not Fade Away" by Buddy Holly
"Magic Bus" by The Who
"She's The One" by Bruce Springsteen
"Desire" by U2
"How Soon Is Now?" by The Smiths
"Willie And The Hand Jive" by Johnnie Otis
"Faith" by George Michael
"Mr. Brownstone" by Guns N' Roses
It's a shame rhythms can't be copyrighted.
#40: "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
From the 1982 album The Message
Previous Position: #58"The Message" is what put hip hop on the map nearly 25 years ago, and it really is a shame to compare a song like this to the absolutely awful music that comes out today. If you're a music listener who automatically labels rap as trashy, atrocious music, do yourself a favor and make an attempt to hear some of the hip hop that was around during the '80s.
#39: "Sultans Of Swing" by Dire Straits
From the 1978 album Dire Straits
Previous Position: #25A song's ability to be easy to listen to isn't an exact science or anything, but all songs should take notes from "Sultans Of Swing," because this is as good as it gets. I suck at playing the electric guitar, but I am pretty damn good at the air guitar during this song.
#38: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
From the 1991 album Nevermind
Previous Position: #74Someone listening to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the first time would probably vow to never hear it again. It consists of an angry roar of heavily distorted guitar riffs and indecipherable vocal screams. Somehow this became a giant hit, and when Nevermind replaced Michael Jackson's Dangerous as the #1 album in America, it meant the '80s were officially over.
#37: "The Last Resort" by The Eagles
From the 1976 album Hotel California
Previous Position: #64"This is a concept album, there's no way to hide it, but it's not set in the old West, the cowboy thing, you know. It's more urban this time (. . . ) It's our bicentennial year, you know, the country is 200 years old, so we figured since we are the Eagles and the Eagle is our national symbol, that we were obliged to make some kind of a little bicentennial statement using California as a microcosm of the whole United States, or the whole world, if you will, and to try to wake people up and say 'We've been okay so far, for 200 years, but we're gonna have to change if we're gonna continue to be around.'" Don Henley had this to say about the Hotel California album, and I think much of what he says is referring to "The Last Resort."
#36: "A Day In The Life" by The Beatles
From the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Previous Position: #38I think Sgt. Pepper's is a very overrated album, and wouldn't consider it to be The Beatles' best album like certain other people (coughRollingStonecough). I think Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Abbey Road are superior to Sgt. Pepper's. "A Day In The Life" though is one of the greatest songs by the band, and I think this song makes the album. Certainly songs like "When I'm Sixty-Four" and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" pale in comparison to this masterpiece.
#35: "The End Of The Innocence" by Don Henley
From the 1989 album The End Of The Innocence
Previous Position: #23The line "They're beating plowshares into swords for this tired old man that we elected king" refers to the plight of the farmer during the Reagan administration. Henley teamed up with Bruce Hornsby to write "The End of the Innocence," and while the song appeared only on Henley's album, both perform it at their respective concerts. After George H.W. Bush was elected, Hornsby changed the line to say, "For the tired old man that is no longer king."
#34: "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley & The Wailers
From the 1975 album Natty Dread
Previous Position: #73I consider Legend to be the greatest compilation album ever made. When Rolling Stone ranked it #46 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, they wrote, "Since its release, Legend has been, for many people, their first exposure to Marley, and to reggae in general." That's true enough for me, because I don't have any other reggae albums and to this day I have never heard the original non-live version of "No Woman, No Cry" that appears on Natty Dread.
#33: "Purple Rain" by Prince
From the 1984 album Purple Rain
Previous Position: #39I affiliate myself with the Democratic Party and I sincerely wish Al Gore had won the 2000 election, but I can't stand his wife Tipper. When she caught their 12-year-old daughter listening to the song "Darling Nikki" from the Purple Rain album she proceeded to create the Parents Music Resource Center in 1985 as an attempt to censor music. I can still remember Al Gore talking about "Tipper hitting the ceiling" during one of the presidential debates in 2000. Don't politicians' wives have anything better to do?
#32: "Every Breath You Take" by The Police
From the 1983 album Synchronicity
Previous Position: #22For just one day, I'd like to be Sting. Why? Because I'd make $2,000. That's how much Sting makes on average from "Every Breath You Take"'s royalties. If I got to be Sting for a year, I'd certainly be happy about my $730,000 salary from one song. That's the life right there.
#31: "Light My Fire" by The Doors
From the 1967 album The Doors
Previous Position: #31When The Doors performed on the Ed Sullivan show, Jim Morrison was asked to sing "Girl, we couldn't get much better" instead of "Girl, we couldn't get much higher." Many people, including Oliver Stone when he directed the movie The Doors, claim Morrison deliberately decided to not change the lyrics in a rebellious act. The truth (at least, according to Morrison) is that Morrison forgot to change them simply because he was nervous about performing on national television.
#30: "Yesterday" by The Beatles
From the 1965 album Help!
Previous Position: #30According to the Guiness Book of World Records, "Yesterday" has been covered more than 3,000 times, which is the most of any song in history. BMI (Broadcast Music, Incorporated) claims "Yesterday" was performed over seven million times in the 20th century.
#29: "Sympathy For The Devil" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1968 album Beggars Banquet
Previous Position: #96When it comes to God and the Devil, I'm inclined to believe neither exist as actual independent entities, but rather God is the embodiment of all the good things humans do and the Devil is the embodiment of all the bad things humans do. Jagger certainly seems to agree with me in this regard, because he goes at length to describe all of the atrociously immoral events of human history while claiming it is the work of the Devil. The important line, however, is "I shouted out 'who killed the Kennedys?', when after all it was you and me."
#28: "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson
From the 1982 album Thriller
Previous Position: #19Thriller was for quite some time the best selling album in U.S. history. It has sold 27 million copies to date, second only to the Eagles' Greatest Hits 1971-1975, which has sold 29 million copies. Thriller has, however, sold over 50 million copies worldwide, putting it at #1 in terms of worldwide sales.
#27: "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
From the 1969 album Bayou Country
Previous Position: #14When it comes to the TV show American Idol, I'm not a big fan, but I love to watch the audition episodes in the beginning. Some of these "singers" are so horrendous that it really is the funniest thing on television. Unfortunately, one of the songs they typically butcher is "Proud Mary."
#26: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2
From the 1987 album The Joshua Tree
Previous Position: #21Despite U2's enduring popularity, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is only one of two of their songs to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The other? "With Or Without You," which was the preceding single. I'm a little surprised at this statistic, as U2 has remained quite popular ever since "One" rejuvenated their career in 1991.
#25: "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd
From the 1979 album The Wall
Previous Position: #43David Gilmour just might be playing the greatest guitar solo of all time on "Comfortably Numb." Interestingly enough, "Comfortably Numb" is only one of two songs on The Wall (which is a double album) that is a stand alone track, meaning that it doesn't fade into or out of an adjacent track. The other stand alone song is "Mother."
#24: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles
From the 1968 album The Beatles (The White Album)
Previous Position: #27Something I love about this song is that the whole guitar weeping thing implies the blues. Harrison, after being displeased by the original recording of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," asked his friend Eric Clapton to play the lead guitar. Clapton is by all rights influenced by the blues through and through.
#23: "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who
From the 1971 album Who's Next
Previous Position: #28A friend showed me a list a while back and I thought it was one of the funniest and most ridiculous things I had ever seen. It's a list of the fifty most conservative songs of all time, and "Won't Get Fooled Again" is number one. I have never seen so many songs, and this one in particular, so grossly misinterpreted.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NzZkNDU5MmViNzVjNzkzMDE3NzNlN2MyZjRjYTk4YjE=
#22: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin
From the 1976 album Physical Graffiti
Previous Position: #18"Kashmir" is, quite simply, an awesome song, and it was how I got into Led Zeppelin. The first Led Zeppelin song I ever heard was "Rock And Roll" because it was played on all those Cadillac commercials, but I was never very impressed by that song. Then one day about three years ago I was listening to Launchcast on Yahoo!, which is a personalized radio station kind of thing, and "Kashmir" came on. I was completely blown away by the song and I proceeded to buy the Led Zeppelin Early Days and Latter Days greatest hits CDs. I've loved the band ever since.
#21: "Black" by Pearl Jam
From the 1991 album Ten
Previous Position: #24Interestingly enough, "Black" was never released as a single but it reached #3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Despite pressure from their record company and increasingly popularity among fans, Pearl Jam refused to make "Black" a single because they felt the song was too personal.
#20: "What'd I Say" by Ray Charles
Released as a single in 1959
Previous Position: #85
I don't know what I was thinking last time when I put "What'd I Say" at #85. It just takes time to appreciate these old songs, and I hadn't spent enough time with Ray Charles' magnum opus. Obviously, I now really like this song and have put it closer to the top, which is where I think it belongs.
I don't know what I was thinking last time when I put "What'd I Say" at #85. It just takes time to appreciate these old songs, and I hadn't spent enough time with Ray Charles' magnum opus. Obviously, I now really like this song and have put it closer to the top, which is where I think it belongs.
#19: "November Rain" by Guns N' Roses
From the 1991 album Use Your Illusion I
Previous Position: #15I think "November Rain" is a very underrated and overlooked song, probably because it is a heartfelt ballad and Guns N' Roses isn't known for making those kinds of songs. Not only is it a ballad, but it is nearly nine minutes long and features strings prominently. Slash's lengthy guitar solo fits the mood perfectly and is used for powerful effect.
#18: "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" by James Brown
Released as a single in 1965
New Selection
I took several months off after I finished my last list, and I listened to several songs I wasn't that familiar with at the time I made my previous list. "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" is one of them, and now it is at #18 on my list. Go figure. I'm always open to music I've heard before, and there's no doubt I haven't really heard enough music to give this list any kind of credibility. However, I'm just a teenager and have obtained all of the music on this list well after these songs have faded from mainstream popular culture.
I took several months off after I finished my last list, and I listened to several songs I wasn't that familiar with at the time I made my previous list. "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" is one of them, and now it is at #18 on my list. Go figure. I'm always open to music I've heard before, and there's no doubt I haven't really heard enough music to give this list any kind of credibility. However, I'm just a teenager and have obtained all of the music on this list well after these songs have faded from mainstream popular culture.
#17: "Eminence Front" by The Who
From the 1982 album It's Hard
Previous Position: #11My list is the only place you'll see "Eminence Front," and I'm not sure why. Granted, this might be my all-time favorite song so it appears pretty high on my list, but I think "Eminence Front" suffers from not being heard. It is from the tail end of The Who's career, from the unsuccessful 1982 album It's Hard. "Eminence Front" certainly doesn't have cultural significance or anything, but it's a damn good song just the same and I would encourage everyone to listen to it because you'll very likely be blown away.
#16: "All Along The Watchtower" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
From the 1968 album Electric Ladyland
Previous Position: #29This is another song that has steadily climbed to the top of my list. I've listened to Bob Dylan's original folk/acoustic version of this song, and I must say Hendrix's cover is vastly superior. It's so much more superior that when Dylan would perform his version of the song he would use an electric guitar to emulate Hendrix's cover.
#15: "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
From the 1975 album A Night At The Opera
Previous Position: #32Some would be inclined to put "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the top 5 or top 10, but I've never liked it to quite that extent and I don't see myself ever ranking it that highly. Then again, last time I ranked it at #32 and now it's at #15. Go figure.
#14: "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
From the 1973 album Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd
Previous Position: #13The five-minute guitar solo in "Free Bird" is undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time. Many would say the guitar solo makes the song, but honestly I like all of it. The solo might be the reason why someone yells out "Free Bird" at every single rock concert, but the four minutes leading up to the solo are pretty good too.
#13: "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1969 album Let It Bleed
Previous Position: #6I love how Wikipedia puts this:
The song's lyrics paint a picture of social apocalypse -- storm, fire, flood, war, rape, murder, all "just a shot away" -- finally capped by the assertion that "love, sister, it's just a kiss away."
Couldn't have said it any better myself.
#12: "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
From the 1975 album Wish You Were Here
Previous Position: #10"Wish You Were Here" is one of those songs I wish would just keep going on and on forever. The guitar melody is so pure, so genuine, so... perfect. It's certainly good at soothing jangled nerves. I think I will always consider this to be the greatest Pink Floyd song because I can emotionally connect with it so easily.
#11: "Born To Run" by Bruce Springsteen
From the 1975 album Born To Run
Previous Position: #7It's unbelievable to me that "Born To Run" is four and a half minutes long but it took over three months to record. There are over a dozen guitar tracks intricately placed throughout the song, and the song is sonically very complex with keyboards, saxophones, strings, and the like.
#10: "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry
From the 1959 album Chuck Berry Is On Top
Previous Position: #33"Johnny B. Goode" is one of the oldest songs on this list, and I'd really like to go back in time and see how I would have reacted to it when Berry first released it. Berry's guitar is so rebellious and so free that I can only imagine how the kids must have emulated his duck walk when he performed it live.
#9: "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye
From the 1971 album What's Going On
Previous Position: #17"What's Going On" is a Vietnam War protest song, and I think it is very important to understand how the American government handled the whole Vietnam situation because the same thing is happening in Iraq now. I'm not aware of contemporary music protesting the Iraq War, and certainly lyrical protest is not nearly as prominent during today's war as it was back during the Vietnam War.
#8: "Hey Jude" by The Beatles
Released as a single in 1968
Previous Position: #8
I have never really understood why this song is as long as it is (7 minutes), especially since it takes about 3 minutes to fade out. Nevertheless, it's the perfect sing along song. I still find it interesting that John Lennon's son Julian had no idea "Hey Jude" was about him until almost twenty years after it was written. Lennon and his first wife Cynthia were going through a divorce and McCartney felt bad for Julian, so he started the song with the words, "Hey Jules," but changed "Jules" to "Jude" because "Jude" is much easier to sing.
I have never really understood why this song is as long as it is (7 minutes), especially since it takes about 3 minutes to fade out. Nevertheless, it's the perfect sing along song. I still find it interesting that John Lennon's son Julian had no idea "Hey Jude" was about him until almost twenty years after it was written. Lennon and his first wife Cynthia were going through a divorce and McCartney felt bad for Julian, so he started the song with the words, "Hey Jules," but changed "Jules" to "Jude" because "Jude" is much easier to sing.
#7: "One" by U2
From the 1991 album Achtung Baby
Previous Position: #12"One" is a song with many lyrical interpretations, but I've always interpreted it to be about humanity in general. "We're one, but we're not the same. We get to carry each other, carry each other." Bono is obviously very concerned with peace and helping the world become a better place, and I think that is what he is encouraging us to do.
#6: "Let It Be" by The Beatles
From the 1970 album Let It Be
Previous Position: #3My first real exposure to the Beatles was when I listened to the Beatles' greatest hits 1 CD when I was 15. I found the songs to contain a certain magic I had never heard before, in particular "Let It Be" and "Hey Jude." Overall, I like "Let It Be" a little more. As a side note, I have heard the album version of "Let It Be," and I like the single version that appears on 1 to be much better. The single version is a little shorter, with the piano a little more prominent and the guitar solo cleaner and sharper.
#5: "Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan
From the 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited
Previous Position: #5"The first time I heard Bob Dylan, I was in the car with my mother listening to WMCA, and on came that snare shot that sounded like somebody had kicked open the door to your mind," remembered Bruce Springsteen in 1989 in his speech inducting Dylan into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Indeed, "Like A Rolling Stone" completely changed the way songs were written. Dylan's voice, while not good by any means, still gets through to you in a very personal way during the chorus and the song's 6-minute length defied commercial standards back in 1965.
#4: "Imagine" by John Lennon
From the 1971 album Imagine
Previous Position: #9I think "Imagine," like Lennon himself, is very misunderstood. Ironically, Lennon is usually viewed as the asshole who ended the Beatles, but "Imagine" is always very appreciated and most people think it is a wonderful song. In the book Lennon in America, Lennon commented the song was "an anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic song, but because it's sugar-coated, it's accepted." I think that quote says it all.
#3: "Hotel California" by The Eagles
From the 1976 album Hotel California
Previous Position: #4On the 1976 Steely Dan album The Royal Scam, there is a line in the song "Everything You Did" that goes, "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening." As a response, the Eagles said in "Hotel California," "They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast." The "steely knives" could also be interpreted to be syringes stabbing "the beast" of drug addiction, or as the politicians of California ("in the master's chambers, they gather for the feast") plundering California and failing to succeed.
#2: "Layla" by Derek & The Dominos
From the 1970 album Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Previous Position: #1I think the main reason why "Layla" dropped from the top spot is because it is essentially two songs. The first three minutes or so is the wonderful guitar riff and Clapton's screaming for Layla, the fictional character representing Pattie Boyd, his friend George Harrison's wife. The final four minutes is the outstanding piano coda, which is probably my favorite half of the song. I love how the acoustic guitar and Clapton's crying electric guitar work in, and the result is probably the most beautiful music I've ever heard. In the end, I just decided I'd give "Stairway" the edge for now.
#1: "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin
From the 1971 album Led Zeppelin IV
Previous Position: #2After much debate, I've decided to award "Stairway" the position of #1, replacing "Layla." In the end I felt "Stairway" has it all. It is an epic, evolving, 8-minute song that progresses like a story. It begins with a slow, quiet acoustic guitar and as the song goes on it becomes more and more complex, resulting in a terrific guitar solo by Jimmy Page and a climactic final verse. I think this is as good as music gets.
The List
In case you just want to look at the list without the commentary and album covers.
- "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin
- "Layla" by Derek & The Dominos
- "Hotel California" by The Eagles
- "Imagine" by John Lennon
- "Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan
- "Let It Be" by The Beatles
- "One" by U2
- "Hey Jude" by The Beatles
- "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye
- "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry
- "Born To Run" by Bruce Springsteen
- "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
- "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones
- "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
- "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
- "All Along The Watchtower" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- "Eminence Front" by The Who
- "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" by James Brown
- "November Rain" by Guns N' Roses
- "What'd I Say" by Ray Charles
- "Black" by Pearl Jam
- "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin
- "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who
- "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles
- "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd
- "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2
- "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson
- "Sympathy For The Devil" by The Rolling Stones
- "Yesterday" by The Beatles
- "Light My Fire" by The Doors
- "Every Breath You Take" by The Police
- "Purple Rain" by Prince
- "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley & The Wailers
- "The End Of The Innocence" by Don Henley
- "A Day In The Life" by The Beatles
- "The Last Resort" by The Eagles
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
- "Sultans Of Swing" by Dire Straits
- "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
- "Bo Diddley" by Bo Diddley
- "In My Life" by The Beatles
- "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye
- "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones
- "With Or Without You" by U2
- "The End" by The Doors
- "Somebody To Love" by Jefferson Airplane
- "London Calling" by The Clash
- "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel
- "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen
- "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys
- "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen
- "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" by Otis Redding
- "My Generation" by The Who
- "Running On Empty" by Jackson Browne
- "Sunset Grill" by Don Henley
- "That'll Be The Day" by Buddy Holly and The Crickets
- "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
- "Respect" by Aretha Franklin
- "Time" by Pink Floyd
- "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Cream
- "Dream On" by Aerosmith
- "I Got You (I Feel Good)" by James Brown
- "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley & The Wailers
- "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty
- "The Weight" by The Band
- "Jesus Christ Pose" by Soundgarden
- "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
- "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses
- "I Can't Tell You Why" by The Eagles
- "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang
- "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" by The Beatles
- "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley
- "The Tracks Of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
- "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac
- "White Room" by Cream
- "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys
- "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks
- "Purple Haze" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- "Fire And Rain" by James Taylor
- "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.
- "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder
- "The Boxer" by Simon and Garkunkel
- "Smoke On The Water" by Deep Purple
- "American Pie" by Don McLean
- "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield
- "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green
- "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and The Papas
- "Love Reign O'er Me" by The Who
- "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane
- "Desolation Row" by Bob Dylan
- "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos" by Public Enemy
- "House Of The Rising Sun" by The Animals
- "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath
- "Achilles Last Stand" by Led Zeppelin
- "Lose Yourself" by Eminem
- "Desperado" by The Eagles
- "Summertime Blues" by Eddie Cochran
- "Anarchy In The U.K." by The Sex Pistols
- "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin
- "Tears In Heaven" by Eric Clapton
- "Come Together" by The Beatles
- "Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds
- "Stayin' Alive" by The Bee Gees
- "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan
- "Shake, Rattle & Roll" by Big Joe Turner
- "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones
- "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic
- "Touch Me" by The Doors
- "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan
- "Something" by The Beatles
- "Rocket Man" by Elton John
- "Aja" by Steely Dan
- "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd
- "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers
- "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers Band
- "Heartbreaker" by Led Zeppelin
- "New Year's Day" by U2
- "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley
- "Walk This Way" by Run DMC
- "Hallowed Be Thy Name" by Iron Maiden
- "I Fought The Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four
- "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam
- "Roadhouse Blues" by The Doors
- "Here Comes The Sun" by The Beatles
- "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations
- "Waterloo Sunset" by The Kinks
- "Wake Up" by Rage Against The Machine
- "Jungleland" by Bruce Springsteen
- "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
- "School Days" by Chuck Berry
- "Back In Black" by AC/DC
- "One Of These Nights" by The Eagles
- "Everyday People" by Sly and The Family Stone
- "La Grange" by ZZ Top
- "I Can't Explain" by The Who
- "Green Onions" by Booker T. & the MG's
- "When Doves Cry" by Prince
- "The Thrill Is Gone" by B.B. King
- "Stan" by Eminem
- "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley
- "Yellow Ledbetter" by Pearl Jam
- "Street Fighting Man" by The Rolling Stones
- "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King
- "Nights In White Satin" by The Moody Blues
- "Money" by Pink Floyd
- "Piano Man" by Billy Joel
- "Boom Boom" by John Lee Hooker
- "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin
- "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles
- "Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino
- "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard
- "Roundabout" by Yes
- "California Love" by 2Pac and Dr. Dre
- "I Can See For Miles" by The Who
- "Born In The U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen
- "All Apologies" by Nirvana
- "My Girl" by The Temptations
- "Little Wing" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- "In The Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett
- "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode
- "Reach Out I'll Be There" by The Four Tops
- "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley
- "The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff
- "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac
- "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones
- "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica
- "Bennie And The Jets" by Elton John
- "Dancing In The Street" by Martha & The Vandellas
- "Can't Buy Me Love" by The Beatles
- "Heart Of Gold" by Neil Young
- "Pictures Of You" by The Cure
- "Get Up Stand Up" by The Wailers
- "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison
- "The Sound Of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel
- "Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin
- "Marquee Moon" by Television
- "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby & The Range
- "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy
- "Talk Shows On Mute" by Incubus
- "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones
- "Do You Feel Like We Do" by Peter Frampton
- "Bulls On Parade" by Rage Against The Machine
- "Dancing In The Dark" by Bruce Springsteen
- "Money For Nothing" by Dire Straits
- "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison
- "Under The Bridge" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers
- "Ziggy Stardust" by David Bowie
- "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles
- "Foxey Lady" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead
- "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry
- "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears For Fears
- "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" by The Clash
- "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)" by Pink Floyd
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