The 100 Greatest Rock Songs Ever: #'s 100-81
Mar 02 '03 (Updated Aug 31 '05)
The Bottom Line N/A
Well, for those that missed it, I am putting together a list of what I feel to be the 100 greatest rock songs ever. See how that says "rock" songs? That means certain artists aren't eligible for this list. I'm sorry if this p*sses you off, but it's my column and I'll make the damn rules, ok?
Also, I'll say it one more time: Stairway isn't on this list, neither is Teen Spirit...why? Because they aren't one of the 100 best rock songs ever...that's why!
On to the list:
100.KISS: Detroit Rock City: DRC is classic Kiss...simple rock lyrics, good guitar riffing, and one of the most memorable basslines ever written in rock history.
99.Marshall Tucker Band: Take The Highway: Some may question how much this truly belongs, given the fact that it has a reed solo. But anyone who's heard this yearning, soulful anthem will agree that it has earned it's spot on this list.
98.Tom Petty: You Wreck Me: You Wreck Me, released in 1994, harkens back to a simpler time in rock and roll, where simple beats and power chords could create what is quite simply, a rousing anthem.
97.Guns N Roses: November Rain: It's not often that an 8 minute epic becomes a band's biggest hit. But such was the case with GNR and November Rain. I've always felt this song was over-rated...it is certainly a great song, but I don't think it's top 50 material.
96.Led Zeppelin: In the Evening: Long one of my absolute favorite Zeppelin songs, In the Evening begins kind of dark and mysteriously, and then crashes into something that's a lot more "classic Zeppelin" in tone. I love the guitar riff and the use of the other instruments which help give this tune an otherworldly feel.
95.Styx: Come Sail Away: Yeah, I know, the Eric Cartman version is better too, but I need to try and keep this somewhat serious. Anyways, this song has it all...great vocals, nice harmonies, and playing that is excellent all around.
94.Elvis Presley Can't Help Falling in Love: This is the only Elvis song on the list, which some might see as blasphemy, but whatever. This has long been my favorite Elvis song, if for nothing else I feel it's probably the best he sounded in terms of truly "fitting" a song vocally.
93.Rage Against the Machine: Killing In the Name: Hearing this song for the first time was a lot like hearing Public Enemy for the first time. You knew it was urgent, you knew it was controversial, but you knew it would be big. Definitely the pre-eminent RATM song.
92.Bon Jovi: Livin on a Prayer: There are certain songs that just fit a time so perfectly, you can't help but appreciate them. This is definitely one of those. While Bon Jovi has been written off a million times, the fact is is that this song is perhaps one of the four or five best songs of the 1980s.
91.Cheap Trick: Surrender: An unbelievably good rock song this is, with perhaps one of the most classic rock and roll lyrics ever: "Mommy's alright, daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird." Indeed they do.
90.Rolling Stones: Ruby Tuesday: Definitely my favorite Stones song, even though I know it's not their best. In fact, I've always thought that the Stones ballads were better in many ways than their upbeat rock songs, especially stuff like Brown Sugar and Jumpin Jack Flash.
89.Queen: Hammer to Fall: I honestly think this has some of guitarist Brian May's best work, in terms of just him being able to show off a bit. It's certainly an under-rated song by a band that had so many great ones.
88.Jane's Addiction: Stop: There's something so primal, so urgent, about this song. I love it's energy, and it's definitely one of the most influential songs of the last 15 years or so.
87.The Who: My Generation: Another song that I think gets placed way too high on these lists...but I definitely feel it belongs here. Thanks to John Entwistle, the bass solo became something that could actually be done. Perhaps no song has done as much for bass playing as this one has.
86.U2: With or Without You: What else can be said about this song? It's probably one of the two or three best songs to come out of the 1980s, and it remains just as inspirational and hopeful now as it did then.
85.Norman Greenbaum: Spirit in the Sky: This might make some people shake their heads, but the fact is is that I absolutely ADORE this song to death. I don't know why, but it's just fun to me. That guitar, the chorus, everything about it is to die for.
84.R.E.M.: It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine): Probably the silliest number on my list, this rapid fire poppish rock song is probably the band's best loved. You can almost see the smile on Michael Stipe's face as he sings it.
83.Pearl Jam: Black: Perhaps the greatest breakup song ever written, Black is plain and simply, haunting. Nearly everyone who has heard it loves it, because nearly everyone can relate to that one special line: I know you'll be a star in somebody's else's sky, but why can't it be mine?
82.Neil Young: Cinammon Girl: I'm not a big Neil Young fan, as I feel he's always been extremely over-rated in terms of how good he truly is. He's DEFINIATELY an over-rated guitar player. But Cinammon Girl is just a perfect piece of pop rock heaven, and it deserves its spot on this list, if not a bit higher.
81.The Clash: Clampdown: In terms of albums, the Clash's London Calling may be the best ever recorded. Clampdown has a great hook to it, and even more importantly than that, the band MAKES it feel like it's an important song.
THE LIST:
Songs 100-81
Songs 80-61
Songs 60-41
Songs 40-21
Songs 20-1
Related Reviews:
The Fifty Greatest Rock Albums of the 1990s Part One: #'s 50-41
The Fifty Greatest Rock Albums of the 1990s Part Two: #'s 40-31
The Fifty Greatest Rock Albums of the 1990s Part Three: #'s 30-21
The Fifty Greatest Rock Albums of the 1990s Part Four: #'s 20-11
The Fifty Greatest Rock Albums of the 1990s Part Five: #'s 10-1
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