Soon to evolve into a List of The Best Rock Songs of All Time
I wanted to make a list of all the songs I want to own, so I could go out and buy them. I do, of course already own some of them. I have bought them on Audio Cassette and CD/DVDs. I began purchasing on iTunes too, but somehow my buying there was too haphazard. Hence the list.
Incidentally, I have listened to many on this list first on a Record Player (most of you don’t remember that gadget, do you?).
I also wanted to share them with my two boys (and perhaps their friends) so that they would have a list to refer to when want to explore really great music that has stood the test of time. And who knows, listening to these might keep them away from that Heavy/Death Metal crap (Not Music in my book). Of course, they already listen to a lot of what’s on this list so I know they have good taste. But to me it’s important that I tell them what I loved – whether they end up liking it or not.
I do want to share with my friends, so they can give me suggestions and fill out the list. This is a work-in-progress (I may have forgotten some obvious ones) so feel free.
Of course the most important part of making this list is pursuing a labor of love. Looking for, and then listening to the music brought back some great memories and is an unimaginably enjoyable task. The joy of rediscovering the Moody Blues for example was a skin-tingling rush that left me with a s**t-faced grin for at least a couple of days!
The criteria I have used to select these and also to rank them are pretty tight, but at the same time very personal. I didn’t include breakaways like George Harrison and Neil Young explicitly; I think listing their band will be enough to remind me to include their best work.
Now, the criteria. First, I decided I was going to only include those songs I had listened to – or at least remembered listening to. (The 70s and 8os are a little hazy
). I have ranked them by how much I loved at least one of their songs – that’s why Kansas and Robert Palmer are so high up in the list (Dust in the Wind and Addicted to Love). Some are just one hit/one album wonders (Natalie Cole/Don McLean) but still worth including. Some, like Dylan (can you find him?) just barely made it to the list – I like a couple of his songs now, but pretty much disliked him when I was in college (sorry Nikki). Same goes for Michael Jackson.
I plan to make separate lists for other genres I like including Blues, Classical and Gospel, and even Hindi Music. But this list is about Rock ‘N Roll, consistently my favorite genre. I connect to Rock ‘N Roll at a deep, emotional place and so this is my Ventus Album or Dilectus Album (Favorite List or Beloved List in Latin). Ultimately, I will also list the songs I liked against each band, but this is a start.
Anyway, take a look and let me know what you think. Love to hear from you! If you suggest a band, please make sure to say which song would help add them to this list. If you can, please send links to where I can listen (legally) to that song/band.
- Beatles
- Led Zeppelin
- Traveling Wilburys
- Robert Palmer
- Jefferson Airplane
- The Moody Blues
- Police
- Simon & Garfunkel
- Eric Clapton
- Cream
- Bread
- Blind Faith
- Credence Clearwater Revival
- Fleetwood Mac
- America
- Eagles
- Country Joe and the Fish
- Muddy Waters
- Kansas
- Reginald Dwight ()
- Pink Floyd
- Paul Simon
- The Alan Parsons Project
- Rolling Stones
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- Supertramp
- Joe Cocker
- Don McLean
- Jackson Browne
- Buddy Holly
- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
- Crosby, Stills Nash & Young
- Steppenwolf
- The Who
- The Guess Who
- Traffic
- John Mellencamp
- Natalie Cole
- Foreigner
- Chicago
- ZZ Top
- Dire Straits
- The Allman Brothers
- Deep Purple
- The Doors
- Sugarloaf
- War
- Loggins & Messina
- John Denver
- The Drifters
- Steve Winwood
- B. King
- Ray Charles
- David Bowie
- Talking Heads
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Iron Butterfly
- The Beach Boys
- Phil Collins
- U2
- Uriah Heep
- Jimi Hendrix
- Bob Seger
- Boy George
- BeeGees
- Robert Allen Zimmerman ()
- Jethro Tull
- Santana
- ABBA
- Billy Joel
- <—Bryan Adams
- Carole King
- Cindi Lauper
- Elvis Presley
- Michael Jackson
- Eurythmics
- Three Dog Night
- Bruce Springsteen
- Kenny G
Here are some I definitely will not include, even though people call them “important” (meaning they owe then a mention even though they are crappy) or “well-known” (yeah, for their tattoos, not their music): Depeche Mode (their name was their best creation), Def Leppard, Metallica, Prince, Kiss and a lot of the 80s bands that are barely musical.
Update: How could I forget Clapton and Bread! Thanx for the reminder…
Update 2: Also remembered Cream (White Room, Strange Brew, Sunshine of your Love) and Blind Faith. Removed Nat King Cole – he belongs in Blues. Still conflicted about Ray Charles.
Update 3: Thanx to friends who reminded me of Steppenwolf and Joe Cocker. Also suggested were REM and Aerosmith, but I was never a fan – still I am considering them. Also under consideration, and more likely are the Kinks and the Monkees, but a little too Teenybopperish, na?
Update 4: Bryan Adams for Summer of ’69! The Guess Who! And Sugarloaf. And who can forget Country Joe and the Fish (and by the way, if you don’t have the Woodstock Album, you got nothing baby!)
Update 5: Iron Butterfly is in! And the long forgotten Loggins & Messina. I am trying hard to keep out the Grateful Dead, despite pressure from friends! 🙂
= Messing with people…who don’t know these greats!