My friend and coworker Steve Mays and I were talking the other day about the top 100 rock songs of all time. It seems that an author he was reading had somehow woven that theme into a great novel.
The author is John Sandford and here is HIS list for the top one hundred of all time http://www.johnsandford.org/prey16x1.html
That got me thinking about the so called top 100 rock songs of all time. A very very subjective subject. Now, after having been in rock radio since 1976, I think I can weigh in on this subject. So, while driving across Nebraska today, I got to think about the various research and whatnot that goes on in classic rock. So, taking into account...times played on the radio...what a song meant to us(the boomers), and familiarity of the song, here we go.
Now this isn't MY top 100 (I will post that later)let's just say, these are the most familiar songs of our generation....ranked somewhat in order..Jessie, did you read the last sentence? It said this is NOT my top 100 but only what I have observed in the radio business. I will post mine later...OK, Jess?
1. "Hey Jude"-Beatles
2. "Satisfaction"-Rolling Stones
3. "Like A Rolling Stone"-Bob Dylan
4. "Layla"-Derek and the Dominoes
5. "Won't Get Fooled Again"-the Who
6. "Carry On Wayward Son"-Kansas
7. "LaGrange"-ZZ Top
8. "Good Vibrations"-Beach Boys
9. "Purple Haze"-Jimi Hendrix
10."Born To Run"-Bruce Springsteen
11."Hotel California"-the Eagles
12."Brown Sugar"-Rolling Stones
13."Bohemian Rhapsody"-Queen"
14."Stairway To Heaven"-Led Zeppelin
15."Whiter Shade of Pale"-Procul Harum
16."A Day In The Life"-the Beatles
17."Free Bird"-Lynyrd Skynyrd
18."Light My Fire"-The Doors
19."Black Water"-The Doobie Bros.
20."American Pie"-Don Mclean
21."Walk This Way-Aerosmith
22."Suite Judy Blue Eyes"-CSN
23."Black Magic Woman"-Santana
24."Sweet Emotion"-Aerosmith
25."More Than A Feeling"-Boston
26."Money"-Pink Floyd
27."We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions"-Queen
28."Sweet Home Alabama"-Lynyrd Skynyrd
29."Smoke On The Water"-Deep Purple
30."Welcome to the Jungle"-Guns and Roses
31."Maggie Mae"-Rod Stewart
32."Nights In White Satin"-Moody Blues
33."Born To Be Wild-Steppenwolf
34."Start Me Up"-The Rolling Stones
35."Superstition"-Stevie Wonder
36."Baba OReilly"-The Who
37."Another Brick In The Wall"-Pink Floyd
38."Imagine"-John Lennon
39."Hey Joe"-Jimi Hendrix
40."Reelin In The Years"-Steely Dan
41."China Grove"-The Doobie Bros.
42."Somebody to Love"-Jefferson Airplane
43."Every Breath You Take"-the Police
44."House Of The Rising Sun"-The Animals
45."That's All Right Mama"-Elvis Presley
46."Sweet Child of Mine"-GunsnRoses
47."God Only Knows"-Beach Boys
48."Dust In The Wind"-Kansas
49."Brown Eyed Girl"-Van Morrison
50."Inna Godda Da Vida"-Iron Butterfly
51."Piece of My Heart"-Janis Joplin
52."Listen To The Music"-The Doobie Bros.
53."Whole Lotta Love"-Led Zeppelin
54."Jumpin Jack Flash"-Rolling Stones
55."Thunder Road"-Bruce Springsteen
56."Proud Mary"-CCR
57."Maybe I'm Amazed"-Paul McCartney
58."California Dreaming"-Mamas and Papas
59."Roundabout"-Yes
60."Magic Carpet Ride"-Steppenwolf
61."We're An American Band"-Grand Funk
62."For What Its Worth"-Buffalo Springfield
63."Moondance"-Van Morrison
64."American Woman"-The Guess Who
65."Purple Rain"-Prince
66."Night Moves"-Bob Seger
67."Ramblin Man"-Allman Brothers
68."Radar Love"-Golden Earring
69."Honky Tonk Women"The Rolling Stones
70."Money For Nothing"-Dire Straits
71."Piano Man"-Billy Joel
72."Black Dog"-Led Zeppelin
73."Crazy On You"-Heart
74."You Really Got Me"-the Kinks
75."Tom Sawyer"-Rush
76."Riding The Storm Out"-REO Speedwagon"
77."Sharp Dressed Man"-ZZ Top
78."Truckin"-Grateful Dead
79."Positively 4th Street"-Bob Dylan
80."Space Oddity"-David Bowie
81."Jack And Diane"-John Mellencamp
82."Bad To The Bone"-Geo Thorogood
83."I Wanna Be Sedated"-The Ramones
84."Ohio"-CSNY
85."Rock the Casbah"-The Clash
86."Burning Down The House"-Talking Heads
87."Turn The Page"-Bob Seger
88."Iron Man"-Black Sabbath
89."Rock and Roll"-Led Zeppelin
90."Long Cool Woman(In A Black Dress)"-The Hollies
91."You Shook Me All Night Long"-AC/DC
92."Strawberry Fields Forever"-Beatles
93."You Can't Always Get What You Want"- The Rolling Stones
94."I Love Rock and Roll"-Joan Jett
95."Roxanne"-The Police
96."Back In Black"-AC/DC
97."Closer To Home/I'm Your Captain"-Grand Funk
98."Refugee"-Tom Petty
99."Don't Be Cruel"-Elvis Presley
100"Riders On The Storm"-The Doors
This list will change...I will add and subtract. Thanks for your input...
4 comments:
Ok, dad. I agree with most of them, but seriously..."Rock the Casbah" is before "I love rock and roll" and "Roxanne"? And "Riders on the storm" is #100?!?!? Wow.
Oh, and wheres "Me and Bobby McGee"? Well, I suppose you can count that one as country, but still. It should have appeared on the list somewhere. A few others that should have made an appearence:
Hello...."IMAGINE"!!!! Where is it?! No Johnny Cash? "I walk the line"? WTF?
Hows about some Ray Charles, Bob Marley or Little Richard? Oh, and seriously...a list with NO ELVIS? Dad...Im ashamed.
I hate to say it, but you've got a list full of old white guys in recovery. Oh well...its only rock and roll.
Jess
Ah...yes, she is my duaghter. I thought "Imagine" was on there. I will have to fix it. "Bobby McGee" was #101
yeah yeah yeah. I read the last sentence. I just thought that a lot of those suggestions of mine should be on ANY list. I dont know...no Elvis? Even I know better.
Thats all right mama (or dad in this case).
Daughter ,daughter...you should know better that to mess wit me. The very last line says it all, now you are happy, correct?
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