I have updated this list and expanded it to 200. You can look at it here: http://www.squidoo.com/200songs/ This
lens is a list of what I think are the 100 greatest songs of all time.
There is no doubt that you won't entirely agree. This just happens to
be opinion. Feedback from my list is usually very positive. Also
understand how difficult it is to come up with a list like this.
Any song
is eligible for this list, but this list mostly consists of rock and
roll. A list that greatly influenced my list is Rolling Stone's 500
Greatest Songs list (I have everysong on my iPod). I don't quite agree
with their selections, however, which are mostly from the '50s and '60s
and aren't exactly timeless. What I'm getting at is that a teenager who
has never heard those songs before won't like them.
As you undoubtedly know, music today (for the most part) sucks. This stems from the fact that music hasn't progressed at all since the Beatles. How do I know this? Because when I was 15 I heard the Beatles' 1 CD, consisting of music made four decades ago, for the first time and absolutely loved it. Their music is entirely listenable because it isn't really different than the music I was used to. It was just better.
Therefore I like to say that my list consists of music
"Beatles and beyond." There are a few here and there from before 1963,
but not many. This list would be more appropriately titled the "100
most timeless songs of all time" since almost everysong was made before
I was born. I have no idea how the world took in "Be My Baby" by the
Ronettes in 1963 because I wasn't around, but #22 on Rolling Stone's
list? People will always say "you can't know how great asong is unless you were there," but I think it is a greater testament to a song's value if it can stand the test of time to have the same effect on a teenager in 2006 as it had on a teenager in 1976.
The songs are presented from least to greatest, meaning that I'll start with #100 and count down to #1.
#100: "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Released as a single in 1970
More than anything else, I love what this song
is about: the Kent State University shootings on May 4, 1970. The Kent
State students were protesting America's invasion of Cambodia and the
Vietnam War in general when the Ohio National Guard shot four students
and wounded nine others.
Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio
Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?
#99: "Born In The U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen
From the 1984 album Born In The U.S.A.
There is a severe misconception about "Born in the U.S.A." It's a protest song (with specific references to Vietnam), not some nationalistic anthem.
Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man
I had a brother at Khe Sahn fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a woman he loved in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms now
#98: "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers Band
From the 1969 album The Allman Brothers Band
"Good lord, I feel like I'm dyin'."
It's right after this line that my favorite part of "Whipping Post" begins. The bluesy
guitar riff combines with the awesome bass riff, and you're forced to settle in for a classic Allman Bros. jam.
I'm
not really a fan of Southern stuff, but I love the Allman Bros. It's
too bad guitarist Duane Allman died in 1971 of a motorcycle accident
just months after the release of their great live album At Fillmore
East.
#97: "Back In Black" by AC/DC
From the 1980 album Back In Black
This song is all about its legendary guitar riff. After the death of AC/DC singer Bon Scott in early 1980, he was replaced by Brian Johnson. "Back In Black," the first song recorded after Scott's death, served as an announcement that the band wasn't over despite the loss of their former lead singer.
Back in black, I hit the sack,
I've been too long, I'm glad to be back
Yes I'm let loose from the noose,
That's kept me hangin' about
I been livin like a star 'cause it's gettin' me high,
Forget the hearse, 'cause I never die
I got nine lives, cat's eyes
abusing every one of them and running wild
#96: "Sympathy For The Devil" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1968 album Beggar's Banquet
"Sympathy
For The Devil" perfectly epitomizes how lyrically talented the Rolling
Stones can be. The problem is that their lyrical talent often gets
overshadowed by the "shock value" of their live shows, during which
Mick Jagger runs wild around the stage and shouts unintelligible words.
In "Sympathy For The Devil," they actually have something to say, as
Jagger runs through the horrible atrocities mankind has committed and
makes you realize that "the devil" is really just the collective
maliciousness that humans display.
Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith
And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game
I stuck around St. Petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain
I rode a tank
Held a general's rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made
I shouted out,
Who killed the Kennedys?
When after all
It was you and me
#95: "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam
From the 1991 album Ten
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.
At home, drawing pictures of mountain tops
With him on top lemon yellow sun, arms raised in a v
And the dead lay in pools of maroon below
Daddy didn't give attention
Oh, to the fact that mommy didn't care
King Jeremy the wicked...oh, ruled his world...
Jeremy spoke in class today...
Clearly I remember pickin' on the boy
Seemed a harmless little fuck
Ooh, but we unleashed a lion...
Gnashed his teeth and bit the recess lady's breast...
How can I forget?
And he hit me with a surprise left
My jaw left hurtin'...ooh, dropped wide open
Just like the day...oh, like the day I heard
Daddy didn't give affection, no...
And the boy was something that mommy wouldn't wear
King Jeremy the wicked...oh, ruled his world
Jeremy spoke in class today...
Try to forget this...try to forget this...
Try to erase this...try to erase this...
from the blackboard...
#94: "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan
Released as a single in 1973
It appears that Bob Dylan can actually
sing every once in a while. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" has been
covered by about two dozen notable artists, but the greatest has to go
to the original.
Mama, take this badge off of me
I can't use it anymore.
It's gettin' dark, too dark for me to see
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door
Mama, put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore.
That long black cloud is comin' down
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.
#93: "Get Up Stand Up" by Bob Marley
From the 1973 album Burnin'
Bob Marley was diagnosed with malignant melanoma (skin cancer) in 1977. "Get Up Stand Up" is the last song
Marley ever performed on September 23, 1980 in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. After the show Marley decided to fly to Germany in order
to receive treatment, but the cancer had already progressed to the
terminal stage. He died on May 11, 1981.
Preacherman, don't tell me
Heaven is under the earth
I know you don't know
What life is really worth
It's not all that glitters is gold
'alf the story has never been told
So now you see the light
Stand up for your rights
Most people think
Great God will come from the skies
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high
But if you know what life is worth
You will look for yours on earth
And now you see the light
You stand up for your rights
#92: "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison
From the 1970 album All Things Must Pass
It
was typical that Harrison would write 2-3 songs per Beatles album and
Lennon or McCartney would write the rest. There is speculation that
Lennon and McCartney only allowed Harrison to include a few on each
album. As a result, Harrison's first album after the breakup of the
Beatles was a triple album (the third one being a jam session) and was
well-received. "My Sweet Lord" is probably Harrison's most well-known
solosong, and is about God. Harrison had to surrender most of the money made from the song for unintentionally plagiarizing the Chiffons' song "He's So Fine."
#91: "Under The Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
From the 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik
The
Chili Peppers were around in the '80s, but were fairly irrelevant.
"Under The Bridge," a song about Anthony Kiedis's drug use, put them on
the mainstream map.
Sometimes I feel
Like I don't have a partner
Sometimes I feel
Like my only friend
Is the city I live in
The city of angels
Lonely as I am
Together we cry
I don't ever want to feel
Like I did that day
Take me to the place I love
Take me all the way
Under the bridge downtown
Is where I drew some blood
Under the bridge downtown
I could not get enough
Under the bridge downtown
Forgot about my love
Under the bridge downtown
I gave my life away
#90: "Roundabout" by Yes
From the 1971 album Fragile
I
just love how this song starts with such a comforting acoustic guitar,
then moves to a great bass performance, then into a great guitar riff,
then into everything at once. It also happens to be eight and a half
minutes in length.
Along the drifting cloud the eagle searching
Down on the land
Catching the swirling wind the sailor sees
The rim of the land
The eagle's dancing wings create as weather
Spins out of hand
Go closer hold the land feel partly no more
Than grains of sand
We stand to lose all time a thousand answers
By in our hand
Next to your deeper fears we stand
Surrounded by a million years
#89: "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations
From the 1972 album All Directions
"Papa
Was A Rollin' Stone"'s slow bass riff makes the song adds to the song's
sound very distinctive and fresh. I know this doesn't make any sense
because it was made more than thirty years ago, but somehow that's how
this song sounds to me.
It was the third of September
That day I'll always remember, yes I will
'Cause that was the day that my daddy died
I never got a chance to see him
Never heard nothing but bad things about him
Mama, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth
And Mama just hung her head and said
"Son, Papa was a rolling stone
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
(And when he died) All he left us was a loan"
Hey Mama, is it true what they say
that Papa never worked a day in his life?
And Mama, some bad talk going around town
saying that Papa had three outside children and another wife
And that ain't right
Hey, talk about Papa doing some store front preaching
Talked about saving souls and all the time leeching
Dealing in debt and stealing in the name of the Lord
Mama just hung her head and said
"Papa was a rolling stone, my son
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
(And when he died) All he left us was a loan"
Hey Mama, I heard Papa called himself a jack of all trades
Tell me is that what sent Papa to an early grave?
Folks say Papa would beg, borrow, steal to pay his bills
Hey Mama, folks say that Papa was never much on thinking
Spent most of his time chasing women and drinking
Mama, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth
And Mama looked up with a tear in her eye and said
"Son, Papa was a rolling stone (Well, well, well, well)
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
(And when he died) All he left us was a loan"
#88: "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
From the 1969 album Willy And The Poor Boys
"Fortunate
Son" adheres to the classic CCR formula of being short and undeniably
sweet. When the guitar kicks in shortly after the song begins, you know
that it's the start of something great. Rolling Stone ranked "Fortunate
Son" higher than any other CCR song at #99 on their list, but I still
think they have a couple that are better.
Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Ooh, they're red, white and blue
And when the band plays hail to the chief
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, lord
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, lord
And when you ask them, how much should we give?
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more!
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one
#87: "The Long And Winding Road" by The Beatles
From the 1970 album Let It Be
I've
always liked the fact that a full orchestra is featured in "The Long
And Winding Road," but apparently that was one of the primary reasons
Paul McCartney wanted the Beatles to be officially broken up. The
orchestra was overdubbed by legendary producer Phil Spector over the
original song, which merely consisted of McCartney's piano and Lennon's
poorly played bass (McCartney was the usual bassist). Obviously,
McCartney was greatly angered that the orchestra was overdubbed without
his consent.
The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me her
Lead me to your door
The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way
#86: "Heart Of Gold" by Neil Young
From the 1972 album Harvest
I
just love the acoustic guitar in "Heart Of Gold". Everything -
harmonica, guitar, vocals, lyrics - comes together nicely. "Heart Of
Gold put me in the middle of the road. Travelling there soon became a
bore so I headed for the ditch. A rougher ride but I saw more
interesting people there."
I want to live
I want to give
I've been a miner for a heart of gold
It's these expressions I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
I've been to Hollywood
I've been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold
I've been in my mind, it's such a fine line
That keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
#85: "What'd I Say" by Ray Charles
Released as a single in 1959
"What'd I Say" is the signature Ray
Charles song. That moaning and groaning Ray does toward the end of the
song? Well, those are sexual noises.
#84: "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan
From the 1976 album Desire
Remember
that one Denzel Washington movie from 1999 called "The Hurricane"? This
is what Dylan's song is about, except he wrote it in 1975 as the boxer
Rubin Carter (nicknamed the Hurricane) was falsely convicted of triple
homicide for a second time.
The murders actually took place in
1966, and Carter had served ten years in prison before he was granted a
new trial in 1976 after Dylan rallied support for him by writing
"Hurricane." Carter was once again found guilty and was sentenced on
February 9, 1976. Dylan has not performed the song since January 25,
1976. Carter was released on parole in 1985.
All of Rubin's cards were marked in advance
The trial was a pig-circus, he never had a chance
The judge made Rubin's witnesses drunkards from the slums
To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum
And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger
And though they could not produce the gun
The D.A. said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed
Rubin Carter was falsely tried
The crime was murder one, guess who testified?
Bello and Bradley and they both badly lied
And the newspapers, they all went along for the ride
How can the life of such a man
Be in the palm of some fool's hand?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game
Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties
Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise
While rubin sits like buddha in a ten-foot cell
An innocent man in a living hell
That's the story of the Hurricane
But it won't be over till they clear his name
And give him back the time he's done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world
#83: "California Love" by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre
From the 1996 album All Eyez On Me
It
wasn't until playing the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that
I realized "California Love" was adapted from Joe Cocker's song "Woman
To Woman", which appears in the game. Dr. Dre was the one primarily
responsible for writing the song, and he presented it to 2Pac upon his
release from prison in 1995.
#82: "Fire And Rain" by James Taylor
From the 1970 album Sweet Baby James
How
soothing is "Fire and Rain"? It's quiet acoustic guitar launched
Taylor's career and gave birth to the singer-songwriter genre.
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again
#81: "Do You Feel Like We Do" by Peter Frampton
From the 1976 album Frampton Comes Alive
No
doubt the most memorable aspect of this song is its length, a shocking
14 minutes. The running joke among classic rock DJs is that they play
"Do You Feel Like We Do" whenever they need to use the bathroom. Let's
hope that they play the song for more than just a nice break, as
there's really only one word to describe it: classic.
#80: "Rocket Man" by Elton John
From the 1972 album Honky Chateau
Is
it possible to not like "Rocket Man"? This is a classic Elton song if
there ever was one. It's actually based on the short story of the same
name in Ray Bradbury's book The Illustrated Man.
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
Till touchdown brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
#79: "Tears In Heaven" by Eric Clapton
From the 1992 album Unplugged
Clapton wrote this song after his 4-year-old son Conor died by falling out a 53rd story window in New York City.
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
Beyond the door
There's peace I'm sure
And I know there'll be no more
Tears in heaven
#78: "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley
Released as a single in 1957
Rolling Stone puts "Hound Dog" and
"Heartbreak Hotel" in front of "Jailhouse Rock", but I disagree with
them. I think "Jailhouse Rock" is the definitive Elvis song.
The warden threw a party in the county jail
The prison band was there and they began to wail
The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing
You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin' to the jailhouse rock
#77: "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.
From the 1991 album Out Of Time
I
was fooled by the title of this song. To "lose your religion" is to
lose your temper. Apparently it's an expression used in the South. I've
never actually heard anyone use it in conversation.
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
#76: "Take It Easy" by The Eagles
From the 1972 album The Eagles
Jackson
Browne actually began writing "Take It Easy" but got stuck. He showed
it to the Eagles' Glenn Frey, who came up with the "It's a girl, my
lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me" line. Browne
thought the line was excellent and decided to say that he and Frey
co-wrote "Take It Easy." Both Browne and the Eagles have their own
version of it, but the Eagles' take is significantly better, as it
became their first single and one of their most definitive songs. It's
also the closest thing to country that I've ever liked.
#75: "Under Pressure" by Queen featuring David Bowie
From the 1982 album Hot Space
This
is probably more well-known as the song Vanilla Ice ripped off.
Nevertheless, it's still a great song, and Vanilla Ice ripped off the
bass guitar riff for good reason.
#74: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
From the 1991 album Nevermind
This
song is ranked #9 on Rolling Stone's list, and frankly I don't
understand why. Honestly, it isn't quite that good. It is the
definitive grunge song, and there hasn't been such a culture-changing
song since, but as for the song itself, it doesn't belong anywhere near
the top 10.
Load up on guns
Bring your friends
Its fun to lose
And to pretend
Shes overboard
Myself assured
I know I know
A dirty word
With the lights out its less dangerous
Here we are now
Entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now
Entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
#73: "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley
From the 1975 album Natty Dread
How
cool is this story? "Though Marley likely wrote the song himself,
songwriter credits were given to 'V. Ford'. Vincent Ford was a friend
of Marley's who ran a soup kitchen in Trenchtown, the ghetto of
Kingston, Jamaica where Marley grew up. The royalty checks received by
Ford ensured the survival and continual running of his soup kitchen." I
don't know of many people in the music business who have done something
like that.
'Cause - 'cause - 'cause I remember when a we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown
Oba - obaserving the 'ypocrites - yeah! -
Mingle with the good people we meet, yeah!
Good friends we have, oh, good friends we have lost
Along the way, yeah!
In this great future, you can't forget your past
So dry your tears, I seh. Yeah!
Said - said - said I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown, yeah!
And then Georgie would make the fire lights
I seh, logwood burnin' through the nights, yeah!
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge, say
Of which I'll share with you, yeah!
My feet is my only carriage
And so I've got to push on through
#72: "The Weight" by The Band
From the 1968 album Music From Big Pink
"The
Weight" is just one of those songs that you absentmindedly start
singing along to. It's lyrics, though usually glossed over because of
the absentminded singing, are actually quite interesting in that they
describe a purgatorial experience with numerous biblical allusions.
I pulled into Nazareth
I was feelin' about half past dead
I just need some place
Where I can lay my head
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand
And "No!" was all he said
Take a load off Fannie
Take a load for free
Take a load off Fannie
And you can put the load right on me
I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, let's go downtown"
She said, "I gotta go, but m'friend can stick around."
#71: "New Year's Day" by U2
From the 1983 album War
The
guitar solo near the end of the song is when "New Year's Day" just
comes together. The bass is great as well, and really coalesces with
the beat and guitar, along with Bono's moaning voice.
All is quiet on New Year's Day
A world in white gets underway
I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's Day
On New Year's Day
Under a blood red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspapers says, says
Say it's true it's true...
And we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one
And so we're told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage
Though I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes
On New Year's Day
#70: "Smoke On The Water" by Deep Purple
From the 1972 album Machine Head
"Smoke
On The Water" features the most famous guitar riff in history. It's
considered one of the best, but most describe it as being extremely
rudimentary. Does that matter? Of course not. It's still a hell of a
song.
#69: "Bennie And The Jets" by Elton John
From the 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
It
turns out this song isn't live at all. Producer Gus Dudgeon added
applause and audience sounds from previous Elton concerts after the
song had already been completed.
Say, candy and ronnie, have you seen them yet
But theyre so spaced out, bennie and the jets
Oh but theyre weird and theyre wonderful
Oh bennie shes really keen
Shes got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine
Bennie and the jets
#68: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1969 album Let It Bleed
Although
the use of London Bach Choir (a boys choir) is pretty cool, my favorite
part of the song is the horn that plays 55 seconds into the song right
after the acoustic guitar starts.
I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she was gonna meet her connection
At her feet was a footloose man
And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, were gonna vent our frustration
If we dont were gonna blow a 50-amp fuse
I went down to the chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standing in line with mr. jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill
We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to mr. jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was dead
I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands
#67: "Dancing In The Dark" by Bruce Springsteen
From the 1984 album Born In The U.S.A.
I
find "Dancing In The Dark" to be somewhat irresistable due to its beat
and use of synthesizers. The saxophone solo at the end seals the deal.
You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
#66: "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses
From the 1987 album Appetite For Destruction
"Sweet Child O' Mine" is about Axl Rose's girlfriend Erin Everly, whom he married in 1990. Their marriage was annulled in 1991.
She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I'd stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry
She's got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
Where as a child I'd hide
And pray for the thunder
And the rain
To quietly pass me by
#65: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd
From the 2001 album Echoes: The Best Of Pink Floyd
I
realize that "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was originally on the Wish
You Were Here album, but it was split into two tracks that bookended
the album. I simply didn't want to combine both tracks (which would be
26 minutes and 5 seconds) into one entry on the list. Luckily, the
Echoes version is edited down to one 17 minute track, so this is the
version I'm putting on the list.
#64: "The Last Resort" by The Eagles
From the 1976 album Hotel California
The
finale of the Hotel California album features orchestral brilliance in
addition to describing the end result of manifest destiny and the
American dream.
Who will provide the grand design?
What is yours and what is mine?
'Cause there is no more new frontier
We have got to make it here
We satisfy our endless needs and
justify our bloody deeds,
in the name of destiny and the name of God
And you can see them there,
On Sunday morning
They stand up and sing about
what it's like up there
They call it paradise
I don't know why
You call someplace paradise,
kiss it goodbye
#63: "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" by The Beatles
From the 1965 album Rubber Soul
That
strange instrument you hear throughout "Norwegian Wood" is a sitar
(played by George Harrison), a "Hindustani classical instrument."
Hindustani Classical Music originated in India 700-800 years ago.
Harrison played the sitar on a song on each of the Beatles next two
albums as well: "Love You To" on Revolver (1966) and "Within You
Without You" on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). Rubber
Soul marked an advancement by the Beatles in lyrical and instrumental
complexity, and "Norwegian Wood" is a perfect example of this.
I once had a girl, or should i say, she once had me
She showed me her room, isn't it good, Norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere
So i looked around and i noticed there wasn't a chair
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine
We talked until two and then she said, "it's time for bed"
She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh
I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath
And when i awoke i was alone, this bird had flown
So i lit a fire, isn't it good, Norwegian wood
#62: "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
From the 1971 album Who's Next
"Baba
O'Riley" suffers from people not knowing what it's called. Most people
refer to it as "Teenage Wasteland," which obviously is incorrect. The
song is one of the first to incorporate synthesizers, and also features
the unorthodox violin coda.
Out here in the fields
I fight for my meals
I get my back into my living
I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven
Don't cry
Don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland
#61: "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder
From the 1973 album Innervisions
"Higher
Ground" was covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1989, and this
version is probably more well known than Stevie Wonder's. However, I
hate the Chili Peppers' version. I think it does a major injustice to
the original, and this is coming from someone who highly respects the
Chili Peppers.
People keep on learnin'
Soldiers keep on warrin'
World keep on turnin'
Cause it won't be too long
Powers keep on lyin'
While your people keep on dyin'
World keep on turnin'
Cause it won't be too long
I'm so darn glad he let me try it again
Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on tryin'
Till I reach my highest ground
#60: "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
From the 1968 album Electric Ladyland
From
the moment "Voodoo Child" starts, you know you're in for a jam.
Hendrix's wah-wah guitar playing at the beginning explodes into an
awesome Hendrixesque riff. Hendrix started the song after a camera crew
was in the studio and wanted to record footage of him recording for his
upcoming album. Hendrix came up with the intro on the fly. It's hard to
tell whether Hendrix wrote any of the guitar part before recording it,
as his rampaging guitar throughout feels like more of a freestyle.
Well, I stand up next to a mountain
And I chop it down with the edge of my hand
Well, I pick up all the pieces and make an island
Might even raise a little sand
#59: "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen
From the 1975 album Born To Run
There
was a movie in 1958 called Thunder Road. Springsteen never saw the
movie, but says he was influenced by the poster. That doesn't make any
sense to me, but nevertheless I'm happy with the end result.
The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey, that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside, darling, you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty but, hey, you're alright
Oh, and that's alright with me
You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain
For a savior to rise from these streets
Well now, I ain't no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey, what else can we do now?
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well, the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks
Oh oh, come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
Oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey, I know it's late, we can make it if we run
Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road
#58: "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
From the 1982 album The Message
"The
Message" is the most important song in the history of hip-hop. It was
one of the earliest songs to describe the life of someone living in the
ghetto, which has since become a staple of a rap song. It's synthesizer
riff and beat have endlessly sampled over the years.
Don't push me 'cuz I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head
It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
#57: "I Got You (I Feel Good)" by James Brown
Released as a single in 1965
Undoubtedly people who wouldn't
consider themselves music fans are familiar with "I Got You (I Feel
Good)," the signature James Brown song. Some would disagree by
preferring "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "Get Up (I Feel Like A Sex
Machine)," or "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud," but I would go
with "I Got You (I Feel Good)" as the best James Brown song.
#56: "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica
From the 1991 album Metallica
I'm
not much of a Metallica fan, but I love "Nothing Else Matters," a
ballad void of their usual angst. The funny thing about this song is
that Metallica was accused of selling out because they made a song that
wasn't the pure thrash metal their fans had become accustomed to.
Personally I'd take "Nothing Else Matters" over "Enter Sandman" any day
of the week.
Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us, something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters
Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
And I know
So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters
#55: "London Calling" by The Clash
From the 1979 album London Calling
It
took me a little while to really appreciate this one, as I'm not much
of a fan of punk. A year ago it would have not made this list, but like
with so many other songs, "London Calling" requires a certain number of
listens until you really start to like it.
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running, but I have no fear
Cause London is burning and I live by the river
#54: "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac
From the 1977 album Rumours
"Go
Your Own Way" was written by guitarist Lindsey Buckingham about the end
of his relationship with fellow Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks.
Loving you
Isn't the right thing to do
How can I ever change things
That I feel
If I could
Maybe I'd give you my world
How can I
When you won't take it from me
#53: "Aja" by Steely Dan
From the 1977 album Aja
Steely
Dan tends to make songs that just sound good. That's certainly the case
with "Aja," an 8-minute jazz-rock ramble that features a saxophone solo
and an unbelievable drum performance.
#52: "Jesus Christ Pose" by Soundgarden
From the 1991 album Badmotorfinger
Evidently
this song isn't anti-Christian, but rather criticizes the way people
use the image of Jesus and the "Jesus Christ Pose" (being nailed to the
cross). After looking at the lyrics, I'm not quite sure what to think.
And you stare at me
In your Jesus Christ pose
Arms held out
Like you've been carrying a load
And you swear to me
You don't want to be my slave
But you're staring at me
Like I need to be saved
Arms held out
In your Jesus Christ pose
Thorns and shroud
Like it's the coming of the lord
And I swear to you
That I would never feed you pain
But you're staring at me
Like I'm driving the nails
And you stare at me
In your Jesus Christ pose
Arms held out like it's
The coming of the lord
And would it pay you more to walk on water
Than to wear a crown of thorns
It wouldn't pain me more to bury you rich
Than to bury you poor
#51: "Desperado" by The Eagles
From the 1973 album Desperado
Despite
it's popularity, "Desperado" was never released as a single. It's
popularity grew as a result of the Eagles' live performances, in which
"Desperado" was usually used to finish the show. Don Henley later
remarked that "Desperado" was the beginning of his songwriting
partnership with Glenn Frey, saying "that's when we became a team."
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're losin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you
You better let somebody love you
Before it's too late
#50: "Love Reign O'er Me" by The Who
From the 1973 album Quadrophenia
In
"Love Reign O'er Me," the final track of the double album rock opera
Quadrophenia, Roger Daltrey turns in the best vocal performance I've
ever heard. The synthesizer riff that can be heard at various points
throughout the album climaxes in it's full glory, as does the guitar
riff.
Only love
Can make it rain
The way the beach is kissed by the sea
Only love
Can make it rain
Like the sweat of lovers
Laying in the fields.
Only love
Can bring the rain
That makes you yearn to the sky
Only love
Can bring the rain
That falls like tears from on high
#49: "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Cream
From the 1968 album Disraeli Gears
This
is undoubtedly Cream's most famous song. It's distinctive guitar riff
was written immediately after Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce returned from
a Jimi Hendrix concert in 1967.
It's getting near dawn
When lights close their tired eyes
I'll soon be with you my love
To give you my dawn surprise
I'll be with you darling soon
I'll be with you when the stars start falling
I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love
I'm with you my love
The lights shining through on you
Yes, I'm with you my love
It's the morning and just we two
I'll stay with you darling now
I'll stay with you till my seas are dried up
#48: "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
From the 1972 album Talking Book
I
first heard this song about a year ago when they started playing that
Levis commercial nonstop where the guy steals the jeans off a balcony
and puts them on, only to discover that the jeans would react to the
owner's movements and the guy started involuntarily walking strangely.
Very superstitious, writings on the wall
Very superstitious, ladders 'bout to fall
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin' glass
Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past
When you believe in things that you don't understand
Then you suffer
Superstition ain't the way
Very superstitious, wash your face and hands,
Rid me of the problem, do all that you can
Keep me in a daydream, keep me goin' strong
You don't wanna save me, sad is my song
#47: "Dream On" by Aerosmith
From the 1973 album Aerosmith
Eminem
sampled "Dream On" for his 2002 song "Sing For The Moment." I wasn't
familiar with Aerosmith's song at the time, so I was surprised to see
Aerosmith perform it on TV a few years ago. This is the lone Aerosmith
song on the list, because I didn't feel that "Walk This Way" and "Sweet
Emotion" were quite good enough.
Everytime that I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face gettin' clearer
The past is gone
It went by like dust to dawn
Isn't that the way
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay
I know what nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybodys sin
You got to lose to know how to win
Half my life is in books' written pages
Live and learn from fools and from sages
You know its true
All the things come back to you
Sing with me, sing for the years
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears
Sing with me, if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good lord will take you away
#46: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye
Released as a single in 1968
Most people don't really know the
history of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," so I'll take you through
it right now. It was written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and
Barrett Strong. Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded a version of it
and it became a hit in 1967. Gaye's version became a hit in 1968. The
first version I heard of it was Creedence Clearwater Revival's 11
minute cover that appeared on their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory.
I bet you're wondering how I knew
About you're plans to make me blue
With some other guy that you knew before
Between the two of us guys
You know I love you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don't you know that...
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh and I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah
#45: "White Room" by Cream
From the 1968 album Wheels Of Fire
I'm
fairly certain this song is about drug addiction and time spent in
addiction recovery. The train station is just a metaphor for the
addiction clinic. The part about shadows running from themselves is
probably enough evidence to support the song being about drug recovery.
I find some of the lyrics to be wonderfully poetic ("Yellow tigers
crouched in jungles in her dark eyes") and Clapton's use of the wah-wah
pedal during the guitar solo is just awesome.
In the white room with black curtains near the station
Black-roof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings
Silver horses run down moonbeams in your dark eyes
Dawn-light smiles on you leaving, my contentment
I'll wait in this place where the sun never shines
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves
You said no strings could secure you at the station
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows
I walked into such a sad time at the station
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning
I'll wait in the queue when the trains come back
Lie with you where the shadows run from themselves
At the party she was kindness in the hard crowd
Consolation for the old wound now forgotten
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes
She's just dressing, goodbye windows, tired starlings
I'll sleep in this place with the lonely crowd
Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves
#44: "In My Life" by The Beatles
From the 1965 album Rubber Soul
Rubber
Soul really marked the beginning of the Beatles'adding lyrical and
instrumental depth to their songs. Gone are the days of "I Want To Hold
Your Hand."
There are places I'll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more
#43: "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd
From the 1979 album The Wall
When
you listen to "Comfortably Numb," you're listening to one of the
greatest guitar solos of all time. Roger Waters wrote most of the songs
on The Wall, but David Gilmour was the one who wrote the
instrumentation of "Comfortably Numb," with Waters adding the lyrics.
As a result, it's the only song on The Wall that doesn't fade into or
out of an adjacent track.
Hello, hello, hello
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home?
Come on, come on down
I hear you're feeling down
Well I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again
Relax, relax, relax
I need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?
There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move, but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child, I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain, you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably numb
#42: "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
From the 1970 album Pendulum
This
is a song that you wish could just go on forever. It's always such a
sad moment when this song just ends, and you realize that it's only 2
minutes and 40 seconds long.
Someone told me long ago there's a calm before the storm
I know; its been comin' for some time
When it's over, so they say, it'll rain a sunny day,
I know; shinin' down like water.
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin' down on a sunny day?
Yesterday, and days before, sun is cold and rain is hard
I know; been that way for all my time
'til forever, on it goes through the circle, fast and slow
I know; it can't stop, I wonder
#41: "Sunset Grill" by Don Henley
From the 1984 album Building The Perfect Beast
By
the time Henley gets to 1984, his country roots of being in the Eagles
have been left far behind. What we have here with "Sunset Grill" is a
spectacular (albeit looped) drum beat and an array of synthesizers. The
last couple of minutes are a magnificent display of horns,
synthesizers, a guitar, and a piano uniting into a gorgeous outro.
Lets go down to the sunset grill
We can watch the working girls go by
Watch the basket people walk around and mumble
And stare out at the auburn sky
Theres an old man there from the old world
To him, it's all the same
Calls all his customers by name
You see a lot more meanness in the city
It's the kind that tears you up inside
Hard to come away with anything that feels like dignity
Hard to get home with any pride
These days a man makes you somethin'
And you never see his face
But there is no hiding place
Respectable little murders pay
They get more respectable every day
Dont worry girl, I'm gonna stick by you
And someday soon
We're gonna get in that car and get outta here
#40: "Touch Me" by The Doors
From the 1969 album The Soft Parade
"Touch
Me" just has an enormous amount of indefinable energy to it. It's use
of brass and strings isn't typical for a Doors song, which is precisely
the reason why it's one of my favorite Doors songs.
Now touch me, baby
Can't you see that I am not afraid?
What was that promise that you made?
Why won't you tell me what she said?
What was that promise that you made?
Now, I'm gonna love you, till the heavens stop the rain
I'm gonna love you
Till the stars fall from the sky for you and I
#39: "Purple Rain" by Prince
From the 1984 album Purple Rain
"Purple
Rain" is absolutely epic in every musical sense. It's length is 8
minutes and 41 seconds. It's definitely progressive in the sense that
it combines elements of rock, pop and even gospel. I'm surprised you
don't see "Purple Rain" on a "Greatest Guitar Solos" list, because the
guitar absolutely takes over midway through the song. Then after that,
orchestral strings and a piano play for the final two minutes of song.
The song was actually recorded live in Minneapolis (and then parts were
overdubbed in the studio), so that explains the audience cheering at
the end of the song. Lyrically, "Purple Rain" appears to represent an
apology from one lover to another. Look, however, at the final verse.
There appears to be a spiritual component to this song as well, and the
"purple rain" could possibly be symbolic of heaven.
I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted to one time see you laughing
I only wanted to see you laughing in the purple rain
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
Baby I could never steal you from another
Its such a shame our friendship had to end
Honey I know, I know, I know times are changing
Its time we all reach out for something new
That means you too
You say you want a leader
But you cant seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain
#38: "A Day In The Life" by The Beatles
From the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
This
is the last song that Lennon and McCartney worked on together. Sgt.
Pepper's was the Beatles' peak, and "A Day In The Life" was the crown
jewel of the album. After Sgt. Pepper's, each of the Beatles became
very possessive of the songs they wrote, causing Ringo Starr to briefly
leave the band during the White Album recording sessions.
I read the news today oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords
#37: "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty
From the 1989 album Full Moon Fever
It's
startling to think that "Free Fallin'" was one of the first songs on
this list that I heard, and I first heard it about three years ago.
It's hard to believe that I could have become so knowledgable about all
of these songs in just three years.
She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too
She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too
It's a long day living in Reseda
There's a freeway runnin' through the yard
And I'm a bad boy cause I don't even miss her
I'm a bad boy for breakin' her heart
#36: "I Can't Tell You Why" by The Eagles
From the 1979 album The Long Run
The
Eagles' sound changed dramatically from 1972 to 1979, and by the time
their last album (The Long Run) came out they had lost their early
country-rock sound entirely. "I Can't Tell You Why" has a distinctly
dark mood, with Timothy B. Schmit's high voice juxtaposed with the deep
notes from his bass guitar and Glenn Frey's perfect guitar solo to
close out the song.
Look at us baby, up all night
Tearing our love apart
Aren't we the same two people
Who live through years in the dark?
Every time I try to walk away
Something makes me turn around and stay
And I can't tell you why
#35: "With Or Without You" by U2
From the 1987 album The Joshua Tree
I
love the deep bass guitar (I wouldn't quite call it a "bassline")
playing throughout "With Or Without You." It just really sets the tone
for the song. Also, I just love it when Bono sings the "And you give
yourself away" line (and repeats it multiple times).
See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you
Through the storm we reach the shore
You give it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you
My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose
#34: "Running On Empty" by Jackson Browne
From the 1977 album Running On Empty
Jackson
Browne is my all-time favorite songwriter. "Running On Empty" is one of
those songs that you just like, and that's due to Browne's songwriting
genius.
Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
Looking back at the years gone by like so many summer fields
In sixty-five I was seventeen and running up one-o-one
I don't know where I'm running now, I'm just running on
Gotta do what you can just to keep your love alive
Trying not to confuse it with what you do to survive
In sixty-nine I was twenty-one and I called the road my own
I don't know when that road turned onto the road I'm on
#33: "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry
From the 1959 album Berry Is On Top
"Johnny
B. Goode" is one of the first rock and roll songs and is still one of
the best. The opening guitar riff just blasts a door open into my mind,
and this is coming from someone listening to it nearly fifty years
after it was originally written. I can't even begin to imagine how
people reacted to it back then.
Deep down Louisiana close to New Orleans
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood
Where lived a country boy named of Johnny B. Goode
Who never ever learned to read or write so well
But he could play the guitar like ringing a bell
#32: "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
From the 1975 album A Night At The Opera
What
a strange song "Bohemian Rhapsody" is. I've never heard anything quite
like it, which makes it incredibly difficult to place on a list like
this.
Is this the real life
Is this just fantasy
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go
A little high, little low
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me
To me
#31: "Light My Fire" by The Doors
From the 1967 album The Doors
"Light
My Fire" is one of those psychedelic rock songs that features long
instrumental solos (is that instrument a keyboard? It doesn't really
sound like a guitar). "Light My Fire" was the Door's breakthrough
single, but the single version was shortened from seven to three
minutes.
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
#30: "Yesterday" by The Beatles
From the 1965 album Help!
"Yesterday"
holds the record for the most times covered, at more than 3,000
recorded versions. That strikes me as a little odd due to the song, but
I guess all of us have lost love at some point, so it's not really that
surprising.
Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Suddenly, I'm not half the man i used to be
There's a shadow hanging over me
Oh, yesterday came suddenly
Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday
Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday
#29: "All Along The Watchtower" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
From the 1968 album Electric Ladyland
"All
Along The Watchtower" is considered by most to be the greatest cover of
all time. Bob Dylan's original was a quiet folk song, but Hendrix
replaced Dylan's harmonica with his roaring guitar. Later on Dylan
would acknowledge Hendrix's version to be the better song.
There must be some kind of way out of here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I can't get no relief
Businessman they drink my wine
Plow men dig my earth
None will level on the line
Nobody of it is worth
No reason to get excited
The thief he kindly spoke
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now
The hour's getting late
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Bare-foot servants too
Outside in the cold distance
A wild cat did growl
Two riders were approachin'
And the wind began to howl
#28: "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who
From the 1971 album Who's Next
The
scream Roger Daltrey lets out nearly eight minutes into "Won't Get
Fooled Again" has to be one of the defining moments in music history.
After that scream, the only words left in the revolution-themed song
are "Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss."
We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals when they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgment of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
#27: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles
From the 1968 album The Beatles (The White Album)
Most
of the Beatles' songwriting ingenuity is accredited to Lennon and
McCartney, but "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is an absolute gem from
guitarist George Harrison. Eric Clapton played the lead guitar, letting
Harrison just produce the rhythm and vocals.
I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps
I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps
I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
Look at you all...
Still my guitar gently weeps
#26: "One Of These Nights" by The Eagles
From the 1975 album One Of These Nights
"One
Of These Nights" is the Eagles' answer to the arrival of disco. Glenn
Frey later recalls, "We made a quantum leap with 'One Of These Nights.'
It was a breakthrough song. It is my favorite Eagles record. If I ever
had to pick one, it wouldn't be 'Hotel California'; it wouldn't be
'Take It Easy.' For me, it would be 'One Of These Nights.'"
One of these nights
One of these crazy old nights
We're gonna find out pretty mama
What turns on your lights
The full moon is calling
The fever is high
And the wicked wind whispers and moans
You got your demons
You got desires
Well, I got a few of my own
Oo, someone to be kind to
In between the dark and the light
Oo, coming right behind you
Swear I'm gonna find you
One of these nights
#25: "Sultans Of Swing" by Dire Straits
From the 1978 album Dire Straits
This
song is all about the bluesy guitar playing of Mark Knopfler. The
guitar solo at the end of the song and the riff he produces throughout
the entire song simply sound great.
#24: "Black" by Pearl Jam
From the 1991 album Ten
"Black"
is one of the most emotionally powerful songs I've ever heard. The end
just has the ability to connect with my emotions every single time I
hear it. The "do-do do-do do-do-do" of Eddie Vedder's voice in unison
with the piano and electric guitar is just hypnotizing.
And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass
Of what was everything
All the pictures have all been washed in black, tattooed everything
I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star
In somebody else's sky, but why
Why, why can't it be, why can't it be mine
#23: "The End Of The Innocence" by Don Henley
From the 1989 album The End Of The Innocence
Ostensibly this song is about the breakup of a husband and wife:
Remember when the days were long
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky
Didn't have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standing by
When happily ever after fails
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers dwell on small details
Since daddy had to fly
But "The End Of The Innocence" really serves as a metaphor for the
plight of the farmer during Ronald Reagan's presidency. Reagan
dramatically increased defense spending (recall his "Star Wars"
program) which in turn cut funds for farmers.
O' beautiful, for spacious skies
But now those skies are threatening
They're beating plowshares into swords
For this tired old man that we elected king
Armchair warriors often fail
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers clean up all details
Since daddy had to lie
#22: "Every Breath You Take" by The Police
From the 1983 album Synchronicity
Apparently
this song isn't really about well-intentioned love at all (which is
what most people think). It's about Sting being a stalker after the
collapse of his marriage.
Since you've gone I been lost without a trace
I dream at night I can only see your face
I look around but it's you I can't replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying baby please
Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I'll be watching you
#21: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2
From the 1987 album The Joshua Tree
"I
Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is simple enough to
understand: it's about finding spirituality. Despite it's simplicity,
it's still a song that you can't really get enough of, probably because
we as listeners are always seeking spirituality ourselves.
I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well yes I'm still running
You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
#20: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1965 album Out Of Our Heads
You're
probably screaming at me for putting "Satisfaction" so low on the list
(most would put it in the top five), but I don't think it's as good as
everyone thinks it is (honestly though, #20 is still really good).
Nevertheless, this is probably the first great guitar riff, and is the
definitive Rolling Stones song.
#19: "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson
From the 1982 album Thriller
There
was once a time when Michael Jackson wasn't referred to as "Jacko."
Jackson is said to have owned the 1980s the same way Elvis Presley
owned the 1950s. Thriller was Jackson's peak, and "Billie Jean" is by
far his most memorable song from his entire career.
People always told me be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth
Billie jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son
#18: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin
From the 1975 album Physical Graffiti
Singer
Robert Plant would later consider "Kashmir" to be one of Zeppelin's
greatest achievements, and there's no reason for him not to. The chorus
lacks vocals that are justly substituted for magnificent brass
orchestration. Strings are brilliantly used throughout the song against
a hard rock beat.
Oh let the sun beat down upon my face
Stars to fill my dream
I am a traveler of both time and space
To be where I have been
To sit with elders of the gentle race
This world has seldom seen
They talk of days for which they sit and wait
And all will be revealed
Oh, pilot of the storm who leaves no trace
Like thoughts inside a dream
Heed the path that led me to that place
Yellow desert stream
My shangri-la beneath the summer moon
I will return again
Sure as the dust that floats high and true
When movin' through Kashmir.
#17: "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye
From the 1971 album What's Going On
The
introspective lyrics of "What's Going On" marked a departure from the
usual '60s Motown style. The song's jazzy sound and protesting lyrics
make it Gaye's most famous work.
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
Father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me, so you can see
Oh, what's going on
#16: "The End" by The Doors
From the 1967 album The Doors
I
first heard "The End" after watching the Vietnam movie Apocalypse Now.
In the beginning, the song plays during the background as Martin Sheen
lies in his Saigon hotel room.
This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes...again
Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need...of some...stranger's hand
In a...desperate land
#15: "November Rain" by Guns N' Roses
From the 1991 album Use Your Illusion I
At
nearly nine minutes in length, "November Rain" is deservedly considered
one of music's great epics. As for what November rain actually is, it's
a metaphor for the tempestuous times during the previous relationship
the song describes.
Sometimes I need some time...on my own
Sometimes I need some time...all alone
Everybody needs some time...on their own
Don't you know you need some time...all alone
And when your fears subside
And shadows still remain
I know that you can love me
When there's no one left to blame
So never mind the darkness
We still can find a way
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Even cold November rain
#14: "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
From the 1969 album Bayou Country
I
suspect there are many who are familiar with the "rollin' on the river"
chorus that can be heard in every other American Idol audition but
don't know that the song is actually called "Proud Mary," the signature
song by CCR.
Left a good job in the city,
Workin' for the man ev'ry night and day,
And I never lost one minute of sleepin',
Worryin' 'bout the way things might have been.
Big wheel keep on turnin',
Proud Mary keep on burnin',
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river.
#13: "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
From the 1973 album Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd
For
a long time the only "Free Bird" I knew was the 4 and a half minute
version they play on the radio. It wasn't until relatively recently
that I found out the actual album version is 9 minutes in length, and
features the greatest guitar solo I've ever heard.
If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be travelling on, now
'cause there's too many places I've got to see
But, if I stayed here with you, girl
Things just couldn't be the same
'cause I'm as free as a bird now
And this bird you can not change
Lord knows, I can't change
#12: "One" by U2
From the 1991 album Achtung Baby
There
are many debated meanings of "One," but the likely meaning is proposed
by Rolling Stone in their 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time book: it's a
dark ballad about a relationship in peril and the struggle to keep it
together. Some will say it's about a gay son explaining to his father
that he has HIV, which was evidently the premise of the video.
Well it's too late
Tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one
But we're not the same
We get to carry each other
Carry each other
One
Have you come here for forgiveness?
Have you come tor raise the dead?
Have you come here to play Jesus
To the lepers in your head?
Did I ask too much?
More than a lot?
You gave me nothing
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
We hurt each other
Then we do it again
You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt
#11: "Eminence Front" by The Who
From the 1982 album It's Hard
"Eminence
Front" is the last great song by The Who and, in my opinion, the best.
It's risen in popularity recently, and there's no reason why it
shouldn't, because it just might be the most spectacular song I've ever
heard. It really takes 10 listens or so to be able to take it all in.
The driving guitar riff, the ongoing playing of the keyboard, the
additional deep guitar during the chorus, the fact that the vocals are
only in the right speaker, the lyrics, etc.
The sun shines
And people forget
The spray flies as the speedboat glides
And people forget
Forget they're hiding
The girls smile
And people forget
The snow packs as the skier tracks
And people forget
Forget they're hiding
Behind an eminence front
Eminence front - it's a put on
Come on join the party
Dress to kill
Won't you come and join the party
Dress to kill
#10: "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
From the 1975 album Wish You Were Here
As
a listener, "Wish You Were Here" is as close to musical bliss as it
gets. You can just feel it resonate through your entire body. It's one
of those songs that you just don't get tired of.
How I wish, how I wish you were here
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
What have we found?
The same old fears
Wish you were here
#9: "Imagine" by John Lennon
From the 1971 album Imagine
There
isn't much explanation needed for what this song is about or why it is
so great. All I have to say is this: I want the world to be what John
Lennon asks for it to be.
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
#8: "Hey Jude" by The Beatles
Released as a single in 1968
Paul McCartney started out with John
Lennon's son Julian in my when he started writing this song. Lennon and
his first wife, Cynthia Powell, were going through a divorce and
McCartney felt for Julian during the whole ordeal. He eventually
changed "Jules" to "Jude" because "Jude" is easier to sing. Julian
didn't find out the song was written for him until almost twenty years
later.
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Hey Jude, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
#7: "Born To Run" by Bruce Springsteen
From the 1975 album Born To Run
"Born
To Run" was supposedly Springsteen's last-ditch effort to make it big.
He is from Asbury Park, NJ, and his first album was appropriately
titled "Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ." Springsteen claims that "Born
To Run," the title track from his third album, is about wanting to
leave Asbury Park, which of course is symbolic. His first two albums
were met with critical acclaim but didn't catch on in mainstream music,
and he wanted to leave Asbury Park behind and finally make it big.
That's exactly what he did.
In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway american dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin' out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
`cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run
#6: "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones
From the 1969 album Let It Bleed
"Gimme
Shelter" features mostly apocalyptic lyrics, with war, rape, murder,
etc. being "just a shot away." The song finishes on a positive note,
however, when Mick Jagger claims love is "just a kiss away."
Oh, a storm is threat'ning
My very life today
If I don't get some shelter
Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Ooh, see the fire is sweepin'
Our very street today
Burns like a red coal carpet
Mad bull lost it's way
#5: "Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan
From the 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited
It
took me a very long time to gather appreciation for "Like A Rolling
Stone." I never thought very much of it until I saw that it was ranked
by Rolling Stone as the greatest song of all time. I decided then that
I had to listen to it again, since at that point I thought it was about
the worst song I'd ever heard. Dylan's voice was horrendous, his
harmonica was annoying, and all of the instruments seemed haphazardly
thrown together.
I've since discovered that the more times you
listen to "Like A Rolling Stone," the more you like it. In fact, that's
probably more true in the case of "Like A Rolling Stone" than for any
other song on this list. You have to really look at the lyrics, and
then everything else will fall into place.
Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
#4: "Hotel California" by The Eagles
From the 1976 album Hotel California
"Hotel
California" just has that really distinct sound to it. There isn't
anything else that sounds like it. It also has probably the most famous
guitar solo in history.
"We wanted to write a song just like it was a movie. This guy is
driving across the desert. He's tired. He's smokin'. Comes up over a
hill, sees some lights, pulls in. First thing he sees is a really
strange guy at the front door, welcoming him: 'Come on in.' Walks in,
and then it becomes Fellini-esque- strange women, effeminate men,
shadowy corridors, disembodied voices, debauchery, illusion....
Weirdness. So we thought, 'Let's really take some chances. Let's try to
write in a way that we've never written before.' Steely Dan inspired us
because of their lyrical bravery and willingness to go 'out there.' So,
for us, 'Hotel California' was about thinking and writing outside the
box."
Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
And she said "we are all just prisoners here, of our own device"
And in the master's chambers
They gathered for the feast
The stab it with their steely knives
But they just can't kill the beast
Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
"Relax," said the night man,
We are programmed to receive
You can checkout any time you like
But you can never leave
#3: "Let It Be" by The Beatles
From the 1970 album Let It Be
Paul
McCartney doesn't allude to the Virgin Mary when he says "Mother Mary
comes to me," he is literally talking about his mother Mary, who died
when he was 14. When McCartney had a dream about his mother, it
resulted in the inspiration for "Let It Be."
And when the night is cloudy,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be,
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.
#2: "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin
From the 1971 album Led Zeppelin IV
It
takes time to appreciate "Stairway." After enough listens, you start to
realize there isn't a single note out of place and you start to
appreciate the epic progression of the song.
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our souls
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
#1: "Layla" by Derek And The Dominos
From the 1970 album Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
If
anyone's come up with a greater guitar riff I'd like to hear it. If
anyone's come up with a greater melody on a piano I'd like to hear it.
That's all I really have to say about this song.
If you didn't
already know, Layla is not a real person. The song is really about Eric
Clapton's unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of Beatle George
Harrison. Boyd would later divorce Harrison in 1977 and marry Clapton
in 1979. She divorced Clapton in 1988 after Clapton had several
extramarital affairs.
Derek And The Dominos was known as Eric
And The Dynamos until an announcer mispronounced the name and the band
decided to keep it. "Layla" was the only album recorded by Derek And
The Dominos due to Clapton's descent into heroin addiction, which came
about as a result of the deaths of fellow guitarists Jimi Hendrix and
Duane Allman and due to the lukewarm reviews to the album.
Songs That No Longer Make The List
These songs used to appear on the list but have since been replaced.
"Piano Man" by Billy Joel
"Radar Love" by Golden Earring
"Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" by The Clash
"Dirty Laundry" by Don Henley
"I Fought The Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four
"Moondance" by Van Morrison
"Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac
"Somebody's Baby" by Jackson Browne
"Stan" by Eminem
"Reelin' In The Years" by Steely Dan
"Mysterious Ways" by U2
