Best song by a great artist

[jimmyjazz 45512]

OK, if we're talking about great artists, it's pretty much an impossible task to define their "best" song.  I get it.  That said, we might revisit some deep cuts, or realize "oh yeah that one mega-hit was pretty much as good as it gets".  I really don't care to argue about the great artist part -- if you don't think Jethro Tull was "great", then keep it to yourself.  (I happened to think Jethro Tull sucked, so I'm violating my own rule in saying so, but I'm pretty much just saying argue the song, not the artist.)

Here's an example:  Prince had a bazillion hits, and a history of groundbreaking albums before he really broke big, but in terms of pure songwriting and performance, not to mention the amazing recording and production, I say "Kiss" was perfect.  So, tell me otherwise or put up something by someone else.

 

 

 

[South Austin 52037]

I'll stick with your artist and say Let's Go Crazy.  Arguably his most-recognizable song, No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100, great combination of dance beat and rock guitar.  The opening eulogy is something else.  Tom Jones couldn't even touch this one.

 

[Carl Spackler 3461]

I think Prince was great, but I never cared for "Kiss" and I don't think it's his best song by a long stretch -- the falsetto singing became tiresome pretty quickly.  Although not my absolute favorite Prince song, I always thought "Purple Rain" was pretty much his apotheosis.

[jimmyjazz 45512]

25 minutes ago, South Austin said:

. . . Let's Go Crazy.  Arguably his most-recognizable song,

More so than, say, "1999"?  Objection, your honor!

[South Austin 52037]

2 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

More so than, say, "1999"?  Objection, your honor!

1999 peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Top 100.  Overruled!

And I'll add this -- while 1999 is a great fucking song, it has the same sort of shuffle-beat rhythm throughout.  Let's Go Crazy is so much more dynamic. 

Edited November 12, 2019 by South Austin

[jimmyjazz 45512]

Another nomination:  "One" by U2.  Probably Bono's best lyrics, and a contender for his best melody.  The song itself is much more intimate than the band's other hits, eschewing their usual bombast.  I hear it as a breakup song, but as should be expected with Bono, he was thinking larger, with inspiration ranging from dysfunctional interpersonal relationships within U2 as well as the reunification of Germany, where the song was written.  I'm not sure where the "reunification" parts comes in, but whatever.  It's a gorgeous piece of pop music.

 

[South Austin 52037]

Can't really argue with that one. 

[C-Man 26989]

33 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Another nomination:  "One" by U2.  Probably Bono's best lyrics, and a contender for his best melody.  The song itself is much more intimate than the band's other hits, eschewing their usual bombast.  I hear it as a breakup song, but as should be expected with Bono, he was thinking larger, with inspiration ranging from dysfunctional interpersonal relationships within U2 as well as the reunification of Germany, where the song was written.  I'm not sure where the "reunification" parts comes in, but whatever.  It's a gorgeous piece of pop music.

 

Great one. As a once die-hard U2 fan, this was probably the zenith of their popularity with me. I don't listen to them much anymore -- but did go to the Joshua Tree reunion show in Dallas two years ago -- but I will still listen to "One" any fucking time it comes on. Johnny Cash's cover, though vastly inferior to the original, is a good listen too.

EDIT: Let me amend this to say I still love all of Unforgettable Fire and the only other U2 song I might nominate for your exercise is the live version of "Bad."

Edited November 12, 2019 by C-Man

[jimmyjazz 45512]

17 minutes ago, C-Man said:

EDIT: Let me amend this to say I still love all of Unforgettable Fire and the only other U2 song I might nominate for your exercise is the live version of "Bad."

Yeah, that's anthemic U2 at pretty much their peak.  The chiming guitar and that 4 on the floor kick drum kill me.  I don't even like the band all THAT much.  I just looked up the live take -- you're right, that's completely on point.  Such a great, slow build.  I saw them in Houston, must have been the Joshua Tree tour, pre-Rattle & Hum.  The whole show was like that.  Extraordinary, really.

[Loco 3752]

 

Also U2 best song = Sunday Bloody Sunday  Fight me!

[PRONG HORN 3108]

 

[noharleyyet 2835]

 

[Jerry Callo 8658]

Hard to argue with Kiss, but I like When Doves Cry better.

 

[Jerry Callo 8658]

Since it contains one of the best choruses ever written:  Two Out of Three Ain't Bad ~ Meatloaf

 

[Cheeseweasel 26437]

 

[jimmyjazz 45512]

Personally, I'd go with "Honky Tonk Women", because (a) cowbell and (b) the greatest sounding kick drum ever recorded.

[Steel Shank 9405]

 

[OWLVIS 557]

Cant you hear me knocking.

[noharleyyet 2835]

 

[Gil Bang 25864]

 

[jimmyjazz 45512]

I've never listened to Little Feat all that much, but that's a good tune.  Swampier than I was expecting.  Almost Neville-esque.  

[davidg 4025]

Also U2 best song = Sunday Bloody Sunday  Fight me!

This! Red Rocks video in the rain for the win

[BrickHorn 18175]

4 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Personally, I'd go with "Honky Tonk Women", because (a) cowbell and (b) the greatest sounding kick drum ever recorded.

Gimme Shelter is a fucking masterpiece.  Outside of that track, the Stones’ catalog is a few decent tunes (Honky Tonk Women, Satisfaction, Brown Sugar) and a bunch of crap. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by BrickHorn

[qwertyu1234 496]

My vote for Stones song is Paint it Black

[Ollie Slatt 289]

Castles Made of Sand - Hendrix

Into the Mystic - Van the Man 

 

I don't know how there could be a single stones song -- their catalog is too deep.  My pick would probably be Lets Spend the Night Together.  But Sway, Can't Always Get What You Want, and Paint it Black would also be in contention.  

[Red Five 40593]

Gimme Shelter for the Stones and Pride for U2.

[Deej 76507]

6 hours ago, BrickHorn said:

Gimme Shelter is a fucking masterpiece.  Outside of that track, the Stones’ catalog is a few decent tunes (Honky Tonk Women, Satisfaction, Brown Sugar) and a bunch of crap. 

[Beantown Express 2.0 6531]

For the Stones I gotta go with Sympathy for the Devil.  I do love Gimme Shelter as a close second.

[deadshank 24651]

10 hours ago, BrickHorn said:

Gimme Shelter is a fucking masterpiece.  Outside of that track, the Stones’ catalog is a few decent tunes (Honky Tonk Women, Satisfaction, Brown Sugar) and a bunch of crap. 

Dude.  

No.  

[mr. sunshine 2824]

15 hours ago, Jerry Callo said:

Hard to argue with Kiss, but I like When Doves Cry better.

I read a Billy Gibbons interview years ago in which he said he could figure out how to play any solo once he heard it, except the one at the beginning of this song. 

 

[Beantown Express 2.0 6531]

16 hours ago, Loco said:

 

Also U2 best song = Sunday Bloody Sunday  Fight me!

Gotta go with Waiting in Vain for Bob although No Woman No Cry is great.

Speaking of the word “vain”, I think the best song by The Clash is Train in Vain.  Perfect pop song with a hint of punk. It’s upbeat but actually about a miserable relationship.

[deadshank 24651]

The Allman Bros.:  One Way Out. 

[noharleyyet 2835]

I'll have to go with Allman's "It''s No My Cross To Bear".

[Beantown Express 2.0 6531]

4 minutes ago, noharleyyet said:

I'll have to go with Allman's "It''s No My Cross To Bear".

Blue Sky

[Cheeseweasel 26437]

56 minutes ago, Beantown Express 2.0 said:

Speaking of the word “vain”, I think the best song by The Clash is Train in Vain.

London Calling closely followed by Janie Jones / Death or Glory.

But this is @jimmyjazz territory, so he needs to weigh in.

[BrickHorn 18175]

Iron Maiden - Wrathchild.

[jimmyjazz 45512]

13 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

London Calling closely followed by Janie Jones / Death or Glory.

But this is @jimmyjazz territory, so he needs to weigh in.

I must recuse myself.

[jimmyjazz 45512]

I dig Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry", but I'm a real sucker for "Three Little Birds".

I think one takeaway from this thread is that I'm a sucker for simple pop songs.

[Shoxthemonkey 1976]

Zappa

 

[Loco 3752]

 

40 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I think one takeaway from this thread is that I'm a sucker for simple pop songs.

How bout this one?   Yes great song and great band

 

[South Austin 52037]

2 hours ago, Beantown Express 2.0 said:

Speaking of the word “vain”, I think the best song by The Clash is Train in Vain.  Perfect pop song with a hint of punk. It’s upbeat but actually about a miserable relationship.

I fucking love that song.

[jimmyjazz 45512]

4 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I fucking love that song.

Yeah, it's terrific.  I never understood the title, but that's a minor quibble.

[UTCzech III 2897]

I can't choose between these two, they're both filled with such melancholy and sadness.  Brian was at his absolute peak, and both are a singular vision, not cobbled together from different sessions and ideas like "Good Vibrations" (as great as it is...).

 

 

 

[noharleyyet 2835]

 

[jimmyjazz 45512]

I dig "Baker Street", even after all these years and all those FM spins, but that whole "City to City" album is full of gems.  Tough call.

[hullabelew 3698]

I'm trying to decide what my favorite Los Lobos song is.  I guess (for know) I'm going to settle on "Good Morning Aztlan".  But oh, so, so many to choose from.  

 

[jimmyjazz 45512]

I'm a "Kiko" man myself.  (Get it?  Kikkoman?  I don't even think that's funny but it didn't stop me from saying it.)

[Cheeseweasel 26437]

47 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Yeah, it's terrific.  I never understood the title, but that's a minor quibble.

I remember owning the album--the track was never listed so we never knew the name of it. Most people called it "Stand by me".

[hullabelew 3698]

1 minute ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm a "Kiko" man myself.  (Get it?  Kikkoman?  I don't even think that's funny but it didn't stop me from saying it.)

No kidding, that is my number 1a.  That album, top to bottom, is my favorite of theirs.  

 

[Cheeseweasel 26437]

4 minutes ago, hullabelew said:

I'm trying to decide what my favorite Los Lobos song is.  I guess (for know) I'm going to settle on "Good Morning Aztlan".  But oh, so, so many to choose from.  

 

Tough to beat the Title Track from Will the Wolf Survive.