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Top 10 rock'n'roll songs of all time


jimmyjazz

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Not necessarily my favorite but I think Stairway to Heaven has to be #1. An incredible piece of songwriting by Plant and Page, starting out with the acoustical solo and building to the Page wham of the heavy metal chord. It's complex lyrics and poetry, and the blending of different styles in a way that make you go wow in my mind make it #1.

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4 hours ago, Hard Times said:

Not necessarily my favorite but I think Stairway to Heaven has to be #1. An incredible piece of songwriting by Plant and Page, starting out with the acoustical solo and building to the Page wham of the heavy metal chord. It's complex lyrics and poetry, and the blending of different styles in a way that make you go wow in my mind make it #1.

Yeah, "favorite" isn't necessarily the same as "greatest."  "Surrender" by Cheap Trick is one of my all-time faves, but I don't think I'd put it in a list of "top 10 rock and roll songs of all time." 

Then again, maybe I would . . . 

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In no particular order:

 

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir

Thin Lizzy - Whisky in the Jar

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

ACDC - Money Talks

Ted Nugent - Stormtroopin'

Outlaws - Green Grass and High Tides

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

Steely Dan - Reeling in the Years

Rush - Spirit of Radio

Heart - Barracuda

Spoiler

Tomorrow's list will be different. 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 12/24/2024 at 10:54 AM, pops said:

This is impossible but ok...

Zeppelin-Bring it on home

Foo-Everlong

Hendrix-Wind cries Mary

White stripes-7 nation army

Petty-American Girl

The Band-Atlantic City

Steely Dan-Reelin

Nirvana-SLTS

Pumpkins-Bullet with butterfly wings

AC/DC Higway to Hell

I like this list. A lot. Just now revisiting this thread because I wanted to revisit my top 10.

On 12/24/2024 at 1:14 PM, BrickHorn said:

I literally can’t stop laughing at this. That’s like responding to “Name the most badass football player ever” with “Martin Gramatica!”

You do you man. I don't judge people on their taste in music. Even if it is bigoted and myopic. 

The Cars were badass, btw, imo, and have a couple of tracks that could play ball in a top 10.

Same for The Police who I haven't seen mentioned. 

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On 12/25/2024 at 7:22 AM, Hard Times said:

Not necessarily my favorite but I think Stairway to Heaven has to be #1. An incredible piece of songwriting by Plant and Page, starting out with the acoustical solo and building to the Page wham of the heavy metal chord. It's complex lyrics and poetry, and the blending of different styles in a way that make you go wow in my mind make it #1.

 

On 12/25/2024 at 11:38 AM, Carl Spackler said:

Yeah, "favorite" isn't necessarily the same as "greatest."  "Surrender" by Cheap Trick is one of my all-time faves, but I don't think I'd put it in a list of "top 10 rock and roll songs of all time." 

Then again, maybe I would . . . 

Both great inclusions.

On 12/29/2024 at 2:58 PM, DoobieWah said:

In no particular order:

 

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir

Thin Lizzy - Whisky in the Jar

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

ACDC - Money Talks

Ted Nugent - Stormtroopin'

Outlaws - Green Grass and High Tides

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

Steely Dan - Reeling in the Years

Rush - Spirit of Radio

Heart - Barracuda

  Reveal hidden contents

Tomorrow's list will be different. 

 

I like this list a lot, too.

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Man, this is a tough one. I wound up with about three lists and any of them could have worked.  Tried to keep it to two per decade of rawk from the 50s through 2010s.  I don't feel like we've had any great all time rockers make the list in the 2020s, plus we don't have the benefit of time to look back.  With that context:

  1. Maybellene - Chuck Berry
  2. Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
  3. Revolution (Single version) - The Beatles
  4. Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin
  5. Back in Black - AC/DC
  6. Debaser - Pixies
  7. Panama - Van Halen
  8. Kiss Off - Violent Femmes
  9. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
  10. Seven Nation Army - White Stripes

I had to kick off some of my personal favorite rockers as follows:

Rave On - Buddy Holly

Whole Lotta Shakin - The Killer

Tutti Frutti - Little Richard

Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young

Are you Gonna Go My way - Lenny

Outtasite (Outta Mind) - Wilco

Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

Man there are just tons of good rockers that could've made the list.

Edited by Chad Fuck
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Riff Raff - AC/DC

Marry Me - Drive-By Truckers

Little Mascara - The Replacements

Corduroy - Pearl Jam 

Hey Hey What Can I Do? - Led Zeppelin

American Girl - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Night Train - Guns N' Roses

Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones

Sequestered in Memphis - The Hold Steady

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Just now, jimmyjazz said:

I love that tune, along with "Cold Hard Bitch".  Really weird album.  It's half a nod to AC/DC and half a nod to The Beatles.  I get the feeling there are two very distinct songwriters in that band.

There was a while there where they were in constant rotation for me.  They put on a great show at ACLFest back in the day as well.  And somehow I know I've bought their CD multiple times but I still can't lay hands on a copy when I want one - they all just got up and walked off.  Testament to their work I suppose. 

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  1. Maybellene - Chuck Berry
  2. Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
  3. Revolution (Single version) - The Beatles
  4. Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin
  5. Back in Black - AC/DC
  6. Debaser - Pixies  Hey Hey My MY into the Black  Neil Young and CH
  7. Panama - Van Halen  Won't Get Fooled Again- The Who
  8. Kiss Off - Violent Femmes London Calling-The Clash
  9. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
  10. Seven Nation Army - White Stripes  American Girl -TP 
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Not "my" Top 10, but what I think would be a good Top 10 "Rock" songs to introduce to aliens.

Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who

Light My Fire - The Doors

Welcome to the Jungle - GnR

Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf

Walk this Way - Aerosmith

Kashmir - Zeppelin

Wouldn't it Be Nice - Beach Boys

Back in Black - AC/DC

You Really Got Me - The Kinks

Satisfaction - Stones

 

This was tough.

 

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34 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Tough to parse the two, to be honest.

 

Eh, somewhat. I think it's not that hard to separate whether something is significant in the global sense vs. something you just really like. My "just really like" list would absolutely be different.

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31 minutes ago, G650 said:

 

Eh, somewhat. I think it's not that hard to separate whether something is significant in the global sense vs. something you just really like. My "just really like" list would absolutely be different.

Well, I didn't stipulate.  Make your list however you want.  Mine was my own personal preference, not whatever sold the most or whatever others think.  I mean. I really find The Who boring as hell, but I can't deny "Baba O'Reilly" as being important (or whatever).  It still isn't making my list.

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1 minute ago, jimmyjazz said:

Well, I didn't stipulate.  Make your list however you want.  Mine was my own personal preference, not whatever sold the most or whatever others think.  I mean. I really find The Who boring as hell, but I can't deny "Baba O'Reilly" as being important (or whatever).  It still isn't making my list.

 

The biggest issue I have is narrowing either list to 10 songs. It's practically impossible. I would say the list of songs I think are good stretches up to the 10,000s. Just getting to 100 songs is down to the creme de la creme.

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Just now, G650 said:

The biggest issue I have is narrowing either list to 10 songs. It's practically impossible. I would say the list of songs I think are good stretches up to the 10,000s. Just getting to 100 songs is down to the creme de la creme.

Here's a mind-bending exercise:  pop or rock?  I say pop, but man, those guitars:

 

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4 hours ago, Rip76 said:

Not "my" Top 10, but what I think would be a good Top 10 "Rock" songs to introduce to aliens.

Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who

Light My Fire - The Doors

Welcome to the Jungle - GnR

Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf

Walk this Way - Aerosmith

Kashmir - Zeppelin

Wouldn't it Be Nice - Beach Boys

Back in Black - AC/DC

You Really Got Me - The Kinks

Satisfaction - Stones

 

This was tough.

 

When I meet the aliens, I'll be playing both the original Aerosmith Walk This Way and the Run DMC version.

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7 hours ago, Rip76 said:

Not "my" Top 10, but what I think would be a good Top 10 "Rock" songs to introduce to aliens.

Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who

Light My Fire - The Doors

Welcome to the Jungle - GnR

Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf

Walk this Way - Aerosmith

Kashmir - Zeppelin

Wouldn't it Be Nice - Beach Boys

Back in Black - AC/DC

You Really Got Me - The Kinks

Satisfaction - Stones

 

This was tough.

 

Light my Fire is fucking horrible, annoying noise and you should be stabbed with a sharpened spoon for listing it. 

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28 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

For the record, my favorite song of all time is “Wild Horses”, but that’s a country song.

Yeah, that's where I get crossed up trying to make a list like this.  "Wild Horses" and "Beast of Burden" (and "I'm Just Waiting On A Friend") might be my favorite Stones tunes, but they aren't rock.

EDIT:  Oh, and "Miss You", but that's disco.

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9 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:


It’s not my favorite song of all time, but I’ll die on the hill that it’s the best rock song of all time.

For the record, my favorite song of all time is “Wild Horses”, but that’s a country song.

I love Wild Horses, we played it at the first concert my first band ever did. But Gimme Shelter and Sympathy for the Devil are basically my favorite song of all time A and B.

 

Honestly if we are doing a top ten favorite rock song list I would just put like 9 Rolling Stones songs and 1 from Motorhead.

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I've long been of the opinion that "Shook me all night long" is the greatest rock song ever recorded.  It's probably only around #5 of my favorite AC/DC songs, but in terms of greatest, it checks all the boxes better than others.

Great guitar intro

Memorable chorus that's easy to sing to

Good solo

Tight 3 1/2 min length

Lyrics fit "rock and roll".

It gets in, rocks your face off, then gets out.

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4 hours ago, Wiler77 said:

I've long been of the opinion that "Shook me all night long" is the greatest rock song ever recorded.  It's probably only around #5 of my favorite AC/DC songs, but in terms of greatest, it checks all the boxes better than others.

Great guitar intro

Memorable chorus that's easy to sing to

Good solo

Tight 3 1/2 min length

Lyrics fit "rock and roll".

It gets in, rocks your face off, then gets out.

good points,especially about the length.  I chose Whole Lotta Rosie but my favorite song is Problem Child. both are around 5min songs but they just scream  "fuck you, here it comes" rock n roll, to me. of course Bon Scott on the vocals doesn't hurt.

1 hour ago, Wiler77 said:

I hate you.

I'm not ever gonna click on that.  I can only imagine what it sounds like and I'm not going to put it in my head.

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17 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:


It’s not my favorite song of all time, but I’ll die on the hill that it’s the best rock song of all time.

For the record, my favorite song of all time is “Wild Horses”, but that’s a country song.

Once you've seen Gimme Shelter live, it is hard to put anything above it.  there are so many rock songs that are great, and to each his own, but I can't think of one where I'd say that is for sure better than Gimme Shelter.

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9 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

Once you've seen Gimme Shelter live, it is hard to put anything above it.  there are so many rock songs that are great, and to each his own, but I can't think of one where I'd say that is for sure better than Gimme Shelter.

I tried to do a top 10 list but gave up.  Gimme Shelter was my number one.

 

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To Wiler77's point about great rock song, doing the googles found this.   crowd was great, funny though that they even mumbled the "wanted no applause, just another course" line that 95% of the people that sing the song do because they don't know what Johnson is actually singing.

 

 

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8 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Outside of it being completely rehearsed, sure.  (The whole band stopped at the top of the 2nd verse, with no cue.)

I'm not one that believes it was random.  99% of the time the never are.  just a good crowd singalong(clear)and thought it was relevant to the discussion.

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I love when I drunkenly bump a thread and it generates a ton of new discussion.

I'm not a big Stones guy but "Gimmie Shelter" is definitely a fantastic track.

I like @jimmyjazz because he will say annoying cunty shit like The Who are boring but then completely take the piss from someone who is trying to claim that "You Shook Me All Night Long" is an all-time track let alone even a good AC/DC track. 

23 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

Light my Fire is fucking horrible, annoying noise and you should be stabbed with a sharpened spoon for listing it. 

So is most of the Doors catalogue, tbf.

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