theAnarchrist's blog

 Music is probably the most personal form of entertainment. "When you hear a great song, you can think of where you were when you first heard it, the sounds, the smells. It takes the emotions of a moment and holds it for years to come." - Jay-Z. Whether it's Dylan or Jay-Z, good music knows no boundaries. Through British Invasion, Glam, Grunge and the current underground Indie Rock scene, music has come a long way. And one thing we have learned is that no matter how bad the mainstream music may be, there will always be songs that will get us through the night. There will always be great songs and great artists, whatever the genre may be, whatever the sales may be.

This is the list of the 10 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time, which is ranked in alphabetical order by the way because comparing these songs would be like, well, comparing apples and oranges. Included in this list are rock songs, some of which are blended with folk or pop or opera or just plain ol' Rock and Roll. And if you haven't heard these songs, you better get off your rocker and hear them immediately. So here it is, the Top 10 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time (by the way, it's one song per artist):

by QUEEN
(1975)
This near-6 minute, 6-parter epic with abrupt changes in style, tone and tempo, was unusual to rock music. Frontman Freddie Mercury went off to various depths of fantasy and wrote this awe-inspiring piece. The song begins with a multi tracked four-part harmony - all recorded by Mr. Mercury. As the dream-like intro progresses, it slowly transcends into the next part, which is primarily a piano and vocal driven ballad. It is in this part that the speaker explains his tragic situation, that he had "just killed a man" and is facing the consequences. As Mercury sings the rising line "I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all", the song enters a bridge consisting of a brilliant solo by Brian May. The solo soon escalates into an intense, minute long opera part, where the speaker prays to God to be spared of his coming execution. The 180 vocal tracked wall of sound continues in extreme theatrics and leads into the next hard rock/heavy metal portion. By the outro, the speaker accepts his fate and ultimately decides that "nothing really matter". If you're not in awe by the end of the song, you better get your head checked.

by THE BEACH BOYS
(1966)
Brian Wilson's brainchild, "Good Vibrations" quickly topped the charts in both U.S. and UK. But this song wasn't just another number-one hit for the band, it was something more. Recorded during the sessions for the critically and commercially successful "Pet Sounds" album (although not featured in it). Various sections of the song were edited in the form of a musical collage, similar to some of The Beatles' later works, which were influenced by Brian Wilson's works (according to McCartney). The song was a very influential work and inspired pop/rock artists to use unconventional methods/instruments to get the right sound. The song was different from their usual, it featured instruments which were primarily used for Horror movie scores but somehow managed to keep the overall upbeat atmosphere. The song, as the title suggests, gives out "good vibrations".

by THE BEATLES
(1968)
Paul McCartney, the primary writer of the song, originally wrote it to cheer up John Lennon's son, Julian after Lennon's marriage dissolved. That little ditty soon evolved into this 7-minute ballad composed of pop/rock tunes accompanied by piano and anthemic refrains. McCartney is in the driver seat from the very beginning as he sings his insanely catchy lines backed up by his piano playing. By the end ("na-na-na na..."), the entire band joins in as they continuously sing the four-minute long coda.
Released in late-August of 1968, and selling six million copies the same year, the song instantly met with acclaim and is still held in high regard to this day. The song is not only one of McCartney's best works but is also one of the greatest accomplishments in music history.

by JOHN LENNON
(1971)
John Lennon's dream of peace, loving and a better world. The song was filled with anti-remarks about nearly everything but was, from the words of Lennon, "sugar-coated" and therefore accepted. In this peace-embracing song, Lennon tells us to imagine a world free of pretty much everything and just live "for today". Since its release, the song has been included in a broad array of most influential and greatest songs of all time lists. Lennon conceived of this song on an early morning of 1971, with only his thoughts and a white grand piano surrounding him. "It's not like he thought, 'Oh, this can be an anthem,'" Yoko Ono said, looking back at that morning 30 years later. "Imagine" was "just what John believed: that we are all one country, one world, one people. He wanted to get that idea out." The Beatles breaking up may have seemed like the worst thing ever but at least we got this song out of it. Almost takes some of the blame off Yoko.. almost.

by ELVIS PRESLEY
(1957)
Elvis didn't get the nickname, "The King of Rock and Roll" for nothing and songs like "Jailhouse Rock" pinpoints exactly why Mr. Presley gets the acclaim he has. Sure, he may not write his own songs but would we hear any of Elvis' songs if we didn't hear him singing it or watching him strutting and dancing along to it? The answer would be a big 'no'. And for reasons clarified above, I just had to include one of his songs on the list. The more obvious choice would be his hit single from 1956, "Hound Dog" but "Jailhouse Rock" is more, what's the word, rock and therefore, is listed instead. 'Jailhouse was released in 1957 to coincide with the movie of the same name, which stars Presley as well. The song was originally written in a more humorous (tongue-in-cheek sort of) light, but what does Elvis care? He sang it with a raw, absolute rock and roll type voice, although the humor is still audible (one of my favorite lines being: The warden said, "Hey, buddy, don't you be no square
If you can't find a partner, use a wooden chair") The song was the tenth Top 10 hit for Elvis, the first being just a year ago, and went on to become a US #1 Hit for 7 weeks in the fall of 1957. The song become, much like Presley himself, a sensation. Unless you're blind or deaf, you have no excuse to not like Elvis Presley. He is, as his title suggests, The King.

by CHUCK BERRY
(1958)
Chuck Berry was the black equivalent of Elvis Presley (or was Elvis the white equivalent of Chuck Berry?) But unlike Elvis, Berry wrote his own classics and played his own tunes. "I just wish I could express my feelings the way Chuck Berry does,"' Presley once confessed. Back in the 1950s, Berry was making hit records left and right. He played a pivotal part in the development of the music as well as the attitude and image that goes along with rock and roll. And "Johnny B. Goode" was the cornerstone of his career. Berry proved that he was not only one of the greatest guitarist but also a talented songwriter. The song tells of a "little country boy named Johnny B. Goode", a character written in an autobiographical light. The song is one of Chuck Berry's most famous recordings, it has been covered so many times that it's beyond count and has received several honors and accolades. It is also considered to be one of the most recognizable songs in music history.

by BOB DYLAN
(1965)
Bob Dylan's masterpiece song from his masterpiece album. In the song, Dylan went all out with his beautiful poetry, guitar playing and harmonica. An unconventional hit at the time, the lyrics of the song isn't about love but about a woman who has lost everything and everyone in her life. The song depicts a depressing and ironical tale of a woman (Miss Lonely) who has, up until now, taken the easy way out, gone to the finest schools and had high-placed friends, but has now fallen from grace and is in an unfamiliar world where she has to be "scrounging" for her "next meal". In contrary to the themes of the song, it went on to become number two in the US charts (held back by The Beatles) and became a worldwide hit - all with the acclaim Dylan constantly receives from the critics, except this time everyone could tell this was something great, even greater than his previous works. Paul McCartney remembered going around to John Lennon's house in Weybridge to hear the song. According to McCartney, "It seemed to go on and on forever. It was just beautiful ... He showed all of us that it was possible to go a little further." More than 40 years since its release, "Like a Rolling Stone" remains highly regarded and is still frequently covered by popular artists, varying from The Jimi Hendrix Experience to (ironically) The Rolling Stones to even Green Day.


by THE ROLLING STONES
(1965)
The 'Stones really made it with this song, which is arguably their breakout hit. Emerging from The Beatles' shadows, the Rolling Stones proved they're not just some other band in the British Invasion movement of the 1960s. With Keith Richards' throwaway three-note guitar riff and Mick Jagger's lyrics telling us of frustration and the absence of satisfaction, the song became an instant classic. Though driven with just Richards' riff and Jagger's singing, the song does just as much for rock and roll in under 4minutes as Elvis did in all his career. Jagger has said of "Satisfaction": "It was the song that really made The Rolling Stones, changed us from just another band into a huge, monster band... It has a very catchy title. It has a very catchy guitar riff. It has a great guitar sound, which was original at that time. And it captures a spirit of the times, which is very important in those kinds of songs."

by NIRVANA
(1991)
It took just "three fine, young men from Seattle" to completely change the face of music forever, that too with just one song, that is 1991's smash hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Everything about this song is just classic; the guitar, the drumming, the bass, the lyrics, the video, it was one of those songs that just came out perfectly. Look past the aftermath (which was far from perfect) and the thousand times the record was played, the song is revolutionary, even to this day. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is utterly flawless from start to finish, from four jaunty chords to the pitch-perfect bass and drums that follows to the Cobain's slurred and often screaming vocals that confuses listeners all the way to the dramatic end, in fact one Geffen promoter recalled that people from rock radio told her, "We can't play this. I can't understand what the guy is saying." The song was originally written as a somewhat joke, that is to write "the ultimate pop song" and  "basically rip off the Pixies", a band Cobain had idolized ever since he started listening to them. With all intentions aside, "'Teen Spirit" is probably the best record to be made since the '60s ended. The song alone kick started the Grunge movement and created a buzz that is still roaming around in the music scenes of today. Nirvana, with the aid of producer Butch Vig, created an "anthem for apathetic kids" of Generation X that played on various levels. The song has been played so many times on so many stations that makes me wonder how badly the original record is bruised. And in contrary to popular beliefs, Cobain stated in 1994 that he still likes playing the song. With all it's legacy and imitations, it makes you wonder: Is it a Gift or a Curse? ... Gift, it's definitely a Gift.

by LED ZEPPELIN
(1971)
Ever since 'Stairway, every epic anthem has had the misfortune of being measured by this song's standards and thus, failing in doing so. Led Zeppelin's classic, "Stairway to Heaven", is a tough one to measure up to. Conceived in a remote cottage (used as a retreat by the band) on the early 70s and has been showered with accolades ever since. Page said the song "crystallized the essence of the band. It had everything there and showed us at our best. It was a milestone. Every musician wants to do something of lasting quality, something which will hold up for a long time. And I guess we did it with 'Stairway.'" The song is 8 minutes of perfection, with brilliant performances from every 4 members, the song even managed to sound well when reversed! By the last few minutes, the song morphs into Jimmy Page's Heavenly solo backed up with a rocking groove. The song ultimately climaxes into the faster, hard rock finale and after that comes a quiet, couple-of-seconds worth epilogue and by then you're bound to turn into Keanu Reeves and be like, "whoa".