The 10 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time

[IrishCanadian25]

Every year for the 4-day Thanksgiving weekend, my favorite radio station (from whom I won a trip to Ireland on which I got engaged) Q104.3 New York does a countdown of the 1,043 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time. Yes, you read that right - 1,043 songs.

Now, I am certainly not going to subject you to all 1,043, but I figure the top ten is worth discussing. Do you agree with the list? Any notable snubs? To see the entire list, here is the link: http://www.q1043.com/pages/top1043/2008.html

10. John Lennon - Imagine
I always felt this song was a bit over rated. Lyrically, it was fantastic, and it truly challenged people to look at materialism in today's world. Technically, I felt it left something to be desired, but maybe that's because I was more accustomed to a touch more energy from Lennon. I prefered "Instant Karma" more, but that's probably just my taste.

9. Eagles - Hotel California
Great song, great album. Despite spending only one week in the Billboard #1 spot, this song feuled this album to be one of the best sellers of all time. There is much debate over how high this song should go, since Rolling Stone has it 49th and here, 104.3 has it 40 spots better. Despite numerous claims of the lyrics meanings, the band has made it clear that the song details Los Angeles County High Life. The song goes hand-in-hand with "Life in the Fast Lane."

8. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Floyd has two songs in the top 20, I just think they have them flip-flopped. Comfortably Numb was such a beautiful, yet dark and passionate tale of drug addiction, as the addicted self prescribes medication to the victimized self to cope with pain and illness. This song fit so well with the rest of the album "The Wall," though I'd rather see Q's # 18 song, "Wish You Were Here," in this spot.

7. Lynard Skynard - Freebird
I get it. I do. I am not the biggest fan of this song (I prefer other L.S. classics such as "Gimme Two Steps") but I recognize it's place in classic rock history. The guitar solo has stood the test of time, and every time I hear it, I still see Jenny from Forrest Gump on that balcony in her heels. This song is in a good spot.

6. Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
Fun song. Great song. I think a lot of the younger generation associate these guys with CSI, though. Here, we see another dissention between Rolling Stone (133rd place) and Q104.3. This song is an anthem of rebellion, telling the story of an uprising in Pete Townshend's "Lifehouse" project.

5. Beatles - Hey Jude
Absolutely my favorite Beatles song. The version Paul McCartney did on Saturday Night Live still stands as one of the best SNL Music performances ever. The song itself is a great story - McCartney wrote it driving to the house of Lennon's ex-wife Cynthia, out of concern for their welfare. Lennon's son, Julian, was very close with Paul.

4. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
I fish I had Freddy Kreuger's knife-glove, because this song being #4 makes me want to violently purge every decent bit of musical sense I have. The fact that this over rated mumbly hack has a marginal song that is considered one of the 4 best of all time by Q104.3 really bugs me. The song is about trying to escape Asbury Park, NJ - and I sure understand why - but that's it. It isn't the deep love song "Boss" apologizsts claim. I wouldn't put this song in the top 25.

3. Derek and the Dominos - Layla
Clapton's greatest guitar performance, I think, and also one of the remaining all-time great love songs. While Rolling Stone claims it is only #27 on the all-time list, this controversial song about Clapton's love of the Beatles George Harrison's wife remains a recognized classic, especially for its opening guitar lead. Clapton's 1992 Acoustic version is also amazing.

2. Who - Baba O'Reilly
I agree with this song hitting the top 5. Another one of Townshend's "Lifehouse" workshop plans, Baba O'Reilly combined early hard rock sound with experimental electronica, hitherto untapped. Oddly enough, Rolling Stone places this classic as #340 on the all time list...

1. Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
No shock here. Stairway is considered by many to be the greatest classic rock song of all time, and often goes back and forth against The Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil," which is oddly out of the top 10 here. Despite never being released as a single in the US, Stairway is the most requested AND most played song on FM radio (the most played used to be "Yesterday," but Stairway overtook it rcently). The guitar layering builds to the orgasmic crecendo and the infinitely screamable lyrics "And there's a wino down the road..."

Notables outside of the Top 10:
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (#13)
Beatles - Let It Be (#14)
Rolling Stones - Sympathy (#16)
Rolling Stones - Satisfaction (#19)
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone (#21)
Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (#22)
Elton John - Funeral / Love Lies (#27)
Don MacLean - American Pie (#37)

What do you think of Q104.3's top ten list? Who shouldn't be there, and who got snubbed. Feel free to post your own top-5 or top-10, just be sure to provide reasons for your list.

 

[Gutter Phenomenon]

I definitely don't agree with that list. Stairway isn't even Zeppelin's best song, althought it should be number one anyway. I think this list is better. And I am aware that I have most of the same songs. I just thought it needed some tweaking.

10. Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
9. Iron Butterfly - In A Gadda Da Vida
8. Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water
7. Metallica - Master Of Puppets
6. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
5. Guns 'N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
4. The Doors - Riders On The Storm
3. The Who - Baba O'reilly
2. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
1. Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven

 

[Mr. TM]

Overall it is a great list, I wouldn't have it any other way for their sakes. All of these songs are at least in my top 50. I can't stand a list that doesn't have Stairway at the humber 1 spot, it is the tradition of greatest songs ever. The only thing is, The Who having two songs is a little much, the only person who deserves to be on the list twice is John Lennon. Maybe Let It Be over Hey Jude though, and knock off Bruce Springsteen. Freebird is the only other song that I think is too high, I would place a song like All Along the Watchtower higher.

 

[Harthan]

I'm disappointed that "American Pie" didn't rank higher. Maybe it's not hard enough for some people to truly consider it a rock song, but it's rather comparable to the Beatles in terms of general hardness of the music. "American Pie" probably doesn't deserve #1, but certainly it deserved the Top 10. It's one of the most emotional, powerful songs ever written, brilliant lyrically, with entertaining and powerful music that runs a gamut of emotions. It's nothing more than one man's reflection on music from his childhood to the time of writing, but the vision that McLean has is really just stunning. It tells a great story and contains a great deal of thoughtful, powerful imagery. It's not a song easily deciphered, and it makes you think, which is all great. Everything about "American Pie" made it a brilliant, powerful song, and really deserving to be in the top 10 best rock songs.

 

[Tim]

I don't agree fully with that list, but I agree with most of it. I think you need to replace Imagine and Born To Run. You need Bohemian Rhapsody in there, while overrated, still a great song, and one everybody likes. It stayed at No.1 for how many weeks? I would say you replace Born To Run with it. Imagine is a song with good lyrics, but i think that's all it has going for it. I wouldn't be sure what song to replace it with, but I would go with American Pie. Harthan explained everything there was to explain: it's got a good tune, great lyrics, it tells a good story. It's a great song, I woul put it at number 7, and Freebird number 10. I would also switch Layla with Comfortably Numb, so that Comfortably Numb is number 3. Great song.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Hm, Stairway to Heaven at #1? Not such a bad tradition, if I think about it. But I disagree with some of the other songs...

First of, "Hotel California" somehow never cut it for me. While not a bad song, this belongs somewhere between places 25 and 20 on the "Greatest Rock Song" list for me, just following my feeling right now.

On the other hand, Guns N' Roses definitely deserve a place in there, most definitely with Sweet Child o' Mine.

Bruce Springsteen, while I personally love him, shouldn't be in there with "Born to Run", and not on spot 4... I'd put him on #7 or #6, with "Thunder Road", or maybe even "Lost In The Flood"... but then again, he has so many great songs, it's really hard to pick one other than Thunder Road, since that one pretty much sums up everything Springsteen stands for perfectly.

And Pink Floyd - "Wish You Were Here", anyone?

However, I would never rank Rolling Stones #1, I consider this band so unbelievably overrated... now while "Sympathy for the Devil" definitely is a great song, and really would deserve a spot among the top 10, most of the Stones' stuff is just... not good lol. I mean, they were the "bad guy" counterpart to the Beatles (who are musically more than just head and shoulder above the Stones, on a side note), and really were important in their day and age, no doubt about it - but mostly because of their attitude, scandals and image, and less because of their music. Personally I just consider them way overrated.

Aerosmith could also have a nice spot in there, as BeLikeTimE mentioned... I wouldn't necessarily pick this song, but Aerosmith have quite a number of really awesome songs (especially the ballads of course, probably "Cryin") that could make the top 10.
But I like your inclusion of Deep Purple and The Doors, both who really need to be in that List instead of a two song nomination for The Who... The Who are great, no doubt, but they need not take up two spots hehe.

However, In A Gadda Da Vida has no place in there whatsoever. It's just fun because the guys were completely "out there" when doing that song, and turned it into a 17 minute jamsession... but the song itself is nothing great, and let me think about how many other great songs everyone knows Iron Butterfly had... erm... wait... ummm.... yeah. Point made.
But again another good pick with Master of Puppets. If a Metal song can make it, then it has to be Metallica, and probably with this song. The other option would probably be "One".

Most importantly, however, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody definitely needs to be in there, probably even as high as #2. This song just has it all, much like Stairway; even if Stairway probably is overall a bit more "perfect" in both songwriting and performance.

 

[Gutter Phenomenon]

I've been thinking about this alot the last couple days. And I feel I was wrong to put In A Gadda Da Vida in the top 10. Here are some options I've thought of to put in it's place.

Steve Miller Band - The Joker
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Rush - Tom Sawyer
Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child

 

[FromTheSouth]

Here's my list because I know everyone has been waiting for it.

10. Hendrix, All Along the Watchtower. If it were just an instrumental it would still be at the top of my list.

9. Felder's Heavy Metal- The song the defined a generation.

8. Simple Man - Perhaps my favorite song of all time. The guitar work is amazing, and the moral of the story is amazing. When you strip a man of everything superfluous, you can judge him on his loyalty and morality.

7. Crazy Train - Before it became some stadium anthem, it was a song that reminded us that Disco sucked and Rock n Roll would live forever....well, until Fall Out Boy became famous.

6. Joker - What a great song. It makes the listener feel like they are in a different world for the time that it's on, and in this world, there are no worries.

5. Sober, Tool - The beginning of the industrial rock era. Tool was the bridge between Grunge and Darker Rock of the late 90's

4. Hey Joe- Do I need to say anything?

3. Imagine - Another song that asks the listener to reconsider their lives. This is the song that got the listener to actually do it.

2. Stairway to Heaven - Pure awesomeness

1. Freebird - The three lead guitars, the message that rock stars can't be contained, and that the southern man is the realest man there is.


I'm going to look at other lists now, as I wanted to post mine without bias.

Barely missed the cut - Paint it Black, The End (Doors), Bohemian Rhapsody, Comfortably Numb, WIsh You Where Here, Kashmir.

 

[Gutter Phenomenon]

9. Felder's Heavy Metal- The song the defined a generation.

1. Freebird - The three lead guitars, the message that rock stars can't be contained, and that the southern man is the realest man there is.

Barely missed the cut - Paint it Black, The End (Doors), Bohemian Rhapsody, Comfortably Numb, WIsh You Where Here, Kashmir.

There is nothing to Heavy Metal that makes it a great song at all. Repeated lyrics, riffs, and no solo. Absolutely nothing special.

And for Freebird. Great song, definitely not number 1. And I definitely disagree with "Southern men" being the realest. I spent a little bit of time in the south, and I find them to be bigger dicks than almost anyone I've ever met.

Finally, The End is definitely not that great. It's basically just The Doors jamming for a while. I love the song though.

 

[FromTheSouth]

Yeah, I understand. I went with MY personal list. It definitely includes sentimental value to me.

Honestly, I expected more complaints about Tool than anything else.

The Felder song is just a throwback to college days and how every time it came on it signaled bong rip time.

And of course I am going to say southern men are the realest men. I've spent time with northerners and I find them to be dicks. Has to be a clutural thing going back to the civil wat.

And I love the end more for Apocalypse Now than the actual song.

Like I said, my top 10, but not a serious survey of the genre.

 

[Richard]

Hey IC, do you know how those songs were decided as to what place they got? Since I'm unfamiliar with your radio station you listen to, was it decided by number of times they were requested? Personal choice by staff? Or what? because a list like this can be very subjective to whoever decides on the order of songs.

Look, those songs are good, there is no doubt about that but they wouldn't be my personal top 10 as compared to what is the top 10 on the radio program IC listens to. I don't agree with Stairway To Heaven being number 1 though, atleast in the top 5, but again a list like this is going to be subjective. One artist who I think should be in the top 10 list though, is Elvis Presley.

I will have to think about my top 10 for a bit.

 

[tool75067]

5. Sober, Tool - The beginning of the industrial rock era. Tool was the bridge between Grunge and Darker Rock of the late 90's

umm industrial rock was around before TOOL. bands like ministry were out in the 80's! besides TOOL is Progressive Rock/Metal.