Five Important Rock Songs

[JohnnyBlaze]

Is RUSH's Sweet Miracle related to YES's Miracle of Life?

I don't know. Is Miracle of Life pretty weak too?

I've always liked Sweet Miracle myself... :haz:

That doesn't seem very metal of you. But fair enough. As far as 5 important rock songs goes, I'd go with the aforementioned Kashmir and Purple Haze (of course!). Say what you will about his voice and all that, I'd add Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone". I've read somewhere before that it was double the length of rock songs at the time yet still got airplay [due to Bob's stubborness to yield to time constraints]. It became a hit and changed the mindset of rock songs having to be under 3 minutes to get radio play AND be successful. For that reason alone I think it should be in this group of 5. Plus, the lyrics ain't too shabby either. "How does it feelHow does it feelTo be on your ownWith no direction homeLike a complete unknownLike a rolling stone?"That state of mind and Dylan's attitude is totally rock and roll.

[Hatchetaxe&saw]

Is RUSH's Sweet Miracle related to YES's Miracle of Life?

I don't know. Is Miracle of Life pretty weak too?

I've always liked Sweet Miracle myself... :haz:

That doesn't seem very metal of you. But fair enough. As far as 5 important rock songs goes, I'd go with the aforementioned Kashmir and Purple Haze (of course!). Say what you will about his voice and all that, I'd add Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone". I've read somewhere before that it was double the length of rock songs at the time yet still got airplay [due to Bob's stubborness to yield to time constraints]. It became a hit and changed the mindset of rock songs having to be under 3 minutes to get radio play AND be successful. For that reason alone I think it should be in this group of 5. Plus, the lyrics ain't too shabby either. "How does it feelHow does it feelTo be on your ownWith no direction homeLike a complete unknownLike a rolling stone?"That state of mind and Dylan's attitude is totally rock and roll.

 

Like A Rolling Stone. Of course. Can't believe I forgot that one. It still thrills me.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Is RUSH's Sweet Miracle related to YES's Miracle of Life?

I don't know. Is Miracle of Life pretty weak too?

I've always liked Sweet Miracle myself... :haz:

That doesn't seem very metal of you. But fair enough. As far as 5 important rock songs goes, I'd go with the aforementioned Kashmir and Purple Haze (of course!). Say what you will about his voice and all that, I'd add Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone". I've read somewhere before that it was double the length of rock songs at the time yet still got airplay [due to Bob's stubborness to yield to time constraints]. It became a hit and changed the mindset of rock songs having to be under 3 minutes to get radio play AND be successful. For that reason alone I think it should be in this group of 5. Plus, the lyrics ain't too shabby either. "How does it feelHow does it feelTo be on your ownWith no direction homeLike a complete unknownLike a rolling stone?"That state of mind and Dylan's attitude is totally rock and roll.

 

Like A Rolling Stone. Of course. Can't believe I forgot that one. It still thrills me.

For sure. Imho, there are probably better Dylan songs but that one might be the most important. The Who's "My Generation" would probably make the cut and something (though what I'm not sure) from The Beatles would too.

Edited February 9, 2013 by JohnnyBlaze

[treeduck]

Is RUSH's Sweet Miracle related to YES's Miracle of Life?

I don't know. Is Miracle of Life pretty weak too?

I've always liked Sweet Miracle myself... :haz:

 

I love Miracle of Life!! It's nuts.

 

Living in times of luster, waiting for the flood.

We don't agree with your concepts;

You'd rather be washed in blood.

Is it any wonder? (In my lifetime)

Cold depth of blue water...

Is it any wonder? (In my lifetime)

Rising tides of slaughter - shoulda been washed in blood

 

 

One of Union's better moments.

 

I know it's not popular among hardened Yesheads but I quite like Union as an album. :guitar:

[treeduck]

Is RUSH's Sweet Miracle related to YES's Miracle of Life?

I don't know. Is Miracle of Life pretty weak too?

I've always liked Sweet Miracle myself... :haz:

That doesn't seem very metal of you. But fair enough. As far as 5 important rock songs goes, I'd go with the aforementioned Kashmir and Purple Haze (of course!). Say what you will about his voice and all that, I'd add Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone". I've read somewhere before that it was double the length of rock songs at the time yet still got airplay [due to Bob's stubborness to yield to time constraints]. It became a hit and changed the mindset of rock songs having to be under 3 minutes to get radio play AND be successful. For that reason alone I think it should be in this group of 5. Plus, the lyrics ain't too shabby either. "How does it feelHow does it feelTo be on your ownWith no direction homeLike a complete unknownLike a rolling stone?"That state of mind and Dylan's attitude is totally rock and roll.

 

This post deserves 5 stars, but we have no stars. Instead we have something more appropriate...

 

:blaze: :blaze:

[Thunder Bay Rush]

Could we change this to "105 songs?"

 

Can't do just five...

[USB Connector]

A few of these may have been mentioned already but here's my list:

 

Rock Around the Clock (popularized rock)

Strawberry Fields Forever (basically began prog rock)

Thriller (when you manage to make a song that could be considered both a great rock song and a great pop song...)

Stairway to Heaven (no explanation needed)

Johnny B Goode

[JohnnyBlaze]

Is RUSH's Sweet Miracle related to YES's Miracle of Life?

I don't know. Is Miracle of Life pretty weak too?

I've always liked Sweet Miracle myself... :haz:

That doesn't seem very metal of you. But fair enough. As far as 5 important rock songs goes, I'd go with the aforementioned Kashmir and Purple Haze (of course!). Say what you will about his voice and all that, I'd add Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone". I've read somewhere before that it was double the length of rock songs at the time yet still got airplay [due to Bob's stubborness to yield to time constraints]. It became a hit and changed the mindset of rock songs having to be under 3 minutes to get radio play AND be successful. For that reason alone I think it should be in this group of 5. Plus, the lyrics ain't too shabby either. "How does it feelHow does it feelTo be on your ownWith no direction homeLike a complete unknownLike a rolling stone?"That state of mind and Dylan's attitude is totally rock and roll.

 

This post deserves 5 stars, but we have no stars. Instead we have something more appropriate...

 

:blaze: :blaze:

 

cool

[goose]

Elvis - That's Allright (Black Music goes mainstream)

Beatles - I Wanna Hold your Hand (Rock n Roll becomes big money)

Beach Boys - Good Vibrations (Psychedelia/Prog is born)

The Who - My Generation (Punk attitude)

Black Sabbath - Iron Man (Metal)

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and the Comets (First hit to be called Rock and Roll)

That's All Right/Blue Moon of Kentucky by Elvis Presley (Need I say more?)

Raunchy by Bill Justis (The song that George Harrison played to get him into the Beatles)

Tutti Fruiti by Little Richard (again, need I say more?)

Rumble by Link Wray (First song with distorted guitar)

 

Honorable mention: I Feel Fine by the Beatles (First recorded song with intentional guitar feedback) and of course Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

A few of these may have been mentioned already but here's my list:

 

Rock Around the Clock (popularized rock)

Strawberry Fields Forever (basically began prog rock)

Thriller (when you manage to make a song that could be considered both a great rock song and a great pop song...)

Stairway to Heaven (no explanation needed)

Johnny B Goode

Good list! The Beatles second album made them the first progressive band. They are the first and definitive progressive band.

[treeduck]

Elvis - That's Allright (Black Music goes mainstream)

Beatles - I Wanna Hold your Hand (Rock n Roll becomes big money)

Beach Boys - Good Vibrations (Psychedelia/Prog is born)

The Who - My Generation (Punk attitude)

Black Sabbath - Iron Man (Metal)

Good list.

[USB Connector]

A few of these may have been mentioned already but here's my list:

 

Rock Around the Clock (popularized rock)

Strawberry Fields Forever (basically began prog rock)

Thriller (when you manage to make a song that could be considered both a great rock song and a great pop song...)

Stairway to Heaven (no explanation needed)

Johnny B Goode

Good list! The Beatles second album made them the first progressive band. They are the first and definitive progressive band.

 

Thanks. I didn't realize the whole album was progressive. I just remember reading in quite a few papers/books that our definition of prog can be traced back to Strawberry fields. It seems I forgot Elvis, which you included in your list. I'm reading this thread and I'm realizing I'm missing a lot of heavily influential music that I've yet to listen to. Much of your list comprises it :P

[goose]

A few of these may have been mentioned already but here's my list:

 

Rock Around the Clock (popularized rock)

Strawberry Fields Forever (basically began prog rock)

Thriller (when you manage to make a song that could be considered both a great rock song and a great pop song...)

Stairway to Heaven (no explanation needed)

Johnny B Goode

Good list! The Beatles second album made them the first progressive band. They are the first and definitive progressive band.

 

Thanks. I didn't realize the whole album was progressive. I just remember reading in quite a few papers/books that our definition of prog can be traced back to Strawberry fields. It seems I forgot Elvis, which you included in your list. I'm reading this thread and I'm realizing I'm missing a lot of heavily influential music that I've yet to listen to. Much of your list comprises it :P

I put Good Vibrations on my list because it's one of the songs from the Pet Sounds era, though not on the album. These are the songs that inspired Sgt. Pepper. Of course, the Beach Boys were inspired to move in the direction of Pet Sounds after hearing Rubber Soul, so there you go...The Beach Boys Pet Sounds era is prog musically...though lyrically they don't quite pull it off

[driventotheedge]

Elvis - That's Allright (Black Music goes mainstream)

Beatles - I Wanna Hold your Hand (Rock n Roll becomes big money)

Beach Boys - Good Vibrations (Psychedelia/Prog is born)

The Who - My Generation (Punk attitude)

Black Sabbath - Iron Man (Metal)

Good list.

 

Yeah nice. Can't believe yours was the first to include a Sabbath song. Fukkers basically invented an entire genre for heaven's sake. I'd include I Wanna Hold Your Hand in any list like this too. And the Elvis song is a must but I'd drop the B. Boys and put Chuck's Johnny B. Goode in there and Like A Rolling Stone by Dylan instead of The Who. But if we can have 6 I'll either leave My Generation in or change it out for You Really Got Me by The Kinks (another precursor to punk song). Bottom line though, limiting this to 5 is really tough. Even 10 is.

Edited February 13, 2013 by driventotheedge

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

A few of these may have been mentioned already but here's my list:

 

Rock Around the Clock (popularized rock)

Strawberry Fields Forever (basically began prog rock)

Thriller (when you manage to make a song that could be considered both a great rock song and a great pop song...)

Stairway to Heaven (no explanation needed)

Johnny B Goode

Good list! The Beatles second album made them the first progressive band. They are the first and definitive progressive band.

 

Thanks. I didn't realize the whole album was progressive. I just remember reading in quite a few papers/books that our definition of prog can be traced back to Strawberry fields. It seems I forgot Elvis, which you included in your list. I'm reading this thread and I'm realizing I'm missing a lot of heavily influential music that I've yet to listen to. Much of your list comprises it :P

By that I mean that the Beatles second album was a progression from the first and thus making them the first real progressive band. Progressive is not a sound but an idea.

[USB Connector]

A few of these may have been mentioned already but here's my list:

 

Rock Around the Clock (popularized rock)

Strawberry Fields Forever (basically began prog rock)

Thriller (when you manage to make a song that could be considered both a great rock song and a great pop song...)

Stairway to Heaven (no explanation needed)

Johnny B Goode

Good list! The Beatles second album made them the first progressive band. They are the first and definitive progressive band.

 

Thanks. I didn't realize the whole album was progressive. I just remember reading in quite a few papers/books that our definition of prog can be traced back to Strawberry fields. It seems I forgot Elvis, which you included in your list. I'm reading this thread and I'm realizing I'm missing a lot of heavily influential music that I've yet to listen to. Much of your list comprises it :P

By that I mean that the Beatles second album was a progression from the first and thus making them the first real progressive band. Progressive is not a sound but an idea.

 

I understand that progressive music is an idea, but I was thinking in terms of individual songs that can be considered progressive in themselves. For example Strawberry Fields Forever can be broken down into movements.

[The Cat 3]

Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone

 

Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven

 

KISS - Rock and Roll All Nite

 

Guns N Roses - Welcome to the Jungle

 

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit