Top lists are old, especially top lists of old songs. Who wants to hear another person’s opinion on what he or she thinks are the best songs of all time?
Nevertheless, these are some songs I think are a good introduction for a newcomer to the genre. I’ve limited the list to one song per band/musician, and it was sweet agony for me to assemble the playlist. You can find the Spotify playlist at the end of the post.
Born to Run
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)
The Boss kicks the list off with his mainstream breakout.
Don’t Stop Believin’
Journey - Escape (1981)
A staple of classic rock radio stations, and for good reason.
Rosanna
Toto - Toto IV (1982)
Everyone knows Africa, but Rosanna is pretty good too. Give it a spin.
Foreplay/Long Time
Boston - Boston (1976)
From Boston’s landmark eponymous album, and written by frontman Tom Scholz shortly after graduating from MIT.
Sympathy for the Devil
The Rolling Stones - Beggar’s Banquet (1968)
As iconic as it gets. I think what really made it stick was the juxtaposition of its lyrical content and its dancey bongo samba rhythm. According to Jagger, the song had:
… an undercurrent of being primitive - because it is a primitive African, South American, Afro-whatever-you-call-that rhythm. So to white people, it has a very sinister thing about it.
Livin’ On A Prayer
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986)
This will forever be my shower song.
Uptown Girl
Billy Joel - An Innocent Man (1983)
Yes, I know it should have been Piano Man, but I listened to way too much Westlife when I was young and the tune stuck.
Romeo and Juliet
Dire Straits - Making Movies (1980)
Dire Straits has many great songs, but Romeo and Juliet trumps them all. Mark Knopfler pours his heart out on this number, and it shows.
A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets of serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like, you and me babe, how ‘bout it?
Heart Of Gold
Neil Young - Harvest (1972)
Originally a rocker, Neil Young turned to writing soft acoustic pieces after he injured his back and could play only his acoustic guitar sitting down. Funnily enough, according to Wikipedia, Bob Dylan disliked the song:
The only time it bothered me that someone sounded like me was when I was living in Phoenix, Arizona, in about ‘72 and the big song at the time was “Heart of Gold”. I used to hate it when it came on the radio. I always liked Neil Young, but it bothered me every time I listened to “Heart of Gold.” I think it was up at number one for a long time, and I’d say, “Shit, that’s me. If it sounds like me, it should as well be me.”
Free Bird
Lynyrd Skynyrd - (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) (1973)
The longest song on this playlist, the definitive version for me is their live version performed at The Fox Theater, which can be found on The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd (clocking in at 14 minutes). Don’t be put off by the length though, it gets better towards the end. A LOT better.
Go Your Own Way
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977)
A banger of a song from Fleetwood Mac’s best album, and the album that saved them from certain irrelevance.
Mr. Blue Sky
Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue (1977)
Awesome pick-me-up for those deary Monday mornings. The cryptic ending of the song is actually “Please turn me over”, instructing the listener to flip the vinyl over to the next side.
Runnin’ down the avenue
See how the sun shines brightly
In the city on the streets where once was pity
Mr. Blue Sky is living here today, hey!
Sunshine of Your Love
Cream - Disraeli Gears (1968)
Eric Clapton makes his first appearance on this list with Cream. This song also accompanies one of my favourite scenes in Goodfellas.
Black Magic Woman
Santana - Abraxas (1970)
Who can forget Santana?
Behind Blue Eyes
The Who - Who’s Next (1971)
Some of you will recognize it from the Limp Bizkit cover (which isn’t half bad, to be honest).
Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)
Another one for the road.
Carry On Wayward Son
Kansas - Leftoverture (1976)
What more can I say? This belongs in the annals of epic rock songs. Also, watch this 10-year-old Japanese girl own it on the electone.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The Beatles - The Beatles (The White Album) (1968)
The Beatles is sadly, conspicuously absent from Spotify. Clapton makes his second appearance on this playlist here, playing the famous guitar solo with “Lucy”, Harrison’s Les Paul (which was in fact gifted to him by Clapton). McCartney also plays his Fender Jazz bass instead of his usual Rickenbacker basses.
Dream On
Aerosmith - Aerosmith (1973)
Aerosmith’s first major hit of many hits to come. Also sampled heavily by Eminem on Sing for the Moment.
Hurricane
Bob Dylan - Desire (1976)
A protest song written by Dylan on the conviction of boxer Rubin Carter for murder during a robbery. Initially convicted in 1967, Carter was later released via habeas corpus in November 1985. Particularly poignant given recent developments.
Under Pressure
Queen, David Bowie - Hot Space (1982)
A great single from an transitional album. Legend has it that Mercury and Bowie took turns improvising the lyrics as they jammed in the studio.
La Grange
ZZ Top - Tres Hombres (1973)
A haw haw haw, a hmm hmm hmmm.
Bold As Love
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold as Love (1967)
My red is so confident he flashes trophies of war
And ribbons of euphoria
Orange is young, full of daring
But very unsteady for the first go round
My yellow in this case is not so mellow
In fact I’m trying to say it’s frightened like me
And all these emotions of mine keep holding me from, eh
Giving my life to a rainbow like you
John Mayer also does an excellent cover on his album Continuum.
Ramble On
Led Zeppelin - II (1969)
This was so difficult for me to pick (but who can resist Led Zeppelin singing about The Lord of the Rings?) I will do a Led Zeppelin-only list in due time.
Layla
Derek & The Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
Clapton makes his third and final appearance here in one of rock’s most iconic love songs. Thoroughly inspired by The Story of Layla and Majnun, a anecdotal love story of ancient Arabic origins popularized by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in 1192.
Hotel California
Eagles - Desperado (1973)
And no other song than Hotel California to round off the playlist. By far my favourite version of the song is on MTV Live and Unplugged in 1994, which tragically I can’t find on Spotify. I can’t even find the video on Youtube! Luckily, Vimeo saves the day. Like most other MTV Live and Unplugged live concerts, this show is remarkably well-recorded, and you can often find it being played as an demonstration at high-end audio trade shows.
Here it is:
Hope you enjoy!
