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Greatest rock song of all time
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Yes Jung, this would have to be the greatest song ever written imho! Yoko Ono gets some bad press, and maybe some of it at least is warranted, but I think we need to give her some credit for this song. John Lennon has stated that if he hadn’t met her, “Imagine” would never have been written. She was the inspiration for much of what he achieved post Beatles, including their bed-in that gave worldwide publicity to their pleas for peace and love.
I don’t know if we can say his vision was ahead of it’s time though as through much of the sixties there were anti-war movements and peace movements, initially expressed through folk music. However, no one had put the message as succinctly and beautifully as John Lennon.
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It seems Howard, Yoko Ono was John’s love of his life the way she became such a central figure in everything he did post Beatles and even during the late period Beatles. I can see she had a profound impact on him as a person and I suspect his inspirations and creativity too. You can see the affection and chemistry between them at the end of the video where they are looking at each other serious as the video ends, and John winks at her and she breaks into a big smile.
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I’m going to say
1) Twist and Shout – by anybody who plays it. Great beat, easy to dance to, and just fun no matter how it’s done. The essence of Rock and Roll.
2) Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
3) Stairway to Heaven – Led Zepplin – yeah, I know it’s overplayed, and we’re all tired of it, but that shouldn’t keep it off the list.
4) A Day in the Life – Beatles I have trouble calling this one “rock” but will use it here anyhow.
5) My Generation – The Who
But if want Greatest Rock performance – then it has to be Hendrix – Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock. Nothing else even comes close.
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The “Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock” is a classic moment in rock history and hard to beat. And yes, hard to define “A Day in the Life“ as rock, but the same can be said for many of the Beatles best. They did quite a few ballads.
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Oh there are too many “greatest” songs for me to be able to make a guess at. Just when you think of one another one will pop into your head shortly after!
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Yes Jung, Sweet Lorraine was a strong consideration that didn’t make it to my list because of my aunt, and though I listened to it a lot, I didn’t think I’d want to take it to a deserted island where the playlist was so limited.
I felt like I couldn’t repeat artists on the “Rest of the Field” for varieties sake. Every time I think of another song, I want to edit into the list, such as “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum and “No Matter What” by Badfinger
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Yes awesome list Jim, and can see why your 5 could very well be the greatest of all time. For me it’s always been hard to choose which I like better between Jimi Hendrix Foxey Lady and Purple Haze, both just stellar. My oldest brother was a Jimi Hendrix nut and as a little kid remember those Hendrix guitar sounds blaring through the house. I think MLT Club 27 has a healthy dose of Hendricks inspiration.
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Tomas, Thomas, I have to agree when you try to do a top 10 list of greatest songs, there are just too many that should not go unmentioned. I guess this exercise makes you uncover all those great songs again. Whiter Shade of Pale, Sounds Of Silence (Simon and Garfunkl), Tuesday Afternoon (Moody Blues), Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd), Time of the Season (Zombies), Smoke on The Water (Deep Purple), Foxey Lady, Purple Haze (Hendricks) are a few more that pops to mind that deserve mention.
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Hi all;
Rolling Stone mag and others say that Satisfaction is the best RnR song ever. I kinfa understand why they pick it, but for me it is not even the best Rolling Stones song…..I like their music during the Mick Taylor period. For all time top 10 it is hard to say. I like music from Lou Reed to the Association including things in between and from Linda Ronstadt to others in country-rock and from James Taylor to Sweet (especially Ballroom Blitz). If you looked at my CD collection, you would find an eclectic grouping of CDs.
I guess my favorite song overall is She Loves You because it is a dividing line in RnR music. What was before it was OK but with this song RnR changed forever due to unusual chordal structure and vocal harmonies. After that it is wide open……Bohemian Rhapsody and Hotel California is in there somewhere. Also, I tend to like the Beatles from Help through Sgt. Peppers especially John doing Dylan in those LPs. After that I put Abbey Road up there including George’s songs, You Never Give Me Your Money, and The End. CSN(Y) is likely in there, too, but mostly Stephen’s material. For James Taylor I tend to favor his first two US LPs. Poco and Pure Prairie League has to be in the mix somewhere too. And, of course, MLT. But, the list would change from day-to-day depending on my mood.
Mike
So, I guess that overall there is just too much music from which to choose. To get a top 10.
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Good answer Michael. Too many to pick just ten. The usual magazine picks don’t normally match up with mine either, but I think the RS mag reviewers did a reasonable job. The Stones best live years were the Mick Taylor years, but their best albums were from ‘Beggars Banquet’ to ‘Goats Head Soup’, and I’m a fan of their ‘Aftermath’ and ‘Between the Buttons’ albums.
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I remember when John Lennon died and they did a tribute to John by candle light with Imagine as the theme song. I thought that was the most beautiful song I ever heard, and the way John sang it was perfect. I’ve heard that song done by so many over the years, but none could touch and move the way John sang it. When I heard MLTs duo session cover of Imagine, I was truly impressed by Lisa’s heart felt singing and vocal dynamics that hit every note of that beautiful ballad with wonderful emotion like John did it. Doing the slower beautiful ballads with proper justice to the essence of the original is the hardest to do, and I have never heard this song done right like Lisa did it, with Monas incredible backing harmony voice. John Lennon would have approved!
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Mike, your preferences described gives great insight into many great songs and something to think about. I think you make a great point about the early Beatles work like She Loves You. Just by their impact and significance in changing music forever, they very well could be considered the greatest of all time. It was music like no one ever heard before.
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Twenty Flight Rock from Eddie Cochran
and why?
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Nice pick Angelo. And an interesting background story. A great pity the world lost such a Rock and Roll talent just a year after losing Buddy Holly. Eddie Cochran was only 21 when he died in a car crash in England in 1960.
The car and other items from the crash were impounded at the local police station until a coroner’s inquest could be held. David Harman, a police cadet at the station, who would later become known as Dave Dee of the band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, is said to have played on Cochran’s Gretsch guitar whilst it was held at the station.
He performed the song “Twenty Flight Rock” in the film The Girl Can’t Help It, starring Jayne Mansfield. Soon afterwards, he signed a recording contract with Liberty Records. Is that a Gretsch he’s playing?
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