greatest rock tune

[metroshane]

this question has caused many a scuffle--
which song is better?

1.freebird
2.stairway to heaven
3.hotel california

please feel free to add another if you believe it's a better song.

[VegForLife]

Well, out of those three, I'd have to say that "Stairway to Heaven" is a better song, and was performed by a band light-years ahead of Lynrd Skynrd (at least musically, if not in a pop-appeal sort of way, and they might have even been ahead of them in pop-appeal). While I like it, I can't believe that you'd put "Hotel California" in the same question.

If you're looking at "rock anthems," I'd suggest "Won't Get Fooled Again." "Baba O'Riley," from the same album, is probably better known, but it doesn't have the length to fit in the same category.

Rich

"Tiptoe through the tulips" by Tiny Tim.

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Jacques Kilchoer
Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.

[DrFidelius]

"Ironman"

[metroshane]

i live in the south (texas) and the reason i picked these three songs is b/c we have no shortage of classic rock stations. and every year, the have a countdown of the best tunes ever. these three continue to be the top three songs, order depends on which station. sometimes 'satisfaction' will beat one, but rarely

[tracer]

"Er, Der Herrlischte von Allen" from Frauen Lieben und Leben by Robert Schumann.

[Narile]

Back when I lived outside of Dayton (And I prefered it that way...Outside of) Won't get fooled again and Stairway to heaven were the two that always fought for dominance...I prefer The Who to Led Zepplin so you can guess which one I consider to be the greatest.

(Hope the underline works. :> )

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>>Being Chaotic Evil means never having to say your sorry....unless the other guy is bigger than you.<<

---The dragon observes

[RTA]

"Hot for Teacher"

[jane_says]

In this area (SW VA/NE TN) we have the same unfortunate problem - too much classic rock for our own good. I would have to say "Time" by Pink Floyd is the greatest rock song ever. Many times I'd rather listen to something else, but it's still at the top.
Yessir, that's my vote.

[David B]

"2112" by Rush.

[the first supraliminal]

CRAZY TRAIN! It's not really considered a "rock anthem", but it just rocks. Heck, it was in a car commercial.

As for anthems, I'd have to go with Bohemian Rhapsody, Freebird (heard it last night when I was really drunk, made my day), or Stairway.



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There's always another beer.

[astorian]

I liked all three of those songs the first 5 trillion times I've heard them, but they lost something after that. And actually, I never even considered "Stairway to Heaven" one of the 4 best songs on Side 1 of "Zoso," so it sure isn't the greatest rock song ever.

Actually, the REAL test of how great a rock song is may be this: does it STILL sound great after I've heard it 5 trillion times? By that standard, numerous classic rock songs outrank those 3. Including:

"Layla" (the Dominos version... I got bored with the slow, bluesy version in a hurry)

"Jumping Jack Flash"

"Ticket to Ride"

"Sultans of Swing"

"Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd


Mind you, there are LOTS of songs I like better than any of these, but I feel compelled to stick with the songs you'd hear in heavy rotation on classic rock stations (like "Freebird," "Stairway," etc.)

[The_Peyote_Coyote]

“Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On” – by The Killer

[Satan]

"Louie Louie"

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Yer pal,
Satan

[Doctor Jackson]

I'll give a rousing "it depends". Of the three songs you mentioned I'd rather listen to Freebird, so long as it is the live, 15 minute version recorded in Atlanta. Otherwise it would have to be Stairway to Heaven.

Outside those three I would also nominate Black Blade by Blue Oyster Cult, Radar Love (best of the one hit wonders), and Hair of the Dog by Nazareth, just to name a few. I'm really no good at the favorites game.

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The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. -- E. Grebenik

[Ukulele Ike]

"My Pal Foot Foot" by the Shaggs.

[JoeyBlades]

The subject line sez, "Greatest rock tune", but the actual post asks, "Which song is better?" These are two different things.

To answer the second question, you have to define "better". What objective criteria must we use? If the message is most important to me, I might choose "Stairway to Heaven", but if it's guitars that I'm into, then I'd probably go with "Freebird". I'm sure I could find a criteria to prefer "Hotel California", as well... Maybe you meant to ask, "Which song is most popular"?

The first question clearly has no answer. There can be no greatest. Hell, I can't even decide what my favorite is... it changes with my mood, but just to state my personal top ten (mostly for my own edification):

"I Believe" - Joe Satriani
(Great guitar - makes my head swim; great pick-me-up for when I'm down)

"Who Wants To Live Forever" - Queen
(I often wonder what Freddy Mercury knew when he wrote those lyrics)

"Blue Powder" - Steve Vai
(I get chills every time I hear this guitar solo)

"A Change Of Seasons" - Dream Theater
(This song has something for everyone, no matter your mood, no matter your musical taste)

"Might As Well Be On Mars" - Alice Cooper
(For when I'm feeling entirely unappreciated and just a little bit psycho)

"The Muffin Man" - Frank Zappa
(Mostly because I saw Frank do this live at the Armadillo in Austin and it was one of my favorite life experiences!)

"More Than Words" - Extreme
(Just a great love song...)

"Comfortably Numb" - Pink Floyd
(How many other songs can you name where so many people sing the lead guitar parts?)

"Paranoid" - as performed by Type-O-Negative
(Scary, scary stuff...)

"Exile" - Enya
(OK, technically it's not rock, but I still felt compelled to include it in my top ten...)

[cmkeller]

IF you're just talking about the tune, I've got two candidates that haven't been mentioned yet: Come Sail Away by Styx, and St. Elmo's Fire.

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Chaim Mattis Keller
ckeller@schicktech.com

"Sherlock Holmes once said that once you have eliminated the
impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be
the answer. I, however, do not like to eliminate the impossible.
The impossible often has a kind of integrity to it that the merely improbable lacks."
-- Douglas Adams's Dirk Gently, Holistic Detective

[DoctorJ]

"Whole Lotta Smoke on the Stairway to Freebird"

[Fretful Porpentine]

Hendrix's version of "All Along the Watchtower." "Freebird" and "Hotel California" shouldn't even make the top fifty, in my opinion.

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On registration day at taxidermy school
I distinctly saw the eyes of the stuffed moose
Move.
- Gavin Gunhold

[PunditLisa]

What to discover the meaning of life? Two things are needed: A bong and the song "Comfortably Numb."

I prefer the live version, btw.

[KeithB]

Aw, heck, I'll bite:

I have always liked "Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac.

Great Hook, and the USC Marching Band!

[pldennison]

Wow, I like "Hotel California" far better than either of the other two. In fact, "Stairway" wouldn't even make my Top 3 Zeppelin songs, let alone my Top 3 rock songs in general.

And as far as Floyd, I would pick "Time" over "Comfortably Numb" too. I would even pick "The Happiest Days of Our Lives/Another Brick in the Wall Pt. II." Much better guitar solo, IMHO.



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"I love God! He's so deliciously evil!" - Stewie Griffin, Family Guy

[Sam Stone]

'Round these parts, Stairway usually wins the phone-in polls. Songs in the top ten are usually Whole Lotta Love, Satisfaction, Won't Get Fooled Again, Hey Jude, Let it Be, Free Bird, Hotel California, and a couple of others.

[Revtim]

I don't know if I can say it's the BEST rock tune, but the absolute purest, 200 proof rock and roll song ever created by a human would have to be "Jesus Built My Hotrod" by Ministry.

If I wasn't such a law-abiding dude I'd make an MP3 and for those unlucky enough to have never heard it. Of course that would be wrong, though.

[BenDover]

'When The Levee Breaks' by Led Zep

[KentT]

Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult
Paint it black - Rolling Stones
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix version

[KentT]

Wait, just read through the others and I can't believe I forgot this one.

Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits

[PunditLisa]

I'd have to include "Dream On" by Aerosmith. in my top 10 list.

"Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles

[tracer]

"Dancing Queen" by ABBA. (Mua ha ha ha ha!)

[DrFidelius]

Damn your eyes, tracer. Now I'm going to have to listen to a pig being slaughtered to drive that "song" out of my head.

[J String]

My personal fave is Elton John's "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding." Fortunately I don't hear it on the radio often or I'd get burnt on it really quick.

[Troy McClure SF]

I'm quite partial to quite a few Aerosmith tunes, meself:
Crazy, Walk this Way, Janie's Got a Gun

Gotta love Bohemian Rhapsody, too.

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JMcC, San Francisco
http://members.tripod.com/~weirdstuff/index.html
"Hear the voices in my head, I swear to God it sounds like they're snoring"

[tomndebb]

I refuse to pick "bests" for a lot of reasons, but among the best-and-neglected I would put Jessica by the Allman Brothers (which, oddly, is one of the few AB tunes I even like).

Won't Get Fooled Again goes into the list of best-but-not-neglected (and nothing is better for tunneling down a 2-lane road alone at 3:00 a.m. than I can see For Miles).

For songs with similar set-ups, I prefer Green Grass and High Tides Forever to Freebird.

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Tom~

My opinion would be that rock'n'roll is a music that embodies rebellion, so a song chosen to represent rock'n'roll should be in that vein, besides being a good song to listen to. When I think of Rock'N'Roll, I think of youth, drugs, the 60's love/peace movement, and resistance to authority.

So I would nominate one of the following:
The Beatles - Revolution or Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction or Sympathy for the Devil
The Who - My Generation
The Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK
The Clash - Clampdown

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Jacques Kilchoer
Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.

[PunditLisa]

Besides, "Comfortably Numb" and "Dream On",I'd have to include "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" by Elton John, "My Hometown" by Springsteen, "Behind Blue Eyes" by the Who, and "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" by Meat Loaf. And while I know the purists will hate me for admitting it, I really like "Sister Christian" by Night Ranger.

As far as women artists, I like Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the Only One", Bonnie Raitt's "Have a Heart" and Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason." though these seem more like pop than rock...

[Sam Stone]

Hey, I'll throw in a second for "Jessica". It's one of the few rock tunes that I can listen to hundreds of times and still enjoy. It ranks up there as maybe the best rock instrumental song, IMO.

[Phaedrus]

De gustibus non disputantum est.

[kaylasdad99]

Phaedrus:

Good point.

[AWB]

Radar Love - Golden Earring
Tom Sawyer - Rush
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
Right Now - Van Halen
Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Classical Gas - Mason Williams

[tracer]

DrFidelius wrote:

Damn your eyes, tracer. Now I'm going to have to listen to a pig being slaughtered to drive that "song" out of my head.

You can dance, you can jive
Havin' the time of your li-i-ife, (oo oo oo)
See that girl, watch that scene
Diggin' the dancing queen! (da dum, da dum, da dum)


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Quick-N-Dirty Aviation: Trading altitude for airspeed since 1992.

[ellis555]

forgive me if someone already posted this and i missed it, but how bout Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf?

ellis

[David]

I don't think there is any way you can choose one song (or even ten songs) but if someone had never heard rock and roll, the first song I would play for them would be "Fire" by Jimi Hendrix.

[sly]

Johnny B. Goode - Who else?
Jailhouse Rock - 'Da King
Radar Love - I actually saw VanHalen do a cover of this in the early days. Wow!
Crossroads - Probably not Creams' best but this cover of Robert Johnsons' classic turned me onto music in a big way.


Tom nailed it, too, with "I can see for miles". I was coming home from a short trip up north (that's Gaylord, for you non-Michiganders) Saturday night with the top down and that song came on the radio. The next thing I know, I'm doing about 90. Lucky for me the next song was "Crimson and clover".

Hmmm...my top 5 in no particular order
"Words of Earnest"..Goose Creek Symphony

"Feel like I'm fixing to die rag"...Country Joe and The Fish (you hadda be there)

"Lunatic Fringe"...Red Rider

"Careful with that axe Eugene"..Pink Floyd...from Umma Gumma.

"Whiskey Bent and hell bound"...Hank Jr.

Fav instrumental..Mountain Jam...Allman bros.

[sunbear]

If it's a rock song you want, no Abbas allowed. Jaques' list is pretty good:
The Beatles - Revolution or Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction or Sympathy for the Devil
The Who - My Generation
The Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK
The Clash - Clampdown

For the Beatles I'd throw in Please Please me and I saw her standing there.

U2: Sunday Bloody Sunday

I'm not a big Doors fan anymore, but Light My Fire has to be in the top three rock songs of all time. For Buddy Holly, it's hard to pick, but say Peggy Sue or Not Fade Away.

[maerd retaehT]

>sly: Johnny B. Goode - Who else?

Michael J. Fox?

[AHunter3]

At full eardrum-bustin' can't-hear-nothin'-over-it volume:

Astronomy Domine Pink Floyd
The Battle of Evermore Led Zeppelin
Baba O'Reilly The Who
entire Side One, DSOTM Pink Floyd
Castle Walls Styx
Kashmir Led Zeppelin
Lucifer Alan Parsons Project
Won't Get Fooled Again The Who
The Angry Young Man Styx
Welcome to the Machine Pink Floyc
DogsPink Floyd
In the Lap of the Gods Alan Parson Project
Chapter 24 Pink Floyd
Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin
Procession The Moody Blues
Summer '68 Pink Floyd




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Designated Optional Signature at Bottom of Post

[Missy2U]

Banks - right on! (CJ&tF)

[AHunter3]

I said:

Astronomy Domine Pink Floyd

That shoulda been:
Interstellar Overdrive Pink Floyd
although Astronomy Domine by the same band does exist (I think even on the same album).

Interstellar=stars, see? Astronomy? Anyway...



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Designated Optional Signature at Bottom of Post

[tracer]

And speaking of astronomy, come on over and visit the Internet Stellar Database at http://www.stellar-database.com ! It's got all the latest dirt on your favorite stars!

Okay, I'll stop plugging my handiwork now.

[Jen]

Personally, I cannot stand any of those songs anymore as they have been over-played for years and years....

One CD/Album that never goes bad for me is the Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street...there is not a bad song on it. In fact, one of the Rolling Stones greatest works by far.

[HeadlessCow]

For greatest rock songs ever ( in alphabetical order by artist) :
1. Iron Man - Black Sabbath
2. Astronomy or (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
3. Money For Nothing or Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
4. Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
5. Live and Let Die - Gun's and Roses
6. Carry On My Wayward Son - Kansas
7. Kashmir or Ramble On - Led Zeppelin
8. For Whom The Bell Tolls - Metallica
9. Sympathy For The Devil - Rolling Stones
10. Tom Sawyer - Rush
and my personal favorite:
In A Gadda Da Vida - Iron Butterfly

For Rock Anthem (something completely different) :
1. Rock and Roll Part 2 - Gary Glitter
2. Rock and Roll All Night - KISS
3. Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
4. Girl, You Really Got Me Now - Van Halen

[JoeyBlades]

Headless,

In case you aren't aware, "Live and Let Die" is actually written by George Martin and first performed by Paul McCartney & Wings... you probably knew that, but some of those kids who are asking, "Who the hell is Iron Butterfly?" may not know. I do like G&R's cover of it though.

[JoeyBlades]

Oops! Almost forgot... "You Really Got Me" is also a cover - the Kinks.

Actually, George Martin only produced "Live and Let Die." I think the song is credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, but more than likely the song was written 100% by Paul.

[Ukulele Ike]

How're we defining "rock tune," anyway?

The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" don't exactly, you know, rock out.

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Uke

[HeadlessCow]

JoeyBlades-
I knew about both of those but I believe that the two bands I picked were either better(in my opinion) and more popular than the originals. Live and Let Die was also covered by Foriegner and I actually like that version the best but Guns and Roses is much more popular on the radio where I live.

[HubZilla]

In Honolulu radio countdown, Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" (older version) won (?!?).

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"It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument" - William McAdoo

[HubZilla]

Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult

C'mon, KentT, that's not even BOC's best song! ;)

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"It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument" - William McAdoo

[PunditLisa]

Actually, George Martin only produced "Live and Let Die." I think the song is credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, but more than likely the song was written 100% by Paul.

As opposed to Yoko's album which was clearly written 100% by Yoko.

[Mr. Sheepshead]

Y'know it's funny, the topic is "Greatest Rock Tune", but it turns out damn near everyone is picking the most popular ones instead.

The only ones I've seen that haven't been popular are Type O Negative's Paranoid (you may have heard Black Sabbath's, but ToN's, I don't think so), and the Shaggs' "My Pal Foot Foot".

I've always felt that a song's greatness is inversely proportional to it's popularity. If you ask the people I'm around you'll get answers like "Stone the Crow" by DOWN, "Marmalade" by System of a Down, "Old" by Machine Head, "California Uber Alles" by the Dead Kennedys, and "I Don't Wanna Hear It" by Minor Threat. I know people who would defend the impact and importance of these songs and their creators with their lives. I mean I have literally seen fistfights over Dead Kennedys -vs- Minor Threat. If I ever see a fistfight over "Hotel California" and "Freebird" I will soil myself.

[metroshane]

I think the song is credited to Paul and Linda McCartney
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all song written by lennon or mccartney, should be credited to lennon/mccartney. they came up with the idea early on, and if i'm not mistaken, paul still does it.

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We're all here, because we're not all there!