Drive-By Truckers -“Let There Be Rock”
“Rock 'n Ro-o-oll, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Ro-o-oll, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Ro-o-oll, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Roll Rock, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Roll Rock, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Roll Rock, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Roll Rock, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Roll Rock, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Roll Rock, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Roll Rock, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Roll Rock, Rock 'n Roll
Rock 'n Roll Rock, Rock 'n Roll”
- Gary Glitter
Oh, you want BEST?
“You better open up honey it’s your lover boy me that’s a knockin’
You better listen to me sugar all the cats are at the high school rockin’
Honey get your boppin’ shoes before the jukebox blows a fuse
Well everbody’s hoppin’ everybody’s boppin’, boppin’ at the high school hop
Well boppin’ at the high school hop, shakin’ at the high school hop
Movin’ at the high school hop, rollin’ at the high school hop
Well everybody’s hoppin’ everybody’s boppin’, boppin’ at the high school hop”
- High School Confidential (Jerry Lee Lewis)
It’s a Long way to the Top (If You want to Rock and Roll)
I realize that AC/DC has already been mentioned but … “For Those About To Rock” … Damn, that’s some anthemic shit …
Ray Wylie Hubbard - Wanna Rock & Roll
Do you believe in rock n roll
Can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance
real slow.
American Pie
Spinal Tap: Heavy Duty
Baby That is Rock and Roll - The Coasters
It Will Stand - The Showmen
If there Wasn’t Any Rock - The Monotones
Rock and Roll Age - The Four J’s
R.O.C.K. - Bill Haley and the Comets
Hang up my Rock & Roll Shoes - Chuck Willis
Poor Rock and Roll - Nicky and the Nobels
Airbourne - Stand Up For Rock ‘N’ Roll
Airbourne - Ready To Rock
Blotto - Metalhead
Clutch - Rock And Roll Outlaw
Combine’s album -presents- The History of American Rock and Roll
Death - Rock-N-Roll Victim
Eddy Grant - Funky Rock ‘N’ Roll (sorry, I couldn’t find a vid for this one… sucks because it’s a great tune)
Hot Chocolate - Funky Rock ‘N’ Roll (different song than Eddy Grant’s song)
Green Jello (Green Jelly) - Rock-N-Roll Pumpkin
Premonition 13 - Deranged Rock N’ Roller (shitty live video but it was all I could find)
Run-D.M.C. - Soul To Rock And Roll
Supersuckers - The Evil Powers Of Rock ‘n’ Roll
I’m tired; it’s been a long day. Those are all the obvious ones that specifically reference “rock and roll”. I excluded songs that just mention “rock”. I’ll try and make a video for the Eddy Grant song tomorrow.
The Upper Crust-“Let Them Eat Rock”
Memphis, Egypt by The Mekons off their album entitled Rock N Roll. A brilliant song off a brilliant album raging against the watered-down commoditization of what was once dangerous music.
Wanna be a rock and roll star - Eddie Money
The Replacements-“Rock ‘n’ Roll Ghost”
And the seven trumpets blowing sweet rock and roll
Gonna blow right down inside your soul
—Genesis, “Supper’s Ready” (Apocalypse in 9/8)
Top 3 most rocking songs with “rock and roll” in the lyrics
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Joan Jett “I Love Rock and Roll”
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Led Zeppelin “Rock and Roll”
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ACDC “It’s a Long Way to the Top”
Wilco has a great song called “The Late Greats” which is basically about the amazing rock bands that never get signed because they’re not marketable enough, or just never get discovered for whatever reason.
Partial lyrics:
*The best band will never get signed
The Kay-Settes starring Butchers Blind
So good you won’t ever know
They never even played a show
Can’t hear them on the radio
The greatest singer in rock ‘n’ roll
Would have to be Romeo
His vocal cords are made of gold
He just looks a little too old*
Rock 'N Roll Station" – *Nurse With Wound *
No love for Dobie Gray and Drift Away?
“Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away”
Move It by Cliff Richard and the Drifters (who became The Shadows).
Well let me tell you baby it’s called rock 'n roll
They say it’s gonna die but honey please lets face it
Well we just don’t know what’s a going to replace it
From 1958, back when Cliff was actually good, and cutting edge (and doing his best Elvis impression - and people were already worrying about Rock and Roll dying).
These are the alpha and omega of rock and roll songs - all your other suggestions fall somewhere between.
AC/DC - Long way to the top - the clip with them on the back of a float driving around Melbourne
Starship - We built this city - unwatchable drek