# Classic Rock Bands and Their Best Work/Hit(sorta of a poll) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 30, 2000, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926 "2000-10-30T15:34:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/1 "2000-10-30T15:34:13Z")
What is the best song from each of the following band? Here is the criteria for the exercise. If you agree with my choice, you can just leave it off your list of choices. If you do not agree, type the band and the song you think is the bands best work(and why you disagree).This is not a radio play exercise(even though air play did help the notoriaty for the song). It is just the **best** song from each of the following bands. Remember this is their best work not the most popular work but popularity does play into it. Well now that you are all confused about the criteria here goes the list: Steve Miller - Rockin Me Baby Rush - Overture/Temple of the Syrynx(sp) The Who - Don’t Get Fooled Again Led Zepplin - Kashmir(thought I would say "Stairway to Heaven didn’t ya remember this is the best song) Lynard Skynard - Free Bird ACDC - Shook me All Night Long Rolling Stones - Satisfaction ZZ Top - Tush Beatles - Hey Jude Scopions - The Zoo The Cars - Good Times Roll Van Halen - DOA Dead Or Alive(this was a hard one) Ronnie Montrose - Bad Motor Scooter Stepenwolf - Born To Be Wild Foghat - Slow Ride Well there is my list. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/2 "2000-10-30T16:02:02Z")
Ooh, I’ll play … **Steve Miller - _The Joker_** - even though half the lyrics are ripped off from someone else, I love the easy bluesiness to it. **Rush** - While I like Rush I’m not intimately familiar with all their work, but my favorite of theirs is (I can’t remember the title) the one with the line “The words of the Prophets are written on the subway walls - Concert halls” **The Who - _Naked Eye_** - Runs the gamut from intilectual emotional ballady type stuff to out and out rock and roll **Led Zepplin - _Over the Hills And Far Away_** - Love that acoustic lick. I’m a sucker for hammer-ons/pull-offs. **Lynard Skynard - _Gimme Three Steps_** - The one song I remember rocking out to than any other on _One More From The Road_ **AC/DC - _Highway to Hell_** - Evil man, pure evil. **Rolling Stones - _You Can’t Always Get What You Want_** - Mick man, pure Mick. **ZZ Top - _The Grange_** - “How-how-how-how” Billy Gibbons can play dem blues. **Beatles - _A Day in the Life_** - Friggin’ classic any way you slice it. **Scopions - _The Zoo_** -Total agreement (in fact that’s about the only song of theirs I do like). **The Cars - _Let the Good Times Roll_** - I can’t even think of anything else (brain-fart) **Van Halen - _You Really Got Me_** - even though it’s a cover, it’s the song that defined them off the first LP **Ronnie Montrose - _Bad Motor Scooter_** - Sure why not. **Stepenwolf - _Born To Be Wild_** - What else, _Magic Carpet_? Nah. **Foghat - _Slow Ride_** - This is my current favorite blast from the past so I totally agree. P.S. I just found out that Lonsome Dave succumb to cancer earlier this year. That sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/3 "2000-10-30T16:08:55Z")
Well, I don’t listen to most of this crap, so I’ll just weigh in on the bands you mention that I DO enjoy. Incidentally, you were wrong on each one. Here’s their best work: The Who: “Pictures of Lily” Lynyrd Skynyrd: “Gimme Three Steps” Rolling Stones: “Dandelion” Beatles: “Norwegian Wood” Steppenwolf: “Monster” ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/4 "2000-10-30T16:33:53Z")
**The Beatles** - I vote for “A Day in the Life” too. Beautiful, haunting, pure genius. **Rolling Stones** - I actually prefer “Paint It Black,” although I can see why everyone votes for “Satisfaction.” **Led Zeppelin** - I definitely think “Stairway to Heaven” is their best. Can I add a few? **Eric Clapton** - “Layla” is just a masterpeice. This song moves me to tears. It defines Clapton for me. **Jimi Hendrix** - “Little Wing” may not be his most popular, and it’s not his best technically, but I love it - the lyrics and melody are beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/5 "2000-10-30T16:41:22Z")
Jack, I think I am going to change my mind after one of your suggestions. “The Joker” is the best from ole Steve. Who did it first btw? Second, that sucks about Lonesome Dave. Foghat is one of my favorite classic rock bands. I never could figure out why their fame died off. I bought their albums. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/6 "2000-10-30T16:56:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wildest Bill \* > **"The Joker" is the best from ole Steve. Who did it first btw?** You’d have to ask me wouldn’t you. First of all it’s not a cover, but alot of the lines were nicked off some old blue’s song (I can’t remember the title or the artist) that has a lot of “similar” lines - e.g. - “pompitous of love” - “really love your peaches wanna shake your tree”. I believe ol’ Unca Cecil addressed this at one point. I’ll go search for it. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/7 "2000-10-30T17:16:19Z")
Okay, here it is. As it turns out Steve “borrowed” from more than one old R&B songs. [Cecil’s take on the Pompatous of Love](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_065.html) ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/8 "2000-10-30T21:14:53Z")
Jack, I think the Rush track you’re thinking of is ‘Spirit Of Radio’. And I’m pretty sure that the line is borrowed from Simon & Garfunkle, but I can’t remember the song without playing the whole CD. The classic I would add to the list is Jimmi Hendix ‘All along the Watchtower’ ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/9 "2000-10-30T22:02:13Z")
Yep, _Spirit of the Radio_ was the one I was thinking of. And yes, those lines are taken almost verbatim from **Simon and Garfunkel’s** _Sound of Silence_. At least I think they are. Like I said I’m not the biggest **Rush** fan in the world so maybe they paraphrased them for their song. Where the Hell is Coldfire when you need him? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2000, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/10 "2000-10-30T22:50:35Z")
Gotta add to this thread, Aja -Steely Dan Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan Head, hands and feet - Santana -mind blowing drum solo Won’t get fooled again - The Who Aqualung - Jethro Tull Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy Iron Man - Black Sabbath Sweet Child of Mine - Guns n Roses. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/11 "2000-10-31T00:17:30Z")
Steve Miller - Pompetous of Love or whatever it’s called. Rush - Cygnus X1, Book I Lynard Skynard - Sweet Home Alabama ACDC - Thunderstruck Rolling Stones - Angie ZZ Top - Rough Boy Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever Scorpions - Still Loving You The Cars - Drive Van Halen - Why Can’t This Be Love? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/12 "2000-10-31T00:31:56Z")
Lynard Skynard - Free Bird ACDC - Let There Be Rock Rolling Stones - Paint it Black ZZ Top - Legs (I really like the main girl in the vid.) Beatles - Hey Jude The Cars - Drive Guns and Roses - Paradise City Iron Maiden - The Trooper Thin LIzzy - Emerald (probably my favorite rock song) Deep Purple - Sweet child in Time Black Sabbath - Paronid Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/13 "2000-10-31T00:35:21Z")
Errr, I do know how to spell **Paranoid**. I swear. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/14 "2000-10-31T01:21:19Z")
The Who - Won’t Get Fooled Again, with A Quick One in a close second Led Zepplin - The Ocean (a kinda not so famous one; it’s the last song on Houses of the Holy) Lynard Skynard - Free Bird ACDC - I’m a sucker for Highway to Hell Rolling Stones - Paint it, Black ZZ Top - Gimme All Your Lovin; Beatles - Hey Jude The Cars - Shake it Up Van Halen - DOA Dead Or Alive(this was a hard one) Stepenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride All the other bands mentions, I don’t know enough to make a judgement on. Some additions: David Bowie: He doesn’t really have “one song,” but I dig Star from Ziggy The Clash: Inocculated City (from Combat Rock), with Spanish bombs in second Bob Dylan: Visions of Johanna Styx: Come Sail Away (note: I don’t like Styx; I just think this song is cool) Jimi Hendrix Experience: Gypsy Eyes Janis Joplin: Move Over ---
**Author:** ![Ankh\_Too](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Ankh\_Too](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ankh_Too)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/15 "2000-10-31T03:13:57Z")
AC/DC - Sink the Pink (Honorable Mention - For Those About to Rock) Beatles - Baby, You’re a Rich Man Black Sabbath - War Pigs Cars - Magic Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (Close Second - Shelter from the Storm ) Jimi Hendrix - Manic Depression Led Zeppelin - What Is and What Should Never Be Pink Floyd - Have a Cigar and paranoid eyes and Dogs and… and… too many to mention Rush - Tom Sawyer Steely Dan - Deacon Blues The Who - Baba O’Riley (Close second: Amazing Journey there’s just something about that song) My additions (Brace yourselves, I could be here a while) The Band - The Weight Blind Faith - Well Alright Cream - I Feel Free Crosby, Stills & Nash - Woodstock Jethro Tull - Skating Away(Honorable Mention - Thick as a Brick Edit #1) The Kinks - Lola Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (Yeah, it’s predictible, but come on!) Supertramp - The Logical Song Yes - I’ve Seen All Good People (Honorable Mention - Roundabout) Neil Young - After the Goldrush (Honorable Mention - Sugar Mountain) _I’ll probably think of more later._ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/16 "2000-10-31T03:19:49Z")
My choices: Steve Miller – Your Saving Grace. As a matter of fact, that was the last halfway decent song the group put out. Everything thing after than was totally lame (as Cecil will attest). Stones – Sympathy for the Devil Led Zep – Stairway to Heaven (it deserves its popularity. Second choice would be “Good Times, Bad Times”) Beatles – difficult to choose. I like “Hey, Bulldog” a lot, but it’s pretty obscure. Otherwise, I’ll cheat and say the Abbey Road Medley ("You Never Give Me Your Money through “Her Majesty”). The Who – Music Must Change The Kinks – Lola Springsteen – Jungleland Elton John – Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters Dylan – Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again Pink Floyd – Careful with that Axe, Eugene (second choice: Atom Heart Mother) Steely Dan – My Old School Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimme Three Steps (Free Bird sucks) Allman Brothers – Statesboro Blues (or the live version of Whipping Post) Doors – The Soft Parade Eagles – Hotel California Crosby, Stills, & Nash – Suite: Judy Blue Eyes Billy Joel – Still Rock and Roll to Me Santana – Smooth Jethro Tull – Locomotive Breath (bit of trivia – Buddy Ebsen once performed a Tull song on “Barnaby Jones”) Clapton – Layla Cream – SWALBR Grateful Dead – Uncle John’s Band Jefferson Airplane – Lather Traffic – Low Spark of High Heeled Boys Squeeze – Cool for Cats And for the obscure: Siegel-Schwall Band – Hush, Hush Kak – Electric Sailor Renaissance (no, not that Renaissance. The other one)-- Kings and Queens Bonzo Dog Band – My Pink Half of the Drainpipe Emmett Rhodes – With My Face on the Floor Loudon Wainwright III – Tonya’s Twirls Anemic Boyfriend – Guys are Not Proud The Flying Lizards – Money ---
**Author:** ![Trixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@Trixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trixie)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/17 "2000-10-31T03:54:53Z")
just adding my 2 cents… Zeppelin - Kashmir Stones - tie: Sympathy for the Devil/Gimme Shelter Beatles - Yer Blues Elton John - Amoreena Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here Van Halen - Beautiful Girls Hendrix - Angel ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/18 "2000-10-31T04:48:25Z")
Led Zeppelin: Since I’ve Been Loving You Stones: Miss You ZZ Top: Hot Blues and Righteous AC/DC: Dirty Deeds Steve Miller: Evil Pink Floyd: Shine On You Crazy Diamond The Who: Substitute Hendrix: Little Wing ---
**Author:** ![zwaldd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@zwaldd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwaldd)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/19 "2000-10-31T04:54:48Z")
i love classic rock. The OP’s: Steve Miller - Fly Like an Eagle Rush - Spirit of the Radio The Who - Magic Bus Led Zepplin - (too many to mention but…)The Lemon Song, The Rain Song, Song Remains the Same, etc. , etc. Lynard Skynard - I Know a Little ACDC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Rolling Stones - Monkey Man, Honkey Tonk Women, Can’t Ya Hear Me Knockin’ ZZ Top - Cheap Sunglasses Beatles - Abbey Road in its entirety Scopions - Rock You Like a Hurricane The Cars - My Best Friends Girl Van Halen - Hot For Teacher Ronnie Montrose - Who? Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride Foghat - Fool For the City More: Allman Brothers - Jessica Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick Ted Nugent - Stranglehold (live version) Santana - Soul Sacrifice (woodstock version) Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower (for giving the drive that ‘sixties’ feel) Floyd - Breathe/Time/Breathe Reprise, that whole album Chicago - 25 or 6 to 4 Deep Purple - Hush Janis Joplin - Summertime Grateful Dead - Ripple Joe Walsh - Life’s Been Good Aerosmith - Walk This Way Doors - When the Music’s Over OK that’s enough. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@That\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Girl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926/20 "2000-10-31T04:55:27Z")
Beatles. Yesterday [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock-bands-and-their-best-work-hit-sorta-of-a-poll/38926.md?page=2)