There are certain bands out there, that I so associate with one song that I consider them to be their signature song. Anyone else like that?
Elvis’ is Houndog.
Garth Brooks- Friends in Low Places
Rolling Stones- Satisfaction
U2- With or Without You
Beatles (Early Years)- Hold Your Hand
Beatles (Later Years)- Hey Jude
Aerosmith- Sweet Emotion
N’Sync- Like I know a freaking N’Sync song…
Michael Jackson- Billy Jean
Madonna- Material Girl
George Michael- Faith
Bob Dylan- Rolling Stone
Whitney Houston- Star Spangled Banner (apparently)
Lynard Skynard- Sweet Home Alabama
Beach Boys- California Girls
Eric Clapton- Layla (either version)
Doors- Other Side
Kinks – Lola
The Who – Don’t Get Fooled Again
Jefferson Airplane – White Rabbit (or Somebody to Love)
Cream – Sunshine of Your Love
Santana – Evil Ways (Or Smooth)
Grateful Dead – Casey Jones
I would think REM would be “End of the World (I feel fine)”
Others I can think of…
David Bowie: Space Oddity
Billy Joel: Piano Man
Barry Manilow: Copa Cabana
Better Midler: The Rose
Jim Croce: Bad Bad Leroy Brown
John Lennon: Imagine
Ramones: Sedated
As for disargreements:
Lynard Skynard has to be “Freebird”
I’d go with “Jailhouse Rock” for Elvis
Elvis Presley: “Heartbreak Hotel”
Billy Joel: “Piano Man”
Elton John: “Benny and the Jets” or “Rocket Man”
The Doors: “Light My Fire”
John Denver: “Rocky Mountain High”
The Carpenters: “Close to You”
Roy Orbison: “Oh Pretty Woman”
Glenn Campbell: “Rhinestone Cowboy”
The Police: “Every Breath You Take”
Pink Floyd: “Another Brick in the Wall”
Rod Stwear: “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”
Simon and Garfunkle: “Mrs. Robinson” or “Sounds of Silence”
Paul Simon: “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”
John Mellencamp: “Small Town”
Jim Croce: “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”
James Taylor: “Fire and Rain”
Styx: “Babe”
Huey Lewis and the News: “Heart of Rock and Roll”
Jerry Lee Lewis: “Great Balls of Fire”
My list: (Some disagreements, some agreements, and new artists)
Rolling Stones: Sympathy for the Devil
Meat Loaf: A toss up between Bat Out of Hell and Paradise by the Dashboard Lights
Pink Floyd- Another Brick in the Wall
Green Day- Basket Case
REM- Losing My Religion (but maybe I’m biased, as it’s the first song I really ever heard by them)
Jethro Tull- Aqualung
Neil Young- Hey Hey My My (Out of the Blue)
Janis Joplin- Another toss up, either Piece of my Heart or Me and Bobby McGee
Hmmm… Heartbreak Hotel? I almost said “Suspicious Minds”, Elvis is a tough one.
Some more:
AC/DC: Shook me all night long
Monkees: Daydream Believer
Jimmy Buffet: Magarittaville
Bee Gees: Stayin’ Alive
Johnny Cash: Ring of Fire
Of those mentioned
Meatloaf: Paradise by the Dashboard Light (agree)
Simon & Garfunkel: Bridge under Troubled Water
The Who: Baba O’Reilly
Eagles: Hotel California
Disclaimer: I meniton these but most aren’t my favorite songs by the artist and some I don’t even like. But when I think of an artist, these songs pop up in my mind right away.
Grateful Dead – Touch of Grey
Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA
Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven (Yup)
Queen: Rock You/Champion
Eagles: Hotel California
Billy Joel: Piano Man
Barry Manilow: I write the songs
Better Midler: Wind…wings
Jim Croce: Bad Bad Leroy Brown
John Lennon: Imagine
Elton John: Candle in the Wind
Roy Orbison: “Oh Pretty Woman” (though my fave in Only the Lonely)
Glenn Campbell: “Rhinestone Cowboy”
The Police: “Every Breath You Take”
Rod Stwear: Maggie
Simon and Garfunkle: “Mrs. Robinson”
John Mellencamp: Pink Houses
James Taylor: “Fire and Rain”
Huey Lewis and the News: Hip to be Square
Jerry Lee Lewis: “Great Balls of Fire”
REM- Man on the Moon
AC/DC: Shook me all night long
Monkees: I’m a Believer
Jimmy Buffet: Magarittaville (Name another JB song besides Cheeseburger in Paradise…no cheating…)
Bee Gees: Stayin’ Alive
Elvis Presley - ‘Blue Suede Shoes’
Bob Dylan - ‘Blowing in the Wind’
The Band - ‘The Weight’
REM - ‘Stand’
Dire Straits - ‘Money for Nothing’
Kenny Rogers - ‘The Gambler’
Patsy Cline - ‘Crazy’
Willie Nelson - ‘On the Road Again’
Don McLean - ‘American Pie’
10CC - ‘I’m Not in Love’
Supertramp - ‘It’s Raining Again’
Aretha Franklin - ‘Respect’
Elton John - ‘Candle in the Wind’
James Taylor - ‘Fire & Rain’
Carole King - ‘You’ve Got a Friend’
Guns n Roses - ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’
Neil Young - ‘Heart of Gold’
Bruce Springsteen - ‘Born in the USA’
John Mellencamp - ‘Jack & Diane’
Rod Stewart - ‘Maggie May’
The Clash - ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ /‘London Calling’
AC/DC: Back in Black
The Cure: Just Like Heaven
The Pixies: Gigantic
Minor Threat: Minor Threat
They Might Be Giants: Birdhouse in My Soul/ Istanbul not Constantinople
Operation Ivy: Knowledge
Descendents: Myage
The Misfits: Last Caress/ Where Eagles Dare
The Sex Pistols: Anarchy in the UK
The Dead Kennedys: California Uber Alles
The Smiths: How Soon is Now?
The Jam: That’s Entertainment
Counting crows- Mr. Jones
B-52s- Love Shack
Bob Marley- No Woman No Cry
Creedance Clearwater Revival- fortunate son
Jim Croce- Operator or Time in a Bottle
The Cult- Fire Woman
Fleetwood Mac- Landslide
The Pogues- Sunny Side of the Street
Jame Taylor- Carolina in my Mind
Joe Cocker- A Little Help From My Friends
Marvin Gaye- Sexual Healing
Morrissey- Everyday Is Like Sunday
B. B. King- The Thrill Is Gone
Neil Diamond- Sweet Caroline
Sex Pistols- Anarchy in the UK
The Cure- Lovesong
As for naming Jimmy Buffett songs…how about
Come Monday
A Pirate Looks At Forty
The Volcano Song
Boat Drinks
He Went To Paris
Pencil Thin Moustache
Son of a Son of a Sailor
Changes in Lattitude, Changes in Attitude
Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful
Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime.
Peter Gabriel: In Your Eyes (what else?)
For Fleetwood Mac I would have said Go Your Own Way, or Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow.
I tried to think of songs that weren’t always ‘greatest hits’, but capture the personality in a signature way.
Frank Sinatra - The Lady is a Tramp (I only know Sinatra as a gruffy old guy).
Elvis Presley - That’s Alright Mama (Pure Elvis, before fame ruined him)
Little Richard - Lucille
Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street
Lennon/Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
McCartney/Beatles - Good Day Sunshine
Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb
Doors - The End
Eric Clapton - Crossroads
Paul Simon - Bridge Over Troubled Waters (as of last night)
John Lennon - God
Led Zeppelin - Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
Police - Spirits in the Material World
Pretenders - Kid
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days
Nirvana - Rape Me
Prince-When Doves Cry
Charlie Daniels Band-Devil went down to Georgia
Garth Brooks-The Dance
Madonna-Like a Virgin
Weezer-Buddy Holly
Metallica-Enter Sandman
Fleetwood Mac-The Chain
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young-Ohio (I think???)
Pearl Jam: Jeremy
Twisted Sister: We’re Not Gonna Take It
Green Day: Basketcase
The Clash: Rock the Casbah
Black Sabbath: Iron Man
No Doubt: Don’t Speak
Tori Amos: Me and a Gun
Nine Inch Nails: Closer or Head Like a Hole
