# Hardest Song of the Year **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852 "2012-06-30T21:57:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/1 "2012-06-30T21:57:20Z")
I heard this song, The Bat, released in 1964 and wondered what would be the hardest, most intimidating song of each year from say 1960 up to (I presume) the creation of Death Metal or something of that ilk. Any nominations? 1964 - [The Ventures / The Bat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKUt-PaJvIk) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/2 "2012-06-30T22:49:37Z")
Excellent song. Listening to that, you can sense why some parents might have feared rock and roll. A bleary riff reminiscent of striptease music, shambling, druggy rhythms, and some briefly acidic guitar. I’m ready to get high! ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/3 "2012-06-30T22:56:00Z")
Actually, let’s move the start goal back to 1958. 1958 - [Link Wray / Rumble](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjs5QWjvNWc) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/4 "2012-07-01T07:04:37Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Actually, let’s move the start goal back to 1958. > > 1958 - [Link Wray / Rumble](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjs5QWjvNWc) First of all - hell yeah. That’s some heavy shit. Watching Jimmy Page’s face when he listens to it on It Might Get Loud is priceless. Second of all - let’s go back to 1956. I can’t get a link working on my iPad, but Honey Hush by Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio fron 1956 is damn hard. Gotta have some danger in it. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/5 "2012-07-01T07:33:07Z")
Well if you’re going to go blues, I’d have to put Howlin’ Wolf in. Unfortunately, this sounds like the tempo has been sped up so that everything’s more high pitched than it should be. 1951 - [Howlin’ Wolf / How Many More Years](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh7WIbXLR1A) Let’s try to move forward, though. Anyone have any thoughts on what the hardest Death Metal song is and what year would have the first? ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/6 "2012-07-01T14:00:52Z")
Jumping ahead, 1968 could belong to The Beatles’ Helter Skelter. I really wish they had put out more songs like this. Wiki > [@](#): > > “Helter Skelter” is a song written by Paul McCartney,[3][4] credited to Lennon–McCartney, and recorded by The Beatles on their eponymous LP The Beatles, better known as The White Album. A product of McCartney’s deliberate effort to create a sound as loud and dirty as possible, the clangorous piece has been noted for both its “proto-metal roar” and “unique textures” and is considered by music historians as a key influence in the development of heavy metal.[5][6] The song was ranked #52 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s “The Beatles 100 Greatest songs” list.[7] Hendrix takes 67 with Fire. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/7 "2012-07-01T14:20:02Z")
I don’t think of Johnny B as Blues - they are the Rock and Roll Trio after all. ;). And the Honey Hush riff is what the Yardbirds and Aerosmith used for their covers of Train Kept a Rollin’ (which is also a JB&RRT song but with a diff riff - not sure how that worked, combining the two). Either way, certainly no protest over Mr Wolf - definitely hard. Moving forward, 1986 belongs Master of Puppets by Metallica and 1993 to Just One fix by Ministry - relentlessly hard stuff. And whenever Iron Man came out by Sabbath - that’s theirs… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/8 "2012-07-01T14:42:36Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Hendrix takes 67 with Fire. '67 will be tough. Gotta go with **Sunshine of Your Love** by Cream, with the most durable, heavy riff of the time… ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/9 "2012-07-01T16:25:12Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I heard this song, The Bat, released in 1964 and wondered what would be the hardest, most intimidating song of each year from say 1960 up to (I presume) the creation of Death Metal or something of that ilk. Any nominations? > > 1964 - [The Ventures / The Bat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKUt-PaJvIk) The Bat is cool, but 1964 clearly belongs to the Kinks’ _You Really Got Me_. And while I’m at it, I’ll go ahead and nominate _My Generation_ for 1965. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/10 "2012-07-01T16:40:18Z")
Of course, as soon as I posted _My Generation_, it occurred to me that 1965 is when The Sonics put out their first record! :smack: Take your pick: _Strychnine, Psycho, Boss Hoss, The Witch_ ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/11 "2012-07-01T16:40:22Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > '67 will be tough. Gotta go with **Sunshine of Your Love** by Cream, with the most durable, heavy riff of the time… Excellent competition. Cream takes the riff, but Fire has the harder percussion that puts it over the top for me. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/12 "2012-07-01T16:43:29Z")
“Kick Out the Jams” by the MC5 has to take 1969. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/13 "2012-07-01T16:48:40Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > Of course, as soon as I posted _My Generation_, it occurred to me that 1965 is when The Sonics put out their first record! :smack: Take your pick: _Strychnine, Psycho, Boss Hoss, The Witch_ And you don’t even include Have Love Will Travel. God I love the Sonics. But yeah, Kinks for '64 and My Generation for '65 are great. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/14 "2012-07-01T16:53:36Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Let’s try to move forward, though. Anyone have any thoughts on what the hardest Death Metal song is and what year would have the first? Depends, we need an non partisan arbiter, may I suggest the [Map of Metal](http://mapofmetal.com/#/home)? They list all the genres and sub genres along with streaming suggestions for bands and songs. I’m going go with Incantation for the hardest in pure Death Metal, and the first example given there is from 1984 by Hellhammer. However, I find Doom and Brutal Death metal to be far heavier. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/15 "2012-07-01T17:24:36Z")
Possessed’s [Seven Churches](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Churches_(album)) is generally considered to be the first death metal album, and is definitely responsible for coining the term “death metal”. Edit: Hellhammer was earlier, but it’s not entirely clear that what they were playing was what we would call death metal, and not just an early example of extreme metal before it differentiated into subgenres. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/16 "2012-07-01T17:54:05Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > And you don’t even include Have Love Will Travel. God I love the Sonics. > > But yeah, Kinks for '64 and My Generation for '65 are great. Man, I’m afraid to even make a WAG about 1966. That’s getting into Religion territory. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/17 "2012-07-01T23:50:50Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > '67 will be tough. Gotta go with **Sunshine of Your Love** by Cream, with the most durable, heavy riff of the time… The riff might be heavy, but they sing the lyrics with friendly, high-pitched voices and well…let’s face it, the song is named “Sunshine of your Love”. I get the sense that they didn’t quite know what to do with a heavy riff. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/18 "2012-07-02T00:13:52Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The riff might be heavy, but they sing the lyrics with friendly, high-pitched voices and well…let’s face it, the song is named “Sunshine of your Love”. I get the sense that they didn’t quite know what to do with a heavy riff. I don’t think anyone really did until Black Sabbath came along. Take a listen to Blue Cheer’s [cover of “Summertime Blues”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5uDozoSSM) and try to imagine that being recorded today. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/19 "2012-07-02T00:35:08Z")
What a fun game. 1963 - Surfin’ Bird 1964 - You Really Got Me 1965 - (My Generation) 1966 - ? 1967 - (Sunshine of My Love) 1968 - Helter Skelter 1969 - Dazed and Confused 1970 - Iron Man (Or possibly Black Sabbath) 1971 - Lord of This World ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852/20 "2012-07-02T00:39:17Z")
I don’t think My Generation is that hard. I find The Ox from the same album harder, for instance. I guess that’s my suggestion for 1966, but there could be songs beating those two. Sunshine of My Love is competing in 1967, so there might also be something harder than that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-song-of-the-year/626852.md?page=2)