I second Space Oddity for Bowie. Liam Lynch has a great parody of this song (and Bowie in general) on his album “Fake Songs.” Gem lines like: “Hydroplaning towards infinity…”
Dokken has to be In My Dreams (you’ll always be…)
For Zeppelin, you may want to consider “Whole Lotta Love” or “Black Dog.”
No-one has mentioned Blood, Sweat and Tears – do y’all like “Or When I Die” or “I Can’t Quit Her”?
Three Dog Night - “One”, hands down.
Nine Inch Nails - is “The Day the World Went Away” the song in which the chorus goes “I want to fuck you like an animal?” Because that’s the only NIN song ever played on the air in Dallas, TX.
Rock and roll!
'fraid not Blonde, that’s “closer”, and well, nine inch nails is tough, i would probably agree with “the day the world went away”… or maybe “the perfect drug”. “Hurt” is also a decent option, but isn’t all that representative of most of their music. That’s just me though.
Well, for Led Zeppelin, I think you ought to pick a song that’s anchored in the blues, since their whole sound was rooted in the blues.
So, while I love a LOT of Led Zeppelin songs, I think “Dazed and Confused” comes closer to defining their sound than “Stairway” or any other song.
Well, it’s clear that I need to obtain more Nine Inch Nails CD’s!
Thanks, broken!
Ted Nugent: (whom I hate, being an animal lover) – Cat Scratch Fever
Rush: (whom I also hate, boring and the first concert I ever went to - 1978 I think) – Working Man. I know there’s more popular songs by Rush than that one, but dammit, it’s the only one I like. OK, this one will kill y’all. The opening act for Rush in 1978 was… April Wine. Repeat after me: “She’s A Roller… A High-Roller, Baby!”
Alice Cooper: School’s Out For Summer. Played it really loud from my car while picking up my son from the last day of 1st grade, a couple of weeks ago. I received a few odd looks from the other parents.
Bah!
You have Bad Company, but you don’t have Bad Brains, Bad Manners or Bad Religion?
Each of these bands have plenty of great songs to pick, but after some hard thinking I have picked these:
Bad Brains: “She’s Calling You”
Bad Manners: “Lorraine”
Bad Religion: “Stranger than Fiction”
I wouldn’t pick Man in the Box for the Alice in Chains song either - good luck finding a song that doesn’t remind you of Layne’s death, since heroin was almost the only thing he wrote about - but I don’t think the song really fits into their style. That first album is very glam-metal, and they (fortunately) left that behind with Dirt. Rooster or Would? both work, I think.
Beatles: A Day in the Life, no question.
The Doors: There’s a reason The End is such a simple pick. Go with it.
Deep Purple: Hush and Highway Star would be perfect.
Clapton: Layla.
Cream: Crossroads. Yeah, it’s a cover, but it’s representative.
Genesis: Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
Blue Oyster Cult: I’d go with Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll. I’d avoid Veteran of the Psychic Wars because it doesn’t have their usual killer riff and the drums can be really annoying.
Black Sabbath:
AC/DC: Back in Black, though AC/DC has such a signature sound most of their songs will get the point across.
ELPI’d go with Karn Evil 9, though Tarkus is good too. Don’t go with the Copeland cover. It’s good, but only their other Copeland covers sound like it.
Bowie: He did a lot of different things, but I always think of Ziggy Stardust when I think Bowie. As the drummer said when the rest of us were trying to figure out if any of us had common musical ground: “Everybody knows Ziggy.” He was right.
Eurythmics: I’d go with Sweet Dreams, but my knowledge of their catalog isn’t great.
Led Zeppelin: Though Stairway is the better song, Black Dog is probably more representative of their sound.
Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb.
Alice Cooper: Billion Dollar Babies
Simon and Garfunkel I’ll second The Boxer.
People, people. You can’t have a “definitive” song until your band has been around more than 30 days.
Jethro Tull – Aqualung
Queen – We Will Rock You! (although many other songs were better).
Humble Pie – 30 Days In The Hole
The Cars – Just What I Needed
I suppose I should have listed a song for Black Sabbath. How about Fairies Wear Boots/Jack the Stripper.
Mr. Bungle: Sweet lord, man… anything of <i>California</i> should work, but I’d go with either “Air Conditioned Nightmare” or “Goodbye Sober Day”
Stormtroopers of Death: either “March of the SOD” or “Milk”, cuz, IMHO, they were a spoof speedmetal band
Body Count: “Evil Dick” or “KKK Bitch”. Yeah, I know you’re going for “definitive” songs, but, damn, those songs are entertaining!
Green Day: The temptation is probably to go for “Longview”, but I’d go for “Brain Stew/Jaded”
Jane’s Addiction: “Ocean Size”, “Three Days”, “Of Course” or “Jane Says”. Hell, strap your friend down and have him listen to <i>Nothing’s Shocking</i>.
Ministry: “TV II” or “NWO”. I’d skip anything prior to <i>The Land of Rape and Honey</i> and prior to <i>Filth Pig</i>.
NIN: “Head Like A Hole”. To take anything from <i>The Downward Spiral</i> and run it solo kind of ruins the whole impact. Unless you are Johnny Cash. “Starfuckers, Inc.” or “The Perfect Drug” would also be good choices.
Primus: “Tommy the Cat”, cuz it includes Tom Waits. Or, “Jerry Was a Racecar Driver”
Prince: Good luck, my man.
The Ramones: Christ, what DIDN’T they do that was definitive? I’d go with “Rock & Roll Radio”. That, or “I Wanna Be Sedated”.
White Zombie: “Thunder Kiss '65”
Strange… All this music, and I don’t see Black Flag or Rollins Band…
Fairies Wear Boots rocks! That just might be my favorite Black Sabbath song - and I love them all.
Kid Rock - I Want to be a Cowboy
Guns 'n Roses - Rocket Queen
Umm, am I the only rock’n’roll chick on this thread? Just wondering, not that I have a problem hanging out with you guys by my lonesome. Love it, in fact.
David Bowie - I think I’ll choose “Space Oddity” and move on…
Blue Oyster Cult - I had hesitations about “Veteran”, since like you said it’s not a heavy song. My 2nd choice was “Godzilla”, but I’ll check some of their other work and decide.
Guns’N’Roses - I’ve already decided on “November Rain”
Led Zeppelin - “Whole Lotta Love” is a great choice, but “Black Dog” is too cock-rockish. I definitely want to spotlight their slower, more bluesy side as well (such as “Since I’ve Been Loving You”) “Kashmir” is an awesome song but really is an anomaly for Led Zep, no matter what Page says. 
Ministry - “N.W.O.” is a lock.
Nine Inch Nails - A tossup between “Closer” and “Something I Can Never Have”…nothing else comes close, IMHO.
Primus - “Tommy the Cat” was my 1st choice, by a mile.
I have Bad English, does that count? 
A nitpick to KnightNavro - “Layla” is a Derek & the Dominos song (which features Eric Clapton) So far it’s the easiest choice I’ve had to make so far.
(So far nobody’s answered my Charlie Daniels Band question…)
So I got carried away and added a few. Now I’m in the mood to make a mix myself!
The Beatles- “Dear Prudence”
Black Flag- “TV Party”
Body Count- “Bowels of the Devil”
David Bowie- “Ashes to Ashes”
Kate Bush- “Leave it Open”
Camper Van Beethoven- “Tanya”
CSN&Y- “Wooden Ships”
The Cure- “Lullabye”
The Dead Kennedys- “California Uber Alles”
Depche Mode- “Never Let Me Down”
The Doors- “The Unknown Soldier”
Husker Du- “Diane”
Love and Rockets- “No New Tale to Tell”
Marillion- “Fugazi”
Meg Lee Chin- “Swallowing You”
Ministry- “So What?”
Gary Neuman- “Down in the Park”
Nine Inch Nails- “Gave Up”
Nobody’s Watching- “Too Much Green”
Pigface- “Suck”
Public Image Limited- “Seattle”
The Rolling Stones- “Mother’s Little Helper”
The Sex Pistols- “God Save the Queen”
Sinead O’Connor- “Just Like U said it Would B”
Skinny Puppy- “Testure”
The Sisters of Mercy- “Lucretia, My Reflection”
Violent Femmes- “Add it Up”
The Warlock Pinchers- “Where the Hell is Crispin Glover?”
Yes- “Starship Trooper”
Yikes, I’d better stop. I could go on for hours…
The Sex Pistols- “God Save the Queen”
Dammit,[ B]Darth**, I was going to throw that one in, but I thought everyone would think I was weird. So, the honors go to you!
Darth – “Suck” was Pigface? I’ve only heard the NIN version.
You’d be commiting a musical crime if you gave your friend only one Genesis song and it was “Invisible Touch” or “In Too Deep” or some other pablum.
For a definitive Genesis song try “Firth of Fifth”, “Cinema Show” or “The Musical Box”.
I mean, would you select “Radio Ga-Ga” for Queen?
You missed a few A-B
4 Non Blondes - What’s Going On
10 Years After - I’d Love To Change The World
311 - Beautiful Disaster
1000 Clowns - Not The Greatest Rapper
10000 Maniacs - Candy Everybody Wants
A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray
A Perfect Circle - Judith
A-Ha - Take On Me
Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes
Adema - Giving In
Afghan Whigs - 66
Afro Man - Cuz I Got High
Air Supply - Making Love Out Of Nothing At All
Al Green - Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone
Alanis Morrisette - Head Over Feet
Alice Cooper - School’s Out
Alicia Keys - Fallin’
Allman Brothers Band - Midnight Rider
Alphaville - Forever Young
Amanda Ghost - Filthy Mind
America - Horse With No Name
American Hi Fi - Flavor Of The Weak
Animals - House Of The Rising Sun
Annie Lennox - Primative
Apartment 26 - Backwards
Apex Theory - Apossibly
Apollo 440 - Electro Glide In Blue
Aqua - Barbie Girl
Arch Enemy - Ravenous
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Arrested Development - Tennessee
Artificial Joy Club - Sick And Beautiful
At The Drive In - One Armed Scissor
Aztec Camera - Oblivious
Bad Religion - Shades Of Truth
Bananarama - Cruel Summer
Bangles - Manic Monday
Barenaked Ladies - One Week
Basement Jaxx - Where’s Your Head At
Bauhaus - Bela Lugosis Dead
Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Beat Happening - Pajama Party In A Haunted House
Beck - Loser
Belly - Gepetto
Beloved - Today Is The Day
Ben Folds Five - Battle Of Who Could Care Less
Ben Kweller - Wasted And Ready
Berlin - Take My Breath Away
Beth Orton - Stolen Car
Better Than Ezra - Good
Big Audio Dynamite - Rush
Big Country - In A Big Country
Bill Withers - Lean On Me
Billy Idol - White Wedding
Billy Joel - It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me
Björk - Bachelorette
Black Sheep - The Choice Is Yours
Blind Melon - No Rain
Blink 182 - Dammit
Bloodhound Gang - Fire Water Burn
Blues Traveler - Run Around
Blur - Song 2
Bob Dylan - Blowin’ In The Wind
Bob Marley - Redemption Song
Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart
Booker T And The MG’s - Green Onion
Bourgeois Tagg - I Don’t Mind at All
Bow Wow Wow - C30 C60 C90 GO
Box Car Racer - There Is
Boys Don’t Cry - I Wanna Be A Cowboy
Boys II Men - Yesterday
Bran Van 3000 - Drinking In LA
Breathe - Hands To Heaven
Breeders - Cannonball
Brian Adams - Summer 0f '69
Britney Spears - Oops I Did It Again
Bruce Hornsby - The Way It Is
BT - Blue Skies
Buck Cherry - For The Movies
Buffalo Springfield - For What It’s Worth
Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
Bush - Everything Zen
Butthole Surfers - Who Was In My Room Last Night
Byrds - Turn Turn Turn
Yay me! I’m weird!
Some more thoughts:
Alice Cooper- “Eighteen”
The Cars- “Let the Good Times Roll”
The Eagles- “Take it Easy”
Eurythmics- “Who’s That Girl”
Fishbone- “Party at Ground Zero”
Led Zepplein- “When the Levee Breaks”
Metallica- “Orion”
Oingo Boingo- “Interesting Life”
Pearl Jam- “Black”
Pink Floyd- “Wish You Were Here”
Simon & Garfunkel- “Scarborough Fair (Canticle)”
Tool- “Stinkfist”
And yes, “suck” is a Pigface song. Trent did two covers on the “Broken” EP. The other one was “Physical”
Nivek Ogre (of Skinny Puppy fame) goes apeshit with that song on the live Pigface cd “Welcome to Mexico… Asshole”
And the C’s:
C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat
Cake - The Distance
Candiria - Without Water
Candlebox - Far Behind
Canned Heat - On The Road Again
Cars - Just What I Needed
Cat Stevens - Wild World
Catherine Wheel - Crank
Caviar - Tangerine Speedo
Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today
Chapterhouse - Mesmerise
Charlatans UK - Weirdo
Chaser - Great Escape
Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun
Chemistry Set - Underground
Chevelle - The Red
Chicane - Saltwater
Chris Cornell - Seasons
Chris Issack - Wicked Game
Citizen King - I’ve Seen Better Days
Clannad - Theme From Harry’s Game
Classix Nouveaux - Guilty
Cold - Just Got Wicked
Coldplay - Clocks
Collective Soul - Shine
Commander Cody - Down To Seeds And Stems Again
Commodores - Brick House
Concrete Blonde - Joey
Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night
Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha
Count Five - Psychotic Reaction
Counting Crows - Mr. Jones
Cracker - Low
Cranberries - Zombie
Crash Test Dummies - Superman Song
Crazy Town - Butterfly
Creatures - Standing There
Creed - With Arms Wide Open
Crowded House - Don’t Dream Its Over
Crystal Method - Keep Hope Alive
Cult - The Witch
Culture Club - Karma Chameleon
Custom - Hey Mister
Cutting Crew - I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Cypress Hill - Insane in the Membrane