How many songs are about rock ‘n’ roll? (The songs, themselves, don’t have to be in the genre.)
Here are a few:
The Beatles: “Rock and Roll Music”
Peter, Paul & Mary: “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll Music”
Reunion: “Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)”
The Turtles: “The Story of Rock & Roll”
“Rock ‘n’ Roll is Here to Stay” from Grease
Todd Rundgren’s “The Death of Rock’n’Roll”:
Long Live Rock
Old Time Rock and Roll
Billy Joel - It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me
Joan Jett - I Love Rock And Roll
KISS - I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night
Led Zeppelin - Rock And Roll
Rick Derringer - Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo
Bill Haley - Rock Around The Clock (?)
Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll
LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge
Rolling Stones “I Know It’s Only Rock and Roll”
John Cougar (before he went back to Mellencamp) “Play Guitar”
KISS “God Gave Rock and Roll To You”
Stray Cats “Rock This Town”
Bob Seger - Rock and Roll Never Forgets
The Rolling Stones -* It’s Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)*
AC/DC: Rock & Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution
Bad Company: Rock & Roll Fantasy
Boston: Rock & Roll Band
Buffalo Springfield: Rock & Roll Woman
Byrds: So, You Want to Be a Rock & Roll Star
Jethro Tull: Too Old to Rock & Roll, Too Young to Die
Judas Priest: Rocka Rolla
Kinks: Rock & Roll Fantasy (different from Bad Company, and better)
Moody Blues: I’m Just a Singer in a Rock & Roll Band
Rainbow: If You Don’t Like Rock & Roll
Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine
AC/DC: It’s a Long Way to the Top, If You Wanna Rock & Roll
Mac Davis: (Rock and Roll) I Gave You All the Best Years of My Life
AC/DC For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
I Wanna Sing that Rock and Roll - Gillian Welch
Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle - Cake
Rock ‘n’ Roll Doctor - Little Feat
R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A. - John Mellencamp
Rock N’ Roll Is King - Electric Light Orchestra
Rock N’ Me - Steve Miller Band
Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through - Meat Loaf
Rock and Roll Girls - John Fogerty
Rock and Roll Heaven - Righteous Brothers
Rock and Roll Never Forgets - Bob Seger
Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo - Rick Derringer
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets
Rock Me Tonight - Billy Squier
Rock On - David Essex
Rock of Ages - Def Leppard
Rock Show - Wings
Rock You Like A Hurricane - The Scorpions
Crocodile Rock - Elton John
Why, yes, I did cheat off my iPod. I know I posted a few duplicates. But, hey, it’s only rock n’ roll.
Bon Jovi - Blame It On The Love Of Rock & Roll
Neil Young - Rockin’ In The Free World
Twisted Sister - I Wanna Rock
Queen-Rock It(Prime Jive)
Spinal Tap: “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight”
Chuck Berry, actually.
My sister had the record:
Just an observation about the directions this thread is going:
“Rock” is invoked at least three ways:
As Sex: since that was the original meaning of the phrase when used in blues and pre-rock R&B.
As the Music: sometimes I get upset about how much rappers boast about themselves and hip hop music and their beats and stuff, but as a rocker, I really can’t complain, can I? Jeez we spend a lot of time commenting on the status and supermacy of rock music.
As…Mojo: the “rock” in Rock Around the Clock was equal parts dancing, having fun with your friends, and doin’…stuff…your parents wouldn’t approve of. Yet that morphed into “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” where “stuff your parents wouldn’t approve of” has become “fighting for your independent voice.” I mean, sure - a liberal dose of folk rock got blended into rock in the 60’s, but still, the concept of “rockin’” became this broad indefinable *something *that meant nothing and everything cool at the same time. And boy, are there a lot of songs about it.
I first read the OP assuming it was about the 2nd definition - songs about the music. But you can’t discuss one without the other two because the overlaps are all over the place. When bands claim “rock and roll is dead” they are typically speaking as much to the rebellious spirit as to the style of music, for instance…and songs like Good Rockin’ Tonight is all about the blurring between rocking out to good music and sex…