On “Permanent Vacation,” Aerosmith has a song called “St. John” that crams more monster hooks into 4 minutes than lots of artists write in a whole career. When I first heard it, I was blown away, and had to listen to it repeatedly! I gotta tell ya, not much music blows me away anymore, but this one’s a kller. In fact, I’m gonna play it now!
Good idea. 
Er… actually I meant “Long Away” from “A Day at the Races” by Queen.
Although they didn’t write it, I really enjoy the Stones doing “Fortune Teller”.
The only version I’ve heard is "live’’ and the girls in the crowd scream throughout the entire song, but for some reason the screaming is not that annoying.
311’s entire Transistor album is highly underrated, and many of Sublime’s best songs are on the oft-overlooked Robbin’ the Hood.
a) Pink Floyd: Summer '68 from Atom Heart Mother
b) Yes, The South Side of the Sky, from Fragile
c) Queen, The Prophet’s Song, from A Night at the Opera, vastly eclipsing that stupid Bohemian Rhapsody that appears on the same side of the album.
d) Tori Amos, Yes Anastasia from Under the Pink.
e) Alan Parsons Project, Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether from Tales of Mystery & Imagination
And I see 5 Time Champ (or was it Five Time Champ ??) beat me to the accolades for The Prophets’ Song.
I got first dibs on PF’s Summer '68 though
This was the song that made me go out and buy the album! (and the regular CD, and the $60 gold remastered CD. The lack of surface noise and clicks during “Dream Within A Dream / The Raven” is also worth the price of admission.)
The Who–“Song is Over”
The Beatles–“Rain”
Elton John–“Ticking”
The Eagles–“The Last Resort”
“Ticking!” :smack: Who knew that a piano could sing?
Another early Beatle’s tune “Anna.” Even the Beatle’s covers of other people’s songs were really good.
Kristopherson’s “Jodie and the Kid.” Actually, The Silver Tongued Devil and I is a silver tongued masterpiece.
Nearly all the songs on the second side of AHM are underrated (except APB,) and I agree with the other posters who have fondness for the minor psychedelic songs on Floyd’s other albums.
Kinky Friiedman’s “Ride 'Em Jewboy.” A guy know best for his biting social commentary music wrote a definitive song about the Holocaust.
Talking Heads - “Listening Wind”
Please don’t report me to the FBI for posting this.
John Lennon:
Musically:
“Meat City”
Just gotta give me some rock n roll - that says it all. He makes the guitar sound dirty. Like he’s playing a guitar with actual dried mud crusted on it.
Lyrically:
“Woman Is the Nigger of the World”
Lennon was a male feminist who really meant it. I respect him for saying this so plainly and openly.
Woman is the nigger of the world
Yes she is, think about it
Woman is the slave to the slaves
If you don’t believe me, take a look at the one you’re with
That took balls.
Rush – “Territories.” (a whole wide world/an endless universe/yet we keep looking through the eyeglass in reverse)
Aerosmith-- “Hangman Jury” from the album “Permanent Vacation.” I also believe that “What it Takes” (from “Pump”) is their best ballad by far, and though it gets some radio play, it’s not nearly as popular as some of their other ballads.
Madonna–“In This Life”, a freaking gorgeous song about losing her friends to AIDS and struggling to find the meaning at a time when the entire world was apathetic to one of the worst epidemics in history. I also vote for “Sanctuary” for its haunting vocals and lyrics.
The Beatles-- “Yes It Is” off their first anthology. It might be a cover, I don’t know. In my opinion anything the Beatles touch turns to gold, but I ALWAYS drop everything I’m doing when it gets to this track.
Queen-- “The Prophet’s Song.” What an amazing freaking song. Seriously.
Weezer-- “Butterfly”, the last track off Pinkerton. The song makes me feel like I’m slowly vanishing. It’s honest and beautiful and sad.
I never understood why Zeppelin’s “Travellin’ Riverside Blues” was never released originally except as a B-side…
Joe
Definitely two of Kris Kristofferson’s best, although I lean toward “The Pilgrim” (and I think I’m forgetting part of that title).
And I’ll second Skynyrd’s “The Ballad of Curtis Lowe.”
Van Morrison -
“Satisifed” off Common One - James Brown and William Blake and Van singing like he’s gargling honey.
Bob Dylan -
“Trying to Get to Heaven” off Time out of Mind An all-time classic song with one of his best vocals, ties with “Just Like Tom Thumb Blues”, all tucked away there on the back of Highway 61 Revisited
Neil Young -
“On the Way Home”, which he wrote and was recorded pretty much against his will by Buffalo Springfield - a wonderful song or “Drive Back” from “Zuma” which is terrifying.
Miles Davis -
“Black Satin” from “On The Corner” Most critics sort of disown OTC, but Black Satin, buried away in the middle of it, is a masterpiece
Lynyrd Skynyrd -
Does anyone else think “I Know A Little” off “Street Survivors” rocks like a motherjumper? Sort of a little un-Skynyrd-ish, jazzier, more swinging with grrrreat drumming.
Oh and for the Beatles, “Here Comes The Sun”. How anyone thinks “Something” is better than HCTS I’ll never know.