The Greatest Rock and Roll songs of all time.

[Technosoul]

Please post your nominations for the greatest rock and roll songs.

Each era can be represented. 1950s - 1960s - 1970s - 1980s and so forth.
Before or after.

The songs should be great based on their own stand out nature for that era or because of their long term impact on the field of music.

I will start off with some real old ones that were foundational to rock and roll music.

1930s.

My buckets got a hole in it - by Washboard Sam.

Cocane blues - Memphis Jug Band.

Next post I will mention the 40s and then get into the 1950s - that is when the big beat took over the airways.

What do you think was major songs of the '60s - and the new sound for the 80s. Whatever. Or even this year. ?????

By the way many forms of R&B music was once Rock n Roll music before the record stores segregated them into classifications. So they still count as R&R here in this thread.

[tinybear]

http://www.angelfire.com/music5/crnr...etCaroline.wav

[Technosoul]

Quote by: tinybear http://www.angelfire.com/music5/crnr...etCaroline.wav

Your link is a bit confusing.

Sweet Caroline is a great rock and roll song if that is what you recomended.

Neil Diamond was a good song writer which I think is important. He wrote some tunes also for TV show "we're the Monkeys".

A while back when the new immagration bill was in the news I played his song (we're coming to) America at my garage sale - outside. I like being a DJ and was one at our highschool where I played music over the intercom speakers during lunch time - everyone in school was listening.
(forced to listen to my selections). I played a song called "dinner with Drac" and some girl wrote about it in the school newspaper saying that I should not play it when people are eating - so I played it again the next day. Great to have people protesting you. Hey, it's only rock and roll!

Soon they replaced me at the mike for someone who played only instramental jazz - mood music for Zombies.

Now for some top songs of the 1950s.

Whole lot of shakin goin' on - Jerry Lee Lewis.
Rock around the Clock - Bill Haley.
Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry.
Good Golly Miss Molly - Little Richard.
Louie Louie - Richard Berry.
Jim Dandy - LaVern Baker.
Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley.
Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino.
Summer Time Blues - Eddie Cockran.
Roit In Cell Block #9 - The Robins.
Charlie Brown - The Coasters.
Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins.
Shake Rattle and Roll - Joe Turner.
Hello Marrylou - Rick Nelson.
Baby let me bang your box - The Toppers.

Will add more later.

Hmm, 1940s - some old OLD songs.

That's All Right Mama - Authur big boy Crudup.
Choo Choo Boogie - Louis Jordan.
Rock this joint tonight - Paul Williams.

[Technosoul]

Quote by: tinybear http://www.angelfire.com/music5/crnr...etCaroline.wav

Your link is a bit confusing.

Sweet Caroline is a great rock and roll song if that is what you recomended.

Neil Diamond was a good song writer which I think is important. He wrote some tunes also for TV show "we're the Monkeys".

A while back when the new immagration bill was in the news I played his song (we're coming to) America at my garage sale - outside. I like being a DJ and was one at our highschool where I played music over the intercom speakers during lunch time - everyone in school was listening.
(forced to listen to my selections). I played a song called "dinner with Drac" and some girl wrote about it in the school newspaper saying that I should not play it when people are eating - so I played it again the next day. Great to have people protesting you. Hey, it's only rock and roll!

Soon they replaced me at the mike for someone who played only instramental jazz - mood music for Zombies.

Now for some top songs of the 1950s.

Whole lot of shakin goin' on - Jerry Lee Lewis.
Rock around the Clock - Bill Haley.
Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry.
Good Golly Miss Molly - Little Richard.
Louie Louie - Richard Berry.
Jim Dandy - LaVern Baker.
Teddy Bear - Elvis Presley.
Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino.
Summer Time Blues - Eddie Cockran.
Roit In Cell Block #9 - The Robins.
Charlie Brown - The Coasters.
Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins.
Shake Rattle and Roll - Joe Turner.
Hello Marrylou - Rick Nelson.
Baby let me bang your box - The Toppers.
Peggy Sue - Buddy Holly.
Motorhead Baby - Johnny Guitar Watson.
Race with the devil - Gene Vincent & blue caps.
Got My Mojo Workin' - Muddy Waters.

Will add more later.

Hmm, 1940s - some old OLD songs.

That's All Right Mama - Authur big boy Crudup.
Choo Choo Boogie - Louis Jordan.
Rock this joint tonight - Paul Williams.
Secret Love - The Moonglows.
When I leave these prison walls - the Larks.

[Chaossaber314]

I'll start small and add more to it later.

Hotel California - The Eagles

[CoffeeSaint]

"Opiate" by Tool
"The Day I Tried to Live" by Soundgarden
"Enter Sandman" by Metallica
"Perfect Drug" by Nine Inch Nails
"Would" by Alice in Chains

[Technosoul]

Here are some groups that might have made a song for nomination.

CCR (clearwater)
Rolling Stones.
Bob Dylan.
Neil Young
Kiss
America (horse with no name?)
Canned Heat.
ZZ Tops.
Beatles.
Dead Kennedys
Sex Pistals.
Smith.
Blondie.
Go Go Girls.
Jimi Hendrix.
Frank Zappa.
Crosby Stills Nash and Young.
Queen.
Beach Boys.
Velvet Underground.
Animals.
Jefferson Airplane.
New York Dolls.
Cubby Checker.
Everly Brothers.
Ozzie.
Doors.
Mamas and Papas.
Cream.
Deep Purple.
Led Zepplin.
Dixie Chicks.
Who.
Moody Blue.
Bo Diddley

Whew - lots of songs to concider... even with a short list.

[rez]

Quote by: CoffeeSaint "Opiate" by Tool "The Day I Tried to Live" by Soundgarden "Enter Sandman" by Metallica "Perfect Drug" by Nine Inch Nails "Would" by Alice in Chains

One could argue that those bands are metal. And the starters of the nu-metal genre.

Edit to add:Technosoul, you listed all those bands and you didn't even list King Crimson?

Seriously one of the most underrated bands of all times. And the band that inspired most of those other bands.

[Yasa]

-Black by Pearl Jam. This song's lyrics are shakespeare quality, and it rocks. Even the guitars seem to weep.
Live version of this is 10x better than the recorded CD version.

[Jack]

Ole' 55 and Jersey Girl, written by Tom Waits but made great by the Eagles and Springsteen.
Most amazing, my nomination for the greatest of the 70s...Bohemian Rhapsody.

[Jack]

The Dixie Chicks are country artists, not rock&roll. And it's The Moody Blues.

[shield772]

I like a great spectrum of music but for now I am really into

In the Ghetto and a little less talk, both performed by Elvis and written by Mac Davis

[Maryjane]

John Lennon...Imagine

[Technosoul]

Quote by: rez One could argue that those bands are metal. And the starters of the nu-metal genre. Edit to add:Technosoul, you listed all those bands and you didn't even list King Crimson? Seriously one of the most underrated bands of all times. And the band that inspired most of those other bands.

Oops - well, it was a "short list" as noted.

John Lennon claimed to be inspired by 1950s rock and roll. The Rolling Stones claimed to be inspired by blues singer Muddy Waters and named their group after his song "satisfied". The "Bear" of Canned Heat was a friend of mine before his death and he had a gaint collection of old 78 rpm blues records. Although you are right that groups tend to influence other groups.

[Technosoul]

Quote by: Isherwood The Dixie Chicks are country artists, not rock&roll. And it's The Moody Blues.

I listed Dixie Chicks because their first record contained some rockabilly sounds. Memphis rock. Big difference from C&W songs made popular by Hank Williams -etc. Lots of the newer country singers are doing country-rock now days. The Eagles are even a country rock group.
But in my opionon the Chicks can rock your socks off.

Now they put Johnny Cash in that Rock And Roll hall of fame. He is country to the core. But made a couple of cross-over tunes, although he insisted he was not a rockabilly or rock and roll singer - ever. I agree with him. He later made a song "I will rock you if I have too" where he poked a little fun at the debate. His song "I've been everywhere" is sort of a rockabilly song. But not like those of Carl Perkins or Elvis Presley.

[Technosoul]

Quote by: shield772 I like a great spectrum of music but for now I am really into In the Ghetto and a little less talk, both performed by Elvis and written by Mac Davis

I had a Mac Davis record in my old rockabilly collection. He also did some country recordings.

In The Ghetto was also a mild hit by a soul singer, perhaps it was James Brown? A Little Less Talk is one of Elvis's best records, got a bit underated at first by radio DJs. I also found a punk rock version of In The Ghetto made in the 90s - a shocking version of the song. I also like Burnin' Love by Elvis and I play it real loud. One of my other personal choices of songs by Elvis is 'Like A Baby" from the GI Blues LP. Not a well known track. Older one I like best is called "Paralized".

The only song Elvis really suggested be written was All Shock Up as he was mostly a cover aritist in the beginning, doing copy cat versions of other people's hits. Once he got into movies they wrote soundtrack songs for him such as Love Me Tender, following that he had song writers and did some new materials.

He recorded three of Little Richards songs and three of hits made by Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters. Heartbreak Hotel was first recorded by the Jacks (r and b band - AKA the Cadets).

That's Alright Mama, Baby Lets Playhouse were his rock versons of blues songs by Big Boy Crudup who orginated the rockabilly sound.

But he recorded the songs he personally like the best, at first.

[Technosoul]

Quote by: Maryjane John Lennon...Imagine

Yes, Imagine should be on the 'top" list for greatest songs. He died because he made that song because some religious nut, listening to the words of the song, thought that Lennon was the Anti-Christ. So the nut killed John Lennon to "save the world" from John's "Imagine there is no heaven" philosophy. A sad day but part of the history of the on-going crusade effecting religious fundamentalism.

In an interview with Playboy John said that High School Confidental (Jerry Lee Lewis) was the last Rock and Roll song and everything else was just repetition. Spin-offs. Then he said that trends might change and mentioned that the B-52s were on the cutting edge of creativity in the filed of Rock. Lots have happened since then. The B-52s and Devo did have an influence on the music of the 1980s.

[Technosoul]

Rock and Roll is mostly about fast songs and when they slow it down to make love songs and soft ballads the tunes sort of fall into another class, as "easy listening" songs, or "pop" songs. Simular to the love songs for slow dancing or more towards the Frank Sinatra style. Or the blues field.

However the term 'rock and roll' was slang for sexual activity in the early days of music. And slang for "party" (riot kind). They could not sing "F..." me baby on the radio so they sang "Rock me baby". The people knew the meaning for the 'secret code name". Which is why religion tagged the music as immoral. Later on people like DJ Alan Freed called the fast music Rock and Roll music, as it became a flag for anti-establishment rebellion - party down music.

Then people forgot about all that stuff. (or did they?).

[tinybear]

Quote by: Technosoul Yes, Imagine should be on the 'top" list for greatest songs. He died because he made that song because some religious nut, listening to the words of the song, thought that Lennon was the Anti-Christ. So the nut killed John Lennon to "save the world" from John's "Imagine there is no heaven" philosophy. A sad day but part of the history of the on-going crusade effecting religious fundamentalism.

I thought the guy shot Lennon to impress Jodie Foster.

Do you like this song? Does it describe the shooting of John Lennon?

YouTube - Mike Oldfield Moonlight Shadow

[shield772]

Quote by: tinybear I thought the guy shot Lennon to impress Jodie Foster. Do you like this song? Does it describe the shooting of John Lennon? YouTube - Mike Oldfield Moonlight Shadow

No, John Hinkley shot President Reagan to impress Jodie Foster