100 Greatest
100 Greatest
100 Greatest
com/100songs
More than anything else, I love what this song is about: the Kent State University
shootings on May 4, 1970. The Kent State students were protesting America's invasion of
Cambodia and the Vietnam War in general when the Ohio National Guard shot four
students and wounded nine others.
It's right after this line that my favorite part of "Whipping Post" begins. The bluesy guitar
riff combines with the awesome bass riff, and you're forced to settle in for a classic
Allman Bros. jam.
I'm not really a fan of Southern stuff, but I love the Allman Bros. It's too bad guitarist
Duane Allman died in 1971 of a motorcycle accident just months after the release of their
great live album At Fillmore East.
This song is all about its legendary guitar riff. After the death of
AC/DC singer Bon Scott in early 1980, he was replaced by Brian Johnson. "Back In
Black," the first song recorded after Scott's death, served as an announcement that the
band wasn't over despite the loss of their former lead singer.
It appears that Bob Dylan can actually sing every once in a while. "Knockin' On Heaven's
Door" has been covered by about two dozen notable artists, but the greatest has to go to
the original.
It was typical that Harrison would write 2-3 songs per Beatles album
and Lennon or McCartney would write the rest. There is speculation that Lennon and
McCartney only allowed Harrison to include a few on each album. As a result, Harrison's
first album after the breakup of the Beatles was a triple album (the third one being a jam
session) and was well-received. "My Sweet Lord" is probably Harrison's most well-
known solo song, and is about God. Harrison had to surrender most of the money made
from the song for unintentionally plagiarizing the Chiffons' song "He's So Fine."
The Chili Peppers were around in the '80s, but were fairly irrelevant.
"Under The Bridge," a song about Anthony Kiedis's drug use, put them on the
mainstream map.
Sometimes I feel
Like I don't have a partner
Sometimes I feel
Like my only friend
Is the city I live in
The city of angels
Lonely as I am
Together we cry
I just love how this song starts with such a comforting acoustic guitar,
then moves to a great bass performance, then into a great guitar riff, then into everything
at once. It also happens to be eight and a half minutes in length.
"Papa Was A Rollin' Stone"'s slow bass riff makes the song adds to
the song's sound very distinctive and fresh. I know this doesn't make any sense because it
was made more than thirty years ago, but somehow that's how this song sounds to me.
I've always liked the fact that a full orchestra is featured in "The Long
And Winding Road," but apparently that was one of the primary reasons Paul McCartney
wanted the Beatles to be officially broken up. The orchestra was overdubbed by
legendary producer Phil Spector over the original song, which merely consisted of
McCartney's piano and Lennon's poorly played bass (McCartney was the usual bassist).
Obviously, McCartney was greatly angered that the orchestra was overdubbed without his
consent.
I want to live
I want to give
I've been a miner for a heart of gold
It's these expressions I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old
"What'd I Say" is the signature Ray Charles song. That moaning and groaning Ray does
toward the end of the song? Well, those are sexual noises.
The murders actually took place in 1966, and Carter had served ten years in prison before
he was granted a new trial in 1976 after Dylan rallied support for him by writing
"Hurricane." Carter was once again found guilty and was sentenced on February 9, 1976.
Dylan has not performed the song since January 25, 1976. Carter was released on parole
in 1985.
It wasn't until playing the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
that I realized "California Love" was adapted from Joe Cocker's song "Woman To
Woman", which appears in the game. Dr. Dre was the one primarily responsible for
writing the song, and he presented it to 2Pac upon his release from prison in 1995.
How soothing is "Fire and Rain"? It's quiet acoustic guitar launched
Taylor's career and gave birth to the singer-songwriter genre.
Clapton wrote this song after his 4-year-old son Conor died by falling
out a 53rd story window in New York City.
Rolling Stone puts "Hound Dog" and "Heartbreak Hotel" in front of "Jailhouse Rock",
but I disagree with them. I think "Jailhouse Rock" is the definitive Elvis song.
I was fooled by the title of this song. To "lose your religion" is to lose
your temper. Apparently it's an expression used in the South. I've never actually heard
anyone use it in conversation.
Jackson Browne actually began writing "Take It Easy" but got stuck.
He showed it to the Eagles' Glenn Frey, who came up with the "It's a girl, my lord, in a
flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me" line. Browne thought the line was
excellent and decided to say that he and Frey co-wrote "Take It Easy." Both Browne and
the Eagles have their own version of it, but the Eagles' take is significantly better, as it
became their first single and one of their most definitive songs. It's also the closest thing
to country that I've ever liked.
This is probably more well-known as the song Vanilla Ice ripped off.
Nevertheless, it's still a great song, and Vanilla Ice ripped off the bass guitar riff for good
reason.
Load up on guns
Bring your friends
Its fun to lose
And to pretend
Shes overboard
Myself assured
I know I know
A dirty word
How cool is this story? "Though Marley likely wrote the song
himself, songwriter credits were given to 'V. Ford'. Vincent Ford was a friend of Marley's
who ran a soup kitchen in Trenchtown, the ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica where Marley
grew up. The royalty checks received by Ford ensured the survival and continual running
of his soup kitchen." I don't know of many people in the music business who have done
something like that.
"The Weight" is just one of those songs that you absentmindedly start
singing along to. It's lyrics, though usually glossed over because of the absentminded
singing, are actually quite interesting in that they describe a purgatorial experience with
numerous biblical allusions.
The guitar solo near the end of the song is when "New Year's Day"
just comes together. The bass is great as well, and really coalesces with the beat and
guitar, along with Bono's moaning voice.
It turns out this song isn't live at all. Producer Gus Dudgeon added
applause and audience sounds from previous Elton concerts after the song had already
been completed.
"Sweet Child O' Mine" is about Axl Rose's girlfriend Erin Everly,
whom he married in 1990. Their marriage was annulled in 1991.
"Baba O'Riley" suffers from people not knowing what it's called.
Most people refer to it as "Teenage Wasteland," which obviously is incorrect. The song is
one of the first to incorporate synthesizers, and also features the unorthodox violin coda.
Don't cry
Don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland
"Higher Ground" was covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1989,
and this version is probably more well known than Stevie Wonder's. However, I hate the
Chili Peppers' version. I think it does a major injustice to the original, and this is coming
from someone who highly respects the Chili Peppers.
From the moment "Voodoo Child" starts, you know you're in for a
jam. Hendrix's wah-wah guitar playing at the beginning explodes into an awesome
Hendrixesque riff. Hendrix started the song after a camera crew was in the studio and
wanted to record footage of him recording for his upcoming album. Hendrix came up
with the intro on the fly. It's hard to tell whether Hendrix wrote any of the guitar part
before recording it, as his rampaging guitar throughout feels like more of a freestyle.
You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain
For a savior to rise from these streets
Well now, I ain't no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey, what else can we do now?
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well, the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks
Undoubtedly people who wouldn't consider themselves music fans are familiar with "I
Got You (I Feel Good)," the signature James Brown song. Some would disagree by
preferring "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "Get Up (I Feel Like A Sex Machine)," or
"Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud," but I would go with "I Got You (I Feel Good)"
as the best James Brown song.
I'm not much of a Metallica fan, but I love "Nothing Else Matters," a
ballad void of their usual angst. The funny thing about this song is that Metallica was
accused of selling out because they made a song that wasn't the pure thrash metal their
fans had become accustomed to. Personally I'd take "Nothing Else Matters" over "Enter
Sandman" any day of the week.
It took me a little while to really appreciate this one, as I'm not much
of a fan of punk. A year ago it would have not made this list, but like with so many other
songs, "London Calling" requires a certain number of listens until you really start to like
it.
Loving you
Isn't the right thing to do
How can I ever change things
That I feel
If I could
Maybe I'd give you my world
How can I
When you won't take it from me
Steely Dan tends to make songs that just sound good. That's certainly
the case with "Aja," an 8-minute jazz-rock ramble that features a saxophone solo and an
unbelievable drum performance.
Evidently this song isn't anti-Christian, but rather criticizes the way
people use the image of Jesus and the "Jesus Christ Pose" (being nailed to the cross).
After looking at the lyrics, I'm not quite sure what to think.
Only love
Can make it rain
The way the beach is kissed by the sea
Only love
Can make it rain
Like the sweat of lovers
Laying in the fields.
Only love
Can bring the rain
That makes you yearn to the sky
Only love
Can bring the rain
That falls like tears from on high
I first heard this song about a year ago when they started playing that
Levis commercial nonstop where the guy steals the jeans off a balcony and puts them on,
only to discover that the jeans would react to the owner's movements and the guy started
involuntarily walking strangely.
Most people don't really know the history of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," so I'll
take you through it right now. It was written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield
and Barrett Strong. Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded a version of it and it became a hit
in 1967. Gaye's version became a hit in 1968. The first version I heard of it was
Creedence Clearwater Revival's 11 minute cover that appeared on their 1970 album
Cosmo's Factory.
I bet you're wondering how I knew
About you're plans to make me blue
With some other guy that you knew before
Between the two of us guys
You know I love you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don't you know that...
I'm fairly certain this song is about drug addiction and time spent in
addiction recovery. The train station is just a metaphor for the addiction clinic. The part
about shadows running from themselves is probably enough evidence to support the song
being about drug recovery. I find some of the lyrics to be wonderfully poetic ("Yellow
tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes") and Clapton's use of the wah-wah pedal
during the guitar solo is just awesome.
This is a song that you wish could just go on forever. It's always such
a sad moment when this song just ends, and you realize that it's only 2 minutes and 40
seconds long.
By the time Henley gets to 1984, his country roots of being in the
Eagles have been left far behind. What we have here with "Sunset Grill" is a spectacular
(albeit looped) drum beat and an array of synthesizers. The last couple of minutes are a
magnificent display of horns, synthesizers, a guitar, and a piano uniting into a gorgeous
outro.
Lets go down to the sunset grill
We can watch the working girls go by
Watch the basket people walk around and mumble
And stare out at the auburn sky
Theres an old man there from the old world
To him, it's all the same
Calls all his customers by name
Now, I'm gonna love you, till the heavens stop the rain
I'm gonna love you
Till the stars fall from the sky for you and I
#39: "Purple Rain" by Prince
From the 1984 album Purple Rain
It's startling to think that "Free Fallin'" was one of the first songs on
this list that I heard, and I first heard it about three years ago. It's hard to believe that I
could have become so knowledgable about all of these songs in just three years.
"Yesterday" holds the record for the most times covered, at more than
3,000 recorded versions. That strikes me as a little odd due to the song, but I guess all of
us have lost love at some point, so it's not really that surprising.
The scream Roger Daltrey lets out nearly eight minutes into "Won't
Get Fooled Again" has to be one of the defining moments in music history. After that
scream, the only words left in the revolution-themed song are "Meet the new boss/Same
as the old boss."
This song is all about the bluesy guitar playing of Mark Knopfler.
The guitar solo at the end of the song and the riff he produces throughout the entire song
simply sound great.
But "The End Of The Innocence" really serves as a metaphor for the plight of the farmer
during Ronald Reagan's presidency. Reagan dramatically increased defense spending
(recall his "Star Wars" program) which in turn cut funds for farmers.
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is simple enough to
understand: it's about finding spirituality. Despite it's simplicity, it's still a song that you
can't really get enough of, probably because we as listeners are always seeking
spirituality ourselves.
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
Father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
I first heard "The End" after watching the Vietnam movie Apocalypse
Now. In the beginning, the song plays during the background as Martin Sheen lies in his
Saigon hotel room.
For a long time the only "Free Bird" I knew was the 4 and a half
minute version they play on the radio. It wasn't until relatively recently that I found out
the actual album version is 9 minutes in length, and features the greatest guitar solo I've
ever heard.
#12: "One" by U2
From the 1991 album Achtung Baby
There are many debated meanings of "One," but the likely meaning is
proposed by Rolling Stone in their 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time book: it's a dark
ballad about a relationship in peril and the struggle to keep it together. Some will say it's
about a gay son explaining to his father that he has HIV, which was evidently the premise
of the video.
You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt
#11: "Eminence Front" by The Who
From the 1982 album It's Hard
There isn't much explanation needed for what this song is about or
why it is so great. All I have to say is this: I want the world to be what John Lennon asks
for it to be.
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
Paul McCartney started out with John Lennon's son Julian in my when he started writing
this song. Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia Powell, were going through a divorce and
McCartney felt for Julian during the whole ordeal. He eventually changed "Jules" to
"Jude" because "Jude" is easier to sing. Julian didn't find out the song was written for him
until almost twenty years later.
I've since discovered that the more times you listen to "Like A Rolling Stone," the more
you like it. In fact, that's probably more true in the case of "Like A Rolling Stone" than
for any other song on this list. You have to really look at the lyrics, and then everything
else will fall into place.
"Hotel California" just has that really distinct sound to it. There isn't
anything else that sounds like it. It also has probably the most famous guitar solo in
history.
"We wanted to write a song just like it was a movie. This guy is driving across the desert.
He's tired. He's smokin'. Comes up over a hill, sees some lights, pulls in. First thing he
sees is a really strange guy at the front door, welcoming him: 'Come on in.' Walks in, and
then it becomes Fellini-esque- strange women, effeminate men, shadowy corridors,
disembodied voices, debauchery, illusion.... Weirdness. So we thought, 'Let's really take
some chances. Let's try to write in a way that we've never written before.' Steely Dan
inspired us because of their lyrical bravery and willingness to go 'out there.' So, for us,
'Hotel California' was about thinking and writing outside the box."
If anyone's come up with a greater guitar riff I'd like to hear it. If
anyone's come up with a greater melody on a piano I'd like to hear it. That's all I really
have to say about this song.
If you didn't already know, Layla is not a real person. The song is really about Eric
Clapton's unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of Beatle George Harrison. Boyd
would later divorce Harrison in 1977 and marry Clapton in 1979. She divorced Clapton
in 1988 after Clapton had several extramarital affairs.
Derek And The Dominos was known as Eric And The Dynamos until an announcer
mispronounced the name and the band decided to keep it. "Layla" was the only album
recorded by Derek And The Dominos due to Clapton's descent into heroin addiction,
which came about as a result of the deaths of fellow guitarists Jimi Hendrix and Duane
Allman and due to the lukewarm reviews to the album.
The List