The 100 Greatest Rock Songs Ever: The Ones That Didn't Make the CutMar 01 '03 (Updated Nov 29 '03) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line n/a Hello fellow Epinionaters. Welcome to the first of a series of reviews that I've been meaning to put together for quite a long time. While my bud stairway2drew beat me to it, I have compiled my own list of the greatest 100 rock songs ever. Of course, the great thing about any kind of list is the debate that it will cause. You will probably be surprised by what made it, and even more surprised by what didn't (let's get it over with now: Stairway to Heaven doesn't appear at all). However, in trying to tackle 50 years of rock history, there were some omissions. What follows is a list of 21 songs that came under heavy consideration for the list, but in the end, were beaten out by better songs. So this first review is for those that just barely missed the cut. Barenaked Ladies: Call and Answer: There are some who consider BNL to be nothing more than a novelty act, but those people tend to be on the ignorant side of the fence. They can be brilliant lyricists, and this is shown by none better than this track, a gorgeous ballad that would easily make a "top 100 rock songs of the 1990s" list. Hell, it might make the top 50 of such a list. Bon Jovi: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: Long one of my favorite Bon Jovi songs, Sleep is a good old rollicking time. It's a true rock and roll song, in the oldest sense of the term. Sad to say, there is only one Jovi song on the 100 list. Dave Matthews Band: The Space Between: I believe this is the most recent song anywhere on the list. While the Everyday album was not a real DMB album, this song is by far the best it had to offer. It's a gorgeous song that can still get tears out of me on the right day. Metallica: Hero of the Day: Perhaps the toughest omission from the top 100 I had to make. I personally feel it's the band's best song of the last eight or nine years, and it's definitely the best hook the band has ever written. Pantera: Walk: One of the best heavy metal songs of the last 15 years or so, Walk is a grinding anthem that makes you want to bang your head and raise the devil horns up in the air. It's also Pantera's best song. Rage Against the Macine: Down Rodeo: By far my favorite song from the Evil Empire album, I love every aspect of this song. The heavy rhythm section that backs the verse, and the explosive guitar playing of Tom Morello that comes out in violent bursts. Smashing Pumpkins: Rhinocerous: I'm much more a fan of early Pumpkins material than later material, and when it comes to a great song, the Pumpkins had much better moments in their early days than their latter (which is to say that latter albums felt more like complete works). Rhinocerous is ferocious in the way it builds to that screeching guitar solo from Corgan. Soundgarden: My Wave: Definitely one of the more overlooked tracks from the band's Superunknown album. It has a great hook lyrically, and the musicianship from drummer Matt Cameron and guitarist Kim Thayil is second to none. Social Distortion: Story of My Life: At this point, pop-punk as a genre is tired and trite. But this song from Cali punkers Social D is one of the best of the genre. I relate to this song so much it scares me sometimes. Collective Soul: Shine: Collective Soul has made better albums than the debut that this appeared on, but I don't know if they've ever written a better anthem. Shine continues to shine up to this very day. It is everything those "inspirational" Creed songs try (and fail) to be. Slapshot: What's at Stake: I know, I know...WHO? Slapshot was an extremely influential Boston hardcore band, and What's at Stake is by far their greatest achievement. This one is NOT for the weak of heart. Sonic Youth: Kool Thing: While SY have strayed as far as they can from the mainstream, Kool Thing was a song that just kind of made it's own little wave of success. It's frenetic punk energy and defiant attitude makes it one of the better punkish numbers the band has ever done. The Specials: Ghost Town: As the leaders of the so-called "two-tone" ska movement, The Specials were, in a word, special. They had their own sound, and Ghost Town was merely the best example of it. The English Beat: Save it For Later: A minor pop hit for this other "two-tone" band, SIFL has been covered by Pete Townsend and Pearl Jam, among many others. But nothing quite lives up to the original and the sweet sounds of that saxophone towards the end. Dinosaur Jr: Feel the Pain: J Mascis had his biggest hit with this rocking 1994 anthem, and it was well deserved. It had by far one of the best guitar riffs of the past decade on it, and an inventive video to boot. Twisted Sister: We're Not Gonna Take It: It HURT to leave this out. I mean, it actually pained me to mark a big blue circle around this one on my master list as being relegated to a "final cut." This song, and more importantly the video for it, was everything good about 80s rock and roll. Elton John: I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues: I've never been a big Elton fan, but I've always loved this song. It's really an unforgettable song with an unbeliveable hook. The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night: One of the most influential English bands of all time, The Kinks had a bunch of great songs, but this is the only one that got consideration for this list. I hate to say it, but the other songs I picked were just better, and hold up much stronger than this one has. It's not bad, it just doesn't excite me the way it does other people. Mission of Burma: That's When I Reach For My Revolver: First and foremost, this is NOT a Moby song (although I do dig his cover of it). MOB were a great band, although the only way to see them was live. They reunited for some shows last year, and there are talks of a new album, which would be the first in 20 years for the group. Sex Pistols: Holidays in the Sun: I've always felt the Pistols were the most over-rated of the 1970s punk bunch, but that doesn't stop me from loving this song to death. By far their best number. and lastly: Oasis: Some Might Say: I'm not a big Oasis fan either, but Some Might Say has long been one of my favorite pure rock and roll songs. Much like the Bon Jovi tune above, this kind of harkens back to an easier time in rock and roll, and I really dig that. THE LIST: Songs 100-81 Songs 80-61 Songs 60-41 Songs 40-21 Songs 20-1 Related Reviews: The Fifty Greatest Rock Albums of the 1990s Part One: #'s 50-41 The Fifty Greatest Rock Albums of the 1990s Part Two: #'s 40-31 The Fifty Greatest Rock Albums of the 1990s Part Three: #'s 30-21 The Fifty Greatest Rock Albums of the 1990s Part Four: #'s 20-11 The Fifty Greatest Rock Albums of the 1990s Part Five: #'s 10-1  |
| Read all comments (7)|Write your own comment |
