labyrinth2015 | Music List 1: Top 10 Rock Songs

Interrupting the flow of fic yet again to engage in some conversation about mainstream/modern rawk.motherendurance's precious, precocious 12-year-old made me a list of his top ten songs, which were startlingly mature and classic-rock centric (Aerosmith! Guns n Roses!).

He was polite enough to ask me, in my turn, for my favourite rock songs - clearly his awesome mom has raised him right! So, here are my top 10 rock faves, sweet boy: feel free to tell me how uncool they are, ha ha.

Springsteen: "Thunder Road"

I got into the Boss and rock n roll when I was fifteen and writing a comix column for a local rock n roll/pop culture fanzine - I was given a Bruce album and told my musical tastes (80s British new wave!) needed to be improved, pronto.

Bruce has a zillion rock n roll hits, but I've picked classic Thunder Road from his seminal Born To Run album, which, to me, is the best rock song of all time - it speaks of the open road, and taking a chance on love. This vid is from an amazing, high energy live performance in 1978, when Bruce was heartbreakingly young, and, ever the consummate storyteller, he gives this awesome introduction to the song.

The Police: "Roxanne"

In the history section, I would have named the intelligent music and unmistakable one-of-a-kind guitar work of either Dire Straits (Expresso Love) or Derek + the Dominoes/Eric Clapton (70s Layla), but the vids of Knopfler and Clapton were, to put it mildly, not very interesting (though they were amazing live when I watched them in concert, so many years ago).

Instead, I've picked recently-reunited rock band The Police, known for their blend of rock, reggae and synthesizers. As a girl I fell in love with their sophisticated rhythms, Copeland's progressive snare and syncopated drumming and the complexity of Stingo's early lyrics. I picked Roxanne (a gorgeous, deceptively simple song about a lover who needs to give up her, er, day job) over brooding Synchronicity II (which allegedly references Carl Jung's theory of synchronicity), but both are different, amazing rock songs. This version is the rocking 1979 version from The Police's European tour, complete with backstage footage, and when the boys are ridiculously young.

U2: "Mysterious Ways"

In many ways, U2 has to be my favourite band. The big proponent of stadium rock of the 1980s, they moved into alternative industrial rock in the 1990s and reinvented themselves as the pyrotechnic rock chameleons of the new millennium. I've selected Mysterious Ways with its killer groove and shimmering bass line off the fabulous Achtung, Baby album - this was spectacular when I watched it in 1992, and feels as fresh today.

Del Amitri: "Always the Last To Know"; Later version

Underrated Scottish pop rock band, whose forte was simple, beautiful melodies and acidly cynical lyrics. I love the Del's album Change Everything, beyond reason - my LJ subtitle is taken from this song. Listen to the bass hook twisting sinously through this ironic song about how you'll always love the lover whom you did wrong and drove away.

INXS: ”Need You Tonight”

For 80s soft rock I briefly considered listing my favorite song from each of Jon Bon Jovi (acoustic Living on a Prayer), Bryan Adams (Summer of 69) or Don Henley (Boys of Summer), but decided to go with 80s Antipodean New Wave/funk rock gods INXS.

Although my personal favourite INXS song was Never Tear Us Apart, the insistent, infamous, iteratively dirty groove of signature song Need You Tonight (off seminal album Kick) was the rhythm to which my entire college generation, er, engaged in romantic activity, and still makes me fan myself to this day.

Robert Palmer/Power Station: "Addicted to Love"

Palmer was the elegant, soulful heavyweight of experimental funky, bluesy, bossa nova rock, and this classy, hot song with its horn section, tight guitar line and funky bass groove is pretty much guaranteed to get me on the dance floor (or a table, ha ha).

Melissa Etheridge: "I Want To Come Over"

I wanted to get a female rocker on this list, and while I adore Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders something fierce, love to rock out to Heart, and from the 2000s I enjoy Gwen Stefani's genre, Melissa's I Want To Come Over has got to be THE classic grrlrock song - all gravelly and yearning - "It's a need I can't explain/I wanna come over/To see you again" - with such a great rocking rhythm.

Coldplay: "Viva La Vida"
Our Lady Peace: "Innocent"

My popular music listening took a bit of a dive in the late 90s to early/mid 2000s - I was busy marrying, gestating and raising littles, and pretty much all about the ballads and lullabies all the time (and Hi!FIVE, but we shall not go there, ahaha).

So, while I would occasionally enjoy the alt/indie/grunge rock offerings of late 90s/00s bands like Nirvana, Oasis, Blur, Pearl Jam and Nickleback, I wouldn't return to really being in love with a rock band until Coldplay. They are the archetypical 2000s rock band - swaggering, bombastic, full of themselves, all labyrinthian lyrics and musical stylings - and I was all primed to love them in all their glory. I love this lush, conceited, gorgeous song, and when they came to play the Island this year, this was just unreal.

Around this time I was also introduced to the raw, occasionally surreal stylings of altrock band Our Lady Peace - in some ways, they are the anti-Coldplay, and the heartfelt, gorgeous simplicity of Innocent (covered by Cook during Idol, downlist!) is the antithesis of Viva La Vida.

David Cook: "Declaration"

I could go on and on about David Cook all day on this journal. I am insanely in love with his intelligent modern rock oeuvre, and although I dig the dirty, grungy vibe of his older songs and the infectious, headbanging Bar-Ba-Sol, I think this headlong, anthemic offering is the most representative of his style and showcases both his lyrical prowess and assured melodic composition, his edgy growl and his lush upper range. Also, he is so goshdarn *pretty* ;).

B, I hope you enjoyed this half as much as I did! You come play any time, okay?

Threaded | Flat

OMG!
You mentioned Power Station!!!
*flails*
When I was little, the video for Some Like It Hot was my absolute favorite!

Eee, Coldplay and Cook! <3

I wholeheartedly approve of this list. :D

Oh dear, you make me feel like such a poser. I claim to be a rock fan, but I feel that because I am, much to the disappointment of my parents, not a huge classic rock fan, I'm smushed into an odd category.

I'm definitely into a lot of the new stuff (Nickelback and Coldplay as you mentioned, but also bands like Theory of a Deadman, Breaking Benjamin, and even Nine Inch Nails, and David Cook of course, but that goes without saying), but only the occasional pre-2000 rock, honestly (Summer of '69 being one of them, though!).

(deleted comment) (Show 1 comment)

Jay,

So I find your list to be rather interesting. A few thoughts on the artists named:

Bruce Springsteen - It took me a while to come around to really liking Springsteen, but I suspect that a lot of that had to do with the fact that my mother was, and is, totally hot for him. As any self-respecting teenager would feel, I wanted nothing to do with this Bruce Springsteen. Though I did find a secret love for such songs as "State Trooper" and "Born in the U.S.A.", despite its having been hi-jacked by political campaigners for their own jingoistic, patriotic purposes. This despite the title. (Being Canadian. *g*)

The Police - For me "Invisible Sun" was then, and has remained, one of the defining songs by the band. Dark and moody, with that thumping rhythm, slightly askew, it was always something of a punch in the gut. I also loved "Synchronicity II", for its sweeping drama, and clever telling of the tale.

U2 - My first loves, music-wise, that I claimed for my own. "Drowning Man", "Bad", "Elvis Presley in America", "Bullet the Blue Sky". So many songs. (I dreamt of Archie singing "Gone" at a big festival. Totally blew Cook's mind. *g*)

Coldplay - I *love, love, love* them. They are one of those bands I can actually play over and over again. Love all of their albums, but especially the latest. "Violet Hill" is beautiful, and "Strawberry Swing" is joyful and so musically infectious. Such a perfect day, indeed. *g*

Our Lady Peace - A Canadian band, so I totally grew up with them. "Naveed" etc. Quintessentially Canadian, with smart lyrics and music that doesn't follow the obvious hooks, they never worried that much about being "catchy". I love the fact that David Cook is such a huge fan of theirs. It speaks well of him. Haha. *g*

David Cook - "Bar-Ba-Sol" knocks me for a loop, every time. I played it over and over and over again, when I got the CD. Loved it. It makes you feel alive, with thunder and lightning pulsing through your veins. For the more melodic stuff, I love "Life On the Moon" and "Avalanche". I have been pleasantly surprised by Cook.

Some of my loves:

The Verve - They just take me away. Especially the guitars, which are phenomenal. I always feel like I'm really experiencing the music, through and through. 2 examples, one live at Glastonbury, and a fairly recent video from "Forth", their album released in 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GnWRjoP9mQ

(Bittersweet Symphony - pretty powerful stuff)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdTzmIgRuQ0

(Love is Noise - which I love, and cannot stop myself from moving to the rhythm)

Concrete Blonde - For something completely different, from the opposite end of the spectrum. Johnette Napolitano is an amazing singer/song-writer. Tough and rocking, she was a voice for me when I was feeling stifled and/or rebellious. She understood pain, and the shattered-glass feeling that can sometimes come with love. It's not all hearts and flowers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQutPF0Q-wo

(Scene of a Perfect Crime - Haunting and evocative, with a deep thrumming rhythm. Loved it.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOSQzSxMRfI

(Mexican Moon - Slightly older and smoother, with a wistful quality. Helps me feel as though I'm away from all of this, living a different life. Even though I have no particular desire to be in Mexico, or hot, dusty places in general, it's the idea of something completely different.)

A fairly recent discovery for me, was a young band called MGMT. Their music is fairly electronically-based, but it's melodic and infectious, and gets into my blood, making me want to groove to it. This is "Electric Feel".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtUI5MC9tVM

And I'll leave you with something Canadian that always takes me away to another time and place. The Tragically Hip, singing "Grace, Too" and "Bobcaygeon". Awesome songs, both of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9W4ka7LEFU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggm8U-CtaKs

(One of these days, I'll get around to figuring out those handy html hide the link thingies, but am too tired now. *g*)

So many tunes running through my head right now. Oh my gosh. Hope that you aren't too annoyed. Hee. Enjoy. :)

Dee. a.k.a. Irish.

hey its bbben,
sorry that im kinda slow on the reply so here it is!
that was awsome!! I really do like them exept for a few but i think i just missed the 80's lol but yah i love coldplay great great great! if you want me to do a different list ask!! its fun!

bbben.

Oh man. I just had a very long and eloquent reply written out, and then my internet crashed and ate the reply with it. Hrmpf. Maybe I'll try to replicate it tomorrow, when I'm not annoyed at my internet for pulling a stunt like that.

(We have very similar taste, though, as if that was a surprise by now ;) )

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