Top Classic Rock Songs
The Top Classic Rock Songs of all time began in the early 1960s when 4 lads from Liverpool came to the US and went on stage in the Ed Sullivan theatre. This rock and roll craze began with the Beatles and the British Invasion that included the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Yardbirds, the Who, Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark, the Dave Clark 5 and many more.
In No Particular Order, Some of my top classic rock songs include:
1. Hey Jude - The Beatles
2. Layla - Derek and the Dominos (with Eric Clapton)
3. Celluloid Heroes - the Kinks
4. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
5. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
6. Brown Sugar - the Rolling Stones
7. Let it Be - the Beatles
8. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
9, Hotel California - the Eagles
10, Barracuda - Heart
11. A Day in the Life - the Beatles
12. Badge - Cream
13. Voodoo Chile(Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix
14. Tell All the People - The Doors
15. The Story in Your Eyes - the Moody Blues
16. Suite Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills and Nash
17. White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane
18. Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
19. Can't Find my Way Home - Blind Faith (with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood)
20. Beautiful Day - U2
21. Nantucket Sleighride - Mountain
22. Living in the Past - Jethro Tull
23. Funk #49 - the James Gang (with Joe Walsh)
24. All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople
25. Can't Get it Out of my Head - ELO
26. Don't Look Back - Boston
27. China Grove - the Doobie Brothers
28. Stop Draggin My Heart Around - (Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty)
29. Panama - Van Halen
30. Peace Frog - the Doors
31. Good Vibrations - the Beach Boys
32. Tragedy - the BeeGees
33. Get Back - the Beatles
34. Back in the USSR - the Beatles
35. Street Fightin' Man - the Rolling Stones
36. I Feel Fine - the Beatles
37. Jungleland - Bruce Springsteen
38. Lola - the Kinks
39. Harmony - Elton John
40. I Only Want to Be with You - Dusty Springfield
41. Close to The Edge - Yes
42. Susan - the Buckinghams
43. The Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
44. We Can Work it Out - the Beatles
45. Heroes and Villains - the Beach Boys
46. Ramblin' Man - the Allman Brothers
47. Mississippi Queen - Mountain
48. Radio Ga Ga - Queen
49. Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
50. Foreplay/Long Time - Boston
This list is based upon many memories that have been collected in my lifetime of listening to rock and roll.
I grew up listening to the radio or a stereo player nearly every day of my life, sometimes 4 or 5 hours per day. There is a particularly strong emotional connection when it comes to listening to old classic rock love songs like "I only Want to Be With You" by Dusty Springfield. Later in her life she put together a masterpiece with the Pet Shop Boys called "What Have I done to Deserve This"
I never tire of listening to powerful ballads from Bruce Springsteen like Born To Run and Jungleland. Across the ocean, the Kinks also produced their own special ballads like Lola and Celluloid Heroes.
Listening to powerful guitar riffs always struck a chord when I listened to classic rock. Several of my favorite powerful guitar hits included Voodoo Chile by Hendrix, Funk #49 by a very young Joe Walsh of the James Gang (they played at my high school prom) and Layla by Derek and the Dominos (featuring a very young Eric Clapton). Kashmir featuring Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Badge featuring Eric Clapton of Cream and Mississipi Queen featuring Leslie West of Mountain also contained some powerful guitar.
Another characteristic of a strong rock classic was a unique vocal. I especially love the powerful female vocals of Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) in White Rabbit and Annie Wilson (Heart) in Barracuda.
Of course the male leads were also represented very well. Bruce Springsteen (Born to Run and Jungleland), Jim Morrison of the Doors (Tell all the People and Peace Frog) and Freddie Mercury of Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody and Radio GaGa) all had distinct sounds that could be spotted instantly.
Top Classic Rock Songs have a distinct flavor and always bring out strong emotions in the life of people who listened to them. These tunes will live on forever as part of a baby boomer culture that produced some of the best music ever written and performed. Just ask the experts, like Randy Jackson from American Idol.
