My Dark Horse for Best Rock Song
August 2, 2005 – 4:06 pmI was listening to KROQ the other day, and I heard a song that I would label my “dark horse” contender for best rock song of all time. Whenever this subject comes up, you inevitably hear plenty of votes for songs by Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, etc. My dark horse? Under the Bridge by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
If I had to create my own list of what I consider to be the best rock songs of all time, I would probably put Under the Bridge in the top twenty five, but I doubt it climbs into the top ten. It’s hard to say, though, because it would take quite some time to come up with that list.
In fact, thinking about how I would come up with that list leads me to believe I would probably have to rule out all songs released in the past five years (maybe ten), because those songs are too new to put in proper context. It also becomes difficult considering what songs one does or does not own. Some songs seem fresher to those who don’t own them, and that might introduce some substantial bias.
Now I’m curious what you people would do. Let’s limit this to a top five rock songs of all time. I’ll throw mine together right now. And obviously this is all subject to change.
- Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
- Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
- House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
- Imagine - John Lennon
- California Dreamin’ - The Mamas and The Papas
7 Responses to “My Dark Horse for Best Rock Song”
Your favorite songs suck.
By gv on Aug 2, 2005 at 9:43 pm
If that’s the worst I get after listing Stairway as number one, I’ll be surprised.
By jjk on Aug 2, 2005 at 9:49 pm
It’d be Imagine I’d worry about….
By MDA on Aug 2, 2005 at 11:37 pm
Oddly enough, I’m a *HUGE* Led Zeppelin fan, but I certainly wouldn’t put Stairway or even Kashmir at the top of my list of favorites.
Jeff, I require some clarification from you. Are you looking for the “greatest”, the “best”, the “top”, or “my favorite” rock songs of all time. Although I don’t necessarily know what they are, each of these has its own set of criteria.
And, as I believe I may have alluded to somewhere on Mike’s site, it is impossible to quantify how “good” a song is narrowly enough to come up with a list of the top five. For me it’d be more like the top fifty, or even the top five hundred.
By Adam on Aug 3, 2005 at 12:31 am
Adam, as per my post, my request is for the “top five rock songs of all time”, whatever that may mean to you.
And if you feel the need to list to fifty or five hundred, you are more than welcome to do just that.
Also, it seems like you have volunteered to list your favorite Led Zeppelin songs that rank above both Stairway and Kashmir. I’d be interested to see what they are.
By jjk on Aug 3, 2005 at 1:42 am
Since no one besides Jeff actually stuck their neck out to be decapitated by public opinion, here’s my list, conceived in five minutes while waiting for my minimization to finish. Disclaimers: I am no rock guru, so if it wasn’t a hit I probably don’t know it. I have listened to Led Zepplin’s entire catalog, sure, but I don’t know it. These songs are ones that 1. I know and 2. always inspire a response when I hear them that’s completely unrelated to any attached memories.
1. Stairway to Heaven (Led Zepplin) (Hey, it’s quality and I can’t deny that.)
2. Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon & Garfunkel)
3. Carry on my Wayward Son (Kansas)
4. [insert ELP track here]
5. Boys of Summer (Don Henley)
When I think about amazing rock I tend to think about artists rather than songs (which I realised as I made this list). Journey made great rock, but it’s hard to put my finger on a song. Ditto for ELP. And so on.
By Dixie on Aug 3, 2005 at 4:26 pm
You might want to check this site, www.rankopedia.com. They just launched a category for “Best rock song ever”. I voted for Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
By Michael on Dec 29, 2006 at 12:42 pm