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Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs


OLD 55

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LIST OF ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE'S 500 GREATEST SONGS

(You can view the list by Rank, Title, Artist or Year).

............................................................

THIS WILL SORT THE REAL MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS FROM THE "BROWSERS".

My Wife and I have just been on vacation/holidays to the beach and I only took one "Music" book with me - the copy of Rolling Stone Magazine with their "500 Greatest Songs".

I know we all slammed their choice of "Like A Rolling Stone" as #1 - and I still don't agree with it, even though I think Bob Dylan is brilliant - but I think they generally did a pretty good job! At least they had the courage to put it to paper, and they gave sound reasons for their inclusion of each song.

Let's face it, nobody would EVER come up with a list that we'd all agree with. Or if they did, the chances would be 99% that we'd all been brainwashed.

I've had a good opportunity to study the list and have made up my own Top Ten (still working my way down - almost got my Top 20).

............................................................

I thought I'd INVITE you to contribute to this thread along these lines:

1.YOUR Top Ten Of The Rock Era.++

++ The Rock Era is generally considered to have commenced 9 July, 1955 - the day that "Rock Around The Clock"/ Bill Haley and his Comets first hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Chart.

2. Songs you think SHOULD HAVE been included in RSM's 500 and WHY - please, not just "it's a great song".

3. Songs you think SHOULD NOT HAVE been included in RSM's 500. Please be objective. If you don't KNOW the song, that's not a valid reason for excluding it.

4. ANY general comments you'd like to make.

We're going to have a LOT of disagreements, but let's keep them friendly - NO Bun Fights.

............................................................

...........................................................

OK. If you've bothered to read this far, you may be interested in my Top Ten Songs of the Rock Era.

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'/ Righteous Brothers/ 1964

2. She Loves You / Beatles/ 1963

3. Bridge Over Troubled Water/ Simon and Garfunkel/ 1970

4. (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock/ Bill Haley and his Comets/ 1955

5. Crying/ Roy Orbison/ 1961

6. Don't Be Cruel/ Elvis Presley/ 1956

7. Stairway To Heaven/ Led Zeppelin/ 1971

8. Good Vibrations/ Beach Boys/ 1966

9. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction/ Rolling Stones/ 1965

10.Bohemian Rhapsody/ Queen/ 1975

...........................................................

:help:

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katie_sane's Top 10 Songs Of The Rock Era

1. Layla - Derek & The Dominoes (1970)

2. I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles (1963)

3. Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones (1965)

4. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin (1975)

5. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (1968)

6. Hotel California - The Eagles (1976)

7. Light My Fire - The Doors (1967)

8. Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones (1976)

9. Heroes - David Bowie (1977)

10. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (1975)

Now that was really, really difficult. There are so many I was forced to leave out. I chose these songs because I believe that they represent the best of rock music. But as I look at my list again I am filled with doubt! I know which artists deserve to be in the top 10, but songs is another matter!!

So, these songs aren't necessarily my top 10 all-time favourite ones, but I think that they are definitive songs of the times.

I agree with OLD55 in saying that Rolling Stone was very brave to actually print a list. And of course, it is impossible to please everybody.

Having said that, I do think that Rolling Stone did a good job. I do not agree with the number one. Do you think the magazine rigged the votes to make 'Like A Rolling Stone' number one because it has the magazine name in it?? :laughing: Big promotional boost maybe?? :laughing:

I think they covered most of the songs that were worthy of inclusion, except they left out 'One' by Metallica. That song needs to be in the Top 500, it is mental that they left it out. I'd add 'Astronomy' by Blue Oyster Cult too. I think that more songs by David Bowie deserved to be included, and I really thought that The Kinks would have been better represented.

But, as an overview of rock and roll history, I think that they did okay. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

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What an EXCELLENT Post Katie. Thank you for your great input. We even agreed on a couple in our Top 10s, and Hotel California was JUST outside mine. I Heard It Through The Grapevine also places very highly with me. I don't know how RSM chose Marvin Gaye's What's Going On ahead of it.

I thought we might start a couple of lists of

"Possible Inclusions" ( One/ Metallica and Astronomy/ Blue Oyster Cult) from you AND

"Possible Exclusions". Can you think of a couple you feel shouldn't be in the 500?

:coolio:

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I mostly agree with that list... I´ll post my own though I know I would change it five times per day...

1- She Loves You - Beatles

2- Dead Flowers - Rolling Stones

3- White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane

4- Don´t Answer Me - Alan Parson´s Project

5- Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd

6- 21st Century Schizoid man - King Crimson

7- 96 Tears - Question Mark & the Mysterians

8- Still the same - Bob Seger

9- I want you - Bob Dylan

10- You don´t have to say you love me - Dusty Springfield

... there might be some which are not in RSM list... I´ll have to tke more time to re-read it again... and I´m sure I forgot my fave ones! :doh:

:laughing:

See? I told you! Can I change Dusty Springfield´s? I prefer "Proud Mary", CCR...

COMMENTS: Where is "To Love Somebody", Bee Gees? i didn´t see it... and No Lou Reed? Just "Take a walk on the wild side" among 500? And "White Rabbit" is # 478? "Little Wing" # 357?

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Hi Edna. Thanks for all your time and effort there. I know how difficult it is. Just re-do it if you've changed your mind on any. Also, could you put the years if you know them? :) "Walk On The Wild Side" is #221, but "To Love Somebody" didn't rate a mention. That's one of MY favorite Bee Gees' songs too.

:coolio:

There is a "drop down menu" at the start of the list where you can view the songs by rank, title, artist or year.

You're making me feel older. (OLD 95). I've never heard of 2, 5, and 6 on your list. I'll try to download them and have a listen!

:P

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What an EXCELLENT Post Katie. Thank you for your great input. We even agreed on a couple in our Top 10s, and Hotel California was JUST outside mine. I Heard It Through The Grapevine also places very highly with me. I don't know how RSM chose Marvin Gaye's What's Going On ahead of it.

I thought we might start a couple of lists of

"Possible Inclusions" ( One/ Metallica and Astronomy/ Blue Oyster Cult) from you AND

"Possible Exclusions". Can you think of a couple you feel shouldn't be in the 500?

:coolio:

This is a fantastic thread OLD55!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I agree with you in saying that 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' by Marvin Gaye shoulda been higher than 'What's Going On'. Lots higher!

Edna, how could I leave out 'White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane?!?!? :doh:

As for possible exclusions, I will have to go get my copy of the magazine, study it some more and get back to you!

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I looked through the list and was quite surprised to find alot of the songs in my opinion misplaced on the list. There were quite a few songs I thought didn't even deserve being nominated, let alone making the top 500.

I also found alot of songs questionable with regards to them being rock and roll. Quite a few songs on the list are really easy listening and you would never find them played on any rock and roll station (We've Only Just Begun by the Carpenters and I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly are two examples). Gee, Joni Mitchell made the list 3 times....is it because she was one of the poll takers? How did Eminem make the list twice but the Cars didn't have one song on the list? As a matter of fact the Eagles had only two songs on the list and Take It Easy wasn't one of them!

Groups or singers I thought should have made the list but didn't are:

America

Average White Band

Bachman Turner Overdrive

Bad Company

Pat Benatar

Blood, Sweat & Tears

The Cars

CHICAGO!!! (they have over 30 albums, quite a few early rock greats....have they been censored??)

The Doobie Brothers (another group that deserves mention!)

Electric Light Orchestra

Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Peter Frampton (one good album but they had great songs!)

Genesis

Grand Funk (another major miss by the voters!)

GRATEFUL DEAD!! (I got a feeling they were not the only ones stoned!)

Bill Haley and the Comets (Rock Around The Clock)

Heart

Billy Idol

INXS

Iron Butterfly (In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida)

The James Gang

JETHRO TULL (hmmmmm....I think the voters should start Skating Away)

Journey

Kansas

Little Richard

Don McLean (American Pie)

Meatloaf

Steve Miller Band

The Moody Blues

..........and so on.....I just went through the first half of the alphabet and listed those who belong on that list. Others I did not mention are Bob Seger, Rush, and Santana. If anyone wants to take the second half of the alphabet, please do.

This list states the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time yet describes itself a Rock and Roll list. To me this list is a farce. I will agree with alot of the songs on the list but I have to disagree with just as many songs and the artists presented there.

My Top Ten Rock And Roll Songs would be:

10 - Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen

9 - We're An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad

8 - Young Americans - David Bowie

7 - Come Together - The Beatles

6 - Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who

5 - Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones

4 - Hotel California - The Eagles

3 - Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin

2 - Layla - Derek and the Dominoes

1 - Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

I could probably come up with another top ten so the list above is not quintessential but at least the songs do ROCK!!

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You're making me feel older. (OLD 95). I've never heard of 2, 5, and 6 on your list. I'll try to download them and have a listen!

:P

Oh, come on, Young55, I´m 10 years older than you!!! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

"Dead Flowers" is in "Goat´s Head Soup", Rolling Stones, 1973; the Pink Floyd song is the last part of "Time" (Dark side of the Moon) and I´m sure you heard this album:

kingcrimson_inthecourt.jpg

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Jimmy, your post is AWESOME. :thumbsup:

I'm off to bed now, but I'd like to make some comments tomorrow if I may. You really hit a nerve with me on some of the great artists/songs that were omitted. HOW could they leave out "If You Leave Me Now"/ Chicago, "What A Fool Believes"/ The Doobs, "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth"/ Meatloaf and E.L.O./ take your pick of their great catalog!

:coolio:

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I agree, Uncle... it´s not what it was thirty or twenty years ago. When the spanish edition came out I looked to see if it was interesting and I could write there, but then again it reminds more of pinup16 than of the good old music magazines.

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It took courage for Rolling Stone magazine to create this list. I must say, however, that many of the inclusions and exclusions are baffling. I can't believe that CCR had just one song in the top 100 (Fortunate Son at #99). It also shocks me that Guns N Roses had 3 songs in the top 500, but Chigago, Dire Straits and ZZ Top had none. I definitely do not believe that Sympathy for the Devil is The Stones' 2nd best song.

My top 10 songs of all time (not necessarily my favourites) are:

1. Let It Be - The Beatles (1970)

2. Satisfaction - The Stones (1965)

3. Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry (1958)

4. Layla - Derek and The Dominoes (1970)

5. Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin (1971)

6. Heart of Gold - Neil Young (1972)

7. Maggie May - Rod Stewart (1971)

8. Hotel California - The Eagles (1976)

9. Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac (1977)

10. Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits (1976)

By the way, this is a great post Old 55!!!

:guitar:

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First off, this is a great thread CanAm, but you need to listen to some Floyd, at least Dark Side. I generally agree with all off you that it was really going out on a limb with doing the 500 greatest songs, and that they did a decent job. I don't get how "Stairway to Heaven" is in the thirty's though. It annoys me that they most likely did that just to show that they are different from other lists, but they need to show more respect for one of the greatest songs of all time. Anyhow, here's my 11 favorite songs, not exactly the 11 best of all time. It really was neccessary to have 11 though to include all the songs that I think needed recognition.

11. "Time Has Come Today" The Chambers Brothers

10. "The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" Traffic

9. "Comfortably Numb" Pink Floyd

8. "L.A. Woman" The Doors

7. "Lola" The Kinks

6. "Baba O'Riley" The Who

5. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" Blue Oyster Cult

4. "Walk on the Wild Side" Lou Reed

3. "Sympathy for the Devil" Rolling Stones

2. "Stairway to Heaven" Led Zeppelin

1. "Wish You Were Here" Pink Floyd

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Thanks Canam and Spenca. I appreciate your kind words. I've been out most of the day, and still have to find some time to analyse and address the great input we're getting.

Jimmy and yourselves have a lot of good points I'd like to try and expand on. One of them is the lack of songs by some GREAT 70s Bands (Chicago, America, E.L.O., Dire Straits Etc Etc.) which you mentioned.

There's no doubt their judges have some "Golden Haired" artists whom they believe can do no wrong. I think they worship Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and Bob Dylan - who I'm NOT knocking. My #1 Song is Phil Spector produced. Also, Sly and the Family Stone??? James Brown, I could understand, but I don't get that. I've just bought a double CD of theirs to see HOW they managed to get 6 songs in the 500.

ALSO, as Jimmy said, were they doing ROCK songs OR songs of the ROCK ERA??? Just browsing through quickly, you couldn't call these ROCK songs, could you?:

Dancing Queen, Lean On Me, In My Room, I Fall To Pieces, Love Shack, Heartbreaker, Baby Love, Killing Me Softly, Band Of Gold, It's Too Late, + +

I did my Top 10 as Songs Of The Rock Era - as I think most of us have. Isn't it TOUGH deciding which ones to LEAVE OUT !

:)

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Hey OLD 55....Thanks for the kudos. When I first saw this post yesterday morning I thought I would find a pretty good list of songs on the Rolling Stone site. After looking the list over I was pretty irked.

I remember Rolling Stone as a kid and they were pretty diverse back then as well. The difference is they put everything in their proper place. If it was a soul song it was mentioned as such. If it was an easy listening song (i.e., The Carpenters) it was also mentioned as such. The fact that Rolling Stone called this the 500 Greatest Rock & Roll songs in their synopsis below the heading irked me. This is not in any way a Rock & Roll list. If anyone thinks it is they would be wrong.

As OLD 55 suggested it may be their thinking the songs are the Top 500 of the Rock Era. If that is the case the list still needs some major revamping. This list was truly a farce!

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Groups or singers I thought should have made the list but didn't are:

America

Average White Band

Bachman Turner Overdrive

Bad Company

Pat Benatar

Blood, Sweat & Tears

The Cars

CHICAGO!!! (they have over 30 albums, quite a few early rock greats....have they been censored??)

The Doobie Brothers (another group that deserves mention!)

Electric Light Orchestra

Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Peter Frampton (one good album but they had great songs!)

Genesis

Grand Funk (another major miss by the voters!)

GRATEFUL DEAD!! (I got a feeling they were not the only ones stoned!)

Bill Haley and the Comets (Rock Around The Clock)

Heart

Billy Idol

INXS

Iron Butterfly (In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida)

The James Gang

JETHRO TULL (hmmmmm....I think the voters should start Skating Away)

Journey

Kansas

Little Richard

Don McLean (American Pie)

Meatloaf

Steve Miller Band

The Moody Blues

..........and so on.....I just went through the first half of the alphabet and listed those who belong on that list. Others I did not mention are Bob Seger, Rush, and Santana. If anyone wants to take the second half of the alphabet, please do.

I agree with your first half... and I'll take the second half if you don't mind.... WHERE IS???

Tod Nugent

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Robert Palmer

Rare Earth (although not the most popular, definetly revolutionary)

REO Speedwagon

Jim Stafford

Santana

Bob Seager

Carly Simon

Styx

Three Dog Night

Tommy Tutone

Talking Heads

Van Morrison

WAR

Van Halen

Warren Zevon

Frank Zappa (as well as The Mothers of Invention)

Joe Walsh

My Top 10:

10. Black Water -Doobie Brothers

9. House of the Rising Sun -Procol Harum

8. Rock and Roll Band -Boston

7. The Entertainer -Billy Joel

6. Joe's Garage -Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

5. Layla- Clapton

4. Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda) -Rod Stewart

3. Get Over It -Eagles

2. New Horizons -Moody Blues

1. Freebird -Lynard Skynard

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