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Most Important Songs 1965-1991


TheLizard

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This is a list I compiled, because I was bored. I assigned a song to each year that I believe was the most important song created that year. This does not mean it was the best song, just the most important. I only went to 1991 because I didn't feel like I knew enough about music (or liked enough music) afterwards to fairly judge. Friendly discussion is encouraged. What do you agree and disagree with? What would your suggestions be? For those of you who are more savvy with modern music, what would you put after 1991? Without further ado, here's the list:

1965- “Satisfactionâ€- Rolling Stones

1966- “Sounds of Silenceâ€- Simon & Garfunkel

1967- “Light My Fireâ€- The Doors

1968- “All Along the Watchtowerâ€- Jimi Hendrix

1969- “Space Oddityâ€- David Bowie

1970- “Across the Universeâ€- The Beatles

1971- “Stairway to Heavenâ€- Led Zeppelin

1972- “Smoke on the Waterâ€- Deep Purple

1973- “Free Birdâ€- Lynyrd Skynyrd

1974- “A Pirate Looks at Fortyâ€- Jimmy Buffett

1975- “Bohemian Rhapsodyâ€- Queen

1976- “More than A Feelingâ€- Boston

1977- “Anarchy in the U.K.â€- Sex Pistols

1978- “You Really Got Meâ€- Van Halen

1979- “Comfortably Numbâ€- Pink Floyd

1980- “Redemption Songâ€- Bob Marley

1981- “Tom Sawyerâ€- Rush

1982- “Billie Jeanâ€- Michael Jackson

1983- “Sunday, Bloody Sundayâ€- U2

1984- “Born in the USAâ€- Bruce Springsteen

1985- “Money for Nothingâ€- Dire Straits

1986- “It’s Trickyâ€- Run-D.M.C.

1987- “Welcome to the Jungleâ€- Guns N’ Roses

1988- “Oneâ€- Metallica

1989- “Rockin’ in the Free Worldâ€- Neil Young

1990- “Friend in Low Placesâ€- Garth Brooks

1991- “Smells Like Teen Spiritâ€- Nirvana

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Excellent list, but I can't see why Van Halen's cover of "You Really Got Me" should be in there. I would have picked "Sultans Of Swing" by Dire Straits for 1978. This would be my continuation:

1992- "Come As You Are" - Nirvana

1993- "Creep" - Radiohead

1994- "Loser" - Beck

1995- "Wonderwall" - Oasis

1996- "Ironic" - Alanis Morrisette

1997- "Bittersweet Symphony" - The Verve

1998- "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" - Green Day

1999- "Learn To Fly" - Foo Fighters

2000- "Yellow" - Coldplay

2001- "Drops Of Jupiter" - Train

2002- "Lose Yourself" - Eminem

2003- "Hey Ya!" - Outkast

2004- "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" - Green Day

2005- "Pretty Vegas" - INXS

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Good on you Lizard ! :thumbsup:

1965, Satisfaction for sure , provided you count The Righteous Brothers' You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' in 1964, it's year of release.

For 1970 I couldn't go past Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water.

I think it's THE greatest song of the 70s bar none.

:)

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I'm not sure I get the Jimmy Buffet song, and why it was important. Could you tell me why you picked that one?

As for the additional list, I'm curious about Pretty Vegas. I like the song, and am glad INXS is back, but was that song really influential in some way?

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I chose Space Oddity because to me it marks the true beginning of glam rock and was completely different from anything else before then. It's also a freaking awesome song. Batman has a point though, MC5 was incredibly influential also.

I chose Jimmy Buffett because he was such an amazing crossover artist that pop fans, country fans, and rock fans could all enjoy. To me that's a really cool breakthrough.

"You Really Got Me" I probably should have put as Eruption/You Really Got Me. That guitar solo changed rock guitar forever.

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Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies
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I chose Jimmy Buffett because he was such an amazing crossover artist that pop fans, country fans, and rock fans could all enjoy. To me that's a really cool breakthrough.

"You Really Got Me" I probably should have put as Eruption/You Really Got Me. That guitar solo changed rock guitar forever.

Mm.. Well, it's not the first time that happened.. There was Patsy Cline before Buffett. :)

And Eruption, I gotta agree with ya there, that definitely had a huge impact.

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As for the additional list, I'm curious about Pretty Vegas. I like the song, and am glad INXS is back, but was that song really influential in some way?

I don't think is much to choose from in 2005. I don't know of any song that were particularly influential, so I chose one that was "significant" - being the first single released by a popular band whose new lead singer was chosen by reality TV.

Does anyone feel inclined to do the list for 1950-1964? I sure can't.

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Right, Space Oddity. Anyways, I'm a big fan of Bowie, but I just don't think that specific song changed music too much. A different Bowie song could have been picked for a different year. As for the MC5, their influence is obvious, their 1969 release was pretty much the first punk album.

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As for the MC5, their influence is obvious, their 1969 release was pretty much the first punk album.

Hmmmmm. That may be kind of true, but nobody really paid much attention to them or responded to their challenge. Their existence didn't represent any kind of "sea-change" as far as the music world was concerned. Besides, garage-rock, the progenitor of "punk", did exist before MC5, without being commercially successful....I'm not knocking MC5, but I'm not convinced they were really that significant or influential, despite a legitimate claim to be "amongst the first".

If we're talking about individual songs that could lay claim to being influential on what we later knew as "punk", I would suggest The Who's "My Generation", or perhaps even something by Eddie Cochrane. :P

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Incidentally, full marks to The Lizard for nominating "Anarchy In The UK" for 1977, thus saving us all from the unseemingly (and by now rather tedious) spectacle of a Fitter-tirade on the understated influence and cultural relevance of The Sex Pistols, (complete with superfluous use of parentheses).

Someone buy that guy a pint! ;)

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I suppose you're right BF, you know a lot more about punk than I do.

Don't sell yourself short, mate. I mean, "maybe I do, maybe I don't". We're just exchanging opinions. You always seem reasonably well-informed to me and I respect your point of view. I just bought Double Nickels On The Dime on the strength of your recommendation, and so far I'm not disappointed.

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