It’s a very difficult choice to make for me, to pick twenty songs because it’s like making a list of the most beautiful things in life(ever wonder why beauty contests are such a sham!) because each song has a unique quality which endears itself to me.
1.’Like a Rolling Stone’: Bob Dylan
I’ve always been a fan of the’Dyla-monster’. Bob Dylan brings an almost surreal, cerebral quality to his compositions that it’s almost impossible to describe as to why somebody would love to hear a voice which sounds like two pieces of sandpaper rubbed together.
2.’Cinderella’: The Wallflowers
The Dylan bias continues with the progeny of Bob, Jakob proving a worthy successor to his illustrious father. The band has disbanded, but I am eagerly waiting for them to come to their senses and start performing again. The song has so many layers to it that each time I hear it, it appears to have different meaning.
3.’Layla’: Derek and the Dominoes
This was written by Clapton to express his love for Patti Boyd, George Harrison’s wife. The song is so intense that it can easily trump any love song written by the’mush’ singers, but it also effectively expresses the pain of unrequited love. The piano at the end of the song is great and it is more innovative than any metal band playing with the symphony(the pun on Metallica is intended)
4.’Mr. Tambourine Man’: Bob Dylan
This song first appeared in Biograph, and it is a song which captures the essence of the folk music style. Dylan sings about an imaginary musician who’s being asked to sing a lullaby to cure insomnia and lack of a nomadic tendency. Its got some great acoustic guitar and a perfect song to play when you are feeling blue.
5.’Stairway to Heaven’: Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin, what more can I say. I have to rate this as low as five, because for some reason it doesn’t appeal to me as much as the earlier songs. It doesn’t mean that I consider it of less quality, but like my prelude says, its tough to rate songs of this calibre.
6.’Let it be’: The Beatles
The progression of this song from the piano tones to the drums and then to the electric guitars is simply excellent. The lyrics are simple and as always Lennon excels in the vocal part. But the part that stood out for me in the song was Ringo Starr’s handling of the drums and the way he uses the high hat cymbal and the bass drum to maximum effect.
7.’ Sweet Lord’: George Harrison
Harrison wrote this song to express his leaning towards the’Hare Krishna’ movement and Hinduism. I’ve heard different versions of this song which doesn’t emphasis on the Hinduism bit, but the music amazes with its deceptive simplicity.
8.’Peacekeeper’: Fleetwood Mac
This song is one of Fleetwood Mac’s newer compositions from their album’Say you will’. Fleetwood Mac has always been one of my favorite groups and I simply adore Mick Fleetwood’s deft handling of the drums. Add Lindsey Buckingham’s voice and the background vocals of Stevie Nicks, voila you have a great song.
9.’Whiskey in the jar’: Thin Lizzy
I’ve been debating whether I can classify this song as blues or rock. This song features some amazing vocals and guitar playing. I’ve heard Metallica’s rendition of this song and I’ve got to say that Hetfield’s vocals doesn’t even come close. Before the Metallica fans flame me on this, I’m just saying that I like Lizzy’s song far better than Metallica’s.
10.’Kashmir’: Led Zeppelin
An almost eerie start accompanied by Robert Plant’s screeching voice which reminds me of a banshee wail in’Raptor’. The song has a monotonous beat which plays along its entire length but the specialty is how the vocals mesh so perfectly with the drums and how the pitch of the song never rises above a certain level achieving an ethereal feel to the whole song.
11.’Thunder Road’: Bruce Springsteen
Its tough not to like a song which you listen to atleast ten times a day when you were ten. The song is about the desperation of a young couple hoping to escape their small town lifestyle, the song which tells about drag-racing and the mid-50’s . Anybody who’s seen the movie’The Outsiders’ will instantly like this song. A song which captures the soul of small-town folk across the world.
12.’Born To Run’: Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen songs, back to back. Had a tough time choosing between them. The saxophone is brilliant in the middle of the song and Bruce’s vocals and guitar are adorable.
’I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight
In an everlasting kiss
The highway’s jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody’s out on the run tonight’ makes you imagine a battle-weary group searching for that perfect place to live.
13.’Conquistador’: Procul Harum
Procul Harum has integrated violins so well in their music that it almost feels like they are playing classical music and not rock. This song starts with atleast 25 violins playing in the background and then the tempo builds to include drums and the guitars with a smattering of trumpets in between. One of their best songs after’A whiter shade of pale’.
14.’I Wish I was your mother’: Mott the Hoople
I would have said that’Cleveland Rocks’ is the better song, but when I listened closely to this song, it is very reminiscent of’Thunder Road’. This song seems like a cross of’Thunder Road’ meets’ Highway 69’.
15.’Because the Night belongs to lovers’: 10, 000 maniacs
Bruce Springsteen’s song seems to made for Natalie Merchant’s voice. Her rendition is on par with Springsteen’s and its matched only by her songs’Ophelia’ and’ Peace Train’. Its got some excellent music on the violins.
16. ’People are strange’: The Doors
The mojo king has been one of my favorite singers and they were one of the groups who could have ousted the Beatles from their throne if they had played long enough.
The song is a very cynical look(typical Morrison) at social behavior, telling about the time when the people you’ve known all your life appear like strangers.
17.’Zombie’: The Cranberries
Dolores O’Riordan thankfully has broken the image of her being another Sinead O’Connor and her vocals are exemplary in this song about the conflict in Ireland.
This is probably one of the last inflammatory songs which The Cranberries wrote before they decided to mellow down.
18.’ Paint it black’: The Rolling Stones
I’ve never been a fan of the Rolling Stones, but Keith Richards and Mick Jagger outdid themselves when they composed this song. The sitar in the background is a work of genius and they moved away from their characteristic percussion rythms which depended heavily on the bass drum.
19.’ Proud Mary’: Creedence Clearwater Revival
- “1979”: The Smashing Pumpkins
Picking 1979 was a tough decision especially with songs like “Siva”, “Bullet with butterfly wings” and “Cherub Rock”. If I had 22 choices I would have selected “Siva” and “Cherub rock” .