Note:I didnt want to make it 20 songs because then I would have been in the position where I would have had to add songs just to complete the list.
Placing a list of some of the greatest songs of all time is a really hard job!
Personal choices always come into account especially when you end up having 4 or 5 songs from the same band!
That is the reason why I am limiting this list to only one song per artist or band.
If that wasnt the case you would be reading best of Oasis, Pink Floyd and Dream Theater now.
#1(numero Uno!)
Live Forever->Oasis(Album: Definitely Maybe)
For someone who seemed to love bands like Backstreet Boys and Boyzone this song brought a whiff of fresh air and made me appreciate what Rock and Roll is all about.
This song had an entire generation sit up and pay attention to this unbelievably talented band from Manchester. The song has an fantastic solo in between the stanzas and towards the end and brings Noel Gallagher’s ability as a song writer and Guitarist to the fore.
If you havent heard this song, please download this song or get to hear it somewhere(especially all the other Rock and Roll Fans here).
My favorite lines are:
’Now is not the time to cry, now is the time to find out why’
Authors comment: Isnt Numero Uno enough?
#2:
A Change Of Seasons->Dream Theater(Album: A change Of Seasons)
One of the most meaningful songs of all time this ballad is also one of the best pieces of this wonderfully gifted band.
The lyrics are beautiful and deal with the different shades of a persons character from innocence to ignorance to a fighting spirit.
It is a very long song but somehow the band manages to keep the intensity up throughout with a variety of guitar solos accompanied by fantastic Drums and Keyboards.
Its depressing that there arent too many fans of this band who are definitely stalwarts of’progressive rock’
Authors comment: Great way to relax.
#3:
Stairway To Heaven->Led Zeppelin( Album: Led Zeppelin IV)
This song has to have the greatest lyrics ever i.e. if you like totally incomprehensible https://lyrics.
The song also has arguably the greatest guitar solo ever. Any person who was around in the 70’s would argue that this song has been overplayed and overplayed like hell at that. Complications arose when the lead singer was accused of Satan worshipping and that song was infact a song about the devil when played backwards.
In a calculation made in the late 80’s with radio stations all over the US pooling in they made an approximate calculation that the total air time that this song received was 44 years.PHEW!.the song is 8 minutes long and calculating the number of times it was played is your headache!.
The song is about the devil/some woman/some tolkien play/things about money/page’s personal desires.
It starts off slow, picks up pace and ends up with one massive ecstatic beat with fantastic guitars that have been largely unmatched.
Weird Fact: A radio station in the US just played this song over and over again for 24 hours, people just tuned wondering when they would stop and it just kept going on and on.
Authors comment: Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
#4
Another Brick In The Wall->Pink Floyd(Album: The Wall)
Madras unlike Bangalore doesn’t get to see all the big names of the yesteryear like Rolling Stones, Scorpions, Deep Purple but what Bangalore lacks is some really good local bands who play some fantastic covers.
The local bands in Madras play to good crowds and its amazing that the only song that the crowd sings along with the band every time without being coaxed into it is this one.
A song, which made waves in the 70’s part of easily one of the most artistically brilliant movies about a rock star’The Wall’.
Authors comment: I don’t want NO education.
#5
We Are The Champions->Queen
Though Queen are most famous for Numbers like We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody and I want to Break Free, this happens to be my favorite among them all.
The song showed the unbelievable energy Freddie Mercury possessed and had great lyrics fantastic guitars and seemed to lift the spirits of any person who listened to it.
Robbie Williams performed the song sometime back and I have to admit he did a great job. The song was the soundtrack for the movie A Knights Tale.
Authors comment: mood lifter, great number.
#6
Hey Jude->The Beatles(Album:The White Album)
These guys had it all good looks, great talent and also a destiny which brought them together at the right time.
Brilliant song by this band bringing the Lennon and Mcartney writing talents to the fore.
You can be sure whoever overtakes the Beatles in the future in popularity and sales is gonna be one hell of an exhausted band!
Authors comment: Wish I was there!
#7
November Rain->Guns & Roses(Album:Use Your Illusion I)
This song is just brilliant in every sense from Axl Rose’s singing to the sound of Slash’s guitar.
The song has great guitars throughout the song and brings Slash’s talents to the fore. The song is also depressing in parts due to the lyrics about love and tragedy and all.
I also love Estranged by this band and also Knocking On Heavens Door but overall this remains their most popular song till date.
Authors comment: Hot Woman in the Video!
#8
Smells like Teen Spirit->Nirvana(Album: Nevermind)
The song that defined the 90’s teenager and .A kick-ass type of song that really pumps up the spirits and sets the adrenaline racing making the listener in a strange way connect with the Kurt Cobain.
This Seattle based Grunge rock band had it really going for them with a fantastic start with an album that seemed to be well on the way to making history, before Cobain famously pulled the trigger; problem was the gun was near his head.
Cobain died at 27, the weird thing being that was the same age Morrison and Hendrix passing on.
Authors comment: Come On Feel The NOISE
#9
Highway Star->Deep Purple(Album:Machine Head)
I am dead sure some of you will remember this song in the Philips Stereo advertisement some years back, with an old woman in the end saying’Why did you turn it off?It was so nice’ and then putting on the stereo and causing a racket again!
The song has fantastic drums and guitars and has a great beat to it.
There are many great numbers by this band including Smoke On the Water and Woman From Tokyo but this remains a real favorite of mine.
Authors comment: Thrill!
#10
Where the streets have no name-U2 Album(Joshua Tree)
One of my favourite songs by U2 which has haunting guitar sounds played by The’Edge’ and also completed with great lyrics and vocals by Bono
The band are really the biggest band right now and ample justification can be seen by checking out their elevation tour ticket sales and also the response by the fans.
Authors comment:good number