Isn’t it Iconic? Don’t you think?
Posted: January 25th, 2009 | Filed under: Pop Culture | 161 Comments »
Here, in a nutshell, is my problem with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: We passed George Harrison five years ago. I’m not going to argue whether or not George Harrison the solo performer — just sol, the Beatles were inducted into the Hall back in 1988* — is deserving of Hall of Fame status for “My Sweet Lord†and his rendition of “Mind Set On You†and whatever else. No, I’m simply pointing out that George Harrison went in FIVE YEARS AGO. That means for the last five years, the Hall of Fame has been inducting performers who, they felt, were worthy, yes, but not quite as worthy as George Harrison. And the plan to keep going, keep inducting more and more people, forever. You could argue that when we passed George Harrison on the Rock and Roll Highway, the road pretty much went dark.
This argument would be supported by the fact that Run DMC is going in this year.
*The Beatles were actually inducted into the Hall of Fame’s THIRD CLASS. Now, I am not a Beatles fan, far from it, but this is like a joke, right? I realize, looking back at the inductees, that they seemed to be trying to induct people in some sort of strange chronological order, and they didn’t really get to the 1960s performers until that third class (Bob Dylan was in that third class as well, also the Beach Boys — the Rolling Stones didn’t make it until the fourth class). Unfortunately, this meant that the Hall of Fame put in Ricky Nelson, The Coasters (Yakety Yak! Charlie Brown!), Eddie Cochrane (died at 21, biggest hit was “Summertime Blues,†sort of the Pete Reiser of rock) and numerous others before they put in the Beatles.
So, here’s my idea: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should start to induct SONGS instead of people. I think this makes sense on several levels. One, rock and roll is supposed to about the music. Two, the more you think about it, the more that you think putting in rock and rollers into the hall of fame is completely out of harmony, it’s like having a Hall of Fame for class clowns or a hall of fame for rebels, the whole point of rock and roll, I always thought, was to fight back, to speak up for the misfits, to take people to the edge and, as part of that, to rage AGAINST halls of fame. Or, to quote the Sex Pistols in their “We’re not coming†letter to the Hall of Fame after their election: “That hall of fame is a piss stain.â€
Ah, but putting songs into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, well, that could be interesting and fun.
So here’s what I’m doing — and what you can help me do. I want to put together the first class of iconic songs in the rock and roll era. The key word here is “iconic.†These are not the best songs of the rock and roll era because I don’t think that’s a real question … that’s like picking the 10 best colors or the 10 best flavors of ice cream or the 10 best words in the English language. That’s personal.
But iconic … I think we can do that. I see an iconic song as meaning: “a song that represents a set of beliefs or a way of life.” So, I see these songs being the ones that best represent the times we live in, and the emotions of our time.
I have come up with 44 nominated songs, which I list below and on the poll. I picked these songs with the help of several people who would probably not want to be named, but I will anyway:
– Baseball guru and Johnny Cash fan Bill James.
– Author and former music critic Michael MacCambridge.
– Writer, critic, genius and author of a whole essay just on â€Chevy Van“ Tommy Tomlinson
– Springsteen fan and man about town, Vahe Gregorian
– Dancing Queen and sports editor deluxe, Holly Lawton
– The smartest baseball writer I know, Ed Price.
– Billy Joel’s alter ego Mike Vaccaro
– Women’s basketball guru, Twilight Zone savant and the sixth Beatle, Mechelle Voepel
– The highest ranking music executive I know, Brian Hay
– The first family of the Motor City Michael and Erin Rosenberg.
None of them would be willing to take the blame for this unholy mess, and it’s true, the blame is all my own. But sadly for them, being my friends, they are accomplices.
I had only a few rules when choosing the nominating songs:
1. The key word is â€iconic“ and, as such, quality was not a consideration. Born to Run may not be Bruce’s best song — it probably isn’t — but I think there’s no doubt it’s his iconic song. I’m not sure that makes sense, but there it is.
2. Each artist only was allowed one iconic song. I realize that’s not fair to, say, the Beatles or Bob Dylan or U2 or any number of other bands/artists who had numerous iconic songs. But to get the list down, that was what I needed to do. As you will see below, there were numerous arguments about these things.
3. It was important to make clear to the nominating parties that they did not have to LIKE the songs they were voting for … in fact, I cannot believe anyone would like all ten of the most iconic songs of the time. The only important question is, did they feel like that song best represented the time and place. Some of the nominators picked 10 songs from 10 different times and places. Some concentrated all their choices on songs that spoke to the greater meaning of Rock and Roll. No right/wrong answer.
4. The songs did not have to be actual rock and roll songs. The song could be country, rap, rock and roll, easy listening, whatever. The only real qualifying factor was some measure of popularity; I don’t think a song can be truly iconic if the vast majority of people would not immediately recognize it and know some of the words.
And that’s it. I will give you now the songs. And the poll should allow you to choose your 10 iconic songs of the rock and roll era.
* * *
Alive, Pearl Jam — I remember reading an article once, in Rolling Stone maybe, where Eddie Vedder explained the lyrics of â€Alive.“ And, frankly, I didn’t need to know that.
American Pie, Don McLean — ‘Cause the players tried to take the field/The marching band refused to yield.
Another Brick in the Wall, Pink Floyd — The question is so real: How CAN you have any pudding if you don’t eat yer meat?
Born to be Wild, Steppenwolf — You know, for a long time — and this might still be true — whenever movie directors decided to show a bunch of Hell’s Angels type people riding along on motorcycles, they would play this song. I always expected that if I ever got on a motorcycle, this song would just automatically play in the background. It might for all I know.
Born to Run — Various people have put up their odds for the songs Springsteen will play at Super Bowl halftime. Here are mine. Please, no wagering:
Born to Run: 2/5
Glory Days: 2/1
The Rising: 2/1
Working on a Dream: 4/1
Hungry Heart: 4/1
Dancing in the Dark: 5/1
The Wrestler: 5/1
Something else off the new album: 6/1
Cadillac Ranch: 6/1
Badlands: 8/1
Born in the U.S.A.: 15/1
Rosalita: 15/1
Darkness on the Edge of Town: 75/1
Balboa vs. the Earth Slay: No Line
The Field: 4/1
Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel — More iconic than Mrs. Robinson? Tough call.
Clocks, Coldplay — I’ve heard this song numerous times. I don’t think it’s about clocks.
Crazy, Gnarls Barkley — Who do you, who do you, who dodo you think you are/Ha ha ha, bless your soul.
Crazy, Patsy Cline — Mechelle: “Representing how the sound of Nashville could have universal appeal.â€
Georgia On My Mind, Ray Charles — My favorite Ray Charles song is, “You Don’t Know Me.†The Ray Charles song that gives me goose bumps is his version of “America the Beautiful.†The best Ray Charles song in my mind is, â€What’d I Say (Parts 1 & 2).“ And I still picked Georgia as his most iconic — have no idea why.
God Save the Queen, Sex Pistols — God save the queen she ain’t no human being/There is not for in england’s dreaming.
Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys — I remember first hearing that it took Brian Wilson, like, six months to record this song, 90 hours of tape and some ungodly amount of money and thinking: Really? Then I heard the song again, and yeah, there’s a lot of stuff in it.
Fight the Power, Public Enemy — Elvis was a hero to some, you know. … â€Do the Right Thing“ is one of my all-time favorite movie lead-ins. And the Barenaked Ladies version of it is, you know, hilarious.
Fortunate Son, Credence Clearwater Revival — I was once at a party where I watched Chardon Jimmy try to defend the premise that Credence Clearwater Revival sucks. I watched from a distance.
Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd — And this bird you’ll never change. And this bird you can not cha-a-a-a-a-ange.
Friends in Low Places, Garth Brooks — Where the whiskey drowns/and the beer chases my blues away. All I have to say about this whole genre of music is that I talked a bit with Garth Brooks when he was working out with the Royals at spring training. He seems like a really great guy.
I Want To Hold Your Hand, The Beatles — The Beatles provided a stern challenge. In many ways, their iconic song — at least according to our judges — was â€I Want To Hold Your Hand,“ since it was the song that launched them in America. Others liked â€Yesterday.“ I had â€Hey Jude“ originally. But after I put that up, a friend who I consider my Beatles expert wrote in and said it HAS to be I Wanna Hold Your Hand.†So there you go.
Hound Dog, Elvis Presley — I originally had â€Heartbreak Hotel“ as my Elvis entry, simply because I think the lead-in — â€Well, since my baby left me/I found a new place to dwell/it’s down on the end of lonely street/At Heartbreak Hotel“ is to me the very essence of Elvis. But I was outvoted, and Hound Dog is probably his most famous song. Michael quoting Lester Bangs: â€We will never agree on anything as we agreed on Elvis.“
I Feel Good, James Brown — Here is a breakdown of words in the song:
I — 27 times (not including the phrase â€I got you“ which is separate.
You — 6 times
Feel — 10 times
Good — 12 times
Love — 2 times
Like — 6 times
Wrong — 2 times
No — 4 times
Can’t — 3 times
Harm — 2 times
Sugar — 6 times
Spice — 6 times
Whoa — 3 times
Hold — 4 times
Arms — 4 times
I got you — 7 times.
That’s a Rock and Roll song.
I Love Rock and Roll, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts — Michael: â€Because this monster guitar riff has aged as well, if not better, than any other monster guitar riff I can think of.“
I Walk The Line, Johnny Cash — My original choice for the Johnny Cash song was â€Ring of Fire,“ and I was taken to task by Bill James, who says he listens to Johnny Cash at least twice a week. So, I switched it to â€I Walk The Line.“ Could have been â€Folsom Prison Blues,“ I guess.
Imagine, John Lennon — You can say I a dreamer/But I’m not the only one.
Johnny B. Goode, Chuck Berry — â€Chuck? This is Marvin. Marvin BERRY. Your cousin.“
Layla, Derek ad the Dominos — Does ANYONE hear the piano from Layla without thinking about dead bodies and â€Goodfellas?“ I think that’s the test of a great director, when he can take a song — typically a famous song — and make it feel like it belongs to a movie. Obviously, Martin Scorsese is a genius at it. The other movie that does that is â€Forest Gump,“ — there are a handful of songs (Freebird, Fortunate Son, Running on Empty) that, for me, now belong to the movie.
Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan — Could have been a dozen other Dylan songs. Michael, per Springsteen: â€If Elvis freed your body, Dylan freed your mind.“
Like a Virgin, Madonna — They had a great Office episode last week and one of the major plot points was an office argument about whether or not Hillary Swank is hot. That’s a classic (I say yes). But it’s just a continuation of the argument in the 1990s about Madonna. And the 1980s about Meryl Streep or Erin Moran.
Louie Louie, The Kingsmen — To steal Dave Barry’s line about the “Gloria†— if you throw a guitar on the ground, it plays Louie Louie.
Mack the Knife, Bobby Darin — The song was written in 1928 as part of â€The Beggar’s Opera,“ but Darin gave it power. And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor/Could it be our boy’s done something rash.
Money for Nothing, Dire Straits — Look at them yo-yos, that’s the way you do it/You play the guitar on the MTV.
My Generation, The Who — There would be those who would tell you that the quintessential rock lyric are those seven words: â€I hope I die before I get old.“ Those people, generally speaking, are not old.
My Way, Frank Sinatra — You hate to reduce the brilliance of Sinatra down to this shlock — he has 200 songs better than My Way — but hey, we’re talking iconic, and so it’s probably this or â€New York, New York.“ This is the choice.
Oh Pretty Woman, Roy Orbison — Instead of putting Pretty Woman lyrics here: Roy Orbison singing for the lonely/hey that’s me and I want you only.
Purple Rain, Prince — Still once of the great musical moments of my life, seeing Prince perform Purple Rain in the Miami rain at halftime of the 2007 Super Bowl.
Rapper’s Delight, Sugar Hill Gang — Rapped over the breakdown section of Chic’s â€Good Times,“ — I said a hip hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, you don’t stop the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie.
Respect, Aretha Franklin — This is actually the song that set in motion this absurd quest. Tommy Tomlinson — who is currently doing a fellowship at Harvard because, as mentioned, he’s a genius — was talking with a Russian guy in the program, who said that he was glad, very glad, that he had watched the early part of the inauguration because he had, get this, never heard of Aretha Franklin. I’ll repeat that: He had NEVER HEARD OF ARETHA FRANKLIN.
We talked about how this proves that, despite the cliche, it’s really not a small world, it’s a very big world. Remember when Reggie Jackson was talking about a â€big“ moment in a game, and he said: â€Are you aware that one billion Chinese people don’t care?“ The idea that there are billions of people out there who have never heard of someone as American fundamental as the Queen of Soul is, in many ways, fascinating.
And then we started to argue whether or not Respect is the most iconic song in Rock and Roll history. And here we are.
Rock Around The Clock, Bill Haley and the Comets — When the chimes ring five, six and seven/we’ll be right in seventh heaven. I’ve got to think Bill Haley was the first to rhyme seven and heaven in a rock and roll song, but not exactly the last.
â€Come on seven/in this fool’s heaven“ — Bruce Springsteen, Roll of the Dice
â€If I see eleven, you can say it’s seven/Still I wish u heaven“ — Prince, I Wish U Heaven
â€One two three four five six seven/All good children go to heaven“ — Beatles, You Never Give Me Your Money
â€Cause God is comin’ on day number seven/And they won’t call me N–/When I get to heaven“ — Ice Cube
And so on.
Satisfaction, Rolling Stones — One voter wanted “Gimme Shelter.†Another wanted “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.†I was surprised. Isn’t Satisfaction the only obvious choice?
Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana — With the lights out it’s less dangerous/Here we are now, entertain us.
Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin — Robert Plant called it â€that bloody wedding song.“ Only rock and roll song with hedgerow in it, right?
Staying Alive, Bee Gees — My wife found a pile of Dynamites — the old kids magazine of my childhood — and my favorite issue was the one that debated which band was better, the Bee Gees or the Beatles. Well you can tell by the way I use my walk/I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk.
Sunday Bloody Sunday, U2 — Here’s a fun game: Anytime you meet someone with a really cool Irish accent, ask them to say: â€This song is not a rebel song, this song is Sunday Bloody Sunday.“ Well, I always get a kick out of it.
Thriller, Michael Jackson — The video might be what’s iconic about Thriller, but there are no rules in voting.
Walk Like A Man, Franki Valli and the Four Seasons — A Mike Vac write-in vote – â€But my own father/said give her up don’t bother/the world isn’t coming to an end.“
Welcome to the Jungle, Guns N’ Roses — Even though when you hear the beginning now you expect an NFL kickoff or Jim Rome to talk, it’s still one of the most famous lead-ins in rock and roll.
Y.M.C.A., The Village People — I’ve always thought that one of the most remarkable things in our country today is that you could play â€Y.M.C.A.“ at a Pat Robertson rally, and people would do the dance. Not too many people really spending too much time wondering why it’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A., I guess.
* * *
Addendum: Well, we have added five songs to the list on the recommendation of brilliant readers, who are writing in fast and furious. That takes us to 50. We also put â€Another Brick in the Wall“ on the list, which was left off by mistake.
The additions:
Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
Hey Ya, Outkast.
Hotel California, The Eagles
Purple Haze, Jimi Hendrix
London Calling, The Clash.
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“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen belongs on that list!
Elvis Costello has a lyric that goes something like “Was it a millionaire who said imagine no posessions?”
Of course, he’s referring to John Lennon’s Imagine.
Made me laugh.
Run DMC absolutely, positively belongs in the Hall of Fame. There’s no real argument there. They belong in the Hall LONG before George Harrison. You betray your lack of street cred, my man.
Super Bowl set lists are always composed of the most famous, obvious songs available. Tom Petty’s four-song set had three songs off of Full Moon Fever. Prince did three songs from Purple Rain (and, admittedly, some wildly unexpected covers). I think Springsteen’s doing Born to Run, Glory Days, Born in the USA, and I’m on Fire. Nothing from the last twenty years.
Also, the Beatles weren’t in the first class because they weren’t eligible yet. I think the rule is something along the lines of “a group or artist is eligible 25 years after their first recording”, so the pre-1988 ballots couldn’t include the Beatles. That also explains why the Stones weren’t in until the fourth ballot.
I associate Jim Rome more with “Lust for Life”, which he used a lot on his old radio show. Luckily for me, Trainspotting broke up that mental association. Now a cruise ship company is trying to get me to think of them when I hear “Lust for Life”, but I think I’ll stick with Trainspotting, which didn’t take out the lyrics about Iggy Pop being a sex machine.
Great post.
Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit was accidentally named after a brand of girl’s deodorant. With that said, there’s my vote.
Oh and I’m also voting that Clark needs to hire a new HC sometime soon.
I know everyone is going to do this, but can I just put out that “The Weight” by The Band really belongs on the list.
Also, no Hendrix? Really? I’m not Jimi’s biggest fan, but I still think he belongs somewhere.
Several of the songs aren’t really Rock ‘N Roll – which means they probably won’t get a ton of votes — but probably all are “iconic” enough to make the list. It’s interesting to me that the Beatles/U2 were quite likely the two best groups of all time, but because they each have so MANY songs, they seem to lack the true defining song (ie, ask 25 people their favorite songs from these groups and you’ll likely get 20 different answers for each).
The Rock and Roll hall of fame has a rule that you can’t be inducted until 25 years after your first record release. Thus, The Beatles couldn’t be put in until 1988. It’s not a question of thinking the people who went in before were “more worthy.”
The Rock and Roll hall of fame is stupid, but it’s not that stupid.
Also, George Harrison had an excellent solo career – arguably the best of the four. All Things Must Pass is topped only by Plastic Ono Band in terms of post-Beatles albums. Living in the Material World was a very good record. Some of his late 70s/early 80s stuff is criminally underrated (Gone Troppo for example is a great record). And Cloud Nine is a very solid record, too – with “Got My Mind Set on You” being one of its worst songs).
Forty-four songs? My Statistics teacher would have said that 44 is not a good-looking number, but that 50 would be. With that in mind, my #45 would be “Wild Thing.” I mean, talk about a classic song matched with a classic movie — Charlie Sheen stalking onto the Milwaukee County Stadium mound.**
** – Instead of Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, which was just as wrong as Cleveland and Higbee’s standing in for Hammond/Hohman, Indiana in A Christmas Story.
There can be no joy in such a contest when Hey Jude is the Beatles song on the chart.
It almost destroys the whole notion of iconic song. Born to Run is at least one seriously bad ass Bruce Springsteen song, even if it is not your favorite. It’s a Bruce song you could put on if someone asked what Bruce Springsteen sounds like. And you would be proud to do so. With Hey Jude, I would be like “Yeah, this is a big song of theirs I guess, with the whole na na na nah thing, but there are really so many other songs you should hear. Unfortunately some friend of Joe’s said Hey Jude would be the song for you to understand the awesomeness of the Beatles.” This is what I would say to them.
It is not for me to suggest better Beatles songs. A Day In the Life, Sgt Peppers, She Loves You, I want to Hold Your Hand. It’s almost as though you’ve chosen “Stand”, or “Shiny Happy People” for R.E.M.
I apologize, it’s just that Hey Jude is so sacharine a tune and represents why people spend time dogging Paul McCartney.
Everyone else’s big song is not as lame as Hey Jude, which is not right, since the Beatles could wipe the floor with every other artist you’ve put up there.
I agree that Bohemian Rhapsody should be added to the list, if possible.
Maybe Boston’s ‘More than a Feeling’ too. Or at least something from the era of overproduced “album rock”.
Hendrix definitely belongs, and the song would have to be “Purple Haze” though I think he has many better (especially “Machine Gun”).
If I had to pick one song for iconic? “Johnny B. Goode” or “Satisfaction,” flip a coin. Those are it.
Here’s my 10 first-round, no-doubt-about-it Hall of Famers that aren’t on Joe’s list, from artists not even on Joe’s list:
Stairway to Heaven — Led Zeppelin
Hotel California — The Eagles
Sunshine of Your Love — Cream (*)
Bohemian Rhapsody — Queen
California Dreamin’ — Mamas and the Papas
Dream On — Aerosmith
House of the Rising Sun — Animals
You Really Got Me — The Kinks. (**)
Dust in the Wind — Kansas
Purple Haze — Jimi Hendrix
Any argument?? (***)
* — I’d actually prefer “White Room” here, but Sunshine was the bigger song.
** — Or hey, take the Van Halen cover, that was awesome too.
*** — If Joe decides to do a “most overrated songs of all time,” all songs are pretenders to the throne that is “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Tell me that isn’t the Kirby Puckett of songs. Go ahead, I dare you.
Strange to have Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” but no “Hey Ya,” which is merely the best single of the last 20 years.
Oh, and Sam is absolutely right – “Hey Jude” is a lousy choice. How about “Can’t Buy Me Love” or “A Hard Day’s Night”?
Oops. Don’t know how I missed “Stairway” the first time around. My bad.
I’m not sure how you pick “God Save the Queen” over “Anarchy in the UK”, iconicness-wise. And Michael Jackson’s song HAS to be “Billie Jean”.
The most glaring omission is “Nothin’ Like a G Thang”. It doesn’t get much more iconic than that.
For a too-brief shining moment, “Welcome to the Jungle” was Eric Gagne coming in from the bullpen. (snif)
Also, I’d like to kill Pearl Jam’s “Alive” in favor of Alice in Chains’ “Would?”
“Crazy,” which peaked at #2 in the US, makes the ballot, but Outkast’s “Hey Ya,” which spent nine weeks at #1 and is much more clearly a rock and roll song than “Crazy” is, doesn’t? Huh?
I am pretty sure that the reason the Beatles were in the thrid class (1988) is that eligibility for the Rock and Roll HOF does not begin until 25 years after the group, or artist, began performing.
As an unabashed Pearl Jam lover, I am *shocked* that “Alive” was the choice from them and not “Jeremy”. I mean, how is it not Jeremy?
Also, isn’t there an eligibility requirement with the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame where you have to wait 25 years from your first record before you are eligible? So, that doesn’t mean that everyone being inducted now is lesser than George Harrison… just that they weren’t eligible early enough to go in before George.
And where is Buddy Holly on this? Aren’t the 50s just Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Buddy Holly? (where’s Little Richard, by the way?) “Everyday” or “Peggy Sue” need to be on this list…
And, isn’t it funny, but Joe seems to show a little… fatigue, I guess is the right word… with the Beatles, but he can talk for hours on end about Bruce? I’m the same way with Pearl Jam, but I just thought it was interesting to note…
I thank you for not including an Aerosmith song. Sweet Emotion might be more iconic than YMCA or Walk Like a Man, but man I don’t like them, and I took joy in their snubbing.
American Pie is the iconic song of the 20th century and Hilary Swank is most definitely not hot.
I dunno, I feel like this list is, to a great extent, hampered by generation…about a quarter of these songs I feel are very iconic, about half of them I feel are iconic to me but not to most people, and the last quarter I haven’t heard of (seriously). I think that’s the issue you run into with a list like that. To try to explain what I mean, compare the iconicity of “Born to be Wild” (which I believe everyone in the western hemisphere can correctly identify with motorcycles) and “Friends in Low Places” (one of the songs I’ve never heard).
To put it another way, the Led Zeppelin pick was “Stairway to Heaven”. I would argue that that’s only their most iconic song if you were around when they were big (or you’re into classic rock). If your knowledge of classic rock stems from general culture, rather than from obsessive listening to classic rock radio (which is where my knowledge of it comes from), well, first of all, you probably haven’t heard much Led Zep because they’re obsessively protective of their copyrights and rarely let their songs into movies, but second of all, I think a hard rocker like “Rock and Roll” would be more recognized.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that the iconicity of a given song has a lot to do with subtle cultural associations, such as generation and group, etc.
Is “Another Brick in the Wall” the only song listed that wasn’t in the poll? And I agree Bohemian Rhapsody probably would have been a good one to add to the list. But I don’t want to seem negative about this. This is a fantastic post.
The more I think about it, the more certain I am that #1 should be “Hotel California,” and I’ll take it against all comers (though I must admit “American Pie” is a good choice for #2 as most iconic.)
Now that I think about it, I think the “One artist, one song” requirement was a mistake, because it encourages recognizing great artists, and picking one song for them, which I feel is the wrong way to go about it. There are some really terrible artists out there who did absolutely iconic songs, and that’s kind of the goal of this, I think.
BTW, I’ll second (or third, or fourth, or whatever) “Bohemian Rhapsody”–it just can’t not make a list like this.
Coldplay’s good… if you enjoy slitting your wrists while lessing to depressing music.
Personal biases aside, I can’t see how anything but American Pie wins. And regardless of your thoughts, YMCA is a staple at just about every event imaginable.
That being said, I don’t think a single song brings back better personal memories than Hey Ya.
I think this could have had one early Beatles entry (“I Want to Hold Your Hand”? “I Saw Her Standing There?” Lots to choose from…) and one from the later Beatles (“Hey Jude,” “Sgt.Pepper,” or others). They were practically two different bands.
A great post for a cold Sunday, Joe.
I’d say Billie Jean is more iconic than Thriller even given the music video.
You need to rerun the cool house/warm house question in July.
I second “The Weight”. Also, Bohemian Rhapsody showed up on the results page after voting.
I think Ramones > Sex Pistols, although I don’t know which song I’d pick. I guess Blitzkreig Bop.
Finally, and completely changing the definition of iconic to mean influential, how about “Teen Age Riot” by Sonic Youth or “Where Is My Mind?” (or “Debaser”) by the Pixies?
Bohemian Rhapsody clearly should be on the list. And I don’t even like it all that much. Same thing with Hotel California.
The Beatles should have two entries. One for early Beatles, one for late. You’re just never going to get someone who thinks A Hard Days Night or I Want to Hold Your Hand is their iconic song to agree that it should actually be Hey Jude or A Day in the Life. And vice versa.
In general, one artist/one song doesn’t really make much sense. The whole point of this “revised HOF” is to de-emphasize the significance of artists, right? And just recognize the songs themselves?
Sheehan…
You got blood on your face. You’re a big disgrace. Kickin’ this list all over the place.
Either that or Bohemian Rhapsody. How could Queen not make the list?!?!
There’s many lists….Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – 500 Songs That Shaped Rock, Rolling Stone – 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, & Recording Academy Grammy Hall of Fame Albums and Songs….
I’ll go ahead and vote in the poll, but under protest because I strongly agree with the sentiment that the list isn’t complete without a Buddy Holly tune. It’s not just the incredible body of work he put together, all by age 22. He’s also the guy who THE iconic band, The Beatles, openly, unabashedly, and proudly stole from to help create their sound. Plus, he’s the subject matter of a song that is on the list, “American Pie”. I mean, it’s entirely possible that there is no such thing as an iconic rock and roll song list without Buddy Holly, yet none of his songs are on the list itself? Disgraceful.
Two things:
1)Smells like TeEN Spirit (not team)
2)You’ve got to go with Sweet Home Alabama over Freebird. I personally prefer Freebird, but Sweet Home Alabama is the iconic choice.
I saw the voting results and Another Brick in the Wall got some votes, but I didn’t see it as a choice…
I’ll offer another vote for Bohemian Rhapsody and Hotel California, and a solid NO to American Pie.
While it is not my favorite George Jones song (If Drinking Don’t Kill Me wins that title), “He Stopped Loving Her Today” is the iconic George Jones song. Hell, it might be the most iconic country music song.
Alex #23 – Exactly right, and well said.
If you’re really trying to capture “iconic”, to me that means, not just songs you like a lot, or were influential to other music you like, or even that were inescapable at the time — but rather, they should truly embody the culture of a particular era. Songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” or “Hey Ya”
My attempt at a genuine, multigenerational list, not just songs I like but that were truly culturally iconic:
“Rock Around the Clock”
“Satisfaction”
“Imagine” (I think it’s one of the worst songs ever recorded, but it belongs)
“Stayin’ Alive”
“Beat It” (I changed my mind, I think this is even more iconic than “Billie Jean”
“Born to Run”
“Welcome to the Jungle”
“Nothin’ But a G Thang”
“Macarena”
“Baby One More Time”
I would accept arguments for “Like a Rolling Stone”.
Sorry if you think some of those suck — I wouldn’t argue. But I am under the impression the topic is not “Most Iconic Songs of 1958-1974″, but rather “of all time”.
You folks who are throwing up bands that you feel were snubbed are very badly missing the point.
one of my sentences got cut off — that should have read “songs like Sunday Bloody Sunday or Hey Ya do not even come close to qualifying”.
Buddy Holly fans, you need to be able to name the particular song you are arguing for. Otherwise, you are incorrect by definition.
Billy Joel– Piano Man. I shouldn’t have to defend my position that this song should be included, but I will. The words to Piano Man are known by every human being in the Western Hemisphere from the ages of 60 to whenever you start drinking. Three million bars (rough estimate here) close every night with the DJ playing this song and copious amounts of man love being displayed. The song can be enjoyed when you are feeling depressed or nostalgic, and when you are celebrating or mourning. It is just a lights out song.
Also, no Elton John? Tiny Dancer could probably be defended just as easily as Piano Man. AND if you need more convincing watch Almost Famous, if you think of Goodfella’s when Layla comes on than you have to think of the bus scene in Almost Famous when Tiny Dancer comes on.
And just for kicks, something by Sublime needs to be on there. I have never met a person who does not like Sublime under the age of 40. I wouldn’t know what to do if someone told me they didn’t like Sublime. Santeria, Wrong Way, Caress Me Down or What I Got could all work.
Great idea about inducting songs, too. Thanks for all your hardwork Joe.
As a self proclaimed hip-hop connosueir I think that “Nuthin but a G thang” – Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and “Parents just don’t understand” by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince have a place.
You could also make an argument that the list ends in about 1994. That’s fair, being that music has been fairly poor generally in the last 15 years, however, if you wanted an iconic song to represent that wasteland, you couldn’t go wrong with “Hit me baby one more time” by Britney Spears.
I think people are voting for what they like. Not what is most iconic.
And while Pearl Jam’s Alive is a great song it doesn’t seem that iconic to me, I think Evenflow would have been a better choice, and Jeremy the best choice. Btw, you may want to put band names with the songs as there is at least one other song titled “Alive” by a band called POD.
I predict a record number of comments when this post is fully digested.
While this is actually one of their worst songs (from their first and worst album), Radiohead’s “Creep” needs to be added to the list.
I only mention that to give more of a modern voice to the list and the fact that Coldplay does not belong on here (at least pick “Yellow”).
Joe,
I think it is a horrible mistake to leave Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” off the list. It’s not my favorite Sabbath song, that’d be “Paranoid”, but it’s easily their most iconic. More importantly Sabbath is generally considered the band that gave birth to “Metal”, and to leave them off the list shows a lack of understanding about the genre. It’s understandable given that metal is not the most popular of genre’s, but this list is about iconic songs, and for metal, it doesn’t get more iconic then that riff.
Furthermore, I’d argue that the “Mount Rushmore” of Bands would have the Beatles, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Nirvana, as each brought a new element to Rock. With that in mind, “Iron Man” needs to be on the list for it’s importance.
It’s hard for me to vote in an iconic song poll that includes “American Pie” and does NOT include “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” no matter what the criterion.
“Nuthin’ But A G Thang” absolutely has to be on this list. Not only is it arguably the definitive song of the gangster rap era but it also introduced the world to Snoop. I challenge you to find anybody born after 1975 who doesn’t start bobbing their head upon hearing the very first note of that song.
“Buddy Holly fans, you need to be able to name the particular song you are arguing for. Otherwise, you are incorrect by definition.”
Easy, that would be “Peggy Sue”, not only for the iconic portrait of 50’s teenage lovelorn angst that it paints, but for the classic paradiddle drum beat that continues for the entire song, uninterrupted.
Or maybe I’m just very badly missing the point again.
Bohemian Rhapsody, which I love, should not be Queen’s representative. Doesn’t it have to be We Will Rock You?
Really? No Doors? Neither Light my Fire nor Break on Through nor LA Woman deserves at least a place on the poll? *ptooey!* I spit on your poll!
Okay, I’ll take Born to Run and London Calling.
One of these:
Earth Angel; The Penguins
The Great Pretender: The Platters
In the Still of the Night: The 5 Satins
Come Go With Me: The Dell Vikings
Also something from Fats Domino. Maybe Blueberry Hill
And something from Jerry Lee Lewis. Maybe Great Balls of Fire
And Light My Fire by The Doors
Nothing from The Shirelles, The Supremes, The Temptations? How about Shop Around by the Miracles?
No Hank Williams Sr’s “Hey Good Looking”?, Joe I’m disappointed
No list would be complete without one of Hank’s
Always on my Mind by Willie deserves mention as well
Is this a grade-school paper? You should refund your employer your entire paycheck for the period this piece of crap was written.
With a few exceptions, this is a list of crappy but popular songs that have been crammed in all of our heads basically since birth. I see no reason to celebrate them. It is good, though, to see that Mr Posnanski has so much free time now (indicating that he has finished his book).
B.B. King’s “The Thrill is Gone” anyone?
If your going to include rap songs you need Jay-Z. A Hard Knock Life.
If “most iconic/well known” is the category, I would think you have to consider “8675309 Jenny” by Tommy Tutone
I’m gratified to see Nirvana doing so well, I think sometimes they are underrated because their peak is short. The Koufax of rock bands?
Two major points of disgreement.
Madonna and Michael Jackson are not Rock and Roll.
She belongs in a home for old tarts, and he in the pedophilia wing of your local house of correction.
It’s called pop, and it has its own category.
Other wise good idea, decent enough of a start.
Woefully lacking in Metal.
My humble suggestions.
Hells Bells-ACDC
War Pigs-Black Sabbath
Master of Puppets-Metallica
And the non-metal
The Doors-LA Woman
Grateful Dead-Truckin’
Fun stuff, and further evidence that you can’t please everybody, music-wise. So I’ll add to the general note of discord and say that “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is Guns N Roses’ iconic song.
For what it’s worth, there are dozens of country songs as iconic as the Garth Brooks or Patsy Cline songs. But there’s already a country music hall of fame, it’s a neat place, and they probably all belong elsewhere despite the cross-over appeal.
But “The Weight” is a song of immense power and American mythology. It belongs.
Think you’re missing a few bands/songs:
-Redemption Song (Bob Marley)
-Sunshine on Your Love (Cream)
-Rebel Rebel (BOwie)
-Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)
-Losing My Religion (gotta be SOMETHING from REM and I guess this is their most famous song)
-Today (Smashing Pumpkins)
is it too early to nominate “Paper Planes”?
where’s “The Message”? & no “What’s Goin On”? those are the biggest absences for me….
I just realized I have to make one change to my list (#38). Strike “Born to Run” — because “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John absolutely has to be on there. It is the pure embodiment of its entire era in musical form.
To hear even the opening notes is to immediately be flooded with images of people doing aerobics, wearing Walkmans, watching “Dallas” and voting for Reagan. It is truly — precisely — iconic.
That’s fair, being that music has been fairly poor generally in the last 15 years…
This statement is made every single year by people who are just a little too old.
“Proud Mary” instead of Fortunate Son would have put Creedence into the top ten where they belong. One more – Mr. Tambourine Man by the Byrds
Actually, I rather like this exercise. The list is great – and I second the nomination of Radiohead’s “Creep.”
What seems to be missing, though, is an entry from the groups that rose out of college radio to become unexpectedly popular. You know, Talking Heads, R.E.M., the Pixies, the Sonic Youth… I’m a huge R.E.M. fan but can’t in clear conscience nominate a song that has a mandolin lead and no chorus, so I would say Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” is downright iconic. The nerve-wracked vocals, the surreal lyrical content, and the eminently singable chorus brilliantly epitomize the rise of college radio.
Thanks for the fun Sunday procrastination material!
My ten (coming from a 25-year-old who is still exploring the history of music, and in alphabetical order):
American Pie – Tells the history of Rock and Roll in a very poetic form with very vivid imagery, and immortalized the Buddy Holly plane crash (the first of one of the most popular ways to die among the rock elite, along with drug and alcohol overdoses and choking on one’s vomit).
Born to be Wild – As was said, the definition of the “bad boy” song, and the iconic “I’m leaving and I don’t care what you think” song.
Freebird – One of the most-played songs in rock radio history, and the iconic song of Southern rock.
Friends in Low Places – The song that launched the resurgence of country music in the ’90s, as well as the career of the best-selling solo artist in music history (and as much as I love Garth Brooks, that does amuse me).
I Want To Hold Your Hand – The song that launched the Beatles, and all the British bands that came later, into America.
Like a Rolling Stone – Probably the song that started the ’60s.
Rappers’ Delight – The first true commercial hip hop song, launching the next music revolution.
Satisfaction – The first (American) hit for possibly the most popular act in music history.
Smells Like Teen Spirit – The launching of the grunge/alternative movement of the ’90s.
Welcome to the Jungle – I’m just old enough to remember when Guns N’ Roses ruled music in a way few bands have (albeit in the stretch between hair metal and grunge), and this was their first song. (Honestly, I’d put “Sweet Child O’ Mine” in this spot, but that may be because I love that song more).
Honorable mention (a.k.a. the 1937 Class):
Born to Run
Fortunate Son
Hound Dog
I Walk the Line
Purple Haze
My Generation
YMCA
Not going in anytime soon:
Hey Ya
I don’t have anything against the song; I just don’t see it as truly “iconic”. If you are putting that in, you have to put in “Mambo #5″ and “Macarena” and “Achy Breaky Heart” and every other “summer song” that has had a hold on popular culture for a short time before burning out.*
*In other words…”Hey Ya” is the Jim Rice of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
oh, and to PK#whateveritwas, look:
I can come up with a definition of popular American music since around 1950 that eliminates long haired white dudes who sing like castrati or like Cookie Monsters, just as easily as you can come up with one that emphasizes the work of such individuals.
so how bout we compromise? you get Sabbath, I get Michael Jackson?
That “Drift Away” (Mentor Williams’ and Dobie Gray’s version, not that Uncle Kracker knock-off) is not on this list is a travesty. I tell you, a travesty.
If Elvis freed your body and Dylan freed your mind, Springsteen freed your soul.
This is tons of fun, but we clearly need a better, more clear set of criteria. You start out with “…I see an iconic song as meaning: ‘a song that represents a set of beliefs or a way of life.’ So, I see these songs being the ones that best represent the times we live in, and the emotions of our time.” Muddled. Posnanskiland, we can do better than that. Before this debate goes much further, Joe, do us all a favor and come up with a better, more clear definition of what the requirements are.
BTW, first time-long-time.
At first blush, I thought this would be an intriguing exercise. But the essence of this exercise is stated in rule #2
[i]2. Each artist only was allowed one iconic song. I realize that’s not fair to, say, the Beatles or Bob Dylan or U2 or any number of other bands/artists who had numerous iconic songs. But to get the list down, that was what I needed to do. As you will see below, there were numerous arguments about these things.[/i]
The fact that the song is iconic for the artist represents the artist as being iconic. That is the essence of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame – to recognize these artists – as performers, songwriters, instrumentalists, etc. There IS a pitching coaches wing in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.
There is room for Eddie Cochrane, because he DID co-write an iconic song – covered by many other artists (including Blue Cheer, credited as pioneers of heavy metal music). Someone suggested “Redemption Song”, and I must say, Bob Marley HAS to be represented in this list. But why not with “I Shot the Sheriff” which was also an ‘iconic’ song for Eric Clapton.
There is room for the Beatles, the Led Zepplins, the Bob Dylans, the Aretha Franklins, the Ray Charles and all of the iconic artists of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. (By the way – as far as iconic songs go – I would have condensed the list by incorporating iconic songs for multiple artits: instead of “Purple Haze” and “Like a Rolling Stone”, I would have chosen “All Along the Watchtower” which both artists, and others, have done remarkably.)
There is room in this Hall of Fame for the guys who played the notes. James Jamerson played on more Motown records than just about any other person – gave feeling to iconic song after iconic song. He deserves his place in the Hall.
Executives in the Record Business are also represented for a reason. Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler, and Clive Davis are to music as Branch Ricky and Billy Beane are to baseball.
To make a short story long (sorry) – it takes a LOT of different people to create a winner – and they all deserve credit.
Long time reader, first time poster. Joe, you are the best topical sportswriter around; and if you had more time to devote to writing(9/9/09) you might rival Gary Smith. Somehow you make the Royals compelling to a White Sox fan.
Has Joe mentioned the Herm Edwards firing?
My main question about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is it based on music or more than that? Will Bob Geldof get in for his contributions to Live Aid(I don’t think he is in)? George Harrison did the Concert for Bangladesh as well as some fairly important songs(this is the point of view of a 30 year old, take it for what it is worth).
I agree with the other readers that Billie Jean is Michael Jacksons iconic song, and whoever said that the Macarena is iconic…if you’re using the word “iconic” I actually have to agree with that, it was a worldwide(if inexplicable)phenomenon.
Now the main reason I chimed in…I don’t care what the facial geometry says, Hilary Swank is not hot.
Ugh… going to anwser this one tomorrow, it needs a bit more deliberation than I can give right now.
Any list of iconic songs has to include songs that either you hear at EVERY strip club you go to, and/or songs that when they are played at a bar, are sung along to by the entire crowd.
(I mean, really, what is rock and roll if not naked ladies and drinking?)
That said, this list NEEDS to include:
“Living on a Prayer,” Bon Jovi (best song is easily “Wanted Dead or Alive,” but play this song anywhere in the Western World and the entire bar stops conversation to sing.
“Pour Some Sugar on Me,” Def Leppard. Seriously. Go to any strip club for one hour, and if you don’t hear this song, I will mail you a crisp two-dollar bill (which you can then use to strategically place at said club).
“Sweet Child” has already been mentioned, but quite clearly qualifies on both counts here.
“Enter Sandman,” Metallica. Lordy, can I go on about dozens of other songs to put here to represent the best hardest band in the world, but this is the song that broke them into the mainstream, and that riff is heavy and catchy like nothing else (apologies to the cat who mentioned “Master,” which is a great choice, but scares the bejeezus out of anyone born before 1970).
“You Really Got Me,” Van Halen. You can easily add it for The Kinks as well (tho I’d argue that “Lola” is way more iconic), but you can’t have this list without this band, and I don’t think we’ll ever hear a guitarist come out and announce his presence with authority like Eddie did with “Eruption” leading into this classic.
“Gloria,” Them and/or The Doors. Probably a lil’ dated for a strip club (tho the live Doors version would really get the tip level up), but this song rips, and it is near impossible to not sing along with the “G L O R I A GLOOOOO-RIA!”
“Brown-Eyed Girl,” Van Morrison. Yes, he gets in twice, and yes, he’s that good. No matter how overplayed this song is, you can’t turn it off, and again, you can’t not sing along.
“Walk on the Wild Side,” Lou Reed. Really. Really. It can’t be said more clearly than “do, do-do, do-do, do-do-do-do…” Bonus points for helping introduce Tribe Called Quest to the world as the main riff in “Can I Kick It?”
finally, the one I am really least proud of, and even less proud to admit that this was my first concert ever (not counting the immortal Weird Al Yankovic at the Big E in Springfield, MA), you gotta have…
“Don’t Stop. Believin.” Journey.
End. Of. Story.
Great list, Joe, and as always, as ever, thank you so much for sharing your art (and damnit, it is art in it’s purest, most populist form as sure as Dickens was in his day writing his novels in small serials in order to get more readers) with us. You are a gift to all of us who kill way to much time online.
And finally, there’s one other qualification that should be considered when you consider iconic songs, and that is clear recognition from movies or TV shows. By that measure, Sigur Ros may be the most well-known unknown band in the history of the world, because any time a director needs to signal “big drama, big theme,” you hear them making the sounds that you swear you recognize from somewhere else.
Let me see if I understand. The idea of inducting performers into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame seems to defy the ethos of rock & roll, so instead of inducting artists, we’re going to induct iconic songs. Fair enough. But then we go about naming iconic songs as iconic of particular performers? That’s whacked.
It’s as if we decided to get rid of the MVP award after recognizing that even the most important player on a baseball team contributes only a small portion of the team’s total wins, so instead we’re going to recognize the league’s best team…and then claiming the league’s best team is the Yankees because they have Alex Rodriguez.
Instead, we should be identifying songs by type, not by artist — best rock anthem, best love ballad, best break-up song, best make-out song, etc. Maybe there’s room in the Hall for more than one of each type, just as there’s room in the Baseball Hall for more than one defensive shortstop or slugging outfielder.
I picked a number of songs that I don’t nearly like as much as some of the other songs on the list, but I felt were more iconic, more important.
“Welcome to the Jungle” was one such song. G&R has better songs, but that one burst onto the scene that was dominated by hair bands and proved that Rock and Roll still existed. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” did the same thing.
More people need to vote for Patsy Cline. Jimmy Buffett once sang:
“I got a head full of feelin’ higher
And an ear full of Patsy Cline
There is just no one who can touch her
Hell, I’ll hang on every line
Oh, crazy how things happen, it’s incredible but true
The longer I’m gone the closer I feel to you”
My sentiments exactly.
Omission that hasn’t been mentioned yet: The Allman Brothers Band. “Whipping Post” deserves a place here. Also, Grateful Dead – “Dark Star.”
[b]Furthermore, I’d argue that the “Mount Rushmore†of Bands would have the Beatles, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Nirvana, as each brought a new element to Rock. With that in mind, “Iron Man†needs to be on the list for it’s importance.[/b]
No Rushmore is complete without the Stones. Led Zeppelin AND Black Sabbath seems redundant.
Shouldn’t Deep Purple’s Smoke On The Water be added to the list?
Whenever someone is “playing rock and roll”, they’re hitting the chord riff from this song.
Joe:
I agree with your concept, but the execution in some cases isn’t quite right First of all, a true Guns n Roses “iconic” song would have to be Sweet Child of Mine. Welcome to the Jungle is a fantastic song, but it’s the former that they’ll be remembered for. Others to consider:
AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long
Foo Fighters – Learn To Fly
Elmore James – Shake Your Moneymaker
Robert Johnson – Dust My Broom
The Police – Message in a Bottle
Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet with Butterfly Wings
What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding… The midnight oil version is also one of my all time favorite covers. For that matter I’ll nominate the oils’ beds are burning. Definitely iconic.
Correction:
“Mack the Knife” was written for “The Threepenny Opera.” One of the early Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht shows.
Two Cents:
My pick for Beatles’ songs would have been “All you need is Love” A Perfect five-word summation of the Beatles’ entire catalogue.
Laughed out loud at the Back to the Future reference. Very sly, Joe. You get me everytime.
As long as Joan Jett is on the list, I am happy.
A little too iconic; and yeah, I really do think.
Re: #13/ Andrew T.
Louie Louie made the list. Staying Alive made the list. Hell, a song by Coldplay made the list.
But you’re going to pick on Teen Spirit?
Look, it’s not Nirvana’s best song, and I’d take several songs off the MTV Unplugged recording as longer lasting/ higher quality (About a Girl, All Apologies, The Man Who Sold the World).
But as the song that launched Nirvana and turned rock on its head in the ’90s, Smells Like Teen Spirit definitely has to be at the top of the list.
All in all is all we are
Hey– no Bob Marley??????????????????
“Redemption Song”, it’d have to be, I suppose.
Love the post Joe. I’d say you gotta add something by Metallica and AC/DC on here. They can’t be ignored with a list like this. My suggestion:
“You Shook me all Night Long” by AC/DC
“One” by Metallica
Some things that feel like they’re missing to me:
Something by the Doors (C’mon baby light my fire?)
House of the Rising Sun by the Animals
Miserlou by Dick Dale
Bad to the Bone by George Thorogood
Should I stay or should I go by the Clash
White Room by Cream
Radio Free Europe – R.E.M.
Melt With You – Modern English
A.B.C. – Jackson Five
Redemption Song – Bob Marley
Light My Fire – The Doors
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic – The Police
Sugar Magnolia – Grateful Dead
I could go on, but suffice to say this is a task beyond even your scope.
I also think Bad to the Bone should get consideration. Just a lot of fun to listen to. Goes with the motercycle type of image in movies like Born to be Wild.
I think music is great precisely because it all strikes us as individuals. You can fall in love with what to someone else is a terrible song. This is why you have to separate good bands/good songs/1 hit wonders/genre etc. There are too many great songs to whittle it down this much. The same goes for movies.
Looking at the voting so far, I find it fascinating that “Stairway to Heaven” and “American Pie” are leading, with both getting more than 50% of the voting. With fifty candidates, and variances in tastes, this is astounding to me. Of the two, “Stairway” is easier to understand, as it’s the signature song of what many consider to be the greatest and most influential hard rock band of all time. As a 22 year old who loves, and voted for “American Pie”, I find that it’s inherently harder to explain why it is so iconic, other then it is. In that there is just something about that song that connects to people.
For other metal fans, I love Metallica, but it’s easy for me to justify leaving them off the list. Metallica might be the biggest metal band in the world, but “Enter Sandman”, not my favorite Metallica song by a long shot, is only iconic to those who are familiar with the music. It’s mainstream by metal standards, but I’m not sure if it’s truly mainstream. And yes, if there is an iconic song from them, it is “Enter Sandman”, though the fans would probably choose something off of their first four albums, but that isn’t what this list is about.
For AC/DC, the problem is completely different. Do you chose a Bon Scott sung song, in which case I feel that the easy answer is “Highway to Hell”, which sums up that era of the band perfectly. If we move on to the Brian Johnson era, it becomes much more of a problem as there are three songs that can be chosen from, “Back in Black”, “Hell’s Bells”, and “Shook Me All Night Long”. Of the three, I’d argue for “Back in Black” because of the riff. It’s such an instantly recognizable riff, that summed up the band’s attitude that they weren’t going away.
Still, I will repeat that for it
Can’t You See – Marshall Tucker Band
This is for the Pink Floyd fans commenting about their selection. I truly believe that “Comfortably Numb” should be their selection instead of “Another Brick.” However, I do understand the rules, and afterall you really don’t find too many Pink Floyd songs being played on the radio except for “Money” and “Another Brick.” But as a Floyd fan myself, I would think that they wouldn’t even want to be on this list at all. True Floyd fans will no what I mean when I say that.
Does anyone remember the great debate at the opening of Reservoir Dogs about the meaning of Like a Virgin? The definition of iconic right there.
The Erin Moran debate took place in the 70s.
A monumental task ….even with the Iconic restrictor…..virtually impossible to get close
a few others worthy of consideration
night moves….bob seger
bad bad leroy brown……jim croce
crash …..dave mathews band
sittin on the dock of the bay…..otis redding
sweet child o mine …..guns n roses
heard it through the grapevine……marvin gaye
light my fire …….doors
nights in white satin……..moody blues
piece of my heart ……big bro and the holding co
when a man loves a woman …..percy sledge
suite judy blue eyes……crosby stills and nash
This is a tough exercise for eras I didn’t live through… I guess I can choose a song that I associate with movie or TV montages of that era, but isn’t that categorically different from music I associate with an era I actually experienced? I dunno, maybe not for the purposes of this exercise
No Bowie?
I would be the first to admit that it’s hard to pick Bowie’s one “iconic” song–no two of his albums are that similar. But I would nominate “Heroes.”
Also, the Doobie Brothers should get some love.
I agree with the comments on Sabbath, AC/DC (Shook Me) and Metallica. Also Bon Jovi . . . although it pains me to admit as much.
When I think “iconic” I think, “How readily would someone recognize this? How quickly would someone think, ‘I know this song’ and start singing along (rather they wanted to or not)?” Perhaps this is what Joe meant when he talked about different definitions of the word “iconic” as songs like “I Love Rock N Roll” and “Born to be Wild” are getting so little support. You hear the opening notes from either song and it IMMEDIATELY conjures an image or setting or attitude. That, to me, is iconic.
Can everyone please stop complaining about what’s not on the list? You could ask 100 people to name 10 songs and you’d easily get 1,000 answers. Let’s just sit back and enjoy the exercise.
I’ve yet to vote – and I’m not quite sure I can remove my personal biases enough to really do so – but I’ve got some thoughts here, particularly on the comments.
While I’d LOVE to see a Radiohead song on the list – to my 24-year-old self they are THE band of the past two decades – I’m afraid there just isn’t one that’s iconic enough. “Creep” comes closest, but even that is at best the third-most iconic rock song of the 90s, behind “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Jeremy.” I’d probably place “Losing My Religion,” “Song 2,” and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” ahead of it, as well. If you include pop and hip-hop, it’s not even in the top ten.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” is overrated, but it’s still a good song. For my money, the Kirby Puckett (or Jim Rice, take your pick) of rock is “Hotel California.” I just plain do not get that song. I’d guess it’s iconic enough, but it’s always seemed to me like the Eagles’ cheap attempt to mimic “Stairway to Heaven.”
Finally, a couple 90s-era songs that haven’t been mentioned that I think deserve some serious consideration…
“C.R.E.A.M.” by Wu-Tang Clan. “Cash rules everything around me/Cream get the money/Dolla dolla bill y’all.” Come on, everyone under 30 knows that line.
“Song 2″ by Blur. The second I hear that drumbeat in the beginning, I think it’s 1997.
I wish I could come up with something more for this decade, but other than “Clocks” and “Hey Ya” I’m drawing a blank. I really think that music has grown increasing nichified (yes, I’m aping Joe and making up a word) over the past decade, due largely to the Internet. The only songs I can come up with other than those two that might work are “Crazy” and “Gold Digger,” but I wouldn’t call either of them iconic. Popular songs just don’t achieve the same level of ubiquity anymore, I think.
Finally, I think early Beatles and late Beatles deserve their own categories (then again, I’m a Beatles fan). My late Beatles pick: “A Day in the Life.”
Just realized I said “finally” twice in that comment…yeah, you probably shouldn’t take me seriously…
There is no topic that Joe is unwilling to tackle! Going by your criteria, I suppose it’s hard to disagree with too much on your list, although it seems like the songs were limited to those that might get played on a “golden oldies” station. I do think you need to find room for R.E.M. on your list — they’ve certainly been one of the most influential bands of the past 25 years. I realize very few of their songs get much commercial radio airplay, but was there really any band that had a more iconic sound than R.E.M. for the college rock/alternative scene in the 80s? Surely there has to be room on the list for Radio Free Europe or something else from Murmur or Reckoning.
Reading more comments, I concur that The Ramones are rather criminally underrated on the list and in the comments.
Ironically, “Ironic” is not on this list (although frankly I’d say “You Oughta Know” would be more iconic).
The best thing written in this post, and possibly the only thing I agree with, is when Joe pointed out how the whole concept of putting people in a Hall of Fame for rock ‘n roll just goes against everything that rock music is supposed to mean.
That part of it almost makes up for dissing Run-DMC.
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised when the people I love to read on the topic of sports don’t do it for me on the topic of music.
Etta James “At Last”
way way way up there, Monty … posted … the following:
the Beatles weren’t in the first class because they weren’t eligible yet. I think the rule is something along the lines of “a group or artist is eligible 25 years after their first recordingâ€, so the pre-1988 ballots couldn’t include the Beatles.
——————————————————————
surprised nobody else caught this (unless someone did and I missed the post scrolling down) but The Beatles first recording was actually 1962, and they hit charts in 1963 …
“trust me, I’m a DJ”
Three old songs (even older than I) that I think qualify as iconic. And they’re even good:
Wake Up Little Suzy, Everly Bros.
Mustang Sally, Wilson Pickett
Heard it Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye
And I’m a huge Dire Straits fan, but gawd did I hate Brothers in Arms. Maybe it was just the over exposure. Money for Nothin definitely says 80s, but — like a lot of other songs here that speak for their time period — I’m not sure that makes it iconic. Iconic to me is some old song that today’s kids actually know, or something “hip” that us aged types are forced to recognize….
I think the debate shows just how varied & yet personal music choices are. I have long boycotted the grammy awards and many times when I read the inductions into the Rock n roll hall my first reaction is WTF!? On your list I ran the gamut between oh yeah and wtf. I also saw many suggested songs that were just probably overlooked but are must ins. Many bands have more than one song that is Iconic (Leaving out “We will rock you” just because Queen was a good enough band to have more than one-and hell, more than 2, great songs.)
P.S. I have never been into rap, but there is no doubt that Run D.M.C. belongs. They did not invent it by any means, but they changed the face of music.
You Really Got Me by the Kinks is in my view the first hard rock song, and is a must in.
I want you to want me (live version) by Cheap Trick is one of the greatest rock recordings ever.
More than a feeling by Boston is iconic
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey sums up an era
Like them or not, Black Sabbath (Ironman or paranoid) completely changed music-you gave a cursory nod to rap and even country and bubble gum pop while ignoring heavy metal.
I could go on, but I guess that is the point.
Music is wonderful!
P.P.S. I have trouble narrowing it to ten even on this list. It shows you how hard this is.
Call this contreversial but I think “We Are The Champions” by Queen could be classed as more iconic than Bohemian Rhapsody, not better but more iconic. Its a very close call though and I think Bohemian Rhapsody is a great choice.
My Sharona by The Knack WAS impossible to ignore.
ANYTHING by U2 other than Sunday Bloody Sunday.
A Day In The Life by the Beatles.
I Will Always Love You, written by Dolly Parton and performed most notable by Whitney Houston (but I like Linda Ronstadt’s verson better)
Its Eddie COCHRAN, not COCHRANE.
There has to be some Motown on the list. I agree with “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” or some Smokey Robinson.
The Imperial March is pretty damned iconic and is freely used in stadia as clear reference to the opposing team.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is full of artists who didn’t play “rock and roll” or acquire “fame”. It’s military intelligence all over again.
You mention “Gloria” but don’t include it? Van the Man must be included. Also second “The Thrill is Gone”.
I just want to say that I loathe Bohemian Rhapsody to such an extent that I think that song is the reason I started listening to punk. If I could go back through history and erase one song from the collective memory of the world, it would be that flaming pile of crap. Words do not truly express my hatred of that overblown mess of a song.
By the way, it’s a hard list to vote on, but if one hit wonder were eligible, I’d submit Tainted Love. And while I don’t like “the strip club rule”, I do like the rule of everyone in a bar stopping to sing along rule, and Bon Jovi probably qualifies for that.
Oh, and Fortunate Son is the greatest rock song ever. Come on, give some love to CCR.
Well, I came late to the party, so all I can really do is echo others’ sentiments – most of my thoughts have been covered off, to wit:
The Ramones should be represented, though I’d go with “I Wanna Be Sedated” as their most iconic.
The Police should be there as well (I would suggest Roxanne – not their best, but likely their most recognizable)
Bowie’s a tough call, but he has a ton of possibilities. Space Oddity, Rebel Rebel, Suffragette City, Heroes…
The more I think about it, if we’re not looking to place emphasis on the artists themselves, why limit it to one song per? It’s fine for the inaugural class of inductees, but why not allow Queen to be represented by Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions? Put it this way: if every song on the list were eventually inducted and no artist had more than one song, you’d have a Hall of Fame that would give no more weight to the Beatles than to Gnarls Barkley.
I also think there needs to be some way to define what constitutes “iconic.” Is it a song that everyone knows? A song that evokes a certain time? Something else entirely? I found I had to consciously try to avoid thinking of iconic music as being the stuff that just gets everyone pumped and/or singing along.
Oh, and while I agree that Smells Like Teen Spirit is definitely overrated as a song – there are easily seven or eight better tracks on Nirvana’s Nevermind, there’s no question it’s iconic. How different would the music scene be if that song had never been written or tapped into the zeitgeist in the early 90s? Rock would definitely have been very different, and I’d argue that culture in the 90s would have been massively different, as well. You could argue that someone else would have broken grunge – Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Mudhoney were building a following, but the fact is that it was Nirvana who did break the genre and made grunge go supernova.
About the Russian guy who had never heard of Aretha Franklin? Until recently I worked with a really nice guy from India who had never heard Stairway To Heaven….
RE: The Russian who had never heard of Aretha Franklin. A very close relative (I won’t say who), confessed that Garth Brooks was the only performer she knew from the We Are One concert held on the eve of Obama’s inauguration on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
The concert’s lineup included Bruce Springsteen, U2, Stevie Wonder, Jon Bon Jovi, Beyonce and many others. Garth Brooks? Really?
Jebus.
Is that the Marky Mark “Good Vibrations” or the Beach Boys “Good Vibrations”?
Here are a couple that I would say are “Iconic”:
Detroit Rock City – Kiss
Paradise by the Dashboard Lights – Meatloaf
Every Rose has its Thorn – Poison
Crazy Train – Ozzy
Back In Black – AC/DC
What an enourmously frustrating and wonderful chore this is. What to do about a band like the Velvet Underground, who had no impact until years later, when their music, attitude, and style became ubiquitous amongst the world’s hipsters? )I know some of you are saying, “Reason enough to ban them!”) You could also argue that a song like Super Bad by James Brown was more influential than I Feel Good, which became iconic through it’s use in a thousand commericals and movies sometime in the 1980’s.
I also would have to add a song from OK Computer to account for the last ten years of music. Probably Karma Police.
And is there a quintissential Flower Power/Drug Era song in there? How about Eight Miles High or Eve of Destruction?
And for 80’s Metal, if you were being honest you’d have to include something heinous like “Here I go again” or “Talk Dirty to Me”, instead of Guns N Roses, who were just a great, real band, but not emblamatic of any sort of trend.
I have nothing to say to the Nirvana haters.
Re: your curiosity about the Beatles & Dylan not being inducted until the third class. Rock Hall eligibility comes 25 years after your first release. That’s why Eddie Cochran got in before the Stones; or to put it another way, why Jim Bottomley got into Cooperstown before Ted Williams did.
I would think ACDC belongs on the this list, Probably back in Black, maybe Thunderstruck or Shook me all night long, althought Who made Who is my favorite. Not matter what it seems one of these songs has to be considered iconic.
How about “centerfield” by john fogerty? technically, it doesn’t break the rule about one song per artist.
No Rush’s “Tom Sawyer”? For shame!
Scott #40 says “I have never met a person who does not like Sublime under the age of 40″
Hi, I’m Marty just turned 39, never heard of it.
Joe,
Most Iconic Simon & Garfunkle song is not “Sounds of Silence?” Are you sure?
Stephen,
Since this blog has baseball as a regular topic, Hells Bells has to be the AC/DC song. As distinctive as the guitar riff of Back in Black is, the intro bells to Hells Bells are just as well known. Thanks to Trevor Hoffman, Hells Bells has become the closer’s song. I also hear it at NFL games for some kick returners.
Queen has to be “we are the champions.” This isn’t about artistic measure, it is about instant recognition. It couldn’t tell you the first two minutes to Bohemian Rhapsody. I doubt my children will even know the song.
I think Springsteen’s doing Born in the USA, Glory Days, and The Rising for sure. 4th song is probably Born to Run. There’s his set…
Glad you added “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Hotel California”. Surprised you do not have “Piano Man”. Surprised you have none of Paul Simon’s many solo hits; when I have to crank out work on a deadline, “Kodachrome” is a fave, and IIRC the late great Douglas Adams cited “Late in the Evening” as one of his inspirations. Everybody recognizes (and knows all the words to) “Classical Gas”. And horribly surprised you don’t have the Kinks “Lola”, which might not have much crossover audience to the sports fan readers, but was the first hit song (to my knowledge) that dealt with homosexuality (not that there’s anything wrong with that). And for pete’s sake, why no Elton John? “Good-bye Yellow Brick Road” deserves to be on anybody’s short list, and everybody knows at least one of the incarnations of “Candle in the Wind”.
Your format definitely is unfair to the megagroups. Yes, The Beatles started with “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, but the song doesn’t age well compared to some of the musical brilliance they exhibited on their studio only albums. Sure, “My Generation” is iconic, but is it more iconic (or even as iconic) for The Who as “Pinball Wizard”, especially considering the opening riff? Just as you could pick out several Bruce songs, so could I pick out a bunch of Stones songs. And where are The Moody Blues? How about Paul McCartney as a soloist (I’d pick “Live and Let Die”, but most would pick “Band on the Run”)?
Finally, if you’re going to include some clearly not-rock icons like Frank Sinatra, then why not include probably the greatest song ever written, “Someone To Watch Over Me”, by George Gershwin (just to pick one). Janis Joplin covered his “Summertime”, for example, and where is “Me and Bobby McGee” (sorry, got distracted). I think you really need to define rock for a rock poll, and therefore you need to eliminate songs that aren’t rock. You know what they are.
Dude, you’ve got to include The Stones’ “Honkey Tonk Woman.” Any list without that song is woefully incomplete. Besides, Otis Redding wrote “Satisfaction” anyway. Does authorship play a roll here? Maybe another HoF?
Please stop writing about music. You have no idea what you are talking about.
I just don’t think Springsteen does Born in the USA — maybe a couple of years ago, but now that Obama is in, I think he’ll be in a more positive mood. The Rising is a better choice.
lecollye — you’re not required to read the music posts if you so desire.
I think it’s important to remember that “Respect” was written and performed by Otis Redding, a true icon in his own right.
You picked the wrong:
U2 (obviously With or Without You)
Stones (Gimme Shelter)
Pistols (Anarchy in the UK)
Zeppelin (Kashmir)
those songs all represent those bands AT their most iconic – Sunday Bloody Sunday conjures up mulleted Bono waving that stupid flag. No one thinks of the mid 60s Stones, they’re forever frozen at their ‘70/’71 Mick Taylor peak – and Gimme Shelter is that song. Brian Jones isn’t iconic, the STP tour however, is. Anarchy in the UK is a more dramatic song with more lines about contemporary England. Kashmir represents all iconic elements of Zep – the heavy crash, exotic instruments, building lyrics. Anyone that thinks Satisfaction is the most iconic Stones song really doesn’t think that deeply about music. (and, Sweet Child of Mine and Penny Lane would be better choices.)
Love the sports part of this blog.
Where oh where is ‘Night Moves’ by Bob Seger???
What Keef R. meant to put at the beginning of his post was “In my opinion…”
I’m sure…
Because your panel, Joe, obviously “doesn’t think that deeply about music.”
How pretentious.
Re #130: at first, I was right with you. I was putting together a post on that point but re-read this quotation from the blog:
‘I want to put together the first class of iconic songs in the rock and roll era. The key word here is “iconic.†‘
I think the other key word is “era”. From whatever date we pick in the ’50s for start of the rock and roll ERA, that defines the eligible songs. But the premise is not the most iconic rock and roll songs, that’s a different poll.
Re #108 – I’m also a huge Dire Straits fan. I may be the only person in the world not a member of the band and crew to hear Dire Straits live in Ferrara, Italy and Kansas City. And as much as I hate “Money for Nothing”, to me that is iconic of the MTV part of the R+R era. For me, there are songs that more say “Dire Straits”:
“They don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band,
It ain’t what they call rock and roll…
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone,
And says at last just as the time bell rings,
‘thank you, goodnight, now it’s time to go home’,
And he makes it fast with one more thing:
‘we are the sultans of swing’ “
someone might have already recommended this, but where’s Blitzkreig Bop by the Ramones?!! C’mon, who DOESN’T recognize that guitar opening?!
Like Mike in Hawaii, I’m a longtime reader (OK, 3 months) and first time poster. I’ve read all the comments (Maybe I have too much unstructured free time on my hands ?) and I don’t think I saw any of these:
Blue Suede Shoes, Carl Perkins
Left My heart in San Francisco, Tony B
What’s Goin’ On, Marvin Gaye
Stand By Your Man, Tammy Wynette
Layla, Derek and the Dominos
The Twist, Chubby Checker
Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley (How many other artists named a song after themselves?)
These aren’t my favorites, but I think they meet Joe’s criteria, which apparently are being ignored in favor of everyone’s personal tastes and genres. Good brain-twister.
WHITE RABBIT
If you’re going to include rap songs, ‘F the Police’ by NWA is about as iconic as it gets.
What’s going on by Marvin Gaye and Superstitious by Stevie Wonder also deserve to be on the list.
What about “I Am A Real American” – Hulk Hogan’s theme music?
If you’re looking for an iconic moment in music, there wouldn’t be a more defining one than the release of Chubby Checker’s The Twist. I’d have been about 16 at the time and, up till then, even if you were naturally gifted athletically and rhythmically, you had to take lessons if you wanted to dance along. For all the lessons given, though, mistimed steps and trodden-on toes were pretty much the norm — most people had two left feet.
Then came the twist. No lessons needed — all you had to do was stand vaguely in front of your partner, put your weight on one foot, get your arms, legs and torso moving — and you were dancing. The difference between those who were skilled and those who stank was narrowed to an almost indiscernible gap. Anybody who looked a bit odd could claim “I got my own style” and get away with it.
And everybody was on their feet. With one song, wallflowers were eliminated.
I’m only guessing, but I’d say that, because of the twist, music was opened up to a vastly increased audience — all those kids who’d previously shied away for fear of embarrassing themselves on the dancefloor were now filling dance halls everywhere and buying records by the dozen.
The other beauty of the twist was that you could sing along as you danced — tough to pull off in a foxtrot unless you’ve a voice like Sinatra’s — which eliminated the need for smalltalk; something else difficult for teenagers.
And then, into this, with their easy rhythms and simple lyrics, stepped The Beatles.
“If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now. It’s just a Spring clean for the May Queen.”
Sometimes I wonder if Robert even knew what the Hell he was writing about, or if half the time it it was just the right number of syllables. Doesn’t matter, his instrument is so amazing he could sing “baby” for ten minutes and it would work. (And has). Still, it took me until well into my 30’s and the advent of internet lyric sites to find out what the heck he was actually saying there.
By FAR the best use of hedgerow in the annals of rock.
“Yes there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run. There’s still time to change the road you’re on.”
Take it Jimmy.
For the Stones, it does have to be “Gimme Shelter” even though I prefer about ten songs to it. I always was kind of taken aback by the assertion by many that “Satisfaction” is the greatest rock song of all time. It’s not even the greatest Stones song – and it’s not even in their top 15.
“Like a Rolling Stone” pretty much needs to be atop the list. It is so much more important than everything else on the list for both cultural and artistic reasons.
I’d argue that “Born in the U.S.A.” is perhaps more iconic than even “Born to Run” (which I’m actually listening to right now), especially with the co-opting of the song by the Reagan administration who didn’t get that it was a song critical of the government.
“Mrs. Robinson” is definitely the more iconic Simon & Garfunkel song, even though Johnny Cash didn’t cover it. And there are about 15 other Simon & Garfunkel songs I prefer to it, but “The Graduate”…
As for The Kinks, I think it’d have to be “You Really Got Me” despite its weakness in relation to the rest of their vastly underrated catalog. Arthur alone has more than a handful of songs better than “You Really Got Me”, but it’s their iconic song with perhaps the most important lead guitar line ever written.
“What’s Goin’ On” is also extremely vital to this list.
For Garth Brooks, what about the Chris Gaines stuff?
“God Save the Queen” should have gotten the nod over “Anarchy in the UK”.
Where’s “A Season In Hell” by Eddie and the Cruisers?
Oh, and I completely agree on the not being a fan of the Beatles. I get that they’re important and stuff, but screw them. Not a fan of the music.
And for the record, I’m 29 and voted for “Hey Ya”, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang”, “Thriller” and “Rapper’s Delight”, in spite of my burning desire to vote for “The Weight”. I also wanted to be able to throw votes to GNR and “Purple Rain” but couldn’t make room in my top 10.
C’mon. Not one song from Aerosmith? Sweet Emotion, Crazy, Walk this Way, Dude (Looks Like a Lady)? What about Bon Jovi. Even Beethoven knew that “Slipper When Wet” was one of the greatest albums ever. How about Livin’ on a Prayer? And what about Van Halen’s Jump?
Surprised no one has mentioned “Wonderwall” from the mid-90s…
Okay. This has been interesting. As a fan of a wide array of musical styles, I’ve been entertained by the wide array of what songs people feel should be on the list. But to bring it back to the poll, without Chuck Berry, half the other songs on the list would not exist or would exist in a completely different form. So Johnny B. Goode was the easiest box to check.
Oh yeah, that’s JUST MY OPINION.
I also checked Smells Like Teen Spirit and I absolutely despise that song.
Admittedly, I like a lot of stuff that other people hate but when it comes to iconic, who said Journey? Really? Journey? Uhh…sorry, but no.
Hound Dog might’ve been pretty famous and sold well but it’s not much of a song, while Heartbreak Hotel is the essence of Elvis.
How about Warren Zevon’s Werewolves of London?
I hate to be the one to shoot up at your ivory tower, but since I’d rather knock out my teeth than bite my tongue*, here goes. The recent songs on your list seem to be compiled by stodgy old white dude from your local Top 40s station. “Hey Ya?” Why didn’t you just include, “Hey There Delilah?”
Casey Kasem called, he wants his song list back.
If you’re going to include rap, try “Juicy” by B.I.G. and “F*** Tha Police,” by THE gangsta rap group, NWA.
Grey out.
*Yes, that’s Eminem.
I’ll concur with the suggestions of George Jones “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” and Hank Williams “Hey Good Lookin’.” All are iconic songs for the country genre. Also worth mentioning, “On The Road Again,” by Willie Nelson and “I Will Always Love You,” Dolly Parton’s farewell to Porter Wagoner, later covered by Whitney Houston. I think that version and the love song from Titanic will play non-stop on my elevator descent to hell. Additionally, Merle Haggard’s “Okie From Muskogee,†and Glen Campbell with “Wichita Lineman†or “Rhinestone Cowboy.†All of them have a rock & roll spirit, in that they marked their place in time and iconic in that you can throw those song titles out at a cocktail party and several people will likely be able to repeat the melody or sing the chorus.
Someone mentioned chart position as criteria and that should have nothing to do with the inclusion IMO. Plenty of lasting songs failed to make it to the top spot on the charts, plenty of crap did. I agree with the author’s criteria and feel it has to do with the emotive power of the song over the course of time. Not if it was popular enough to be a number one song in the weeks following release. “Brand New Key,†by Melanie was a number one hit, but does anyone want that song immortalized? “I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates you’ve got a brand new key….†That will probably be on the elevator playlist as well. Same goes for “Pac-Man Fever,†“Disco Duck,†and “I’ve Never Been To Me.†All of them were monstrously popular songs at the time, but not worthy of enshrinement in this hall. …OK maybe “Pac-Man Fever,†but just for Buckner and not that snooty Garcia.
What about “Bo Diddley” by Bo Diddley, “Detroit Rock City†by KISS, or “Enter Sandman†by Metallica, more envelope edge pushers and iconic in that they inspired clones of themselves?
That is the trouble with these lists and the debate they inspire. Where do you begin and where do you end? Really at the end what does it matter? Oh yeah, the elevator to hell.
It should be noted that Eddie Cochran never did really get big in America outside the awesome that was “Summertime Blues.” However, he WAS huge in Great Britain, and while he was touring there, he had a profound influence on three guys who later became musicians in their own right. Their names: George Harrison-who cited Cochran as his main influence as a guitarist, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney-who joined Lennon’s band because he knew all the words to a Cochran song (not Summertime Blues). I would argue that influence alone is enough to get him into the R’n'R Hall of Fame.
I have to agree that Iron Man is a serious omission. I also believe Crazy Train deserves inclusion. But while I can live with Crazy Train not making the list, Iron Man seems like a no-brainer to me.
One that hasn’t been mentioned … Although I’m not much of a KISS fan, Rock and Roll All Nite is about as iconic as they come.
Hilary Swank is a “butterface”.
Smells Like Teen Spirit has got to be there for the sheer jolt of adrenaline it injected into mainstream rock radio. I remember driving out to university with my mom in the car the first time I heard it, and thinking “Holy s***, these guys just saved music.”
A couple other’s I’ll throw out for your consideration:
“Paranoid”, Black Sabbath
“Crazy Train”, Ozzy (the opening riff ought to be on those space capsules we send out to other civilizations)
“Rocky Mountain Way” or “Life’s Been Good”, Joe Walsh (master nonpareil of the guitar hook)
The list was mostly on target. But “You Really Got Me” by the Kinks has to be on it! As much for the killer riff as anything else.
Kinda surprised you didn’t name check “Gimme Shelter” as another example of Scorsese’s brilliance when it comes to picking songs for movies. What “Layla” is to you for Goodfellas, “Gimme Shelter” is to me for “The Departed.”
Clash? Gotta be “Rock the Casbah”
Blue Oyster Cult – “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” – I gotta have more cowbell!
And how could you leave off “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by the Hollies???