Rock’ n’ roll has generated infinite songs throughout its 70-year history for the most adventurous listeners to discover. Below are 24 such songs suggested in an online discussion.
1. “When The Morning Comes” by Daryl Hall and John Oates
This soft-rock masterpiece is one song on the Abandoned Luncheonette album that deserves to be recognized. The song waxes poetic about lost love in a typical Hall & Oats way. Still, given its rolling, tranquil melody, it doesn’t seem the duo is overly excited. It’s soft rock at its most palatable.
2. “Why Go” by Pearl Jam
The song’s lyrics are immensely compelling as they describe a girl who rebels against her parents only to be wrongly labeled insane and institutionalized. The most punk-like song the impressive debut album Ten has to give is made possible by Eddie’s voice’s roughness and the fantastic groove from Pearl Jam.
3. “Tangled up in You” by Staind
Staind’s acoustic track from The Illusion of Progress showed the metal band could write a delicate love ballad just as well as it could explosive rock that dug up deep wounds. Additionally, the lap steel guitar’s soft siren hinted at the upcoming entry of singer Aaron Lewis into the country music genre.
4. “Achilles’ Last Stand” by Led Zeppelin
Jimmy Page is, without a doubt, the greatest guitarist to ever be good at setting up a guitar track. This one from Led Zeppelin in their Presence album is one of many pieces of evidence. The song is a piece of art by Page, with a barrage of eerie and exquisite riffs and solos.
5. “Easier to Run” by Linkin Park
This is one of the wrongly forgotten tracks from Linkin Park’s Meteora. The song, which begins with the hazy guitar harmonics, is a gloomy glimpse inside the mind of an adolescent who prefers to conceal his hurt feelings than face them. Compared to the band’s previous songs, the choral layout of the theme and vocals gives the album a peculiar sorrow.
6. “Nobody’s Fault” by Aerosmith
Aerosmith transforms this track into an unequivocal model with some of the sweetest blues riffs ever delivered as the song fades in with guitar loudness swells. The vocals appear to be screams of panic as it tills through the verses of a song that was purportedly composed about the destruction caused by earthquakes.
7. “Shake a Leg” by AC/DC
Although the track is one of AC/DC’s best rockers and one of the best examples of Angus Young’s guitar work, it doesn’t receive as much attention as it should, given that Back in Black is such a landmark album.
8. “Isolation” by John Lennon
With its notable drumming, this melancholy song was recorded by John Lennon when fame began weighing down on him more than it was worth.
9. “Wet Sand” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers
The lack of a hook kept this one away from the airwaves. Still, its deeply reflective lyrics make this one a worthwhile listen with its terrific outro, pushing this one to the limit. It’s understandable why the song was included in the Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ live sets in 2017.
1o. “Hello” by Evanescence
The most intimate song on Evanescence’s hugely popular major label debut honors Amy Lee’s sister, who passed away when she was a little child. When the singer-pianist learned that her three-year-old sister Bonnie was missing, she was only six. The tragic news was delivered to her on the school playground.
She creates a stunningly eerie dirge using only her voice, sparse piano, sporadic flashes of guitar, and a quivering string solo to portray her sadness and shock at her sister’s passing.
11. “White Limo” by The Foo Fighters
The Wasting Light track is one of the few songs by the Foo Fighters from this century that can indeed be categorized as “searing,” with leader Dave Grohl’s vocals so obscured by six strings and distortion that he can get away with meaningless lyrics.
12. “Bootleg” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
This melody is found on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s’ second album, Bayou Country, and showcases John Fogerty’s excellent lyricism. Even though the band is most known for their late 1960s political anthems, this relatively straightforward song about making moonshine can hold its own against any of their biggest hits.
13. “Platypus (I Hate You)” by Green Day
It’s safe to argue that Green Day have evolved since their debut and they are now a distinct group. The band has experimented with various genres, including garage rock, folk, and rock opera. With a wall of guitars and a speed that fully exhausts anyone attempting to cover the song, the opening chords of this song smash you right in the center of your chest.
14. “Everlasting Light” by The Black Keys
There can be no purer way to express love than “let me be your everlasting light”? Dan Auerbach, the main singer for The Black Keys, begs to “be your sun when there is none” in a mournful tenor while singing over a scuffed guitar with biblical allusions that emphasize the song’s important theme of worship.
15. “Anthem” by Rush
When released, this opener to Rush’s Flying by Night provided a more significant indication of the band’s direction. This was the first time the band’s lyrical themes were based on reading and intellectualism rather than going to work and partying, with lyrics influenced by Ayn Rand.
16. “Forever and Always” by Bullet For My Valentine
It is an ode to the life of touring and the supporters who make it possible. Repetitive chords and pounding drums combine in the song to create a high-octane lullaby that inspires a strong sense of devotion and solidarity among the group and its supporters.
17. “Little Things Give You Away” by Linkin Park
Linkin Park’s third album, Minutes to Midnight, showcased the band’s expanded bombastic style. They ventured into less conventionally angst-ridden stadium rock, all while maintaining their melodic and technological creativity. This album effectively addressed doubts about their ability to outlast the fading nu-metal era.
18. “New York City Serenade” by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen’s serenade from his The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle album is a lengthy love story with many twists and turns that lasts almost ten minutes. Springsteen throws his passion into this story, producing something incredibly captivating and beautiful yet not engaging the casual listener.
19. “Bad” by U2
The Unforgettable Fire album, specifically Bad, represented a turning point for U2. The album finds the band taking things to a point that would eventually make them famous, a successful shift from the band’s first three albums, which were rooted in classic rock with flashes of post-punk. This track was at the heart of their evolution, inspiring the group’s ground-breaking performance at Live Aid in 1985.
20. “So Sad So Lonely” by Matchbox Twenty
Rob Thomas and company (Matchbox Twenty) are at their best when they play up the sentimentality, ending the hit-filled More Than You Think You Are with this teary-eyed, slow dance nocturne, which is more ocean beneath the moon than the midday sun. A frantic hillbilly secret tune that definitively draws the curtain on the record.
21. “Dragon Attack” by Queen
By the 1980s, Queen had developed an intense affection for synthesizers. With their album The Game, the band began to veer toward the polished, buoyant rock that came to characterize the time. Still, they never lost sight of their gritty, frenzied beginnings. “Dragon Attack” is the highlight of this tweak.
The song serves as a transitional piece between the band’s operatic rock of the 1970s and the throbbing arena anthems they were starting to pursue.
22. “Settle for Nothing” by Rage Against The Machine
The self-titled album by Rage Against the Machine has solidified its status as a classic of the 1990s. The group created rap-rock throughout ten songs, delivering some of the most scathing political indictments ever heard on a rock album. Despite all the brutal parts of the recording, the gentler moments hit the hardest, with this track becoming the most haunting musical idea.
23. “Here it Comes Again” by Korn
With confessional songs like this one from 2003’s Take a Look in the Mirror, singer Jonathan Davis leads the Korn Band in shedding light on fans dealing with despair. He openly describes the struggle he goes through when battling thoughts of dismay, and the crushing disintegration of the song perfectly matches the searing conflict he so powerfully expresses in his lyrics.
24.”Under My Wheels” by Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper had a number of hit albums, and oftentimes, “Killer” gets pushed under the rug compared to some of his other albums, but if you’re a real fan, you’d recognize the brilliance of this record. The best song off it is “Under My Wheels” which combines Cooper’s rock style with great lyrics and some really cool trumpet and brass parts towards the end. For sure a great deep track by a great artist.
25.”Sweet Pain” by KISS
From the mixing of tempos and time signature in this song to the great drum fills, “Sweet Pain,” is the definition of a good deep track. The band which is known for their over-the-top makeup and chart-topping songs really brings a lot to the song “Sweet Pain.”
Source: (Reddit).
Amaka Chukwuma is a freelance content writer with a BA in linguistics. As a result of her insatiable curiosity, she writes in various B2C and B2B niches. Her favorite subject matter, however, is in the financial, health, and technological niches. She has contributed to publications like Buttonwood Tree and FinanceBuzz in the past and currently writes for Wealth of Geeks.