Community-Voted Greatest Rock Songs List
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I decided I wanted to compile a list of the greatest rock songs differently rather than based purely on my opinion, so I came up with a Google Form that consists of 208 rock songs, and you can only vote for exactly your top 100.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYa_Mdqqh2tVML4UGoh6WIjg2vpLO6-h3-oEFIFDmr6FomiQ/viewform?usp=header
Edit: I know this post will probably get at least 1k views, but I know not nearly that much will actually vote, but even half that many would be incredible. I'm making a YT video on this once the final results come in, and right now...yeah 7 voters won't cut it. -
Maybe I will look at it closer if I get time but glancing at it I might struggle
As an old man any Rock list with none of these artists seem incomplete
Heart (Barracuda, Crazy On You or Magic Man),
Styx (Renegade, Blue Collar Man),
Reo Speedwagon (Roll With The Changes, Ridin The Storm Out),
Pat Benetar (Heartbreaker, Hit Me With Your Best Shot),
Peter Frampton (Do You Feel Like We Do, Show me the Way)4 Nirvana Songs or 4 linkin Park songs or 3 from Artic Monkeys, 5 from System of a Down and only
2 from Lynyrd Skynyrd
1 from Foreigner (and a [censored] power ballad)
1 from Billy Joel
1 from Elton John (just totally ignoring his 70s tunes)
1 from Boston
1 from RushIt seems pretty obvious to me that my formative years and yours were several decades apart
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@Dolenz_PSN
Never thought REO Speedwagon could be placed in the conversation of "greatest" if we're talking about cultural influence, outlier status instrumentally or vocally, or innovative (they do check the recognizable box but that's it). The others have similar cases. I know they have a few hits but as a whole they never really stood out. Billy Joel and Elton didn't have an immense "rock" catalog (I may have missed We Didn't Start the Fire and Saturday Night's Alright but I think there's songs that fit the criteria more). Definitely could've more at least one more Lynyrd Skynyrd song that's on me. Nirvana was the most influential rock act of the 90s and checks all 4 boxes quite easily, LP was the same in the 2000s and Chester Bennington is just Chester Bennington, System of a Down was Frank Zappa except they were just a bit less extreme and made music that absolutely smacks and somehow became one of the most streamed rock bands and were the most influential metal band of the 2000s, and Arctic Monkeys are the most streamed rock band and carried rock throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s - the last big rock group for a while.
Edit: SOAD is probably one of the best non-classic rock four-man groups we've seen. Serj, Dolmayan, Daron, and Shavo are all undeniably way ahead of their game during their time. -
In the Billy Joel/Elton John discussion much of what they did was far more Rock than your Simon And Garfunkel choices.
For Fleetwood Mac you included Little Lies which I would also not include as Rock. If you are going to choose a Fleetwood mac song from the 80s go with Tusk or even Gypsy.
But as I said it is a cultural difference. I graduated in 1982 so my prime years were say 76 to 82. If I were to guess I might say you graduated in the late 90's to early 2000's?
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@Dolenz_PSN
Class of '07, baby. I mean Little Lies in all technicality is a rock song and I'm pretty sure it was a nice comeback hit after a hiatus or something (my memory might be fried). Oh wait...[censored] me Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is technically a rock song according to Google OH [censored] ME. DAMNIT LOL
Edit: okay I added those two songs I mentioned. Can you check if the edit shows up on that same link? I feel like I need to be arrested for that oversight it's one of my favorite songs too.
Double edit: okay it does work. It's not much but it does do the both of them more justice. -
I still think you are completely under appreciating Elton's 70's dominance. Many of the below songs are definitely rock. Whether any belong on the list is another different question. But i would say that the vast majority of them if not all are more worthy than I'm Still Standing.
1970
- Your Song
1972
- Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)
- Honky Cat
- Crocodile Rock
1973
- Daniel
- Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- Step Into Christmas
1974
- Bennie and the Jets
- Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
- The [censored] Is Back
- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (with John Lennon)
1975
- Philadelphia Freedom
- Someone Saved My Life Tonight
- Island Girl
1976
- Pinball Wizard
- Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (with Kiki Dee)
- Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
1979
- Mama Can’t Buy You Love
Moving on to a more unstructured Billy Joel list you have songs like Only The Good Die Young, Movin Out, My Life, It's Still Rock and Roll to Me, Big Shot, A Matter of Trust, etc
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@Dolenz_PSN
I have Pinball Wizard by The Who already so I won't include Elton's version. Uh, Rocket Man is another one I need to add. So is Your Song. Bennie and the Jets is an incredible track. Wouldn't put Don't Go Breaking My Heart on there. Also love Movin' Out.
