I'd like to welcome the following bands into my Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame after being inducted in October 2008:
Franz Ferdinand
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Frank Black
Joni Mitchell
Deep Purple
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #190-#181
#190 - "Dear God" - XTC - Skylarking - #2/2 - The atheist theme song is a clever and insightful letter to God written by people who clearly feel they need to use every argument imaginable in a song the probably doesn't even run for four minutes, but makes a concise argument nonetheless.
#189 - "Judith" - A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms - #3/3 - Although it wasn't intended, this song makes a perfect companion piece with "Dear God". They both basically say the same thing, but while that song comes from a point of sadness and disappointment, this song comes from a point of anger and rage, as it deals more with the religious than religion itself.
#188 - "In Bloom" - Nirvana - Nevermind - #9/15 - The downside of mainstream appeal is that your music will be enjoyed not only by a target audience that understands what it means but also by a bunch of imbeciles who only like the hooks and how good the songs sound when buzzed on cheap beer. This song deals with the imbeciles and you know what? They love the song just to same, being imbeciles and all.
#187 - "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Bob Dylan - Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid Soundtrack - #10/15 - One of Dylan's best songs of the 70's, "Knockin'" is among the most popular and most covered songs of the classic rock era, with it's clever lyrics and somber tone.
#186 - "What Do I Get" - The Buzzcocks - Operators Manual - #2/2 - The Buzzcocks never get the credit they deserve, but with this song they made one of the definitive punk songs of the 1970's. They lyrics are sharp and the chorus is as poppy as punk ever got.
#185 - "When The President Talks To God (Live)" - Bright Eyes - Motion Sickness - One of the msot shocking performances in the history of Jay Leno's The Tonight Show, "President" is the boldest and most jarring protest song against the Bush Administration. In a few short minutes, Connor Oberst lays out every argument against Bush imaginable and lays his crooked administration low like a surgeon with a scalpel.
#184 - "Just" - Radiohead - The Bends - #5/8 - Before they became the leading providers of art-rock, Radiohead enjoyed a string of hits on the alternative charts, with "Just" being among the best. The chorus, in particular, was a solid indicator not only of where the band had been before but also where they'd be headed in the future.
#183 - "Blowin' In The Wind" - Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - #11/15 - The song that kicked off the protest rock genre and legitimized folk music and brought it to the masses, the song provided one of the most important lyrics of all-time: "How many roads must a man walk down, before you can call him a man?"
#182 - "Back In The U.S.S.R." - The Beatles - The White Album - #14/22 - The Beatles' borrowed segments from The Beach Boys' "California Girls" and used them to take satirical jabs at Mother Russia. They also managed to create one of their peppiest and most fun rock songs since their early days as a Chuck Berry cover band.
#181 - "Ruby Tuesday" - The Rolling Stones - Flowers - #11/20 - The Stones weren't known for their ballads, but they were certainly skilled at creating them. "Ruby" is one of their bigger pop songs with it's fantastic chorus, but it's also a very well-written song and very moving.
#189 - "Judith" - A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms - #3/3 - Although it wasn't intended, this song makes a perfect companion piece with "Dear God". They both basically say the same thing, but while that song comes from a point of sadness and disappointment, this song comes from a point of anger and rage, as it deals more with the religious than religion itself.
#188 - "In Bloom" - Nirvana - Nevermind - #9/15 - The downside of mainstream appeal is that your music will be enjoyed not only by a target audience that understands what it means but also by a bunch of imbeciles who only like the hooks and how good the songs sound when buzzed on cheap beer. This song deals with the imbeciles and you know what? They love the song just to same, being imbeciles and all.
#187 - "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Bob Dylan - Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid Soundtrack - #10/15 - One of Dylan's best songs of the 70's, "Knockin'" is among the most popular and most covered songs of the classic rock era, with it's clever lyrics and somber tone.
#186 - "What Do I Get" - The Buzzcocks - Operators Manual - #2/2 - The Buzzcocks never get the credit they deserve, but with this song they made one of the definitive punk songs of the 1970's. They lyrics are sharp and the chorus is as poppy as punk ever got.
#185 - "When The President Talks To God (Live)" - Bright Eyes - Motion Sickness - One of the msot shocking performances in the history of Jay Leno's The Tonight Show, "President" is the boldest and most jarring protest song against the Bush Administration. In a few short minutes, Connor Oberst lays out every argument against Bush imaginable and lays his crooked administration low like a surgeon with a scalpel.
#184 - "Just" - Radiohead - The Bends - #5/8 - Before they became the leading providers of art-rock, Radiohead enjoyed a string of hits on the alternative charts, with "Just" being among the best. The chorus, in particular, was a solid indicator not only of where the band had been before but also where they'd be headed in the future.
#183 - "Blowin' In The Wind" - Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - #11/15 - The song that kicked off the protest rock genre and legitimized folk music and brought it to the masses, the song provided one of the most important lyrics of all-time: "How many roads must a man walk down, before you can call him a man?"
#182 - "Back In The U.S.S.R." - The Beatles - The White Album - #14/22 - The Beatles' borrowed segments from The Beach Boys' "California Girls" and used them to take satirical jabs at Mother Russia. They also managed to create one of their peppiest and most fun rock songs since their early days as a Chuck Berry cover band.
#181 - "Ruby Tuesday" - The Rolling Stones - Flowers - #11/20 - The Stones weren't known for their ballads, but they were certainly skilled at creating them. "Ruby" is one of their bigger pop songs with it's fantastic chorus, but it's also a very well-written song and very moving.
Top 1000 Bands #190-#181
190 - Madonna - The Queen of Pop, Madonna had hit after hit during the 80's and 90's, eventually becoming one of the few pure pop artists to be inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame.
189 - Michael Jackson - And here's the King Of Pop, who during the 80's was the biggest star in pop music, though now he's best known as something akin to a carnival freak.
188 - Korn - One of the biggest stars of the nu-metal genre, Korn enjoyed a string of albums that were among the best of the late 90's. They aren't quite what they used to be, but most bands from the 90's aren't.
187 - New Order - New Order rose from the ashes of Joy Division and while they never got the acclaim that their original band did, they were among the biggest hitmakers of the New Wave 80's.
186 - They Might Be Giants - The original quirky pop rock band, They Might Be Giants have made a 20+ year career out of their fun and unusual sound.
185 - ZZ Top - One of the biggest blues rock bands of the classic rock era, ZZ Top hit a career high-point in the early 80's with their Eliminator album, which made them one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
184 - The Buzzcocks - One of the most overlooked bands of the 70's punk scene, The Buzzcocks created two of punk's best songs "What Do I Get" and "Ever Fallen In Love".
183 - Placebo - A weird band to be sure, Placebo was one of the best bands of the alt rock 90's. Their sound isn't for all tastes, but to be sure they were unique and interesting at all time.
182 - Faith No More - One of the first bands to mix rock and rap into their sound, Faith No more enjoyed a lot of underground success before cracking the pop charts with "Epic".
181 - Depeche Mode - A consistent and solid band that has a surprisingly large fanbase, Depeche Mode is best known for a string of hits that they had in the 80's and early 90's, but they've been among the best artists in New Wave throughout the past few decades.
189 - Michael Jackson - And here's the King Of Pop, who during the 80's was the biggest star in pop music, though now he's best known as something akin to a carnival freak.
188 - Korn - One of the biggest stars of the nu-metal genre, Korn enjoyed a string of albums that were among the best of the late 90's. They aren't quite what they used to be, but most bands from the 90's aren't.
187 - New Order - New Order rose from the ashes of Joy Division and while they never got the acclaim that their original band did, they were among the biggest hitmakers of the New Wave 80's.
186 - They Might Be Giants - The original quirky pop rock band, They Might Be Giants have made a 20+ year career out of their fun and unusual sound.
185 - ZZ Top - One of the biggest blues rock bands of the classic rock era, ZZ Top hit a career high-point in the early 80's with their Eliminator album, which made them one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
184 - The Buzzcocks - One of the most overlooked bands of the 70's punk scene, The Buzzcocks created two of punk's best songs "What Do I Get" and "Ever Fallen In Love".
183 - Placebo - A weird band to be sure, Placebo was one of the best bands of the alt rock 90's. Their sound isn't for all tastes, but to be sure they were unique and interesting at all time.
182 - Faith No More - One of the first bands to mix rock and rap into their sound, Faith No more enjoyed a lot of underground success before cracking the pop charts with "Epic".
181 - Depeche Mode - A consistent and solid band that has a surprisingly large fanbase, Depeche Mode is best known for a string of hits that they had in the 80's and early 90's, but they've been among the best artists in New Wave throughout the past few decades.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #200-#191
#200 - "Common People" - Pulp - Different Class - #1/1 - The song is probably better-known in average circles because of the cover William Shatner did a few years back, but to music fans, it's widely regarded as one of the sharpest and most intelligent songs of the 90's. It kicks a lot of ass, too.
#199 - "Guerilla Radio" - Rage Against The Machine - The Battle Of Los Angeles - #10/12 - Political punk doesn't get much better than this classic propelled by it's legendary opening guitar lick and Zach's bomb-throwing lyrics.
#198 - "Set Me Free" - Velvet Revolver - Contraband - #2/2 - Talk about hitting a home run in your first at-bat! VR never had another song as fun and exciting as the first glimpse we had of the band on this song, featured prominently in the soundtrack of the original Hulk film.
#197 - "Prison Sex" - Tool - Undertow - #6/9 - One of Tool's first big hits, "Prison Sex" is a crunchy prog nightmare with clever lyrics and frighteningly dark guitarwork.
#196 - "How Soon Is Now?" - The Smiths - Meat Is Murder - #2/2 - One of the classic alternative epics of the 80's, The Smiths were never better than they were on this landmark song.
#195 - "Tears In Heaven (Unplugged)" - Eric Clapton - Unplugged - #4/4 - The saddest and most moving song in Clapton's catalog is also his best and this version of the song is gutwrenchingly personal in a way the studio version could never be.
#194 - "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield - #1/1 - Perhaps the best and most significant one-hit wonder song ever created, "For What It's Worth" is one of the defining songs of the 1960's and one of the best-written songs of all-time.
#193 - "Sunshine Of Your Love" - Cream - Disraeli Gears - #4/5 - Featuring one of the great guitar licks of the electric guitar's best era, "Sunshine Of Your Love" is a legendary classic rock song that defined the psychedelic rock genre.
#192 - "God Save The Queen" - The Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols - #3/4 - The song that made punk rock seem dangerous and scary, "God Save The Queen" was a brutal attack on the Queen of England, who at the time was still regarded as a significant figure in world events. The song got the band widely banned and gave them a reputation as the most avant garde band of the rock era.
#191 - "Rearviewmirror" - Pearl Jam - Vs. - #20/25 - If any song ever defined the concept of the slow build, it was "Rearviewmirror", a song that starts out slowly, but subtly accelerates until it reaches it's climax, when it's pulsing at a full-on pace that rivals the speed of PJ's "Spin The Black Circle". The song was never a big hit, but it's still regarded as a classic nonetheless.
#199 - "Guerilla Radio" - Rage Against The Machine - The Battle Of Los Angeles - #10/12 - Political punk doesn't get much better than this classic propelled by it's legendary opening guitar lick and Zach's bomb-throwing lyrics.
#198 - "Set Me Free" - Velvet Revolver - Contraband - #2/2 - Talk about hitting a home run in your first at-bat! VR never had another song as fun and exciting as the first glimpse we had of the band on this song, featured prominently in the soundtrack of the original Hulk film.
#197 - "Prison Sex" - Tool - Undertow - #6/9 - One of Tool's first big hits, "Prison Sex" is a crunchy prog nightmare with clever lyrics and frighteningly dark guitarwork.
#196 - "How Soon Is Now?" - The Smiths - Meat Is Murder - #2/2 - One of the classic alternative epics of the 80's, The Smiths were never better than they were on this landmark song.
#195 - "Tears In Heaven (Unplugged)" - Eric Clapton - Unplugged - #4/4 - The saddest and most moving song in Clapton's catalog is also his best and this version of the song is gutwrenchingly personal in a way the studio version could never be.
#194 - "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield - #1/1 - Perhaps the best and most significant one-hit wonder song ever created, "For What It's Worth" is one of the defining songs of the 1960's and one of the best-written songs of all-time.
#193 - "Sunshine Of Your Love" - Cream - Disraeli Gears - #4/5 - Featuring one of the great guitar licks of the electric guitar's best era, "Sunshine Of Your Love" is a legendary classic rock song that defined the psychedelic rock genre.
#192 - "God Save The Queen" - The Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols - #3/4 - The song that made punk rock seem dangerous and scary, "God Save The Queen" was a brutal attack on the Queen of England, who at the time was still regarded as a significant figure in world events. The song got the band widely banned and gave them a reputation as the most avant garde band of the rock era.
#191 - "Rearviewmirror" - Pearl Jam - Vs. - #20/25 - If any song ever defined the concept of the slow build, it was "Rearviewmirror", a song that starts out slowly, but subtly accelerates until it reaches it's climax, when it's pulsing at a full-on pace that rivals the speed of PJ's "Spin The Black Circle". The song was never a big hit, but it's still regarded as a classic nonetheless.
Top 1000 Bands #200-#190
200 - The Traveling Wilburys - The greatest supergroup of all-time, The Traveling Wilburys featured Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne (ELO). The band didn't stay together for very long, breaking up with Orbision's death, but they put together some of the best country rock of all-time.
199 - The Doobie Brothers - One of the biggest acts of the 70's, the Doobie Brothers had hit after hit, making their mark as one of the most popular bands of the classic rock era, if not necessarily one of the greatest.
198 - Pulp - The forgotten band of the Brit-pop era, Pulp created one of the greatest songs of all-time with their bitter and sarcastic "Common People". They had a lot of other great songs, but that was their big hit.
197 - Bob Seger - No artist was more prolific during the 70's than Bob Seger, who had what seems like 40 classic rock hits between 1970 and 1979 alone. I'm not sure why I ranked Seger so low, but he should go up the next time around because while many of his songs are irritating, some are brilliant.
196 - Blondie - Blondie was a great New Wave band from the NYC '77 scene before becoming one of the biggest bands of the 80's when they started fusing New Wave with disco, making them one of the stars of the early years of MTV.
195 - Primal Scream - One of many great bands to rise from the ashes of the Stone Roses, Primal Scream has branched off in many different directions, failing at some, but succeeding wildly at most, making them one of the best bands of the post-Brit Pop era.
194 - Motorhead - The first great speed metal band, Motorhead inspired an entire generation of metalheads with their rapid-fire guitars and bad-ass attitude.
193 - Paul McCartney - The most commercially successful Beatle, McCartney mixed solo records in with his work with Wings to create some of the most annoying songs of all-time, but also some of the greatest.
192 - Jay-Z - One of the greatest and most popular rappers of all-time, Jay-Z has built an empire on the strength of his unique style and extraordinary lyrical skills.
191 - Stevie Wonder - One of the great survivors of Motown, Stevie Wonder is a living legend who's been topping the charts for over forty years now, moving seamlessly from Motown to funk to rock n roll.
199 - The Doobie Brothers - One of the biggest acts of the 70's, the Doobie Brothers had hit after hit, making their mark as one of the most popular bands of the classic rock era, if not necessarily one of the greatest.
198 - Pulp - The forgotten band of the Brit-pop era, Pulp created one of the greatest songs of all-time with their bitter and sarcastic "Common People". They had a lot of other great songs, but that was their big hit.
197 - Bob Seger - No artist was more prolific during the 70's than Bob Seger, who had what seems like 40 classic rock hits between 1970 and 1979 alone. I'm not sure why I ranked Seger so low, but he should go up the next time around because while many of his songs are irritating, some are brilliant.
196 - Blondie - Blondie was a great New Wave band from the NYC '77 scene before becoming one of the biggest bands of the 80's when they started fusing New Wave with disco, making them one of the stars of the early years of MTV.
195 - Primal Scream - One of many great bands to rise from the ashes of the Stone Roses, Primal Scream has branched off in many different directions, failing at some, but succeeding wildly at most, making them one of the best bands of the post-Brit Pop era.
194 - Motorhead - The first great speed metal band, Motorhead inspired an entire generation of metalheads with their rapid-fire guitars and bad-ass attitude.
193 - Paul McCartney - The most commercially successful Beatle, McCartney mixed solo records in with his work with Wings to create some of the most annoying songs of all-time, but also some of the greatest.
192 - Jay-Z - One of the greatest and most popular rappers of all-time, Jay-Z has built an empire on the strength of his unique style and extraordinary lyrical skills.
191 - Stevie Wonder - One of the great survivors of Motown, Stevie Wonder is a living legend who's been topping the charts for over forty years now, moving seamlessly from Motown to funk to rock n roll.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #210-#201
#210 - "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" - Marilyn Manson - Smells Like Children - #4/4 - Manson's first hit is also his best, as his cover of the Eurythmics' 80's classic is creepy beyond belief and intense to the point of being frightening.
#209 - "Across The Universe" - The Beatles - Let It Be - #13/22 - This trippy and sweeping song was one of the Beatles' last great hits. The song has been covered multiple times over the years, but no one has ever topped the Fab Four's original version.
#208 - "Everybody Knows" - Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man - #3/3 - One of the most sarcastic songs ever written, "Everybody Knows" is Cohen's most brilliant song with clever lyrics and a pulsing beat throughout.
#207 - "Oliver's Army" - Elvis Costello - Armed Forces - #8/11 - Speaking of sarcastic, is there any man in rock history who did it better than Elvis Costello? This song, from his punk period, is a classic example of that attitude.
#206 - "Wolf Like Me" - T.V. On The Radio - Return Cookie Mountain - #1/1 - With it's pounding beat, weird vocals and intense lyrics, "Wolf Like Me" might be the best song of the 21st Century so far, even though you've probably never heard it on the radio.
#205 - "November Rain" - Guns N Rose - Use Your Illusion I - #6/8 - The piano solo at the start, the insane video, the story told within the lyrics, the breakdown at the end, and most of all the legendary guitar solo towards the end of the song (there are actually several great guitar solos in this epic tune). All of thse elements add up to the last great song from one of the last great rock bands of the classic rock era before alternative and indie bands took over.
#204 - "Head Like A Hole" - Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine - #6/7 - The first great song in the career of one of the best bands of the 90's, "Head Like A Hole" is a song about rebelling against power and authority, a common theme in the band's catalog, but it's the passion and intensity that makes this song great.
#203 - "Rooster" - Alice In Chains - Dirt - #5/8 - AIC tells the story of a band member's Vietnam War hero father, a sad and sweeping epic that defined grunge at a time when the genre was just gaining traction at the time this song came around.
#202 - "This Is Radio Clash" - The Clash - Greatest Hits - #13/18 - The Clash experimented with many genres of music throughout their career and this song is no exception, as it uses elements of the brand new at the time hip hop genre to enhance this track and make it legendary.
#201 - "Foxy Lady" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? - #8/9 - Hendrix crafts yet another legendary guitar hook in this song, one of the most famous hooks of all-time actually. They lyrics aren't all that impresive, but the way the song is constructed with the incredible hook serving as the backbone more than makes up for any lyrical shortcomings the song may have.
#209 - "Across The Universe" - The Beatles - Let It Be - #13/22 - This trippy and sweeping song was one of the Beatles' last great hits. The song has been covered multiple times over the years, but no one has ever topped the Fab Four's original version.
#208 - "Everybody Knows" - Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man - #3/3 - One of the most sarcastic songs ever written, "Everybody Knows" is Cohen's most brilliant song with clever lyrics and a pulsing beat throughout.
#207 - "Oliver's Army" - Elvis Costello - Armed Forces - #8/11 - Speaking of sarcastic, is there any man in rock history who did it better than Elvis Costello? This song, from his punk period, is a classic example of that attitude.
#206 - "Wolf Like Me" - T.V. On The Radio - Return Cookie Mountain - #1/1 - With it's pounding beat, weird vocals and intense lyrics, "Wolf Like Me" might be the best song of the 21st Century so far, even though you've probably never heard it on the radio.
#205 - "November Rain" - Guns N Rose - Use Your Illusion I - #6/8 - The piano solo at the start, the insane video, the story told within the lyrics, the breakdown at the end, and most of all the legendary guitar solo towards the end of the song (there are actually several great guitar solos in this epic tune). All of thse elements add up to the last great song from one of the last great rock bands of the classic rock era before alternative and indie bands took over.
#204 - "Head Like A Hole" - Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine - #6/7 - The first great song in the career of one of the best bands of the 90's, "Head Like A Hole" is a song about rebelling against power and authority, a common theme in the band's catalog, but it's the passion and intensity that makes this song great.
#203 - "Rooster" - Alice In Chains - Dirt - #5/8 - AIC tells the story of a band member's Vietnam War hero father, a sad and sweeping epic that defined grunge at a time when the genre was just gaining traction at the time this song came around.
#202 - "This Is Radio Clash" - The Clash - Greatest Hits - #13/18 - The Clash experimented with many genres of music throughout their career and this song is no exception, as it uses elements of the brand new at the time hip hop genre to enhance this track and make it legendary.
#201 - "Foxy Lady" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? - #8/9 - Hendrix crafts yet another legendary guitar hook in this song, one of the most famous hooks of all-time actually. They lyrics aren't all that impresive, but the way the song is constructed with the incredible hook serving as the backbone more than makes up for any lyrical shortcomings the song may have.
Top 1000 Bands #210-#201
210 - Wilco - The biggest stars of the alt country scene, Wilco has created some of the most important indie rock albums of all-time.
209 - The New Pornographers - A pop-flavored indie band that produces great album after great album and serves as a launching pad for the solo careers of the many talented members of the band.
208 - The Flaming Lips - One of the quirkiest rock bands of all-time, the Lips struck gold with their Yoshimi concept album.
207 - Guided By Voices - Even if they only had one good song on each of their 953 albums and EP's, Guided By Voices would be one of the great alternative bands of all-time. By my count, they have approximately 1.1, so they're good to go.
206 - Jefferson Airplane - One of the biggest bands of the 60's, Jefferson Airplane had huge hits with "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit" before taking one bad trip too many and ending up as some sort of abomination called Jefferson Starship.
205 - Todd Snider - One of the best folk singers of his generation, Todd Snider has released a long series of clever and entertaining country folk albums over the past decade.
204 - Sheryl Crow - She's fallen on hard times recently, but back in the 90's, Crow was an innovative, creative and interesting artist who produced quality hit after hit. She doesn't anymore.
203 - The Offspring - Surprisingly, The Offspring is still around and making chart-clobbering hits. Ignore the stupid novelty songs and focus on the punk lyrics and rapid-fire guitars that have been the cornerstone of the band for nearly 20 years.
202 - Social Distortion - You wouldn't think that country and punk would go together very well, but Social Distortion blended them together to make some of the most unique and clever songs of the 80's.
201 - The Sounds - Another great indie band that no one has ever heard of, The Sounds have released a series of brilliant albums, but no major breakthrough as of yet.
209 - The New Pornographers - A pop-flavored indie band that produces great album after great album and serves as a launching pad for the solo careers of the many talented members of the band.
208 - The Flaming Lips - One of the quirkiest rock bands of all-time, the Lips struck gold with their Yoshimi concept album.
207 - Guided By Voices - Even if they only had one good song on each of their 953 albums and EP's, Guided By Voices would be one of the great alternative bands of all-time. By my count, they have approximately 1.1, so they're good to go.
206 - Jefferson Airplane - One of the biggest bands of the 60's, Jefferson Airplane had huge hits with "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit" before taking one bad trip too many and ending up as some sort of abomination called Jefferson Starship.
205 - Todd Snider - One of the best folk singers of his generation, Todd Snider has released a long series of clever and entertaining country folk albums over the past decade.
204 - Sheryl Crow - She's fallen on hard times recently, but back in the 90's, Crow was an innovative, creative and interesting artist who produced quality hit after hit. She doesn't anymore.
203 - The Offspring - Surprisingly, The Offspring is still around and making chart-clobbering hits. Ignore the stupid novelty songs and focus on the punk lyrics and rapid-fire guitars that have been the cornerstone of the band for nearly 20 years.
202 - Social Distortion - You wouldn't think that country and punk would go together very well, but Social Distortion blended them together to make some of the most unique and clever songs of the 80's.
201 - The Sounds - Another great indie band that no one has ever heard of, The Sounds have released a series of brilliant albums, but no major breakthrough as of yet.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #220-#211
#220 - "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" - Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - #7/8 - For a piano driven pop star, Elton John came up with a couple song that genuinely rocked, and this one is the best, as it was even bad-ass enough to be covered by the likes of Kid Rock, who murdered it for it's trouble.
#219 - "The Killing Moon" - Echo And The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain - #2/2 - "The Killing Moon" was Echo's epic song and though it's been overlooked as a classic rock hit, the song's influence on modern alternative band is well-known.
#218 - "Changes" - Tupac Shakur - Greatest Hits - #1/1 - Shakur is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all-time and this was easily his best song. Unfortunately for Mr. Shakur, he never did live to see a black President, though it looks like the rest of us will.
#217 - "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks - You Really Got Me - #1/1 - The opening riff on this song is one of the founding moments of rock n roll as the band that was years ahead of its time cranked out what would turn out to be their best and most well-known songs.
#216 - "Bomb Track" - Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine - #9/12 - One of the first Rage songs was also one of their best as the song kicks off with a brilliant Morello lick and carries on through one of Zach's best rants.
#215 - "Rebel Rebel" - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs - #7/10 - Another of Bowie's great songs from the best period of his career (mid-70's), "Rebel" features sharp lyrics and a fantastic backing beat.
#214 - "Sexx Laws" - Beck - Midnite Vultures - #6/9 - Beck is well-known for his funky sound and it never got funkier than this late-90's hit.
#213 - "One Way Or Another" - Blondie - One Way Or Another - #2/2 - Blondie is best-known for their pop turn in the early 80's, but "One Way" is their best song and it comes from their New York days back when they were embracing New Wave rather than Disco as their musical base.
#212 - "Black Dog" - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV - #16/24 - Zeppelin borrowed from the old Fleetwood Mac song "Oh Well" to create one of their most popular songs, the blues rock classic built around the riff from hell.
#211 - "Ty Cobb" - Soundgarden - Down On The Upside - #8/11 - Although the song has probably never been played on the radio, it's among the band's most exciting songs and one of the few driving and fast songs in Soundgarden's catalog.
#219 - "The Killing Moon" - Echo And The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain - #2/2 - "The Killing Moon" was Echo's epic song and though it's been overlooked as a classic rock hit, the song's influence on modern alternative band is well-known.
#218 - "Changes" - Tupac Shakur - Greatest Hits - #1/1 - Shakur is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all-time and this was easily his best song. Unfortunately for Mr. Shakur, he never did live to see a black President, though it looks like the rest of us will.
#217 - "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks - You Really Got Me - #1/1 - The opening riff on this song is one of the founding moments of rock n roll as the band that was years ahead of its time cranked out what would turn out to be their best and most well-known songs.
#216 - "Bomb Track" - Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine - #9/12 - One of the first Rage songs was also one of their best as the song kicks off with a brilliant Morello lick and carries on through one of Zach's best rants.
#215 - "Rebel Rebel" - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs - #7/10 - Another of Bowie's great songs from the best period of his career (mid-70's), "Rebel" features sharp lyrics and a fantastic backing beat.
#214 - "Sexx Laws" - Beck - Midnite Vultures - #6/9 - Beck is well-known for his funky sound and it never got funkier than this late-90's hit.
#213 - "One Way Or Another" - Blondie - One Way Or Another - #2/2 - Blondie is best-known for their pop turn in the early 80's, but "One Way" is their best song and it comes from their New York days back when they were embracing New Wave rather than Disco as their musical base.
#212 - "Black Dog" - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV - #16/24 - Zeppelin borrowed from the old Fleetwood Mac song "Oh Well" to create one of their most popular songs, the blues rock classic built around the riff from hell.
#211 - "Ty Cobb" - Soundgarden - Down On The Upside - #8/11 - Although the song has probably never been played on the radio, it's among the band's most exciting songs and one of the few driving and fast songs in Soundgarden's catalog.
Top 1000 Bands #220-#211
220 - Lou Reed - After the Velvet Underground broke up, Lou Reed started a solo career that for a brief period in the 70's rivaled David Bowie as the king of alternative classic rock. He only had one big hit "Walk On The Wild Side", but created a series of brilliant albums.
219 - The MC5 - One of the founding fathers of punk, The MC5 pre-dated Rage Against The Machine by nearly twenty years with their politically-themed agit-punk. They didn't have the hits that Rage had, but they were clearly one of their major inspirations.
218 - Morrissey - The former lead singer of The Smiths, Morrissey enjoyed one of the most successful careers in modern rock history, releasing hit after hit. For my money, he produced a large quantity of great songs, but after awhile they started to sound like the same song over and over again.
217 - The Moody Blues - One of the best bands not to be inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame, The Moody Blues have never been a flashy band or a particularly influential band, but they have made a career out of creating interesting songs of high quality spanning from the early 60's through the 80's.
216 - Maximo Park - Another one of those unknown indie rock bands who would be huge if the music industry wasn't terrified of music that exists outside of their comfort zone. Maximo Park has released two brilliant CDs that have unfortunately been buried under a landslide of pop and rap metal.
215 - The Beta Band - A great indie rock band from the late 90's. They released a series of rock solid EPs before breaking up, but they never broke through.
214 - Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - I'm starting to notice a theme here, as Ted Leo is yet another great indie band that most people have never heard of. They've also been around for awhile, so you just gotta wonder what's up with the industry that they don't want good music to be heard.
213 - Traffic - One of the best and most overlooked bands of the early classic rock era, Steve Winwood and his band Traffic crafted great album after great album back in the 60's.
212 - The Violent Femmes - One of the biggest names in college rock and alternative music in the 80's, The Violent Femmes created a shitload of brilliant underground hits at a time long before their music would be appreciated fully.
211 - XTC - One of the best and most controversial New Wave bands of the 80's, XTC at the very least produced two of the best attacks on religion and the way it affects people with "Dear God" and "The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead", among their many political hits during the Reagan years.
219 - The MC5 - One of the founding fathers of punk, The MC5 pre-dated Rage Against The Machine by nearly twenty years with their politically-themed agit-punk. They didn't have the hits that Rage had, but they were clearly one of their major inspirations.
218 - Morrissey - The former lead singer of The Smiths, Morrissey enjoyed one of the most successful careers in modern rock history, releasing hit after hit. For my money, he produced a large quantity of great songs, but after awhile they started to sound like the same song over and over again.
217 - The Moody Blues - One of the best bands not to be inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame, The Moody Blues have never been a flashy band or a particularly influential band, but they have made a career out of creating interesting songs of high quality spanning from the early 60's through the 80's.
216 - Maximo Park - Another one of those unknown indie rock bands who would be huge if the music industry wasn't terrified of music that exists outside of their comfort zone. Maximo Park has released two brilliant CDs that have unfortunately been buried under a landslide of pop and rap metal.
215 - The Beta Band - A great indie rock band from the late 90's. They released a series of rock solid EPs before breaking up, but they never broke through.
214 - Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - I'm starting to notice a theme here, as Ted Leo is yet another great indie band that most people have never heard of. They've also been around for awhile, so you just gotta wonder what's up with the industry that they don't want good music to be heard.
213 - Traffic - One of the best and most overlooked bands of the early classic rock era, Steve Winwood and his band Traffic crafted great album after great album back in the 60's.
212 - The Violent Femmes - One of the biggest names in college rock and alternative music in the 80's, The Violent Femmes created a shitload of brilliant underground hits at a time long before their music would be appreciated fully.
211 - XTC - One of the best and most controversial New Wave bands of the 80's, XTC at the very least produced two of the best attacks on religion and the way it affects people with "Dear God" and "The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead", among their many political hits during the Reagan years.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #230-#221
#230 - "Clocks" - Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head - #6/6 - The best song by one of the millennium's biggest hitmakers, "Clocks" is one of the century's best-written songs and features one of the most moving beginning riffs of all-time.
#229 - "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana - In Utero - #7/15 - The best song off of Nirvana's last official album, "Heart-Shaped Box" features one of the band's best choruses and an insane video.
#228 - "Sixteen Military Wives" - The Decemberists - Picaresque - #1/1 - The Decemberists' only song on the countdown, "Sixteen" is a razor-sharp satirical take on America's foreign policy and academics.
#227 - "Space Oddity" - David Bowie - Space Oddity - #6/10 - Bowie's breakthrough song was recorded several years earlier but didn't become a hit until it was re-released to take advantage of the release of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the moonwalk. The song paints a vivid picture and tells an entire movie worth of story in only a few minutes of music.
#226 - "Tom Sawyer" - Rush - Moving Pictures - #3/3 - Rush's biggest brush with mainstream success is also their best song as the bombastic guitars and sharp lyrics of this song brought them from the classic rock 70's into their more prominent role in mainstream rock during the 80's.
#225 - "Come As You Are" - Nirvana - Nevermind - #8/15 - Nirvana's "ballad" or at least their slowest song, "Come As You Are" is yet another brilliantly written song from the band that brought indie rock to the mainstream.
#224 - "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" - The Clash - Combat Rock - #12/18 - One of the band's biggest and last hits, "Should I Stay" was a classic New Wave song, though it did betray the band's political history by being an essentially straight-forward relationship song.
#223 - "Hurricane" - Bob Dylan - Greatest Hits - #9/15 - Bob Dylan essentially wrote a novel about boxer Reubin "Hurricane" Carter and turned it into an epic song that tells the story of how Carter was falsely incarcerated for a murder he didn't commit. Carter was later released from prison.
#222 - "Bohemian Like You" - The Dandy Warhols - Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia - #2/2 - The Warhols never crafted a better riff or a better song than "Bohemian Like You", their pulse-pounding late-90's classic.
#221 - "All The Young Dudes" - Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes - #1/1 - Lesson #1 of becoming a successful rock band: When David Bowie offers you a song, you take the song. Hoople was always a talented glam-rock band but they had never scored a hit until David Bowie offered them their choice of this or his classic "Suffragette City". The band chose "Dudes" and the rest was history. They never did have another big hit, but "Dudes" was a big enough hit to leave a mark on classic rock forever.
#229 - "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana - In Utero - #7/15 - The best song off of Nirvana's last official album, "Heart-Shaped Box" features one of the band's best choruses and an insane video.
#228 - "Sixteen Military Wives" - The Decemberists - Picaresque - #1/1 - The Decemberists' only song on the countdown, "Sixteen" is a razor-sharp satirical take on America's foreign policy and academics.
#227 - "Space Oddity" - David Bowie - Space Oddity - #6/10 - Bowie's breakthrough song was recorded several years earlier but didn't become a hit until it was re-released to take advantage of the release of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the moonwalk. The song paints a vivid picture and tells an entire movie worth of story in only a few minutes of music.
#226 - "Tom Sawyer" - Rush - Moving Pictures - #3/3 - Rush's biggest brush with mainstream success is also their best song as the bombastic guitars and sharp lyrics of this song brought them from the classic rock 70's into their more prominent role in mainstream rock during the 80's.
#225 - "Come As You Are" - Nirvana - Nevermind - #8/15 - Nirvana's "ballad" or at least their slowest song, "Come As You Are" is yet another brilliantly written song from the band that brought indie rock to the mainstream.
#224 - "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" - The Clash - Combat Rock - #12/18 - One of the band's biggest and last hits, "Should I Stay" was a classic New Wave song, though it did betray the band's political history by being an essentially straight-forward relationship song.
#223 - "Hurricane" - Bob Dylan - Greatest Hits - #9/15 - Bob Dylan essentially wrote a novel about boxer Reubin "Hurricane" Carter and turned it into an epic song that tells the story of how Carter was falsely incarcerated for a murder he didn't commit. Carter was later released from prison.
#222 - "Bohemian Like You" - The Dandy Warhols - Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia - #2/2 - The Warhols never crafted a better riff or a better song than "Bohemian Like You", their pulse-pounding late-90's classic.
#221 - "All The Young Dudes" - Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes - #1/1 - Lesson #1 of becoming a successful rock band: When David Bowie offers you a song, you take the song. Hoople was always a talented glam-rock band but they had never scored a hit until David Bowie offered them their choice of this or his classic "Suffragette City". The band chose "Dudes" and the rest was history. They never did have another big hit, but "Dudes" was a big enough hit to leave a mark on classic rock forever.
Top 1000 Bands #230-#221
230 - The Goo Goo Dolls - Another band that takes a lot of flack for the direction they've taken recently, The Goo Goo Dolls were actually a decent alternative band until they hit it big with that damn "Iris" song that destroyed their career.
229 - Art Brut - They're still pretty underground, but Art Brut has put together several solid albums, establishing themselves as the heirs apparent to the legacy of the Sex Pistols.
228 - INXS - There weren't many bigger bands in the 80's than INXS. A lot of their music was pretty lame, but several times each album they created a song that was pure New Wave genius.
227 - Interpol - One of the hottest bands in indie rock at the moment, Interpol has built a huge reputation with three rock solid albums in a row, each one building on the last.
226 - Kings Of Leon - One of the best indie rock bands of the past few years, Kings Of Leon created a series of brilliant songs on their first few albums before taking a more serious direction on their last two. Critics say that they're better now, but I disagree. Their new stuff is solid, but there aren't any "Molly's Chambers" or "The Bucket"'s in their new direction.
225 - Blue Oyster Cult - The band that's infamous for the "more cowbell" sketch on SNL, BOC is actually a solid heavy metal outfit from the 70's that had great songs like "Godzilla" and "Astronomy" on top of their mega-hits "Don't Fear The Reaper" and "Burnin' For You".
224 - Sublime - The biggest stars of the ska boom of the mid-to-late 90's, Sublime released their breakthrough album shortly after the death of their lead singer. The band had the dignity to break-up, but they still became legends due to the excellence of the music the recorded.
223 - The Steve Miller Band - One of the biggest hitmakers of the 1970's, The Steve Miller Band was never artistically acclaimed but they did create some of the most beloved and most fun songs of the classic rock era.
222 - The Barenaked Ladies - Another quirky band from the late 90's comes in at #222 as the Barenaked Ladies rode the success of their fun but weird songs to hit after hit.
221 - Leonard Cohen - One of the greatest songwriters of all-time, Leonard Cohen wrote brilliant song after brilliant song but never got the recognition he deserved until he was finally inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.
229 - Art Brut - They're still pretty underground, but Art Brut has put together several solid albums, establishing themselves as the heirs apparent to the legacy of the Sex Pistols.
228 - INXS - There weren't many bigger bands in the 80's than INXS. A lot of their music was pretty lame, but several times each album they created a song that was pure New Wave genius.
227 - Interpol - One of the hottest bands in indie rock at the moment, Interpol has built a huge reputation with three rock solid albums in a row, each one building on the last.
226 - Kings Of Leon - One of the best indie rock bands of the past few years, Kings Of Leon created a series of brilliant songs on their first few albums before taking a more serious direction on their last two. Critics say that they're better now, but I disagree. Their new stuff is solid, but there aren't any "Molly's Chambers" or "The Bucket"'s in their new direction.
225 - Blue Oyster Cult - The band that's infamous for the "more cowbell" sketch on SNL, BOC is actually a solid heavy metal outfit from the 70's that had great songs like "Godzilla" and "Astronomy" on top of their mega-hits "Don't Fear The Reaper" and "Burnin' For You".
224 - Sublime - The biggest stars of the ska boom of the mid-to-late 90's, Sublime released their breakthrough album shortly after the death of their lead singer. The band had the dignity to break-up, but they still became legends due to the excellence of the music the recorded.
223 - The Steve Miller Band - One of the biggest hitmakers of the 1970's, The Steve Miller Band was never artistically acclaimed but they did create some of the most beloved and most fun songs of the classic rock era.
222 - The Barenaked Ladies - Another quirky band from the late 90's comes in at #222 as the Barenaked Ladies rode the success of their fun but weird songs to hit after hit.
221 - Leonard Cohen - One of the greatest songwriters of all-time, Leonard Cohen wrote brilliant song after brilliant song but never got the recognition he deserved until he was finally inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #240-#231
#240 - "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" - The White Stripes - White Blood Cells - #9/10 - This song established Jack White as one of the great guitarists of his generation and put the White Stripes at the end of the pack for 21st century bands with their driving beats and quirky lyrics.
#239 - "(The Staircase) Mystery" - Siouxsie And The Banshees - The Scream - #4/4 - They'll probably never be inducted into the Hall of Fame and in fact they'll probably never even be recognized for the legends that they are, but Siouxsie and the Banshees were one of the founders of the New Wave and indie rock movement and this driving and dramatic song is the best example of their brilliance.
#238 - "Girlfriend Is Better" - The Talking Heads - Speaking In Tongues - #8/10 - Although this song is not widely known as one of the Heads' biggest hits, "Better" is one of my favorites because of it's chorus and it's association with the concert performance film "Stop Making Sense".
#237 - "Killing In The Name Of" - Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine - #8/12 - One of the slower and crunchier songs of the Rage catalog, "Killing" is a brutal punk metal song with great lyrics and the usual guitar brilliance of Tom Morello.
#236 - "One Of Us" - Joan Osborne - Relish - #2/2 - The song that made her famous, "One Of Us" is one of the best-written and most thought-provoking songs of the 90's.
#235 - "My Girl" - The Temptations - "My Girl" - #1/1 - The all-time Motown classic from the label's best band, "My Girl" remains one of the great songs of the early days of rock n roll.
#234 - "Rape Me" - Nirvana - In Utero - #6/15 - The song borrows "Teen Spirit"'s guitar riff (originally borrowed from "More Than A Feeling"), but the breakdown towards the end was straight from Nirvana's late period, also known as 1994.
#233 - "Bastards Of Young" - The Replacements - Tim - #4/4 - The 'Mat's greatest song and one of their few songs to really take it up a notch, "Bastards" was the closest the band came to a breakthrough song. Hopefully they'll someday get the appreciation that they deserve, but barring a longshot induction into the RNR HOF, it seems unlikely.
#232 - "The Beautiful People" - Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar - #3/4 - Manson's biggest hit and his closest brush with respectability, "Beautiful" features a monster riff and great 90's-style alienation lyrics coupled with a screamingly great chorus.
#231 - "You Could Be Mine" - Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion II - #5/8 - The last great GNR song, "You Could Be Mine" combined the sweeping grandeur of the band's earlier hits with Axl's best signature breakdown in the last third of the song to make a brilliant last grab at greatness before Mr. Bailey destroyed the band.
#239 - "(The Staircase) Mystery" - Siouxsie And The Banshees - The Scream - #4/4 - They'll probably never be inducted into the Hall of Fame and in fact they'll probably never even be recognized for the legends that they are, but Siouxsie and the Banshees were one of the founders of the New Wave and indie rock movement and this driving and dramatic song is the best example of their brilliance.
#238 - "Girlfriend Is Better" - The Talking Heads - Speaking In Tongues - #8/10 - Although this song is not widely known as one of the Heads' biggest hits, "Better" is one of my favorites because of it's chorus and it's association with the concert performance film "Stop Making Sense".
#237 - "Killing In The Name Of" - Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine - #8/12 - One of the slower and crunchier songs of the Rage catalog, "Killing" is a brutal punk metal song with great lyrics and the usual guitar brilliance of Tom Morello.
#236 - "One Of Us" - Joan Osborne - Relish - #2/2 - The song that made her famous, "One Of Us" is one of the best-written and most thought-provoking songs of the 90's.
#235 - "My Girl" - The Temptations - "My Girl" - #1/1 - The all-time Motown classic from the label's best band, "My Girl" remains one of the great songs of the early days of rock n roll.
#234 - "Rape Me" - Nirvana - In Utero - #6/15 - The song borrows "Teen Spirit"'s guitar riff (originally borrowed from "More Than A Feeling"), but the breakdown towards the end was straight from Nirvana's late period, also known as 1994.
#233 - "Bastards Of Young" - The Replacements - Tim - #4/4 - The 'Mat's greatest song and one of their few songs to really take it up a notch, "Bastards" was the closest the band came to a breakthrough song. Hopefully they'll someday get the appreciation that they deserve, but barring a longshot induction into the RNR HOF, it seems unlikely.
#232 - "The Beautiful People" - Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar - #3/4 - Manson's biggest hit and his closest brush with respectability, "Beautiful" features a monster riff and great 90's-style alienation lyrics coupled with a screamingly great chorus.
#231 - "You Could Be Mine" - Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion II - #5/8 - The last great GNR song, "You Could Be Mine" combined the sweeping grandeur of the band's earlier hits with Axl's best signature breakdown in the last third of the song to make a brilliant last grab at greatness before Mr. Bailey destroyed the band.
Top 1000 Bands #240-#231
240 - The Libertines - One of the best of the "next big thing" bands that England has fixated on over the past 10 years, The Libertines are famous for their Sex Pistols style songs and Pete Doherty's amazing survival through the greatest crash and burn in rock history that didn't end in the artist's death. Yet.
239 - Velvet Revolver - STP lead singer Scott Weiland teamed up with all the members of Guns N Roses who weren't completely insane to create one of the best supergroups of the 21st Century. Granted, they were no Audioslave, but they did put together some of the best rock songs of the decade.
238 - Black Flag - The biggest name in 80's hardcore punk, Black Flag were fronted by Henry Rollins, one of the most intense singers in rock history and created some of the best punk of the decade.
237 - Peter Gabriel - The former lead singer of Genesis went solo and became one of the biggest and most innovative artists of the 80's with hits like "Sledgehammer" and "In Your Eyes".
236 - Joan Jett - The original riot-grrl, Jett left the Runaways and formed the Blackhearts after a brief solo career. The artist is most famous for her hit "Bad Reputation" and the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock N Roll" and "I Hate Myself (For Loving You)".
235 - The 88 - One of the most underground of underground bands, The 88 have released great song after great song while only getting attention on TV shows who seem to love their songs for some unexplained reason.
234 - Bush - From their fake-Nirvana debut album through a decade-long career near the top of the mainstream rock charts with hit after hit. Many of the hits were average at best, but the band frequently achieved a higher level of quality.
233 - Against Me! - The underground political agi-punk band that went mainstream and produced one of the best albums of 2007, Against Me! gave truth to the lie that DIY bands can't get rich without giving up on quality.
232 - Cake - Of the quirky bands that filled the rock void between grunge and the garage revival, Cake managed to achieve a much higher level of quality from song to song than bands like Presidents of USA or Barenaked Ladies, at times reaching absolute greatness on songs like "The Distance" or "Short Skirt, Long Jacket".
231 - T.V. On The Radio - The band is well on it's way up the charts the next time I revise this list as their new album is fantastic, but this ranking is based on the success of their previous albums and in particular their achievement on "Wolf Like Me", one of the best songs of this century.
239 - Velvet Revolver - STP lead singer Scott Weiland teamed up with all the members of Guns N Roses who weren't completely insane to create one of the best supergroups of the 21st Century. Granted, they were no Audioslave, but they did put together some of the best rock songs of the decade.
238 - Black Flag - The biggest name in 80's hardcore punk, Black Flag were fronted by Henry Rollins, one of the most intense singers in rock history and created some of the best punk of the decade.
237 - Peter Gabriel - The former lead singer of Genesis went solo and became one of the biggest and most innovative artists of the 80's with hits like "Sledgehammer" and "In Your Eyes".
236 - Joan Jett - The original riot-grrl, Jett left the Runaways and formed the Blackhearts after a brief solo career. The artist is most famous for her hit "Bad Reputation" and the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock N Roll" and "I Hate Myself (For Loving You)".
235 - The 88 - One of the most underground of underground bands, The 88 have released great song after great song while only getting attention on TV shows who seem to love their songs for some unexplained reason.
234 - Bush - From their fake-Nirvana debut album through a decade-long career near the top of the mainstream rock charts with hit after hit. Many of the hits were average at best, but the band frequently achieved a higher level of quality.
233 - Against Me! - The underground political agi-punk band that went mainstream and produced one of the best albums of 2007, Against Me! gave truth to the lie that DIY bands can't get rich without giving up on quality.
232 - Cake - Of the quirky bands that filled the rock void between grunge and the garage revival, Cake managed to achieve a much higher level of quality from song to song than bands like Presidents of USA or Barenaked Ladies, at times reaching absolute greatness on songs like "The Distance" or "Short Skirt, Long Jacket".
231 - T.V. On The Radio - The band is well on it's way up the charts the next time I revise this list as their new album is fantastic, but this ranking is based on the success of their previous albums and in particular their achievement on "Wolf Like Me", one of the best songs of this century.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #250-#241
#250 - "Hey Ya" - Outkast - Speakerboxxx / The Love Below - #2/3 - One of the biggest pop songs of the 21st century, "Hey Ya" is a fun song that doesn't condescend to it's audience and remains clever and deep throughout.
#249 - "Got Me Wrong" - Alice In Chains - Sap - #4/8 - AiC never got better at acoustic music than they did on this song from their twin mid-career EPs. The lyrics are among their best and the chorus is outstanding.
#248 - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" - U2 - The Joshua Tree - #12/16 - U2's biggest hit of the 80's, "Still" is a soaring top-of-the-world pop rock monstrosity of epic bombast and style.
#247 - "White Man In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash - The Clash - #11/18 - The Clash were a band that loved world music and reggae in particular as evidenced by this brilliant cut from their debut album. The lyrics are full-on satire as the band was known for as the band lampooned the punk movement itself among other issues.
#246 - "Ring Of Fire" - Social Distortion - Social Distortion - #1/1 - Johnny Cash's last great song was a cover of Nine Inch Nail's "Hurt" (we'll get to that one later), but Social D's best song was their rousing punk cover of Johnny Cash's country classic "Ring Of Fire". As far as I'm concerned, this is the best performance this song has ever had, which really says something as the original is on my list as well.
#245 - "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" - Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head - #5/6 - Coldplay's take on religion features their best song lyrics and some of their best musical accompaniment.
#244 - "Gigantic" - The Pixies - Surfer Rosa - #6/8 - While Frank Black is the most recognized member of the Pixies, Kim Deal was also something of a co-lead singer and this song was a showcase for her style and voice, a style we'd later see with The Breeders.
#243 - "I Can't Explain" - The Who - Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy - #4/9 - The Who were light years ahead of their time and this song from the mid-60's was a great example as the clever lyrics and fast pace were an early indicator of the punk and new wave sound that would follow in their wake... 13 years later.
#242 - "Run" - Snow Patrol - Final Straw - #3/3 - From the ashes of Brit Pop a sub-genre emerged with bands like Coldplay, Keane and this band, Snow Patrol rising to the top. "Run" is one of the finest examples of this genre with it's moving lyrics and sweeping chorus.
#241 - "I Love Rock N Roll" - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - I Love Rock N Roll - #3/3 - Back in the days when rock songs could top the pop charts, this cover of an old punk song became one of the biggest hits of the 80's. The song launched the riot-grrl movement that would reach it's peak years later in the early 90's.
#249 - "Got Me Wrong" - Alice In Chains - Sap - #4/8 - AiC never got better at acoustic music than they did on this song from their twin mid-career EPs. The lyrics are among their best and the chorus is outstanding.
#248 - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" - U2 - The Joshua Tree - #12/16 - U2's biggest hit of the 80's, "Still" is a soaring top-of-the-world pop rock monstrosity of epic bombast and style.
#247 - "White Man In Hammersmith Palais" - The Clash - The Clash - #11/18 - The Clash were a band that loved world music and reggae in particular as evidenced by this brilliant cut from their debut album. The lyrics are full-on satire as the band was known for as the band lampooned the punk movement itself among other issues.
#246 - "Ring Of Fire" - Social Distortion - Social Distortion - #1/1 - Johnny Cash's last great song was a cover of Nine Inch Nail's "Hurt" (we'll get to that one later), but Social D's best song was their rousing punk cover of Johnny Cash's country classic "Ring Of Fire". As far as I'm concerned, this is the best performance this song has ever had, which really says something as the original is on my list as well.
#245 - "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" - Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head - #5/6 - Coldplay's take on religion features their best song lyrics and some of their best musical accompaniment.
#244 - "Gigantic" - The Pixies - Surfer Rosa - #6/8 - While Frank Black is the most recognized member of the Pixies, Kim Deal was also something of a co-lead singer and this song was a showcase for her style and voice, a style we'd later see with The Breeders.
#243 - "I Can't Explain" - The Who - Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy - #4/9 - The Who were light years ahead of their time and this song from the mid-60's was a great example as the clever lyrics and fast pace were an early indicator of the punk and new wave sound that would follow in their wake... 13 years later.
#242 - "Run" - Snow Patrol - Final Straw - #3/3 - From the ashes of Brit Pop a sub-genre emerged with bands like Coldplay, Keane and this band, Snow Patrol rising to the top. "Run" is one of the finest examples of this genre with it's moving lyrics and sweeping chorus.
#241 - "I Love Rock N Roll" - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - I Love Rock N Roll - #3/3 - Back in the days when rock songs could top the pop charts, this cover of an old punk song became one of the biggest hits of the 80's. The song launched the riot-grrl movement that would reach it's peak years later in the early 90's.
Top 1000 Bands #250-#241
250 - The Stereophonics - Another of the lost indie bands of the 90's, The Stereophonics had a fantastic pop sensibility and great songwriting working for them as they created great album after great album.
249 - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - One of the most popular bands of the 60's, CSN and sometimes Y were at the top of the folk rock game during the Woodstock days. I've always appreciated their music though there always seemed to be something missing in their music that kept them back from greatness.
248 - The Guess Who - One of the most under-rated bands of the classic rock era, The Guess Who cranked out great song after great song with an edge to their sound that put them ahead of the majority of their contemporaries.
247 - The Soviettes - An indie rock punk band that I saw in Pierre but was actually a small-time national artist. Their sound was reminiscient of the Ramones. Very DIY, very energetic.
246 - No Doubt - One of the biggest bands of the late 90's, No Doubt takes a lot of flack because of the success lead singer had at turning the band into a pop group in the late phases of their career. That being said, I appreciate the talent and output produced by the band during their first few albums at the top before it all fell apart.
245 - Lucinda Williams - The woman who basically invented the genre of Alt Country, Lucinda Williams is a brilliant songwriter who crafts songs on the border between two genres and makes them palatable for both audiences.
244 - My Chemical Romance - Their first few albums were only slightly above average, but in the genre of music mis-labeled as emo there has been no finer accomplishment than MCR's "The Black Parade" album, a glam-rock concept album that ranks among the best concept albums ever crafted.
243 - Ryan Adams - One of the biggest names in alt country, Ryan Adams left his band Whiskeytown to go solo at the turn of the century and by complete coincidence managed to record his best song "New York, New York" for an album that would be released shortly before the attacks on 9/11, making him a national name and putting him in a place that he's held onto by sheer willpower ever since.
242 - N.W.A. - The greatest band of all-time in the genre of gangsta rap (I consider Public Enemy to be political in nature), N.W.A. created some of the most influential music of any genre during the 80's and virtually created the now pre-dominant genre around. The band created some of the greatest albums of all-time and launched the careers of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy E. In a few years, they'll be one of the first rap groups inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame.
241 - Weird Al Yankovic - The master of rock n roll parody, Weird Al Yankovic has a surprising amount of talent even if his wit does usually range towards the childish.
249 - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - One of the most popular bands of the 60's, CSN and sometimes Y were at the top of the folk rock game during the Woodstock days. I've always appreciated their music though there always seemed to be something missing in their music that kept them back from greatness.
248 - The Guess Who - One of the most under-rated bands of the classic rock era, The Guess Who cranked out great song after great song with an edge to their sound that put them ahead of the majority of their contemporaries.
247 - The Soviettes - An indie rock punk band that I saw in Pierre but was actually a small-time national artist. Their sound was reminiscient of the Ramones. Very DIY, very energetic.
246 - No Doubt - One of the biggest bands of the late 90's, No Doubt takes a lot of flack because of the success lead singer had at turning the band into a pop group in the late phases of their career. That being said, I appreciate the talent and output produced by the band during their first few albums at the top before it all fell apart.
245 - Lucinda Williams - The woman who basically invented the genre of Alt Country, Lucinda Williams is a brilliant songwriter who crafts songs on the border between two genres and makes them palatable for both audiences.
244 - My Chemical Romance - Their first few albums were only slightly above average, but in the genre of music mis-labeled as emo there has been no finer accomplishment than MCR's "The Black Parade" album, a glam-rock concept album that ranks among the best concept albums ever crafted.
243 - Ryan Adams - One of the biggest names in alt country, Ryan Adams left his band Whiskeytown to go solo at the turn of the century and by complete coincidence managed to record his best song "New York, New York" for an album that would be released shortly before the attacks on 9/11, making him a national name and putting him in a place that he's held onto by sheer willpower ever since.
242 - N.W.A. - The greatest band of all-time in the genre of gangsta rap (I consider Public Enemy to be political in nature), N.W.A. created some of the most influential music of any genre during the 80's and virtually created the now pre-dominant genre around. The band created some of the greatest albums of all-time and launched the careers of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy E. In a few years, they'll be one of the first rap groups inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame.
241 - Weird Al Yankovic - The master of rock n roll parody, Weird Al Yankovic has a surprising amount of talent even if his wit does usually range towards the childish.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #260-#251
#260 - "Young Americans" - David Bowie - Sound And Vision - #5/10 - One of Bowie's best songs of the late 70's, "Americans" is a sarcastic pop song with fantastic lyrics.
#259 - "Down On The Corner" - Creedence Clearwater Revival - #4/5 - If any song succeeded in convincing the world that CCR (from San Francisco) were a Southern Rock band, it was this classic rock smash.
#258 - "Here Comes Your Man" - The Pixies - Doolittle - #4/8 - The most uncharacteristic song the Pixies ever recorded, most people believe that this song was a cover of an old song from the 60's or something, but in fact it's a Pixies original and one of the best songs of the 80's.
#257 - "And You Will Know Them" - And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Madonna - #3/3 - Trail of Dead's best song is perhaps also the best song that Sonic Youth never recorded, with it's outstanding guitar work on top of a pulsing beat.
#256 - "Corduroy" - Pearl Jam - Vitalogy - #19/25 - One of Pearl Jam's most highly-regarded songs, "Corduroy" features the usual great lyrics and guitar work along with a fantastic chorus.
#255 - "Brown Sugar" - The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers - #10/20 - The Stones' controversial late 70's hit features the band's best guitar work of the last 30 years.
#254 - "Heart Of Gold" - Neil Young - Harvest - #5/6 - The best ballad in Neil's catalog, "Heart" is an emotional song with brilliant lyrics and a strong chorus.
#253 - "Renegades Of Funk" - Rage Against The Machine - Renegades - #7/12 - The last great song that the band recorded before they broke up, "Renegades" is actually a cover of an old Afrika Bambaataa song. The lyrics are fantastic as always and the vibe that Zach adds to the song makes it a classic.
#252 - "California Girls" - The Beach Boys - California Girls - #2/4 - The most famous Beach Boys song is also the best from the era when they were surfers but before they became legends (or before Brian Wilson went nuts).
#251 - "Wave Of Mutilation" - The Pixies - Doolittle - #5/8 - Before Fight Club came along, "Wave" was the Pixies most famous song thanks to a re-mix of the song was featured prominently on the soundtrack of Pump Up The Volume. The song features the usually weird lyrics of the Pixies and the soft-loud dynamic they invented.
#259 - "Down On The Corner" - Creedence Clearwater Revival - #4/5 - If any song succeeded in convincing the world that CCR (from San Francisco) were a Southern Rock band, it was this classic rock smash.
#258 - "Here Comes Your Man" - The Pixies - Doolittle - #4/8 - The most uncharacteristic song the Pixies ever recorded, most people believe that this song was a cover of an old song from the 60's or something, but in fact it's a Pixies original and one of the best songs of the 80's.
#257 - "And You Will Know Them" - And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Madonna - #3/3 - Trail of Dead's best song is perhaps also the best song that Sonic Youth never recorded, with it's outstanding guitar work on top of a pulsing beat.
#256 - "Corduroy" - Pearl Jam - Vitalogy - #19/25 - One of Pearl Jam's most highly-regarded songs, "Corduroy" features the usual great lyrics and guitar work along with a fantastic chorus.
#255 - "Brown Sugar" - The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers - #10/20 - The Stones' controversial late 70's hit features the band's best guitar work of the last 30 years.
#254 - "Heart Of Gold" - Neil Young - Harvest - #5/6 - The best ballad in Neil's catalog, "Heart" is an emotional song with brilliant lyrics and a strong chorus.
#253 - "Renegades Of Funk" - Rage Against The Machine - Renegades - #7/12 - The last great song that the band recorded before they broke up, "Renegades" is actually a cover of an old Afrika Bambaataa song. The lyrics are fantastic as always and the vibe that Zach adds to the song makes it a classic.
#252 - "California Girls" - The Beach Boys - California Girls - #2/4 - The most famous Beach Boys song is also the best from the era when they were surfers but before they became legends (or before Brian Wilson went nuts).
#251 - "Wave Of Mutilation" - The Pixies - Doolittle - #5/8 - Before Fight Club came along, "Wave" was the Pixies most famous song thanks to a re-mix of the song was featured prominently on the soundtrack of Pump Up The Volume. The song features the usually weird lyrics of the Pixies and the soft-loud dynamic they invented.
Top 1000 Artists #260-#251
260 - The Meat Puppets - Another forgotten alternative band of the 80's, The Meat Puppets enjoyed their greatest success with their guest appearance on Nirvana MTV Unplugged In New York and the release of their best song "Backwater".
259 - Roy Orbison - One of the first great stars of rock n roll, Orbison had a long string of hits topped off by "Oh, Pretty Woman".
258 - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - One of the biggest bands in indie rock at the moment, Karen O and the YYYs have had several solid albums to date, though they haven't broken through the way that they should have by now.
257 - Pantera - One of the best metal bands of the 90's, Pantera's run at the top was cut down when a gunmen rushed the stage at a show and gunned down their legendary guitarist Dimebag Darrell.
256 - Cheap Trick - A legendary classic rock band from the late 70's and early 80's, Cheap Trick has a surprising following in the rock community and had a string of pop hits that utilized their top-notch skills as musicians.
255 - Kid Rock - Rock began his career as a white trash rapper and that phase of his career peaked with the release of "Devil Without A Cause". These days, Rock has moved into the country rock genre and enjoyed another career surge.
254 - The Cult - One of the early stars of the alternative rock scene, The Cult scored huge hits with "Fire Woman" and the all-time classic "She Sells Sanctuary".
253 - The New York Dolls - Along with Iggy And The Stooges, The New York Dolls were the founding fathers of punk rock. While their output wasn't as impressive as their influence, they did still manage to produce a string of solid albums before breaking up.
252 - Jackson Browne - One of the greatest songwriters in rock n roll history, Browne struck out on his own in the 70's and created song after song of great singer-songwriter tunes during the genre's peak.
251 - Genesis - A prog band that never enjoyed the success they deserved, Genesis took a pop turn in the 80's when Phil Collins became the focus of the band. The success then came in spades, but the quality went down. It was still pretty good, but it was never quite the same.
259 - Roy Orbison - One of the first great stars of rock n roll, Orbison had a long string of hits topped off by "Oh, Pretty Woman".
258 - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - One of the biggest bands in indie rock at the moment, Karen O and the YYYs have had several solid albums to date, though they haven't broken through the way that they should have by now.
257 - Pantera - One of the best metal bands of the 90's, Pantera's run at the top was cut down when a gunmen rushed the stage at a show and gunned down their legendary guitarist Dimebag Darrell.
256 - Cheap Trick - A legendary classic rock band from the late 70's and early 80's, Cheap Trick has a surprising following in the rock community and had a string of pop hits that utilized their top-notch skills as musicians.
255 - Kid Rock - Rock began his career as a white trash rapper and that phase of his career peaked with the release of "Devil Without A Cause". These days, Rock has moved into the country rock genre and enjoyed another career surge.
254 - The Cult - One of the early stars of the alternative rock scene, The Cult scored huge hits with "Fire Woman" and the all-time classic "She Sells Sanctuary".
253 - The New York Dolls - Along with Iggy And The Stooges, The New York Dolls were the founding fathers of punk rock. While their output wasn't as impressive as their influence, they did still manage to produce a string of solid albums before breaking up.
252 - Jackson Browne - One of the greatest songwriters in rock n roll history, Browne struck out on his own in the 70's and created song after song of great singer-songwriter tunes during the genre's peak.
251 - Genesis - A prog band that never enjoyed the success they deserved, Genesis took a pop turn in the 80's when Phil Collins became the focus of the band. The success then came in spades, but the quality went down. It was still pretty good, but it was never quite the same.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Top 1000 Songs #270-#261
#270 - "Interstate Love Song" - Stone Temple Pilots - Purple - #6/6 - The pinnacle of STP's decade-long career, "Interstate" is a sweeping indie rock song with a brilliant chorus.
#269 - "Gimme Some Lovin'" - The Spencer Davis Group - Welcome To The Canteen - #1/1 - One of the greatest one-hit wonder songs of all-time, "Gimme" introduced the world to Steve Winwood, who was a teenager at the time of it's recording. The song ranks among the best songs of it's era and it's genre.
#268 - "Fade To Black" - Metallica - Ride The Lightning - #3/5 - One of the most depressing songs in Metallica's catalog, "Fade To Black" is a slow and prodding nightmare of a song that picks up dramatically towards the end.
#267 - "Feel Good Inc." - The Gorillaz - Demon Days - #2/2 - The best song of 2006, "Feel Good Inc" combines Brit-pop choruses courtesy of the Blur wing of the band and verses by rap group De La Soul.
#266 - "You Oughta Know" - Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill - #1/1 - One of the angriest break-up songs ever written, "Oughta" is easily Alanis' best song and one of the top pop rock songs of the 90's.
#265 - "Song 2" - Blur - Blur - #3/3 - Blur's best and most popular song, "Song 2" is famous for it's Nirvana-esque fast-slow dynamic and it's explosive beginning.
#264 - "Don't Come Around Here No More" - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Southern Accents - #14/17 - One of the best Petty songs of the early 80's, "Don't Come Around" is a good song at the start, but it improves dramatically towards the end when the tempo is cranked to a near Foo Fighters level and guitarist Mike Campbell's guitar solo explodes between Petty's most dramatic performance.
#263 - "Mr. Blue Sky" - Electric Light Orchestra - Out Of The Blue - #2/2 - Sounding like the Beatles gone disco, ELO's best song contains poppy verses and a solid chorus to combine for their most interesting song.
#262 - "Every Breath You Take" - The Police - Synchronicity - #5/5 - The Police's biggest hit and best song, "Every Breath" is frequently misinterpreted as a love song, when in actuality the song is one of the creepiest stalker songs ever written. The video is particularly disturbing as Sting seems to look straight through you when he raises his head at the end of the video to look at the camera.
#261 - "New Year's Day" - U2 - War - #11/16 - "New" is the song that announced U2 as the stadium-filling "greatest band in the world" with it's sweeping verses and sound that can only be described as "huge".
#269 - "Gimme Some Lovin'" - The Spencer Davis Group - Welcome To The Canteen - #1/1 - One of the greatest one-hit wonder songs of all-time, "Gimme" introduced the world to Steve Winwood, who was a teenager at the time of it's recording. The song ranks among the best songs of it's era and it's genre.
#268 - "Fade To Black" - Metallica - Ride The Lightning - #3/5 - One of the most depressing songs in Metallica's catalog, "Fade To Black" is a slow and prodding nightmare of a song that picks up dramatically towards the end.
#267 - "Feel Good Inc." - The Gorillaz - Demon Days - #2/2 - The best song of 2006, "Feel Good Inc" combines Brit-pop choruses courtesy of the Blur wing of the band and verses by rap group De La Soul.
#266 - "You Oughta Know" - Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill - #1/1 - One of the angriest break-up songs ever written, "Oughta" is easily Alanis' best song and one of the top pop rock songs of the 90's.
#265 - "Song 2" - Blur - Blur - #3/3 - Blur's best and most popular song, "Song 2" is famous for it's Nirvana-esque fast-slow dynamic and it's explosive beginning.
#264 - "Don't Come Around Here No More" - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Southern Accents - #14/17 - One of the best Petty songs of the early 80's, "Don't Come Around" is a good song at the start, but it improves dramatically towards the end when the tempo is cranked to a near Foo Fighters level and guitarist Mike Campbell's guitar solo explodes between Petty's most dramatic performance.
#263 - "Mr. Blue Sky" - Electric Light Orchestra - Out Of The Blue - #2/2 - Sounding like the Beatles gone disco, ELO's best song contains poppy verses and a solid chorus to combine for their most interesting song.
#262 - "Every Breath You Take" - The Police - Synchronicity - #5/5 - The Police's biggest hit and best song, "Every Breath" is frequently misinterpreted as a love song, when in actuality the song is one of the creepiest stalker songs ever written. The video is particularly disturbing as Sting seems to look straight through you when he raises his head at the end of the video to look at the camera.
#261 - "New Year's Day" - U2 - War - #11/16 - "New" is the song that announced U2 as the stadium-filling "greatest band in the world" with it's sweeping verses and sound that can only be described as "huge".
Top 1000 Artists #270-#261
270 - The Gorillaz - A super-group that presents itself as cartoon characters on-stage, The Gorillaz seem to come out with two legitimately great songs per album, though unfortunately the rest of the songs are unremarkable.
269 - George Thorogood - One of the most commercially successful blues rock artists of the 70's and 80's, Thorogood's music is interesting, but it never transcends the level of pop music.
268 - The Dandy Warhols - One of the better indie rock bands of the late 90's, The Dandy Warhols had a series of decent-sized hits. They're still around today, but a shell of their former selves.
267 - The Breeders - The Breeders emerged from the ashes of the Pixies to create one of the greatest songs in all of indie rock, "Cannonball" as well as several great albums over the last 20 years.
266 - Travis - One of the last great bands of Brit-pop, Travis enjoyed a series of solid albums that were among the best of his genre.
265 - Nellie McKay - 99% of music fans have never heard of Nellie, but she's one of the best songwriters around at the moment and has produced about an album a year for half a decade to prove it.
264 - Diana Ross And The Supremes - One of the biggest stars in the history of pop music, Diana Ross was also the biggest star of the Motown scene in the 60's. Unlike most pop stars, her music is actually good, too.
263 - Tom Waits - Although he's shockingly been ignored by the rock n roll hall of fame, Tom Waits is one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century, though he never became big as his music really has no pop appeal.
262 - Billy Idol - One of the biggest stars of the MTV era, Idol is usually dismissed as a mere pop star, but his music is actually very good as a legend as significant as Warren Zevon regarded him as one of England's finest songwriters.
261 - Frank Zappa - Easily one of the most creative performers of the rock era, Frank Zappa's weird music was difficult to follow and frequently impenetrable, but also quite often brilliant.
269 - George Thorogood - One of the most commercially successful blues rock artists of the 70's and 80's, Thorogood's music is interesting, but it never transcends the level of pop music.
268 - The Dandy Warhols - One of the better indie rock bands of the late 90's, The Dandy Warhols had a series of decent-sized hits. They're still around today, but a shell of their former selves.
267 - The Breeders - The Breeders emerged from the ashes of the Pixies to create one of the greatest songs in all of indie rock, "Cannonball" as well as several great albums over the last 20 years.
266 - Travis - One of the last great bands of Brit-pop, Travis enjoyed a series of solid albums that were among the best of his genre.
265 - Nellie McKay - 99% of music fans have never heard of Nellie, but she's one of the best songwriters around at the moment and has produced about an album a year for half a decade to prove it.
264 - Diana Ross And The Supremes - One of the biggest stars in the history of pop music, Diana Ross was also the biggest star of the Motown scene in the 60's. Unlike most pop stars, her music is actually good, too.
263 - Tom Waits - Although he's shockingly been ignored by the rock n roll hall of fame, Tom Waits is one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century, though he never became big as his music really has no pop appeal.
262 - Billy Idol - One of the biggest stars of the MTV era, Idol is usually dismissed as a mere pop star, but his music is actually very good as a legend as significant as Warren Zevon regarded him as one of England's finest songwriters.
261 - Frank Zappa - Easily one of the most creative performers of the rock era, Frank Zappa's weird music was difficult to follow and frequently impenetrable, but also quite often brilliant.
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