Post by ChairmanWalker on Nov 11, 2011 6:21:03 GMT -5
A short list of songs that have had some significant influence on the formation of modern rock and roll.
Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8hqGu-leFc)
The blues shuffle used in the song, although seemingly basic, was a relatively new way of playing, and would be key in forming the rock style.
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and His Comets
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5fsqYctXgM)
The first number one rock song, still a simple twelve bar blues, it opened the door for many similar songs in the same style.
Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ofD9t_sULM)
Berry's energetic way of playing on this song would not only make him a huge success, earning him the status as one of the first true rock and roll artists, John Lennon once quoted as saying "If there's another name for rock and roll, it's Chuck Berry'. It also influenced a huge number of artists in the next few years, including but not limited to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Paige.
The House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmdPQp6Jcdk)
One of the first, and certainly one of the most popular, mixes of rock and folk styles, a huge hit at the time, the song today is still a standard for rock groups.
I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKHFUKZ-IXE)
The song that kicked off the British Invasion of America in 1964, when the British rockers of the day, spearheaded by The Beatles, had number one after number one in America. The song entwined the two musical scenes, and spawning a number of copy cat groups in each country, copying the other country's style.
A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD4TAgdS_Xw)
Notable as one of the first uses of an electric 12-string guitar, the sound it gave on this, as well as on the rest of the A Hard Day's Night album would prompt countless groups to use their own 12-string, most commonly in the genre of surf rock.
My Generation - The Who
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=594WLzzb3JI)
Not only a hugely popular anthem with the youth of the day, but one of the earliest riff driven rock songs, along with The Kink's You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night.
I Feel Fine - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlpMs_R3P6U)
The first use of feedback on record, a sound that would become instrumental in psychedelic rock in the years to come.
Subterrenean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J4O2-nsFBA)
One of the first songs in which Bob Dylan used an electric guitar, fusing folk and rock together, causing a huge uproar from his fans in the process.
Norwegian Wood - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY5i4-rWh44)
The first use in mainstream music of a sitar, another element that would become key in the sound of psychedelic rock.
Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk3mAX5xdxo)
A revolutionary song in both it's combination of musical styles and as the turning point that it marked in Dylan's career. At over six minutes long, it completely shattered what music companies percevied the length of single could be, because although it did not fit on one side of a vinyl, it still became a worldwide hit. Today it is still recognised as one of the most important songs of rock history, and indeed was ranked number one on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Rain - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdrGS__yg6Q)
The first use of backmasking on a record, another integral element of psychedelic rock pioneered by The Beatles.
Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a3NcwfOBzQ)
Taking it's musical structure from an Indian raga style, the song completely shattered what a rock song could be, but at the same time, with it's backward guitar solo, pounding drums and droning sitar, hugely influenced the direction rock would take in the next few years.
Interstellar Overdrive - Pink Floyd
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7WafSOV4pE)
One of the earliest and best known examples of space rock, a subgenre of psychedelia, making use of many then unknown studio effects and consisting of an improvised jam.
Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3jrWVp2L7U)
The spiritual successor to Tomorrow Never Knows, this song furthered John Lennon's exploration of what psychedelic music could be. An unprecedented 52 hours were spent recording and overdubbing the song, a gargantuan feat for a band of the time. Still seen as one of the most influential songs of psychedelia, so powerful that when The Beach Boy's lead songwriter Brian Wilson heard it on the radio whilst driving, he had to pullover to listen, remarking that no one would ever surpass it.
Helter Skelter - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWuXmfgXVxY)
Regarded as the first mainstream example of the style that would evolve to become hard rock and metal.
Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXq5VvYAI1Q)
One of the best examples of the newly emerging glam rock scene, combining fashion with a post-psychedelia style of music.
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ&ob=av3n)
The definitive example of the 70s rock style, combining elements of glam, soft and hard rock all in to one, making one of the most popular singles in music history.
Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9TGj2jrJk8)
Frequently cited as the greatest rock song of all time, in the same vein as Bohemian Rhapsody, moving through several different genres and styles as the song progresses.
Of course these songs are not the only ones that have had an influence of rock, so I encourage you to find out more for yourself. Seek my monkeys!
Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8hqGu-leFc)
The blues shuffle used in the song, although seemingly basic, was a relatively new way of playing, and would be key in forming the rock style.
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and His Comets
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5fsqYctXgM)
The first number one rock song, still a simple twelve bar blues, it opened the door for many similar songs in the same style.
Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ofD9t_sULM)
Berry's energetic way of playing on this song would not only make him a huge success, earning him the status as one of the first true rock and roll artists, John Lennon once quoted as saying "If there's another name for rock and roll, it's Chuck Berry'. It also influenced a huge number of artists in the next few years, including but not limited to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Paige.
The House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmdPQp6Jcdk)
One of the first, and certainly one of the most popular, mixes of rock and folk styles, a huge hit at the time, the song today is still a standard for rock groups.
I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKHFUKZ-IXE)
The song that kicked off the British Invasion of America in 1964, when the British rockers of the day, spearheaded by The Beatles, had number one after number one in America. The song entwined the two musical scenes, and spawning a number of copy cat groups in each country, copying the other country's style.
A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD4TAgdS_Xw)
Notable as one of the first uses of an electric 12-string guitar, the sound it gave on this, as well as on the rest of the A Hard Day's Night album would prompt countless groups to use their own 12-string, most commonly in the genre of surf rock.
My Generation - The Who
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=594WLzzb3JI)
Not only a hugely popular anthem with the youth of the day, but one of the earliest riff driven rock songs, along with The Kink's You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night.
I Feel Fine - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlpMs_R3P6U)
The first use of feedback on record, a sound that would become instrumental in psychedelic rock in the years to come.
Subterrenean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J4O2-nsFBA)
One of the first songs in which Bob Dylan used an electric guitar, fusing folk and rock together, causing a huge uproar from his fans in the process.
Norwegian Wood - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY5i4-rWh44)
The first use in mainstream music of a sitar, another element that would become key in the sound of psychedelic rock.
Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk3mAX5xdxo)
A revolutionary song in both it's combination of musical styles and as the turning point that it marked in Dylan's career. At over six minutes long, it completely shattered what music companies percevied the length of single could be, because although it did not fit on one side of a vinyl, it still became a worldwide hit. Today it is still recognised as one of the most important songs of rock history, and indeed was ranked number one on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Rain - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdrGS__yg6Q)
The first use of backmasking on a record, another integral element of psychedelic rock pioneered by The Beatles.
Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a3NcwfOBzQ)
Taking it's musical structure from an Indian raga style, the song completely shattered what a rock song could be, but at the same time, with it's backward guitar solo, pounding drums and droning sitar, hugely influenced the direction rock would take in the next few years.
Interstellar Overdrive - Pink Floyd
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7WafSOV4pE)
One of the earliest and best known examples of space rock, a subgenre of psychedelia, making use of many then unknown studio effects and consisting of an improvised jam.
Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3jrWVp2L7U)
The spiritual successor to Tomorrow Never Knows, this song furthered John Lennon's exploration of what psychedelic music could be. An unprecedented 52 hours were spent recording and overdubbing the song, a gargantuan feat for a band of the time. Still seen as one of the most influential songs of psychedelia, so powerful that when The Beach Boy's lead songwriter Brian Wilson heard it on the radio whilst driving, he had to pullover to listen, remarking that no one would ever surpass it.
Helter Skelter - The Beatles
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWuXmfgXVxY)
Regarded as the first mainstream example of the style that would evolve to become hard rock and metal.
Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXq5VvYAI1Q)
One of the best examples of the newly emerging glam rock scene, combining fashion with a post-psychedelia style of music.
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ&ob=av3n)
The definitive example of the 70s rock style, combining elements of glam, soft and hard rock all in to one, making one of the most popular singles in music history.
Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9TGj2jrJk8)
Frequently cited as the greatest rock song of all time, in the same vein as Bohemian Rhapsody, moving through several different genres and styles as the song progresses.
Of course these songs are not the only ones that have had an influence of rock, so I encourage you to find out more for yourself. Seek my monkeys!
