I chose a lot of these songs either because as a guitarist I fell for the playing/tone/progression/riffs, or I could relate to them. Some are just damn catchy and written so well I wish I wrote them. Some I heard as a kid and always stuck with me.
1. The Animals - House of The Rising Sun
My favorite song of all time. The Animals version was released in 1964 on their album "The Animals". It's based off a few songs from the 16th and 17th century and has changed many times and the true origins are unknown. Their has many blues musicians and miners from the late 1800's upto the 1930's who all learned it from "someone else", so it's very unclear of the originator. It's either about a brothel and prostitutes or a gambling hall/casino and losing it all. Either way, the deliverance, the chord progression and Eric Burdons voice make it one hell of a classic and took the British Invasion to a whole new level.
2. The Forgotten Rebels - Don't Hide Your Face
I think this is one of the best songs of all rock n roll ever written. It's off "This Ain't Hollywood" a true punk/rock classic. It's the catchiest chorus in rock n roll. Great guitar playing/tone by Mike Mirabella and lyrics and singing by Mickey DeSadist that will hit you in the gut. The chord progression and eruption of the chorus just gives you everything you want in a song.
3. Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone
This song and album turned Bob Dylan to be the absolute "voice of a generation". He went electric for the first time and many booed him and called him a traitor to his folk/acoustic roots. This song and album featured Mike Bloomfield on lead guitar and launched Dylan in to superstardom. The song is about Edie Sedgwick most likely. Dylan was in love with her, but Andy Warhol turned her in to a drug addict and robbed her soul. This was rated as the #1 song ever written by Rolling Stone Magazine.
4. The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
This song came off of "Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols" in 1977 and brought an entire country to it's knees. The Sex Pistols were total anti-establishment and Johnny Rotten wrote this song out of protest of the Queen and how corrupt and useless she and the royal family are. It was banned on the radio and it was banned as a single in most shops to be sold, yet despite that it still reached #1 in the charts to beat out Rod Stewart and even then they switched it! This song caused the youth to see outside the box, to go against the normal and to think for themselves and their country. To unite together. It's one of the most exciting songs ever written and the most rebellious song ever written that to the point the band was going to be brought up with treason charges witch carried a death penalty. The band shortly after went to America and imploded. Johnny Rotten's lyrics and voice on this will leave you haunted and pumped up. Steve Jones playing and tone is just perfection. He played it as if it was his last time. Paul Cooks drumming is precise and is the backbone of the whole song. "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?"...well you won't with this song.
5. The Kinks - Lola
Lola is a song by The Kinks off their album "Lola Versus Powerman and Moneygoround Part One". It's the first Kinks song I ever heard as a child and always loved how catchy it was. It's a great "sing along" kind of song. It's a bout a guy falling for a transsexual woman and questioning if she is really a transsexual or not. They drink and go back to her place and ultimately he finds out she is transsexual. The song is supposed to be of a true story of then Kinks manager bringing home a girl. It is also said to be of drummer Mick Avory and Ray Davies going to transsexual swinger nightclubs.
6. The Who - My Generation
The battle cry of all youth. The anger and rebellion against the old. Pete Townshend wrote an instant classic and a song that inspired Punk, Metal and Hard Rock and still holds up to this day.
7. Stiff Little Fingers - Barbed Wire Love
"Inflammable Material" produced this gem of a song. It's about finding love in chaos. The mid section is a nice little 50's doo wop riff.
8. Black Sabbath - NIB
Black Sabbaths debut album was an instant classic. Released on Friday the 13th 1970 with a an album cover that still can creep the hell out of you, it really invented dark heavy metal. The song has an amazing riff by Tony Iommi and just an all out full assault on drums by Bill Ward. Ozzy delivers heartfelt at times lyrics. It's about Satan (devil) falling in love promising to give his woman anything.
9. Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers - I Love You
The only and debut album "LAMF" (Like A Mother Fucker) gave this song to us. It's everything I felt about this one girl who I fell in love with instantly once I looked in to her eyes. So this song hit's a spot for me. I wish I wrote it. But like most things in life, it doesn't work out/go to plans but this song will always make me think of her, even 40 years from now. It's a catchy chorus and feel good song, short and sweet, good old rock n roll.
10. The Ramones - Slug
This song was never on a studio album but released on "All Stuff And More Vol 2". It's a very great 50's upbeat rock n roll kind of song. I always loved Tommy's drumming on the song, and the production quality is just superb. It's a song that should of been great and played live but somehow it just never made the cut.
