What is the best rock song of all time?

That's like who is the best guitarist ever

How about "More Than A Felling" by boston.

here's my list of top 5 the order is interchangeable

1. Good Vibrations - Beach Boys

2. I'm not in love - 10cc

3. Rock on - David Essex

4. Kasmir - Led Zep

5. L.A. Woman - The Doors

My music roots were planted by my father blasting Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones and Lynyrd Skynyrd in my ear from infancy. That being said, I'd have a list of 'Greatest' songs for different reasons.

Best overall rock song - 'Welcome to the jungle' - GnR
Reason - This song brought hard rock to the mainstream and put it in the faces of those heathen unbeleivers!

Best guitar solo - 'Comfortably Numb' - Pink Floyd.
Reason - David Gilmour! 'Nuff said.

Best drum solo in a rock song - Here I have 2 distinct choices and I'm sure you will all agree. I am going to call this a tie between 'YYZ' - Rush and 'Moby Dick' - Led Zepp

Best bass guitar performance - I know most are thinking Geddy Lee, and so am I. But what song really shows his mastering of the bass? 'La Villa Strangiato' - Rush

Best vocal in a rock song - You may think Robert Plant, or David Coverdale. How about David Lee Roth? Freddy Mercury? David Bowie? Nope. Sebastian Bach wins this one with '18 & Life' - Skid Row

Best vocal harmony - Hands down - 'Bohemian Rhapsody' - Queen

Jumpin Jack Flash

Originally Posted by: tab222personally i think sweet child o mine or living on a prayer.

So do I, Sweet Child O'Mine is the best for me.

\m/

Originally Posted by: SunKing1The borders of rock are diffuse, I don't know if A Day In The Life would count? What about Bohemian Rhapsody or Comfortably Numb? Anyway, I'll go with Stairway to Heaven...

Took the words right out of my mouth! Bohemian Rhapsody and Comfortably Numb anyway ...

And don't forget Nights in White Satin!

I'm not disagreeing with any of the fantastic candidates mentioned to date. But for me what makes Rock music more than just a form of contemporary music is that it's angry about something, The blues are meant to make you feel better, jazz is a journey through the vastly unexplored possibilities of musical theory, contemporary pop is a reflection of fashion and the current style. But Rock songs, great rock songs are about getting angry, either at the government or a girl, or your parents or whatever. Rock music is about breaking boundaries and expanding musical conventions, Hendrix distorting the classic tones of a fender guitar, Townsend smashing his guitar on stage, Joplin stretching a vocal to the edge of screaming rage. It's a release of emotion and not just the nice ones.

In that vein I will never ever forget certain moments in my life. The moment I was told that John Lennon was dead, the moment I found out that the police where breaking up, the first time I heard Sarah MacLachlan sing but most memorable for me was the first time I heard:

Killin in the name, by Rage Against The Machine.

it was a song that was as angry as I was, had all the screaming guitars that Rock music should have, introduced me to distorted wah-wah and was both simple and elegant at the same time. And if there's a lyric that has challenged authority any better than......well If you don't know the lyric I mean then you need to listen to this song, but I warn you there's some swearing in it.

So hat's off and to al the other songs on this list, and yes this is a silly loaded question that can never really be answered, but hey it's more about sharing our musical backgrounds and influences that anything else right ??

Rig+

Originally Posted by: Guitar Tricks Admin

There might be too may to choose from!

[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=tab222]personally i think sweet child o mine or living on a prayer.

Agreed, but to name a few:

Meatloaf, Bat out of Hell

Iron Maiden, Bring yer Daughter to the Slaughter.
Can I play with Madness?
Run to the Hills.

Megadeth, Tout A Le Monde,
Sweating Bullets.

Hendrix, Voodoo Child.

Thin Lizzy, Whiskey in the Jar
The Boyz r Back in Town.

Hi all,

We've got a few awesome requests being filled this month and these just came out today:

Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1515

ZZ Top - La Grange:
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1452

ZZ Top - Gimme All Your Lovin'
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1396

Billy Idol - White Wedding
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1430

also coming up:
Motley Crue-Smokin' In the Boy's Room
Roy Orbison-Oh, Pretty Woman
The Guess Who-American Woman
ZZ Top-Tush
Creedence Clearwater Revival-Susie Q
Billy Idol-Rebel Yell

woo hoo! have fun! :D

Stairway of hearts barracuda but probably Stairway

Shout it out Loud - KISS

I'm not going to plead my case on which song(s). Pointless, to many opinions. But what I will say is that at least we don't have to sift through the years of 1990 onward because there has been nothing that could come close to being considered best rock song of all times. Has there been some good tunes songs, sure.. Sure there have been.

I will give a shout out to Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit as a post 90's song. It really did open up a new sound in rock. Not that I personally liked the change, but it was very influential.

I also have a big favorite song list of all time in my head, but one song that I fell in love with and never get tired of hearing is North South East West. It's from a band from Australia called The Church. The song is on the Starfish Album that came out in 1988. The whole album is fantastic. Many of their songs are on Youtube. If you've never heard of this band you may have heard the song Under the Milkyway. I believe it was the only song that made it in North America.

During the weekend before the turn of the century, a local rock station played down what they considered the top 500 rock songs of all time. I remember listening intently as they got closer and closer to number 1.

And what was the best rock and roll song of all time, according to whomever came up with that list? "Money For Nothin'", by Dire Straits.

Personally, while that is a great song (and maybe one of the best released during the MTV-era), I don't think it's even the greatest rock song by that BAND. That honor goes to "Sultans of Swing".

I've read every post in all 5 pages of this thread, and I've got to say that I dig every tune that you cats have taken the time to post. And I can't even begin to decide what my all time favorite is. But, I can say this: It definitely would be pre-GenX/Y, and probably pre-1990.

And Stairway to Heaven would have to be way near the top.

Originally Posted by: waylar"Voodoo Chile", Jimmy Hendrix
:)

Rock, nothing but blues rock. My list includes "Cinnamon Girl" and "Lover of the Bayou", along with "Whipping Post". No pretensions, just let the guitars howl!

Pali Gap by Jimi Hendrix

Really hard to answer but ...im going HELLS BELLS and the Trooper. But open to debate of course ....and i dont think anyone could pick just 1.

Not Blues, Jazz, R&B, Metal, etc. but ROCK song. With that in mind I'd have to go with Born To Be Wild.

First, define "rock." :D