Top 100 Cont'd

Continued with the next 25

John Mellencamp-Hurts So Good

I'm from Indiana. Mellencamp writes our gospel music. Enough said.

John Mellencamp-Pink Houses

One day while out on my friend's boat we actually drove by John Mellencamp's house. I was very sad to see that it was not pink. In fact it's a real postmodern looking atroticity. The song however, still rocks.

Johnny Cash-Hurt

I once heard a quote that was something along the lines of Johnny Cash could sing the phone book and make it sound compelling. So true. Unlike most rock artists the man in black's music actually got better as his hardened age voice took over. There are so many Cash classics, but this is the most touching. Trent Reznor has even said Johnny Cash made this song his own.

Led Zeppelin-Fool In The Rain

Criminally underrated among Zep classics. This is one of Bonham's better drumming performances. As I've studied music from a critical viewpoint more and more since becoming an adult, I realized that the thing that draws me to bands most is a solid rhythm section. Between Bonham and John Paul Jones Zep has the best rhythm section of any band this side of the Who.

Led Zeppelin-Over The Hills And Far Away

Gun to my head, I'd probably list this as my favorite Zeppelin song (yes above Stairway). I love the soft intro/rocking end thing and this song is a blast to play on the acoustic guitar.

Led Zeppelin-Stairway To Heaven

This is the mecca of classic rock. You haven't truly played guitar until you learn this song. While I don't think it's the defacto best song ever it's still right up there. Again mellow beginning/rocking end. I'm sensing a trend here.

Live-I Alone

I saw Live live about two years ago and in retrospect I should've seen the awesomeness coming. I mean if you are going to name yourself Live you'd better put on a good show. They did their cover of Cash which was surprisingly fresh then launched into this song and got the crowd raucous. Unfortunately their set ending and Counting Crows came on the stage to bore everyone to death. The night would've been much better with just Live.

Marc Cohn-Walking In Memphis

A great one-hit wonder back in the time when such a thing existed without the record companies cramming more garbage down our throats once an artist hits it big. My ex-girlfriend found a copy of this cassette at Goodwill a few years ago for a buck. After listening to the rest of the songs, I fully understand how this was his only hit. Music is kind of amazing that way. It seems so counter-intuitive that an artist can have a song as fantastic as thing, yet produce nothing else of substance.

On a side note to bad country artists, STOP REMAKING GOOD SONGS!! Lonestar's version of this blows, yet sadly is probably the version a lot of people know now. At least Rascal Flatts hasn't covered it....yet.

Marshall Tucker Band-Can't You See

Another southern rock diddy by a band mostly associated with some good country hits. This is by far their most rock based song and it could easily be mistaken for something by the Allman Brothers which is a very good thing.

Michael Jackson-Billie Jean

He's become a national punchline in the last decade, which is sad because most people don't remember anymore that he used to be one talented musician back when he was still black. You'll see Thriller still top every VH1 and MTV video anthology list. I'm tall white and skinny, therefore I do as little dancing as possible, but I can help but get my legs moving sometimes when this song plays.

Motley Crue-Kickstart My Heart

While I don't apologize for loving 80's hair metal, I do appreciate that it's more "fun" music than "good" music. That said, I think Motley Crue is one of those bands that was a little bit more talented than their brethren mostly thanks for Tommy Lee's drumming. Further proof: Saints of Los Angeles is an awesome song. How many 80's bands have produced anything half decent since the 80's? After several years gone by, they're still kicking ass....whoa...oh Kickstart my Heart hope it never stops.

Neil Young-Heart Of Gold

Bob Dylan hated this song. Not because it was bad, but because it sounded like something Dylan would do only better. That's high praise. I've always known I like Neil Young a lot but in compiling this list, I realized that more of his songs made the initial cuts than anyone outside of the Beatles or The Who although none of them cracked my Top 25. For the record, this one got closests.

Neil Young-Like A Hurricane

Neil is known for his unique guitar style and voice, but really at the heart of it he's just a poet who also happens to do those things. This contains one of the all-time best lines anywhere. "You are like a hurricane/There's calm in your eye"

Neil Young-Rockin' In The Free World

One of the few times a post-peak musician got it right. I was amazed when I realized this song was not in fact from the 70's (which didn't take long listening to the lyrics). I love the irony of this song (and Born in The USA) being used as rallying cries. I doubt most people who rock to this song realize that is about baby dumpsters and environmental destruction.

Nirvana-Smells Like Teen Spirit

The song that plunged grunge into the mainstream. Maybe I should've put a Pixies song here instead since without them there is no Nirvana, but this song did catapult all kinds of good music into the mainstream just so Chad Kroeger could defile it 15 years later.

Nirvana-Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

Off their acoustic album based on a traditional folk song, Cobain's screechy vocals really elicit the emotion on this one. As he is wont to do he screams the entire last verse and it somehow works.

Pat Benatar-Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Nothing fancy here, just a good straight forward rock song.

Patsy Cline-Crazy

Back before Willie Nelson became a country hero, he was just a songwriter and luckily for us, he wrote this gem for Patsy Cline to sing. Almost a jazzy number the piano fits in perfectly with Patsy's voice.

Pearl Jam-Yellow Ledbetter

Pearl Jam does Jimi Hendrix. Not that that's a bad thing. I don't understand why people are always ripping musicians for having stuff that sounds like the classics. Sure, I think we'd all rather have something new and exciting, but something that sounds like the Beatles is a million times better than some talentless band or the latest Nickelback knock-off even if it isn't terribly original. The Beatles first few albums weren't exactly original either.

Pearl Jam is a different kind of grunge group, taking cues from the Pixies as all others, but also with a healthy dose of Neil Young and actual sustained guitar solos. They have outlasted nearly all their contemporaries even if their catalog hasn't improved much in the past decade.

Phish-Farmhouse

I often wonder what would happen if I ever smoked pot. I mean, I'm laid back already, I like all the "stoner" rock and I love potato chips. I don't really see anything changing. I've yet to make it a Phish live show (mostly because they sell out immediately) but I'm sure hearing Trey's sprawling guitar solos is absolutely heavenly even without the high.

Phish-Sample In A Jar

A big Phish phan friend of mine in college randomly played this song on my guitar while in my room one day and after I downloaded the real thing, I couldn't stop playing it for days afterwards. The guitar work in it is amazing.

Pink Floyd-Comfortably Numb

For a period in my life, this may have ranked as my top song. A friend of mine joked once that most mix cd's I had contained this song. For whatever reason, I don't listen to as much Pink Floyd as I used to, but this song is still one of the best ever written.

Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here

So you think you can tell a good song from bad? Start here with this gem. The famous intro is the backbone of this song and I always liked the songs David Gilmour sang better anyway.

Prince-Kiss

Call him whatever you want to, even if he suffers from Michael Jackson craziness he rocks. Prince sets the standard for funk and anyone who saw him perform at the Super Bowl knows he can shred on the guitar when he wants to as well.

Queen-Fat Bottomed Girls

I don't know what's so incredible about the guitar riff, I just know I love it. Queen seems to be a hit or miss group. Most people I know either love Queen or hate them with very little in between. I personally side with the ones who think Freddie Mercury was one of the best lead singers ever.