When I was in high school A Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin was considered the greatest rock song (greatest as in “progressive”–whose heyday was from the mid-sixties through the mid-seventies). Anyway, that’s what the guys on the FM radio said. At the start of this month (fifty years later, on the station that’s always playing where I work) Seattle’s “Home of Classic Rock,” KZOK, again voted it number one (narrowly edging out Bohemian Rhapsody, which finished second for the fifth year in a row). For the record, the Queen song is truly an innovative thing–it blew minds when it came around in 1976; and to be honest, I have always disliked Stairway. Fairly or otherwise I associate it with the slacker in an army coat who stank of weed and sat behind me in Social Studies class. He always fell asleep and I had to whack him on the head with exam papers when it was time to pass them back. A minor annoyance in my life, yet I have yet to forget it.
The situation is further proof that people are slow to change. My generation of prog-rockers say Stairway is the greatest, end of topic. From ages fifteen to sixty-five it is still Stairway. I find that awfully unimaginative and calcified. Moreover, there really is not a “greatest” anything in the arts. But I will say there is a top level that a few artists and creations rise to and remain at–Bill Shakespeare for instance (though hardly universal, just ask Hugh).
I call this the Citizen Kane Syndrome. Orson Welles did very well producing the classic (I’ve seen it and I find it to be a classic, as many but not enough are) at the age of twenty-five. But I doubt even he would rate it number one more than eighty years gone by. But the last time I checked, the American Film Institute still had it on the throne.
As anyone who has read my wraps knows, I love a good list–but even I know that each one is extremely subjective and should never be taken seriously. And yet, in America anyway, Kane is still the top dog film, Stairway the highest rated rock song and I Love Lucy still rules over all the sitcoms–and in books, I guess To Kill a Mockingbird usually roosts highest as well.
Obviously generational, I believe that most of what you see is either an automatic vote grandfathered in over the ages, or people are intimidated by the fact that they have never seen or heard of any of the champions.
Yet for the sake of a good list, I will close this post with my top Ten of Classic Rock tunes and encourage you to add your own.
Of more immediate concern are this week’s five stories that have unknowingly entered the Greatest derby because that potential fate lies ahead for all published works.
Five Good Things
The week featured the site debut of three writers and the welcomed first return of one and a duo–make that a trio.
The Likeability Problem by Kirsten Smith led off the festivities. It is an insightful look into the corruption on every possible level of “leadership.” Sharks have been around for eons because they are too stupid to self-destruct. But everyday in the human race is another game of Russian Roulette. We thrive on the development of our little Happy Hellworlds. We all know that our so-called leaders are only in it for personal gain of some sort, but we really don’t care. A perfect system.
Gary Earl Ross debuted last week and has already returned. Hunting Ground is a disturbing tale of something else that people don’t want to think about but happens a stunning amount of time. The look into the mind of the offender and snap of the action comes across very well.
Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton have been translating the works of a delightful “Ms. O” from Korean to English with winning results. Odori’s Grandfather A miniature by O Chŏnghǔi is the second time the team has landed well with us. It is a simple yet strong piece that speaks eloquently of a time gone by, far from here.
Thursday welcomed Dry by Christopher W. Hall. You can feel the tension and anxiety along in this piece. A homecoming of sorts on unsteady terms. Excellent control of several characters at the same time. Just a few lines for each one, but those lines tell beautifully.
Penelope Jackson closed the week with her affecting Are you booking forward to Christmas? There are smaller lives among us, and most people find this a source of superiority until a small voice asks you to consider honestly answering questions you would normally blow off. Very well done and thoroughly human.
I beseech all who have missed any of these stories to look them up. And we have thousands of works in our easily accessed archives that always deserve further notice.
And now…
Dueling Lists
Although the radio list goes into the nineties, for me the golden era of Classic Album rock ran from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies, and my choices reflect that period. Please include your own lists or single suggestions. There are many deserving candidates.
*What the KZOK Radio People Say (most of whom are probably under thirty)
- Stairway to Heaven-Led Zeppelin
- Bohemian Rhapsody-Queen
- You Shook Me-AC/DC
- Black Dog-Led Zeppelin (What the hell? The only one on their list I truly object to)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine-Guns n’ Roses
- Hotel California-Eagles
- Smells Like Teen Spirit-Nirvana
- Hey Jude-Beatles
- Crazy Train-Ozzy (I lied, this is a bad choice for this high too!)
- Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)–Pink Floyd
(* For 2022, published 2023)
What Leila (Definitely better than thirty) Sez
1.) Bohemian Rhapsody-Queen (This is in no particular order, but I will give the boys the top slot after five years being the runner up to Stairway)
2 .) A Day in the Life-Beatles
3.) Layla-“Derrick” and the Dominos (even though ya spelled it wrong, fellas–so back at ya)
4.) Watchtower–Jimi Hendrix
5.) Lola– Kinks (My personal favorite on this list)
6.) Cry Baby–Janis Joplin
7.) Baba O’Riley– Who
8.) Riders on the Storm-The Doors
9 .) Walk Away Renee–Left Banke (actually not of the album rock genre, but I love the damn thing)
10.) Whiter Shade of Pale-Procol Harum
(My apologies to deserving acts like the Stones and Traffic, but there are only ten slots)
Leila
literally stories 
“A Day In The Life” could be replaced by “I’m A Loser”, “Eleanor Rigby”, or “Helter Skelter” (I’ve got blisters on my fingers), “Hotel California” is a good B-side to “Life In The Fast Lane” (don’t it make you lose your mind), #7 clearly should be “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, #8 could be “LA Woman” or some other, #6 “Piece Of My Heart”, #4 “Hey Joe”, something I have not thought of, any Zep of “Rock And Roll” (many good covers including Seattle’s own Heart), “Trampled Under Foot”, and best Zep, better than anything on the list, called by Zep the song that represents them, the Bolero of rock (note tumescene and detumescene of the song) “Kashmir”. How about Golden Earring “Twilight Zone”? Enough about music, what do kids like Leila know?
After all that important information, time for comple irrelevance. Knew Kristin Smith in high school. Writer probably not the same person with the name misspelled.
Mr. Mirth Out
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Hello Doug
Those are great songs, too. I considered that B side mix of little sons on Abby Road for the Beatles but I have never known what to call it.
Ha! Some might say the Who song should clearly be My Generation. But I imposed a limit of one.
Thank you!
Leila
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I forgot to mention that today is the sixty-fifth anniversary of “the day the music died”–the Buddy Holly plane crash Sounds long ago, yet they were so young that they could still be alive to this day.
Leila
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Rave On Donna wearing Chantilly Lace.
Best Buddy – Tell Me How, Oh Boy, Looking For Someone To Love, Peggy Sue, Not Fade Away
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Good post and wrap-up of the week’s stories. I much prefer the LA list to the KZOK list. My own would include Stones’ Gimme Shelter, Beatles’ One After 909 and nothing from the Seventies, reflecting my age.
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Thank you David!
The only reason the Stones didn’t make it was I couldn’t decide between Jumping Jack Flash and Satisfaction. Then it occurred to me that they are doing quite well without my help!
Leila
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“Live With Me”, “Hand Of Fate”, “Tell Me”, “Last Time”, “Sympathy For The Devil” (used in “Kingdom Collapse”), “Rocks Off”, … .
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How many people have heard “One After 909”. Very obscure, but I gave it a 5 on itunes if faulty memory serves.
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Great Post. For me Painted Black deserves a place but it’s probably not the right genre!? I’ve never been up on all that stuff being away at the age when I would have formed my knowledge. Mind you any list with Lola in it is okay by me. dd
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Hi Diane
Paint it Black certainly qualifies. The radio station I base this on really loves the Stones and “Rush” a band that has millions of fans of which only the mothers of the band are female. Never understood the thing some guys have for Rush (I have probably put myself on a dweeb “fatwa” for stating that.
Leila
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A Day in the Life would be my number one and Whiter Shade of Pale would be right up there too. In the UK, we get a lot of practice at this kind of thing, because every week since radio was invented there’s a programme called ‘Desert Island Disks’ where some allegedly worthy public figure gets to pick eight favourite records, leading to instantaneous disputation from the listeners. An old friend of mine not only periodically revises his choices, he also polishes his kindly and unassuming introductions to each one.
Personally, I can’t get my list down to eight or ten, but I’d definitely want Born to Run (Springsteen), Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochrane), Stand By me (Lennon version), Ramblin’ Man (Allman Brothers), Downtown Train (Tom Waits), Roadrunner (Jonathan Richman), Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Stones), Take it Easy (The Eagles), The Weight (The Band)…… Aaargh, can’t stop….
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Hi Mick
My problem too. All I could do was limit it to ten and no more than one apiece then hit it as fast as I could. Another reason Mick and the boys failed to get on. But many of these performers can fill lists much longer than ten on their own–and now I just realized that I completely forgot about Pink Floyd. The UK should always be proud of its musical heritage. Maybe rock and roll wasn’t invented there, but it certainly was improved by the land. Maybe it’s the rain.
Thank you!
Leila
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And not forgetting Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited….
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Hi Leila,
I waited for years to watch Citizen Kane…I reckon it was maybe only three years back and I reckon the time had came for me to treat myself and sit down and watch the classic (I do that with ‘Once Upon A Time In America’. It’s been a few years since I’ve watched it and I’m looking forward to the next!)
Anyhow, I was disappointed. I can’t say I hated it, but I sure as hell didn’t like it much!!…I lie, I hated it!!
A rock music list makes me argue with my self.
I thought I would see if I could think up alternative songs, not groups, that you had picked which are just as good. (In my opinion that is)
Brilliant posting as always. And you got some respocne!!!
Hugh
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Hugh
Excellent list of alternatives. Bell Bottom Blues and Waterloo were considered as were something like fifteen Who songs. I was going to use the Doors’ song that ends with the line “stronger than dirt” but could not recall the title and refuse to google it!
Leila
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Great post and great song choices. I agree about Lola by The Kinks – I often think The Kinks were actually the greatest band of the 60s. When the bass line kicks in in Lola it is sublime.
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Thank you Paul
I have loved Lola from when I didn’t have a clue what it was about–age ten or so.
Leila
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