Legendary Classic Rock compilation

[AtomicCEO]

So I've been thinking recently about how music of the 60s and 70s was the best rock music ever made, but it's getting to be 50 years old now. Do today's kids get it? Will my kids get it?

 

I have two boys growing up... and I was thinking: What would I put on a short playlist (I would say CD, but I think CDs to these kids will be like 45s are to me) to expose these kids to the very best rock music of that period. Maybe 20 songs.

 

I'm talking about a historical document of music... something to expose and teach them, like a civil war reenactment without the drunken hillbillies. So, I don't want to get too obscure.

 

And, these kids haven't been exposed to 20 years of repetitive classic rock radio, so I'm not concerned if a song is overplayed by today's standards... so I might choose Layla even though I'm sick to death of it.

 

But I also want this to be the best music, not necessarily the greatest hits album... so, I'd choose say... Since I Been Loving You over Stairway to Heaven.

 

Here's what I've got so far, but feel free to critique and add.

 

Eric Clapton - Layla

Jimmy Hendrix - Little Wing

CSN - Woodstock

Yes - I've Seen All Good People

Led Zeppelin - Since I Been Loving You

Neil Young - Ohio

Grateful Dead - Help On the Way > Slipknot > Franklins Tower

Pink Floyd - Us and Them

 

I need some Dylan, some Beatles, some Stones, Doors... and more. I'm also flexible on the picks I've made so far.

[BLIND HOMER]

So I've been thinking recently about how music of the 60s and 70s was the best rock music ever made, but it's getting to be 50 years old now. Do today's kids get it? Will my kids get it?

 

I have two boys growing up... and I was thinking: What would I put on a short playlist (I would say CD, but I think CDs to these kids will be like 45s are to me) to expose these kids to the very best rock music of that period. Maybe 20 songs.

 

I'm talking about a historical document of music... something to expose and teach them, like a civil war reenactment without the drunken hillbillies. So, I don't want to get too obscure.

 

And, these kids haven't been exposed to 20 years of repetitive classic rock radio, so I'm not concerned if a song is overplayed by today's standards... so I might choose Layla even though I'm sick to death of it.

 

But I also want this to be the best music, not necessarily the greatest hits album... so, I'd choose say... Since I Been Loving You over Stairway to Heaven.

 

Here's what I've got so far, but feel free to critique and add.

 

Eric Clapton - Layla

Jimmy Hendrix - Little Wing

CSN - Woodstock

Yes - I've Seen All Good People

Led Zeppelin - Since I Been Loving You

Neil Young - Ohio

Grateful Dead - Help On the Way > Slipknot > Franklins Tower

Pink Floyd - Us and Them

 

I need some Dylan, some Beatles, some Stones, Doors... and more. I'm also flexible on the picks I've made so far.

Revolution

[Azazello1313]

the band - the weight

johnny b goode - chuck berry

good vibrations - the beach boys

whole lotta love - led zep

sunshine of your love - cream

stevie wonder - superstition

sweet jane - velvet underground (or "wild side" by lou reed)

whiter shade of pale - procul harum

 

for the beatles, stones, dylan....you could pick just about anything. I'd go with "a day in the life", "sympathy for the devil" (yeah, over "satisfaction"), and I guess "like a rolling stone" (though there are a lot of dylan songs I like better)

[untateve]

If I were compiling a playlist for kids, I would try to keep in mind the type of music kids like. I think certain songs would bore them and you'd lose them (e.g., I've Seen All Good People, A Day in the Life

 

Beatles - Revolution is a good call.

 

Stones - I think Paint It Black would be what I'd go with for kids.

 

Pink Floyd - I like Brain Damage much more than Us/Them (My 10 yr old likes 'we don't need no education...'

 

Zeppelin - Black Dog

 

Doors - has to be LA Woman

 

these are my early thoughts.

[Yukon Cornelius]

dont forget something by:

Queen

Santana

Tull

CCR

Allman Bro's

Young

Cream

Cream

Joplin

Bowie

[SheikYerbuti]

I need some Dylan, some Beatles, some Stones, Doors... and more. I'm also flexible on the picks I've made so far.

 

For the early, political Dylan it's a coin flip between "Blowing in the Wind" and "The Times They are A'Changing" . . .both overplayed, but both master works. For later, less political Dylan I gotta go with "Tangled Up in Blue" as the iconic work of his.

 

Beatles are another tough one since their static-to-signal ratio is so extreme. There are maybe 50 first round picks. If we're talking monolithic pieces of art, I guess I'd go with "I Want to Hold Your Hand" for early, "Day In the Life" for middle, and "Let It Be" for late. That being said, if I ever do have kids, they'll be fed a steady diet of every Beatles song (except maybe Revolution #9) until they go off to college.

 

I'm not a hugh Stones fan, but I think "Jumping Jack Flash" is the one.

 

Doors. . .meh.

 

Other things that come to mind for this project:

 

Hendrix - Purple Haze

Grateful Dead - Uncle John's Band (or maybe Box of Rain?)

Aretha Franklin - Respect

CCR - Fortunate Son (Bad Moon Rising?)

Cream - White Room

Simon and Garfunkel - Sound of Silence (The Boxer?)

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

James Brown - Get Up/Sex Machine

Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire

The Who - Teenage Wasteland

The Knack - My Sharona

 

Damn I could go on for a looong time on this one. . .

 

Oh, and if you're going to include "Woodstock", use the original Joni Mitchell recording. As with all of her songs that have been covered, her version is more beautiful, more personal, and more resonant when it's just her.

[SheikYerbuti]

And at least one from the holy trinity of Sex Pistols/Clash/Ramones. . .which one I have no idea. Just too many to choose from.

[TimC]

At least give them one thing good to listen to and put some Van Halen I on there.

[SheikYerbuti]

And at least one from the holy trinity of Sex Pistols/Clash/Ramones. . .which one I have no idea. Just too many to choose from.

 

OK I lied. . .Anarchy in the UK.

[muck]

The Who -- Babba O'Reilly (sp?)

[Cameltosis]

gonna have to spend some more time on this, but off the top of my head...

 

Zep, The Rain Song

CSN, Southern Cross

Beatles, Across The Universe

Dillon, Subteranean Homesick Blues, or anything else really

Cash, Cocaine Blues

Faces, Stay With Me

on and on...

[Azazello1313]

Hendrix - Purple Haze

Grateful Dead - Uncle John's Band (or maybe Box of Rain?)

Aretha Franklin - Respect definitely

CCR - Fortunate Son (Bad Moon Rising?)

Cream - White Room

Simon and Garfunkel - Sound of Silence (The Boxer?) umm, coo-coo ca-choo?

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

James Brown - Get Up/Sex Machine papa's got a brand new bag!

Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire

The Who - Teenage Wasteland

The Knack - My Sharona no

 

it starts to depend how broadly you want to define "rock"....but at some point, some p-funk comes into play here as well. like umm.....flash-light (bum bada BADA)

[rajncajn]

Just a few all-time greats

 

American Pie

Brown Eyed Girl

Dock of the Bay

Does Bob Marley classify?

Ramble On (might get a kick outta the LOTR reference)

[loaf]

The Doors - Light My Fire

Stones - Satisfaction

Beatles - Yesterday

Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild

Edited May 11, 2010 by loaf

[AtomicCEO]

If I were compiling a playlist for kids, I would try to keep in mind the type of music kids like. I think certain songs would bore them and you'd lose them (e.g., I've Seen All Good People, A Day in the Life

 

I don't care what they like. This is a lesson.

 

"You kids shut up and enjoy this music. It's history, dammit!"

[TimC]

At least give them the 1st rock and roll song on it...Bill Haley and the Comets "Rock Around the Clock" and maybe some Chuck Berry.

[piratesownninjas]

if I ever do have kids, they'll be fed a steady diet of every Beatles song (except maybe Revolution #9) until they go off to college.

I've been doing this for five months now. If my son is ever cranky and won't go to sleep I put the beatles on. He stops and listens, then 15 minutes later he's asleep again. Golden.

[rajncajn]

Beatles are another tough one since their static-to-signal ratio is so extreme. There are maybe 50 first round picks. If we're talking monolithic pieces of art, I guess I'd go with "I Want to Hold Your Hand" for early, "Day In the Life" for middle, and "Let It Be" for late. That being said, if I ever do have kids, they'll be fed a steady diet of every Beatles song (except maybe Revolution #9) until they go off to college.

My 4 yo is always singing about 3-4 different Beatles songs.

[Kid Cid]

Ok, I think rather than just tossing out favorite songs, if you really want a broad brush representation then you have to start with those elements or bands that really defined or redirected the musical landscape in some fashion or other. From there one can reduce things to the next level and choose songs. For that reason, I would start with these bands in no particular order:

 

Chuck Berry - defined part of the Rock and Roll sound

Elvis - drove the rebellion of youth into rock and roll

Grateful Dead - Instrumental in the formation of the counter culture of music

Yes - integrated classic composition into Rock and Roll

Rush - brought a new level of technical precision to RnR

Pink Floyd - pushed the edge of what was considered music

Beatles - led the clean cut revolution of RnR

Creedence Clearwater Revival - bridged classic Americana with RnR

Rolling Stones - led the rabble in the revolution of RnR

The Who - bridged RnR with opera

Led Zepplin - perhaps the most relevant of the music from the generation today

Deep Purple - redefined the "heavy sound"

Black Sabbath - helped create "Heavy Metal"

Frank Zappa - pushed the edge of musical composition, incorporated humor in serious music

The Doors - helped fuel the rebellion that was RnR

The Clash - Brought punk into the mainstream

Jimi Hendrix - made people rethink about sound and the guitar

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Reintroduced the Blues to RnR

Janis Joplin - Gave a female face to RnR (you could reasonably choose Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane for this as well)

Bob Dylan - He spoke for a generation

 

From there, I would choose these songs. Some may be more obscure than those things you're looking for but I believe that they best represent what these bands stood for.

 

Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode

Elvis - Hound Dog

Grateful Dead - Dark Star>St Stephen>The Eleven>Turn on Your Love Light from Live/Dead

Yes - Siberian Khatru

Rush - 2112 Suite

Pink Floyd - Have a Cigar

Beatles - A Day in the Life

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Down on the Corner

Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man

The Who - Tommy

Led Zepplin - Immigrant Song

Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water

Black Sabbath - War Pigs

Frank Zappa - Peaches en Regalia

The Doors - The End

The Clash - London Calling

Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Pride and Joy

Janis Joplin - Cry Baby

Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone

 

There are a bunch of others I could have included, but I think this list is pretty comprehensive.

Edited May 11, 2010 by Kid Cid

[AtomicCEO]

Good stuff in here... I'd quote you all, but it would get very long.

 

Derek and the Dominos - Layla

Jimmy Hendrix - Little Wing

CSN - Woodstock

Yes - I've Seen All Good People

Led Zeppelin - Since I Been Loving You

Neil Young - Ohio

Grateful Dead - Help On the Way > Slipknot > Franklins Tower

Pink Floyd - Us and Them Another Brick in the Wall

- This kills me, I think Us and Them is way more representative of Floyd's sound, but I know Brick in the Wall is probably more legendary.

Doors - The End

The Band - The Weight

Beatles - Day in the Life (great choice by many, seems obvious in retrospect)

Who - Baba O Reilly

Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues

 

Allman Brothers - need to be in there... One Way Out? Blue Skies? Jessica?

 

These are great, but are they legendary?

ccr - fortunate son

santana - oye como va

Sabbath - War Pigs

Janis

 

Wrong Genre?

aretha - respect

 

I think that Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, and early Beatles are too old school... and I think that Clash, Punk, Metal stuff is too new school for what I'm aiming for.

Yet, somehow I think Bob Marley does belong because I'm a dirty hippie.

 

And I hate the Beach Boys. I just don't get it.

[i_am_the_swammi]

Some of my 60's-70's favorites that warrant consideration:

 

Peter Frampton - Do You Feel Like I Do

Rod Stewart - Maggie May

Kinks - Lola

Queen - Somebody to Love

Heart - Magic Man

[SheikYerbuti]

These are great, but are they legendary?

Sabbath - War Pigs

 

I don't know if War Pigs specifically is "legendary", but Black Sabbath as a band? HELLZ YES.

 

Personally, I'd choose Paranoid or Iron Man.

[loaf]

ummmmmmm

Neil Young didn't do Ohio. If yer referring to 4 dead in Ohio. That's CSN&Y

[The Mucca]

Jefferson Airplane--White Rabbit

[Ursa Majoris]

Pink Floyd - Us and Them Another Brick in the Wall

- This kills me, I think Us and Them is way more representative of Floyd's sound, but I know Brick in the Wall is probably more legendary.

I'd have stuck with Us And Them because you're right. And added Comfortably Numb.

 

From the age when blacks made excellent powerful meaningful music instead of the no-talent dross that is rap, how about Edwin Starr's War and Sly And The Family Stone's Dance To The Music?