Category: Rock Listicles
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Great Rock Set Lists from 1976
If you wanted to know who’d be touring in 1976, you looked at the record bins. It was an action-packed year for new releases and epic hard rock set lists. Riding on the excitement of the previous year, it seemed like a hot new album was dropping every week. The trend would be challenged by…
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30 Rock Bands from the 1990s (You Might Have Missed)
For many of us, the 1990s were dominated by the rise (and fall) of grunge and alternative rock, and the emergence of rap and hip hop as the beacon of popular music and culture. There are dozens of rock bands from the 1990s you might have missed. Honestly, I missed some of these bands, too!…
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25 Songs About New York
I enjoy the freedom of telling you what to expect at the beginning of a post because it either gets you onboard with the program or sends you on your way. Both are positive outcomes. If you’re looking for songs about New York and expect to find Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” anywhere on…
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Let the Drummer Have Some! Solo Albums By Rock Drummers
Drummers are the foundation of modern rock music, and the nature of the instrument is rhythmic support. Televised network “talent” shows never feature standalone rock drummers because (almost) nobody wants to hear two minutes of drums and nothing but drums. Neil Peart wouldn’t make it past the second round of American Idol – not that…
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Great Rock Set Lists from 1984
There was never really a bad year for rock music or rock set lists; some years were just more exciting than others. 1984 was a turning point in my concert-going career because I turned 16, got my driver’s license, kept my grades up, and made Eagle Scout, which was an incredibly important beacon of trust…
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17 Great 80s Rock Bands (You Might Have Missed)
It’s hard to find great 1980s rock bands that were overlooked because the market was saturated by MTV and radio. It’s easier to find great bands from the 1970s and the 1990s, too, when the rise of digital recording rocked the infrastructure and landscape of music. Most of the bands on this list had some…
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18 Great 70s Rock Artists (You Might Have Missed)
Great 1970s rock bands have a habit of falling through the cracks. For every Kiss and Led Zeppelin, thousands of overlooked artists were as good, if not better, than the superstars. The bands and artists on this list aren’t one-hit wonders or obscure local favorites. With one exception, I’m talking about bands actively putting out…
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Weird and Quirky Cover Versions of Great Rock Songs
I’m a sucker for a good cover song, whether sincere or satirical. I’ve spent entire weeks listening to nothing but Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine, the Mike Flowers Pops, and Pat Boone’s In a Metal Mood (2007). I’d be a bigger fan of Weird Al if he didn’t have that damn accordion. These…
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10 Great Rock Songs (Surprisingly) Inspired by Books and Literature
Rock music is littered with songs and albums inspired by great literature. Some heavy metal bands don’t have much to say if they’re not retelling “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. The Cure have consistently dropped tracks inspired by Robert Smith‘s reading habits. Radiohead is quite fond of books, too. Some of the greatest songs…
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Interesting Rock Set Lists of 1975
In 1975, an eight-year-old recalls a typical suburban family life with limited technology. Music dominated leisure time, with iconic television shows like The Midnight Special showcasing famous artists. From concerts to set lists of bands like Kiss and Barry Manilow, the era predominantly celebrated live performances and radio hits, forging lasting memories.
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Top 50 Rock Vocalists of All Time (According to Me)
Part of my job at a Taiwanese publishing company was writing speeches for kids. We followed a customized Rule of Threes for public speaking. The title of this post informs you that I’m going to talk about the best rock singers in history—according to my experience. It’s my opinion. Fair enough. Every singer on this…
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Great Rock Set Lists of 1983
My parents started letting me go to concerts with my friends in 1981, but I only went to a couple of shows, mainly because we lived in the suburbs and hence, needed a driver. Our parents weren’t always cooperative. It sometimes came down to an older sibling with a shared interest in the gig. My…
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Great Rock Set Lists of 1974
Progressive rock and art rock slipped into mainstream consciousness in 1974. We received extremely important and, in some cases, watershed records from Brian Eno, Sparks, Steely Dan, King Crimson, Queen, Genesis, Supertramp, Kraftwerk, and Roxy Music. We haven’t exactly moved on from the over-indulgence of bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP), Electric Light Orchestra…
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25 Songs About California
You’ll be disappointed if you clicked on this post expecting to see “Hotel California” by the Eagles anywhere on the list. The best-selling rock hit of 1977–78 isn’t even among my top 50 songs about the Golden State. Why? Of the 50 United States, only two, maybe three states come close to California in terms…
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25 Songs About Going Down to Mexico
Because geography, there are few things more quintessentially American than the concept of “going down to Mexico.” Nobody ever says they’re going up to Mexico—that would be silly. Whether you’re an outlaw in search of refuge or a college kid on Spring Break, it seems like almost everybody, at some point in our lives, will…
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100 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time, More or Less
From an informational perspective, opinion-based “Best Of” lists, especially related to music, are generally worthless. For instance, Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs [Of All Time], contains neither surprise nor revelation, yet abounds in cringe and grimace. Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums is another story altogether, and I’ll get to that some time in the future.…