Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Join our email blast

Publisher

‘It’s still rock and roll to me’

3/6/2024

Billy Joel penned those words in his No. 1 hit of the same name from his “Glass Houses” album of 1980. I listened to it with my friends while roller skating. The roller skating rink has since closed, but Billy Joel rocks on — and so does that song.  

That is what’s great about rock music. It lives on for decades. At least the good stuff, anyway. But what exactly is “the good stuff”? That depends on who you ask.  

I have been wanting to publish a story listing the greatest rock songs of all time for more than two decades, but I could not find a writer with the courage to do it. Then along came Jackie Wilson, who has been handling our music coverage at CITYVIEW for a few years now. When I asked her about the idea, she immediately said, “I will do it.” 

To give the list perspectives other than her own, she sat in with our staff of a variety of ages and backgrounds and brainstormed on their thoughts on the greatest rock songs of all time. Interestingly, most of the suggestions were from outside of their generations of music, which was probably due to hearing the songs from their parents or older siblings. That would certainly be the case with me.  

Mom preferred country music (or country western music, as she called it), but she didn’t hesitate to tap her feet and sing along to Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers and the Big Bopper. And, as such, I did, too.

CNA - Stop HIV Iowa

My greater musical influences, though, came from the 8-tracks of my brothers. That’s where I heard the sounds of KISS, Thin Lizzy, Aerosmith, Foghat, Alice Cooper, Steve Miller Band and Grand Funk Railroad.  

I need to give my sister some credit here, too, as her 45s of Wings, Bob Dylan, Elton John, The Sweet and Todd Rundgren found plenty of spins on my portable General Electric record player.  

As a married man with children, I subjected my three daughters to a barrage of my version of rock including many of the above mentioned artists and some newer ones of the time like Lenny Kravitz, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Living Colour and The Black Crowes.  

So what are the greatest rock songs of all time? Ultimately, that’s up to you to decide, but we are pleased to get the conversation started. Just remember, “It doesn’t matter what they say in the papers ’cause it’s always been the same old scene. There’s a new band in town but you can’t get the sound from a story in a magazine.” 

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*