“I love Rock and Roll, put another dime in the Jukebox baby!”
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

I have professed my love for Rock n’ Roll before on this blog. In addition I have gone over the fact that Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix are the easiest reasons why people should never call it “White” music. So I now present some of my favorite songs in the genre.
*Disclaimer, don’t bash me and ask how come I didn’t put on a certain song…this list is really infinite and no one wants to read all that.

“Castles made of Sand” Jimi Hendrix
This is a good song and a great message, while the majority of the songs seems to be from a negative standpoint and have people losing out, the last verse flips it around. It’s like saying what’s reality will always win out, good or bad. (I wanted to keep it to one but I gotta mention “Angel”)
“And so castles made of sand, fall in the sea, eventually…”

“Mouth” Bush
This song speaks to something I’ve known all my life, a womans tongue can be the sharpest sword. Something many men have come to learn and even studies on child behavior confirm. Boys hit each other, girls strike for the heart without even yelling.
“All your mental armor drags me down/we can’t breathe when you come around/all your mental armor drags me down/nothing hurts like your mouth”

“Welcome to the Jungle” Guns and Roses
This is one of the best It’s-crazy-around-here-so-watch-your-back-songs. I love it in GTA: San Andreas, however, the best placement of this song has to be in “Lean on Me”, Fair Eastside had some issues and you knew it as soon as you heard this song in the beginning. Pretty good description of any hood. (gotta mention November Rain)
“If you got a hunger for what you see/You’ll take it eventually/You can have anything you want/But you better not take it from me”

“Fortunate Son” Creedance Clearwater Revival
This song has been misused as some sort of patriotic anthem when it’s nothing close. It talks about how all those patriotic people are usually “privledged”. Most of us can identify with this song. I know I have a great mother, but in the sense of this song, “I ain’t no fortunate son”.
“It ain’t me, it ain’t me/I ain’t no senator’s son/It ain’t me, it ain’t me/I ain’t no fortunate one”

“Summer” Alien Ant Farm
Great song about not being able to work it out. You messed up and despite your good intentions it’s over.
“Tried to give you summer, but I’m winter/Wish I could make you spring, but I fall so hard”

“Under the Bridge” Red Hot Chili Peppers
This song is the one that even the people who called Rock music “white people music” liked this song. This was the one that people in the hood knew about. I’d be surprised if anyone that reads this has not heard this song.
“I don’t ever want to feeeeeel, like I did that day/Take me to the place I looooooove, take me all the way”

“The Warmth” Incubus
This is the “there-are-bright-spots-song” I’ll let it speak for itself…
“So don’t let the world bring you down/Not everyone here is that fucked up and cold/Remember why you came and while you’re alive/Experience the warmth before you grow old.”

“Bullet with Butterfly Wings” Smashing Pumpkins
It was hard for me not to put Disarm on here, but this song has one of my favorite titles. It describes quite well what this song is all about. This is a song I speed to, this joint I want to mosh to. If my life is a movie, when this comes up in the soundtrack I’ll be breaking things…then I’ll break down.
“Then someone will say what is lost can never be saved/Despite all my rage I’m still just a rat in a cage”
“Whatsername” Greenday
I am a sucker for ballads and songs that put me in a certain moment or state of mind. I have found myself thinking about an old flame and wondering what was going on with them at the moment. This song takes me there.
“I made a point to burn all of the photographs/She went away and then I took a different path/I remember the face, but I can’t recall the name/Now I wonder how whatsername has been”

“Jeremy” Pearl Jam
I always credit this song with documenting Columbine before it happened. This is a good example of how elders don’t listen to what youth are saying until something happens. This was the warning.
“Clearly I remember pickin’ on the boy/Seemed a harmless little fuck/Ooh, but we unleashed a lion…”

“Dream On” Aerosmith
As I tell my clients no that’s not “Eminem’s song” he sampled a great band. While Aerosmith has a lot of good songs (Sweet Emotions, Love in an Elevator, Janie’s got a Gun, etc.), but this one was always one of my favorites (besides Walk this Way for obvious reasons).
“Sing with me, sing for the year/ Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears /Sing with me, if it’s just for today /Maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away”

“Iron Man” Black Sabbath
How could I forget Ozzy. This is a sick story…I love it. A hero sacrifices himself for humanity, is subsequently ignored and then…well peep it…
“Now the time is here for ironman to spread fear/Vengeance from the grave kills the people he once saved”

“We will Rock You” Queen
Though people look at me funny when I say I’m listening to Queen, or ask what “she” sings…everyone one knows at least the beat and chorus to this song. Used in a million stadiums and by me at open mics without bands. This in the top 10 list of “That was a great idea!” for simple yet killer songs. Stomp, Stomp, Clap. (many great songs, but I love to mention “Fat Bottomed Girls”)
“You got mud on yo’ face/You big disgrace/Kickin’ your can all over the place”

What’s a song that has to be on your list?