I believe there are songs in the relatively short history of Rock music that are important. They often signify a watershed moment where the direction of Rock changed, or they are simply so recognizable that you can't think about Rock without thinking of that song.

Here are 10 that I think are important for those reasons described above. What are yours?

1. Hound Dog. Elvis Presley's version;

2. Not Fade Away. Buddy Holly

3. Whiter Shade of Pale. Procol Harem;

4. House of the Rising Sun. The Animals;

5. Purple Haze. Jimi Hendrix;

6. Sunshine of Your Love. Cream;

7. Satisfaction. The Rolling Stones;

8. White Rabbit. The Jefferson Airplane;

9. For What It's Worth. Buffalo Springfield;

10. Whole Lotta Love. Led Zeppelin

I've got a handful of others, but I wanted to leave some room for others. Hated to leave "Sultans" off.

Ten songs, that is tough.

These are not necessarily my "favorite" or what I consider the best songs, but milestones and influential rock n roll songs.

1- Hound Dog- Elvis Presley

2. Johnny B. Goode- Chuck Berry

3. I Wanna Hold Your Hand- The Beatles

4. You Really Got Me- The Kinks

5. Satisfaction- The Rolling Stones

6. Like A Rolling Stone- Bob Dylan

7. Day in The Life- The Beatles

8. God Save The Queen.- The Sex Pistols

9. Good Vibrations- The Beach Boys

10. Eruption- Van Halen

1. Little Richard - Tutti Frutti
2. The Everly Brothers - Bye Bye Love (big influence on Beatles and Beach Boys and S&G)
3. The Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand (first big American song for the greatest band of all time)
4. The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction
5. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone (Dylan going electric)
6. The Beatles - A Day in the Life (really, the whole Sgt Peppers record what could be achieved in a studio)
7. Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze (showed what might be possible on a guitar)
8. The Ramones - Blietzkrieg Bop (biggest stylistic impact of the late 70s)
9. Beatie Boys - Fight for Your Right (hugely influential for hip-hop melding into rock/pop music
10. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (perhaps the last great spike on the curve of rock n roll music)

This is really tough. I tried not to use songs other members mentioned, but that's hard. A very good list of songs mentioned so far!

I thought of big songs that got tons of airplay and still do. Some changed The direction of music...or were on the cusp of it. This list could easily be 20 or 30.

I didn't mention very early rock as it did not click with me. and I know I'm omitting a LOT of great artists.

In no particular order:



Stairway to Heaven

Free Bird

Hotel California

Good Vibrations

Turn Turn Turn

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Bohemian Rhapsody

Roundabout

Satisfaction

Jeremy


ETA, I didn't include artist names as you all know them anyway.

All good songs....

Rocket 88 - Jackie Robinson and his Delta Cats

Like a Rolling Stone - Dylan

Purple Haze - Hendrix

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

House of the Rising Sun -The Animals

Crossroads - originally a Robert Johnson blues song from 1936, arguably the first Rock and Roll song before RNR was a thing, but in reality it was pure blues, and we all know Gospel begat the Blues, Blues begat RNR, it survived into several others doing recordings including Clapton

Gimme Shelter -The Stones

LA Woman -The Doors

Baba O'Riley - The Who

I could name several AC/DC songs Thunderstruck, You Shook Me all Night Long, Highway to Hell, Back in Black, It's a long way to the top, Dirty Deeds, ok yeah I'm a fan of that kind of RNR!

I left off some really important ones, didn’t I. Chuck Berry needs to be there, Beatles, sure. Dylan, no doubt. The Everlys, the Beach Boys…others mentioned. One thing I never claimed is that there are only 10 important songs, I just stopped at 10 to leave some room. Maybe “Sweet Jane” goes in there somewhere.

Spirit in the Sky : Norman Greenbaum

No particular order or the "best", but when I hear these songs I know all of the lyrics

1: Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
2: Everly Brothers - Wake Up Little Suzy
3: Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone
4: Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode
5: Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
6: Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
7: Stevie Wonder - Superstition
8: Stealers Wheel - Stuck In The Middle With You
9: AC/DC - Back In Black
10: Elton John - Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting

I gotta ad Stranglehold by Ted Nugent.

We seem to have forgotten the early 80s?

And for me, it is as mysterious as what happened to Amelia Earhart to list "rock" songs of 2000 - 2026. I am tired of listening to songs of my youth, and proclaiming them as excellent. Has anyone or any group made a Bohemian Rhapsody or More Than A Feeling in this century?

There is a song "Video Killed The Radio Star." Another is "Murder On Music Row." Both bemoan the lack of respect for an era of music. Did rap kill rock?