Rock Yearbooks

[AA484]

So, I shit-canned the alphabetical artists project because, frankly, I would have never finished it. Instead, I decided to expand on something I've fiddled with in the past and create a Rock "yearbook" for every year since the Beatles invasion (1964) and the beginning of the "modern" rock era. I'll list key singles and album tracks for each year up until I feel like stopping.

The sixties will probably still contain some early rock and roll/rockabilly (think Elvis, Roy Orbison), surf pop (Beach Boys), and R&B/doo wop/soul (Otis Redding, etc.) tunes because these genres were still influential on the development of what would eventually be considered "modern" rock music. By the seventies, I'll be mostly focusing on classic rock (even some songs that "fucking suck"), hard/blues rock, mainstream heavy metal, alternative rock, new wave, pop rock, some punk, and anything else I feel like including. For my own sanity, I don't want to go too far down genre rabbit-holes but I'll also try and include some non-mainstream artists that were influential on the genre or important sub-genres.

Some things to keep in mind: this isn't meant to be all-encompassing, just a snapshot of the year in question. I'm sure I will forget something or leave someone's favorite song off but I've tried to be as non-biased as possible when making the lists. I'll do my best to only include "quality" songs, but your mileage there may vary.

Note: B-sides will also be listed for some selections if the flip side is of a high enough quality. For simplicity's sake, I've included the American versions of the singles. Once artists start releasing albums consistently in both the U.K. and America (late sixties), this type of thing will go away. Additionally, I consider "album tracks" to be any song which did not make the U.S. Hot 100 or the U.K. singles charts within a couple of years of its release. These won't really become "a thing" until we get to the late sixties, but there will still be a few in the early years. They are noted below by the inclusion of an asterisk.

1964

"The House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals
"Don't Worry Baby" by the Beach Boys
"Fun, Fun, Fun" by the Beach Boys
"All My Loving" by the Beatles
"And I Love Her" / "If I Fell" by the Beatles
"Can't Buy Me Love" / "You Can't Do That" by the Beatles
"Do You Want to Know a Secret?" by the Beatles
"A Hard Day's Night" / "I Should Have Known Better" by the Beatles
"I Feel Fine" by the Beatles
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" / "I Saw Her Standing There" by the Beatles
"Love Me Do" by the Beatles
"Please Please Me" by the Beatles
"She Loves You" by the Beatles
"Twist and Shout" by the Beatles
"Glad All Over" by the Dave Clark Five
"Under the Boardwalk" by the Drifters
"It Ain't Me Babe" by Bob Dylan*
"My Back Pages" by Bob Dylan*
"The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan
"You Really Got Me" by the Kinks
"Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann
"Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison
"It's All Over Now" by the Rolling Stones
"Not Fade Away" by the Rolling Stones
"Time Is on My Side" by the Rolling Stones
"Tell Me (You're Not Coming Back)" by the Rolling Stones
"Needles and Pins" by the Searchers
"Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las
"I Only Want to Be With You" by Dusty Springfield
"She's Not There" by the Zombies

I'll probably go back in later and link to a Spotify playlist, but I promise nothing

 

[AA484]

Classic Rock That Doesn't Fuckin' Suck @Holiday Spice Kamala

I skipped ahead to the 70s because I felt like it. I also made a "best of" sampler playlist (80 minutes) with a max of one track each from selected artists. Those tracks are in bold. No way I'm gonna format the songs to have quotes, I just copy-pasted straight out of my Excel work book:

1973
10cc Rubber Bullets
Aerosmith Dream On
Aerosmith Mama Kin
Allman Brothers Band, The Ramblin' Man
Allman Brothers Band, The Jessica
Bowie, David Sorrow
Bowie, David Watch That Man
Cooper, Alice No More Mr. Nice Guy
Cooper, Alice Hello Hurray
Cooper, Alice Billion Dollar Babies
Croce, Jim Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
Deep Purple Woman From Tokyo
Doobie Brothers, The Long Train Runnin'
Doobie Brothers, The China Grove
Dr. John Right Place, Wrong Time
Dylan, Bob Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Electric Light Orchestra Showdown
Emerson, Lake & Palmer Karn Evil 9
Essex, David Rock On
Golden Earring Radar Love
Hall & Oates She's Gone
Harrison, George Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
Joel, Billy Piano Man
Joel, Billy Captain Jack
John, Elton Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
John, Elton Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
John, Elton Bennie and the Jets
John, Elton Candle in the Wind
John, Elton Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
John, Elton Daniel
John, Elton Grey Seal
John, Elton Harmony
Led Zeppelin Over the Hills and Far Away
Led Zeppelin The Rain Song
Led Zeppelin The Song Remains the Same
Led Zeppelin The Ocean
Led Zeppelin Dancing Days
Led Zeppelin D'yer Mak'er
Lennon, John Mind Games
Lynyrd Skynyrd Free Bird
Lynyrd Skynyrd Simple Man
Lynyrd Skynyrd Tuesday's Gone
Lynyrd Skynyrd I Ain't the One
Lynyrd Skynyrd Gimme Three Steps
Marley, Bob, & the Wailers Get Up, Stand Up
McCartney, Paul Live and Let Die
McCartney, Paul My Love
McCartney, Paul Helen Wheels
New York Dolls Personality Crisis
Pink Floyd Time
Pink Floyd Us and Them
Pink Floyd The Great Gig in the Sky
Pink Floyd Money
Pink Floyd Brain Damage / Eclipse
Pink Floyd Speak to Me / Breathe
Rolling Stones, The Angie
Rolling Stones, The Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
Simon, Paul Kodachrome
Slade Cum on Feel the Noize
Springsteen, Bruce Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Springsteen, Bruce 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Springsteen, Bruce Blinded by the Light
Springsteen, Bruce Spirit in the Night
Springsteen, Bruce For You
Starr, Ringo Photograph
Steely Dan My Old School
Steely Dan Bodhisattva
Stooges, The Search and Destroy
Stooges, The Gimme Danger
Sweet The Ballroom Blitz
T. Rex 20th Century Boy
Walsh, Joe Rocky Mountain Way
Who, The Love, Reign O'er Me
Who, The The Real Me
Who, The 5:15
Wings Band on the Run
Wings Jet
Wings Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
Wings Let Me Roll It
Zappa, Frank Montana
ZZ Top La Grange

Classic Rock Song That Does Fuckin' Suck: "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash," by Steve Miller Band

 

[AA484]

1976 was a turning point in the history of rock. We got our first true punk songs and groups that had carried the torch for rock through the sixties and the early part of the seventies -- Stones, Who, etc. -- were becoming less relevant.

I'd probably vote for "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" as song of the year.

1976

"The Things We Do for Love," by 10cc
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," by AC/DC
"Back in the Saddle," by Aerosmith
"Last Child," by Aerosmith
"The Raven," by The Alan Parsons Project
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper," by Blue Öyster Cult
"Foreplay / Long Time," by Boston
"Hitch a Ride," by Boston
"More Than a Feeling," by Boston
"Peace of Mind," by Boston
"Rock & Roll Band," by Boston
"Smokin'," by Boston
"Something About You," by Boston
"TVC 15," by David Bowie
"Wild Is the Wind," by David Bowie
"Couldn't Get It Right," by Climax Blues Band
"Isis," by Bob Dylan
"Mozambique," by Bob Dylan
"Hotel California," by Eagles
"Life in the Fast Lane," by Eagles
"New Kid in Town," by Eagles
"Do Ya," by Electric Light Orchestra
"Livin' Thing," by Electric Light Orchestra
"Telephone Line," by Electric Light Orchestra
"Show Me the Way," by Peter Frampton
"Crackerbox Palace," by George Harrison
"Crazy on You," by Heart
"Magic," by Heart
"New York State of Mind," by Billy Joel
"Say Goodbye to Hollywood," by Billy Joel
"Carry on Wayward Son," by Kansas
"Detroit Rock City," by KISS
"Hard Luck Woman," by KISS
"Shout It Out Loud," by KISS
"Achilles Last Stand," by Led Zeppelin
"Nobody's Fault but Mine," by Led Zeppelin
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," by Gordon Lightfoot
"Blinded by the Light," by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
"Fly Like an Eagle," by Steve Miller Band
"Rock'n Me," by Steve Miller Band
"Take the Money and Run," by Steve Miller Band
"American Girl," by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
"Breakdown," by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
"Somebody to Love," by Queen
"Tie Your Mother Down," by Queen
"Stargazer," by Rainbow
"Tarot Woman," by Rainbow
"Beat on the Brat," by Ramones
"Blitzkrieg Bop," by Ramones
"I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," by Ramones
"Fool to Cry," by The Rolling Stones
"2112," by Rush
"A Passage to Bangkok," by Rush
"Lido Shuffle," by Boz Scaggs
"Lowdown," by Boz Scaggs
"Night Moves," by Bob Seger
"Anarchy in the U.K.," by Sex Pistols
"Ask the Angels," by Patti Smith
"The Fez," by Steely Dan
"Kid Charlemagne," by Steely Dan
"Year of the Cat," by Al Stewart
"The Killing of Georgie," by Rod Stewart
"The Boys Are Back in Town," by Thin Lizzy
"Cowboy Song," by Thin Lizzy
"Don't Believe a Word," by Thin Lizzy
"Jailbreak," by Thin Lizzy
"Running Back," by Thin Lizzy

For @Holiday Spice Kamala

1976's Classic Rock Song That Just Fuckin' Sucks: "Young Blood," by Bad Company

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I’m a Bad Company fan but yeah, I forgot that cover and how much it sucks. Makes me feel way less mad at Kid Rock’s cover of “Feel Like Makin’ Love”. I guess karma was in hand there.