The Best Ten Rock Songs Ever
satisfaction
1. The Rolling Stones - “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965)
A brutal, cheeky, swaggering rejection of everything that middle class society held dear — “I’m just not SATISFIED with any of this crap” — fueled by one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time and Charlie Watts’ implacable on-the-beat drumming. Simply undeniable.
2. The Beatles - “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963)
Beatlemania exploded upon the United States with uncontainable fury and exuberance when this song was released just ahead of the Fab Four’s first visit in early 1964. Nothing has been the same since.
3. Aretha Franklin - “Respect” (1967)
The tightest, sweetest southern soul song of all time, sung by one of the finest female singers of the 20th century, the Queen of Soul. Aretha’s gospel pipes were harnessed by her own brilliant arrangement of an Otis Redding song that became all the more meaningful and poignant from a female perspective — bolstered also by the best background vocals (by Aretha and her sisters Carolyn and Erma) ever.
4. Bob Dylan - “Like a Rolling Stone” (1965)
A seminal rock ‘n’ roll song mined from somewhere within Dylan’s subconscious where the rich tradition of folk music met the pungent tang of the blues. Al Kooper’s hypnotic organ and Mike Bloomfield’s rhythm guitar dominate musically.
5. Elvis Presley - “Hound Dog” (1956)
The King’s explosive take on this Leiber/Stoller R&B tune is his hardest rocking recording ever: the drums punish and swing, the handclaps propel, Scotty Moore’s guitar twists like a knife, and Elvis pushes himself exactly to the border where singing becomes shouting. Intense and liberating.