Today in Rock Music History: 8 Jun - Top 100 Guitar Songs
2008, Rolling Stone magazine published their curated list of the Top 100 Guitar Songs of all Time
[Editor's note: my pick, Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water", did not make the list]
What one song do you consider the best guitar-driven song of all time???
Johnny B - Goode - Chuck Berry - 1958
“This was the first great record about the joys and rewards of playing rock and roll guitar,” say the judges, who add: “It also has the single greatest rock and roll intro; a thrilling blast of high twang driven by Berry’s spearing notes.” Keith Richards admits to being in awe of Berry, saying of the track: “It was beautiful, effortless and his timing was perfection - He is rhythm man supreme.”Purple Haze - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - 1967
Hendrix “unveiled a new guitar language charged with spiritual hunger and the poetry possible in electricity and studio technology,” say the judges - “Hendrix opened a new age of expression on his instrument.”Crossroads - Cream - 1968
Clapton’s “high velocity” version of blues master Robert Johnson’s song drew this praise from Steven Van Zandt, a rocker with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and an actor on television’s The Sopranos: “When Clapton soloed, he wrote wonderful symphonies from classic blues licks in that fantastic tone of his - You could sing his solos like songs in themselves.”You Really Got Me - The Kinks - 1964
Dave Davies’ solo, says Rolling Stone, “is a tangle of zig-zags and viciously bent notes that heralded the birth of Sixties garage and punk-rock guitar in one fell swoop.” He created his revolutionary sound by shredding his amp with a razor blade and brother Ray, who wrote it, admits: “I said I’d never write another song like it – and I haven’t.”Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones - 1971
The judges rave: “Satisfaction may be the Stones’ most recognisable riff, but this hit…..is the band’s raunchy guitar pinnacle.” Keith Richards’ secret weapon: He removed the lowest string from his guitar.Eruption - Van Halen - 1978
Eddie Van Halen’s 102 second “mission statement” solo was a piece of masterful tone and technique, notably the rush of notes he produced with his fretboard tapping,” says Rolling Stone, adding: “An army of teens would try to duplicate it, emerging years later in every metal bands of the Eighties.While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles - 1968
This song, say the judges, “is about two guitar giants at their empathetic peak; George Harrison, who wrote it on an acoustic guitar in India, and Eric Clapton,” (a guest artist on the track) who contributes “a waterfall of blues fills - It’s the finest example of his jagged, late-Sixties tone.”Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin - 1971
This song, according to Jimmy Page: “Crystallised the essence of the band.” The magazine says: “It’s a masterpiece of dramatic ascension; Page’s acoustic picking rising into chiming chords, which introduce the solo, a brilliant succession of phrases that steadily move toward rock & roll ecstasy.”Statesboro Blues - The Allman Brothers Band - 1971
The “moaning and squealing opening licks” have, say the judges, “given fans chills at live shows,” before ace axeman Duane Allman launches into “burning” electric slide guitar.Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana - 1991
“That riff,” declares Rolling Stone, “along with the band’s loud-quiet-loud dynamics, defined Nineties rock.”Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin - 1969
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - 1968
Layla - Derek and the Dominos - 1970
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen - 1975
My Generation - The Who - 1965
Cowgirl in the Sand - Neil Young with Crazy Horse - 1969
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - 1970
Blitzkrieg Bop - Ramones - 1976
Purple Rain - Prince and the Revolution - 1984
People Get Ready - The Impressions - 1965
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes - 2003
A Hard Day’s Night - The Beatles - 1964
Over Under Sideways Down - The Yardbirds - 1966
Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine - 1992
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking - The Rolling Stones - 1971.
How Blue Can You Get? B - B - King - 1965.
Look Over Yonders Wall - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - 1965.
Where the Streets Have No Name - U2 - 1987.
Back in Black - AC/DC - 1980.
(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and His Comets - 1954.
Keep Yourself Alive - Queen - 1973.
Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits - 1978.
Master of Puppets - Metallica - 1986.
Walk This Way - Aerosmith - 1975.
1969 - The Stooges - 1969.
Interstellar Overdrive - Pink Floyd - 1967
That’s All Right - Elvis Presley - 1954 - (Guitarist: Scotty Moore)
Stay With Me - The Faces - 1971
Black Magic Woman - Santana - 1970
I Can See For Miles - The Who - 1967
Marquee Moon - Television - 1977
Hideaway - John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers - 1966
Holidays in the Sun - The Sex Pistols - 1977
Dig Me Out - Sleater-Kinney - 1997
I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles - 1963
Miserlou - Dick Dale and the Del-Tones - 1962
Panama - Van Halen - 1984
London Calling - The Clash - 1980
Machine Gun - Jimi Hendrix - 1970
Debaser - Pixies - 1989
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne - 1981
My Iron Lung - Radiohead - 1995
Born on the Bayou - Creedence Clearwater Revival - 1969
Little Wing - Stevie Ray Vaughan - 1991
White Room - Cream - 1968
Eight Miles High - The Byrds - 1966
Dark Star - Grateful Dead - 1969
Rumble - Link Wray - 1958
Freeway Jam - Jeff Beck - 1975
Maggot Brain - Funkadelic - 1971
Soul Man - Sam and Dave - 1967
Born Under a Bad Sign - Albert King - 1967
Sweet Child O’ Mine - Guns ’n’ Roses - 1987
Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd - 1973
Message in a Bottle - The Police - 1979
Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan - 1983
Adam Raised a Cain - Bruce Springsteen - 1978
The Thrill is Gone - B.B - King - 1969
Money - Pink Floyd - 1973
Bullet With Butterfly Wings - Smashing Pumpkins - 1995
Take It or Leave It - The Strokes - 2001
Say It Ain’t So - Weezer - 1994
Summertime Blues - Blue Cheer - 1968
La Grange - ZZ Top - 1973
Willie the Pimp - Frank Zappa - 1969
American Girl - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - 1976
Even Flow - Pearl Jam - 1991
Stone Crazy - Buddy Guy - 1970
Silver Rocket - Sonic Youth - 1988
Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan - 1976
81 ) Beat It - Michael Jackson - 1982 - (Guitar solo: Eddie Van Halen, rhythm guitars: Paul Jackson Jr and Steve Lukather).Walk – Don’t Run - The Ventures - 1960
What I Got - Sublime - 1996
Gravity - John Mayer - 2006
You Enjoy Myself - Phish - 1988
I Ain’t Superstitious - Jeff Beck - 1968
Red - King Crimson - 1974
Mona - Quicksilver Messenger Service - 1969
I Love Rock N Roll - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - 1981
How Soon is Now? The Smiths - 1985
Drunkship of Lanterns - The Mars Volta - 2003
Memo From Turner - Mick Jagger - 1970 - (Guitarist: Ry Cooder)
Only Shallow - My Bloody Valentine - 1991
Money for Nothing - Dire Straits - 1984
Omaha - Moby Grape - 1967
New Day Rising - Hüsker Dü - 1985
No One Knows - Queens of the Stone Age - 2002
Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers - 1991
Run Thru - My Morning Jacket - 2003
Vicarious - Tool - 2006