That's Just, Like, Your Opinion
Rolling Stone Magazine needed to fill some space in their latest issue, so they decided to take the lazy way out and publish a completely subjective list of their favorite rock songs that featured guitar. They called this list the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time," which is a bit presumptuous.
I thought I'd make a top 11 list of my own presumptuous comments about their list. My comments are a bit stream-of-consciousness, but here goes:
11. The top two songs actually make sense: Chuck Berry's "Johnny Be Good" #1 and The Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Purple Haze" #2.
10. "Brown Sugar" #5 and "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" #25 are great guitar songs by the Rolling Stones, but how can you leave "Satisfaction" off of the list? It has one of the most distinctive guitar hooks ever.
9. Neil Young's "Cowgirl In The Sand" #16 should be nowhere near this list, and that's not just because he is a communist and a Canadian. I might have included his solo "Southern Man" or "Mr. Soul" from his early time with Buffalo Springfield.
8. Black Sabbath should have made this list with "Iron Man" or "Paranoid." Including "Black Sabbath" #17 instead doesn't make sense.
7. "A Hard Day's Night?" #22 You've got to be kidding me. It's a great pop song, but there is nothing notable about the guitar work. "Let It Be" should replace it.
6. If Rage Against The Machine belongs on the list at all, it shouldn't have a song at #24 ("Killing In The Name Of").
5. Sleater-Kinney at #44 with "Dig Me Out"? How about including songs that people may have actually heard or that have sold some records or are made by musicians with actual musical talent. I submit this entry as proof that these lists are completely bogus.
4. This Sleater-Kinney situation has me so steamed, that I really don't have many comments on the second half of the list.
3. Kudos to the editors for including an incredible song, "Red", by King Crimson. King Crimson received very little commercial airplay, but Robert Fripp is an amazing guitarist and songwriter. This almost makes up for Sleater-Kinney.
On second thought, nothing makes up for Sleater-Kinney. I am still enraged.
2. Upon completion of my review, I noticed that there are no songs by Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe. The guy was only a five time winner of Guitar Player magazine's player of the year. Maybe it's because Asia and Yes didn't have the commercial success of Sleater-Kinney? WTF?
1. "Smoke On The Water" isn't even on the list? I would have thought it would be in the top five. It may be the most well-known guitar riff in rock (maybe behind "Satisfaction"). It has a great solo. Deep Purple (and Rainbow) guitar virtuoso Ritchie Blackmore was shut out just like Steve Howe, which is proof that this list is completely subjective crapola.
I thought I'd make a top 11 list of my own presumptuous comments about their list. My comments are a bit stream-of-consciousness, but here goes:
11. The top two songs actually make sense: Chuck Berry's "Johnny Be Good" #1 and The Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Purple Haze" #2.
10. "Brown Sugar" #5 and "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" #25 are great guitar songs by the Rolling Stones, but how can you leave "Satisfaction" off of the list? It has one of the most distinctive guitar hooks ever.
9. Neil Young's "Cowgirl In The Sand" #16 should be nowhere near this list, and that's not just because he is a communist and a Canadian. I might have included his solo "Southern Man" or "Mr. Soul" from his early time with Buffalo Springfield.
8. Black Sabbath should have made this list with "Iron Man" or "Paranoid." Including "Black Sabbath" #17 instead doesn't make sense.
7. "A Hard Day's Night?" #22 You've got to be kidding me. It's a great pop song, but there is nothing notable about the guitar work. "Let It Be" should replace it.
6. If Rage Against The Machine belongs on the list at all, it shouldn't have a song at #24 ("Killing In The Name Of").
5. Sleater-Kinney at #44 with "Dig Me Out"? How about including songs that people may have actually heard or that have sold some records or are made by musicians with actual musical talent. I submit this entry as proof that these lists are completely bogus.
4. This Sleater-Kinney situation has me so steamed, that I really don't have many comments on the second half of the list.
3. Kudos to the editors for including an incredible song, "Red", by King Crimson. King Crimson received very little commercial airplay, but Robert Fripp is an amazing guitarist and songwriter. This almost makes up for Sleater-Kinney.
On second thought, nothing makes up for Sleater-Kinney. I am still enraged.
2. Upon completion of my review, I noticed that there are no songs by Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe. The guy was only a five time winner of Guitar Player magazine's player of the year. Maybe it's because Asia and Yes didn't have the commercial success of Sleater-Kinney? WTF?
1. "Smoke On The Water" isn't even on the list? I would have thought it would be in the top five. It may be the most well-known guitar riff in rock (maybe behind "Satisfaction"). It has a great solo. Deep Purple (and Rainbow) guitar virtuoso Ritchie Blackmore was shut out just like Steve Howe, which is proof that this list is completely subjective crapola.
posted by Nihilist in Golf Pants at 6/22/2008 04:33:00 PM
3 Comments:
Some very good comments and criticism of this 'alleged' list.
How about including songs that people may have actually heard or that have sold some records
But "Red" is OK, because you like it.
These lists are stupid- I'm a deadhead- not like all the others of course- I have a job and everything-and I understand why people don't like 'em- but what Dead tune do they pick 'Dark Star' the poster song (sic) for dead-haters everywhere. Sheesh.
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