Rock Survey - Shine (Collective Soul)

Artist: Collective Soul

Song:  Shine

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m0bI82Rz_k

Quick Thoughts:  #1 Album rock song of 1994, featuring guitar with a slight distortion. Having originated in Georgia, Collective Soul performed at Woodstock in 1994, at the time riding the wave of the emerging and maturing grunge scene. The band's name is taken from a line in Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.  Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins hates this song

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  987
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  9

For upcoming concerts:  http://www.collectivesoul.com/shows/

Having grown up listening to mostly hip-hop, R&B, some alternative, and all sorts of music in Spanish, I decided it was time to give myself a personal survey of Rock music.  My friend BJ Swanner compiled a "Top 1000 Rock Song List", aggregated from several "Top Lists".  As I go through all 1,000 songs, I'll be creating my own list, sharing a brief post like this for all the songs that will make my final list.   I will not be ranking the songs that make it to my final list.....for now.

Twitter: @jimmythelion

Rock Survey - Sharp Dressed Man (ZZ Top)

Artist:  ZZ Top
Song:  Sharp Dressed Man

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wRHBLwpASw

Quick Thoughts: "That little ole' band from Texas", formed in 1969 in Houston. This is the only rock n' roll group with its original members still onboard after three decades, with guitarist and lead vocalist Billy Gibbons, bassist and co-lead vocalist Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard.  Great guitar.  Blues-based boogie rock, strong blues roots and known for humorous lyrics.  This song is also sung by Brad Paisley.

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  991
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  8

For upcoming concerts:  http://zztop.com/news

Having grown up listening to mostly hip-hop, R&B, some alternative, and all sorts of music in Spanish, I decided it was time to give myself a personal survey of Rock music.  My friend BJ Swanner compiled a "Top 1000 Rock Song List", aggregated from several "Top Lists".  As I go through all 1,000 songs, I'll be creating my own list, sharing a brief post like this for all the songs that will make my final list.   I will not be ranking the songs that make it to my final list.....for now.

Twitter: @jimmythelion

Rock Survey - Signs (Tesla)

Artist:  Tesla
Song: Signs

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gklM1AiZX0s

Quick Thoughts: A Sacramento band. Signs is a song originally recorded in the 1970 about social and political change, and its lyrics carry themes of intolerance and exclusion.  Tesla came about in 1985 with a workmanlike approach to hard rock.  Their music is not only hard, it also features great acoustic versions of their songs.  With the grunge scene causing major shifts in the music industry in the early 1990's, many pop metal bands were been pushed out of the spotlight.  Tesla's real talent allowed it to remain together as a high respectable band.

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  992
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  7

For upcoming concerts:  http://teslatheband.com/upcoming-shows/

Having grown up listening to mostly hip-hop, R&B, some alternative, and all sorts of music in Spanish, I decided it was time to give myself a personal survey of Rock music.  My friend BJ Swanner compiled a "Top 1000 Rock Song List", aggregated from several "Top Lists".  As I go through all 1,000 songs, I'll be creating my own list, sharing a brief post like this for all the songs that will make my final list.   I will not be ranking the songs that make it to my final list.....for now.

Twitter: @jimmythelion

Rock Survey - Evil Woman (Electric Light Orchestra)

Artist: Electric Light Orchestra 
Song: Evil Woman

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R20f-TPKjzc

Quick Thoughts: A British rock group built around a fusion of rock and classical music, releasing 11 studio albums between 1971 and 1986. Creative dominant force Jeff Lynne has produced recordings for artists such as The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson, Randy Newman, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty. The lyric "there's a hole in my head where the rain comes in" is a tribute to The Beatles' song "Fixing a Hole".  Cool song about a guy fed up with a girl who had used him for long enough.

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  993
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  6

For upcoming concerts: No upcoming concerts but Jeff  Lynne will be appearing on NPR on July 25, 2013.  http://www.elo.biz/news

Having grown up listening to mostly hip-hop, R&B, some alternative, and all sorts of music in Spanish, I decided it was time to give myself a personal survey of Rock music.  My friend BJ Swanner compiled a "Top 1000 Rock Song List", aggregated from several "Top Lists".  As I go through all 1,000 songs, I'll be creating my own list, sharing a brief post like this for all the songs that will make my final list.   I will not be ranking the songs that make it to my final list.....for now.

Twitter: @jimmythelion

Rock Survey - Feels Like the First Time (Foreigner)

Artist:  Foreigner
Song:  Feels Like the First Time

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfO7ZVdzfZ4

Quick Thoughts: Along with bands like Journey, REO Speedwagon and Styx, Foreigner was one of the rock acts from the 1970's that was able to transform and survive in the 1980's. Before their cheezy 80's ballads as a quartet (which I must admit I still liked), these guys rocked as a sextet.  What a great rock song, great guitar, and just great feel good music!

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  994
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  5

For upcoming concerts: http://www.foreigneronline.com/tourdates.html

Having grown up listening to mostly hip-hop, R&B, some alternative, and all sorts of music in Spanish, I decided it was time to give myself a personal survey of Rock music.  My friend BJ Swanner compiled a "Top 1000 Rock Song List", aggregated from several "Top Lists".  As I go through all 1,000 songs, I'll be creating my own list, sharing a brief post like this for all the songs that will make my final list.   I will not be ranking the songs that make it to my final list.....for now.

Twitter: @jimmythelion

Rock Survey - All Apologies (Kurt Cobain)

Artist:  Nirvana
Song:  All Apologies

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LFVQpDKHk4

Quick Thoughts:  Having created the band in Aberdeen, WA, Nirvana unintentionally brought punk, post-punk and indie rock in the mainstream, cemented is influence on rock music forever.  The best description I've heard of Nirvana's sound is "fiery and melodic".  I read someone say that this song is an 'F.U.' for all the people analyzing his songs. The "apology" is meant to be sarcastic, throwing in deliberately nonsensical phrases and words, as if to say "Why do you see me as a role model and take my words this seriously?"

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  995
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  4

For upcoming concerts:  Unfortunately, this has no longer been possible since 1994.

Having grown up listening to mostly hip-hop, R&B, some alternative, and all sorts of music in Spanish, I decided it was time to give myself a personal survey of Rock music.  My friend BJ Swanner compiled a "Top 1000 Rock Song List", aggregated from several "Top Lists".  As I go through all 1,000 songs, I'll be creating my own list, sharing a brief post like this for all the songs that will make my final list.   I will not be ranking the songs that make it to my final list.....for now.

Twitter: @jimmythelion

Rock Survey - Baby I Love You Way (Peter Frampton)

Artist:  Peter Frampton
Song:  Baby I Love You Way

Video:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0nc-hh9viQ

Quick Thoughts:  A staple of classic-rock radio.  Peter Frampton is one of those musical prodigies that taught himself to play guitar and piano at the age of seven and was learning classical music by time he was eight.  Here's a guy who paid his dues during his childhood and teenage years for more than a decade before hitting super stardom in the mid 1970's with the best selling live album Frampton Comes Alive of all time (up until that time).  Due to it's wild success, his subsequent efforts were overshadowed by his live album and his career gradually seemed to drift away before making a comeback in the mid 1980's. He's been touring ever since.  Relative to other rock legends, Peter Frampton is under-rated. 

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  997
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  3

For upcoming concerts:  http://www.frampton.com/live/

Having grown up listening to mostly hip-hop, R&B, some alternative, and all sorts of music in Spanish, I decided it was time to give myself a personal survey of Rock music.  My friend BJ Swanner compiled a "Top 1000 Rock Song List", aggregated from several "Top Lists".  As I go through all 1,000 songs, I'll be creating my own list, sharing a brief post like this for all the songs that will make my final list.   I will not be ranking the songs that make it to my final list.....for now.

Twitter: @jimmythelion