Rock Survey - Long View (Green Day)

Artist: Green Day
Song:  Long View

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c87TKWgRyCE

Quick Thoughts: The band most visible band member is lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong.  The band's name derived from their fondness for marijuana.  Having sold over 75 million albums worldwide, they are one of the world's best selling groups of all-time.  The song is named after the city of Longview, Washington, where it was first performed in 1992.  The music video for Long View received heavy airplay on MTV and is largely credited for breaking Green Day into mainstream popularity. Bassist Mike Dirnt has stated that the famous bass line intro to this song was written one night while he was high on LSD. 

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  966
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  23

For upcoming concerts:  http://www.greenday.com/tour

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 - Small Town (John Mellencamp)

Artist: John Mellencamp
Song:  Small Town

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_so94yxRtI

Quick Thoughts: After releasing this song, John Mellencamp became known as the champion of "small town America".  The song refers to his experiences in Seymour and Bloomington, Indiana.  A great song with a simple and heartfelt sentiment.  On a couple of related notes, for reasons that I am unaware of, Small Town is played after every Green Bay Packers game.  Larry Bird played used this song at his retirement ceremony.

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  967
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  22

For upcoming concerts:  http://www.mellencamp.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 - Fly Away (Lenny Kravitz)

Artist: Lenny Kravitz
Song:  Fly Away

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvuL5jyCHOw

Quick Thoughts:  Lenny is undoubtedly a star, and he's been around stars all his life.  His mother is Roxie Roker, an actress known for her character in the 1970s hit television sitcom The Jeffersons.  She is also the cousin of Al Roker.   Lenny's father was also a jazz promoter, was friends with Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Short, Miles Davis and other jazz greats.  This song earned Kravitz a Grammy in 1999 for Best Male Rock Performance.

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  968
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  21

For upcoming concerts:  No upcoming concerts scheduled at this time.


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 - Smokin' (Boston)

Artist: Boston
Song:  Smokin'

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GzMx9CnhVk

Quick Thoughts: Found on the B side to the band's first single,"More Than A Feeling", "Smokin" is just plain good old hard rock.  I like the way the organ is incorporated into this song. Probably would like this song even more if I was a pot-head.

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  969
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  20

For upcoming concerts:  http://www.bandboston.com/flashsite7_6_12.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 - Silent Lucidity (Queensryche)

Artist: Queensryche
Song:  Silent Lucidity

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LniY0pDQGaE

Quick Thoughts:  Queensryche is one of three flagship "Progressive Rock" bands.  As a sub-genre of metal, Progressive rock blended heavy metal and progressive rock music, taking the loud "aggression", amplified electric guitar-driven sound of the former, with the more experimental, complex and "pseudo-classical" compositions of the latter.  A pretty awesome rock ballad with a nice orchestral background, that sorta makes me think of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" during some of its swaying vocals.

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  970
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  19

For upcoming concerts:  http://www.queensrycheofficial.com/tour.cfm

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 - Love is like Oxygen (Sweet)

Artist: Sweet
Song:  Love is like Oxygen

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRVwcPTnug8

Quick Thoughts:  British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s as a prominent glam rock act.  Love this song!  A nice little metaphor with refreshingly distinctive vocals.

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  971
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  18

For upcoming concerts:  http://thesweet.com/tour/

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 - Flirting with Disaster (Molly Hatchet)

Artist: Molly Hatchet
Song:  Flirting with Disaster

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8zTefUMhbI

Quick Thoughts:  Named after a prostitute who allegedly mutilated and decapitated her clients, Molly Hatchett was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1975.  This song has awesome guitar throughout, especially the guitar solo that begins near the 3rd minute.  At one point, Warner Brothers' A&R could not decide whether to sign Molly Hatchet or another promising band they had been working with at that same time. They ended up being turned down by Warner Brothers and would later discover that the competing band was none other than Van Halen.

Ranking from Original "Top 1000" List:  973
Added to my Personal List?  YES
Total Songs Added to Final List:  17

For upcoming concerts:  http://www.mollyhatchet.com/

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