Best Rock songs about Rock

[Alidar Jarok]

What is generally regarded as the first rock 'n' roll song was about rock:

Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets (You Tube clip)

Uh, do you know what "Rock" meant in the 50s?

How about Rock and Roll by the Velvet Underground?

Then, one fine mornin', she puts on a New York station
You know, she couldn't believe what she heard at all
She started shakin' to that fine, fine music
You know, her life was saved by rock'n'roll

 

[Outpost4]

What is generally regarded as the first rock 'n' roll song was about rock:

Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets (You Tube clip)

Uh, do you know what "Rock" meant in the 50s?

Is this going to be the same story as when I had the meaning of "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" explained to me?

So much of rock 'n' roll contains inuendos about sex, I think I deserve a pass on this one.

The "worst rock song" thread made me think of another great rock song:

So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star? - The Byrds

 

[stoneroses]

Rock And Roll Star by Oasis
Up The Bracket by The Libertines

 

[ToddPence]

Ironic note: The original version of "Drift Away" (one of rock's all-time classic numbers), done by someone named John Henry Kurtz, is virtually unavailible today.

 

[Neeka Keet]

What is generally regarded as the first rock 'n' roll song was about rock:

Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets (You Tube clip)

Uh, do you know what "Rock" meant in the 50s?

How about Rock and Roll by the Velvet Underground?

Then, one fine mornin', she puts on a New York station
You know, she couldn't believe what she heard at all
She started shakin' to that fine, fine music
You know, her life was saved by rock'n'roll

Rock 'n' roll=sex DUH!

Gotta love the devil's music.

I don't know if anyone's mentioned Death or Glory by The Clash so here I am mentioning it.

How death or glory becomes just another story
How death or glory becomes just another story
n every gimmick hungry yob digging gold from rock n roll
Grabs the mike to tell us he'll die before hes sold
But I believe in this-and its been tested by research
That he who fucks nuns will later join the church

 

[The Old Mixer]

Uh, do you know what "Rock" meant in the 50s?

Rock 'n' roll=sex DUH!

Yeah, I believe the two were referencing the same term in the same context. No discrepency here.

Not my favorite song ever, but I'll throw in Bob Seger's "Rock & Roll Never Forgets". That other Bob Seger song belongs in the "Worst" thread, it's been so overplayed by wedding DJ's.

And I'm a Billy Joel fan, so I've gotta throw in a shout-out to "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me".

 

[Goliath]

All the songs I know about rock n' roll tend to be rather negative.

There's "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits.

But mostly what comes to mind are songs by the Dead Kennedys, like "Triumph of the Swill":

See the macho cock-rock metal heroes
Vomit fire out of their big mouths!
Shake your fists obediently
Make Leni Riefenstahl real proud!

...or "MTV Get Off The Air":

How far will you go?
How low will you stoop?
To tranquilize our minds with your sugar-coated swill

You've turned rock and roll rebellion
Into Pat Boone sedation
Making sure nothing's left to the imagination!

MTV GET OFF THE
MTV GET OFF THE
MTV GET OFF THE AIR! GET OFF THE AIR!

When it comes to songs like music labels, I immediately think of "EMI" by the Sex Pistols.

And when it comes to punk rock itself, you still can't beat "Punk's Not Dead" by the Exploited.

 

[Kail]

Has anyone mentioned Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69, or the very similar Shooting Star by Bad Company? Both great songs about rock. Johnny be Goode anyone?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

What is generally regarded as the first rock 'n' roll song was about rock:

Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets (You Tube clip)

Uh, do you know what "Rock" meant in the 50s?

Is this going to be the same story as when I had the meaning of "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" explained to me?

So much of rock 'n' roll contains inuendos about sex, I think I deserve a pass on this one.

OK, you get a pass. Actually, in earlier 40s and 50s Rhythm and Blues songs, rock definitely means sex. Here, it probably just means dancing (Bill Haley wasn't the type of guy looking to offend anyone). Since earlier rock and roll was dance music, I guess it counts.

 

[Kail]

John Lennon said he saw the expression happiness is a warm gun on a hunting magazine cover and thought it was it poor taste, with the picture of a smoking gun, glorifying just having killed something. Kind of ironic. Oh, and it had nothing to do with sex.

 

[Outpost4]

^ My friends lied to me!

 

[Kail]

^ My friends lied to me!

Friends often do. They'll also probably tell you Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds is about LSD too.

 

[M'Sharak]

How about Rock and Roll by the Velvet Underground?

Then, one fine mornin', she puts on a New York station
You know, she couldn't believe what she heard at all
She started shakin' to that fine, fine music
You know, her life was saved by rock'n'roll

I mentioned it above, but I called it a Lou Reed song.

...

But mostly what comes to mind are songs by the Dead Kennedys, like "Triumph of the Swill":

See the macho cock-rock metal heroes
Vomit fire out of their big mouths!
Shake your fists obediently
Make Leni Riefenstahl real proud!

...or "MTV Get Off The Air":

How far will you go?
How low will you stoop?
To tranquilize our minds with your sugar-coated swill

You've turned rock and roll rebellion
Into Pat Boone sedation
Making sure nothing's left to the imagination!

MTV GET OFF THE
MTV GET OFF THE
MTV GET OFF THE AIR! GET OFF THE AIR!

Less caustic than the DKs but no less pointed was the Chili Peppers' "Punk Rock Classic".

 

[Outpost4]

How about Rock and Roll by the Velvet Underground?

Then, one fine mornin', she puts on a New York station
You know, she couldn't believe what she heard at all
She started shakin' to that fine, fine music
You know, her life was saved by rock'n'roll

I mentioned it above, but I called it a Lou Reed song.

Because while the version on VU's record Loaded is a classic, the best take on this song is the live one off of Lou Reed's Rock N Roll Animal.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

How about Rock and Roll by the Velvet Underground?

Then, one fine mornin', she puts on a New York station
You know, she couldn't believe what she heard at all
She started shakin' to that fine, fine music
You know, her life was saved by rock'n'roll

I mentioned it above, but I called it a Lou Reed song.

Ah, of course. I missed that when I was skimming the thread for it.

 

[M'Sharak]

^ Figured it was something like that.


Just thought of another couple which would fit, both written by Shel Silverstein and both recorded by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show:

"Everybody's Makin' It Big But Me"
"The Cover of the Rolling Stone"

 

[ITL]

^ Figured it was something like that.


Just thought of another couple which would fit, both written by Shel Silverstein and both recorded by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show:

"Everybody's Makin' It Big But Me"
"The Cover of the Rolling Stone"

Back in the 70's when recording a session for BBC radio, changes had to be made to the lyrics of "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" for - I suppose - legal reasons. Apparently the end product had an overdub - The DJ's John Peel and John Walters singing "On the cover of the Radio Times".

*tumbleweed*

What? What? It was a funny story when John Peel told it on his radio show....

 

[Gil T.Azell]

Has anyone mentioned Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69, or the very similar Shooting Star by Bad Company? Both great songs about rock. Johnny be Goode anyone?

D'oh!
How could we have missed those ,

 

[M'Sharak]

^ Figured it was something like that.


Just thought of another couple which would fit, both written by Shel Silverstein and both recorded by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show:

"Everybody's Makin' It Big But Me"
"The Cover of the Rolling Stone"

Back in the 70's when recording a session for BBC radio, changes had to be made to the lyrics of "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" for - I suppose - legal reasons. Apparently the end product had an overdub - The DJ's John Peel and John Walters singing "On the cover of the Radio Times".

*tumbleweed*

What? What? It was a funny story when John Peel told it on his radio show....

I'd forgotten about that. Apparently, BBC policy prohibited the use of a copyright name not owned by them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cover_of_the_Rolling_Stone

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I'm pretty sure the Beatles' Come Together had the same problem for it's coca cola reference