Feature Photo: Andre Luiz Moreira / Shutterstock.com
Our list of “10 Classic Rock Songs We Never Get Tired of Hearing” presents a showcase of songs that, no matter how many times we have listened to them in our lives—whether playing them on a CD or vinyl, or hearing them on the radio—we just never get bored with them. Of course, there are plenty of classic rock songs that we have heard maybe one too many times, which we wrote about in one of our recent articles. Some of them we’ve gone back to after a period of isolation from those particular songs. However, this list showcases a group of songs that will never be boring to us. Songs that we can listen to at any time of day, no matter what situation we are in, and they still put a smile on our face and add little juice to get us loose. You know what I’m talking about, right, baby? So here we go with 10 classic rock songs we never ever, ever, ever, ever, get tired of listening to. Sorry if this one comes off to personal, but how else do you write an article like this?
We only allowed ourselves to pick one song per artist.
# 10 – Magic Man – Heart
We open up our “10 Classic Rock Songs We Never Get Tired Of Hearing” list with the first song that came to mind when we were thinking about this article: Heart’s “Magic Man.” This song will always be our favorite Heart song of all time. The sound of that guitar in the opening couple of measures always instantly stops us in our tracks, whatever we’re doing. And then there’s that vocal by Ann Wilson. The notes she hits, the way she sings with her style, just puts you in a moment. It brings me right back to the fall of 1976—I can still smell the cool night air as I was hanging out on the streets of the Bronx with my friends, listening to this song on the radio. Yes, it is a magical one.
# 9 – Lowdown – Boz Scaggs
Call it R&B, call it adult contemporary, call it soul, call it rock—call it whatever you want. I don’t care what you call it, because this is one of the most outstanding songs released in the 1970s. Boz Scaggs’ “Lowdown” fueled the success of his Silk Degrees album off the charts. The sound of the bass and drums at the song’s start, and then their dance with the Fender Rhodes piano, is just pure sonic bliss. The sound of the band which pretty much becomes Toto a few years later, playing behind the golden vocals of Boz Scaggs on this tune made for one of the all-time musical moments of the 1970s.
# 8 – Dogs – Pink Floyd
In the number eight spot on our 10 Classic Rock Songs We Never Get Tired Of Hearing list, it’s a radical jump musically from the R&B rock and roll solo by Scaggs to the progressive sound of Pink Floyd. Nonetheless, that’s what music was all about in the 1970s. Whenever we get people on here giving us a hard time about writing about an artist like Boz Scaggs or anyone else on a classic rock history site, we just laugh at them because we know that most fans of classic rock music in the ’70s love all music. It’s all connected, and you know what? In the end, we really don’t care what anybody thinks.
We write what we want to write. And this song, to get back on track here, stands as our favorite Pink Floyd song of all time. There’s just so much going on in this tune that it never gets boring. It also brings us back to the time we saw them perform this live on July 3rd, 1977, at Madison Square Garden. It was one of those breathtaking concert experiences you never forget as a kid.
# 7 – Whipping Post – The Allman Brothers Band
# 6 – That Smell – Lynyrd Skynyrd
While we’re discussing Southern rock, we might as well turn to what many consider the second greatest Southern rock band of all time, next to the Allman Brothers Band: Lynyrd Skynyrd. Everyone loved Lynyrd Skynyrd in the 1970s. When they released their live album, it just catapulted the band’s popularity. And then there was Street Survivors. It was on this album that the group somehow rose to a whole new level of playing and songwriting, a lot of which had to do with the addition of Steve Gaines. It was just so tragic what happened to Lynyrd Skynyrd; the Street Survivors album is brilliant—every song is just perfect. But the one that really resonates for so many reasons is “That Smell.”
# 5 – Deacon Blues – Steely Dan
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this song—maybe it’s hundreds, maybe it’s close to a thousand. Who knows? It’s pretty hard to keep track of how many times you’ve heard a particular song in your life. All I know is that no matter how many times I’ve heard this song, I still keep hearing new things that I’ve never noticed before. That’s how deep the music was by Steely Dan from their Aja album. There are stories of how they worked night and day for months in search of perfection. Well, you can hear it. If there ever was a perfect musical album, as far as not one wrong note played, not one faulty word, not one broken voicing, it was Steely Dan’s Aja. To me, the highlights of the album were the title track “Aja” and this majestic piece, “Deacon Blues.” How can anyone ever get tired of listening to this?
# 4 – Out in the Country – Three Dog Night
Just like the song’s opening lyrics, whenever I felt the need to get away or at least desired to feel a little better, this was the song I would play. Of course, this song is all about the need to escape, and that need is satisfied by driving out to the country. Talking about perfect songwriting—discussing how lyrics, melody, and chord changes blend together to create a song that depicts its intended emotion so perfectly. That’s what Paul Williams achieved when he wrote it, and that’s what Three Dog Night captured when they recorded it. This may be the most feel-good song I’ve ever heard. There are thousands of them, but this one is just extra special.
# 3 – Taxi – Harry Chapin
# 2 – Darkness On The Edge Of Town – Bruce Springsteen
Life’s not easy; it can be hard at times. There are a lot of people who seek medical help to get through the stress of life, and that’s a good thing. If you have access to medical help, psychologists, psychiatrists—whatever it may be—go get it. For myself, and I think for a lot of people out there who may not have had access to such help, we have our music and, of course, hopefully, good family and friends. If there ever was one song in my life that I turned to whenever I needed help, whenever I needed someone to deliver some sort of uplifting message, this was the song. The entire point of this song is about when you’re facing that darkness, standing on that hill, when things may look as bad as they’ve ever been, you need to stand and scream right back, break through, move on and survive. That’s what you do. That’s what this song taught me. That’s the power of rock and roll.
# 1 – Tiny Dancer – Elton John
Can you count the times you’ve heard this song on the radio and turned the station? Wait, don’t answer that—we all already know the answer: zero. There’s no way you’re turning this song off. From that beautiful opening piano introduction through those breathtaking verses, right up to that stunning moment in the chorus when Elton John sings “only you,” it’s a moment captured perfectly forever. No one who has any bit of heart and soul in their blood, in their veins, gets tired of it. You’re not allowed. You hear me? You’re not allowed to get tired of this song. This was Elton John’s most shining moment during the early part of his career. Captain Fantastic will always be our favorite Elton John album, but this song, this recording, is just so out of this world magical.
This article is dedicated to all of our friendly Facebook page readers.