Starting a new board before the first one gets to be too much of a monster. Here's my 1971 selections:

1. “Stairway To Heaven”, LED ZEPPELIN
Okay, the safe choice. But it really does deserve its position here, in spite of all the backlash its overexposure has brought about. And it really is Zep’s masterpiece, standing out even on an album filled with superlative works. Well structured, with distinct suite-like passages building to the frenzied climax and the famous ambiguous lyrics.

2. “Starship Trooper”, YES
Arguably the best achievement of Yes’ halycon days. The song opens with a spellbinding blend of acoustic and electric work augmented by some of the best and most crystal-clear sounding recording of the time. Jon Anderson’s lyrics are, as usual, more free-form poetry than anything else; but they are not so dense and cryptic and ungrammatical that they prove a distraction as they might on other Yes songs. But the unquestioned highlight of the song is the “Wurm” coda, which starts with a lone electric riff and builds bit by bit spirally outward into a massive colossus of a freak-out metal jam, like a spider spinning a monstrous web. Headphone Nirvana.

3. “If”, BREAD
The best of a dozen of indescribably lovely “adult contemporary pop” singles from David Gates and company. This one has really memorable lyrics.

4. “Imagine”, JOHN LENNON
Probably the best single solo work from any ex-Beatle. Although I prefer McCartney’s and Harrison’s solo careers to Lennon overall, they couldn’t touch him on this legendary plea for world peace and unity. Curiously, this song in style seems almost like something you’d expect from McCartney rather than Lennon.

5. “Behind Blue Eyes”, THE WHO
Perhaps the single best Who song. Contains anger and pathos both musically and lyrically, and a true outsider’s perspective.

6. “You Can Never Go Home”, THE MOODY BLUES
There are times when I think this forgotten tune from EGBDF is my favorite Moodies song ever, even beating out such luminaries as “Nights in White Satin” and “Watching and Waiting”. It has all the classic features of the best of the Moodies and great lyrics echoing a famous sentiment by Thomas Wolfe as well.

7. “Moonlight Mile”, THE ROLLING STONES
Better than the more famous “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses” from the i{Sticky Fingers} album. A richly layered, marvelously performed closing track to that album.

8. “Going To California”, LED ZEPPELIN
Also from Zep’s fourth album, the one that prioduced “Stairway”. I couldn’t leave this one off because it is the most delicately haunting wholly acoustic ballad in Zep’s repritore.

9. “The Musical Box”, GENESIS
The first Genesis song under the classic lineup, and arguably the best-ever Genesis song. The story told is truly weird even by Peter Gabriel’s standards: a noblewoman murders a blueblood with a croquet mallet and later discovers a musical box which summons up his ghost to the tune of “Old King Cole”. The half-witted spectre attempts to rape her, but he and the box are destroyed before he can consumate the act. Or something like that. I’m going by the story printed in the lyric booklet, since you sure couldn’t get any of this from the actual lyrics themselves. Never mind, because what matters here is the music, which builds from a delicate soft acoustic beginning, explodes in the mid-section into a frenzied guitar/organ solo, and builds to an astounding climax at the end, highlighted by Gabriel’s memorable “touch me . . . touch me . . . now, now, NOW, NOW, NOW!!!”

10. “Sister Anne”, MC5
The absolute hardest-rocking song from i{High Time}, one of the hardest rocking albums ever done by anybody. The excellent lyrics mock an uptight Catholic nun that the singer appears to have a bit of a crush on. Can almost be seen as proto-punk, but no punk ever rocked like this.

11. “July Morning”, URIAH HEEP
The third in the golden triad (along with Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” and Deep Purple’s “Child In Time”) of stone-age metal progressive classics, “July Morning” is the centerpiece song on the breakthrough i{Look At Yourself} album. One of the most incredible and memorable openings to any hard rock song ever, with a pounding organ line leading into a thundering hail of guitar and drums. The bulk of the song is, like the other two songs referenced, a nice balance between light and shade, and the closing seems to be inspired by the Yes “Starship Trooper” “Wurm” coda, unfortunately this is less complex and compelling and thus is the weakest part of the song, it thus seems to go on just a tad too long. Still, Ken Hensley’s lyrics of unrequited love are among his best. This song seems to be an outgrowth of a memorable bit of 1968 physchedelia from the Gods (Hensley’s old band), with similar structure and a capella falsetto vocal harmonies in the chorus. Special guest musician Manfred Mann plays the Moog on this one.

12. “The Song Is Over”, THE WHO
Another great anthem from i{Who’s Next}, similar in style to “Behind Blue Eyes”, but leaning heavier toward the more melancholy emotions as opposed to the fiercer ones this time.

13. “Echoes”, PINK FLOYD
One of the pre-Dark Side Floyd masterpieces, this song with its 23-minute length seems to drag a bit in places, but is redeemed by its truly excellent musical performances and lyrics. A less intrusive and more subtle use of sound effects than would usually be seen on future Floyd works as well.

14. “War Pigs”, BLACK SABBATH
Another early heavy metal classic and a major link in the chain that led to the future development of metal. Sabbath fully embraces the apocalyptic mood that bands like Zeppelin, Purple and Grand Funk had only flirted with at times before and emerge with a fire and brimstone denounciation of war and the politicians who make it.

15. “I Can Feel Him In The Morning”, GRAND FUNK
Another song with religious overtones, this is quite possibly the loveliest little tune Grand Funk ever did. Some attention may be taken away from the song itself by its unusual opening lead-in gimmick: a full minute and a half of soundbytes from a group of small children in which they describe what they think God is like. The final child’s statement “If you’re good you’ll live forever, but if you’re bad you’ll die when you die”, with the “die when you die” being repeated and echoed as a seque into the actual song itself is pretty cool. Anyway, whether or not you care for the opening, the song is simply gorgeous.

16. “Tenderness”, STEPPENWOLF
A soulful emotional ballad from John Kay on how he learned to be a more sensitive guy is an interesting look at the mellower side of a band better known for its blazing hard-rock hits.

17. “Changes”, DAVID BOWIE
I’m not a really huge Bowie fan, but there’s not much not to like about this song. Perfect single material with nice orchestral touches and a memorable chorus.

18. “The Ballad Of Dwight Fry”, ALICE COOPER
This lighter song is actually my favorite from the i{Love It To Death} classic, better-known for its raw-guitar hard-rock tunes. This piano-driven tune is one of the best example’s of Cooper’s goth theatrical songs. Highlight, Alice screaming “I gotta get outta here” over and over in the solo, working himself into a frenzy and causing the listener to feel real claustraphobia, as well as the fantastic “See my lonely life unfold” chorus.

19. “Upsetter”, GRAND FUNK
Another lesser-known Grand Funk song, but this one really rocks hard and has some nice flourishes.

20. “Flowers Of Evil”, MOUNTAIN
I was torn between picking this and the great “Nantucket Sleighride” to represent Mountain on this list. But I really, really dig this nice little rocker. When I first listened to the self-titled album this appeared on many years back, I remember playing this tune over and over again. Although it starts out at a measured pace, it seems to pick up speed and intensity as it bounces along with guitars and drums keeping perfect time. Good lyrics as well, told from the point of view of a father who watches his son return from Vietnam. As the son’s life unravel and he becomes a drug addict, the father changes his views on the war. However, the son winds up re-enlisting because there is no longer any place for him back home in the states.

Okay, there's the twenty. What do you think, sirs?

Interesting. I'm still in the process of working out my 1971 list. In all honesty, I could do a Top 40 for '71. And here you go reminding me of the Floyd's "Echoes". Now I'll have to look to see if there's anything I can take out of my list of 20 songs to add it or are the 20 finalists that much better than "Echoes"? Plus, I need to look over Sticky Fingers. I might want to replace my current Rolling Stones choice. I think as a compromise, I may list my runners-up this time.

One thing I can say about '71, no two things: Again no act will place more than one song in the Top 20. And a lot of my choices do lean on the poppish side.

Oh, and btw, Blitz thanks for the compliment on the other board. I know my tastes in music are my own and can be idiosyncratic, but it's nice to know someone thinks I have good taste in music. Thanks!

\i"It's all one song." - Neil Young}

No, I don't think I'll change my Rolling Stones cut. I like "Dead Flowers" a lot, but not enough to place it in the Top 20. I'll post my Class of '71 list after work tonight.

Incidentally, Blitz, I do plan to do a Top 20 for 1966 later. I also plan to do one for 1980. If I do any other years after that... well, that's debatable.

"It's all one song." - Neil Young (There! I formatted it right this time!

I'd add "Free" CHICAGO onto that list.

>Oh, and btw, Blitz thanks for the compliment on >the other board. I know my tastes in music are >my own and can be idiosyncratic, but it's nice >to know someone thinks I have good taste in >music. Thanks!

Ditto from me too, Blitz.

Hey, you deserve it!

Oops, almost forgot:

"My Wife" The Who. John Entwistle never fails to crack me up.

From my 1970 list . . .

>4. "Time Machine", STRAY

>BTW, this is probably the most obscure song to >appear on any of my lists, I defy anyone to find >a copy.

At the time I wrote this, I didn't know that this task had just got a whole lot easier, due to the brand-new anthology release detailed here:
http://www.shindig-magazine.com/reviews-june2003-1.html
How cool! I've already ordered my copy. This has got to be the classic rock reissue package of the year!

Okay, I've just now finished prepping my Class of 1971 list. Here we go:

1. "Stairway to Heaven" - Led Zeppelin (Todd said something about backlash against the song. Count me in as among those who are getting really, really tired of this cut from Zoso. I mean, I really do not understand the workings of a mind that craves to hear this song for the one hundred-millionth time. But still, I have to be honest, it really was probably the best song of '71 and has deserved the overkill. Now can we ban it from the airwaves for five years to whet our appetites for it again? Thank you.)

2. "Won't Get Fooled Again" - the Who (I almost, almost, ranked this one at the Number 1 spot. Almost. Much as I love "Behind Blue Eyes", "The Song Is Over", "My Wife" and "Baba O'Riley", I finally had to pick this one from Who's Next. Almost indisputably the Who's greatest anthem. The song is not only a song that warns of the futility of revolution ("Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss.") it is also a sonic war between the song's synthesizers and Keith Moon's drumming. Moon viciously beats back the staccato synths. In the end, it is Roger Daltrey's catharthic primal scream that proves to be the battle's turning point.)

3. "American Pie" - Don McLean (McLean's lament that "Rock and Roll" is dead and has been replaced by "Rock". The song's cryptic lyrics leave it open for interpretation - and Don's not telling. But that doesn't matter. What's important is that this song clearly, I think, helps marks the point in time when the 60s were over and the 70s had formally begun.)

4. "Me and My Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin (Pearl's farewell to the world. This Kris Kristofferson song [one of two on this list] is a classic tune about the loss of a soulmate. But then "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." Janis was an outsider who poured her soul into her songs. There hasn't been another like her since.)

5. "Tiny Dancer" - Elton John (This song was used in one of the best scenes in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous. This is such a gorgeous song by Reginald Dwight. Elton and Bernie were just starting to create some almost perfect pop gems. This is one of them.)

6. "It Don't Come Easy" - Ringo Starr (Anyone who thought that Richard Starkey's music career would be dead once the Beatles broke up, found out that nothing could be further from the truth. Ringo may not have had the most successful solo career [that was, of course, Paul], but he did record some great little pop songs. This is just one of them.)

7. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" - Paul and Linda McCartney (Speaking of Paulie... This was Paul's ode to a member of his family and an old war hero. A strange combo, but a superb pop tune. Sure it's ultimately disposable and Macca would do better songs, but for about 5 minutes, you get a nice, pleasant ditty.)

8. "What Is Life?" - George Harrison (Another Beatles solo song, this one by the Quiet Beatle. The song is not as deep or philososphical as the title might suggest, but mein gott it has a great guitar hook!)

9. "Wild Horses" - the Rolling Stones (Sorry, Todd, I really do like this one better than "Moonlight Mile". "Brown Sugar", "Sister Morphine" and "Dead Flowers" were other cuts I thought about, but in the end this mournful elegy and promise of devotion is a song I like a helluva lot better.)

10. "(I'm) Eighteen" - Alice Cooper (Again, I've gotta go with the obvious. This is just a great anthem of teenage confusion. In three or four minutes, Coop caught the zeitgeist of adolescent angst and preserved it for generations of 18 year olds to come.)

11. "Indian Reservation (Lament of the Cherokee Nation)" - the Raiders (Believe it or not, this is actually a cover. [John D. Loudermilk, the author, recorded it first.] Yeah, it is kinda hippy-dippy dopey - now. But back then, it had the ring of truth. Still does, really.)

12. "One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack)" - Coven (This one is really dated and the essence of all things Hippy. It's a well meaning parable, but a little too obvious. I remember my third grade music teacher playing the song for us and explaining to us kids what the song meant, so there's kind of a deeply ingrained memory from Mrs. Gandy's class in my mind going on here.)

13. "The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down" - Joan Baez (Joanie tries her hand at covering one of the Band's songs, and gets a sex change in the process ["Virgil Cain is my name"]. Not too bad, but isn't Baez a Yankee?)

14. "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" - Lobo (A great pop song about wanderlust. Wonder if Steinbeck's Travels With Charley inspired this song?)

15. "Gimme Some Truth" - John Lennon (Once again, I disagree with you on a song by the same artist, Todd. This time, I'm going away from the obvious choice. Yes, "Imagine" is a quiet revolution of a song. [Ever see the WKRP ep where Mr. Carlson reads the lyrics to a preacher to see if he'd want the song banned from the station?] But frankly I prefer the anger and acid of "Truth".)

16. "D.O.A." - Bloodrock (Creepy, morbid and pretty sick, especially for its time. I remember my best friend had this album by this Ft. Worth, Texas and playing this cut for me. The song is about the narrator who has survived a plane crash, but only lives long enough to tell about the sensations he feels as he dies. Like I said, this is a rather morbid song. Still, kinda cool.)

17. "Echoes" - Pink Floyd (Thanks for reminding me of this great Floyd tune, Todd. This is a relaxing, soothing epic song by Pink Floyd from an album that is overall pretty easy-going.)

18. "Help Me Make It Through the Night" - Sammi Smith (The other Kris Kristofferson tune on this list. This is just a great little country ballad. I love the lyrics to it. This is also the other song on this list in which a woman sings a song originally told from the male point of view. Sammi change the POV and created a country standard.)

19. "Watching Scotty Grow" - Bobby Goldsboro (This is an almost embarrassing entry. Still, this almost overly sentimental ode to a son is actually pretty good. It does have a good arrangement and some fairly clever lyrics, too. It is definitely better than Goldsboro's "Honey".)

20. "The Year Clayton Delany Died" - Tom T. Hall (Hall's tribute to the passing of one of his influences. I suspect that the song is actually about Hank Williams, but I don't know for sure. Still, this is a wonderful country song.)

And that's it for 1971. Next, 1972. Duh!

np - Diamonds and Pearls - Prince

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

It's "Me and Bobby McGee" (no "my").

D@mn, '71 had some good tunes, didn't it? Didn't realize "McGee", "American Pie", or "One Tin Soldier" were from that year!

And re: "Won't Get Fooled Again"... the last line of the song is the one of the best ever penned: "Meet your new boss. He's the same as your old boss."

"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" - Paul and Linda McCartney (Speaking of Paulie... This was Paul's ode to a member of his family and an old war hero. A strange combo, but a superb pop tune. Sure it's ultimately disposable and Macca would do better songs, but for about 5 minutes, you get a nice, pleasant ditty.)

Just a thought, but it would be nice to see at least one person out there not feel obligated to water down a positive comment about Paul McCartney with a quip about "disposable pop" somewhere in the middle of it.

n.P. - ZOSO - Led Zepplin

(that reminds me, I personally listen to "Battle of Evermore" and "Going to California" more than "Stairway to Heaven")

Ditto that, Blitz!

"Just a thought, but it would be nice to see at least one person out there not feel obligated to water down a positive comment about Paul McCartney with a quip about "disposable pop" somewhere in the middle of it." - Blitz

And I would, except "Uncle Albert" is pretty much a disposable pop song. What songs Macca Recorded after the Beatles break up that aren't include "Band On the Run", "Back Seat of My Car", "Another Day", "Jet", "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)", "Nineteen Hundred and EIghty-Five", "Take It Away", "Wanderlust", "My Love", "Sally G", "Junior's Farm", "Hi Hi Hi", "Mull of Kintyre", "Maybe I'm Amazed" (which probably should have placed in my 1970 list), "Daytime Nightime Suffering", "Spin It On", "Arrow Through Me", and more. Again, it's just that I do feel "Uncle Albert" is disposable pop. Sorry if I've offended you Blitz.

np - What Were Once Vices, Now Are Habits - the Doobies Brothers

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

"It's 'Me and Bobby McGee' (no 'my')." - ScottN

Thanks Scott, you're right. I know better than that, too.

"D4mn, '71 had some good tunes, didn't it? Didn't realize 'McGee', 'American Pie', or 'One Tin Soldier' were from that year!" - Scott again

Yeah, it was a pretty strong year. I honestly could have made a top 40 list. My master list had 21 more songs that were pretty strong contenders. I probably should have listed the runners up. And I just might before I list my Top 20 for '72.

"And re: 'Won't Get Fooled Again'... the last line of the song is the one of the best ever penned: 'Meet your new boss. He's the same as your old boss.'" - Scott one more time

The lines are "Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss." See http://www.thewho.net/discography/songs/WontGetFooledAgain.html for confirmation. Still, you're right, it is a great couplet.

np - What Were Once Vices, Now Are Habits - the Doobie Brothers

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Dammit, I've got to find a way to remove that "Beavis" alias from my computer. To place my username on these boards, I need only type in the letter "b" and I've got a list of handles to use from. Unfortunately, I've once again slipped and selected "Beavis". Used it once and now I'm stuck with it. Grumble, grumble

Anyway, here's the list of my runners-up for 1972. With only selected comments for each track:

“Another Day” _ Paul McCartney (This has always sounded like a Beatles' song to me.)
“Behind Blue Eyes” – the Who
“Black Dog” – Led Zeppelin
“Brand New Key” – Melanie
“Brown Sugar” – the Rolling Stones
“Draggin’ the Line” – Tommy James
“Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves” – Cher
“How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” – Bee Gees
“I Am…I Said” – Neil Diamond
“I’d Love to Change the World” – Ten Years After
“Joy to the World” – Three Dog Night
“Lonely Days” – Bee Gees
“Maggie May” – Rod Stewart
“One Bad Apple” – the Osmonds
“Power to the People” – John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band
“Signs” – Five Man Electrical Band
“When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” – Jerry Reed
“Wild World” – Cat Stevens
“Chick-a-Boom (Don’t Ya Jes’ Love It?)” – Daddy Dewdrdop (I remember seeing this song done on a segment of the Saturday morning cartoon show, The Groovie Ghoulies. It was ostensibly sung by the character, Wolfie, who was my favorite amongst the Ghoulies. It's a throwaway novelty tune, so what?)

“Saturday Morning Confusion” – Bobby Russell (This one got replaced by Pink Floyd's "Echoes" as a finalist. It probably would have ranked lower than "Echoes" did, though.)
"The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" - Carly Simon

Won't be posting my '72 list until after work. They called me in on my day off. Dagnabbit. Oh well, they're giving me tomorrow off instead. I'll take it.

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Guess I need to put that one over on "Misheard Lyrics", Benn!

I wasn't offended or anything, it's just that I've never really seen how "Uncle Albert" could be any less significant than "Band or the Run"; or, more acurately, I've never seen how "Band on the Run" could be more than "Uncle Albert". Ultimately, they don't really mean that much, they just sound good. My point was just that a lot of people tend to slight Sir Paul for that when they let other artists get away scott free with it.

Oh, and if I may throw in one of my own for '72:

"Celia of the Seals" Donovan

Fair enough Blitz.

Now for the Class of 1972:

"Layla" - Derek and the Dominos (Originally this appeared on the 1970 album "Layla" and Other Assorted Love Song, but it wasn't formally released as a single until this year. Hence its inclusion here. This a fiery declaration of love by Slowhand, based on a Hindu legend. The song was written for George Harrison's then wife, Patti Boyd. How much affect this song had on her, I dunno. But she did end up with Clapton after this. Amazingly, Eric and George would remain lifelong friends, despite the damage Eric did to Harrison's love life. The song features some of Clapton's most fierce, powerful and impassioned guitar playing. It's followed by a hauntingly beautiful meditative instrumental. The contrast works perfectly, complementing each other. Clapton is God, indeed.)

2. "Then Came the Last Days of May" - Blue Öyster Cult (My favorite cut from the debut album of my favorite band. This song, about a drug deal gone wrong, is the closest B.Ö.C. would get to playing the blues. Lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser plays some nice, smooth licks and does a great turn as lead vocalist on this cut. It's only a hint of things to come. )

3. "All the Young Dudes" - Mott the Hoople (Ian Hunter and the boys were going to call it quits, but David Bowie talked them out of it. Not only that, but he produced their next album and wrote for them their signature hit. Ariel Bender turns in some great guitar work. For some reason, my favorite line is near the end of the song, when Ian sings, "I've wanted to this for years." Of course, if you think it's strange that a breeder like me would be a fan of this gay anthem, how about considering that it was recorded by a straight band? People should have known about Bowie's orientation years ago.)

4. "Saturday In the Park" - Chicago ("I think it was the 4th of July." A nice, bouncy easy going pop jazz tune by Peter Cetera and the boys. The first of many. A perfect summertime tune.)

5. "Summer Breeze" - Seals and Croft (Another perfect summer tune. Dan Seals and Dash Croft display some really great harmonies on the chorus. If it isn't a pop standard, it should be.)

6. "Rocket Man (I Think It's Gonna Be a Long, Long Time)" - Elton John (I almost ranked this in the number one spot, then thought it over, put "Layla" in at Number 1 and slid this down several notches. It's still a killer song by Elton about his cocaine addiction. [Or was it Bernie Taupin's coke addiction?].)

7. "A Horse With No Name" - America (No, this isn't Neil Young. It's the first of two songs by America to rate on this list. It's a fairly cryptic song lyrically. I think it's about the ecology, but I'm not sure. Maybe it's about an acid trip? Still, it's a highly infectious pop song.)

8. "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" - the Hollies (No, this isn't Creedence Clearwater Revival. Another great guitar hook in this tune about spies and love. Maybe it should've been used for a James Bond flick? But tell me, is it me, or does it sound like there's a twitchy edit in the final verse? It sounds like the song just jumps somewhere along there. I remember playing the 45 and checking it to see if it was scratched. Is there a longer version of this song?)

9. "Stairway to the Stars" - Blue Öyster Cult (The second of two B.Ö.C. songs from their debut album. The riff is pretty much stolen from John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen", but unlike ZZ Top, B.Ö.C. got by with it. This song was used for most of the '80s as B.Ö.C.'s opening number in concert. I probably should have ranked "Cities On Flames" instead, but I like this one and "Last Days of May" better.)

10. "Walk On the Wild Side" - Lou Reed (Yet another song produced by David Bowie. This faux doo-wop, gender bender of a tune was about the people Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground associated with at the Factory, Andy Warhol's clique. It's a nice little tribute to those days.)

11. "School's Out" - Alice Cooper (Vincent Furnier once again creates another major anthem for the acne crowd. This song, along with Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In the Wall pts. 1 and 2" were celebrations of the end of another school year.)

12. "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T-Rex ("All the Young Dudes" gave a shout out to this glitter rock band. ["Oh man I need TV but I've got T-Rex."] One of the best hooks in Rock and Roll. And it's almost funky, too.)

13. "Popcorn" - Hot Butter (I think this is the first instrumental to make my lists. It's silly, true. I remember going to Six Flags Over Texas around this time and attending a performance at the Sid and Marty Krofft Puppet theater. Frankenstein's Monster was seated in a chair. Next to him was this huge box. On the other side of the stage was another huge box. In between were several pairs of hands. From the box next to him, the Monster would pull out pieces of meat like sausages, and ham. He would then pass these meats to the hands, which would relay the sausages and hams to the other box. Then the hands would withdraw the meat which had become arms, legs, torso, etc. These bodies parts were passed back to the Monster who would assembly the pieces on his lap, creating a ventriloquist dummy. Finally, the head was given to the Monster. It was initially put on backwards. The head spun around, saying "My fellow Americans." The dummy was Richard Nixon. The whole time this went on, Hot Butter's "Popcorn" was playing. Helluva an association, doncha think?)

14. "I Need You" - America (Lovely, though the very epitome of laid back. It does have a slow build to it, but it never really builds into anything. Despite that, it is a gorgeous love song.)

15. "Do It Again" - Steely Dan (Named for a sex toy that appeared in William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch novel ["There are two words wrong with that {book}."], this band was the creation of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Becker and Fagen were notorious perfectionists in the studio and it shows in the production of this great little rocker.)

16. "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" - Looking Glass (A bittersweet song, about a girl who is in love with someone who's already taken - in this case, the man's "life, love and...lady" is the sea.)

17. "Dancing In the Moonlight" - King Harvest (A nice little anthem for lunatics [in the real meaning of the word] the world over. A great keyboard opening and great vocals. This is pretty much one of the classics of the '70s.)

18. "Heart of Gold" - Neil Young (This is Neil Young. Neil's nasally whine more than adequately conveys the proper sense of longing and need the lyrics speak of. A deceptively simple folk song by one of Rock's most eclectic musicians.)

19. "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" - Daniel O'Keefe (Seems like Daniel was supposed to be the next Jim Croce. Instead, he was just another one-hit wonder. Still, this song, in a similar vein to Smokey Robinson's "Tears of a Clown", should be better remembered than it probably is.)

20. "Suffragette City" - David Bowie (After leaving his fingerprints on two other songs on this list, the Thin White Duke finally makes it on his own. I could easily have chosen "Five Years", "Moonage Daydream", or even "Ziggy Stardust". But quite frankly, I prefer this chunk of hard rock classic. Mick Ronson's the guitarist, and he turns in some great licks. Classic.)

np - Ten - Pearl Jam

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

8. "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" - the Hollies (No, this isn't Creedence Clearwater Revival. Another great guitar hook in this tune about spies and love. Maybe it should've been used for a James Bond flick? But tell me, is it me, or does it sound like there's a twitchy edit in the final verse? It sounds like the song just jumps somewhere along there. I remember playing the 45 and checking it to see if it was scratched. Is there a longer version of this song?)

The last verse has always sounded wierd to me too. Allan Clarke tried to cram too much lyric into it and kind of throws the beat off.

n.p. - Daisies of the Galaxy - eels

When deciding on an official year for a song's release, I go with the year that song first became availible to the world (as near as I can determine) as opposed to a later year when that song may have become a hit. Remember that there are some songs from this area that did not start climbing the charts until a few years or even more after their initial release. This is why I considered "Layla" a 1970 song.

>"Bang a Gong" (Get It On}
Now this song I have as a '71 release. The single came out first in July of that year, and then it was included on the /i{Electric Warrior} LP in December of that year.

I'll post my '72 list as soon as I get around to it - I was busy all day.

Just looking over my '70 list again, and I realized I meant to put CSNY's "Helpless" on there, but somehow I managed to accidentally omit it.

"When deciding on an official year for a song's release, I go with the year that song first became availible to the world (as near as I can determine) as opposed to a later year when that song may have become a hit. Remember that there are some songs from this area that did not start climbing the charts until a few years or even more after their initial release." - Todd Pence

Which is fine and very logical. I have no problem with it. However... let's take the Moody Blues' "Nights In White Satin". The song and album it's from debuted in 1967. However, "Nights" was reissued in 1972 and had, I believe greater success in its re-release. But more importantly, in being reissued, it became a part of the year 1972, a part of that year's zeitgeist. This is why, if I thought it qualified, I would have no problem giving it a place on my 1972 list as well as 1967's list. (There were too many other songs that I liked better out in '72 for me to rank it.)

"Layla", as you properly noted, was issued in 1970. But it became a hit in '72 and thus a part of '72's musical landscape. So, I felt secure in listing it on my 1972 list. My 1973 top 20 will also have a re-release on it (a very old one). (And yeah, the list is ready for posting.) But I believe it is as much a part of the year 1973 as anything off, say, Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album.

This isn't to say I think you're wrong for having a very purist stance on this, Todd. I commend you for it. But I am, and quite probably wrongly, operating on a different set of guidelines.

np - Hysteria - Def Leppard

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Okay, I think I've finally settled on my 1973 Top 20. And I've begun work on '74. The newly revised Class of 1973 will omit the reissued song, which was "The Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Picket and the Crypt Kickers Five. Moreover, I had to omit a couple of other songs that leaned more towards 1974 in terms of how big they were in that year, and I'd remembered an album which I'd forgotten to look at. But after Todd posts for '72 and '73, I'll post my '73. I should have more time to think it through some more 'til then.

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Okay, here's '72. Sorry it took so long, guys, but these things ae time-consuming to write!

1. “The Wizard”, URIAH HEEP
For some music fans, it is the songs you discover on your own that hold a special place in your heart as opposed to the ones the radio stations shove down your throat. I can still remember quite clearly that day back in the summer of 1988 when I put the needle down on the groove of this one (picked up on a whim during a visit to a used vinyl place) and heard it for the first time. I had at that time thought that Zep’s fourth album and Floyd’s Dark Side were the zenith of musical excellence, but that was all about to change with the hearing of “The Wizard” and the rest of this album. A blend of the feel-good semi-hippie optimism of “All You Need Is Love”, the acoustic-to-heavy metal panache of “Stairway To Heaven”, and the ethereal spaciness of the Moody Blues and Pink Floyd, with a bit of a lyrical debt to Marc Bolan. Three minutes of pure magic painting an aural tableau of starry skies and mountainous landscapes such as the one depicted by Mr. Roger Dean on the album’s jacket (a poster of which now adorns my living room).

2. “Circle of Hands”, URIAH HEEP
The song that closes the album side that “The Wizard” begins and has much in common with it. A good-versus-evil allegory that despite the albums proclivities seems more grounded in reality than fantasy. But the thing that makes it for me on this one is the awe-inspiring musical coda, on a level with the “Wurm” section of Yes’ “Starship Trooper”, which I will not even attempt to describe. This one is absolutely magnificent when performed live. Actually, I think the best version of this song I’ve ever heard may be from a CD I have with supbar sound quality performed by an unknown cover ensemble.

3. “New Horizons”, THE MOODY BLUES
Another great soft ballad by the Moodies from the Seventh Sojurn album. This one beats out “Isn’t Life Strange” from that disc. An indescribably gentle touch, lush production, and some of Justin Hayward’s most reflective lyrics.

4. “Loving Cup”, THE ROLLING STONES
One of the Stones’ lesser-known jewels. This one takes the rough blues-country sound of the Exile On Main Street album to a whole new level, incorporating a soulful piano with Jagger’s effectively twangy vocals, building to a cathartic climax.

5. “Listen To The Music”, THE DOOBIE BROTHERS
Flowing as easily as a mountain stream, this standard boasts the Doobies’ down-home country stylings applied to their maximum effect. The real selling point, however, is the splendid vocalization and harmonies.

6. “Ventura Highway”, AMERICA
As dreamy as acoustic pop gets, from a band that was a master at it. This song is an example of how the simplest guitar sounds can be crafted to create the effect of understated bombast.

7. “And You and I”, YES
Another progressive masterwork from Yes, featuring some of Howe and Wakeman’s best individual work and a splendid four-passage interlinked song structure. This is also probably where John Anderson’s particular style of free-form lyricism, which makes use of word and phrase collages as opposed to linear expression, works to best effect. What the passage about the sad preacher and the insane teacher is supposed to signify is anyone’s guess, but it sounds cool.

8. “Guitar Man”, BREAD
Okay, that’s three Bread songs I’ve chosen in as many lists, and I can hear you guys sniggering even as I write. Have I lost all credibility yet? But if you’ve heard this number, where Gates positively makes his guitar sob, it should need no other justification.

9. “Little Bit of Love”, FREE
An irresistible little peace anthem with a memorable riff, chord changes, solo, vocals and lyrics. From the Free At Last LP. Also of note: “Goodbye”, from the same album, is as emotionally moving a song as Free ever recorded and almost made this list.

10. “Photographs and Memories”, JIM CROCE
Perhaps the best of a group of masterful heart-touching ballads Croce came out with this year, in the best tradition of James Taylor.

11. “Wot’s . . . Uh The Deal”, PINK FLOYD
This year, the Floyd released Obscured By Clouds, another movie score soundtrack which also stands well on its own as a decent pop album. “Wot’s” is the best of the songs from this work, with crystal-clear production and performance in a pleasantly unusual style for the band. Someday someone will release a comprehensive Floyd collection that includes selections from this album and More.

12. “Space Truckin’”, DEEP PURPLE
“Smoke On The Water” got all the accolades as the standard-bearer of the Machine Head album, but this number better exemplifies the wicked grooving of the best Purp material. The lyrics add a mood of anthemic playfulness.

13. “Rain”, URIAH HEEP
Several prime candidates from The Magician’s Birthday album. There’s the classic opener “Sunrise”, the stunningly arranged “Blind Eye” and “Echoes In The Dark” with their magnificent lyrics, and the eerily haunting “Tales” with its Moody Blues feel. But the best of the bunch is clearly this stark and moody piano ballad, which Ken Hensley remade a year later for his solo album.

14. “Rocket Man”, ELTON JOHN
Elton came up with an influential classic this year, combining adult contemporary pop with Spectoresque production.

15. “Easy Livin’”, URIAH HEEP
The third song to appear on this years list from the same album SIDE. The band’s signature song exemplifies all the qualities made famous from the “Nuggets” garage psychadellic-punk era. Two and a half minutes of guitar/organ fused brilliant bombast.

16. “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)”, LOOKING GLASS
Benn’s already covered the basics on this one. Just to let you know how bad I am, I actually own a Looking Glass COMPILATION CD! Some of it is pretty good, too.

17. “Changes”, BLACK SABBATH
Perhaps the only genuinely honest-to-gosh ballad of the classic Sabbath era, this one gives Ozzy a slightly different vehicle for his doom ‘n gloom wailing and presages much of his later solo career.

18. “Time Table”, GENESIS
The obvious choice from the superb Foxtrot album would be the masterwork “Supper’s Ready”. But I chose this lesser-known lament for the bygone days of chivalry because it is more accesible both musically and lyrically while still demonstrating the sheer musical virtuosity of the band. Part of the melody seems to have been lifted from Yes’ “Time And A Word”.

19. “Heart Of Gold”, NEIL YOUNG
One of Neil’s best country ballads, perfectly capturing the full flavor of a genre yet unmistakably stamped with his own hallmarks.

20. “Free Ride”, THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP
Classic era-defining anthem, commercial in all the best sense of the word. Would later become a soundtrack staple for 70’s nostalgia movies and TV shows.

Hope it was worth the wait. I'll get to work on '73 straight away.

Benn, about the whole definition of what year a song is "from": I think that one's taste in music probobly governs what guidelines they use for clasifying a song. For example: the bulk of the songs you seem to be listing tend to have been radio hits, so it would make since for a list of them to be based on when they were on the radio the most. On the other hand, Todd's lists seem to be taking a more album oriented direction, which means that a release-based system is more proper. Personally, I tend to like more obscure, album tracks too, so I guess that a list I would make would be broken up by release date... or not, I dunno.

Blitz, you'll get no argument from me. I wasn't necessarily saying Todd was wrong and I was right or vice versa. What I was doing was defending my practice and my own personal song choices.

And yeah, to my surprise, my choices so far have been more "hits" oriented than I would have thought. But then, I have very few albums (CDs) from those years. It is possible that as the years progress into what I think of as "my music era" (starting with about 1975) more obscure stuff will appear, if only more obscure "hits".

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

5. "Listen To The Music", THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

This one almost made my list. I did have it jotted down as a contender.

"8. 'Guitar Man', BREAD
Okay, that’s three Bread songs I’ve chosen in as many lists, and I can hear you guys sniggering even as I write. Have I lost all credibility yet? But if you’ve heard this number, where Gates positively makes his guitar sob, it should need no other justification." - Todd Pence

Snigger? Moi? No, no. Not me. Especially since I did consider listing this one. There is one Bread song that could conceivably get the nod. But this almost did. It's one of their two best efforts, IMHO.

20. "Free Ride", THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP

Y'know, I personally was leaning more towards the tracks, "Autumn" and "Round & Round". "Autumn" was a major contender for quite awhile there. I just wound up feeling my other choices were ones I liked bettere.

"Hope it was worth the wait." - Todd

As a matter of fact, yes, it was.

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Okay, here's my '73 list:


1. “Angie”, THE ROLLING STONES
Pure bloody brilliant balladry from Mick and the boys, the highlight of the criminally underrated Goat’s Head Soup LP. Acoustic guitars and strings don’t get much more lovely than this, and Jagger’s vocals have seldom been better. Reputedly inspired by David Bowie’s wife.

2. “The Rain Song”, LED ZEPPELIN
This one actually may even be lovelier than “Stairway To Heaven”. Oh-so-delicate strings from Mr. Page, and a lush atmospheric production.

3. “Time”, PINK FLOYD
The Dark Side Of The Moon album heralded the inception, of Floyd’s pessimistic period, and that attitude was firmly encapsulated both musically and lyrically on this grim observation on mortality and wasted years.

4. “Remember The Future Part One”, NEKTAR
A rock masterpiece often compared favorably with Floyd’s Dark Side. Nektar actually started out as compatriots with Floyd in Germany and I think it’s only an accident of history that one band became famous while the other remains relatively obscure. Side (part) two of this album is also good, but has the feel of four or five songs strung together while part one is much more tight and cohesive. Sheer musical brilliance.

5. “Desperado”, THE EAGLES
The Eagles take their usual emotiveness to a whole new notch in this cowboy ballad which favors the strings over their usual acoustic sound.


6. “.Sufficiently Breathless”, CAPTAIN BEYOND
A richly textured song with a poppish feel and slightly surreal lyrics from this unknown legend’s second album. On this release they seemed to be trying to get away from the epi-suite feel of their first record and presented traditional separate songs here, perhaps in quest of commercial success. Certainly, this gorgeous and catchy title track deserved to be a huge radio hit.

7. “Us And Them”, PINK FLOYD
The second selection from Dark Side, a turgid semi-allegorical musing on war and interpersonal relations with some striking lyrical imagery and style/arrangement/production which paints a vivid aural tableau. The dark side of the Moody Blues.

8. “Cold Autumn Sunday”, KEN HENSLEY
The best of a group of astoundingly emotive songs from the brilliant Proud Words album. This one actually reminds me a lot of the instrumental section of the Stones’ “Angie”, and it is every bit as beautiful.

9. “Wings”, NEKTAR
Another example of spine-chilling atmospheric hard rock balladry featuring soul-wrenching guitars and vocals. Reminiscent of the Moddy Blues’ “Out And In” or Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”. From the double live-in-the-studio Sounds Like This. Too bad there’s no performance of this on any of the live albums that I know of.

10. “Piano Man”, BILLY JOEL
The ultimate bar sing-along song, a semi-autobiographical piece which thrust Joel into the limelight and defined his career.

11. “Woman From Tokyo”, DEEP PURPLE
Another classic hard-rock anthem. I like this one better than “Smoke On The Water” because it demonstrates the band’s virtuosity even more, including some nifty little keyboard rolls from Jon Lord.
And Blackmore is simply devastating.

12. “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, ALICE COOPER
One of Cooper’s classic self-parodying bits of shtick with a monster riff that Coop freely admits he borrowed from The Who’s “Substitute”, which Townshend admits in turn was borrowed from a forgotten minor sixties hit. Clever response to the media.

13. “We’re An American Band”, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
Another classic rock anthem and a signature song, on which the boys display a new improved tightened-up sound.

14. “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, BLACK SABBATH
Now this is apocalyptic rock, pulling out all the stops, with music that sounds like the world is coming to end and Ozzy frenziedly crying for all his listeners to repent.

15. “Tuesday’s Gone”, LYNYRD SKYNYRD
Simplistic but nice, with the semi-electric arrangement displaying the band’s skills to great effect.

16. “Robert’s Box”, PROCUL HARUM
One of the best songs Procul Harum ever did, a fantastic rocker in which a junkie begs a respectable doctor to sell him a fix. One of those songs you set your CD player on repeat for.

17. “Stealin’”, URIAH HEEP
Along with “Easy Livin’”, a signature song for this band. Memorable opening bouncy riff soon exploedes into an all-out rocker, with Mick Box laying down one of the most killer solos in 70’s hard rock history. Lyrics about facing up to personal responsibility after a lifetime of ducking it.

18. “Aerosmith”, DREAM ON
A nice little diamond in the rough from a band who at the time was still quite rough around the edges.

19. “O.D.’d On Life Itself”, BLUE OYSTER CULT
BOC displays an absolutely wicked style on the Tyranny and Mutation album, and this song probably demonstrates it best both musically and lyrically. Songs like “Hot Rails To Hell” and “Mistress Of The Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)” rock harder, but this one is more insiduous.

20. “Still You Turn Me On”, EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER
Certainly one of the more accessible tunes from ELP at this point in time, and a nice little radio-friendly tune.

"18. 'Aerosmith', DREAM ON" - Todd Pence

While I've never heard of the band Dream On, it is interesting to note that they did a song in tribute to the tyro band from Boston, Aerosmith. Or was the song "Aerosmith" about the book by Sinclair Lewis? ^_^

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

And that I've had my little joke, on to 1973:

1. "Smoke On the Water" - Deep Purple

I've chosen to rate this one number one not so much because it is one of my all time favorite songs, so much as for the riff. The opening riff, which plays throughout the song, is by far one of the most famous and recognizable in Rock N Roll. It's one all beginning guitarists learn, or so it seems. Frankly, for my money, "Smoke" is the very definition of Sevenities Heavy Metal.

2. "My Love" - Paul McCartney and Wings

One of Macca's best solo love songs. The lyrics are sentimental without getting too sappy. And the music is very powerful for a ballad. And that lead guitar solo that Henry McCollough plays is one of the best solos I know of. Pop seldom sounds this good.

3. "Roll Over Beethoven" - Electric Light Orchestra

I remember watching an episode of The Midnight Special, hosted by Bob Welch in 1979. He was introducing ELO's clip for "Don't Bring Me Down". One thing that Welch said was, "Perhaps no one has blended classical music and Rock and Roll more successfully than the Electric Light Orchestra." This has to be the song he was refering to. It's a bit of genius to combine Beethoven's Fifth Symphony with this Chuck Berry standard. And it works beautifully. If you listen to Chuck Berry's original version of this song, the guitars on it sound like a violin. Jeff Lynne and the members of ELO played up on that. This was the first true ELO classic, IMHO.

4. "Photograph" - Ringo Starr

The bouncy pop of this song contrasts with the longing and loss of the lyrics. Ringo, who never was the best vocalist in the Beatles, provides some excellent singing on this tune, possibly the best he ever did, at least in terms of his solo career. Personally, I like this song better than "It Don't Come Easy".

5. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Bob Dylan

Zimmerman's haunting elegy of a lawman of the Old West as he prepares to die. Dylan plays some of the finest acoustic guitar he's ever played. Lyrically, it is Bob's simplest, easiest to comprehend and yet they say so much.

6. "Dream On" - Aerosmith

The song that introduced America to Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and the boys. The song - about aging and the shortness of life - is somewhat atypical of what an Aerosmith song would pretty much sound like for much of the decade, yet the song is Aerosmith's signature tune.

7. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" - Alice Cooper

This song by Vincent Furnier wa tongue-in-cheek and punk before Punk really existed. Self-parody though it may be, it has become for all extents and purposes Coop's theme song.

8. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" - Jim Croce

Croce's tune about a tough mofo is a great example of pop-folk (if ever such exists outside of Simon and Garfunkel). (Sorry, Sparrow.) The song shows another side of Croce, who was often known for his sensitive ballads ("I've Got a Name" and "Operator", to name two). This showed him to be an excellent story-teller.

9. "Daybreaker" - Electric Light Orchestra

A classic instrumental by ELO from their third album, On the Third Day. Like "Roll Over Beethoven before it, it gives pretty much every musician in the band at the time a chance to shine.

10. "We May Never Pass This Way Again" - Seals and Croft

Once again, Dan Seals and Dash Croft turn in a song rich in very fine harmonies. It's just another gorgeous little pop tune.

11. "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" - Elton John

Elton's party-hearty anthem. A fine rock tune by one of the Seventies' pre-eminent popsters.

12. "Angie" - the Rolling Stones

I agree with much of what Todd's had to say about this song. But I do think that Jagger's plaintive vocals contain just the right amount of longing and wistfulness that really sells the song.

13. "Little Willy" - Sweet

A great bubblegum pop metal song by a fairly lightweight band. I don't think they were ever as heavy metal as they wanted to be. But when you can produce songs this good, there's nothing wrong with that.

14. "Us and Them" - Pink Floyd

This anti-war number is informed by a strong jazz feel augmented by saxophone player Dick Perry's performance. The song is in no hurry to get to where it's going and the journey doesn't feel long at all.

15. "Hot Rails to Hell" - Blue Öyster Cult

A song that is in part about the death of a friend of the band's. (Phil King: "The King will not know/On the wall's it was said/The flash of his card was sprayed with red.") It contains some killer guitar licks by Buck Dharma and Joe Bouchard's vocals are top notch.

16. "Live and Let Die" - Paul McCartney and Wings

Macca does a James Bond movie theme and it's one of the better ones. It's an appropriately macho song from an artist many thought was beginning to wimp out.

17. "Grey Seal" - Elton John

Bernie Taupin's lyrics really don't make sense and yet, there is the feeling that there is some deep message in this song. The music is exhilarating and Elton's vocals are tight.

18. "Reeling In the Years" - Steely Dan

A New Year's Eve perennial, the brightness of the melody tends to obscure the sarcasm of the lyrics. Still, the guitar work in it is sharp and in the best tradition of Rock.

19. "The Morning After (Theme from The Poseidon Adventure)" - Maureen McGovern

Really, this is a classic example of the definition of "disposable pop". The lyrics are a bit too sentimental and the music a bit too lush. Yet, for some reason, I really like this song. That can't be too healthy for me, can it?

20. "The Cover of The Rolling Stone" - Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show

Hey! It got them on the cover of the eponymous mag! Bad, scratchy vocals and one of the worst guitar solos in Rock history (intentionaly so), this is still a very fun and funny song.

Next: 1974!

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Re: "Smoke On The Water"

I have this as a '72 song. But, again, you are using a different standard.

BTW, good catch on my Aerosmith flub. Attribute it to the natural errors typing up these lists does to your mind.

'73: Blinded by the Light -- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Almost embarrassingly, I much prefer the synthesizer version by Manfred Man's Earth Band.

"It's all one song." - Neil Young

Philistine!

I learned something startling recently. Apparently, Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" was not the first version of the song. Somebody named John Henry Kurtz first released Mentor Williams' classic shortly before Gray's version came out. Kurtz's version doesn't seem to be currently commercially availible, outside of rare old collectible LPs. Odd for one of the seventies' most iconic tunes. The first version I ever heard of this song was Humble Pie's take.