And now, 1974:

1. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

One of the all time greatest anthems and in many ways one of my personal theme songs. This song not only has some great lyrics and a great piano solo, but the guitar solos at the song's end are superb. Allen Collins, one of Skynyrd's guitarists used to be so energized by the solos, he'd leap "ten feet in the air." Indeed, the solos are among the most exhilirating in Rock.

2. "Dominance and Submission" - Blue Öyster Cult

One of my two favorite songs by the Cult. It's probably B.Ö.C. at their heaviest. The song isn't totally about S&M (reputedly it isn't. But the lines "While Charles/The one they called her brother/Covers on his eyes/Murmured in the background" suggests otherwise.), but it does have something to do with dark things happening on New Year's Eve, in Times Square while people do the polka. Forget it. Just pump your fists in the air and shake your head til you give yourself whiplash. It's that good.

3. "The Air That I Breathe" - the Hollies

Oh god! That opening guitar! Not only is this a great night time song, it's one of my all time favorite love songs. And that I even like very many love songs is remarkable. But this is a beatiful lush song with great guitars, strings, harmonies. It's damned near a perfect pop song.

4. "Cat's In the Cradle" - Harry Chapin

Based on a poem Harry's wife wrote, this song about parental neglect is extremely catchy and has an ironic twist (though one that you could probably see coming). This, more than "Taxi", is Harry Chapin's signature tune.

5. "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" - Reunion

An infectious pop shout out to various musical figures and tunes. The song is a fun one in the vein of "We Didn't Start the Fire", "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" and "Subterranean Homesick Blues". What's really fun is to listen to it on headphones (as loud as you can stand it) and listen for the edits in the song. It's definitely, no matter how it sounds, not done all in one breath.

6. "Band On the Run" - Paul McCartney and Wings

One of Paul's most outstanding songs. The song changes pace a couple of times, but the theme of a prison break works on several different levels. (C'mon, surely you can think of times when work or your homelife was a prison?) Paul, Denny, Linda put together a powerfully classic hit.

7. "ME 262" - Blue Öyster Cult

B.Ö.C. salutes the WWII German bomber of the song title. This song rocks as much as "Dominance and Submission". One of the best cuts from Secret Treaties.

8. "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" - Steely Dan

My favorite Steely Dan song. The song has a sing-song rhythm to it that is driven by the bass. It's hypnotic as hell to me.

9. "Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae

An early disco hit, one written and produced by one of disco's biggest stars, Harry Wayne Casey, aka KC of KC and the Sunshine Band. The song has a lovely tropical feel to it. It's a laid back disco tune, lacking the freneticism that would mark much of the latter days of disco. This a sleek, wonderful bit of pop.

10. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" - Elton John

A mournful tune from the team of Taupin/John. The song deals with the end of a love and a plea for survival as everything falls apart. Elton John at his best.

11. "Hooked On a Feeling" - Blue Suede

"Ooga chaka ooga chaka ooga ooga chaka!" This is such a strange cover of the B.J. Thomas hit. It almost borders on being a heavy metal song.

12. "You Make Me Feel Brand New" - the Stylistics

Another outstandingly beautiful love song. The male and female vocals blend and contrast so well. This is an ethereal song that is hard to forget.

13. "Tell Me Something Good" - Rufus

A fantastically funky bass line. This is one of the classics of Funk.

14. "Bloody Well Right" - Supertramp

Supertramp's first true classic. It tends more to the harder rockin' style than was normal for 'Tramp. But that's only because of how biting the lyrics are, I suspect.

15. "Rock and Roll, Hootichie Koo" - Rick Derringer

From "Hang On Sloopy" to this, one of the all time great Rock party tunes. The guitars on this cut are an attack, but hell, it's hard to really be offended by the attack.

16. "Jet" - Paul McCartney & Wings

Another Macca song about one of his pet dogs. Still, this is infinitely better than "Martha My Dear".

17. "Mr. Kingdom" - Electric Light Orchestra

Nope, sorry. "Can't Get It Out of My Head" didn't make the top 20. This song about loneliness and alienation is the one that hooked me onto ELO. I heard it as the B-side to "Turn to Stone". It's sweeping and epic in feel.

18. "Black Diamond" - KISS

KISS' first great song from their first album. This song about a runaway (I believe) is a heavy metal classic.

19. "Lady" - Styx

Tommy Shaw's debut with the Illinois band. This has some great operatic vocals worthy of Bob Zeppelin (Robert Plant). The song alternates between gentle and raucous without missing a beat or coming across as discordant. Styx may have long been panned by critics, but let's face it, when the time was right, they could ROCK!

20. "Seasons In the Sun" - Terry Jacks

Maudlin, almost self-pitying, this song, based in part on a Rod McKuen poem (and if that doesn't convince you it's tripe, nothing will) is redeemed by the sincerity of Canadian Tery Jacks' vocals. The music has a great, irresistable hook to it. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, and I know it's not a great song, but it is one of my favorites.

np - AM Gold 1972 - various artists

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

Okay, here's fifteen from '74:


1. “The Easy Road”, URIAH HEEP
One of the most beautiful heart-rending little ballads ever done, full of orchestration but not overproduced. Ranks up there with the Beatles’ “Yesterday” and “Long And Winding Road”, Kansas’ “Dust In The Wind”, James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” , et. al. and gives stability to the sometimes tumultuous Wonderworld album. An absolutely great song.
2. “The Gates Of Delirium”, YES
A masterwork of epic hard rock, one of the most incredible things ever done by anyone. Filled with some of the loveliest, as well as some of the most bizarre and tortured, sounds ever to be coaxed out of instruments, and it all works in fine euphony. Creates a soundscape as big as the universe and well-illustrated by the Roger Dean album cover, one of his coolest. A major highlight of the 2002 symphonic DVD, with cool animation to boot!
3. “Burn”, DEEP PURPLE
This song absolutely rips from beginning to end; with machine-gunning guitars, berserk keyboards, and apocalyptic lyrics. An impressive statement with which to begin the Coverdale campaign. Featured (albeit anachronistically) in “Almost Famous”.
4. “Lonely People”, AMERICA
Another great America ballad, catchy and moving, which puts the harmonica and the piano to memorable effect in the solo section.
5. “Baby I Love Your Way”, PETER FRAMPTON – Gorgeous sunset ballad in which Frampton finally gave free rein to his softer tendancies with unforgettable results.
6. “Time Waits For No One”, THE ROLLING STONES
Lesser-known slow number features the Stones at their most melodic, with crystal-clear production.
7. “Lonely Wind”, KANSAS – The precursor to such Kansas ballad classics as “Dust In The Wind” and “Hold On”, this tune shows off the most commercial aspects of Kansas’ prog-country fusion. Great lyrics as well.
8. “Holy Man’, DEEP PURPLE
One of the forgotten songs from the Coverdale era of Purple, this is a refreshing change of pace from Purp’s usual style, being a slow-paced bit of balladry with twangy blues-tinged guitars. “Soldier Of Fortune” from the Stormbringer album is another great tune.
9. “Flaming Telepaths”, BLUE OYSTER CULT
More sinister savagery and vicious guitar licks from the Oyster Boys, apparently telling the tale of a junkie’s suffering. Way-cool beginning (with the tinny tinkling of a music box exploding into frenzied drumming) and ending (Eric Bloom repeating “and the joke’s on you . . .” over and over again, faster and faster, until everything abrubtly stops. Lots of great stuff in between as well.
10. “Bad Company”, BAD COMPANY
Classic song for an imaginary western. Ghost-town music accentuated by Paul Rodgers’ sepulcharal vocals.
11. “Teenage Rampage”, SWEET
My favorite of a number of outstanding hardcore rockers done by the band in the mid-seventies, in-between their two bubblegum phases. Maybe not as well known as it should be, but still an indisputable classic youth anthem.
12. “Band On The Run”, PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS
Arguably the best song ever done by McCartney during his post-Fab Four career. Actually similar to “A Day In The Life” and parts of the Abbey Road suite in its construction. Catchy tune, decent lyrics, impassioned singing.
13. “Bad Time”, GRAND FUNK
Nifty little punch-packing rocker, a testament to Mark Farner’s ability to craft a really good pop song.
14. “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head”, ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Aptly named ballad highlighting the breakthrough Eldorado album. Jeff Lynne found a winning formula with this one.
15. “Working Man”, RUSH
Juggernaut of a hard-rock monster from the Canadian trio, from a generally underrated debut album.

Both "Flaming Telepaths" and "Can't Get It Out of My Head" were contenders for my 1974 list. But again, the songs I chose by those two bands were songs I like just a little bit better. But they are nonetheless, great choices, Todd.

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

I'm curious as to why both Benn and Todd feel the need to impress us by giving us artists real names?
i.e. "Like A Rolling Stone"- Bob Dylan. Once again, Robert Zimmerman proves his astounding writing skills...

"Candle In The WInd" Elton John- Well, chalk up another one to ol' Reginald Dwight, he sure knew how to write them back them.

Then there is the habit of naming band members as well...

i.e. "Feel Like Makin' Love" Bad Company- a nice piece of groove from Paul, Boz, Simon and Mick.

"Creatures Of The Night" Kiss- A brilliant opener from gene, paul, Eric and Ace...er...Vinnie..er..Tommy..er..Bob...er..whoever played guitar on that d a m m track.


Just curious...

"I'm curious as to why both Benn and Todd feel the need to impress us by giving us artists real names?" - Rodney Hrvatin

For me, it's not so much a matter of trying to impress anybody, as you accuse me of doing, so much as to find another way to refer to the act in question. Saying "Elton John", "Bob Dylan", etc. over and over can get a bit repetitive. And using just "Elton" or "John" can also get redundant. It's just a matter of trying to be creative in how I write. I suspect it's much the same for Todd.

What I'm wondering, Rodney, is why do you feel it necessary to continuously accuse me of trying to impress people?

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

Some of us don't know, nor have the time to research, some of that background info, so I for one don't mind it. The down side is that it eats up board space, but that's the nature of the beast.
I never thought anyone was being haughty or showing off about anything, though. (And just for the record, I'm not trying to attack Rodney, either! I'm just offering my take on the points brought up.)

>I suspect it's much the same for Todd.

Yeah, it's just like using a synonym for an otherwise frequently-used adjective. It makes writing less repetitive. Besides, I don't see how anyone's going to impress anybody by calling Bob Dylan "Robert Zimmerman" or calling Mick Jagger and Keith Richards "The Glimmer Twins" or whatever, since most pop music pseudonyms are pretty well-known.

Here's my faves for '75:

1. "Wish You Were Here", PINK FLOYD
A Floydian staple, this sonorous tribute to Syd Barrett is propelled by some of the most hypnotic acoustic work in pop history.

2. "I Dreamed Last Night", JUSTIN HAYWARD AND JOHN LODGE
Hayward and Lodge recreate the Moodies magic on the excellent Blue Jays album, and this track is the most passionate and poignant of all the numbers on it.

3. "Born To Run", BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Bruce's high-octane signature song goes from zero to eighty in zero seconds flat and doesn't really slow down much. Lyrics steeped in anger, passion and desperation. Remember when some people wanted to make this the national anthem of the state of New Jersey? That's pretty funny, inasmuch as the whole song is about how living in Jersey sucks and how people want desperately to get out of there.

4. "Scorching Beauty", IRON BUTTERFLY
In 1975 Iron Butterfly attempted a reformation, trying to recapture the glory they had back in'68 by updating their sound. The result was totally unexpected: thery came out with one of the most magnificent and incredible hard rock albums of the era in Sun and Steel, a near-perfect effort featuring hook-laden songwriting, superlative playing, flexibility, and immaculate production. Although all nine tracks on the album are superb, the slow bluesy closer "Scorching Beauty" is probably the best of them, it sounds just like the title. Tragically, the Butterfly never followed up on this amazing effort.

5. "Sister Golden Hair", AMERICA
A signature song for this band, with a really catchy arrangement.

6. "The Eyes Of A Child", KEN HENSLEY
A stark piano ballad in the style of "Rain", with some of Ken's most memorable lyrics about the loss of innoncence in the passage from adulthood. Actually the lyrics remind me a lot of the Monkees' "Shades of Gray".

7. "Sweet Emotion", AEROSMITH
In my book, one of the all-time great riffs and wicked kick-butt grooves.

8. "Watch The World Going By", IRON BUTTERFLY
Okay, I'm going back to Sun and Steel for this one. A magnificent ballad. Someone stop me before I fill this entire list with S&S songs.

9. "A Year Or A Day", URIAH HEEP
Another great album closer, progressive in nature but rocking out hard. A meditation on the future of humanity with some memorable passages and passionate singing from David Byron. A great song.

10. "It's All Over", NEKTAR
From the song side of the Recycle LP, a hauntingly moving ballad touched by sorrow.

11. "Daisy Jane", AMERICA
Another great America song - I wonder if they intentionally stole the heartbeat opening from Dark Side Of The Moon? The guys lay off the guitars for the most part of this one, giving us a chance to see a slightly different side of their sound.

12. "The Writ", BLACK SABBATH
One of the most awesome of all Sabbath songs, if this one doesn't rock you consider yourself metalurgically dead. Constructed into several sections in an almost prog-like manner, proving early seventies metal's tight links to prog.

13. "Lying Eyes", THE EAGLES
The Eagles formula firing on all cylinders.

14. "Feel Like Making Love" BAD COMPANY
By this time Rodgers, Fraser, Kossoff and Kirke had taken the old melancholy haunting slow-paced blues sound of Free, tightening and speeding it up, and giving it a little extra kick, for a more commercial sound. Few can argue with the results. A signature song for a classic seventies band.

15. "You Keep On Moving", DEEP PURPLE
Speaking of the haunting melanholy blues song, this Purple number (with Tommy Bolin replacing Blackmore) encapsulates it. Great organ work and the usual impressive solos we've come to expect. Serves as a nice swan song for the band for nearly a decade (Purple would not be heard from again, studio-wise, until 1984's Perfect Strangers.

Two things-
Todd- The line-up for Bad COmpany was not Rodgers, Fraser, Kossoff and Kirke- It was Rodgers, Ralphs, Burrell and Kirke. But I am also pleased you mentioned some great songs on your list!

Benn- Not trying to accuse you of anything. It was just an observation I noticed. It made me giggle at how often the two of you used alternate names or band line-ups for your descriptions, that's all. I guess it comes across as "unnecessary padding" which is usually done when someone wants to show off, intentionally or otherwise, their knowledge. To be honest, it doesn't bother me- both your lists are brilliant (except for the lack of Australian songs but anyway...)

Rodneythank you for pointing out the obvious error to me - I do know better than that, I just got my wires crossed.

Add

"Jungleland", BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND to that list!

That's the best track on an album with no bad tracks whatsoever!

1975 was a difficult year for me to chart. For one thing, I could have easily gone for a Top 25 list. Anyway, here we go:

1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen

Yup. That's all Freddie Mercury's vocals on this epic masterpiece of artrock. The song starts out acapella, moves through an almost meandering piano section that leads to a cacophony of vocals doing a call and response. Then comes the killer slice of heavy metal before the tune settles down peacefully, only to close with the sounding of a gong. This cut from A Night At the Opera captivated rock fans' attention almost completely from the start. In the '90s it enjoyed a revival and became an almost bigger hit thanks to its inclusion in the movie, Wayne's World.

2. "Black Water" - the Doobie Brothers

This biker band from El-Ay once again proves it knows and understand Southern Rock. Musically "Black Water" is as slow and easy-going as the Big Muddy the song sings about. The acoustic guitar and violin work in unison to create a vision of lazily floating down the Mighty Mississippi. And that round robin harmony session near the end is priceless.

I had a friend in Dallas, Will, who, whenever he'd get drunk, would invariably request that this song be played for him - repeatedly. Will died about 9 years ago. So, in honor of Will - and because "Black Water" really is a great tune - this gets the number 2 spot for the year 1975.

3. "Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)" - Fleetwood Mac

"This is a song about a Welsh witch". Stevie Nicks' classic with the Mac. John McVie's thumping bass is perfect, as are Mick Fleetwood's drumming, Lyndsay Buckingham's guitar playing and Christine McVie's keyboard. Lyndsay and Christine do some excellent backing vocals. This is probably the song that let people know that the Mac were to be a pop force to be reckoned with.

4. "5:15" - the Who

A bombastic explosion, this song, starting out mildly with the "Why should I care?" line, comes out of nowhere and hits you with a blinding force. Daltrey's voice is a primal scream of desperation in this song of alienation and drugs.

5. "Someone Save My Life Tonight" - Elton John

By far the most autobiographical of Elton's repetoire. The song deals with Captain Fantastic's near marriage to a woman who wanted him to give up his musical career and the depression it left him in. (Yeah, I know. Given that Elton is gay, you've gotta wonder how much of that story is true.) Elton was talked out of the marriage - and committing suicide - by the "sugar bear" of the song, Long John Baldry. The song builds slowly, adding layer after layer. This song sounds great when played late at night.

6. "That's the Way of the World" - Earth, Wind and Fire

A mellow soulful song with outstanding harmonies. The horn section and keyboards play off each other brilliantly, lending the tune a near jazz feel. Probably the best thing Maurice White and the guys recorded.

7. "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin

It's the rhythmic string section that really propel this haunting song. And that rhythm is hypnotic. Robert Plants' vocals are, as always, excellent. The only probably is remembering that Jimmy Page was P. Diddy's co-conspirator in the desecration of the number for the Godzilla movie soundtrack. ("Come With Me") Pagey should be shot for that.

8. "Fallin' In Love" - Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds

Yet another example of great pop vocal harmonies. The lush strings and keyboards in the background are an added plus. Another tune made to listen to late at night.

9. "Fire On High" - Electric Light Orchestra

This is probably ELO's best instrumental. The backmasking at the beginning of the song adds a sense of menace to an otherwise brilliant bit of pop rock. Am I the only who remembers hearing this as a theme for CBS Sports Spectacular?

10. "Bad Blood" - Neil Sedaka

Which proves that Sedaka isn't as wimpy as you might think, "Love Will Keep Us Together", notwithstanding. And Neil Sedaka says a "naughty" word! ("The b1tch is in her smile.") Wonder how it made it past the censors? Of course, it helped that Sedaka was being backed by "The B1tch", Elton John. A hard-hitting, biting song from someone better known for his disposable pop songs.

11. "Third Rate Romance" - the Amazing Rhythm Aces

A cool country western crossover hit about adultry. This song should be better known than it is.

12. "Miracles" - Jefferson Starship

Full length album version, please. Marty Balin's vocals and Papa John Creach's fiddle are the main strength of this song of love one of the greats that it is. It was the first of a string of classic hits the Starship would have in the late '70s.

13. "Born to Run" - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

I almost did not rank this song in the Top 20. However, it's hard to ignore this powerful rocker by the Boss. It's a fantastic song about the need and desire for freedom and to escape. The instrumental break and Springsteen's countdown are just perfect. This is quite probably the best thing the Boss ever recorded.

14. "Sister Golden Hair" - America

Yes, the acoustic guitar is wonderful. But it's that opening electric lead guitar with the sad, mournful sound that really makes this song by America great. Musically it is the most emotionally heartfelt tune the band would ever record.

15. "Jackie Blue" - Ozark Mountain Daredevils

A fabulous hard rocker by this Southern Rock band. The riff is one of the classics. (Yeah, I use that word alot. Sorry.) The original OMD.

16. "Killer Queen" - Queen

A lesser classic from Queen. This song has long been overshadowed by most of the group's later tunes, I think. It's almost criminal. Simple though it is, it's still a terrific tune.

17. "Sky High" - Jigsaw

Another song with some perfectly great strings. Yeah, it's borderline disco, but so what? It's still a great tune.

18. "Jive Talkin'" - the Bee Gees

The Brothers Gibb's first real foray in the up and coming sound that would be known as disco. Who knew listening to the chuggin' rhythm of this track that the Bee Gees would soon abandon folk-rock and pop ballads for disco for the rest of the decade?

19. "Tangled Up in Blue" - Bob Dylan

Among Zimmerman's last great songs. Trouble is, it seems to be an unfinished masterpiece, as Bob keeps changing the lyrics everytime he performs it live. IIRC, this is a stripped down number by Dylan, just him and his harmonica.

20. "Get Down Tonight" - KC and the Sunshine Band

The second most important disco act of the '70s. And that's not necessarily an insult. Harry Wayne Casey and his partner, Harry Finch, created some of the best pop tunes of the latter half of the decade. Even if they were mindless and simplistic. (Aren't most pop songs, that way, though?)

Oh, and Rodney, I almost listed another Australian act on this list: "It's a Long Way There" - Little River Band. I suspect though, that as the decade progresses, LRB will place one or two songs on my charts.

np - Twenty - Lynyrd Skynyrd

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

I've just now put together a list of potentials for the year 1976. Frankly, I think starting with '76, I may start posting a Top 25 list. This is where I really started to listen to Pop/Rock and where the bulk of my music collection begins. It'll all depend on how the trimming phase goes.

np - Continued - Elton John

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

I'm probably one of the few who likes these....

"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" Eurythmics
"Here Comes The Rain Again" Eurythmics
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" Yes
"Leave It" Yes
"It Can Happen" Yes
"Self Control" Laura Brannigan
"Dance Hall Days" Wang Chung
"It's All Right, Baby's Comin' Back" Eurythmics
"There Must Be An Angel Playing With My Heart" Eurythmics

More to come as I jog my memory

Todd Pence: 13. "Lying Eyes", THE EAGLES
The Eagles formula firing on all cylinders.

Wouldn't that be "Lion Eyes and Bear Feet"? ... (nyuk-nyuk-nyuk-nyuk ... [slap!] Ooohh!!)

A few more for '75:

"The Real Me" - The Who

My favorite track off of Quadrophenia, not to mention the least overblown (though "The Punk and The Godfather" is right up there as well)

"In The Light" - Led Zepplin

I cannot figure out why this isn't played on classic rock stations at least once every 24 hours.

"Ten Years Gone" - Led Zepplin

Perhaps the most beutiful thing they ever recorded (though, just between you and me, I think Page and The Black Crowes did it better)

Also, not to start an argument, but I don't think "Come With Me" was that bad. The tence, abrupt nature of rap bounces off the melody very nicely, and the quiet middle eight (in which Puff Daddy actually SINGS!) is an impressive addition to the otherwise straightforward adaptation.

I like "Sweet Dreams". Very haunting tune.

Agreed, Scott. I like the Capital Gold Legends version better, does anyone else?

MY LIST...PT. 2

"Gonna Fly Now" (Theme from Rocky) Bill Conti
"Heart of Glass" Blondie
"Lucky Star" Madonna
"Time After Time" Cyndi Lauper
"Everyone Was Kung Fu Fighting" Carl Douglas
"Dust In The Wind" Kansas
"Billie Jean" Michael Jackson
"Beat it" Michael Jackson
"Cat's in the Cradle" Harry Chapin
"Fly Like An Eagle" Steve Miller Band

Anything by "Wierd Al" Yankovic...he's too funny

Okay, here we go with 1976. Despite the fact that this will be a Top 25 list, it was very difficult for me to assign a song a number one position. It's not that the songs weren't good. It's just that there wasn't a track that stood that far above all the others. Maybe later on, I'll realize that I forgot a tune and then I'll revise this list. Until then, I give you my Class of 1976:

1. "Fooled Around and Fell In Love" - Elvin Bishop

This had to be the first Blues song I became a fan of. Micky Thomas, soon to be of the Jefferson Starship, turns in some killer lead vocals. The song's rhythm is hypnotic, propelled by the bass and drum. But ultimately, it is Oklahoman Elvin Bishop's KILLER guitar work that makes this song an absolute classic. This definitely, to me, features one of the all time greatest guitar solos in Rock. Oh, and of course, I refer to full length album version, rather than the 45 version.

2. "I Wish" - Stevie Wonder

Oh man, this a great funky tune in which we find Mr. Steveland Wonder reminiscing on his childhood. The thumping bassline, which drives this song, creates the hook upon which this magnificent tune rests. Stevie's voice is equally superb, as always. And I love the one bit where after Stevie sings, "Writing something nasty on the wall", a voice responds, "You naughty boy!" Easily one of the best things from Little Stevie Wonder.

3. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston

Supposedly, Nirvana stole this song's riff for their monster hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Then again, some think Tom Scholz raided the Kingsmen's "Louie, Louie" for the riff for "More Than a Feeling". At any rate, this is a heavy metal classic. (What else do you call it? Hard rock does not do it justice.) Brad Delp's voice run the gamut on the scale, reaching notes higher than Robert Plant could normally achieve. Hell, you have to listen to Earth, Wind and Fire or the Bee Gees to hear anything more highly high pitched. And the way Delp's voice on the line, "I close my eyes and I slip away" seems to morph into Scholz's guitar... That's great!

4. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult

Of course, you knew this song had to be in the ranking. If you don't, then obviously you've read very few of my posts on these Music boards. This is B.Ö.C.'s signature song, one of "The Big Three", and is invariably the last tune played in the main body of a B.Ö'Cult concert. The tune, from the album, Agents of Fortune was atypical of the heavy metal band from Long Island New York. Musically, that is. Musically, the song, written by B.Ö.C. lead guitarist Buck Dharma, sounds like a lost Byrds song. But the lyrics are as dark and brooding as anything else B.Ö.C. had recorded up to that point. The solo Buck turns in one of the most exhilaring in the B.Ö.C. canon. Oh, and just so you'll know, Buck has admitted that the "40,000 men and women everyday" line has no basis in fact. It just sounded good. So does this song.

5. "Livin' Thing" - Electric Light Orchestra

One of my two favorite ELO songs. Jeff Lynne scrapped the original lyrics to this song (something about Spain, I believe) and replaced them with the ambiguous ones that the song now has. Is it about abortion? About a romance? (My guess.) Or is it about saving the whales? (Seriously. According to Lynne, someone once suggested that to him.) Still, Jeff's acoustic guitar and the opening violin (Mik Kaminsky or the orchestra the band was using in the studio at that time?) make this a catchy slice of pop. One of the simplest in terms of production value of the Electric Light Orchestra repertoire.

6. "If You Leave Me Now" -Chicago

A gentle plea for a woman to stay with her man. This is a beautiful song by Chicago. The acoustic guitar, the horns are so perfect. The acoustic guitar solo is wonderful. Is that Peter Cetera on the lead vocals? His voice is fantastic on this track.

7. "Year of the Cat" - Al Stewart

The year I was born. Scotsman Stewart created another of '76's classic bits of pop. The song's about a one night stand, I think. The sax solo leading into the guitar solo is superb.

8. "I Never Cry" - Alice Cooper

Coop gets wimpy. And would stay that way for years. The last thing heavy metal fans needed was to see Alice's "sensitive" side. "Only Women Bleed" was sensitive enough. But this... This is a great pop tune. No matter what. It is definitely the best of Coop's mellow top 40 phase.

9. "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" - Gordon Lightfoot

Some outstanding guitar works help propel this elegy to the crew of a freighter that was lost in November out in the Great Lakes. It's all pretty straight forward, lyrically and musically. Nothing fancy here, just great musicianship all around.

10. "E.T.I. (Extraterrestrial Intelligence)" - Blue Öyster Cult

Eric Bloom's the lead vocalist on this song about UFOs and "three Men In Black". (Was Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones one of them?) The guitar playing is staccato, but works to the song's advantage. This is more metal than "The Reaper" was and another classic cut by New York's Oyster Boys.

11. "Devil Woman" - Cliff Richard

The Seventies had a lot of songs about magic, didn't it? "Magic Man" by Heart, "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac, "Dark Lady" by Cher, "Magic" by Pilot, "Strange Magic", ELO, etc. This was a comeback song by 50s/60s pop icon (if you were British), Richard. He wouldn't have any more hits for a few more years after this, but this is still a nice slice of pop rock.

12. "Nadia's Theme (The Young and the Restless)" - Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkins, Jr.

This is one of my all time favorite instrumentals. It's sad, haunting and beautiful. Not only has it long been the theme music for a soap opera, but It's title comes from its use by Soviet gymnast Nadia Commanici, who used it to great success in the 1976 Olympics. Superb strings, acoustic guitars and of course, the excellent piano playing dominate this instrumental. So good, Mary J. Blige would use it later as the basis of her song, "No More Drama".

13. "Moonlight Feels Right" - Starbuck

One of the many one hit wonders of the Seventies. This frenzied little tune has a rare solo in rock music - a xylophone! But, hey, it sounds cool.

14. "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" - Rod Stewart

Admit it, when you were a kid in the Seventies, you too were scandalized by this song of seduction, what with such lines as "Don't say a word my virgin child" and "Spread your wings and let me come inside", weren't you? Thought so. And that was pretty racy stuff for those days. (Only Johnny Taylor's "Disco Lady" was considered dirtier.) This song pretty much did what "Maggie May" didn't really do; established Hot Rod Stewart as a Rock Superstar.

15. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" - Elton John

This is kind of a watershed tune for Elton. His style of music seemed to change just after this hit. It certainly seems to mark the end of Reg's classic hit period. A mournful, melancholy tune, it sounds just right late at night.

16. "Love Is Alive" - Gary Wright

Yeah, "Dream Weaver" from the same album is more popluar. So? The thumping bass of "Love" makes this one the better song. But that's just my opinion.

17. "Fernando" - ABBA

God, this really should be ABBA's signature song, not "Dancing Queen". The vocals and harmonies are tight on this acoustic ballad. Probably this Swedish pop quartet's first truly important song.

18. "Beware My Love" - Wings

You were expecting "Let 'Em In" or "Silly Love Songs"? :p This song starts out slowly and works itself into a frenzy. It really is one of the two best tracks from Wings At the Speed of Sound.

19. "Detroit Rock City" - KISS

About a heavy metal fan who parties too much and dies in a car wreck, this is KISS' true signature song, even if everyone thinks "Rock and Roll All Nite" is. There's an appropriate franticism is Paul Stanley's voice and hard, heavy and LOUD guitars in this one. Quite probably KISS' best.

20. "Blinded By the Light" - Manfred Mann's Earth Band

In which I prove what a Philistine I am. Sorry, Scott, but I really like this version of the song better. Yeah, it's cheesy, in places (make that, everywhere). But it still sounds cool. And of course, Chris Thompson, the song's vocalist (I think) was so drunk or stoned in the studio that he slurred his lines and created the classic mondegren. Repeat after me boys and girls, the line is "Revved up like a Duece", not "Wrapped up like a douche."

21. "More, More, More (part 1)" - Andrea True Connection

If you know that Andrea was a former porn star, that line about getting the cameras rolling takes on a whole new meaning. This was just a bouncy little tune that cashed in on the burgeoning disco craze. The band Len would years later sample the beat of this song for their hit, "Steal My Sunshine".

22. "Wham Bam Shang-a-Lang" - Silver

Apparently the censors wouldn't let title this song properly. I think it should really be "Wham Bam, Thank You Ma'am" as that's what the song's about. I'm a recent convert to this disposable pop ditty. But it's one I have, over the years since I've first heard it, found addicting.

23. "Reminscing" - Little River Band

With a shout out to Glenn Miller and Cole Porter, LRB announced their arrival onto the music scene (even if Diamatina Cocktail is their second album.) A bouncy romantic song with very tight harmonies.

24. "Right Back Where We Started From" - Maxine Nightingale

The very definition of staccato. This jaunty disco hit doesn't offer much in the way of variety (one of disco's major failings, actually), but it is infectious. The violin solo is excellent, worthy of ELO.

25. "Crackerbox Palace" - George Harrison

There's something a little sinister about this terrific song by George Harrison about childhood and comformity. The Quiet Beatle was poised for a comeback to that would flower full bloom with his next solo album.

And that's it! Finally!

np - Have a Nice Day Volume 13 - various artists

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

Okay, here's my humble group from '76. I only have 15 for this year as opposed to Benn's 25. If pressed, I could have come up with 25, but I didn't feel like writing about all those songs. Anyway . . .


1. “Hotel California”, THE EAGLES
Yes, it’s the safe choice. Yes, it’s one of those songs that is so overplayed that everyone is sick to death of it. Yes, it has a stilted, almost akward pace compared with most of the Eagles’ other smoothly-flowing hits. Yes, the lyrics are indecipherable in spots (warm smell of what?) All that said, “Hotel” is still the best song of the year. The sense of longing atmosphere created by the lone guitar riff which repeats itself throughout the song and the haunting and haunted lyrics all work together to create a memorable listening experience concluding with the unforgettable lyric “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

2. “I Never Cry”, ALICE COOPER
The best of a group of slow ballad hits Alice turned out in the late seventies. Some heartfelt lyrics well-sung with great instrumentation.

3. “More Than A Feeling”, BOSTON
Engineering whiz Tom Scholz and his unique blend of hard arena rock, adult contemporary and prog never clicked quite as well as on this classic. A tasty blend of both crunch and melody, with another set of memorable longing lyrics.

4. “Watch The North Wind Rise”, HOT TUNA
Absolutely, bar-none, the best song Hot Tuna ever did. Breathtaking acoustic work as beautiful as sunlight dancing on the water of a mountain stream. I believe this is the period when Hot Tuna were at their best, with the America’s Choice-Yellow Fever-Hoppkorv trilogy, as opposed to their more well-know earlier blues-cover and long instrumental period.

5. “Crystal Ball”, STYX
Beginning with 1975’s Equinox, Styx really started to find their own style, in contrast to the uneven and facile attempts at imitating Rush and Uriah Heep which had characterized their first few albums. 1976’s Crystal Ball showed that they were really on the edge of a big breakthrough. The song contains all the panache characteristic of all the later well-known hits from this band, yet is still not so far removed from the early days so that it has an appealing sense of naivete about it. An excellent effort well-constructed.

6. “Carry On Wayward Son”, KANSAS
Like Styx, Kansas was another band who took progressive song structures, tightened them up and gave them a bit of oomph so that they became radio-friendly arena rock hits. This one certainly doesn’t skimp on the guitar wattage and power chords, although there is certainly a dose of ochestrated melody. It’s as if some mad scientist cross-bred Yes with Black Oak Arkansas. I think as memorable as this song is musically, it’s the lyrics that really make it, containing Kerry Livgren’s semi-religious introspection which would presage his career in Christian music.

7. “Silver, Blue and Gold”, BAD COMPANY
Not as well known as some of Bad Company’s more marketable hits, although it still receives airplay on classic rock radio to this day. Good fusion of keyboards, drums and guitars and Rodgers does his usual superb job on vox. There’s not much more to say about this except it’s a great song.

8. “Don’t Fear The Reaper”, BLUE OYSTER CULT
Mellow death metal? The signature song from BOC with the classic dreamy lotus-like arrangement and riff. Where future generations of metalers would use the grim reaper as a bogeyman to shock and intimidate their audiences, here he is presented as a laid-back, consoling companion to be embraced; hey, he might even smoke up a doobie or two with you before he takes you on the last long ride. Buck Dharma lays down a killer solo in which he lays claim to his place in the pantheon of seventies guitar gods. Urban legend has it that this song supposedly set off , in its initial release, a nationwide suicide fad among high school couples. It’s fame has been spread by its featuring prominently in Stephen King’s The Stand and more recently the seventies-nostalgia film The Stoned Age. Other highlights from Agents of Fortune include “E.T.I.”, which Benn has already commented on; and the vicious, almost punk-like sixties-burying “This Ain’t The Summer Of Love”.

9. “Misty Eyes”, URIAH HEEP
An excellent commercial pop effort, radio friendly in the best sense of the word. From the often unjustly derided High and Mighty LP, an album that reminds me a lot of Blue Oyster Cult’s Mirrors in that both were efforts from perceived hard-rock bands that were accused of going “too soft” or “too commercial”. Or maybe it’s because both albums heavily feature blue sky in their cover motifs that cause me to make that association. John Wetton lays down some nice bass chops for this tune in what would be his last stint with the band before he would go on to mega-stardom with Asia several years later.

10. “Sally”, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
Possibly the catchiest and most infectious little ditty Grand Funk Railroad (a band never really known for their melodic side) ever laid down. The tune just bounces along wonderfully and even includes a nice bit of harmonca, the first time you hear it don’t be surprised if you find yourself whistling it unstoppably the rest of the day. From the interesting Born To Die LP.

11. “Ripples”, GENESIS
Peter Gabriel had departed, leaving Phil Collins to his commercial balladic tendencies. But Genesis still would have a little life left in it as a band for a few more albums before Collins was to take them into the realm of comparative vapidity. “Ripples” is a musically excellent piece structured to build to an emotional climax, with some of Phil’s most impassioned singing.

12. “2112”, RUSH
The greatest rock band in Canadian history (apologies to April Wine and Lighthouse fans) finally gets the rock opera right. Probably because they did it all in one album side, instead of spreading it out over a double album. Rush had already prepared themselves for this project by doing the side-long epic “The Fountain of Lamneth” on their previous album, and the production and playing on this one are superb. More coherent and consistent than such concept works tend to be.

13. “Action”, SWEET
Keep your distance. This song is positively DANGEROUS. Aerosmith and Van Halen only wish they could rock this hard. Did someone call the Sweet a bubblegum band? This is in a class with AC/DC (whose band’s name is coincidentally enough the title of another hard-rocking Sweet song about a girlfriend who swings both ways) for bone-shattering, neck-snapping, rock power.

14. “Beth”, KISS
Set the standard for the “power ballad”, which would become a staple of radio and popular music from the mid-seventies well into the late eighties.

15. “Memory Motel”, THE ROLLING STONES
A really pleasant surprise on the otherwise mostly disappointing Black and Blue album. It’s funny that this should wind up a list that began with “Hotel California” since both are extremely similar songs. Listen to them side by side and you’ll see exactly what I mean. In addition to the obvious facts that the titles of both songs feature hostelries, both songs are based on similar recurring riffs (although the Stones use a piano instead of an acoustic guitar for theirs), and both feature haunting lyrics that suggest a semi-nightmarish misplacement in time, a sense of overwhelming loss, and helpless improsinoment in loneliness in the last lyrics of the song.

When I finish these lists, I'm going to try to pare everything down to a top 100 with an eye toward making a tape compilation.

Wauuugh! 1976 contains a major error in the #23 position. "Reminiscing" by the Little River Band was not from the Diamatina Cocktail album. It's from 1978's Sleeper Catcher album. D4mn! Can't believe I made that error. List in its place "Welcome Back" by John Sebastian. Comments:

Sebastian, formerly of the Lovin' Spoonful has his only major solo hit with this theme to the TV series, Welcome Back, Kotter. This choppy ballad was a wonderful little ditty and is much better than the series it opened ever was. It's almost too bad that John never had a follow up hit. But this one is quite a gem.

np - Miles Davis In Person, Saturday Night at the Blackhawk, San Francisco, Volume 2 - Miles Davis

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

24. "Right Back Where We Started From" - Maxine Nightingale

The very definition of staccato. This jaunty disco hit doesn't offer much in the way of variety (one of disco's major failings, actually), but it is infectious. The violin solo is excellent, worthy of ELO. - me

I've gotta laugh at that last line. I just learned something the other day that makes that line very interesting to me. From this interview here, I learned that the strings were arranged by one time ELO violinist, Wilf Gibson. But that's not all. The bass player on the song was ELO's Michael De Alberquerque. (He was the late Kelly Groucutt's predecessor on bass.) Now I know why I always thought there was an Electric Light Orchestra feel to the song.