Coming up with a list of best rock songs ever performed is not difficult. The challenge lies in keeping the list manageable. There are many top rock song lists available however some of these contain 50, 100 or more songs. What truly makes a song desirable depends on how the listener interprets it. The following list includes songs that have remained solid favorites among rock and roll fans all over the world.
Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
Free Fallin’ appeared on Tom Petty’s solo album, Full Moon Fever, in 1989. Assisting Petty was English songwriter Jeff Lynne, who helped with both the lyrics and recording. The entire writing and recording process took Petty and Lynne only two days total. Free Fallin’ would also appear on charts longer than any of the musician’s other songs. It earned 64th place on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart by the end of 1990. Before that, Free Fallin’ was number one on the U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number seven on the Hot 100 chart.
It also received international recognition, appearing at number 61 on the Dutch singles chart, number five on the Canadian singles chart and number four on the New Zealand singles chart. Free Fallin’ helped elevate Petty’s popularity and was covered by musicians including Stevie Nicks, Deana Carter, Ben Rector and the Jonas Brothers.
Beatles – Revolution
The concept behind the Beatle’s song Revolution was born out of inspiration from political protests during 1968. Through the lyrics, Beatles fans are given more insight into John Lennon’s opinions (or more accurately, his doubt) regarding the tactics used by some protesters. Prior to the release of Revolution, the band generally avoided making political statements in their music. Even at the time, Lennon was not sure how he felt about certain current events and issues of the time.
Revolution is recognized today as one of the best rock songs ever heard. It was originally released as the B-side of the band’s Hey Jude single, which appeared in August of 1968. Revolution went on to earn 12th place on the United States charts and the number one spot on New Zealand charts.
The Clash – London Calling
London Calling was released in 1979 as part of the Clash’s double album, also titled London Calling. The British punk band put many of their trademark sounds into London Calling, including electric guitar, punk style vocals and reggae baselines. Lyrics were penned by Mick Jones and Joe Strummer. The title is intended to hint at the station identification used by the BBC world Services during World War II.
London Calling found itself at 11th place on the U.K. charts in December of 1979. It would also become the Clash’s first song to appear on a chart in another country because it was featured at the 40th spot on the Australian charts.
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