I was once asked the question, āSoā what song do you think is the greatest rock song ever written?ā Incidentally, the question was posed to me early on in my current relationship, while we were still in the āgetting to know each otherā phase. I had just informed my new would-be partner I have a Masters in Music History and Literatureā¦ and we were deeply involved the absolutely imperative (for both of us) discussion of music taste.
I had to really think about this question and did not want to respond off the top of my headā¦ So I told him I would get back to him.
Those of you that know me, know my absolute favorite band is The Beatles. Of course, there is no doubt The Beatles were and are giants of popular music. There is little debate on the influence their music and music production techniques have on the genre. Certainly Queen, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Radiohead and Nirvana top the list of highly influential artists as well. I could easily expand this list, of course, and ramble on and on, addressing each decadeās top bands and musical artists, their contributions and rankings on Rolling Stoneās Top lists, and who holds a spot in the Rock nā Roll Hall of Fame. This may, perhaps, lend itself to a future postingā but letās return to the question at hand.
As I was considering the question, many, many songs ran through my head that could fit the bill. The likes of Imagine, Norwegian Wood, Bohemian Rhapsody, Smells Like Teen Spirit, The Dreaming Tree, Ripple, Satisfaction, Me and Bobby McGee, Creep, and Kashmir crossing my mind, I realized personal taste does not do this question justice.
How to chooseā¦
With so many possibilities flooding my mind, I decided to take a more academic approach and came up with basic criteria in order for a song to be honored with this title. (Yes, in my mind it is an honor, even if no one else knows about it. haha)
So, what are these criteria?
Firstly, it must be within the genre of Rock. This is a pretty big category, but basically there needs to be a beat.
It must hold up over generations, with its message and musicality. Does it speak to todayās generation as much as it did when first written?
It must hold up over different permutationsā or covers. Does it hold its meaning and musicality over various genres of popular music?
I decided on these points as a way to determine the writing of the song, not the performance of a song. (See the aforementioned title, including āever written.ā) The first speaks for itself, while the 2nd and 3rd criteria are the keys to unlocking the words āgreatest ever written.ā
A great piece of music can be performed with different interpretations, over many decades. Looking to Art Music (for the laymen, āclassical musicā) for guidance, we can observe countless performances of the same piece āeach with musically different interpretationsā maintaining popularity, relevance and appreciation over generations. This is why we still have orchestras and individuals performing pieces written by a bunch of dead guys. The likes of Beethoven, Mozart, Liszt and Bach are not only still performed, but are being re-imagined within other genres. (Check out the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Wolf Hoffman, and The Piano Guys.)
Brilliant musical pieces hold up over centuries, regardless of the performer and style performed, indicating the quality of the composition. After all, a bad performance of Eine kleine Nachtmusik is no indication of Mozartās ability to compose.
Granted, it is really difficult to predict what rock songsāif anyā will be performed centuries from now, especially when the genre is so young. However, looking at the frequency and variety of artists that choose to cover the song over the last 5 or 6 decades is a clue.
The Process of Narrowing it Down
Once I came up with these criteria, I worked at narrowing down my list.
John Lennonās Imagine is a personal favorite of mine. The poetic lyrics and simplicity of melody, beautifully expressing Johnās vision of utopia definitely resonated with his generation āand meā and continues to be an influential ballad of peace and universal love. Is it a rock song? ā¦ Technically, it falls under the huge umbrella of ārock.ā However, it does not translate well to a stronger beat. It was difficult, because Imagine could arguably be the greatest song ever writtenā¦ (ranked #3 in 2004 and #19 in 2021 by Rolling Stone) butā I was forced to cross if off.
And so I continued through my list, my own criteria forcing my hand to cross off the likes of A Day in the Life (Ranked #24 by Rolling Stone, 2021), Satisfaction (#31), Bohemian Rhapsody (#17), Smells Like Teen Spirit (#5), Norwegian Wood (#83), Kashmir(#148) , Creep(#118) and Seven Nation Army(#36). I should mentionā¦ Rollingās Stonesā 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2021) is terrible and I take issue with many of their rankings ābased more on popularity than qualityā but using it as a reference lends an understanding of how these songs are viewed by 21st century tastes.
Soā¦ What do I consider to be the greatest rock song of all time?
(ā¦drum roll please š„)
Bob Dylanās All Along the Watchtower.
(Cover by Jimi Hendrix Ranked #40 by Rolling Stone)
How it meets my criteriaā¦
Is it Rock?
While the original, released by Bob Dylan in 1967, falls under the larger umbrella of ārockā it does have the trademark Dylan, folky nature to it ā but there is a beat āa rock beatā with driving drums, though understated. So the song passes test one.
Is it timeless?
The poetic nature of the words not only perfectly describe the tribulations of his era ā but of all human eras. The words could easily have been written during in Civil War times, the French Revolution, The Renaissance, or even earlier.
There is much debate as to the true meaning of the song. However, there is definite indication of struggle between the classes and abuses of power. There is even an apocalyptic feel to the overall message. These are timeless human concerns and issues, meeting my second criteria perfectly.
"There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief,
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
"No reason to get excited", the thief, he kindly spoke,
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late".
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.Can it adapt to different styles and interpretations?
This song was covered just 6 months after the original was released, by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and became an instant classic. An anthem of a generation riddled with conflict, striving for peace and holding on to hope for better times, it immediately conjures up images of the 60s. But, every generation since than has had at least one notable cover of the song āfurther attesting to the timeless natureā and proving the adaptability of the composition.
One of the most covered modern songs, there are recorded versions by U2, The Dave Matthews Band, The Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Richie Havens, George Lynch, Pearl Jam and Devlin/Ed Sheeran, just to name the most notable. One of the most interesting interpretations I came across is by a band called Aftercare āwhom I had not heard of before.Each version I come across is unique. This amazing song translates to a variety of genres, and passes my third criteria with flying colors.
Not only did this song translate over generations and genres, it also inspired a sequel. Joker & The Thief by Wolfmother continues the story, and further lends credence to my argument.
SO there you have it! Many of you will likely disagree with me and certainly have your own opinion as to what the greatest rock song ever written isā¦ but you didnāt write an article! š š
I did my best to be objective and not allow my personal taste effect the result too much (but I am only human). Quite honestly āif I had answered off the top of my headā my answer would have been much different, and likely a Beatles song.
My partner, by the way, maintains The Tragically Hipās New Orleans is Sinking deserves the title. But heās Canadian, so what does he know?
If you have apple music and would like to hear a playlist of covers I came across in my research, here is a link. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/watchtower/pl.u-9N9LL2bCx9779eZ
Enjoy! ā®ļø
Veronica