Posted on 04/29/2020 12:04:00 PM PDT by PROCON
The 80's were an absolute haven for great music from all different genres. Whether it was pop, rock, or even new wave, music was progressing by leaps and bounds in terms of new sounds and general hookiness. Though many musicians would need a Casio synthesizer to get their songs on the air, these bands stuck to their guns with letter-perfect rock and roll.
Though many of these songs fall under the domain of rock in name, none of them seem to fit neatly in a single category. While many artists were still following in the bluesy tradition of bands like Led Zeppelin, other artists were making bold new innovations for the genre whose presence can still be felt to this day. Even if you weren't sure how to feel about them on first listen, these songs have aged into modern marvels of the rock pantheon that deserve to be celebrated as such.
From hair metal to progressive rock to regular rock and roll, nothing is off the table when it comes to picking the cream of the rock scene. There may have been a technicolor haze sprinkled across the decade, but these songs don't need any trend in order to warp your brain.
(Excerpt) Read more at whatculture.com ...
I personally think the '70's had much better Classic Rock Songs but that's just me.
Here we go:
10. Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
9. Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
8. Hells Bells - AC/DC
7. Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crue
6. Born In The USA - Bruce Springsteen
5. Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
4. Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
3. Tom Sawyer - Rush
2. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
1. Sweet Child O Mine - Guns N Roses
Where’s One-Metallica?
The answer is none. None more black.
Metallica was nu metal niche that sparked the careers of a lot of modern “metal” bands, but I don’t know that it could be considered classic rock.
“Panama” should be on there.
I agree. I do have a fondness for ‘80’s rock and metal though, and I’m not sure why. I was born in ‘87, so I missed the boat. I listen to a lot of Doro and similar bands, on top of a little bit of every kind of rock or metal from AC/DC onward.
I have pretty wide taste, actually. Even hip-hop until about 1996, because it went to crap after that. Not into pop though, of any kind. Country is tolerable, but I’m in Chicago, so I don’t hear a lot of it, but I’ll always listen to Blues and Jazz; particularly swing.
Good question! My local classic rock station plays quite a bit of Metallica these days - in fact they play a Metallica track (and not always one of the more popular ones either) every morning at 5:00 a.m.
Could be because they’re a “Bay Area” band. Just ignore the fact that it’s only because Cliff Burton would only join the band if they moved up here from LA...
That list is a bunch of crap.
If that list is the best of the 80s, then let’s just forget the 80s and never mention them again.
Back in Black and any Aerosmith
I lied a little. I’ll bust out to Michael Jackson (ca. 1980’s), so there is a bit of pop in there.
The official Sweet Child o’ Mine video has over a billion views on Youtube.
bfl
“Born in the USA”? Springsteen doesn’t even like that song! (Probably because us plebes took it at face value and thought it was a feel-good patriotic theme)
Gimme All Your Lovin’ - ZZ Top
The love of certain songs is very subjective and this isn't my list.
The '70's were much more superior for classic rock, IMHO.
de gustibus non est disputandum
Well said. And ditto.
I like REM and U2, but I’m not sure I would consider these songs “classic rock” songs. Maybe “alternative rock,” but not classic.
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