 | ||||||
Top Forty-Five
45s
1956 - 1988
.
1 - "Satisfaction" Rolling Stones 1965
2 - "Like A Rolling Stone" Bob Dylan 1965
3 - "Born to Run" Bruce Springsteen
4 - "All Along the Watchtower" Jimi Hendrix 1968
5 - "Don't Be Cruel" Elvis Presley 1956
6 - "Caroline No" Brian Wilson 1966
7 - "Brown Eyed Girl" Van Morrison 1969
8 - "Almost Grown" Chuck Berry 1958
9 - "Gloria" Cadillacs 1956
10- "I Want to Hold Your Hand" Beatles 1964
11 - "This Old Heart of Mine" Isley Brothers 1966
This page was last updated on: January 26, 2010
ROCK N ROLL ENEMIES LIST
(1) Kiss
(2) Alice Cooper
(3) James Taylor
(4) Garth Brooks
(5) Kid Rock
(6) The Hives/The Ramones (tie)
(7) Michael Jackson (the White man phase)
(8) melisma
(9) Clear Channel Communications
(10) Marilyn Manson
45 RPM Collection now totals: 12,265
First record in my collection: 02Feb57 Everly Brothers: "Wake Up Little Susie"
Desert Island TOP TEN LPs/CDs
12 - "Rappers Delight" Sugarhill Gang 1979
13 - "My Sharona" Knack 1977
14 - "Stay" Maurice Williams 1960
15 - "Light My Fire" Doors 1967
16 - "Rebel Rebel" David Bowie 1973
17 - "Breakdown" Grace Jones 1984
18 - "Louie Louie" Kingsmen 1964
19 - "One of These Nights" Eagles 1975
20 - "Can't Help Myself" 4 Tops 1965
21 - "Come See About Me" Supremes 1965
22 - "Like A Virgin" Madonna 1984
23 - "Cathy's Clown" Everly Brothers 1960
24 - "Whole Lotta Love" Led Zeppelin 1969
25 - "Dreams" Fleetwood Mac 1977
27 - "Roxanne" Police 1978
28 - "My Girl" Temptations 1966
29 - "Oh What a Night" Dells 1958
30 - "He's So Fine" Chiffons 1963
31 - "The Record" Ben E. King 1965
32 - "I Wanna Be Your Lover" Prince 1978
33 - "Billie Jean" Michael Jackson 1982
34 - "Waiting on a Friend" Rolling Stones 1981
35 - "Pride" U2 1985
36 - "Police and Thieves" Junior Mervin 1974
37 - "Slip Away" Clarence Carter 1967
38 - "Dancing in the Dark" Bruce Springsteen1985
39 - "Smooth Operator" Sade
40 - "Spanish Harlem" Ben E. King 1960
41 - "Caribbean Queen" Billy Ocean 1984
42 - "Security" Otis Redding 1968
43 - "Since I Don't Have You" Skyliners 1959
44 - "Maybe Baby" Buddy Holly 1958
45 - "Cold Sweat" James Brown 1967
ROCK N ROLL ENEMIES LIST
The 45 RPM record is the heart of Rock n Roll. 1956 is the starting date of this list because it is the most popular year to target as the birth of rock n roll. The first #1 hit for Elvis ("Heartbreak Hotel") was released in March, 1956 The 45 peaked in the mid 60s. The LP eventually became the preferred way to listen to rock n roll (or just rock music as it began to be called). The CD finished off the 45 (and vinyl) by the late 80s. Dave Marsh ("The Heart of Rock and Roll") pins the date of the 45 singles demise as 1988. I agree. 1988 is about as far as you can stretch out the effective life span of the 45. These 45 songs (all released as 45 RPM records) are selected for musical, emotional and intellectual reasons. I can probably make a very convincing arqument for the top 3 songs as being deserving of inclusion in ANY list of great records. The rest are just MY favorites. I want the reader to nod affirmatively or perhaps go find the song or be inspired to create their own list. 45s are art and artifact. They perfectly encapsulate a unique period of American pop history. It will never be repeated in quite the same way. This chart is fluid. It will change as I rummage through my 12,000+ 45s and get excited enough about a particular beat or loud bass or strange lyric to add it to this list.
So what IS Rock n Roll?
Backbeat....Emotional....Commercial....Inspired....Unconscious....Adolescent ....Rebellious
Loud....American....Urban....
MONO...passionate
Rock n Roll is NOT:
Intellectual....Self-conscious....
Country....Show Business as usual....NPR....Stereo...parody..
cynical...makeup...dancing girls..
How to get on the list?
James Taylor secured a permanent place here by making millions using his bland, folkie, very WHITE vocal delivery on remakes of soul classics by Jimmy Jones ("Handy Man") and Marvin Gaye ("How Sweet It Is").
ROCK N ROLL IS:
loud...passionate..commercial...
adolescent...spontaneous...
ROCK N ROLL IS NOT:
intellectual...cynical...self-
conscious...rehearsed...show
business
The 45 RPM record was the true heart of Rock n Roll. Art and artifact. The 45 had a rumbling sound that let you know it was REAL. Nothing cold or digital. Drop it and it breaks, play it enough and it ages and grows old with wear. The 45 was cheap and it gave you exactly the one HIT you wanted, without the filler and dreck the LP and CD require.
The list to the right starts with the birth of the King. "Heartbreak Hotel" was the first #1 hit for Elvis in 1956. We end in 1988 as vinyl began it's slow death march with CDs becoming the media of choice.
A good case can be made for the top three songs being required at the top of any list documenting Rock n Roll's greatest hits. After that the list becomes a matter of arguing which flavor tastes best. Dave Marsh wrote a fabulous book ("The Heart of Rock n Roll") that lists his top 1000 songs. His top song is "I Heard it Thru the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye. Notice it is not in my Top 45. These lists are about how you felt when you first heard the song, what it sounds like now and (sometimes) the impact the song had musically and socially. 1956 -1988 was a period of music history that will NEVER be duplicated. Rock n Roll was a musical/social revolt that will not return unless someone can recreate the racist, repressive, rhythym-challenged society of 1950s America, and then rebel against it using drums and guitars.
Play it loud, dance if possible, and make up your own list. All songs listed here are best played on a phonograph. It is also recommended that you have a 45 spindle (not one of those ugly plastic insert things). Covering the hole in the 45 is like buying the Pat Boone version of "Ain't that a Shame".
ROCK N ROLL ENEMIES LIST
Art is tyranny. Elitist, tyrannical, un-bending. Art knows what is best for you. Tread softly, a mistake in the halls of culture can lead to ostracism and relegation to the malls and yard sales of suburban America -- that vast wasteland of velvet tigers and Rockwell reproductions. The proud home of murder mysteries and food without mystery. The anti-dote to mid-century conformity (wait WHO wrote the book, WHO is the artist, is it RECOMMENDED) was the rise of a democratic art form. In Rock n Roll it didn't matter where the song came from or who was on the record. ALL that mattered was the feeling, the sound, the irresistable beat. Unlike theatre or motion pictures or literature -- the consumer got full access to the product BEFORE he purchased it. Once the music addicted your consciousness, it did NOT matter if you knew the singer or the band. Snobbery cannot exist unless the brand name matters, really matters. The self-censorship of the taste makers could not exist in a world of free (radio) access. The Top Forty charts were cultural voting booths. The pop democracy.
...............................
If 45s still ruled the Earth
Single of the Month
October/November:
"Oh Boy" Camron
December:
"Game of love" Santana
January 03:
"Starry Eyed " Oakenfold
...............................
...............................
February:
"Sick of Being Lonely" Field Mob
10 - "AM Radio" Wilco
9 - "Sticky Fingers" Rolling Stones
8 - "Temperamental" Everything But the Girl
7 - "Love Deluxe" Sade
6 - "Rumours" Fleetwood Mac
5 - "Weld" Neil Young
4 - "No Guru" Van Morrison
3 - "Third Eye Blind" Third Eye Blind
2 - :"Born to Run" Bruce Springsteen
1 - "Pet Sounds" Beach Boys
March:
"I'm Gonna Get You" Shania Twain
April:
"All I Have" JLO/LLCoolJ
May:
"In Da Club" 50 Cent
June:
"21 Questions" 50 Cent
July:
"Bring Me to Life" Evanesence
August/Sept:
"Rock Wit You" Ashanti
October
"Hey Ya" Outkast
November
"Stacys Mom" Fountains of Wayne
December
"Don't Know my Name" Alicia Keys
Jan/Feb04
"Maps" Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Mar/Apr
"Meglomaniac" Incubus
May
"Float" Modest Mouse
June
"Yeah" Usher
July
"Heaven" Los Lonely Boys
August
"Sunshine" Lil Flip
August 05
"Don't Cha" Pussy Cat Dolls
