THE 200  MOST ESSENTIAL AMERICAN ROCK SONGS: #100-91. Continues tomorrow.

Caffé Latté celebrates…

THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL

AMERICAN

ROCK SONGS

Country, folk and rhythm and blues begat rock ‘n’ roll. This musical form is the spawn of traditional American genres. Here are 200 of the most iconic and defining rock tracks from the United States.

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*100

GOD ONLY KNOWS

Beach Boys

Few recordings match the simplistic beauty of the lyrics, harmonies and production captured by The Beach Boys on "God Only Knows". The 1966 single was lifted off the group's classic 'Pet Sounds' album.

*99

WHEN DOVES CRY

Prince & The Revolution

In 1984, the film 'Purple Rain' turned Prince into an international star. "When Doves Cry" remains his magnum opus. There was now no denying the Purple One's genius. The disc topped the US Pop, Soul and Dance charts.

*98

RESPECT

Aretha Franklin

1967 and Aretha Franklin took Otis Redding's "Respect" and totally made it her own, scoring a US #1 on the Hot 100. Since then, the soul classic has remained her signature song and has been adopted as an anthem by countless women.

*97

JUMP

Van Halen

Synth rock and glam metal combined forces on Van Halen's unforgettable 1984 American #1 single "Jump". 

*96

YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELIN'

The Righteous Brothers

Phil Spector turned "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" into a pop epic. In 1964, The Righteous Brothers watched their single sail to #1 on both sides of the Atlantic.

 

*95

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

The Mamas & The Papas

You can feel the warmth of a sunny day in Los Angeles in the grooves of "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & The Papas. Released in 1965, the single topped the Billboard Hot 100.

*94

ONE OF THESE NIGHTS

Eagles

Issued in 1975, the title track from the fourth Eagles studio album 'One Of These Nights' reached #1. As the band moved further from its country roots, this single had a hint of blues and disco.

*93

LUCILLE

Little Richard

Little Richard was one of the fundamental architects of the sound of rock 'n' roll. "Lucille" was a key track issued as a single in 1957.

 

*92

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Lifted off 1970's 'Pendulum' LP, "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" warns of trouble ahead. The execution by Creedence Clearwater Revival is sharp, allowing John Fogerty's lyrics to have maximum effect.

 

*91

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Simon & Garfunkel

Originally referred to as "The Sounds Of Silence", the song is yet another example of the brilliance contained in Paul Simon's lyrics. Complemented by the harmonies provided by sidekick Art Garfunkel, the duo summed up the era and the sorry state of society. The electrified version took off in 1965 and was #1 by New Years Day, 1966.

 

Check out the playlist on spotify with new songs added for each update of the countdown.