THE 200  MOST ESSENTIAL AMERICAN ROCK SONGS: #30-21. Continues next weekend.

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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*30

A HORSE WITH NO NAME

America

"A Horse With No Name" is a well crafted song augmented by a strumming guitar and heavenly harmonies. America's single reached #1 in 1972 and has gone on to influence countless others.

 

*29

DON'T BE CRUEL

Elvis Presley

Elvis topped the Pop, Country and R&B charts in 1956 with "Don't Be Cruel" which was issued as a double A-side with "Hound Dog".

*28

BE MY BABY

The Ronettes

Ronnie Spector knew exactly how to deliver "Be My Baby" as a seductive ingenue on the most thrilling girl group song. The Ronettes issued the single in 1963. Produced by Phil Spector and featuring his exciting Wall Of Sound, the disc flew to #2.

*27

BLUE SUEDE SHOES

Carl Perkins

Singles did not crossover as easily as the pioneering rockabilly track "Blue Suede Shoes" did in 1957. Carl Perkins was the first to reach #1 on the Pop, Country and R&B charts with the same disc.

*26

OH, PRETTY WOMAN

Roy Orbison

The drumbeat and the unmistakable intro announced the start of "Oh, Pretty Woman", a signature song from Roy Orbison's canon. He and Bill Dees wrote the 1964 #1 hit single.

 

*25

BYE BYE LOVE

The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers delivered catchy pop tunes that managed to successfully crossover onto other charts. "Bye Bye Love" did so in 1957, climbing to #2 Pop and topping the Country chart.

*24

SWEET CHILD O' MINE

Guns N' Roses

'Appetite For Destruction', the 1987 debut album by Guns N' Roses, featured "Sweet Child O' Mine". The following year, the track was issued as a single and it blasted its way to #1. It has remained a hard rock staple ever since.

*23

ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN

Chuck Berry

When Chuck Berry released "Roll Over Beethoven", rock and roll was dismissed as a fad and an obscene form of musical expression. In 1956, the rock pioneer prophetically challenged classical music with this recording. In a matter of a few years, there was no doubt that rock was the clear winner.

*22

GOOD VIBRATIONS

Beach Boys

When "Good Vibrations" hit the airwaves in 1966, The Beach Boys gave fans a new sonic experience. Harmonies and sound effects were meshed with unprecedented beauty. Painstaking hours of dedication in the studio made this a watershed release and one of the defining American #1 singles.

*21

SUMMERTIME BLUES

Eddie Cochran

"Summertime Blues" sums up the concerns of youth in 1958 in under 2 minutes. Its driving beat propelled it into the Top 10.

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