Posted July 3, 2011 at 2:08 pm | No comments
The Allman Brothers Band had a hit with “Jessica” in 1973, despite the instrumental nature of the song. Written by guitarist Dicky Betts, who replaced Duane Allman, who had passed away in 1971, “Jessica” features an incredibly catch melodic line that is harmonized with three instruments. Gregg Allman played the lower harmony on a Hammond organ, while Chuck Leavell hit the top harmony with a Fender Rhodes piano and Betts took the main melody on guitar. As with many Allman Brothers Band tunes, “Jessica” is a journey, clocking in at 7:28.
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Posted July 2, 2011 at 2:08 pm | One comment
“You Shook Me All Night Long” is one of powerhouse hard rock band AC/DC’s most enduring classics. Audiences all over the world have been singing the iconic chorus of this signature song from their most successful album, Back in Black. As number 10 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the ’80s, “You Shook Me All Night Long” might have been inspired by the Muddy Waters song “You Shook Me.” Featuring a stop-and-go riff recognizable from a mile away, the song also features a guitar solo by Angus Young that is relatively easy to play but still rocks hard.
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Posted July 1, 2011 at 2:08 pm | No comments
One of AC/DC’s most explosive (ha) songs, “TNT” has shook audiences and listeners since it was released in 1976 on AC/DC’s album of the same name. Featuring the Angus Young’s driving power chords, the song was written by Bon Scott and the Young brothers. This classic has been featured in plenty of movies over the years, including Napoleon Dynamite, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Shiner, as well as episode of That 70’s Show and includes a short but sweet guitar solo in the bridge, accentuating Scott’s passionate vocals.
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Posted June 30, 2011 at 2:21 pm | No comments
“Barracuda” is hard rock band, Heart’s signature song. The galloping intro riff, often compared to “Achilles’ Last Stand” by Led Zeppelin, is punctuated by natural 12th fret harmonics, which guitarist Nancy Wilson bends with a tremolo bar. As the band’s second million-selling single, the success of “Barracuda” led to a Rolling Stone front page appearance in the July issue of 1977. A favorite of many hard rock fans, “Barracuda” is a classic rock radio staple, and is 34th on VH1’s list of best hard rock songs.
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Posted June 29, 2011 at 2:21 pm | No comments
Released on both Green Day’s Dookie and Kerplunk!, “Welcome to Paradise” is one of their most recognizable songs, which is saying something for a band who has had as many hits as this threesome of punks. “Welcome to Paradise” was written by all three Green Day members, Billy Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool, and Mike Dirnt, and is about their experience moving out of their parents’ houses and into an abandoned warehouse.
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Posted June 28, 2011 at 2:21 pm | No comments
Green Day’s second single to reach the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 was 2005’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” It was the fourth single off of Green Day’s seventh album and first concept album, American Idiot. While it appears as part of a concept album, the song is not about a character like most of the album. It is actually an homage to his late father, a jazz musician who died on September 10th, 1982. The song heavily features Green Day’s backup guitarist, Jason White, as it requires more than Green Day’s usual one guitar, bass and drums.
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Posted June 27, 2011 at 1:21 pm | No comments
With its iconic five descending power chords, “Brain Stew” is one of the simplest and catchiest songs by punk rockers Green Day. The chords are the same five as the famous intro chords of “25 or 6 to 4” by Chicago, but in “Brain Stew,” those five chords make up the music for the entire song. Because of its simplicity, many garage bands play this song as one of their first covers. Released in 1996 as a single for Green Day’s fourth album, Insomniac, and was originally a medley, with their “Jaded” beginning right at the end of “Brain Stew” with no break in the music.
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Posted June 26, 2011 at 2:21 pm | No comments
“Basket Case” was Green Day’s third single off their breakout album, Dookie. Released in 1994, the song was the most popular single from that album, topping “Longview” and “Welcome to Paradise.” The lyrics, written by singer/guitarist Billy Joe Armstrong, deal with his panic disorder. Before he was diagnosed, he thought he was going crazy, and the only way to deal with it was to write a song about it. The music, loosely based on Pachelbel’s Canon, feature driving palm-muted power chords that give way into full-blown typical Green Day chordage after the first chorus.
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Posted June 25, 2011 at 2:21 pm | No comments
“Iris” is the best-known song by Buffalo, New York band Goo Goo Dolls. It appeared in the movie City of Angels, and the music video features clips of the film throughout. A very heartfelt recording, “Iris” features ringing guitars, mandolin, and a string section that highlight the emotions conveyed. Receiving three Grammy nominations, the single was certified Platinum in the United States in 2008.
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Posted June 24, 2011 at 4:34 am | No comments
“Wheels” starts out with Weezer-esque chords and guitar melody, with a riff punctuated by a quick feedback note before the last chord. When Grohl comes in with the vocals, singing about disappointment, the guitars lapse into a four-chord nineties rock chord progression that continues for the rest of the song. The Foo Fighters released “Wheels” as the single for their greatest hits album, creatively entitled Greatest Hits, in 2009, and it became the Foo’s highest charting single since “The Pretender” in 2007, at No. 1 on the Modern Rock chart.
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