The greatest rock songs of all time

December 15, 2022

Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that began as “rock and roll” in the United States and has since developed into a series of different styles. Let’s take a look at the 10 greatest rock songs of all time.

"Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who (1988)

“Won’t Get Fooled Again” appears as the final track on The Who’s album “Who’s Next”. The song is known for a staccato keyboard figure, played on a simple home organ with a “rhythm” function that produces a synthetic effect. “Won’t Get Fooled Again” received critical acclaim and was included in Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest songs of all time. It is one of The Who’s most famous songs.

"Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin (1969)

“Whole Lotta Love” was written by all the members of Led Zeppelin, based on a song by Willie Dixon.The text of the song comes partly from “You Need Love” by Willie Dixon, with some passages added by Robert Plant. It is without doubt the most sensual song recorded by the groupe and one of the most famous song of Led Zeppelin.

"All Right Now" by Free (1970)

“All Right Now” originally appeared on the band’s third album, Fire and Water (1970). it hit number 1 in more than 20 countries and had more than a million radio plays in the United States by the end of 1989. The song became a worldwide hit and brought fame to the band. Its guitar riff is very famous and has inspired many artists.

"Stargazer" by Rainbow (1976)

“Stargazer” was released as the fifth track on Rainbow’s second studio album, Rising (1976). It is an epic song telling the story of a wizard whose idea to fly by building a tower to the stars led to the enslavement of a large number of people. The song is notable for its musical complexity, with the guitar, lyrics and drum solo cited as significant examples of Rainbow’s talents.

"Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin (1975)

“Kashmir” is from the sixth studio album of Led Zeppelin “Physical Graffiti”. It was inspired by a trip to the Sahara Desert in Morocco, while the group was on its way to the National Folklore Festival in 1973. This song is, according to the members of the band, the most representative piece of Led Zeppelin. The song has Moroccan, Middle Eastern and Indian musical influences. Kasmir’s lyrics are quite positive and inspiring, and revolve around the message that life is an adventure.

"Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd (1980)

“Comfortably Numb” was released on the album “The Wall” in September 1979. While most of the songs on “The Wall” were written and composed entirely by Roger Waters, most of the music on “Comfortably Numb” was written by Gilmour. This song includes two guitar solos by David Gilmour, and is certanlly one of Pink Floyd’s fan favorites. The final solo, is especially one of Gilmour’s cult solos for fans around the world. It is widely recognized as one of the most iconic guitar solos in the history of rock music.

"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple (1972)

“Smoke on the Water” was released in 1972 in the album “Machine Head” and it is the most successfull song of Deep Purple. It tells the story of the Montreux casino fire that happened on December 4th 1971, which the band witnessed. The iconic four-note riff of this song is known to everyone. Some do not hesitate to compare the simplicity of this riff to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

"Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd (1976)

Written by Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zant, “Free Bird” was released in August 1973 on the band’s first album. Lynyrd Skynyrd usually closes its shows with Free Bird, but the musicians sometimes wait for the moment when the audience claims it. It’s become a classic end-of-show joke to shout “Free Bird!” no matter which artist is on stage. Free Bird’s guitar solo is considered by some to be one of the greatest in rock history.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen (1975)

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is considered one of the greatest rock songs of all time, as well as Queen’s most popular song. It stayed at the top of the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks and remains the third best-selling single of all time in the UK. The song is a six-minute suite, composed of several sections: an intro, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock part and a reflective coda.

"Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin (1971)

“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin is the iconic rock anthem. It was the most requested song on FM radio stations in the United States in the 1970s, although it was never released there as a single. This song is a cleverly crafted work, composed of several movements that gradually build in rhythm and intensity to a fiery crescendo and what is perhaps the most beautiful guitar solo.