This list of songs is intended to give an overview of rock,
with a focus on the parts that I personally know (60's, some 70's).
The target audience is a present-day teenager (like my son Noah),
and the goal is to have them find something that resonates, and get into it.
It's not intended to be a list of great songs, or to be comprehensive.
Lots of genres have a connection with rock (e.g. folk, reggae, rap etc.).
I've included examples of these if there's a strong connection.
Please email me if a) any of the links here don't work,
or b) you'd like to suggest new or different songs.
Early
- bill haley and the comets
- Little Richard
- Chuck Berry
- Elvis
- eddie cochran
- jerry lee lewis
- everly brothers
- ronettes
- sam cooke
- ray charles
- the coasters
60s
- the beatles
- john lennon
- the rolling stones
- the monkees
- the byrds
- the doors
- barry mcguire
- the supremes
- lovin spoonful
- jimi hendrix
- them
- aretha franklin
- beach Boys
- cream
- the who
- bob dylan
- steppenwolf
- iron butterfly
- the fifth dimension
- the band
- martha reeves and the vandellas
- mamas and papas
- bb king
- zombies
- james brown
- tower of power
- kinks
- santana
- the turtles
- the electric prunes
- buffalo springfield
- crosby/stills/nash/young
- chambers brothers
- jefferson airplane
- spencer davis group
- the troggs
- the association
- pink floyd
- grateful dead
- canned heat
- procul harem
- moody blues
- Zappa and mothers of invention
- animals
- shocking blue
- janis joplin
- stevie wonder
- gil scott-heron
- marvin gaye
- bill withers
- sly and the family stone
- carole king
- james taylor
- chicago
- bobby fuller four
- curtis mayfield
- neil young
- steve winwood
- blind faith
- quicksilver messenger service
- donovan
- petula clark
- the yardbirds
- isaac hayes
- creedence clearwater
- joni mitchell
70s
- queen
- zeppelin
- eagles
- Bowie
- aerosmith
- AC/DC
- lynyrd skynyrd
- springsteen
- clapton
- paul mccartney and wings
- the cars
- jethro tull
- black sabbath
- blue oyster cult
- dire straits
- elton john
- yes
- allman brothers
- the knack
- kansas
- doobie brothers
- supertramp
- steely dan
- boston
- billy joel
- talking heads
- ZZ top
- king crimson
- emerson, lake and palmer
- bee gees
- ABBA
- renaissance
- mountain
- lou reed
- fleetwood mac
- blondie
- heart
- average white band
- deep purple
- ramones
- sex pistols
- joy division
- the cure
- earth wind and fire
- seals and crofts
- madonna
- x
- rod stewart
- don mcclean
- spinal tap
- joe walsh
- john mellencamp
- commodores
- cat stevens
- joan jett
- devo
- B52s
- golden earring
- bachman-turner overdrive
- free
- t. rex
- faces
- village people
- harry chapin
80s
- the police
- grandmaster flash
- siouxsie and the banshees
- go-go's
- R.E.M
- joe jackson
- the clash
- prince
- Michael Jackson
- journey
- men at work
- men without hats
- red hot chile peppers
- murray head
- madness
- thomas dolby
- peter gabriel
- dead kennedys
- bow wow wow
- elvis costello
- u2
- tom petty
- rush
- beastie boys
- cindy lauper
- husker du
- the vapors
- steve winwood
- soft cell
- don't you want me
- the power of love
- hit me with your best shot
90s
- nirvana
- green day
- foo fighters
- the cranberries
- pearl jam
- smashing pumpkins
- radiohead
- xtc
Intentional omissions:
- Simon and Garfunkel
- most folk (joan baez, woodie guthrie)
- the carpenters
- phil collins