Top 10 Most Influential Songs All Time

[Rik E Boy]

Green Day-Time of your life


And for us metal/rock/numetal fans
Korn's - Freak on a leash opened up these genres to the mainstream(whether thats good or bad i dont know?)

Forget Korn. Do some research

Led Zeppelin
Deep Purple
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
Black Sabbath

in other words, real metal influences and not two or three album wonders.

regards,

REB

[Leaping Lindner]

Not Fade Away - Buddy Holly and The Crickets. Result - The British Invasion of the 60's.

[RustyCage]

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit. As much as I like Nirvana and have a Kurt Cobain thing on my bedroom wall, this has to be their worst song by a loooong way. Lyrically its dribble, and musically its even worse. Kurt wasn't a very good guitarist at the best of times, but he really let himself down with this song. The song shows what effect marketing has on peoples impressions of a song.

[Rik E Boy]

Not Fade Away - Buddy Holly and The Crickets. Result - The British Invasion of the 60's.

Good call. Love the Stones version.

regards,

REB

[Rik E Boy]

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit. As much as I like Nirvana and have a Kurt Cobain thing on my bedroom wall, this has to be their worst song by a loooong way. Lyrically its dribble, and musically its even worse. Kurt wasn't a very good guitarist at the best of times, but he really let himself down with this song. The song shows what effect marketing has on peoples impressions of a song.

Yes but it did influence people and as such is not out of place in this thread. FWIW, I think Territorial Pissing is shithouse and a long way behind Teen spirit.

regards,

REB

[Dogwatcher]

Tutti Frutti by Little Richard - opened up r&b (a term made up to describe 'black' music) to the masses and in particular young white record buyers. Eventually,despite the racial prejudices, made the record labels realise that their was a market for 'black' music outside of the Afro American population.

It also was among the songs which inspired the Beatles to take up their guitars (and later cover Little Richard's songs).

And of course Little Richard did a heck of a lot more hip shaking than Elvis, which scared a lot of people. The man broke down a lot of barriers - even though his act has become fairly comical as he's aged.

[RustyCage]

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit. As much as I like Nirvana and have a Kurt Cobain thing on my bedroom wall, this has to be their worst song by a loooong way. Lyrically its dribble, and musically its even worse. Kurt wasn't a very good guitarist at the best of times, but he really let himself down with this song. The song shows what effect marketing has on peoples impressions of a song.

Yes but it did influence people and as such is not out of place in this thread. FWIW, I think Territorial Pissing is shithouse and a long way behind Teen spirit.

regards,

REB

I have no doubt that it was an influencial song, I just dont like it!!!

[BenchedEagle]

Green Day-Time of your life


And for us metal/rock/numetal fans
Korn's - Freak on a leash opened up these genres to the mainstream(whether thats good or bad i dont know?)

Forget Korn. Do some research

Led Zeppelin
Deep Purple
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
Black Sabbath

in other words, real metal influences and not two or three album wonders.

regards,

REB

I agree Korn are lame asses but i meant it as that song and album follow the leader got people to listen to heavier music.
When i was in Yr 12 in 1998 noone except my small group of "bogans" listened to heavy music. All of a sudden after freak on a leash. Heavy music became "cool". Much to my dismay

Green Days time of your life crossed the boundrys between what your punk kids listened too and into my grandmas stereo! The day she brought the single, Green day just werent cool anymore!

As my personal influences, most influential songs for me where

Helter Skelter - The Beatles
I am the Walrus - The Beatles
My own summer - Deftones
People are strange - The Doors
Anuerysm - Nirvana
Breed - Nirvana
Erics Trip - Sonic Youth

All these songs played a massive part in shaping my musical identity. They made me the headcase i am now!

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

How could've I overlooked the following three tracks?...
!.) THE WHO: Baba O'Riley
2.) JIMI HENDRIX: Voodoo Chile
3.) THE DOORS: Break on Through

[Strawb]

my top ten
1. Otis Redding - Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay
2. Moody Blues - Nights In White Satin
3. George Baker - Little Green Bag
4. The Doors - LA Women
5. Dire Straits - Going Home
6. U2 - One
7. Elvis Presley - In The Ghetto
8. Don McLean - American Pie
9. Guns And Roses - November Rain
10. Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song

[am Bays]

Don Giovani and Eine Klein Nachtmuzik Mozart - pivotal songs that define the classical era and popularlise the definitive musical ensemble of the music artform - the orchestra

Greensleeves - unknown - first popular song world wide (known) defines the medieval era

Beethovens ninth Symphony - the end of the Classical era and start of the romantic era inspired the new wave of romantic composers Schuburt, Liszt and Strauss

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

Greensleeves - unknown - first popular song world wide (known) defines the medieval era

Gotta love that History Channel... I believe that song was composed by none other than England's King Henry VIII

Ahh Ludvig Van (Beethoven) reminds me of one of my all time favourite films 'A CLOCKWORK ORANGE' my droogs!

[Leaping Lindner]

I'm not a fan of the band (as most people who post here would realise ) but I'd say "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin is a far more influential song than "Stairway to heaven" as it was probably the track that truly annouced the arrival of the musical genre Heavy Metal. I'm aware they had an album out before this but this was the song that really got the exposure and influenced a generation of future metal heads more so than any track off the first LP. It also pre-dates "Paranoid" and "Black Knight" the other two biggies in metal songs from that era.
Whilst on the subject of influences "I'm waiting for my man" by The Velvet Underground would also rate as an extremely influencial song. It was the stand out track of the "The Velvet Underground and Nico" album (better known as Andy Warhol Presents).
It's often said "Not many people bought this album but everyone who did formed a band."

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

Ring a Ring a Rosie
a pocket full of posies
A'Tissue, A'Tissue
We all fall down!

Song (or Rhyme) dating back to the Middle Ages
inspired by the Bubonic Plague.
With the 'Black Death' wiping out over a third
of Europe's population...
You can't get any more influential than that!

[Magpiespower]

The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

P.S.K. - Schooly D (for all intents and purposes the first gangsta rap song.)

[zipzap]

Wannabe by the Spice Girls

[Rik E Boy]

I'm not a fan of the band (as most people who post here would realise ) but I'd say "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin is a far more influential song than "Stairway to heaven" as it was probably the track that truly annouced the arrival of the musical genre Heavy Metal. I'm aware they had an album out before this but this was the song that really got the exposure and influenced a generation of future metal heads more so than any track off the first LP. It also pre-dates "Paranoid" and "Black Knight" the other two biggies in metal songs from that era.
Whilst on the subject of influences "I'm waiting for my man" by The Velvet Underground would also rate as an extremely influencial song. It was the stand out track of the "The Velvet Underground and Nico" album (better known as Andy Warhol Presents).
It's often said "Not many people bought this album but everyone who did formed a band."

Dazed and Confused did it first, it's a heavier song too.

regards,

REB

[BenchedEagle]

2.) JIMI HENDRIX: Voodoo Chile

Id say foxy lady or purple haze would be more influential than voodoo chile. Personally the track "Bold as love" blew my mind, one of the best guitar solo parts ever, Crazy sh*t

[MagicKiwi]

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane
I Feel Good - James Brown
London Calling - The Clash
The Times They Are A Changing - Bob Dylan
Respect - Aretha Franklin
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Imagine - John Lennon (already mentioned?)
Give Up the Funk - Parliament
Fight the Power - Public Enemy
Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed

[Pseudo]

Greensleeves - unknown - first popular song world wide (known) defines the medieval era

All of a sudden I have a strange craving for icecream...