Somewhere along the line–say about 1987 or so–my interest in popular music took a permanent vacation and I found myself locked in a musical time warp, which isn’t all bad, given what is being churned out these days. Now, having three teenagers in my house, I try to expand their musical horizons from time to time by having them listen to the stuff I enjoyed back in the day. When I did that, a funny thing happened.
They liked it. They liked it so much that my kids–my daughters, particularly–are always asking me to name my favorite songs from childhood and high school, usually because each song carries with it a particular memory or story for me, which they like to hear. So….here are my top ten favorite offerings from rock artists, 1970 through 1985. Enjoy!
10. ‘Conquistador’ by Procol Harum. Okay, so the album cut is actually from Procol Harum’s 1967 eponymous debut, but the version everyone remembers now–and the one that gets the airplay–comes from the 1972 live version with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. I know, I know. ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ gets more airplay, but ‘Conquistador,’ with its powerful, evocative lyrics and rich, layered harmonies is by far the more compelling tune.
9. ‘Sister Golden Hair’ by America. This hauntingly beautiful piece about a young man who doesn’t want to get married just yet is one of the prettiest folk songs of the mid-70s, and is still a staple of oldies/classic rock radio.
8. ‘All My Love’ by Led Zeppelin. Lead singer Robert Plant lost his young son, Karac, to a stomach infection in 1977 and wrote this tune as a tribute to the boy; it became the signature song off Zeppelin’s last album before the death of John Bonham, 1979’s ‘In Through the Out Door.
7. ‘Jane’ by Jefferson Starship. A wonderfully hard-rocking guitar- and keyboard-driven offering from the retooled Jefferson Starship, circa 1979. Mickey Thomas had taken over vocals from Marty Balin and Aynsley Dunbar, formerly of Journey, was on the drums. ‘Jane’ was one of several hits from the album ‘Freedom at Point Zero,’ and the one that best showcased Thomas’ incredible vocal range.
6. ‘Fantasy’ by Aldo Nova. They don’t get much more 80’s-sounding than 1982’s ‘Fantasy,’ with its hard-driving guitar and heavy synthesizers. In my Trans Am-driving, cruising for girls days, this cassette got lots of work, particularly when the T-tops were off.
5. ‘Sign of the Gypsy Queen’ by April Wine. Canadian rockers April Wine recorded this track for their 1981 album, ‘The Nature of the Beast,’ but it was overshadowed commercially by the more popular power ballad ‘Just Between You and Me.’
4. ‘The Party’s Over (Hopelessly in Love)’ by Journey. No list of this kind would be complete with an offering by the Steve Perry-fronted Journey, although one would expect something other than the lone ‘bonus’ track from 1979’s ‘Captured’ live album. Perhaps I need to do a top ten list of Journey-only tunes one day…
3. ‘Too Old to Rock’n’Roll, Too Young to Die’ by Jethro Tull. An anthem of sorts for all ‘old rockers’ like me, this title track from Tull’s 1976 album is a very enjoyable romp through the life of an aging songwriter.
2. ‘Rio’ by Duran Duran. I’m sorry, but I just love this song. If I had had Simon Le Bon’s hair back in 1983, I could’ve ruled the world.
1. ‘The Body Electric’ by Rush. This is the song that got me hooked on Rush, Canada’s pre-eminent power trio, back in 1984. With Neil Peart’s complex and precision drumming, Geddy Lee’s distinctive voice and frenetic bass, as well as Alex Lifeson’s pensive guitar, Rush has been called ‘the thinking man’s band.’ Having followed them for a quarter century now, I believe it.
There you have it. In any list like this, there are loads of excellent and deserving tunes that get omitted–for various reasons–but let’s not get carried away. There are plenty more lists where this one came from.
