Potenza, grinta, rumore, ma anche emozioni, dolcezza e atmosfera.
Ammettiamolo: la musica rock è incapace di stancare, nonostante oggi sia spesso considerata -salvo le dovute eccezioni- qualcosa di antico e appartenente al passato. Forse perché, in qualche modo, il genere è legato a una musica da performance, analogica, che mette da parte, nel maggiore dei casi, gli algoritmi elettronici. O forse perché, al suo interno, sembra racchiudere un’anima nostalgica dei “bei tempi andati”, quando bastava una chitarra e una batteria e tutto era più semplice.
Una cosa è certa: il rock è capace di risvegliare emozioni che spesso si tengono sopite, che sia quel senso di ribellione giovanile mai del tutto abbandonato o un’anima più romantica. Capace di coinvolgere allo stesso modo giovani e meno giovani, il piacere di una chitarra elettrica appare non solo immortale, ma anche inesorabile. Prendendo (anche e non solo) come riferimento alcune classifiche di settore, come quella di Rolling Stone e senza un ordine preciso, abbiamo selezionato alcuni brani tra rock classico, progressive, hard rock, metal e pop rock.
Che siate appassionati del genere o neofiti alla scoperta dei fondamentali, ecco le canzoni rock più famose e amate di sempre: troverete pane per i vostri denti, e musica per le vostre orecchie.
- (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
- Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
- Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
- Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
- My Generation – The Who
- London Calling – The Clash
- Purple Haze – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- Confortably Numb – Pink Floyd
- Hound Dog – Elvis Presley
- Let it Be – The Beatles
- Born to run – Bruce Springsteen
- Layla – Derek and the Dominos
- Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
- Master of Puppets – Metallica
- Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones
- Light my Fire – The Doors
- One – U2
- Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones
- Tutti Frutti – Little Richards
- Heroes – David Bowie
- All Along the Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- Hotel California – The Eagles
- Anarchy in the U.K. – Sex Pistols
- Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum
- Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
- Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
- You Really Got Me – The Kinks
- Blitzkrieg Bop – Ramones
- I Was Made for Loving You – Kiss
- Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits
- I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
- Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
- Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
- Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel
- Shout – The Isley Brothers
- Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac
- Stand By Me – Ben E. King
- Fade to Black – Metallica
- The House of the Rising Sun – The Animals
- Jumpin Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones
- Born to be wild – Steppenwolf
- Maggie May – Rod Stewart
- With or without you – U2
- Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who
- While my Guitar Gently Weeps – The Beatles
- Your song – Elton John
- Kashmir – Led Zeppelin
- Purple Rain – Prince and the Revolution
- I Wanna Be Sedated – Ramones
- Rock Lobster – The B-52’s
- Somebody to Love – Queen
- Lust for Life – Iggy Pop
- Abacab – Genesis
- Foxy Lady – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- The Sounds of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel
- Livin’ on a prayer – Bon Jovi
- (We’re Gonna) Rock around the Clock – Bill Hailey and his Comets
- Rock and Roll All Night – Kiss
- I’m Waiting for the Man – The Velvet Underground
- Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
- Losing my religion – R.E.M.
- Dream On – Aerosmith
- God Save the Queen – Sex Pistols
- The Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden
- Paint it Black – The Rolling Stones
- Love will tear us apart – Joy Division
- Desolation Row – Bob Dylan
- Back in Black – AC/DC
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door – Bob Dylan
- Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns n’ Roses
- Hey Joe – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- Loser – Beck
- Come Together – The Beatles
- Walk on the wild side – Lou Reed
- Oh, Pretty Woman – Roy Orbinson
- The final countdown – Europe
- Shoud I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash
- Rocket Man – Elton John
- Paranoid – Black Sabbath
- Highway to Hell – AC/DC
- Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley
- Holy Diver – Dio
- Ace of Spades – Motorhead
- Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2
- Something – The Beatles
- Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen
- Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
- Pictures of you – The Cure
- Ain’t no sunshine – Bill Withers
- Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
- Call Me – Blondie
- Sign ‘O’ the Times – Prince
- Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? – Rod Stewart
- Cowboys from hell – Pantera
- With a Little Help for my Friend – The Beatles
- Iron Man – Black Sabbath
- Wish you were here – Pink Floyd
- School’s Out – Alice Cooper
- Nothing else matters – Metallica
- Take me out – Franz Ferdinand
- The End – The Doors
- We Will Rock You – Queen
- Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
- Burn – Deep Purple
- Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
- Fat Bottomed Girls – Queen
- Sweet Jane – The Velvet Undergound
- Beat It – Michael Jackson
- Alive – Pearl Jam
- Beautiful Day – U2
- Walk this Way – Aerosmith
- Maybe I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney
- Baba O’Riley – The Who
- Stargazer – Rainbow
- Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
- Hold the line – Toto
- Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival
- White Room – Cream
- Another Brick in the Wall part 2 – Pink Floyd
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
- Message in a bottle – Police
- Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
- (Don’t Fear) The Reaper – Blue Öyster Cult
- Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Enter Sandman – Metallica
- In Bloom – Nirvana
- American Idiot – Green Day
- Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
- I Wanna Be Your Dog – The Stooges
- Come As You Are – Nirvana
- White Light White Heat – The Velvet Underground
- Paradise City – Guns n’ Roses
- Owner of a Lonely Heart – Yes
- Aqualung – Jethro Tull
- Moonage Daydream – David Bowie
- Bed of Nails – Alice Cooper
- It’s My Life – Bon Jovi
- Just Like Heaven – The Cure
- I Love Rock ‘n Roll – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
- Welcome to the Jungle – Guns n’ Roses
- Brown Sugar – The Rolling Stones
- Moonlight Shadow – Mike Oldfield
- Crying – Aerosmith
- Zombie – The Cranberries
- Walk – Pantera
- War Pigs – Black Sabbath
- Running on Empty – Jackson Browne
- Riders on the Storm – The Doors
- Poison – Alice Cooper
- La Grange – ZZ Top
- Barracuda – Heart
- More than a Feeling – Boston
- You Really Got Me – Van Halen
- Sultans of Swings – Dire Straits
- You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC
- Carry on Wayward Son – Kansas
- Locomotive Breath – Jethro Tull
- Tom Sawyer – Rush
- Time – Pink Floyd
- The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
- Roundabout – Yes
- American Pie – Don McLean
- Do it Again – Dan Steely
- Lucky Man – Emerson Lake and Palmer
- Desperado – Eagles
- All Right Now – Free
- Turn the page – Bob Seger
- Burnin’ for you – Blue Öyster Cult
- Dust in the wind – Kansas
- Africa – Toto
- Hot for teacher – Van Halen
- To France – Mike Oldfield
- Money for nothing – Dire Straits
- Revolution – The Beatles
- Rock You Like a Hurricane – Scorpions
- Crazy Train – Ozzy Osborne
- Shine on you crazy diamond – Pink Floyd
- Thick as a brick – Jethro Tull
- Take the long way home – Supertramp
- Hush – Deep Purple
- Point of known return – Kansas
- Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac
- Crazy – Aerosmith
- Bat Out of Hell – Meat Loaf
- Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
- Band on the run – Wings
- Rebel, rebel – David Bowie
- Tie Your Mother Down – Queen
- Tornado of souls – Megadeth
- Lay down Sally – Eric Clapton
- Angel of death – Slayer
- In-a-gadda-da-vida – Iron Butterfly
- Hocus Pocus – Focus
- Breaking the Law – Judas Priest
- A Horse With no Name – America
- Black Magic Woman – Santana
- Hard Rock Hallelujah – Lordi