So, presented here in chronological order, are the songs that led me to discover that rock and roll really can be awesome.

1. The Sound of Silence
   Artist: Simon and Garfunkel
   Album: Sounds of Silence
   I swiped my mother’s cassette of Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits when I was a kid.  For some reason, this song stood out in my memory–and had a tendency to get stuck in my head for days at a time.  I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it was the first step to my eventual love of rock and roll.
2. Bat Out of Hell
   Artist: Meat Loaf
   Album: Bat Out of Hell
   This was my first baby step into the world of rock and roll on my own.  My original copy of this song was on a cassette copy of Meat Loaf’s Greatest Hits that I got as a birthday present after mentioning that I liked the song.  In many ways, Meat Loaf’s work was what bridged the gap between the Broadway soundtracks that I had been listening to, and rock music.
3. Stairway to Heaven
   Artist: Led Zeppelin
   Album: Led Zeppelin IV
   This was one of the first rock songs that I discovered that really spoke to me.  As you can tell, I really went through a phase where I was into songs of utterly epic length…
4. Refugee
   Artist: Tom Petty
   Album: Damn the Torpedoes
   I got my first Tom Petty CD because I had this song stuck in my head from hearing it on the local classic rock station, and it fit in with the story of a comic book that I was drawing at the time.  Petty was one of the first artists that I really found to be accessible–his songs were things that I could understand, but at the same time, they were awesome pieces of music.
5. Wanted Dead or Alive
   Artist: Bon Jovi
   Album: Slippery When Wet
   That one copy of Cross Road  that I bought purely to get this song was pretty much the turning point in my discovery of music.  I think I must have played that CD about ten time the first day alone.  This was finally a band that really spoke to me–and the fact that their lead singer happened to be completely gorgeous was a lovely bonus.
6. Paint it Black
   Artist: The Rolling Stones
   Album: Flashpoint
   Flashpoint was the first live album that I ever bought.  But the song itself intrigued me long before I ever bought this album.  As a matter of fact, it was one of the critical decision-making factors in buying this album–it had to have ‘Paint it Black’ on it.  The end result was that I fell in love with live albums and what they could capture.
7. I’m Eighteen
   Artist: Alice Cooper
   Album: Love It to Death
   After I’d discovered that I really liked hard rock, I went digging around in my parents’ basement through their old records in search of new stuff to discover.  As it happened, I discovered Alice Cooper that day, and never looked back.  One more step harder and darker… and I liked it.
8. One Light Burning
   Artist: Richie Sambora
   Album: Stranger in this Town
   Sure, I owned several other CDs from heavily blues-influenced bands (like Led Zeppelin) when I bought Richie’s first solo album.  But it was Richie who really made me realize how much I liked that sound.  I went through a phase where I listened to this album–and especially this song–almost all the time.
9. Rainbow in the Dark
   Artist: Dio
   Album: Holy Diver
   I first encountered this song because it had been mentioned on Deadliest Catch.  Hey, I bought Cross Road because it had the theme song to that show on it; I figured this song was worth a listen.  As it turned out, it was well worth listening to, and here I started to become a metalhead.
10. Welcome to the Jungle
    Artist: Guns N’ Roses
    Album: Appetite for Destruction
    Back when I had a longer commute, I used to drive past a used record store every time that I drove through town instead of taking the highway.  One day, I gave in and stopped there on my way home, and wound up buying a copy of this album.  I stuck it in my CD player to listen to on the rest of the drive home.  This being summertime, I had the windows down when I got stuck in traffic.  I wound up getting funny looks from people in the cars next to me.  Evidently blond girls who drive purple cars aren’t supposed to listen to this song.  But I was OK with that.  And that was when I realized that rock and roll had become part of my identity.

Related posts:

1. My Top 10 Non-Bon Jovi Songs
2. Top Ten Songs for Fixing a Rotten Day
3. The Music Video Exposed: Wayne Isham

This time, we’re looking at my top 10 songs from bands other than Bon Jovi.  To qualify for this list, Bon Jovi must be in no way involved with the song.  They cannot be credited writers or performers–even if the song is actually performed by another artist.

1. Poison
   Artist: Alice Cooper
   Album: Trash
   This has long been sitting uncontested at the top of my most-played list–the margin between it and the next closest song is huge.
2. Rainbow in the Dark
   Artist: Dio
   Album: Holy Diver
   This was one of the songs that really introduced me to metal, and I still love it.  Evidently, I love it a lot.
3. Los Angeloser
   Artist: Meat Loaf
   Album: Hang Cool Teddy Bear
   Compared to some of the other songs on this list, I haven’t had this one all that long.  It’s risen up the list fast.  I think that’s because it sounds so different.  (I’ve also done a Random Song post on this one, go check it out!)
4. Cum on Feel the Noize
   Artist: Quiet Riot
   I kind of went through a phase with this one–I listened to it a lot for awhile, and then I kind of stopped listening to it, so it dropped down the list a lot.
5. Sweet Child O’ Mine
   Artist: Guns N’ Roses
   Album: Appetite for Destruction
   This particular song has been sort of slowly creeping up the list, since it’s always a favorite.  I never get tired of it.
6. God Gave Rock and Roll to You II
   Artist: KISS
   Album: Alive III
   This was another Random Song pick that I did some time ago, but I also love this song.  This is one that I know that I seek out and play a lot.
7. Refugee
   Artist: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
   Album:  Damn the Torpedoes
   Another song that I know that I seek out and play a lot.  This one really just is a favorite of mine.
8. Badlands
   Artist: Bruce Springsteen
   Album: Darkness on the Edge of Town
   This has been another slow climber.  It’s such a great piece of rock and roll that I play it all the time.
9. Paint It Black
   Artist: Rolling Stones
   Album: Flashpoint
   So far, the only live song on the list.  But this is classic Stones, and the live recording here just makes the song.
10. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak
    Artist: Def Leppard
    Album: High ‘n’ Dry
    Seriously, this one was a surprise.  Out of all of the Def Leppard songs that I have, I’m surprised that this one’s been played the most.

Related posts:

1. My Current Top 10 Bon Jovi Songs (January 2011)
2. Five More Songs Bon Jovi Can Cut
3. Five songs Bon Jovi can cut to make room for the rarities

1. Love Bites
   Artist: Def Leppard
   Album: Hysteria
   This is an easy pick, but the chorus in this one makes it.  It’s got all of the melodrama you could ever want.
2. Rainbow in the Dark
   Artist: Dio
   Album: Holy Diver
   A classic song about abandonment, with a great hook and the incomparable voice of Ronnie James Dio.
3. Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back
   Artist: Meat Loaf
   Album: Bat Out of Hell II
   This is more a general song about how much the universe sucks, but love does get called out specifically.
4. Why Aren’t You Dead?
   Artist: Bon Jovi
   Album: 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong
   Maybe the ultimate question after any breakup–here taken to the logical conclusion.
5. You’re Breakin’ My Heart
   Artist: Harry Nilsson
   Album: Son of Schmilsson
   This one is about as blunt as it’s possible to be.

Related posts:

1. Top Ten Songs for Fixing a Rotten Day
2. The ten songs that made me like music
3. My Top 10 Non-Bon Jovi Songs

This is probably one of the heaviest songs that I’ve done a Random Song post for.  That being said, I love this particular song for exactly that reason.

There are times when a really good, dark, heavy song is just the thing to help clear up a black mood.  And this song has been my go-to choice for when I want something heavy for a long time.

The vocal abilities that Dio demonstrates here are pretty amazing.  His voice works perfectly with both the melodic intro, and also with the dark, heavy verses after it.   One of the reasons that I like this song so much is how melodic it is, even with how hard and heavy the guitar and bass are.  And that’s all thanks to Dio’s voice.

There’s a reason that Dio was considered one of the great vocalists of heavy metal, and I think this song is a complete showcase of why.  He manages to take this song and completely elevate it to another place.

Related posts:

1. Random Song: The Last In Line
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3. Random Song: Rainbow In The Dark

There are many things that made Ronnie James Dio such a legend, but one of the most prominent was his voice. That man had a voice that could make anyone and everyone sit up and take notice. It certainly got my attention; Dio was one of the first heavy metal artists that I discovered, and he played a large role in introducing me to the genre.

This song is a showcase for what he could do with that voice. The intro displays just how subtle he can be–and just how expertly he can manipulate emotion with his voice. When he gets to the end of the intro, that brief pause feels sort of like the air before a thunderstorm–utterly still, but you can feel the electric tension crackling through the stillness.

From that point on, the rest of the song is classic Dio, from the imagery of the lyrics to the vocal performance that displays all of the power that he was capable of.

Bain and Campbell put in some pretty good performances on this song as well. The guitar and bass are heavy, but don’t overwhelm Dio’s vocals. Instead, their performance perfectly emphasizes the lyrics and drives the song forward. Campbell’s solo is beautifully tailored to fit with the rest of the song and transitions perfectly in and out of the verses.

In a lot of ways, this particular song is an outstanding example of all of the things that I love about Dio’s work.

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Holy Diver Live is one of my favorite albums. Apart from my deep affection for Dio and his work, this is a really good live album. It strikes a really good balance between capturing the rough edges and improvisations of a live performance and creating a solid album of music.

This track in particular has an energy to it that is hard to pin down. I think part of it is the blazing guitar work in the solos–I’ve always liked the sound of electric guitars, and that’s part of what attracts me to songs like this. The other half of it is the solid bass work. The best songs always have a synergy between the lead guitar and the bass.

I also like this track because it’s not so rushed. Believe it or not, I’ve actually managed to collect two different live versions of this song, and the version on Holy Diver Live clocks in at over a minute longer than the other one. That means that the song has room to breathe. You can actually understand the lyrics in this version, and Dio’s voice really gets to shine. Plus, the solo isn’t anywhere near so muddy. It’s amazing how different two performances by the same artist can really be.

This is one song that really makes me regret that I never sought out tickets to see Heaven and Hell on the last tour.

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1. Random Song: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (live)
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3. Random Song: Paint It Black (live)

I suppose that part of it was that he was so much larger than life to me, both on his own as a solo act and as a part of Black Sabbath and later, Heaven and Hell.

Opening up the Google News homepage while I was on my lunch break today and seeing the MTV article of various fellow rockers eulogizing Dio was a shock.   It took a long minute for the reality of it to sink into my brain.

Dio’s solo work was what first introduced me to real heavy metal.  Sure, I’d listened to plenty of hair metal up to that point, and I certainly had an appreciation for the harder and heavier sounds to come out of that scene.  But I had yet to truly start discovering bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath.

I picked up my first Dio CD–a greatest hits collection–on the strength of Edgar Hansen saying that he liked ‘Rainbow in the Dark’ and a vague memory of the song being listed in one of those VH1 ‘best of’ countdowns and the clip being fairly awesome.  Of course, it only really took one listening for me to determine that this guy was more than just ‘fairly awesome’.

Of course, from there I went on to explore the world of heavy metal more and more.  But it was really Dio’s voice that first sold me on the concept of heavy metal.  This man could sing, and he could take you to the most amazing places with his voice.   I’ve always respected that talent, from the first time I heard his work.  Dio, and his great talents, will be sorely missed.

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2. The Top Heavy Metal Singers
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Now it seems (at least according to Billboard) that Jon and the boys may be considering doing this.

I still stand by my earlier assessment–the best candidate for this treatment is New Jersey, as it has the best balance of well-known singles with a strong overall album. Yes, Slippery When Wet has more of their well-known singles, but as I’ve said before, the rest of the album isn’t anywhere near as strong as the Big Three singles from it that made Bon Jovi famous. New Jersey has more Top 10 hits than Slippery, and even the filler is stronger on that album.

Unfortunately, the two albums mentioned are Slippery When Wet and Lost Highway. While Slippery When Wet wouldn’t be a bad choice, I personally think that doing a complete performance of Lost Highway is a terrible idea. While Lost Highway does have Make a Memory, which is the best ballad that the band has made since This Ain’t A Love Song, the rest of the album isn’t all that great. Plus, with that being the “country” album, I think a lot of folks turning up for a show on The Circle tour would be really disappointed if they got treated to an evening of the back tracks off Lost Highway.

I suppose that if I did get stuck at a show where the band decided to do a complete album, I’d much rather have Slippery than Lost Highway. For one, I’m really not a country girl at all. Don’t like it. And I really didn’t care that much for Lost Highway, other than Make a Memory. Also, the song that originally introduced me to Bon Jovi–Wanted Dead or Alive–is from Slippery When Wet. Granted, you get to hear Wanted at pretty much every Bon Jovi concert, so it’s not like that’s a big incentive to hear them do the entire album live. But even the lesser songs from Slippery When Wet beat Lost Highway hands down.

All told, I really think that if they’re going to do this, they should do something like the Holy Diver live CD that I have. It’s actually a two-disc set, and the concert includes all of Holy Diver–but Dio also throws in a smattering of songs from his days in Black Sabbath (Heaven and Hell) and Rainbow (Man on the Silver Mountain) to break it up. If Bon Jovi could pull off a show like that–Slippery When Wet spiced up with a few songs from The Circle and maybe a few of the covers that Richie mentions in the article–that would be awesome.

Related posts:

1. Why do you go to concerts?
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3. The Circle

I can’t really remember how I got into Dio. I seem to remember that it was kind of similar to how I found Bon Jovi–through Deadliest Catch. As I recall, it was because I had heard Edgar Hansen talking about Rainbow In The Dark, and once again I got curious. (That is one terrible picture of Edgar.)

The thing that I love most about Rainbow In The Dark is the wonderful hook that it has. It stands up, slaps you in the face and declares that you are about to experience metal. You can’t do anything else but headbang when you hear this song.

The lyrics are also a battle cry for anyone who’s feeling abandoned. The song embodies a relationship that has drifted apart or fallen apart, without descending into maudlin glop like pop music. Only heavy metal can take a subject as emotionally weighted as an unraveling relationship and turn it into something gloriously dark.

The lyric “do your demons, do they ever let you go” is an unflinching confrontation of the personal issues that destroy so many relationships. The song doesn’t gloss over what the demons did to the relationship. There’s anger about the failure of the relationship, and it’s angry at the other person for letting their demons win.

The open way that metal songs, like this one, unflinchingly explore and even revel in the darker emotions is part of what drew me to the genre in the first place. Pop songs about failed relationships are inevitably dreary and sad. Metal introduced me to music that shone a light on feelings that other songs hadn’t explored.

The guitars in this song are also spectacular. Yes, it does use synthesizers, but it’s the guitar work in this song that shines as only heavy metal guitar can. The technical skill required to play a guitar like that is awe-inspiring.

This kind of song is what helped me appreciate the depth and breadth of what music could be, after having grown up during the unfortunate Age of Grunge.

Related posts:

1. Random Song: Strange Highways
2. Random Song: Two Story Town
3. Random Song: Temptation

They should have cut Ozzy out before cutting Dio. Ozzy doesn’t seem to be interested in metal anymore, just making lame cell phone commercials.

Somebody needs to break it to Ozzy; BlackBerry phones aren’t metal. And the Samsung Jack commercial just makes me cringe.

All that being said, Tim Curry probably isn’t a bad choice to replace Dio, if they really felt that they had to. I don’t know about now, but he used to have a really good voice. (Speaking as a veteran attendee of midnight showings of Rocky Horror, that movie would not be what it is without him. I know it destroyed his career as a ‘serious actor’. But a legacy is a legacy, and that movie is going down in history as a classic.)

The fact that they compromised what was looking to be one of the coolest video games ever to appease Ozzy’s stupid feud is just lame.

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