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

Want to hear just how much awesome you can wring out of one riff?  Take a look at this song.

This whole song is driven by one deceptively simple riff–it underlies the whole thing, and powers it all.   And then once you’ve listened to the whole thing it gets into your head and won’t go away.

The lyrics start out as a fairly typical Meat Loaf/Steinman collaboration, but the way that they sync up with the riff and the drums underneath gives it a little bit more rhythmic punch than usual.   Once you get past the second verse,the call and response really ups the force with which the song hits.  This one bit of song builds up tension better than some thriller movies that I’ve seen–I can feel the song, and all of the emotional responses that it creates just twisting tighter and tighter.

And the lyrics could be utterly depressing, except they’re not.  Meat Loaf completely transforms the lyrics with sheer force of awesomeness.

This album was one of the first real rock and roll albums that I bought for myself, and it bridged the gap between pop music and harder rock for me.  This particular song, out of the entire album, was one of the ones that spoke most to me–and now that I’ve grown more and my taste has changed, I know why.   It creates awesomeness out of the same dark seeds that heavy metal does.  And I discovered metal starting with the hair bands and slowly working my way darker and deeper–but this song was part of what sent me looking down that path.

Related posts:

1. Random Song: Bat Out of Hell
2. Random Song: Los Angeloser
3. Random Song: Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through

My first real rock album (well, technically it was a cassette) that I ever owned was a copy of Meat Loaf’s Greatest Hits, which of course included ‘Bat Out of Hell’.  Sure, it would eventually be Bon Jovi that would truly make me into a hard rock fan, but Meat Loaf was where the journey started in a lot of ways.

I think it’s come up before in other discussions of Meat Loaf, but when I was a kid, I listened to a lot of showtunes–I had a ton of Broadway soundtracks.  Songs like this one bridged the gap between what I had been listening to and rock and roll.

I suppose that’s not much of a surprise, when you consider that this song, along with a couple of others from the album, were originally written by Jim Steinman for a musical.

But it was really Meat Loaf, and especially this song, that introduced me to just what an electric guitar could really do.  Listening to this was an eye-opening experience, and I wore out that first cassette tape in fairly short order.

And you know, I can go back and listen to it even now, and still be blown away by the sheer epicness of this song.  Between Meat Loaf’s delivery and Steinman’s writing, it’s an amazing track.   The song is quite long, but not a second of it is wasted.  It’s big in pretty much every conceivable sense, and I still love it.

Related posts:

1. Random Song: Hell Is Living Without You
2. Random Song: Highway to Hell (live)
3. Random Song: Los Angeloser

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

So, I present the top 10 songs that I turn to when I’ve had that truly rotten day…

1. One Light Burning
   Artist: Richie Sambora
   Album: Stranger in this Town
   The lyrics in this particular song are so powerful–this one is more than just a bad day song, this is pure inspiration that could keep me going through just about anything.
2. Badlands
   Artist: Bruce Springsteen
   Album: Darkness on the Edge of Town
   There’s just something about this song–particularly the bridge before the last chorus–that for whatever reason can really lift me right out of whatever’s going on in my life.
3. Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through
   Artist: Meat Loaf
   Album: Bat Out of Hell II
   It might be a little bit over the top, but that’s what makes this one so great for a bad day.  It can snap me right out of just about any funk.
4. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
   Artist: Bon Jovi
   Album: Keep the Faith
   It might not always be my favorite song to hear live, but I love this song for pretty much snapping me straight back to a Bon Jovi concert the instant I hear it.
5. Paint it Black
   Artist: The Rolling Stones
   Album: Aftermath
   This is one song where not only to the lyrics suit a bad mood, but the groove of this song is perfect for snapping me out of it.
6. Ride the Wind
   Artist: Poison
   Album: Flesh & Blood
   Another song where all that really matters is the way that the lyrics can lift me up in a heartbeat.
7. Elvis in Vegas
   Artist: Meat Loaf
   Album: Hang Cool Teddy Bear
   This song is six minutes of pure escape from anything.  There’s something about the way the chorus just soars on this one that just lets me get away from anything.
8. Highway to Hell
   Artist: AC/DC
   Album: Highway to Hell
   In addition to a title and chorus tailor made for those really rotten days, the lyrics are pure classic hard rock, my favorite form of music in the world.
9. Something for the Pain
   Artist: Bon Jovi
   Album: These Days
   Something for the pain, indeed.
10. Rock of Ages
    Artist: Def Leppard
    Album: Pyromania
    It might not be complicated, but this is one song that never fails to brighten up my day.

Related posts:

1. My Top 10 Non-Bon Jovi Songs
2. The ten songs that made me like music
3. Five Songs I’d Like to Hear Live in 2011

I reviewed Hang Cool Teddy Bear on this blog back when I first got my copy.  It’s been several months since then, and somehow this song turned out to be my favorite from the album.

I suppose part of what fascinated me about this song is that it wasn’t what I expected at all.  I was used to Meat Loaf’s collaborations with Jim Steinman.  ‘Los Angeloser’ certainly does not have that kind of sound at all.

But even though this song isn’t the kind of big, operatic song that I expected, I can’t imagine anyone else but Meat Loaf doing it.  I suppose that’s part of what makes Meat Loaf so unique; once he’s performed something well, he owns it.  Meat Loaf’s songs have always been defined by his vocal performance, and in that way, this song is really not any different from his other works.

Musically, I love the rhythm of this song.  I really can’t dance, but something about this song makes me rally want to.  Especially the chorus.  The vocals are carrying a strong melody, but it’s that rhythmic hook that sticks with me every time that I hear this song.

Related posts:

1. Random Song: Bat Out of Hell
2. Random Song: Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back
3. Random Song: Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through

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

Judging by the play count in Windows Media Player, this particular track is my favorite one from the album.  That seems rather odd, as the songs that I really associate with the album are ‘I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)’ and ‘Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are’.

But this song is a solid effort by Meat Loaf.  It just plain sounds great.  The bass carries the song along with that beat that I always groove out to.   Then you get Meat Loaf’s voice carrying the melody above that beat–especially in the chorus.   The build up to the chorus of this song is just amazing, and he really soars here.

Not to mention that I’ve always found the lyrics here rather inspirational.  I think it’s because it speaks to what I do when I’ve had a bad day–I almost always turn to music, and it’s usually rock music, to lift myself up.  The whole theme here is exactly what I want to feel–and hear–when I’ve had a bad day.

I rather suspect that’s how it racked up such a high play count.   This is a song that I’ve turned to many times to make myself feel better.

Related posts:

1. Random Song: It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll (But I Like It)
2. Random Song: God Gave Rock and Roll to You II
3. Random Song: Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy

Anyway, it kind of got me to thinking. I can’t imagine anyone else trying to cover that particular song. Half of what made it so successful was its sound, which was really built on the accents of the original performers. Anyone else’s version would lack that particular element, and the song just wouldn’t sound right without it.

I suppose that this really goes for almost any artist who has a particular vocal style. Sure, songwriters can put a distinctive stamp on their songs–Jim Steinman comes to mind. But when you’re dealing with an artist with a completely unique sound, like the Proclaimers, the song can become inseparable from the performer. (I suspect that this effect is what made the partnership between Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf so productive–Steinman produced such distinctive songs, and then Meat Loaf owned those songs.)

As a matter of fact, a lot of Meat Loaf’s songs, especially the Steinman ones, come to mind when I try to think of other ‘uncoverable’ songs. Alice Cooper’s work wouldn’t be an easy task to cover either.

The interesting thing, in all of these cases, is that the song actually becomes bound up with the performer, leaving the song incomplete without the original artist.

Related posts:

1. Album Review: Hang Cool Teddy Bear
2. Random Song: Bat Out of Hell
3. Random Song: Los Angeloser

I don’t know that I would have made this connection if I hadn’t known that Jon was one of the songwriters for ‘Elvis in Vegas’, but the song really reminds me of ‘Right Side of Wrong’ from Bounce. It has the same sweeping narrative feel as ‘Right Side of Wrong’, and it also has the same sort of living, breathing imagery throughout the lyrics. That’s probably Jon’s touch; he’s always been good at that kind of song that tells a story, but this one is an outstanding example.

I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised that ‘Elvis in Vegas’ turned out to be one of my favorite songs off of Hang Cool Teddy Bear–after all, it does have Jon, Desmond Child and Billy Falcon behind it, and those three have been responsible for many of my favorite songs.

But above and beyond that, I like the song because it plays to a lot of Meat Loaf’s strengths. This is one of the few songs on this album that really taps into the expressive range that Meat Loaf can bring to his performances. He can make you believe whatever he’s singing about–and with that power behind the lyrics, this song shines. The chorus on this song is nothing less than a thing of beauty.

This song is definitely a keeper. As a matter of fact, it’s probably going to shape up to be one of my all-time favorites.

Related posts:

1. Album Review: Hang Cool Teddy Bear
2. Top Ten Songs for Fixing a Rotten Day
3. ‘Bon Jovi’ album review wrap-up