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Alice In Chains

Not as famous as Nirvana, this group also originated from the grunge scene in Seattle. I like them because they're a little darker than Nirvana, but not as intense-sounding as metal groups like Metallica.

• Dirt (album): This is a great album with a bunch of great songs. "Them Bones" is pretty sweet, featuring a 7/8 rhythm. "Rooster," "Down in a Hole," and "Dirt" all have a nice slow groove. Lastly, "Angry Chair" and "Would?" finish up the album with a nice dark sound.
• God Am (Alice in Chains): This song has a really nice drum and bass beat that you can definitely rock out to!
• Man in a Box (Facelift): This song has a really sharp, staccato guitar sound, giving it a nice edgy feel.
• Bleed the Freak (Facelift): I like this one because it starts of slow and quiet, then jumps into the faster chorus section. Don't ask me about the lyrics, because I don't know.

Allman Brothers Band

A nice southern rock group, similar to Lynryd Skynyrd. They're known for their lengthy jams, such as "Eat a Peach." Some of their shorter jam songs are great too, as you shall soon read!

• Southbound: This is definitely my favorite! It's a great 12-bar blues song, and it makes a perfect jam. There's some rockin' guitar and piano. I can just listen to it on repeat forever.
• One Way Out: This one just has a nice interesting feel to it, and it gets kind of jammy for a while.
• Ramblin' Man: If you're going to recognize one of their songs, this is probably it. It has a nice build near the end.
• Midnight Rider: I just love the talk about silver dollars and whatnot. It's a great song!
• Whipping Post: This song has a nice swing feel, but it's also kind of pushing the pace a little bit. It's pretty chill.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Looking for jazz rock? Look no further than this funky group, with a bunch of great hits!

• Spinning Wheel: By far the most well known song, it has a great funky beat that you can't not enjoy. The syncopated horn section is an extra bonus. I also really enjoy the Maynard Ferguson cover.
• Go Down Gamblin': The horns really carry this song, with some really great licks.
• Lucretia Mac Evil: More syncopated horns, more rockin' drums. I don't know who Ms. Evil is, but she definitely inspired a wonderful song.
• More and More: Even more horns! More syncopation too.

The Cars

Although they have a new wave sound, The Cars maintain a nice simple rock sound too.

• Just What I Needed: Their most well-known song, the synthesizer and guitar licks are definitely memorable, and it has an underlying groove that's going constantly.
• Let's Go: This is also a nice groovy song! The synth is super cool, especially in the middle section.
• Drive: This song has an interesting syncopated pulse, and starts out soft and builds throughout.
• Bye Bye Love/Moving In Stereo: One song transitions into the other well, and they both have nice simple grooves that are quite nice.
• Moves Like This (album): This album from 2011 has some new hits, like "Blue Tip" or "Keep on Knocking" that I really like.

The Clash

Maybe you know them, maybe you just recognize "Rock the Casbah" for having confusing lyrics. The Clash borders on punk, but not so punkish that they're painful to listen to. They are very reggae influenced, which is more noticable in their slower songs.

• Rock the Casbah: The Shareef may not like it, but I do. If you don't already know it, go listen to it. Go. Now.
• Train in Vain: It has nothing to do with trains, or vains, but it's nice and chill.
• Police and Thieves: This song has a faster reggae feel to it, but its nice anyways.
• Clampdown: I really like the chorus, especially when there's the little guitar riff.
• Lost in the Supermarket: It could be a metaphor, but to me this song is about getting lost in the supermarket, which is pretty easy to do if it's big and has lots of aisles.
• Bankrobber: A nice slow groove, the backing vocals add an interesting feel.
• London Calling: It gives its name to their best known album, and is just a great song all around. Don't even try to argue it.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Another groovin' southern rock band, John Fogarty adds his great vocals to this group.

• Down on the Corner: A nice southern groove, who doesn't love some cowbell?
• Susie Q: Speaking of cowbell, this song has a bunch. Take a listen!
• Proud Mary: A nice simple guitar riff, and it's about gambling too!
• Fortunate Son: A great song with a message about the division of rich and poor during the Vietnam War, but still plenty applicable in today's era. A really nice driving song.
• I Heard it Through the Grapevine: A cover of Marvin Gaye's hit, this has a great instrumental section in the middle, going on for over 11 minutes.

Depeche Mode

This is one of my favorite synth pop groups. They have some really great synthesizer songs, although they often have a darker feel to their songs.

• Policy of Truth: Their first song I ever listened to, it has a super cool beat to it, and I like the way it builds at the beginning of the song.
• Enjoy the Silence: A faster beat, this is definitely a great song to dance to...if only it was still the 80's...
• Everything Counts: I really like how the beginning of this song builds up with the syncopation, and it has a nice message (everything counts, in large amounts).
• Strangelove: The synth part is pretty cool in this song too, with the bass line adding in some nice drive.
• Barrel of a Gun: A little darker song, this also has a nice beat to it.

Dire Straits

Who doesn't love some Mark Knopfler? The man is a guitar master, and their songs really show it. This band has some amazing hits.

• Money For Nothing: This song is epic! Mark Knopfler's guitar riff is legendary. The opening lyrics, "I want my MTV" are sung by Sting himself, to the tune of "Don't Stand So Close to Me." The song is sung from the point of view of a blue-collar worker watching the antics of rock stars and commenting on it. The radio edit cuts an entire verse for use of derogatory slang for gay people. It was the first music video featured on MTV Europe, and was the first music video to feature computer animation.
• Sultans of Swing: This song is a great groove, and has a great syncopated feel, with a lot of cymbals on the upbeats.
• Heavy Fuel: This is a great song about how manly Mark Knopfler is, with a great electric guitar riff throughout.
• So Far Away: This song has a great bass line feel. I approve wholeheartedly.
• Love Over Gold: One of their more chill songs, it's a nice relaxing change of pace from most of the other songs.

Duran Duran

Another one of my favorite synth pop groups, they are much more upbeat than Depeche Mode.

• Rio: This song is fast and awesome. It has plenty of synth, guitar, and drums, more than you could ever ask for.
• The Reflex: An all-around great synth pop song.
• Come Undone: A slower song, it's pretty chill, but really nice to listen to anyways.
• All She Wants Is: This song is pretty funny, especially with the sound effects...
• Notorious: I just really like the "no-no-no-notorious" part.

Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)

This group is awesome, because it's a rock band plus an orchestra. How is that not awesome? It is. This group has a lot of upbeat songs, but just as many mellow ones to keep you relaxed and enjoying your day.

• Mr. Blue Sky: The most cheerful song you will ever hear in your life. It's a great song to listen to when you're walking to class on a cloudy, depressing day.
• Do Ya: The guitar riff is great. It's impossible to not rock out with this one.
• Can't Get You Out of My Head: A nice, slow ballady feel. The background piano and strings gives it a great relaxing feel.
• Don't Bring Me Down: This song may have a simple rock beat, but its inspiring lyrics will cheer you up if Mr. Blue Sky isn't enough.
• Strange Magic: One of the most famous songs, it's uplifting and calming at the same time.
• Last Train to London: This song has an interesting disco feel, with a really nice funky bass line.

INXS

AC/DC wasn't the only band to come out of Australia! I like them because they're considered new wave, but they're more of a rock band with new wave influences. They have some really nice guitar and other stuff going on!

• Need You Tonight: Probably their most famous song. It has a nice dance beat going, with funky guitar riffs over the top.
• Taste It: I like the bass line in this song, plus the funky drums. The guitar just makes it better.
• Disappear: The keyboards give this one an interesting feel, and I like the lyrics too.
• Never Tear Us Apart: It has a very minimal feel for most of it, and the 12/8 feel is cool. The sax solo is a major plus!
• Suicide Blonde: One thing: harmonica. Listen to it for the harmonica.
• Devil Inside: The guitar riff is super nice on this track, plus the super upbeat drums.
• Bitter Tears: The horns, the piano harmony, it all comes together in one great song.
• Not Enough Time: This song has a cool building feeling to it, along with some syncopated rhythms going on.

The J Geils Band

The J Geils Band is notable for its bluesy feel and inclusion of horns and the occasional harmonica. The lyrics are often amusing too!

• Centerfold: Duh! If you don't know Centerfold, you must live on the moon. This song is great! The lyrics are hilarious, and who can't resist singing along during the "nah nah nah" parts?
• Freeze Frame: The sounds of camera shutters makes this song funny on its own. The keyboards are great, and the horns make it even better!
• Love Stinks: This song is all about how much of a pain love can be. The guitar and keyboards make it great.
• Whammer Jammer: The harmonica. You have to listen for the harmonica. The player's stage name is "Magic Dick," and he is often considered the "best white blues harmonica player" alive, which is quite an honor.
• Must of Got Lost (Live): You have to find the live recording with the introduction. The song is good, but the introduction is undeniably hilarious.
• Just Can't Wait: I really like the keyboards on this one too, they have a nice organ-y sound to them.
• Piss On the Wall: Another funny one, I'm sure you can figure out why it's amusing...but it's also a good song sans lyrics.

Motley Crue

This metal band is great to listen to, with plenty of rock ballads and other hair metal tracks to enjoy.

• Kickstart My Heart: A fast-paced song, it'll really "kickstart your heart" with the diving drums and fast guitar licks.
• Dr. Feelgood: My favorite Motley Crue song, the guitar on this track is super awesome, especially the solo in the middle. You can play this on after you listen to Mr. Brownstone in your "Songs About Drugs" playlist.
• Home Sweet Home: This is a great rock ballad, containing a smooth piano harmony. Of course, it has plenty of guitars in the middle to keep you awake.
• Don't Go Away Mad: I like the message of this song: don't go away mad...just go away! It's kind of amusing.

New Order

This group originated from new wave group Joy Division after the death of the lead singer. They became much more synthesizer-involved, and I enjoy their music much more than their previous work. This is definitely a great band to listen to if you like the new wave synthesizer sound.

• Bizarre Love Triangle: I really like the introductory synth part, especially because of the syncopation. Although the synth doesn't last through the whole song, it remains a prevalent part of the entire song.
• Love Vigilantes: This song has a strange beat, but is still kind of catchy.
• Blue Monday: This is a great track to dance to. The beat is super low and bass-y, with really great synthesizer parts.
• True Faith: This song has some of the more coherent lyrics in the New Order catalog, but also has, as you may have guessed, nice synthesizer!
• Ceremony: This was actually a Joy Division song, and has a very prominent guitar part throughout.

Paul Simon

Originally 50% of Simon and Garfunkel, Paul Simon is probably my favorite singer/songwriter. I really enjoy his use of African percussion, styles, and vocals.

• Graceland (album): Probably his most famous album, and it includes his most famous song "Call Me Al." The African influences are noticable on "I Know What I Know" and "Homeless," among other tracks. I also really like "Boy in the Bubble."
• Rhythm of the Saints (album): This album includes "Obvious Child," which I love. The drumming is great, and it has some interesting lyrics. I love the use of mallet instruments on "Can't Run But." Other great songs are "Proof," "She Moves On," and "Rhythm of the Saints."

Sleigh Bells

This is pretty much the only group on the list from the 21st century. I heard their first album "Treats" in my History of Rock Music class, and I was instantly hooked. If you like electronic music, this is some pretty cool stuff to listen to.

Steely Dan

This is a great jazz rock group to listen to! They're not as straight-laced as BST or Chicago, but they really show their jazz roots with their brass section.

• Babylon Sisters: The swing, 12/8 feel is really smooth, giving the whole track a relaxed feel.
• Kid Charlemagne: This song has a great syncopated rhythm by the horns, and has an all-around funky sound.
• Reelin' in the Years: This is my favorite of theirs, and I can listen to it over and over. The brass, piano, and guitars really come together to make this an amazing song.
• Rikki Don't Lose That Number: This track has a great latin sound going on throughout, and has a smooth feel.
• Do It Again: This also has a nice latiny feel to it, especially with the background percussion.

Talking Heads

• Psycho Killer: It starts out with a bass groove that doesn't let up, so you know it's good. The lyrics are interesting.
• Burning Down the House: One of the things I love about this song is the way David Byrne shouts the words during the verses. It also has a really powerful beat going, which is great when combined with the minimal instrumentation that's going on.
• Once in a Lifetime: This song is interesting, making you think about the path of life...and stuff. Mostly, I like it for the guitar, especially the power chords at the end.
• Crosseyed and Painless: With its fast beat, this song is pretty funky-feelin'.
• Found A Job: Shouting the lyrics over the guitar makes this a great song.
• And She Was: I like the background guitar during the verses. The chorus also has a good beat going with a slight cowbell feel.
• Road to Nowhere: This song has as nice march beat! And I do like marching...
• Blind: There are some nice horn licks in this track, and the way the lyrics are spoken make it border on rap, which is kind of cool.

Three Dog Night

Three Dog Night is a little bit softer rock than most of these other groups, but they still make for a fun listen!

• Joy to the World: Everyone knows this song! At least the bullfrog part...but the rest is good too! Who doesn't like a song about giving joy to the world?
• Liar: This song has a little bit of a spooky feel, and the chorus really drives the point home...don't be a LIAR!
• Mama Told Me: This is pretty funny, all about a guy at a party realizing he's made a horrible mistake.
• One: A great song about math...and loneliness. Even though it's sad, it's still a fun song.
• Family of Man: A nice upbeat song! Especially because the drums play on the upbeats a lot...
• Black and White: This is a great message about equality and tolerance. It has an interesting way of getting across the message.

Traffic

Traffic combines jazz and psychedelic rock, Traffic's music is pretty out there, but the bring it home with brass/sax hits and rockin' piano.

• Paper Sun: There's some eastern influences, with sitar sounds and dissonant chords.
• Freedom Rider: This song makes it because of the jazz flute solo! If you thought Ron Burgundy was good with the "yazz flute," then listen to this!
• Glad: This is a great instrumental track. Lots of saxophone!
• Feelin' Alright?: One of Traffic's most famous songs, it is also known from being covered by other groups.
• Dear Mr. Fantasy: A nice relaxed song, it gets more intense in the middle with a nice guitar solo!
• Shanghai Noodle Factory: This is a great song, with an even better name. What's not to like?
• Heaven is in Your Mind: Definitely listen to this in stereo, because I love the way that the vocals move from one ear to the other, as if you're listening to someone sing from a moving stage.
• The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys: I really enjoy everything about the instrumentation on this track. The piano, sax, drums, it all comes together into a nice long song.

Uriah Heep

This rock group is considered one of the originators of heavy metal. Not as dark as Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin, they are distinct for their smooth vocals and use of keyboards. They have produced over 20 albums, but sadly I can only give my opinion based on two. I shall try my best.

• Demons and Wizards (album): This is one of their earlier albums from the 1970's. There is a lot of organ throughout the tracks, giving it a sound different than other hard rock bands at the time. Many of the songs have a similar sound, but some of the best are "The Wizard," "Easy Livin'," "Poet's Justice," "Circle of Hands," and "Rainbow Demon."
• Sonic Origami (album): This album has a much harder rock sound than the other one, but there is still prevalent use of keyboards. My favorite track is "Between Two Worlds," especially the guitar solo in the last two minutes. Other great tracks are "Only the Young," "In The Moment," "Everything In Life," "Across the Miles," "Feels Like," and "Sweet Pretender."

XTC

This new wave group is not well-known at all, but they have some great singles if you're looking for something new, interesting, and different. They have lots of interesting guitar parts, along with some cool sound effects and strange lyrics.

• Science Friction: This wonderful song is a fast-paced romp with spacy-sounding synthesizers and quick drum fills.
• All You Pretty Girls: This song has a nice funky feel to it, along with some nice drum beats throughout.
• King For A Day: This track has a nice triplet feel to it, and an all-around nice offbeat groove on the drums.
• Statue of Liberty: This amusing song is about a guy being attracted to the Statue of Liberty...at least that's what it seems like. It could be a metaphor for immigrating to America. Or it could be about having a crush on a statue.
• Wrapped in Grey: It has a line "parrots and lemurs." I love it.
• Dear God: This is a really thought-provoking song. It's written from the point of view of a child, asking god why things happen the way they do.
• Grass: A nice chill song, it could be about romance, or a drug metaphor (things we used to do on grass), or most likely both.
• Love at First Sight: I really like the guitar rhythm on this track. That's pretty much it.
• Wake Up: I love the strange syncopation of the guitar. The song also has an interesting surreal feel to it, with voices whispering "wake up..."
• Making Plans for Nigel: The beat here is really interesting, and it's hard to figure it out at the beginning until the rest of the instruments join in.
• Senses Working Overtime: It's a song about the senses! I like the line about "tasting the difference between a lemon and a lime."

Yes

One of the greatest progressive rock groups of all time, Yes has had numerous lineups and countless members over the years. The "classic" lineup, consisting of Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Alan White, Chris Squire, and Geoff Downes, has produced some of the most epic prog rock songs you can find. Many of them are quite long, so take a seat and stay a while!

• Roundabout (Fragile): Probably Yes's most well-known song. This truly showcases Chris Squire's bass-playing and Steve Howe's guitar-playing abilities. There are numerous sections to this song, with each one better than the next.
• Yours is no Disgrace (The Yes Album): This begins with a repeating dual drums/bass rhythm. The song continues with alternating sections of fast-paced instrumentals and quietly sung lyrics.
• Perpetual Change (The Yes Album): The thing I love about this track is the rhythm that shows up repeatedly throughout the song. It's super groovy, and I could just listen to it played by the bass over and over.
• Starship Trooper (The Yes Album): It's a nice slow track, with dreamy lyrics and trippy instrumentals.
• Your Move/All Good People (The Yes Album): This song has two parts. The first is a serene melody, with chess-metaphor lyrics and acoustic guitar. The second part is an up-tempo rock, complete with some super nice bass and guitar harmonies.
• Close to the Edge (Close To The Edgge):
• 90125 and Big Generator: Maybe the songs I listed about are too weird, too out there, to progressivy. Well these two albums are Yes's attempt to become more mainstream, a harder rock alternative to the above mentioned songs. They feature guitarist Trevor Rabin, who provides a unique spin to Yes that is much different than Steve Howe demonstrated. On 90125, definitely listen to "Owner of a Lonely Heart," which has an amazing guitar part. Other great songs are "Hold On," "Changes," and "Leave It," which has lots of vocal harmonies and and other fun stuff going on. On Big Generator, take a listen to "Love Will Find A Way," "Shoot High, Aim Low," "Rhythm of Love," and "Holy Lamb."