Following on from Iain Dale’s list of his top 100 songs, I thought I would post my choices. Makes a refreshing change from writing about Phorm. I make no apologies for the fact that most of these are trad and classic rock. Some of these choices might surprise you. Others might not. As the lyrics to a song often have a story behind them, so do many of my choices.
Thanks to YouTube and the PRS having a spat some of the videos I wanted to use weren’t available to me, like the original studio version of Perfect Strangers (number 41). But we rockers love live performances so there’s a few of those here as well as some studio versions. There’s classic rock, trad rock, hair rock, glam rock, bluesy rock, blues, electronica, classic, a touch of goth and even some country & western! There are a couple I couldn’t find stuff for but I’m sure you get the general idea.
- Stargazer – Rainbow (this is a live version from 1976. Here is Ronnie James Dio’s band doing it in 2004 and The Taz Taylor band with Graham Bonnet doing it in 2007. This song takes me to a wonderfully happy place)
- Highway Star – Deep Purple (not the awesome version from the Japanese tour a few months later you’ll find on Made In Japan, this is the March 1972 performance in Denmark. Love Blackmore’s solo here. Pity about the camera work during the solo though)
- Phantom Of The Opera – Iron Maiden (For me this is the definitive Iron Maiden live sound)
- Back In Black – AC/DC
- Over The Hills And Far Away – Gary Moore
- Burn – Deep Purple (Blackmore played a blinder at the 1974 California Jam)
- Love Ain’t No Stranger – Whitesnake (much prefer the original bluesy version in remembrance of Mel Galley)
- 2112 – Rush
- Fear Of The Dark – Iron Maiden
- Neon Knights – Black Sabbath
- Kill The King – Rainbow
- All Night Long – Rainbow
- Fools – Deep Purple
- You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC (if you’re not a rocker then don’t ever cover AC/DC songs)
- No No No – Deep Purple (I love the Fireball album)
- Rock And Roll – Led Zeppelin
- Sweet Cherry Pie – Warrant (Oh yes, there’s some cheese in here too!)
- Touch Of Evil – Judas Priest (I love this song)
- Prince Charming – Adam And The Ants
- Hey Stoopid – Alice Cooper
- No Laughing In Heaven – Gillan (Awesome lyrics. That’s Janick Gers, now of Iron Maiden on guitar, btw)
- Mr Crowley – Ozzy Osbourne (Don Airey’s organ intro is anthemic)
- Doctor Doctor – UFO
- Gimme Gimme Gimme – Yngwie Malmsteen (no, I am not joking!)
- Cat Scratch Fever – Ted Nugent
- Fat Bottomed Girls – Queen
- Orgasmatron – Motorhead
- Remedy – Black Crowes
- Tarot Woman – Rainbow (Well, the whole Rising album actually *smile*)
- Angel Of Death – Slayer (language and content advisory. And before anyone gets smart, I have been to Auschwitz. Only comment on this choice if you’ve touched the barbed wire there.)
- Painkiller – Judas Priest
- Lovehunter – Whitesnake
- Forever Young – Tyketto
- Hell’s Bells – AC/DC
- Stormbringer – Deep Purple (this is then DP bassist Glenn Hughes showing Stormbringer still rocks today)
- Headless Cross – Black Sabbath (featuring the late great Cozy Powell)
- Afterlife – Blackthorne
- Radio Luxembourg – Taz Taylor Band
- Accident Of Birth – Bruce Dickinson
- Stranger In A Strange Land – Iron Maiden (A very underrated album this, and one with a great cover)
- Perfect Strangers – Deep Purple
- Let’s Get Rocked – Def Leppard (the cheese continues with this belter)
- Resurrection – Halford (One of Birmingham’s finest, the Metal God blew Iron Maiden off the stage as guest act on Maiden’s Brave New World tour gig at the NEC)
- Holy Diver – Dio
- Metal Invasion – Freedom Call
- Night Games – Graham Bonnet
- Eyes Of The World – Rainbow (played here by the Taz Taylor Band with Graham Bonnet)
- The Ripper – Judas Priest
- Nantucket Sleighride – Mountain
- Still I’m Sad – Rainbow (have some live 1976 Rainbow)
- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap – AC/DC
- The Battle Rages On – Deep Purple
- Get It On – T Rex
- Wernher von Braun – Tom Lehrer
- Popcorn – Hot Butter (Yes, I know it was written by Gershon Kingsley)
- Dancing Nylon Shirt – Gillan
- Apache – The Shadows
- Magic Roundabout – Jasper Carrott (Yes, I know it’s not a song but it was issued on a 7″ single)
- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Ennio Morricone
- Devil’s Gallop – Charles Williams Orchestra
- Rule Britannia (Last Night Of The Proms version)
- Slave To The Grind – Skid Row (language advisory)
- Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues – Whitesnake
- Breaking The Law – Judas Priest
- 1812 Overture – Cozy Powell
- The Third Man – Anton Karas
- Bride Of Frankenstein score – Franz Waxman (Just go and buy the DVD. Wonderful film, wonderful score, Boris Karloff and Ernest Thesiger are exceptional under James Whale’s direction. One of the best films on the planet)
- Adagio – Tomaso Albinoni
- Amish Paradise – Weird Al Yankovitch
- Perry Mason – Ozzy Osbourne (language advisory)
- Gates Of Babylon – Rainbow
- Out In The Fields – Gary Moore & Phil Lynott
- Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
- The Hellion/Electric Eye – Judas Priest
- It Is What It Is – The Highwaymen (please ignore the tomatoes)
- Ted The Mechanic – Deep Purple (when I heard this live on the Purpendicular tour I knew that Purple were well and truly back)
- The Masochism Tango – Tom Lehrer
- Bludsucker – Deep Purple
- Still Got The Blues For You – Gary Moore
- Dirty Deeds Done With Sheep – Bob Rivers (a wonderful AC/DC take off)
- Poisoning Pigeons In The Park – Tom Lehrer
- Keith Michell – Captain Beaky
- The Elements Song – Tom Lehrer
- The Final Countdown – Europe
- Bad Medicine – Bon Jovi
- Still Of The Night – Whitesnake (amazing hair on this video! I’ve seen the Snake live recently and they’re very good)
- The Vatican Rag – Tom Lehrer
- Video Killed The Radio Star – The Buggles
- N-n-n-n-nineteen Not Out – The Commentators (aka Rory Bremner) (I think I’ve still got this on 7″ single)
- Long Live Rock & Roll – Rainbow (this DVD looks to have been remastered and is well worth buying)
- Dirty Love – Thunder
- Sospan Fach – Traditional
- Naturally – Huey Lewis & The News
- Apocalyptica – Hall Of The Mountain King
- Big Fish Little Fish Cardboard Box – Bob The Builder
- They’re Coming To Take Me Away Ha Ha! – Neuroticfish
- When I Held Your Brain In My Arms – The Observers
- Anything Goes – John Barrowman
- Dive! Dive! Dive! – Bruce Dickinson
- No Hat No Boots No Job – Bob The Builder