ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS

As promised, I am listing my favorite 40 Heavy Metal-type songs, in complete contrast to my previous listing of my favorite 40 Classical Music selections.  These songs are meant to be played loudly with the car windows down, or nobody else at home and those home windows rattling.  Most but not all have driving beats with "in your face" guitar licks. Some Heavy Metal bands are absent such as Metallica or AC DC; I simply don't care for their music.  What I like, I really like, such as Led Zeppelin, Van Halen and Rush.  Main stream?  Yes, I'll grant that. I particularly like the Canadian group Rush because of the interesting, musically challenging things they do with their music, such as the use of odd time signatures and lyrics about subjects other than falling in love.  Just give me Rush's Alex Lifeson on terrific lead guitar, the best drummer (my opinion) in the world presently, Neil Peart, playing the relentless skins, and the quirky sounding singer and bassist, Geddy Lee, and it's time to roll down the windows and Katy bar the door.  Check out two great videos below the list: one from the "old men" of the Who (in their 60's) in an unbelieveable 2001 NYC benefit concert, and Rush, many, many years ago performing my #1 song.   

Yes, I do have eclectic tastes.  Yes, it depends on what mood I am in.... So here is my 40 favorite Roll Down the Window songs!  I wonder how old I have to get before I transition and stop listening to this stuff?  Who knows?  Maybe never.  In the coming months, I will do the near impossible feat of listing my favorite 40 Rock songs.

40.   Plush---Stone Temple Pilots   I really like STP.  This song is one of my favorites of theirs.   Go Scott Weiland! Stay out of jail, please.
39.   Cars---Gary Numan  Years ago, I blew out a set of speakers listening to this “one-hit wonder,” electronic song with an underlying, driving (no pun intended) beat.
38.  Crazy Train—Ozzy Osbourne   A crazy man singing a hard driving, crazy song about riding off the wheels on a crazy train.
37.   Who Do You Love—George Thorogood & The Destroyers   I had to include one by George.  It’s fun to let myself go and belt out “who do you luuuuuuuuuuv?”.
36.  Need You Tonight---INXS   I’m not a big fan of this group but I like a couple of their songs. This is a tune from my disc jockeying days.  You’re my kind…. (That’s a sixth interval for "you're my..." from the song's last line--for singers out there.)
35.  Black Hole Sun---Soundgarden   This song has a slow beat, but when the chorus comes, watch out!  This is my favorite song to sing along to with Rock Band.  “Won’t you come, won’t you come….?”
34.  Wanted Dead or Alive---Jon Bon Jovi   I remember hearing this song for the first time with my daughter Rebecca.  I’ve been a fan ever since. Another song to belt out in the car.
33.  Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting—Elton John   A high energy song from Elton that was covered, ironically, by the BYU Marching Band in my university days when dinosaurs roamed the world.
32.  No One Knows—Queens of the Stone Age   I was turned on to the Queens by Rebecca as well.  I did an air guitar rendition of this song at a talent show and blew the surprised twenty-something kids away.
31.  Misty Mountain Hop---Led Zeppelin  This is the first of many appearances on my list by Jimmy Page and the boys. This song by Led Zeppelin epitomizes the roll-down-the-window sound.
30.  Dirty Laundry---Don Henley   A great song with mechanical sounding back-up singers who like to “kick ‘em when they’re up, kick ‘em when they’re down.”
29.  The Stroke—Billy Squier   This is a relentless, driving, grinding, hard beat song.  How many roll down the window songs contain a riff from an opera?
28.  Purple Haze---Jimi Hendrix   Of all the great guitarists that play on my list, Jimi is the best.  “‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky!”
27.  Voodoo Chile---Stevie Ray Vaughan   The white "Jimi" covering a Jimi song.  Jimi’s version is more raw; Stevie Ray’s is more polished and full.
26.  Sharp Dressed Man---ZZ Top   What a great sounding song with their typical relentless beat!  The subject is kind of out there, but I guess “every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man."
25.  Smells Like Teen Spirit---Nirvana   I always turn up the volume on this song that influences music even today in 2011, even though you can’t understand many of the lyrics.  Weird Al’s cover makes fun of the lyrics and is fun to listen to.
24.  Theme from Shaft---Isaac Hayes   No guitar in sight, just a drumstick on a cymbal to set the “cool.”  Turn up the volume, you “bad muhtha ….”   Another song played interestingly enough by the BYU Marching Band at games back in 1973.
23.  What You Need---INXS   A great song with a hard driving back beat.  I love to turn up the volume whenever this comes on the radio.
22.  Simply Irresistible---Robert Palmer   He died way too early.  What were those mechanical sounds, anyway?
21.  Everybody’s Got Something to Hide---The Beatles   I didn’t want to use Helter Skelter.  This gem with bizarre lyrics is from the White Album and has bass notes from newly married Paul’s guitar that will rattle any set of speakers.
20.  The Star Spangled Banner---Jimi Hendrix   This cover of the National Anthem at Woodstock is so raw, so over the top.  It’s just pure Jimi and his upside down, restrung, Stratocaster, blowing minds (of course, the kids' minds were blown already.)
19.  The Immigrant Song---Led Zeppelin    You want a driving beat?  Jack Black had it right when he used this song in the movie “School of Rock.”
18.  Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me---U2  The song from one of the Batman movies doesn’t have a driving beat but was definitely made to be played loudly.
17.  Free Will---Rush   This is the first appearance for my favorite Roll Down the Window band.  This subject matter of the song’s lyrics is not standard rock music fare.  “I will choose free will!”
16.  Bohemian Rhapsody---Queen   Starts out slowly and ends slowly, but this crazy tune is so well known and it’s great fun to sing along to.  Don’t hurt your neck, though. 
15.  Eruption---Van Halen   Cranking up this instrumental tune is dangerous for speakers and windows.  Listen to Eddie use his “tapping” technique that involves tapping the strings of the fingerboard or neck of the guitar.
14.  Pinball Wizard---The Who  Another great song from long ago that is great to sing along with.  “That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball!”
13.  Frankenstein---The Edgar Winter Group   A high powered marriage of guitar and electronic music, especially near the end where it’s all spacey, electronic sounds.
12.  Mach 5---Presidents of the United States   There are a number of POTUS songs that I could have included.  This piece is my favorite. Their music is playful and often hard driving, and the subject matter crazy.  Opposable thumbs?  Peaches?
11.  Unchained---Van Halen   This is the favorite VH song of many people. It has all of the ingredients to qualify for a quintessential Roll Down the Window tune.  Happy Birthday to David Lee Roth today (he's exactly my age!)
10.  Whip It---Devo   This song was performed at a church karaoke party by all six Davises!  I guess it is our family song…which is an interesting commentary on our family.  Rap along with this rap from the upside down flower pots.
9.  Rock and Roll---Led Zeppelin   I really like the relentlessly driving sound of this song.  It’s old school rock and roll with a heavy metal twist.
8.  Rock This Town---Stray Cats   This is just a fun song to both listen, sing, and, yes, to swing dance to (which I do.)  This tune makes me want to get out on the dance floor and swing Ann around.
7.   Vaseline----Stone Temple Pilots   Scott Weiland and the boys served up a modern classic that grinds and drives.  This song was definitely made to be played loudly.
6.  Won’t Get Fooled Again---The Who   This song is a standard, a classic.  Roger Daltry’s primal scream near the end is the best.  This song exudes energy and sheer power.
5.  Panama----Van Halen   The main reason for this song being this high on my list is the F Sharp (the top of this Bass II's range) that David Lee sings throughout the song which I try to match as I sing along. "Paaanama…".
4.  La Grange---ZZ Top   “They’ve got a lot of nice girls” at La Grange.  If you want driving, in-your-face music, this is your tune by the bearded boys from a small town in Texas.
3.  Me Wise Magic---Van Halen   This is probably a surprising choice for people who roll down windows, but I really enjoy David Lee’s lower voice register backed up by a relentless rumbling guitar supporting him.
2.  The Spirit of Radio---Rush   What I love about Rush is their musicality.  They’re not afraid to play different genres, mix time signatures, and in general, challenge me musically.  This song displays their talent.
1.  Tom Sawyer---Rush   My very favorite song from my favorite Roll Down the Window group. My volume is always cranked up for this piece, played often in a 7/4 time signature—7 beats to the measure. Neil Peart's drumming in incredible.