"Streets" Ranked 28 on RollingStones "100 Greatest Guitar Songs"

[GirlsAloudFan]

If the songs on this list have anything to do with the particular impact the "riffs" had on the current musical culture...well then hell YES Smells Like Teen Spirit should be up there...

Four little power chords that fucking steamrolled everything that was coming before it and opened up the eyes of musicians and fans worldwide.

The three little power chords in Blitzkrieg Bop did the exact same thing back in '74.

 

[vaz02]

The three little power chords in Blitzkrieg Bop did the exact same thing back in '74.

I think Blitzkrieg Bop was 76 actually, not like im picking holes.
Sex pistols just pissed all over the Ramones imo

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

^ Released April 1976. You are correct.

My argument still stands that the impact of those simple chords at that time was similar to the impact of the simple chords in Smells Like Teen Spirit....thus they are both deserving of their spots on Rolling Stone's "list"

 

[LemonMelon]

Sex pistols just pissed all over the Ramones imo

No way. They could barely play their instruments and they only made one very overrated album.

Anarchy In The UK is alright though.

 

[vaz02]

No way. They could barely play their instruments

I think you may of missed the beauty then Ramones sounded too.. well clean :/

 

[OrARoundabout]

Where is Comfortably Numb? Has to be top 30 surely! Would be in my top 5.

Same here, while I don't agree with the list entirely I belive they made good selections. (Despite all the Springsteen repeats)

 

[Salome]

27. Look Over Yonders Wall - The Paul Butterfield Blues

this one did surprise me as I can't say I know the song (maybe when I hear it) and since the rest could have been put together in 5 minutes by someone who googled "guitar rawk"

 

[LemonMelon]

Bah, I got bored and made a top 30. It often overlaps with the original list, but this one is in no particular order:

Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
David Bowie - Moonage Daydream
Steely Dan - Kid Charlemagne
U2 - Bullet The Blue Sky
Pearl Jam - Alive
Aerosmith - Love In An Elevator
Radiohead - Paranoid Android
My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Prince - Purple Rain
Oasis - Slide Away
Television - Marquee Moon
Built To Spill - Carry The Zero
Cream - White Room
The Who - I Can't Explain
Yes - Mood For A Day
Wilco - At Least That's What You Said
Muse - Hysteria
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Call Me The Breeze
Free - All Right Now
Metallica - One
Cake - The Distance
White Stripes - Ball And Biscuit
Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot
Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl
The Velvet Underground - I'm Waiting For The Man
Rage Against The Machine - Bulls On Parade
The Beatles - Daytripper
The Rolling Stones - Sway

 

[pepokiss]

The whole BAND is overrated.

I knew I loved you for a reason

Kurt's dead and that band blew hair metal off the charts. And that's the song that did it. That's WTF.

If you weren't over 18 or 19 in 1991, you won't understand people's attachment.

that's the same reason it shouldn't be this high... if guys in their mid 30s are the only ones to understand this and think is the best song ever, is NOT a good song

not even a good riff

to be in the TOP 10 or even in the whole list the song has to be TIMELESS, that you, your father and your son can get something out of it

that's why "Back In Black" is WAY DOWN for what it should be, really

 

[LemonMelon]

that's the same reason it shouldn't be this high... if guys in their mid 30s are the only ones to understand this and think is the best song ever, is NOT a good song

not even a good riff

to be in the TOP 10 or even in the whole list the song has to be TIMELESS, that you, your father and your son can get something out of it

that's why "Back In Black" is WAY DOWN for what it should be, really

Agreed. Smells Like Teen Spirit hasn't aged all that well IMO.

 

[sue4u2]

When Nirvana was all the rage they just didn't do it for me. Then I saw the MTV un-plugged concert 4 months before he died - and was blown away. They were, in their prime, I loved it so much that I revisited thei catalog - but that is still the only cd I have of them.
I could never put together a list like this because I've seen so many 70/80's and 90's bands and Springsteen (live) concerts, and other obscure guitar bands that the riffs that blew me away, I couldn't begin to list them. And when I think of those albums that my ex and I fought over that he let melt in the trunk of his car, I still want to strangle him. With all that said, Streets is justified in being there. So deal with.

 

[veber]

I knew I loved you for a reason





that's the same reason it shouldn't be this high... if guys in their mid 30s are the only ones to understand this and think is the best song ever, is NOT a good song

not even a good riff

to be in the TOP 10 or even in the whole list the song has to be TIMELESS, that you, your father and your son can get something out of it

that's why "Back In Black" is WAY DOWN for what it should be, really

It's a great song. Most of the hate is because of the over the top reverence Kurt got after offing himself.

Rise above that.

Cultural impact is important. In fact, it's kinda what they're going for.

Look at that list again. Look at #1.

 

[Visiongfx]

Until the end of the world (intro especially) + the fly , edges two best guitar songs in my opinion. I wish he'd do something that inspiring again though =[

 

[pepokiss]

It's a great song. Most of the hate is because of the over the top reverence Kurt got after offing himself.

Rise above that.

Cultural impact is important. In fact, it's kinda what they're going for.

Look at that list again. Look at #1.

Nº1 was like 60 years ago... and it's still a damn fine rock and roll song

Nº10 is good... but the myth is even better, and it sells



if they were SO good, why is there no other Nirvana songs on this 100 lists?

hell... Foo Fighters are more kick ass and THE LAST ROCK BAND, fighting the good fight against the evil forces of hip hop and reggaetton

Glam Rock wasn't the enemy... bad haircuts were
that's not the case this time
bling bling is hard to fight











"God gave Rock&Roll to you... gave Rock&Roll to you... gave Rock&Roll to everyone..." (8)

 

[Chill Mike D]

Another one of Rolling Stone's incredibly wrongheaded lists. Jesus Christ. This may actually be worse than their Top 100 Guitar Players lists, where they actually had the unbelievable gall to put Pete Townshend down at #50 and Kirk Hammett at something like #11.

 

[pepokiss]

Rolling Stone is the MTV of magazines...

or at least is going that way...

 

[corianderstem]

They pretend they're still relevant, but insist on putting The Eagles on the cover. Or Led Zeppelin. In 2008.

Or ... my god, it pains me to even type this, but ... those useless assholes from The Hills.

Rolling Stone, it's time to at least stop pretending you're a cool rock & roll magazine.

 

[The Sad Punk]

hell... Foo Fighters are more kick ass and THE LAST ROCK BAND, fighting the good fight against the evil forces of hip hop and reggaetton

Glam Rock wasn't the enemy... bad haircuts were
that's not the case this time
bling bling is hard to fight





"God gave Rock&Roll to you... gave Rock&Roll to you... gave Rock&Roll to everyone..." (8)

Good god.

 

[joefun]

You all are kidding yourselves if you think smells like teen spirit is overrated. Dont let the hands of time hype you into believing something that isnt true.

 

[The Sad Punk]

You all are kidding yourselves if you think smells like teen spirit is overrated. Dont let the hands of time hype you into believing something that isnt true.

Good god.

 

[Hallucination]

Hahaha! Not one single Gn'R song on the list. Yeah whatever! Smells Like Teen Spirit in the top ten? the list is a joke.

 

[david]

Hahaha! Not one single Gn'R song on the list. Yeah whatever! Smells Like Teen Spirit in the top ten? the list is a joke.

Sweet Child O' Mine is #63 on the list.

 

[intedomine]

Smells Like Teen Spirit....i've never tired of it.

Actually, Nevermind is a near-perfect album. Drain You and Lounge Act are delights.

 

[fca780]

Not in the sense they usually use it, which is what surprises me about Streets appearing here.

Guitar songs usually are taken to mean songs with really over-done lead guitar parts with solos and mad riffs. Usually, U2, while heavily based around the guitar, is much more melodic and not your typical lead guitar style. Hence, not a guitar song band.

I don't agree with your point of view here man, I mean, the "typical lead guitar style" is way to subjective to be judge and also hear BTBS if you don't think there are lots of "parts with solos and mad riffs"... also as veber pointed out, not all bands there accomplish your "requirements".

Something else that should be considered in this Greatest gutiar songs is the way (creativity) this instrument moves you to a direct feeling and knows how, by itself, express a message. so..again, there are a lot fo bands there overrated and others underrated, as U2.

Ofc, is not easy to please everyone (this should not be about pleasing anyway) I think this list was not subjective enough at the right points of what a song requires to be "a Guitar Song of All Times"...
so yeah, not only because I'm a U2 fan, but as a music fan I think that U2 should be at least much more at the top of the list...
and I know Edge is not a crazy guitarist or an exceptional guitar player, but a gutiar song and music also is also about creativity and innovation, few have done that as much as Edge...
-FCA

 

[LPU2]

Good Lord, what does everyone have against Nirvana? They were an extraordinarily influential band who released what many critics and many listeners view as one of the great records of our time. And, yeah, it had some nice guitar in it too. No amount of fury and vitriol is going to change that.

On a related note, I wonder if Big Country is on the list. If I were to choose my top guitar albums, The Crossing would probably be number one.

 

[Hallucination]

Sweet Child O' Mine is #63 on the list.

Ahhh so it is. Thanks. I missed it. Duh. Even still it's way too low. SCOM is likely one of if not the most recognizable guitar intros of all time and has one of the most killer guitar solos of all time and is flat out one of the most popular songs of all time. #63? hahahahahahaha!!! yeah o.k. Rolling Stone. Good one.

 

[Zoots]

Nevermind

On A Plain

Even still it's way too low. SCOM is likely one of if not the most recognizable guitar intros of all time and has one of the most killer guitar solos of all time and is flat out one of the most popular songs of all time. #63? hahahahahahaha!!! yeah o.k. Rolling Stone. Good one.

Agreed 100%

 

[LemonMelon]

Good Lord, what does everyone have against Nirvana?

They did nothing that others before and after them did better, only Nirvana got the credit for these musical revelations because of MTV. Pavement, Sonic Youth, and Guided By Voices were better at making noise, Pearl Jam brought a classic rock aesthetic to the darkness, and Weezer had the hooks. Cobain was a great lyricist, but musically they offered nothing that the underground hadn't already seen. This is the reason for the backlash. A pretty logical argument if you ask me.

 

[Zoots]

Pavement, Sonic Youth, and Guided By Voices were better at making noise

But purely sound-wise, did any of those 3 bands kick the door of hair metal off it's hinges and send it hurtling to it's death, like Nevermind did? I'm asking because I don't know how those bands sound. Were they really as earth shattering as Smells Like Teen Spirit?

 

[LemonMelon]

But purely sound-wise, did any of those 3 bands kick the door of hair metal of it's hinges and send it hurtling to it's death, like Nevermind did? I'm asking because I don't know how those bands sound. Were they really as earth shattering as Smells Like Teen Spirit?

They were better, but earth-shattering is largely based on influence and mainstream success, not necessarily quality. The Velvet Underground were undoubtedly one of the most groundbreaking and influential bands of their time, but I know plenty of people that can't stand them.

It seems that lists like this and the bands that imitate them are what keep Nirvana in the public consciousness these days. The only time I ever hear about Nirvana on the internet is when people are arguing about whether or not the hype was valid. It's a damn shame, because their own hype and airplay have destroyed people's perception of them.