Decade Defining Rock Songs?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Is disco "rock"?

If so, pretty much gotta throw a couple BeeGees numbers into 70s. If not, never mind.

Alice Cooper: "...if you hated disco, you still, there was no way you could hate ‘Saturday Night Fever’ that album was the ‘Sgt Pepper’ of disco, I mean even heavy metal guys said yeah I have that album, every song on that album was a great song, so I tip my hat to the Bee Gees on that, they were unbelievable..."

So yeah, I would call something like "Stayin' Alive" a decade defining song.

I would also throw in a funk song like "Sex Machine" or "Superstition" 

[MU82]

You should leave!

Yeah, I knew that would not be popular. But I do agree with Fluffy. I pretty much hated disco, but I liked Saturday Night Fever. Impossible not to dance a little while listening to Stayin' Alive.

Of course, that doesn't mean disco is "rock."

[Galway Eagle]

Is disco "rock"?

If so, pretty much gotta throw a couple BeeGees numbers into 70s. If not, never mind.

Funny. I had this conversation with my dad last night. And no I am not putting Disco on.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Yeah, I knew that would not be popular. But I do agree with Fluffy. I pretty much hated disco, but I liked Saturday Night Fever. Impossible not to dance a little while listening to Stayin' Alive.

Of course, that doesn't mean disco is "rock."

82, Fluffy and Keefe back in the day

[drewm88]

For your 2010s you'd definitely need some Adele and Bruno Mars. Some of Taylor Swift's more genre-appropriate stuff. Black Keys if you go later on in their stuff.

Celtic's 2000s list has some awful songs IMO, but you're still probably right. Also missing Caring is Creepy or New Slang by the Shins. Take your pick.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

82, Fluffy and Keefe back in the day

My hairline definitely makes me the dude on the left.

[Spotcheck Billy]

Is disco "rock"?

If so, pretty much gotta throw a couple BeeGees numbers into 70s. If not, never mind.

^ ban dis guy

[Lennys Tap]

Is disco "rock"?

Not according to Steve Dahl, Chicago rock jock whose brain child was "Disco Demolition Night". July 12, 1979 - 50,000+ jammed Comiskey Park for a twilight double header. If you brought a disco record you were admitted for 98 cents (Dahl's station was WLUP 97.9 FM). Dahl (in full military garb) exploded the records in center field between games. Crowd stormed the field and it was unplayable by the time they were removed. Maybe 100 arrested, Sox forfeited game 2 of the doubleheader.

[Galway Eagle]

For your 2010s you'd definitely need some Adele and Bruno Mars. Some of Taylor Swift's more genre-appropriate stuff. Black Keys if you go later on in their stuff.

Celtic's 2000s list has some awful songs IMO, but you're still probably right. Also missing Caring is Creepy or New Slang by the Shins. Take your pick.

Bruno is RnB meets soul meets pop, Swift is pop or country.

[Chili]

Putting some more out there and tried not to repeat from what others have said. Also tried to limit to it to 1 artist 1 song though some small exceptions. I find it CRIMINAL that I am the first to mention Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Sex Pistols, Pixies and Bowie. Thankfully buckchucker got Sabbath in there or hell would have to be raised. Great topic. Fun to debate. U2 is the most overrated band of all time.

70s

Blitzkrig Bop - The Ramones
Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols
Holiday in Cambodia - The Dead Kennedys
Search & Destroy - Iggy & The Stooges
Lust for Life - Iggy Pop
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
Life on Mars? - Bowie
War Pigs - Black Sabbath
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

80s

Fight for Your Right - Beastie Boys
Suburban Home - Descendants
Where Is My Mind - Pixies
Purple Rain - Prince and the Revolution (deserve many spots)
Rise Above - Black Flag

90s

Say It Ain't So - Weezer
Loser - Beck
Killing in the Name Of - Rage Against the Machine
Gold Soundz -  Pavement
Closer - Nine Inch Nails
Sabotage - Beastie Boys
Cannonball - The Breeders
F*ck and Run - Liz Phair
Linoleum - NoFX
Infected - Bad Religion
Porch - Pearl Jam
Hunger Strike - Temple of the Dog

[Galway Eagle]

Putting some more out there and tried not to repeat from what others have said. Also tried to limit to it to 1 artist 1 song though some small exceptions. I find it CRIMINAL that I am the first to mention Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Sex Pistols, Pixies and Bowie. Thankfully buckchucker got Sabbath in there or hell would have to be raised. Great topic. Fun to debate. U2 is the most overrated band of all time.

70s

Blitzkrig Bop - The Ramones
Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols
Holiday in Cambodia - The Dead Kennedys
Search & Destroy - Iggy & The Stooges
Lust for Life - Iggy Pop
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
Life on Mars? - Bowie
War Pigs - Black Sabbath
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

80s

Fight for Your Right - Beastie Boys
Suburban Home - Descendants
Where Is My Mind - Pixies
Purple Rain - Prince and the Revolution (deserve many spots)
Rise Above - Black Flag

90s

Say It Ain't So - Weezer
Loser - Beck
Killing in the Name Of - Rage Against the Machine
Gold Soundz -  Pavement
Closer - Nine Inch Nails
Sabotage - Beastie Boys
Cannonball - The Breeders
F*ck and Run - Liz Phair
Linoleum - NoFX
Infected - Bad Religion
Porch - Pearl Jam
Hunger Strike - Temple of the Dog

If I'm doing the stooges I'm doing 1969 or I wanna be your dog.

I was 100% sure milo goes to college was a 90s album. Blew my mind that suburban home was from 82

[drewm88]

Bruno is RnB meets soul meets pop, Swift is pop or country.

Well crap this would be easier if you would just let us know where your arbitrary lines are.

[Galway Eagle]

Well crap this would be easier if you would just let us know where your arbitrary lines are.

😂 to me if an artist is buying songs from writer, using synth more than an actual band, doesn't have a group they tour with and instead hires new musicians to be backup they don't belong on this list. There's an occasional exception like Brian Fallon's solo stuff but I feel confident in holding that standard against swift or mars or Sheerhan

[rocket surgeon]

da yoopers - 2nd week of deer camp

manfred mann's earth band - blinded by the light

commander cody & his lost planet airmen - hot rod lincoln

   son, you're gonna drive me to drinkin if ya don't stop drivin that hot...rod...lincoln

dave matthews - ants marching

philip philips - gone gone gone

da yoopers - 2nd week of deer camp

[Dr. Blackheart]

Decade changing and only two women mentions and one is Taylor Swift?  Let's start with Janis.

[Galway Eagle]

Decade changing and only two women mentions and one is Taylor Swift?  Let's start with Janis.

Joan Jett's version of I love Rock n Roll? I wasn't around in the 80s but seems like it'd belong

[Chili]

Decade changing and only two women mentions and one is Taylor Swift?  Let's start with Janis.

I counted more:

Blondie
Madonna
Liz Phair
The Breeders

I was thinking of putting in Sleater Kinney and maybe L7 as well for the 90s. One could also argue Hole. Bikini Kill also.

[StillAWarrior]

Joan Jett's version of I love Rock n Roll? I wasn't around in the 80s but seems like it'd belong

Heart -- Barracuda (70s)

[Billy Hoyle]

Decade changing and only two women mentions and one is Taylor Swift?  Let's start with Janis.

I guess it depends on if we're doing "pop" or "rock." The most successful female artists of the 80's and 90's fall into the pop genre.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Pat Benatar, Wendy O (punk), 10,000 Manics (The Athens Group of Alt Rock).

[Galway Eagle]

I counted more:

Blondie
Madonna
Liz Phair
The Breeders

I was thinking of putting in Sleater Kinney and maybe L7 as well for the 90s. One could also argue Hole. Bikini Kill also.

Don't forget Gwen Stefani. Someone mentioned no doubt

[ATL MU Warrior]

I counted more:

Blondie
Madonna
Liz Phair
The Breeders

I was thinking of putting in Sleater Kinney and maybe L7 as well for the 90s. One could also argue Hole. Bikini Kill also.

1990's - Veruca Salt
2000's - Evanescence
2010's - Best Coast; Sleigh Bells; Chvrches; Phantogram; Sylvan Esso

[CTWarrior]

Pat Benatar, Wendy O (punk), 10,000 Manics (The Athens Group of Alt Rock).

What is a seminal song by any of these three?  Others made good calls on Janis Joplin (Me and Bobby McGee) and Heart (Barracuda which someone else mentioned).  I liked Pat Benetar (her live in her prime and she was great) and Natalie Merchant, too, but none of their songs scream essential song of any decade to me.

I didn't go past the eighties but P!nk has a lot of good stuff and belongs somewhere on a list.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Trying to help with the post 2010:

Satellite - Rise Against
Burn it Down - Linkin Park
Waiting for the End - Linkin Park
Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
Come with Me Now - Kongos
Country Song - Seether
Sail - AWOLnation
Kings and Queens - 30 Seconds to Mars

That's all I got. Hasn't be a strong decade for rock honestly.

[Jockey]

😂 to me if an artist is buying songs from writer, using synth more than an actual band, doesn't have a group they tour with and instead hires new musicians to be backup they don't belong on this list. There's an occasional exception like Brian Fallon's solo stuff but I feel confident in holding that standard against swift or mars or Sheerhan

I agree.

Or since the thread was originally about "rock", wouldn't that automatically eliminate swift, mars, Sheerhan, Adele, all disco, etc. If that is anyone's definition of rock, a refresher course is urgently needed. Most of the lists so far have simply been pulled from a classic rock radio station's playlist. There is so much more.

I'm not seeing songs from Decemberists, RATM, Audioslave, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, R.E.M.,Offspring, Cranberries, Tonic, Black Crowes, Sublime, Cake, or many others.

Or songs from earlier greats like Savoy Brown, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter, James Gang, Robin Trower and more.