In Search of

May 10, 2006 8:54 PM

Name the most perfect rock song you've ever heard.

More specifically, share the name of the rock/metal/alternative song - preferrably recorded in the last 10 years - that you think is (near) flawless in every respect (ie: harmony, lyrics, vocals, musical execution etc) and totally amps you up every time you listen to it.

posted by rinkjustice to media & arts (49 comments total)

I might as well start first: The band Helmet have a song called Milquetoast which I think is virtually perfect is all respects. It's ultra-tight, great harmonies, awesome musicianship, lyrics, the whole nine. The song still gives me the chills, even 12 years and a million listens later.
posted by rinkjustice at 9:04 PM on May 10, 2006

Game of Pricks by Guided by Voices
Gemini (Birthday Song) by Why?
Let Me See the Colts by Smog
These are the Days by Lift to Experience
Gladiator by The Jesus Lizard
Into the Lavender Crevices of Evening the Otters are Pushed by Juno...

the list is endless pretty fucking long.
posted by dobbs at 9:06 PM on May 10, 2006

"Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson, or maybe "Hey Ya" by OutKast.

The White Stripes' "There's No Home for You Here" is pretty goddamn good, too. As is the New Pornographers "Letter From an Occupant." And "Staring at the Sun" by TV on the Radio. But I'm missing a lot, I know.

From before ten years ago:

The Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime"
The Bob Seger System's "2+2"
posted by maxreax at 9:11 PM on May 10, 2006

Definitely going to have to second Gladiator.
posted by cellphone at 9:13 PM on May 10, 2006

rinkjustice, you might want to have a look at this.
posted by bigmusic at 9:13 PM on May 10, 2006

"Popozao."
posted by johngoren at 9:17 PM on May 10, 2006

Since U Been Gone

You must be new here. This is the part where we all try to name painfully obscure acts and out hipster one another. Then we'll argue about genres.
posted by phrontist at 9:18 PM on May 10, 2006

I'd like people to submit one truly incredible and brilliant rock tune that completely blew their minds.

That's a great list dobbs, but we're just going to get into "what's on my mp3 player" lists and that's not what I'm after.
posted by rinkjustice at 9:19 PM on May 10, 2006

That 10 year criteria makes it hard, but just to preempt people jumping on maxreax, I agree with "Hey Ya"by Outkast.

Beyond that, well. Motor Away by Guided by Voices. Fall on Me by R.E.M. Berlin Chair by You Am I. And Teenage Riot by Sonic Youth.
posted by Jimbob at 9:21 PM on May 10, 2006

Gladiator for the uninitiated. Since the thread will probably be deleted anyway.
posted by dobbs at 9:22 PM on May 10, 2006

All I Want Is You - U2. Awesome instrumental section for the last 5 or so minutes.

Champagne Supernova - Oasis.

Best Of You - Foo Fighters. Great lyrics, sung with passion, sets the scene, gets you pumped then eases off a bit, then comes pounding back with a spine tingling finish! Amazing.

These Days - Powderfinger. Great melody, spot on.

Hmm, surprised myself at how commercial that all is, but there you go!
posted by paterg at 9:23 PM on May 10, 2006

You must be new here. This is the part where we all try to name painfully obscure acts and out hipster one another. Then we'll argue about genres.

I meant "Condescending Irony" by Pitchfork and the Urban Outfitters.
posted by maxreax at 9:23 PM on May 10, 2006

Champagne Supernova - Oasis

Nice call paterg. I totally agree.
posted by rinkjustice at 9:27 PM on May 10, 2006

"New Noise" by the Refused. It's got quiet bits and loud bits and it sounds like they really mean it.
posted by nomis at 9:30 PM on May 10, 2006

On preview, I see you already got your best answer. Dang.
posted by nomis at 9:30 PM on May 10, 2006

1)Springsteen -- Jungleland

2)Springsteen -- Born to Run
posted by bim at 9:30 PM on May 10, 2006

"She Says What She Means" by Sloan. A miniature rock opera in just over three minutes, and not a second of it is wasted.
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:33 PM on May 10, 2006

Should this thread survive the night, I think I'm actually going to choose a winner and pronounce what "The Ultimate Rock Tune" (echo, echo) made in the last 10 years is!

Keep the suggestions coming, but please give only one.
posted by rinkjustice at 9:37 PM on May 10, 2006

"Fall Behind Me" - The Donnas, Gold Medal
posted by nicwolff at 9:37 PM on May 10, 2006

"Memphis Groove Thing" by Rob Jungklas (c. 1984)
posted by hwestiii at 9:38 PM on May 10, 2006

Two from the Foo Fighters:

My Hero
Walking After You

I know the former is supposedly about Kurt Cobain. Doesn't matter. Amidst the thunderous drums and guitars, it could be about anyone's hero.

Walking After You was originally on the X-Files movie soundtrack. But I always liked the notion of it being just about unrequited love. You know, standard rock stuff.

More:

Don't Get Lost in Heaven -- Gorillaz
Demon Days -- Gorillaz

These two tracks are the last two on the album. Very hopeful and anthemic. And it's really weird hearing a classic gospel choir singing with British accents.
posted by frogan at 9:39 PM on May 10, 2006

"She is my sin" by Nightwish. Dunno why, but it's one of the few songs that I can always listen to and think "Dude, that song rocks."
posted by drstein at 9:40 PM on May 10, 2006

"Die Hard Crush" by Starling - email me if you actually want to hear it. They are certainly obscure, but not in a way that makes me cool. :)

Also, despite the rules, I hope this thread doesn't get deleted...there's stuff here I haven't heard. I may save the link just in case.

On preview, since you said you're going to pick a winner, can I instant-runoff-vote for Best of You? Might have been first choice if the post-production wasn't so hamfisted.
posted by pinespree at 9:42 PM on May 10, 2006

"Gay Bar" by Electric Six is superb, pure archetype: Swaggering manly vocals, beautiful hooks, hard driving up-tempo rhythm section, blistering guitar breaks; lyrically, it delivers Thanatos and Eros simultaneously. I occasionally set this to loop on my iPod when traffic is moving well, it just rocks so hard.
posted by Scoo at 9:43 PM on May 10, 2006

I don't know about perfect the perfect rock song, but for years I praised "Faith" by George Michael as the perfect pop song. Then I heard "Since U Been Gone". Damn.

Of course, I also like "I Want You Back" by the Jackson Five, especially that Motown Remixed version (or whatever it's called).

Perfect rock song, though. Hm. "Bohemian Rhapsody"?
posted by jdroth at 9:50 PM on May 10, 2006

I'm with nomis.
posted by sanko at 9:50 PM on May 10, 2006

Hmmm... either Passenger Side by Wilco or Waiting by Cake.

Or Hummingbird by Wilco. Or New York City by They Might Be Giants.

Oh forget it. I can't pick just one.
posted by kdern at 9:51 PM on May 10, 2006

bim is my now my favorite MeFite. However, I personally prefer Thunder Road as The Boss's perfect rock song, though that's just me.
posted by jmd82 at 9:53 PM on May 10, 2006

Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis
posted by caddis at 9:53 PM on May 10, 2006

Second the Foo Fighters, but I nominate "Everlong".

Similarly, Queens of the Stone Age: "No One Knows".
posted by sian at 9:53 PM on May 10, 2006

"Sober", by Tool... soooo awesome. Actually, there's at least like 5 perfect rock songs by Tool, really.
posted by twiggy at 9:55 PM on May 10, 2006

"Bob" by Nofx
posted by spork at 9:59 PM on May 10, 2006

OK, I'm a little scared of the berating I might catch for posting this.... But "Only in Dreams," Weezer. Perfect rock ballad.
posted by fireflies to stars at 10:01 PM on May 10, 2006

Ted Leo & Pharmacists, "Me and Mia," and how.
posted by Zozo at 10:02 PM on May 10, 2006

"Milquetoast" is pretty awesome, most of the other nominations suck, and Zeppelin's "Achilles' Last Stand" is truly the greatest rock song ever performed.
posted by Kwantsar at 10:02 PM on May 10, 2006

New York City by They Might Be Giants

It's a cover, and not the only perfect song from Cub.

Also, the New Pornographers should totally be disqualified. I mean, seriously, where do you start? "Mass Romantic"? "The Laws Have Changed"? "The Bleeding Heart Show"? "Jackie, Dressed in Cobras"? It just goes on and on.

I think that what all of this demonstrates is that perfect songs are easy to come by; getting them played on the radio is the hard part.
posted by jjg at 10:04 PM on May 10, 2006

"Gladiator" by The Jesus Lizard sounds like a cat in heat. Or perhaps the muffled sounds of a man being tortured. My god it's awful.

I'm clearly turning into my father.
posted by Justinian at 10:12 PM on May 10, 2006

Bathory's "Shores in Flames."

It is flawless in every respect and it gives me chills up and down my spine every time I hear it.
posted by ikkyu2 at 10:13 PM on May 10, 2006

Björk's "Army of Me" from Telegram; "Worthy" from Not a Pretty Girl and "Dilate" from Dilate by Ani DiFranco; "Magdalena" from Mer de Noms by A Perfect Circle; "Everyday is a Winding Road," a Sheryl Crow song covered by Prince on Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic; and "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead from OK Computer.
posted by cgc373 at 10:15 PM on May 10, 2006

I'm going to ignore the time limit and name "Fortunate Son" by CCR, the live recording that starts "this one is for all our friends from the press..." Runner up "Travelling Band" also by CCR. Both are short, sweet and both rock and roll.

getting more current, but still more than 10y off
"Fuck School" by the Replacements

More recently:
"Meet the Beatles" by Peter Parker
"Cold Hard Bitch" by Jet (to pick one)
"Timebomb" Live Version off Satellite Rides, by Old97s
posted by Good Brain at 10:18 PM on May 10, 2006

Like a Stone- Audioslave. I don't even know why and I don't know anything else by them but that song gives me chills.

Does the fact that the 10 year time limit gave me severe problems mean that I'm old? I think it might.
posted by fshgrl at 10:18 PM on May 10, 2006

However, I personally prefer Thunder Road as The Boss's perfect rock song, though that's just me.

This is empirically true. No other opinions will be tolerated. The correct list goes something like:

1. Thunder Road
2. Jungleland
3. Dancing in the Dark
4. Atlantic City
5. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
6. Badlands
7. Thunder Road
8. Streets of Philadelphia
9. Born to Run
10. Thunder Road
posted by maxreax at 10:18 PM on May 10, 2006

Or fshgrl, it means that rock is really f-ing old by now.
posted by Good Brain at 10:23 PM on May 10, 2006

The question asks for rock/metal/alternative songs, and Outkast and Kelly Clarkson are among the suggestions? Weird... on the one hand, hip-hop duo; on the other, vocalist who doesn't write her own material and whose fame was engineered by a television show. \w/ \w/
posted by emelenjr at 10:24 PM on May 10, 2006

The question asks for rock/metal/alternative songs, and Outkast and Kelly Clarkson are among the suggestions? Weird... on the one hand, hip-hop duo; on the other, vocalist who doesn't write her own material and whose fame was engineered by a television show. \w/ \w/

Must... fight... urge... to... challenge... wack... biases...
posted by maxreax at 10:31 PM on May 10, 2006

max, just because hip-hop is not rock doesn't mean it's bad. They're different, that's all.
posted by jjg at 10:37 PM on May 10, 2006

The most perfect rock album of all time came out a lot longer than ten years ago, but it still bears mentioning: Who's Next

Every single song on it is outstanding. Even after 30 years, there's nothing out there today to compare.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 10:38 PM on May 10, 2006

The most perfect rock song/album of all time is clearly whatever album influenced you the most when you were 16-18.
posted by Justinian at 10:40 PM on May 10, 2006

Super Stupid - Funkadelic
posted by minkll at 10:43 PM on May 10, 2006