My 100 Favorite Rock Songs of All-Time (at least as of today) -- Spotify Playlist Included

After posting My 100 All-time Favorite Artists of Popular Music on Sunday, I was asked if I could cite my 100 favorite songs in a rock or pop music vein.

So I quickly put this list together, and think it's pretty accurate even if almost every song could easily be swapped out for another one I love, even by the same artist.

Reflecting the flavor of my favorite artists list, you'll note a preponderance of guitar-driven hard rock tunes, mostly of a classic or alternative rock bent.

This is clearly what I enjoy most in a rock vein, but not only would an exhaustive list of songs I enjoy include a much wider swath in terms of pure pop, soul, blues and more, but would also represent my love of Broadway, several great jazz tunes, classical compositions and more.

For your listening pleasure, I compiled a Spotify Playlist to match the list below, albeit without a combined six songs by The Beatles and Bob Seger, whose songs aren't streaming. So I added 6 other songs to make a 100-tune Seth Saith favorites playlist and cite them at the end here.

1. Backstreets - Bruce Springsteen
2. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
3. Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin
4. Baba O' Riley - The Who
5. You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
6. Going Underground - The Jam
7. The Spirit of Radio - Rush
8. Where the Streets Have No Name - U2
9. Badlands - Bruce Springsteen
10. London Calling - The Clash

11. I Wanna Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
12. Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie
13. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
14. A Day in the Life - The Beatles
15. Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
16. So. Central Rain - R.E.M.
17. Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
18. Pride (in the Name of Love) - U2
19. Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
20. Bullet with Butterfly Wings - Smashing Pumpkins

21. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix Experience
22. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
23. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
24. The Whole of the Moon - The Waterboys
25. Surrender - Cheap Trick
26. 29x the Pain - The Wildhearts
27. The Waiting - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
28. Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil
29. Hurt - Johnny Cash
30. After the Gold Rush - Neil Young



31. Local Boy in the Photograph - Stereophonics
32. Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon
33. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) - Bruce Springsteen
34. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
35. Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
36. Welcome to the Jungle - Guns 'n Roses
37. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
38. Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
39. A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles
40. Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks

41. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding - Elvis Costello
42. Instant Karma - John Lennon
43. Once in A Lifetime - Talking Heads
44. Begin the Begin - R.E.M.
45. Jeremy - Pearl Jam
46. Street Fighting Man - The Rolling Stones
47. Everyday People - Sly and the Family Stone
48. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend - The Ramones
49. Lithium - Nirvana
50. Police on My Back - The Clash

51. Over the Hills and Far Away - Led Zeppelin
52. The Ties That Bind - Bruce Springsteen
53. Rain - The Beatles
54. Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
55. Lola - The Kinks
56. Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix Experience
57. Creep - Radiohead
58. And the Cradle Will Rock - Van Halen
59. I'll Stick Around - Foo Fighters
60. Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones

61. Life on Mars - David Bowie
62. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
63. Alive - Pearl Jam
64. Green Mind - Dinosaur Jr.
65. Layla - Derek and the Dominoes
66. Feel Like A Number - Bob Seger
67. Darkness on the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen
68. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
69. Dream On - Aerosmith
70. So Lonely - The Police

71. She's Not There - The Zombies
72. To Be Someone - The Jam
73. Beyond Belief - Elvis Costello
74. Blow Up the Outside World - Soundgarden
75. When the Angels Cry - Jason and the Scorchers
76. Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon
77. Friday I'm In Love - The Cure
78. Whole World With You - Willie Nile
79. If I Can't Change Your Mind - Sugar
80. Ticket to Ride - The Beatles

81. Apply Some Pressure - Maximo Park
82. A Thousand Trees - Stereophonics
83. Refugee - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
84. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love - Van Halen
85. Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters
86. American Idiot - Green Day
87. I'll Be You - The Replacements
88. Been a Son - Nirvana
89. Just What I Needed - The Cars
90. The Price You Pay - Bruce Springsteen

91. Pretty Persuasion - R.E.M.
92. Hey, Hey, My, My - Neil Young
93. Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns 'n Roses
94. Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder
95. Your Song - Elton John
96. Hells Bells - AC/DC
97. Redemption Song - Bob Marley
98. Rain on the Scarecrow - John Mellencamp
99. Ball and Chain - Social Distortion
100. Blasphemous Rumors - Depeche Mode

6 extra songs for the Spotify playlist since The Beatles (5) and Bob Seger (1) aren't there.

Get Over You - The Undertones
Maggie May - Rod Stewart
Don't Look Back - Boston
Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley
Train in Vain - The Clash
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys 

Plus two more songs I really like and wanted to include:

Buck Rogers - Feeder
Common People - Pulp

Sorry Haters, but I Still Love U2

See this story here

Never mind that ISIS continues to chop people's heads off, half the NFL is seemingly battering women and children while the powers that be engage in massive cover-ups, the Middle East remains mired in deadly unrest, kids are killed on the streets of Chicago nearly every single day, the oligarchy is screwing over 99.9% of the people in countless ways—from higher food & gas prices to still-decimated job markets, home values and personal wealth—and whether one wants to believe it or not, environmental catastrophe is not an implausibility due to such trifling things as the dissipation of polar ice caps.

Yet what really has people pissed off is being given the gift of free music. 

To quote a line I can't help thinking of whenever news is horrific or just inane:

I can't believe the news today /
I can't close my eyes and make it go away

-- U2, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

Ever since 9/9/14, when Apple's announcement of the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch were accompanied by the surprising and sudden sharing of U2's long-awaited--at least by us fans--new album, for free across iTunes, the legendary Irish band has apparently engendered the kind of feral vitriol once reserved for murderous dictators and terrorists, but which now, in the social media age, seemingly gets dumped daily on the likes of Taylor Swift. 

Mind you, as someone who rather rampantly shares my opinions--though rarely hate-fueled ones--here, on Facebook and occasionally Twitter, I can't deny that I actually enjoy a bit of the witty snark that can make reading internet commentary fun in small or curated doses. 

Hence, even as a longtime and still ardent U2 fan, I took no umbrage at slings & arrows thrown the band's--and Apple's--way soon after the Press Event, as with some funny Tweets compiled in this NME article. 

And even as the backlash became more voluminous and vociferous--though I largely experienced it second hand through articles such as the one depicted at top, and this one, rather than seeing friends or anyone I follow directly slam the free unrequested download, the album itself or U2--I understand several of the arguments if reflecting wry annoyance and not grievous hostility. 

Sure, quite honestly, Apple giving away the Songs of Innocence album saved me $11.99, though I'll probably still buy the physical copy once released. While I haven't truly loved any of their albums since 1991's Achtung Baby--with 1993's Zooropa and 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind being the best of an otherwise middling bunch--U2 is a band I will always pay attention to, and whose albums I will happily acquire if simply out of habit and sentiment. 

Certainly I realize that younger generations who haven't grown up on U2--who didn't see their mesmerizing LiveAid performance in 1985, who didn't first see them in person on the historic Amnesty International: Conspiracy of Hope tour (video below), who didn't experience "Pride (In the Name of Love)" ringing out continuously across campus quads, who don't remember gathering around a motel room in Daytona Beach to see MTV's first airing of the "With or Without You" video, who didn't attend a Joshua Tree tour show the same week TIME declared them "Rock's Hottest Ticket," who didn't attend their groundbreaking Zoo TV performance at Dodger Stadium (after being shut out trying to buy a ticket outside the LA Sports Arena the year before), who haven't begun every road trip with "Where the Streets Have No Name," who don't consider Larry Mullen Jr.'s opening drumbeat on "Sunday Bloody Sunday" one of the most cherished sounds of one's existence, who haven't seen the band in concert 15 times, from Rosemont to LA to New York to Denver, who haven't followed the band through every album and tour--have no point of reference not to be pissed off that they were essentially given an ugly Christmas sweater by their aunt that they'll have to take back to the store for a refund. 

From 1987

And with the caveat that I was taught never to tell my aunt how ugly and unwanted the sweater was, nor that I hated her for having the audacity to give me something with the best of intentions that she clearly liked more than I did, I certainly wouldn't want a Justin Bieber album dumped onto my phone and/or hard drive. 

But...
A) At least in terms of how it worked for me, Songs of Innocence didn't download unless you indicated that you wanted it to; i.e. one could easily opt-out

B) If not instantly, at least soon thereafter, Apple released instructions on how to remove the album from one's iTunes music library

C) All iPhones come pre-loaded with things you don't choose--such as the Stock, Weather and Notes apps--that, like the U2 album, take up valuable storage space. But I don't recall anyone bitching up a storm about getting a free Calculator they didn't ask for. 

Although I can't say it bothered me in the least--I actually admired and embraced it--I do understand why many were seemingly put off by the audacity of the Apple/U2 publicity stunt (just not with seemingly more agitated aversion than to, say, an Ebola outbreak).

Though I unabashedly love U2, there have been a great number of times when the band--and especially lead singer Bono--have made me cringe...and worse. 

I didn't see the iPhone announcement, but it's not inconceivable that would have been one of those times. 

Bono can definitely seem pompous, pretentious, egomaniacal and downright insufferable, though to his credit, he seems to know this and often pokes fun at himself. 

Though I don't doubt that the origins of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. forming a band in Dublin in the late 1970s had an awful lot to do with discovering The Ramones, Bono currently seems disingenuous--or at least buffoonish--in repeatedly referencing himself as "punk rock."

Bono did talk to Joey Ramone shortly before the latter's death in 2001, and a U2 song--"In a Little While"--supposedly played in the hospital room just before the punk icon passed, so I accept as real the reverence that fuels U2's new single (and album opener) "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)."

But while "punk cred" may have always been a mythical concept--Joey was always open about wanting the Ramones to become huge, while both the Sex Pistols and Clash were formed in their wake with an eye on marketable trends--the Ramones never much graduated from small clubs (let alone ever employed giant spacecraft-type stages in football stadiums) and certainly didn't shill for one of the world's largest companies. 

I imagine U2 intentionally avoided having "The Miracle" sound anything like a Ramones song, but I'll take "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Sheena is a Punk Rocker," " I Wanna Be Sedated," "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg (My Brain is Hanging Upside Down)" or myriad others over its overproduced sheen any day--though I still can't say I hate it. 

And such is the case with Songs of Innocence in full. 

At this point, after several listenings but short of it becoming worn-in, I'm waffling between bestowing @@@1/2 or @@@@ (out of 5) on the album.

This funny ad has gone viral, but alas it's fake

Though nothing rivals the bristling brilliance that marked the best tracks on nor the entirety of War, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby, and the first half of SOI is considerably better than the second, if comparing it to the rest of today's rock landscape rather than the band's glorious past, it isn't nearly the abysmal embarrassment many haters seem to be decrying. 

I don't know that I'll be screaming for "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)," "Every Breaking Wave," "California (There is No End of Love)" or "Iris (Hold Me Close)" as I will for "Pride," "New Year's Day," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Bad," "Where the Streets Have No Name" and other classics next time I see U2 live, but all of the above should make for good additions to their concert setlists. 

And I respect that Bono was pointedly biographical, with "The Miracle" about U2's formative days, "Song for Someone" supposedly about his wife Ali and "Iris" about his late mother. 

But while in being the true-life account of a Dublin car bombing, "Raised by Wolves" harkens back to "Sunday Bloody Sunday," somewhat reminiscent of "Love and Peace or Else" from 2005's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb it shows toilsome strains of over-thought and overproduced effort contrary to the punch-you-in-the-gut stridency of "Sunday Bloody Sunday."

But as I'm listening to the album again as I'm finishing this up, I think @@@@ are in order. 

Sorry, but I like Songs of Innocence much more than I don't. And believe me, I wasn't shy about saying that I was really disappointed by How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and, to a lesser extent, 2009's No Line on the Horizon. This album is better.

And if having U2 forced upon you really prompted memory shortage issues or embarrassment among friends who might glance at your music library--though I imagine they have the same issues--a few more things to keep in mind, especially if you are among those spewing unnecessary invective. 

From the Independent; read the article here

- According to the latest stats I saw, 38 million people had listened to Songs of Innocence, at least in part, since the über-share. And the stunt has also driven a massive bump in U2's back catalog sales. So however unseemly and maybe even ill-considered Apple's gesture may seem, compare the "hype" U2's latest album is getting compared to, say, recent releases by other rock legends--Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, etc.--that "young people" would do well to acquaint themselves with.

Plus, given how much it has pissed off hordes of people, well Bono, that is kind of punk.

- Anyone who thinks that U2 are just a bunch of irrelevant old turds dumping this album on everyone for free because they can't sell it, the truth is that the next time they tour, the band will still sell every ticket put on sale in every venue of any size, much on they did from 2009-2011 tour grossed $772 million, by far the most ever.

- While I find Bono hard to take sometimes, the truth also is that he has saved more lives of people in Africa than everyone reading this--exponentially--ever will. He can be a smug twat, but he does make a difference that would put 99.99% of web-based whiners to shame. 

So enjoy Songs of Innocence, let it grow on you, and have it prompt you to look up War, Under a Blood Red Sky, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby, Zooropa and All That You Can't Leave Behind on Spotify.

Or not. 

But save your outraged indignation--I can already imagine the myriad "Fuck U2!" (pun intended) retorts--and the social media diatribes for things that really matter.

And check this out; it's a clip of U2's entire Amnesty International: Conspiracy of Hope performance at the Rosemont Horizon in 1986, the first time I saw them live.

It should serve to explain much of the above.

Thank You for the Days: Celebrating Ray Davies' 70th Birthday ... and the Kinks

It's been a rather note-worthy few days for celebrating birthdays of some of rock 'n roll's greatest living songwriters.

On June 18, Paul McCartney turned 72, and Brian Wilson did likewise on June 20.

Today, June 21, another of my all-time favorites--Ray Davies, chief songwriter and singer of The Kinks--turns 70.

(BTW, though I have invariably called him Ray 'Day-veez' over the years, multiple sources in recent years corroborate that 'Day-viz' is more accurate.)

I hope he celebrates by further rekindling his relationship with brother Dave--the band's lead guitarist--and finally reuniting the Kinks after years of publicly longing to (with the caveat that original bassist Pete Quaife passed in 2010).

On April 9, 1983, a show by the Kinks at Chicago's UIC Pavilion was just the second concert I attended without a parent (Sammy Hagar was the first, about a month prior).

I would see the Kinks twice more, in 1987 and 1993, and since 2006 have seen Ray in concert five times, all featuring a heavy dose of Kinks Klassics.

Though I can't precisely cite what first got me into the Kinks in the early '80s--I was born in 1968--I'm pretty sure it wasn't Van Halen's cover of "You Really Got Me" even if it may have made chronological sense. The first Kinks record I owned was the double-live album, One for the Road.

I must have gotten this not long after its 1980 release, as I know I had it before 1981's Give the People What They Want.

AllMusic.com, which rates nine Kinks albums 5 or 4-1/2 stars (out of 5) only gives One for the Road 2-1/2.

Yet, while I have long since come to appreciate the depths of the Kinks' greatness far exceeds that live set, One for the Road was undoubtedly one of the cornerstone albums of my music-loving life.

Sure, I loved the early classics that album included--"You Really Got Me," "All Day and All of the Night," "Where Have All the Good Times Gone," "Till the End of the Day," "David Watts"--and, of course, "Lola," but I also relished such relatively recent (at the time) gems like "The Hard Way," "Catch Me Now I'm Falling," "Low Budget," "Wish I Could Fly Like Superman" and "Misfits."

Perhaps most of all, I loved--and still do--the ode to Golden Age Hollywood, "Celluloid Heroes," from which I first learned of Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, Rudolph Valentino and Bela Lugosi.

Whether in the late '60s when they released four straight 5-star (per AllMusic) masterpieces yet were banned from touring the U.S., to 1983 when even with Top 10 single "Come Dancing" they played a 9,000-seat arena in Chicago, to recent years when Ray Davies has repeatedly played but failed to fill the 3,880-seat Chicago Theatre, the Kinks have never enjoyed popularity like their fellow British invasion icons The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who.

Paul McCartney and the Stones regularly fill outdoor stadiums around the world, and with just Townshend and Daltrey representing the original Who, their tours still sell out basketball arenas.

Though I would definitely attend a Kinks reunion show anywhere near me--besides seeing Ray, last year I saw a Dave Davies solo show--my suspicion is that if the Kinks did a U.S. reunion tour, they would be lucky to fill the UIC Pavilion again. And perhaps even if they brought along a reunited Jam, Smiths and Blur, the United Center arena might be about as big a place as they could sell out (and that's in Chicago; packing arenas in places like Louisville and Charlotte would be considerably harder).

Nonetheless, anyone I know who appreciates good music likes the Kinks. And most who like the Kinks love the Kinks. Though I own almost all of their albums on CD--including largely forgettable late career works like Think Visual and UK Jive--I would be considered a middling Kink-o-phile compared to some of my friends, and conceivably many among the KindaKinks.net online community.

Yet while they deserve the hardcore devotion of the truly Kinky, the band can be considered great on so many levels, even to relative neophytes.

Any overview of the Kinks usually begins with "You Really Got Me," one of the cornerstones of the British Invasion and often cited as the song that begat hard (power chord-driven) rock and even heavy metal. It was soon followed by the similar "All Day and All of the Night."

These songs definitely influenced Pete Townshend at the time (Chicago-born Shel Talmy was the producer of both the early Kinks and Who), and myriad others since.

Many people, perhaps around my age, quite likely came to know "Lola" as a staple of late '70s rock radio (though it was originally released in 1970) and paid attention to the band's subsequent singles and accompanying videos at the height of MTV: "Destroyer," "Come Dancing," "Do It Again," "Working at the Factory."

Those familiar with the amazing Kinks' 1966-1970 output may simply know some of the most prominent singles ("Sunny Afternoon," "A Well Respected Man," "Till the End of the Day," "Tired of Waiting For You"), those a bit deeper ("I'm Not Like Everybody Else," "Waterloo Sunset," "Apeman," "Dedicated Follower of Fashion"), even more so ("See My Friends," "Set Me Free," "David Watts," "Dead End Street," "Death of a Clown," the latter written by Dave), select full albums (perhaps Something Else and The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society) or, among the truly avid, every song on all of them.

Those who don't know the Kinks of the '60s are less likely to know their '70s oeuvre, but there are numerous gems like "20th Century Man," "Celluloid Heroes," "Sweet Lady Genevieve," "Juke Box Music," "Live Life," "Low Budget," "Catch Me Now I'm Falling," "Wish I Could Fly Like (Superman)" and undoubtedly several songs that I don't know or appreciate as much as I should.

The Kinks never had a #1 hit on the Billboard singles charts in the U.S., and only five songs in the Top 10. The highest any of their studio albums charted in America was 1979's Low Budget at #11.

So we can see it as though the Kinks were never as popular as they deserved to be--and therefore Ray Davies not as widely regarded as he merits as one rock's greatest geniuses--or that the band likely holds the highest fan reverence to mass popularity ratio of all-time, save for perhaps the Ramones (whose best-selling album hit #38).

While I won't dig for examples now, I've long seen the Kinks cited by bands and musicians as being among their foremost influences.

And even if there is some credence to the Kinks being both too Anglo and literate in the subject matter of their songs to become huge in America, a similar thread clearly ran through--and inspired--The Move, The Jam, The Smiths and Blur, who are also among my favorites though never substantively popular in America.

So I salute Ray Davies on his 70th birthday, not just because he is a great and (sadly, today, just somewhat) famous musician, whom I have loved for 3/4 of my life.

It is not hyperbole to say that very few musicians have enriched my existence to a similar extent.

So Happy Birthday, Ray.

And thank you for the "Days," Mr. Davies.

---
Since the Kinks are strangely under-represented on Spotify, I have put together this YouTube playlist of 20 of my favorite Kinks songs. It should not be construed as a ranking, as I tried to select songs representative of the band's various periods. The video below runs through all 20 clips, but if you would like to see individual videos--or just the list of my selections--you can see the playlist contents here.

While I enjoy Ray's 2006/07 solo albums, Other People's Lives and Working Man's Cafe, I did not include any of the songs here, but the links will take you to the full albums on Spotify. Also worthwhile are the Kinks' duets and choral albums Ray put together in recent years. And while I have not yet delved into his 2013 autobiography Americana, one of the more remarkable aspects of his amazing life is his surviving being shot in New Orleans in early 2004.

Enjoy the songs below--and some rather historic videos, though a few are audio-only--and if you like what you hear, by all means, kontinue the exploration. 

Hammering It Home: Rediscovering the Brilliance of Led Zeppelin Easy as I, II, III

Album Reissue Reviews
and Artist Appreciation

Led Zeppelin I - @@@@@
Led Zeppelin II - @@@@@
Led Zeppelin III - @@@@@

When I was less than three months old, Led Zeppelin released their eponymous debut album (in January 1969).

By the time I turned two, the British hard rock quartet had put out two more studio albums. (Being that prolific was once par for the course, but most artists today go at least two years, if not several more, between albums.)

I don't think my folks adorned my crib with black light posters nor played "Whole Lotta Love" the way some parents use Mozart as baby background music, so I wasn't really weaned on the great Zep and I was too young to follow them through the bulk of the '70s.

Yet I still remember my dad--a bit incongruently, given his preference for opera and Broadway--adding the paper sack-sheathed In Through the Out Door to the family's record collection soon after its release in August 1979.

And as I was already aware of at least "Stairway to Heaven"--due to it often claiming the top spot or taking silver behind "Hey Jude" in Greatest Songs of All-Time countdowns on The Loop, WLS and/or WMET--Led Zeppelin has never not been a major contributor to the soundtrack of my life once I first came to know of their music.

Even before I could find it online, the full-page Tribune ad announcing four Zeppelin shows at Chicago Stadium--published Sept. 25, 1980, the day drummer John Bonham would die and the band essentially end--has been vividly etched in my mind (though I was still too young to hope to attend).

I don't know if I've yet screamed louder than I did in alerting a friend that "LED ZEPPELIN'S ON!!!!!!!!!!!" during the LiveAid telecast in 1985 (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones reunited to play three songs with a pair of drummers, including Phil Collins; full clip here).

When I took guitar lessons briefly as a teen, "Rock 'n Roll" was the first song I wanted to learn. (It was too difficult so I settled for "Born to Run.")

Led Zeppelin IV was definitely among the very first batch of CDs I bought, and if Zeppelin II wasn't, it wasn't far behind.

Led Zeppelin posters long adorned my bedroom at home, and in my freshman dorm room at NIU, a large band tapestry was the most conspicuous decoration.

And as a college senior in December 1988, I opted to blow off studying for a final exam in order to organize an excursion from DeKalb to Rosemont to see a Plant solo show for the first time (which included a number of Zeppelin songs).

So it's never been as though I really needed convincing or reminding to appreciate just how great Led Zeppelin was.

Which makes it all the more astonishing that each time something has prompted me to listen to Led Zeppelin more heavily or closely, my appreciation has only grown...considerably.

Though I had owned most of their 9 studio albums (including 1982's Coda, which I bought on vinyl as soon it was released) and The Song Remains The Same live soundtrack on LP, cassette and/or CD, when the Led Zeppelin box set was released in 1990--remastering and re-sequencing 4 discs worth of their songs--I bought and loved it. And I also bought the 2-disc complementary set that rounded out my having every one of their known studio tracks in an aurally sufficient form.

Or so I thought. But before I get to the audibly astonishing reissues of I, II and III, I'm having fun remembering all the times I was acutely re-Zeppelined.

Like both times I saw Page & Plant together in concert in the '90s, which included hefty doses of Zep in the set lists.

But even more acutely informing my regard for Zeppelin as a live act--The Song Remains the Same movie being marred by long, dreamy offstage vignettes--was the Led Zeppelin DVD set from 2003.

Even late-career footage from a performance at Knebworth in 1979 was mind-blowing, as were several earlier stage clips.

A live 3-disc compilation album--How the West Was Won--released around the time of the DVD was also tremendous, as was the remastered and expanded The Song Remains the Same soundtrack issued in 2007. The 1997 BBC Sessions set was also quite revelatory and delightful.

And in December 2007, the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin plus John Bonham's son Jason shook up the world by reforming for a concert at London's O2 Arena. Unfortunately I couldn't get there--good thing I didn't really try, as the initial scheduled date wound up being postponed by a few weeks--but reviews were rather laudatory and I got chills seeing clips of "Good Times Bad Times," "Stairway to Heaven," "Rock 'n Roll," "Kashmir" and more that hit YouTube the next morning.

Although supposed plans for a reunion tour have since been scuttled by Robert Plant's resistance--while I most definitely would attend, I respect his just letting the legacy be--the O2 concert was released on Blu-Ray, DVD and CD in late 2012 and showed the show to be truly sensational.

Around the same time, Led Zeppelin became Kennedy Center Honors recipients, and along with much else on the telecast, I loved this tribute rendition of "Stairway to Heaven" by Heart, Jason Bonham and two choirs that made Robert Plant weep. The following summer I would see Heart and Bonham pay more extensive tribute in a show at Ravinia (my review).

And though Zeppelin were relative latecomers to allowing their catalog to be heard through Spotify, when it appeared late last year, it enabled me to revisit each of their albums after more routinely having listened to box set and live compilations.

I was especially surprised by how much better Led Zeppelin III is than I ever knew.

Excepting the opening "The Immigrant Song," it largely eschews thunderous, heavy riff songs more prevalent on the band's earlier and later albums for several folksy acoustic guitar-driven songs.

So as a kid, and long since, I thought--or likely more so, assumed--that it was a lesser, more boring album.

Hearing it, intact, through Spotify helped remedy this ridiculous notion.

And my regard for Led Zeppelin III--which I now consider a masterpiece on par with any other of their albums--has only further blossomed with the brilliant sounding remastered CD recently released along with I and II. (The others will come later this year and next.)

I am rather certain that the three albums--I bought the deluxe (though not most elaborate) reissues, which each included a disc of bonus material--are individually and collectively better than any new music I will hear this year, and likely greater than releases of any vintage that I acquire in 2014.

Taking its title from an "Immigrant Song" lyric, Hammer of the Gods is a famed biography of Led Zeppelin by Stephen Davis. I've never read it, but find its title rather apt as from the first sledgehammer blow of "Good Times Bad Times" to open Led Zeppelin I, there is something almost otherworldly about how awesome the band was--immediately.

As I wrote about in this piece, the 1960s represents the Renaissance age of rock 'n roll, not just because of all the amazing music that was made, most of it holding up perfectly today. It was a time of what I call a "creative cluster" that had musical geniuses like Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson and Pete Townshend inspiring other geniuses like John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ray Davies to up their games (and vice-versa).

Jimmy Page, who was a top-tier session guitarist in London while still in high school and would play on records by the Kinks, Who and myriad others, was initially part of a creative cluster of guitar gods within just a single band.

Joining the Yardbirds after Eric Clapton quit, Page suggest his friend Jeff Beck also become a member. Page would write the proto-Zeppelin track "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" and outside the Yardbirds would record "Beck's Bolero" with a supergroup including Beck, Yardbirds' keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, Who drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Paul Jones, who was also a first-rate session man.

The "Beck's Bolero" sessions gave Page the idea to form a full-time supergroup. Refer to the Wikipedia entries on Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant for more detail on how the group's formation transpired, but in 1968 Page had asked a singer named Terry Reid to join his new band.

Reid recommended Plant, at that time an all-but-unknown 20-year-old singer in Band of Joy. Plant in turn suggested Band of Joy drummer, John Bonham. John Paul Jones rounded out Led Zeppelin.

Everything has to start somewhere, but from the first verse of "Good Times Bad Times," Plant already sounds like the quintessential hard rock vocalist for which he would become revered. And I've yet to hear a drummer as powerful as John Bonham. Looking at it now, Led Zeppelin seems like the perfect melding of four brilliant musicians, but who knows what would have happened if Terry Reid had accepted Page's offer.

So although the months preceding Led Zeppelin I's release on January 10, 1969 saw Jeff Beck's groundbreaking Truth album (with Rod Stewart on vocals), the debut of heavy rockers Deep Purple and advancements in guitar playing and production from Eric Clapton (in Cream) and Jimi Hendrix, there is still a sense that the sonic blast of "Good Times Bad Times" came out of nowhere.

While I would now rank I behind II and III, it is nonetheless one of the best, most auspicious debut albums in rock history.

Second cut "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" is also phenomenal, "Dazed and Confused" and "Communication Breakdown" remain classics and while Page showcases--and sometimes pilfers from--his love of Chicago blues on "You Shook Me," "I Can't Quit You Baby" and others, the acoustic instrumental "Black Mountain Side" and slow groove of "Your Time is Gonna Come" demonstrate his and the band's great versatility.

With "Whole Lotta Love," "What Is and What Should Never Be," "The Lemon Song," "Thank You," "Heartbreaker," "Living Loving Maid," "Ramble On," "Moby Dick" and "Bring It On Home," Led Zeppelin II remains perfect from beginning to end. And as with the other two reissues, the audio quality of the remastered CD makes the album sound better than ever.

In buying the CDs from Amazon, I got digital versions instantly. These sounded great, but the CDs are truly heavenly. Some may question why Page devotes so much time to remastering old songs--and the bonus discs are little more than a curiosity (the live set from Paris that accompanies Led Zeppelin I is the best, but not essential)--but not only did all three reissues debut in Billboard's top 10 last week, speaking as someone who has long known and owned all of the songs included on I, II and III proper, buying these albums anew were well worth my money and have provided considerable delight.

Perhaps most of all for how much I now like Led Zeppelin III. "The Immigrant Song" still sounds holy,
"Celebration Day" and "Out on the Tiles" show that the album isn't otherwise devoid of thunderous guitars and drums, acoustic tracks like "Friends," "That's The Way," "Tangerine" demonstrate Page's great dexterity and the bucking bronco that is "Gallows Pole" stands as one of the 10 best Zeppelin songs ever (along with "The Immigrant Song").

It's somewhat a shame to see Page and Plant throwing media barbs over the former's desire to play live and the latter's resistance to touring with Zeppelin.

Now 70, I think Page should just let it be. But as not only a brilliant guitarist, but Led Zeppelin's erstwhile producer, sonic architect and legacy preserver, I understand why he won't let go of the past.

It's that good.

Yet again.

---
(For a better explanation of the musical advances on Led Zeppelin I, II and III, see this Pitchfork review.) 

"And the Meek Shall Inherit the Earth" -- Saluting Rush on Its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction (and Citing the Remaining Snubs)

As a longtime Rush fan, I am quite geddily (misspelling & pun intended) anticipating their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this evening. 

I realize that saying this might prevent me from making friends, getting dates, landing a job with Pitchfork or otherwise seeming hip, cool or musically astute.

But I don't care. I love Rush.

And I have since before I was a teenager.

So I am thrilled that tonight in Los Angeles--the Hall itself is in Cleveland--they will be part of a stellar class that also includes Randy Newman, Public Enemy, Heart, Donna Summer, Albert King, Quincy Jones and Lou Adler.

I don't think Rush needed this honor for validation; 40 years of sold out arenas and legions of loyal fans should have provided such.

And though I can't deny paying attention to it as a topic of discussion, I find the whole notion of the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame--and the inductee selection process--to be rather nebulous.

In light of the fact that Rush has been eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1999--the 25th anniversary of their first album--but wasn't even deemed worthy of being on the ballot until 2012, bassist and singer Geddy Lee told USA Today:

"Rock music was born in rebellion, so it's odd to have (a Hall of Fame) where there seem to be guidelines for who's acceptable and who's not."

He added that that while the trio is "pleased and honored" to be getting in, "it wasn't something we thought about a lot … We've had a great career that's on a high right now."

While I have a number of friends who have liked and followed Rush as much as I--and then some--there are others whose musical tastes I respect who do not care for the band's "prog rock" sound.

That's fine. To each their own.

There are many people who can't stand anything about Elvis, including his music. Does this mean he doesn't belong within any entity purporting to a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

For even if you don't like many, or any, of Rush's songs--though how could anyone not love "The Spirit of Radio" (below), "Tom Sawyer," "2112 Overture," "Limelight," "Free Will" and more--many a musician, both famous and not, will vociferously attest that the technical ability Lee, drummer Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson bring to their craft is surpassed in few if any bands.

Even if the musical merits of Rush's output is debatable, their influence--among many instrumentalists, heavy metal bands, Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan and Dave Grohl (who along with Foo Fighters bandmate Taylor Hawkins is inducting Rush tonight--is not.



While being delighted to see Rush get the recognition I believe they deserve, they ranked only 9th on a list I made last year about notable Rock and Roll Hall of Fame omissions.

I put together a similar list in 2009, and it is nice to note that a handful of artists I cited on one or both occasions--Heart, The Faces, Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Tom Waits and the Beastie Boys, along with Rush--have now been inducted.

But there are still several acts I feel are eminently deserving, even if--in some cases--they weren't all that popular in America, or at all. I am not advocating the inclusion of every unknown garage band of worth nor every successful rock act from countries around the world. But I believe renown and/or popularity in England should be every bit a qualifier as success in the States.

So with a tip of the hat to Rush as they enjoy this merited moment in the Limelight, as well as the rest of the Rock Hall Class of 2013, here is my updated list of:

Artists Who Belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Aren't
(...of those eligible, having released their first album in 1987 or earlier. I'm not considering Soundgarden as I'm not sure their 1987 EP makes them eligible)

1. The Jam
2. The Replacements
3. Stevie Ray Vaughan
4. The Zombies
5. Warren Zevon
6. Cheap Trick
7. Hüsker Dü
8. The Cure
9. The Monkees
10. Midnight Oil
11. Peter Gabriel (solo)
12. Roxy Music
13. Dire Straits
14. The Smiths
15. Love
16. Deep Purple
17. Depeche Mode
18. KISS
19. New York Dolls
20. ELO and/or The Move (they're linked via Jeff Lynne)
21. Thin Lizzy   
22. The Cars
23. Sonic Youth
24. Dinosaur Jr. 
25. Chic
26. Paul Revere & the Raiders
27. The Moody Blues
28. Jane's Addiction
29. Yes
30. Jethro Tull

An "Epic" Tribute to the Stones, Who and Zeppelin

Along with hearing that the Titanic sank, Pearl Harbor was attacked and Nixon resigned, I was recently made aware that many people much younger and hipper than me frequently use the word “epic” with great frequency.

As an adjective.

To express positive regard about something—such as earlier hipsters might have used “cool” or “rad” or “dope” or “awesome”—but, as has been intimated since I’ve rarely heard it from the horses’ mouths, with a preponderance of hyperbole and no obvious irony or sarcasm.

Such as in, “that was an epic sandwich” or “Mr. Smith is such an epic teacher” or “Breaking Dawn was so epic.” I’m also told “epic” is commonly followed by either “win” or “fail,” as in: “I got a B on my mid-term; epic win.”

Funny thing is, although I have rarely ever used it, I like the word epic as an adjective. However, my connotation would be one that expresses not only that something is great, but rather grandiose in size and/or scope and shown to possess enduring brilliance over a considerable length of time.

“Citizen Kane is an epic film” or “Igor Stravinsky was an epic pianist and composer.”

I like to believe my concept of epic comes closer to the dictionary definition—per Dictionary.com: heroic; majestic; impressively great; interestingly, the Webster’s on my desk (from 1988) doesn’t define epic as a verb, only a noun.

But not only do I not have first-hand knowledge—merely hearsay and the Urban Dictionary entries—that the average person in or below their mid-20s is rampantly using the word epic erroneously, I’m admittedly unclear about the following distinction:

Is epic being adjectified to praise things the quarterians (those 25 and under; yes, I made it up) truly believe to be epic in the way I’d define it—i.e. is the word being used correctly, just about the wrong things?—or are they nonchalantly using it about things they think are good, but not necessarily extraordinary or historic?

My guess would be the latter. So while I can’t necessarily blame anyone (of a youthful age) for not knowing—or appreciating—the Beatles, Akira Kurosawa or Pablo Picasso, I can blame them for incessantly bestowing “epic” status on individuals, works and things that do not merit it (if what I’ve heard and suspect is indeed true).

Now, I think it’s been well-established that this is not an epic blog post, but all this blathering is essentially just self-justification for me to say the following without feeling like an epic cad:

The Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin are three of the most epic rock bands to ever exist, as I have recently had reinforced.

“Well, duh,” you should retort, as I elaborate on what prompted such an epically obvious statement.

The Rolling Stones
I did not go to London for the first two of their 50th Anniversary celebration concerts and I won’t be getting to any of the three in New York. If they opt to tour next year and hit Chicago, I would intend to see them once again but have already done so numerous times. And thanks to the magic of YouTube, I have seen a number of songs performed at London’s O2 arena on Sunday night. Say what you want about them being geezers, but 50 years down the road, the Stones are still much better than most bands half their age. Not just historically—though their legacy is infinitely impressive—but now. Even pushing 70 or having surpassed it (as in Charlie Watts’ case, and that of original bassist Bill Wyman, who played on a couple of songs at the O2), as I believe this clip illustrates:



The Who

I am seeing the Who on Thursday night in Rosemont. The bulk of the show will be devoted to playing Quadrophenia in full. I expect it to be good, but am a little concerned that Roger Daltrey’s voice has declined considerably from the fine instrument it was even 10 years ago (the video below from a recent show seems to substantiate my fears, but reviews I've seen have been positive).

So admittedly, my attendance (in the cheap seats) will be more out of reverence for what the Who once were—when John Entwistle and Keith Moon were still alive— than with expectations that they are still truly outstanding now. I’ll review the show itself, but even though I’ve only seen the Who since 1989 (this will be my 8th time), when they were already well past their prime, I nonetheless consider them one of the best bands of all time (they rank #9 on this list).

And on Monday night, I got the thrill of briefly speaking with, shaking hands with, photographing and getting an autobiography signed by Pete Townshend at Barnes & Noble in Old Orchard. Considering that he pretty much wrote all the early singles, The Who Sell Out, Tommy, Who’s Next, Quadrophenia and more all by himself, I think it is fair to say that it was an epic encounter.



Led Zeppelin
As much as I love the Stones and the Who, and also the Beatles, the Kinks, The Clash, U2 and other epic bands, I don’t think any of them would want to take a concert stage after Led Zeppelin. Not only is their stature truly, well you know, but their new Celebration Day DVD—documenting a one-off reunion show in 2007—is easily the best concert film released in 2012.

Although Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones had not played a full concert together since 1980—the year John Bonham’s death brought an end to the band—they were still truly phenomenal. With Jason Bonham taking over for his father on drums, the band (with no additional musicians) raged through songs like "Good Times, Bad Times," "Black Dog," "Stairway to Heaven," "Kashmir" (video below) and "Rock ’n Roll" every bit as good as you could hope. That the band was even that much better back in the day—as well documented on their 2003 self-titled DVD and How the West Was Won CD—only goes to show how epic they truly were.

If you're wondering what the point of this blog post is, so am I. So on the word epic, I'll leave you with these words: "You want it all but you can't have it; it's in your face but you can't grab it." Now that's an "Epic" ending.

Recent Albums Fail to Transcend Great Expectations

September served as a pretty robust reminder that suggestions of rock ‘n’ roll being dead are greatly exaggerated.

In addition to attending nine concerts, including some pretty terrific ones—Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Peter Gabriel, Slash, Maximo Park; click to see my reviews—I bought more new compact discs in a given month than I have in years.

These include works by five longtime favorite artists and one relatively rare newer act that intrigues me.

And especially in having read press/Amazon reviews and/or heard emphatic personal recommendations about each that ranged from strong to scintillating, I had great expectations for these recent albums:


Bob Dylan – Tempest
Bob Mould – Silver Age
Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet on Sky
The Killers – Battle Born
Green Day – Uno!
Band of Horses – Mirage Rock

So I would like nothing more than to tell you that these are all brilliant new releases, with each being a must-have addition to your music library. Except for my relatively nascent appreciation of Band of Horses, all of these are artists I have loved for a long time, and though none would qualify as complete unknowns, Dinosaur Jr. and Bob Mould have long been personal favorites despite never filling hockey arenas.

But with the caveat that I’ve come to realize that I sometimes don’t come to properly appreciate an album until it’s been around awhile, so far, after listening to each of these albums a good number of times, I can’t call any of them phenomenal.

Unless you are already an avowed fan of the given artists, I wouldn’t recommend that you spend any money—or much time—on their latest albums. And even if, like me, you are a hardcore fan, I don’t know that much here will surpass your regard for these acts’ past output or considerably enhance their oeuvre.

That’s not to say each—and all—of them don’t have merits. It’s hard for me to calibrate exact ratings for each album in “a pretty good but not nearly their best nor truly essential” sort of way—which helps to explain this combined review post.

But on the Seth Saith @@@@@ rating scale, each album likely merits @@@1/2 to @@@@.

Which doesn’t mean that you should avoid them like the plague or cringe if you happen to hear any of their songs. Each of the albums has moments that comfortably remind of the artist’s past glories, but relatively little that has me saying “I’d rather listen to this than the stuff I’ve loved in the past.”

Take for example, Bob Mould’s Silver Age. Before I heard the album itself, I heard—and read—great things about it, from heavy-duty Mould fans, the music press (see MetaCritic) and numerous glowing reviews on Amazon, where it currently has a 5-star composite rating. The common thread that runs through many of the reviews is that the new disc is Mould’s best work in years and harkens back to Copper Blue, a terrific album he released in 1992 under  the auspices of Sugar—his second great power trio, following Hüsker Dü.

But while Silver Age’s 10 songs all feature the searing guitars that epitomize many of Mould’s best and most emblematic songs, including several of those on Copper Blue, they suffer from a sameness. Not just in comparison with Mould’s past, but among each other. All of them blister and burn in a way that makes each enjoyable enough—conceivably even more so in concert—but none are melodically or musically distinct enjoy to elevate to the level of Copper Blue’s “Helpless,” “If I Can’t Change Your Mind,” “Hoover Dam” or “The Act We Act.”

Even a song like “Needle Hits E,” which was left off Copper Blue, is a more enjoyable listen than anything here, as are “Your Favorite Thing,” “Underneath Days” and Egooverride,” to name just a few other hard-charging songs from Mould’s Sugar and solo incarnations.

Similarly, there are several not unpleasant songs from Dinosaur Jr., The Killers and Green Day, but even some of the better ones—”Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know,” “Miss Atomic Bomb” and “Nuclear Family,” respectively—would have a hard time playlist-supplanting “Out There,” “This River is Wild” or “Armitage Shanks,” to name a few tunes that don’t even quite top the artists’ back catalogs. I didn’t cite The Killers’ new “Runaways” just now because I do think it is a true standout, on par with their best, but I’m not even sure it doesn’t just “sound a lot like” The Killers at their best.

The Green Day and Killers albums are two that I was most looking forward to, and perhaps with time their virtues will become more pronounced, but without going through them song-by-song, both records tend to bore me more than thrill me. Neither makes me eager to throw it on at any time, which a great album should. 

There are some nice tunes on Band of Horses’ Mirage Rock—“Knock Knock,” “Heartbreak on the 101”—and I think they do enough to justify my interest among a (to my awareness) uninspiring crop of relatively recent vintage rock bands, but it’s also already become an album I listen to infrequently. Part of the problem is that rather than doing much rocking, most of the songs settle into an easy going Eaglesque groove.

Even Dylan’s Tempest, which garnered some @@@@@ reviews, isn’t an album I find myself putting on for pleasure. Yes, there are a number of quality songs from the old master, enough to make the album essential for Dylan disciples, but thus far Tempest isn’t making me forget Time Out of Mind, let alone approaching Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks or much else from Mr. Zimmerman’s glorious past.

I know I have friends who are loving Tempest, and I’m sure there are fans of each of these artists/albums who would vociferously avow that they’re far beyond run of the mill.

Of course, my opinion doesn’t matter; only yours does and my regard for any or all of these albums may change over time. But though it's possible I'm being too harsh, I recently went back to a couple other somewhat disappointing 2012 releases from longtime personal favorites--Alejandro Escovedo - Big Station; The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania--and neither convinced me anew that they stand with these great artists' very best work.

So while The Killers' second album Sam's Town is an example of one I later came to really love despite not doing so initially, at this point I suspect that none of the six recent albums I bought will stand--at least to me--as paragons of the phenomenal from acts that have previously achieved that apex.

What Concerts Might Rock Wrigley Field in 2013?

Still in the afterglow of two sensational shows by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band over the weekend at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, I couldn’t help but consider who might next—other than the Cubs, of course—make good use of the venerable ballpark, which has become one of my favorite places to see a concert.

Wrigley is unlike any other major league stadium in America—besides Boston’s Fenway Park—in that it has stood for nearly 100 years and is situated in a neighborhood, rather than being surrounded by parking lots on the outskirts of town.

Its unique and famed features include ivy-covered outfield walls, a manual scoreboard, bullpens along the foul lines, rooftops behind the bleachers that allow additional fans to catch the action and a team that has never won a World Series as the park’s primary tenant.

It was the last major league ballpark not to have lights, and thus night games (until 1988), and although additional advertising signage has been added in recent years, marketing messages remain relatively sparse within the “Friendly Confines.”

So although it could use a good bit of rehab, which it should get if the City of Chicago decides to play ball with the Ricketts family that owns the team, Wrigley Field—which I think I first attended in 1975—remains not only my favorite ballpark on Earth (and I’ve been to most other major league stadiums), but truly one of my favorite places. Despite all the bad things that have happened there.

While I vaguely recall a few rather innocuous post-game musical performances over the years, I don’t believe any full-fledged rock concerts were held at Wrigley Field until 2005. Somehow, the Cubs and likely a local promoter got permission from the city to hold 2-4 concerts there each summer; I think initially it was only 2 shows, every 2 years, but it now appears that 4 concerts each year have become permissible.

Roger Waters: The Wall at Wrigley Field

In 2005, Jimmy Buffett played at Wrigley, but I didn’t attend a show there until The Police reunion tour came through town in 2007. I attended an Elton John/Billy Joel double-bill in 2009, two Paul McCartney shows in 2011, Roger Waters performing Pink Floyd’s The Wall in June 2012 and the pair of Springsteen gigs.

Other headline acts to play Wrigley have included the Dave Matthews Band, Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley.

If every performance has not been a complete sellout, it’s been pretty darn close. Obviously, you have to be pretty popular to book a 40,000 seat stadium, but I think the added allure of Wrigley helps to sell even more tickets than the artists might elsewhere.

And I would imagine that even for the most veteran of performers, being there is just cool. So with the notion that any sizable concert act would want to play there if available dates fit into their tour schedule, I am going to fearlessly prognosticate who might perform at Wrigley Field in 2013. Or at least, who I would want to.

The Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley shows certainly bespeak the drawing power of top country artists, but not only are most of them not my cup of tea, this summer saw a Kenny Chesney/Tim McGraw double-bill play Soldier Field, so it’s not too likely either or both would hit Wrigley next summer. So unless Garth Brooks opts to hit the road next year, I don’t know what country stars—not counting the now rather crossed-over Taylor Swift—would be apt candidates for the confines, even if I wanted to put them on my list.

So who might show up on Anthony Rizzo’s off days? With the thought that two acts would likely play two nights each, in an order that unscientifically blends prediction and preference, here’s who I see as likely candidates to play centerfield (actually, I wouldn’t mind an encore from Springsteen, and it isn’t hard to imagine many of those who have already played Wrigley being ready to return, but I’ll omit any repeat visitors):

The Rolling Stones – They’ve booked a pair of shows in both New York and London this November, to commemorate their 50th anniversary, but it remains to be seen if the Stones will roll on a full-fledged tour in 2013. A 2012 tour had been rumored, but supposedly there were concerns about Keith Richards’ health. Traditionally, they’ve played Soldier Field, which would allow for 20,000 more fans per show, and their stages are usually gargantuan, but I just like the idea of finally getting some Satisfaction at Wrigley Field.

Pearl Jam – Eddie Vedder made guest appearances at both Springsteen shows, likely due not only to an affinity for Bruce, but a love of Wrigley and the Cubs. Though Pearl Jam has toured a bit this year and played Alpine Valley last year—where the 40,000 on two straight nights suggests PJ can fill Wrigley—they haven’t played Chicago proper since 2009. This would seem a natural fit, with the primary obstacle perhaps being Pearl Jam's proclivity to keep its ticket prices lower than those usually charged for Wrigley Field concerts.

Simon & Garfunkel – Paul and Artie were supposedly going to embark on another reunion tour a few years ago—including a rumored Wrigley gig—until Garfunkel’s voice problems scuttled the tour. Art’s now doing a solo tour, and if his voice holds up, I wouldn’t be surprised if an S&G tour follows. Their audience skews a bit old, but that should be conducive for selling $250 tickets on the field.

Taylor Swift – One of few young performers who could seemingly pack the place, Swift’s soon to release a new album and conceivably will be touring next year. But her young audience wouldn’t be ideal for beer sales.

Fleetwood Mac – They’re supposedly to tour next year and while I’m not sure they would readily sell 45,000 tickets for one night, let alone two, I could imagine them getting quite a boost from the Wrigley setting. The same logic could apply to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, who skipped Chicago on their brief 2012 U.S. tour.

Metallica – Wrigleyville might cringe at the thought of such a loud band and their legion of black-shirted fans—me among them—but they played Yankee Stadium last year, along with Megadeth, Slayer & Anthrax. I’d actually prefer AC/DC, but haven’t seen signs that they’re ready to tour again in 2013.

Bon Jovi - They’ve filled Soldier Field a few times in recent years and always seem to be touring.

Adele – I’m somewhat surprised that she hasn’t capitalized on becoming the world’s biggest pop star by touring this year; perhaps she will next. Going from the Riviera to Wrigley Field in consecutive Chicago shows would seem quite a leap, and perhaps too dwarfing a venue for her vocal virtuosity, but I actually think it could work.

Phish – I’m not the biggest fan, but appreciate their music and huge, loyal fan base. Wrigley would be a pretty cool place for them to play and beer sales should be pretty strong.

The Eagles - A fairly standard issue possibility.

U2 – I haven’t seen any 2013 tour rumors and a stage like the one they used on the U2 360 tour would hardly fit at Wrigley, but perhaps they’d want to play a few one-off shows, and where better than at the venerable ballpark.

Led Zeppelin – This week the Led Zeppelin Facebook Page has been teasing a major announcement to come Thursday (and today they were named one of this year's Kennedy Center Honorees). It’s supposedly not going to be about a tour, but rather the release of a DVD of their 2007 reunion concert. But I’m holding out hope. And from the upper deck, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones would look like they did in 1977.

So who would you like to see rock the Friendly Confines in 2013? With the Cubs' 2013 schedule having just been released, I can imagine promoters and band managers are already eagerly looking at the possibilities.