The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era Starting Thursday!

You know, I hate to belittle the rag called Rolling Stone (OK, I love to...), but their list of the Songs That Changed the World is beyond absurd.  Anytime you use that phrase and then trot out Britney Spears your credibility is lost forever.  Of course, the magazine lost that years ago.


I don't know about you, but when I think of Songs That Changed the World, I think of lyrics, not music and Ms. Spears doesn't have them.  I think of deep lyrics, songs that are thought-provoking calls to action and calls to change.  So that is what I'm striving for here--songs that matter, songs that look at a piece of the world and either say "Why?" or "Why not?"


With that in mind, I'll be highlighting one of these songs each day beginning September 1.  Some are indeed life-changing, while others just have an important message for us in our daily lives.  I realize that some songs have incredible messages but never reached the masses.  That's akin to the age-old question--"If a tree falls in the forest with no one around, does it make a sound?"  If the writer couldn't get his or her message heard, it really didn't do any good.  Also, a song like "Born in the U.S.A." made the list although there are millions that still think it's a song extolling the virtues of the U.S. and a song to wave the flag to!  So obviously, Bruce Springsteen didn't get his message of the idiocy of war and the terrible way America treats its veterans across, but just because all of the people didn't "get it" doesn't make it any less important.  "Pink Houses" by John Mellencamp is another biting song about the ever-increasing gap between the rich and poor but millions think having "little pink houses" is a good thing so the song didn't fully accomplish its goal.  So each of these songs had to actually be heard by more than a few thousand people.  Otherwise, it doesn't meet the definition of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era--it can't be too important if only a few people heard it.  


The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era* is coming Thursday.  And, it is probably one of The Most Important Things I Can Do On This Blog.