Rock Hard II

In the late ‘60s, there began a decades long competition among rock bands about who can rock harder but for my money the Kinks’ 1964 “You Really Got Me” still stands as one of the greatest hard rock songs ever recorded. In the late ‘70s, KISS was everywhere including in Pathmark supermarket on Long Island where one evening I got separated from my mom while stopping to check out KISS Colorforms in the toy aisle (people forget hard rock’s primary audience was children). After being lost for what seemed like an eternity, Mom and I were finally reunited near the bakery and she bought me the Colorforms.

KISS

Hard rock for me is menacing, primal, leather clad music that when blasting from the radio frightened me as a child; seduced me in prepubescence; and took one last gasp of air as grunge just as I was entering manhood. Every generation needs their own form of hard rock- who knows where kids are finding it now- and sometimes nothing but hard rock (including ballads) will do when you just want to pump your fist and/or play air guitar in the mirror. Here are some of my favorite hard rock songs. Enjoy!

The Kinks

01. David Bowie – “Suffragette City” (1972)

02. The Rolling Stones – “Sympathy for the Devil” (1968)

03. Ozzy Osbourne – “Crazy Train (Live)” (1981)

04. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “All Along the Watchtower” (1968)

05. Pearl Jam – “Alive (2004 Remix)” (1991)

06. The Kinks – “You Really Got Me” (1964)

07. KISS – “Rock and Roll All Nite (Live)” (1975)

08. Bon Jovi – “You Give Love a Bad Name” (1986)

09. Mötley Crüe – “Home Sweet Home” (1985)

10. The Darkness – “Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us” (2012)

11. Skid Row – “I Remember You” (1989)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

Recommended Links

KISS – “Rock and Roll All Nite (Live)”