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A Rock and roll anthem is a celebratory rock and roll song. The subject that the anthem celebrates can vary, although one common anthemic theme is the celebration of rock and roll for itself. Chuck Berry probably wrote more of these than any other songwriter:
- "School Days" ( 1956) "Hail, Hail Rock and Roll, deliver me from the days of old"
- "Roll Over, Beethoven" ( 1956) -- "and tell Tchaikovsky the news"
- "Rock and Roll Music" ( 1957) -- "got a back beat you can't lose it"
- "Johnny B. Goode" ( 1958) -- "never ever learned to read or write so well, but he could play a guitar just like ringing a bell"
- "Let it Rock" ( 1959)
The essence of the rock and roll anthem may be best captured in the Lieber and Stoller song "That is Rock and Roll", sung first by the Coasters in 1959:
- You say our music's for the birds and you can't understand the words,
- Well honey if you did, you'd really blow your lid, 'cause baby that is rock and roll
There are many others:
- 1954 " Rock Around the Clock" -- Bill Haley and his Comets
- 1957 "Jailhouse Rock" -- Elvis PresleyElvis Aron Presley ( January 8, 1935 August 16, 1977), known as The King of Rock and Roll, or as just "The King", was an American singer who had an immeasurable effect on world culture. He started his career under the name the Hillbilly Cat and was later, "Warden threw a party at the county jail, prison band was there and they began to wail."
- 1958 "Rock and Roll is here to stay" -- Danny and the Juniors
- 19611961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first "upside-down" year i. one that looked the same upside down since 1881, and the last until 6009. Events January January 1 The farthing coin, used since the 13th century, cease "It will stand" -- The Showmen
- 1962Events January January 1 Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand January 3 Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro January 4 New York City introduces a train that operates without a crew on-board January 8 Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is e "PFC Rhythm and Blues Jones" -- Ray StevensRay Stevens (born January 24, 1939) is a comedy singer. Discography 1950s The NRC Years 1958-1960 1960s 1837 Seconds of Humor 1962 This is Ray Stevens 1963 Ray 'Ahab The Arab' Stevens And Hal Winters 1965 The Best of Ray Stevens 1967 Even Setevens 1968 Gi, "I'm a lover not a fighter, I'm a BMIBroadcast Music Incorporated BMI is a collecting society that protects composers' intellectual property in the communications business, especially radio. It was founded by the broadcasters as a rival to ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors, a songwriter"
- 1965 "Do You Believe in Magic" -- Lovin' Spoonful, who sang "It's like trying to tell a stranger about rock and roll"
- 1966 "Satisfaction" -- The Rolling Stones
- 1967 "Heavy Music" -- Bob Seger
- 1967 "I Dig Rock & Roll Music" -- Peter, Paul and Mary, ambivalent anthem by folk singers, "The message may not move me, Or mean a great deal to me", this from the singers of " Puff the Magic Dragon"
- 1967 "Rock and Roll Woman" -- Buffalo Springfield
- 1970 "Had Me A Real Good Time" -- The Faces
- 1971 "Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin
- 1971 " American Pie" -- Don McLean
- 1972 "God Gave Rock and Roll To You" -- Argent (later covered by Kiss)
- 1972 "Rock and Roll Lullaby" -- BJ Thomas
- 1972 "Rock and Roll Part 2", Gary Glitter, instrumental anthem
- 1972 "Rock and Roll" -- Lou Reed, Mitch Ryder and his band Detroit, (successor to the Detroit Wheels)
- 1973 "Stay With Me" -- The Faces
- 1974 "Life is a Rock (and the Radio Rolled Me)" -- Reunion
- 1974 "Rock On" -- David Essex
- 1974 "Rock and Roll Heaven" -- The Righteous Brothers
- 1974 "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo" -- Rick Derringer
- 1974 "It's Only Rock and Roll (but I like it)" -- The Rolling Stones
- 1975 "Rock Show" -- Paul McCartney and Wings
- 1975 "Rock and Roll All Nite" -- first hit for Kiss, recorded live
- 1975 "God Save The Queen" -- The Sex Pistols
- 1976 "Rock and Roll Band" -- Boston
- 1977 "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" -- Ian Dury & the Blockheads, updating the grand old slogan, "Wine, women & song!"
- 1977 "Blank Generation" -- Richard Hell an anthem of nihilism
- 1977 "Hot Legs" -- Rod Stewart
- 1979 "Old Time Rock and Roll" -- Bob Seger
- 1979 "Hey Hey, My My (Out of the Blue)" -- Neil Young
- 1979 "Long Live Rock" -- The Who
- 1980 "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" -- Billy Joel
- 1981 "I Love Rock and Roll" -- Joan Jett
- 1983 "Rock of Ages" -- Def Leppard (featuring the classic opening words, "Gunter glieben glauchen globen")
- 1984 "I Wanna Rock" -- Twisted Sister
- 1987 "Paradise City" -- Guns N' Roses
- 1991 "Smell's Like Teen Spirit" -- Nirvana (band)
- 1995 "Teenage Politics" -- MxPx
- It'll be here for ever and ever, ain't gonna leave, never no never
- Sinkin' deep in the heart of man, Rock and Roll forever will stand
- "It will stand" -- The Showmen
In addition to those which celebrate rock and roll, other rock anthems that have celebrated other subjects have included:
- 1965 "My Generation" -- a youth anthem by The Who, who sang "hope I die before I get old" for more than 35 years
- 1968 "Born to be Wild" -- a celebration of freedom by Steppenwolf.
- 1969 "Volunteers of America" -- Jefferson Airplane, a very anthem-oriented band, on their most anthemic album
- 1969 "We Can Be Together" -- Jefferson Airplane, a very anthem-oriented band, on their most anthemic album
- 1975 "I Write the Songs", the ironic anti-anthem, written by Beach Boy Bruce Johnston for David Cassidy and Barry Manilow.
- 1983 "Down Under" -- Men at Work, an Australian anthem
- 1984 "Born in the USA" -- Bruce Springsteen, a cry of anguish from the forgotten vets of America, which ironically has become the ultimate American anthem due to the power of the music and the chorus
This is an incomplete list . It may never be fully completed or, depending on its nature, it may be that it can never be complete. However, new and revised entries in the list are always welcome.
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