Sing Like Hell

I learned something on Wednesday. When B13 asked me whether Pink Floyd's Echoes preceded The Phantom of the Opera or vice versa, my gut response was that of course the play preceded the rock song. As it turns out, the opposite is actually true and Roger Waters is quoted accusing Andrew Lloyd Weber of using both the same chord and time signature in his song, though he never pursued any legal action. Who knew? Personally, I like the music of both.

In life, especially in any creative pursuit, we're judged whether we realize it or not. “Life is one ****ing beauty contest after another. School, then college, then work...**** that.” proclaims one of the characters in Little Miss Sunshine during a moment of epiphany. It's not always a bad thing when the things we do are recognized, and on rare occasions a positive response might catch us by surprise, especially when we think no one is looking. Whether you try or not, people will categorize you and put you in lists, so there's no point in worrying about it either way. I'm no different, but while I started out talking about Broadway musicals and psychedelic ‘70s rock, I'll be composing a slightly different list today.

It's been over a week since Janet posed the following question, but better I respond late than never:

”What do you think are the most powerful songs vocally and/or by topic? What songs really get to you? I'm talking about the songs where the singer sung the HELL out of that song. You know the type I'm talking about.”

I know exactly what she's talking about. My choices are likely more vocal than topical, but this is the stuff that gets me out of my seat at a concert, or singing in my car, or running on a treadmill. This is by no means every song that fits that description, but these are some where the singer really wails and/or pours his or her heart into it.

Bon Jovi's “Runaway”:

(I figured Livin' on a Prayer is too mainstream and went with one we don't hear 1,000 times, even though he does sing the hell out of both)

Pearl Jam's “Porch”:


Natalie Merchant's version of ”Because the Night”:


AC/DC's “You Shook Me All Night Long”:


Onyx' “Slam”:


Bruce Springsteen's “Glory Days”:


U2's “With or Without You”:


Skid Row's “18 and Life”:


Danzig's “Mother”:


Metallica's “Wherever I May Roam”:


Night Ranger's “Sister Christian”:

(A staple of every Karaoke adventure I've ever been on, especially the ones that aired on NY public access back in the ‘90s)

Guns n' Roses' “Paradise City”:


Green Day's “Basket Case”:


Urge Overkill's “Sister Havana”:


Audioslave's cover of ”Seven Nation Army”:


Nine Inch Nails' “Something I Can Never Have”:


Eagle-Eye Cherry's “Save Tonight”:

(Suddenly I know where Rey spent his Summers back in college.)

Boston's “More than a Feeling”:

(Here's the “Scrubs” version.)

Aerosmith's “Cryin'”:

(Yeah, I know it's from the era where all their songs sounded like this one, but it's pretty powerful on its own. Besides, it's nostalgic to see Alicia Silverstone at the start of her career, before Reese Witherspoon proved to be a better actress and got all the roles she might have gotten. Blink and you'll miss Stephen Dorff and Josh Holloway.)

Blues Traveler's “Hook”:


I'm sure some of these songs overlap with previous lists I've compiled, but hopefully I threw some new ones into the mix.