The Five Most Overplayed Rock Songs of All Time

Those of us who are 30 years or older have probably spent a lot of time listening to the radio, whether in the car or at home. Over the years, classic rock radio - in particular - has a go-to list of songs, many of which are really, really overplayed. Check out our list of the top five most overplayed songs, and no doubt, some of these will resonate.

Bob Seger rocking in the 70s

1. "Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger

This song is probably the most played track on FM radio (AM too, for that matter). Released in 1979, it's safe to say "Old Time Rock and Roll" has been played a million times. Plus there's all the weddings, sports events, movie soundtracks, and parties, where it inevitably seems to get played. Again and again. Suffice it to say, it's a station changer when it comes on the radio. And someone should start a petition to get it permanently banned from radio.

2. "Born to be Wild" by Steppenwolf

This is a pretty good song that's just been around way too long and played way too many times. "Born to be Wild" was released as a single back in 1968, and while it coined the term "heavy-metal thunder", its worn out its welcome on radio. Interestingly, the song was written by Mars Bonfire as a ballad. We can credit Steppenwolf for turning it into a riff-rocker, but we can't credit radio stations for continually playing "Born to be Wild" ad nauseam.

3. "American Woman" by The Guess Who

It's bad enough "America Woman" got enough air time to make even the most casual radio listener bored to death. But then Lenny Kravitz decided to cover it in 1999 and it enjoyed a renaissance that really killed any faint luster left on the track, which was first released in 1970. What makes it worse, since the song is written by a Canadian band, it gets extra airplay in Canada, because of the Canadian content laws which state at least 35% of music played between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m Monday-Friday has to be Canadian.

Mick Jagger singing "Satisfaction"?

4. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones

We love the Rolling Stones here at Rock 'n Roll Insight, make no mistake, but "Satisfaction" needs to be taken off the radio. And the Stones need to stop playing it in concert. Mick Jagger famously said he would rather be dead than singing "Satisfaction" at age 45. Well he's 81 and still singing it. "Satisfaction" is a good song and was amazing when it was released in 1965. But we've endured almost 60 years of it in fairly heavy rotation. And, sadly, the Stones are still using it live - as the final encore to boot.

5. "More Than a Feeling" by Boston

No doubt when you first heard "More Than a Feeling" all those years ago, you probably liked it. But now, decades after its release, put your hand up if you change the station when it comes on. Overplayed to Death is the term. Apparently it took Boston guitarist/songwriter Tom Scholz five years to write, which is about the same time it takes to get sick of this song. In addition to more-than-enough airplay, "More Than a Feeling" has been used in countless films and TV shows. When will it end?

Needless to say, there are tons of overplayed songs. Fortunately, with today's Bluetooth technology in most vehicles, we can pick and choose what we listen to and avoid radio altogether. But rest assured, if you tune into an FM station for a day or two, you'll hear one of the above songs.

Check out our look at the five best Rolling Stones albums for people who want to get into the world's greatest rock 'n roll band

Shocker! Motley Crue is Back

Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil, in their prime, rocking in 1984.

Actually, it's not shocking Motley Crue recently announced they were reuniting and launching a massive US tour in 2020 (which finally launched in 2022 because of the COVID pandemic).
Sadly, though, this is a band that has major egg on its collective face after signing a "legally-binding" contract stipulating they would never tour again after Dec. 31, 2015. At the time, band leader and founder Nikki Sixx said "There is no amount of money that would ever make me do it again because I have such pride in how we're ending it. If anybody ever would call any other band members and say, 'Hey it's been 10 years, let's just do 10 shows. A million a pop.' It could never happen unless all four band members agreed. And if we did agree, the way we've set it up - we'd have so much egg on our face. We have so much pride that that alone would stop it."
Well, that's a lot of egg.
Firstly Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, vocalist Vince Neil, and former guitarist Mick Mars couldn't even wait 10 years - they made it only four years. Also the latest reports have the band apparently demanding more than $3 million per future show. Now, after announcing a stadium tour with Poison and Def Leppard, you could say each band would get $1 million per show if that total gets split evenly.
In their press release announcing their "comeback" (they weren't really gone that long), the band says they have legions of new fans thanks to the Netflix biopic based off their story The Dirt. 

It's all about the Fans ... er Money

While it's great for new fans to get a chance to see the Crue in concert, recent allegations by Mars suggest the band does not even play live, using pre-recorded tracks. Fans can clearly see this in several videos where Neil holds the mic out to the crowd, but you can clearly hear his voice through the PA system, even though he isn't singing. So yeah, it's about the money.
There's no love lost between Lee and Neil as documented in Lee's biography Tommyland and if it wasn't about the money, the aging Crue would at least put a new album out so they had something to tour behind, or a reason to go out on tour and break their contract.
Yes, it's all about money which they'll make hand over fist because there aren't a lot of big bands touring right now that can sell out stadiums. There certainly aren't a lot of new bands that can do so, anyways.
Motley Crue joins a long list of band that reunited after "ending" their touring careers including KISS, The Who, and Black Sabbath.
A lot of rock bands talk about integrity and such, but clearly Motley Crue has none. Never mind the allegations by former guitarist Mick Mars, who said publicly the band doesn't totally play live and uses backing tracks when onstage. Naturally, the band denied Mars' allegations.

Why Doesn't Metallica Play More Underrated Songs Live?

Maybe Metallica should change up the setlist?

Having recently seen Metallica live on Aug. 24 in Vancouver, I got to wondering why some songs aren't as well received by fans as others during the show.

While most of the crowd was rocking to most of the songs, some tracks drew a kind of "meh" response from fans.

It wasn't a sellout concert, with the floor half full and several sections in the corners rather bare. That in itself was kind of surprising.

And a good number of fans there, at least in the general area I was sitting, just didn't seem really that into it. Maybe the potent weed that was being smoked everywhere had them hippy-shaking in their seats.

But if you look at the songs, you might glean an answer towards some of the apathy.

Metallica has been around for more than 33 years, touring quite a bit. With that comes the fact they tend to play the same songs live. Over and Over.

As a longtime fan of the band, I'm frankly tired of seeing them do "For Whom the Bell Tolls" for the umpteenth time. It's a great song to be sure, but fans seem tired of seeing it live.

And "Seek and Destroy" is another that they've played on pretty much every single tour.

Even the mastery of "Master of Puppets" is getting dull now. Overplayed. Beat to death.

Then, as usual, they closed the show with their most overplayed song "Enter Sandman". Again. Yawn.

I get that the band sort of has to appeal to the lowest common denominator and play songs the casual fan might recognize, but wouldn't it be better if they pulled out some older, underrated songs from the catalogue?

Suffice it to say Metallica would be well-served to play some other tracks. How about "Leper Messiah"? It's easy enough, so Lars Ulrich can get through it on drums.

What about "Outlaw Torn" – one of their most underrated songs. Or "Bleeding Me" – another standout from the Load album. Or how about "Fixxer", a song they finally played live late in 2021, which is an absolut gem.

But sadly for longtime fans of Metallica, it's pretty much the same old songs live, aside from anything they played off Hardwired ... to Self Destruct, and I loved hearing those songs live in concert for the first time.

And just like the Rolling Stones before them, playing "Satisfaction" for the millionth time, it's likely Metallica fans will have to endure through "Enter Sandman" over and over again.

Check out what Lars Ulrich thinks of Metallica playing their fastest songs when they're in their 60s.

Temple of the Dog: An Emotional Rock Powerhouse

There are few hard rock albums packed with as much raw emotion as the stellar Temple of the Dog record.

The 1991 masterpiece from the Seattle supergroup was conceived and written by Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell as a tribute to his good friend Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Mother Lovebone, who died on March 19, 1990 after overdosing on heroin. Interestingly, the name Temple of the Dog comes from the opening lyrics of the Mother Love Bone track “Man of Golden Words”: “I want to show you something, like joy inside my heart, seems I been living in the temple of the dog.”

Cornell and Co. made the record in just 15 days from November to December at Seattle’s London Bridge Studios.

It’s a one-off record that’s about as organic as you will ever hear in rock. Temple of the Dog consists of Cornell, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass) and Stone Gossard (guitar), as well as Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron. Additionally, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder sang on the hit song “Hunger Strike”.

For Ament and Gossard, who were in Mother Lovebone with Wood, making the album was something of a cathartic process, as it no doubt was for Cornell as well. He and Wood were roommates at one time.

Amazing Collaboration Led to Unique Vibe

On the collaboration, Ament noted it was “a really good thing at the time” for Gossard and himself. Gossard recalls the recording process as a “non-pressure filled” situation with no pressure from the record company. The guitarist later stated it was “the easiest and most beautiful record we’ve ever been involved with.”

Cornell was the principal songwriter, writing all the lyrics, and most of the music. Two tracks in particular “Say Hello 2 Heaven” and “Reach Down” were written directly in response to Wood’s untimely death. In the chorus of “Say Hello 2 Heaven”, you can just hear the raw emotion in Cornell’s voice, which should give most listener goosebumps, especially near the end of the song.

The late Cornell recorded those two songs, which he described as the first time he’d written anything specifically for a person, as demos and played them for Ament, who suggest the Soundgarden frontman should record them.

Cornell told Rolling Stone he thought Soundgarden could record the two songs on an album as a tribute to Wood. As it turns out, Cornell asked Ament if he’d like to help record the songs. From there they decided to make an entire album, forming Temple of the Dog in the process.

The members of band recall the impact Cameron had on the record. “Once we started playing with Chris and Matt, the songs took on a different life, especially from Matt’s end. His playing becomes the hook on a lot of the songs. The part that he came up with on “Wooden Jesus” is such an iconic drum song to me. It’s such a riff and so musical. His playing dictated that we leave space in those songs. To my ears, that’s what makes the record really unique and fun to listen to,” Ament said in Rolling Stone.

Another standout, emotional track is “Times of Trouble” which details the trappings of heroin and how a user can hold on and overcome the addiction, even when it seems there is no hope left. Sadly, Wood’s addiction got the best of him just as Mother Lovebone was about to serve notice as a premier Seattle rock and roll band.

After laying down nine songs, Cornell wanted to make it an even 10 tracks to fill the Temple album. That’s when the band decided to lay down “Hunger Strike”, which Cornell had written a few months prior to the Temple sessions. It wasn’t finished but he recalls how Vedder, who had just joined Pearl Jam at the time, came to add vocals: “I thought that “Hunger Strike” would be a good message to end the album on, but it wasn’t complete. It was just one verse. I was singing the chorus in the rehearsal space and Eddie just kind of shyly walked up to the mic and started singing the low “going hungry” and I started singing the high one. When I heard him sing, the whole thing came together in my brain. I just felt like, ‘Wow, his voice is so great in this low register. He should sing on it. I’ll sing the first verse and then he’ll come in. Even though it’s the same lyrics, it’s a different singer and it’ll feel like two verses’,” recalled Cornell in a Rolling Stone interview.

For Temple of the Dog fans, there are rumors out there that a live album might soon be released with songs taken from the band’s 2016 tour.

With Cornell’s death in 2017, there will never be another Temple of the Dog tour or album. Fortunately, music fans can still reach out and listen to the 1990 masterpiece, which will stand the test of time.

Check out the making of Soundgarden's Louder Than Love album

Piece of Mind: Iron Maiden's Metal Masterpiece

With the success of 1982's Number of the Beast, one would think Iron Maiden would be hard pressed to follow it with an equal or better record, but they did just that with Piece of Mind.

Despite bringing in a new drummer in yet another personnel change, 1983's Piece of Mind turned out to be an amazing album and it defined Maiden's modern, mid-late 1980s sound.

The album was quickly recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas from January to March, 1983, and is the first to feature drummer Nicko McBrain after former skin-basher Clive Burr was ousted from Maiden in December, 1982.

Coming off the phenomenal Beast album and tour, the band was getting comfortable with each other as singer Bruce Dickinson had time to get fully adjusted to the workings of Iron Maiden. Dickinson had more influence on the songwriting, composing "Revelations", while co-writing on "Flight of Icarus", "Die with your Boots On", and "Sun and Steel".

"I think on this album, because Bruce has been in a band awhile and was also very involved with the writing, he's more relaxed," said bassist Steve Harris in a 1983 interview with Kevin Thompson for Artist Magazine. "So the vocal performance is tremendous. He's so quick in the studio because his ear for pitch is so good - he just gets up there and bang, it retains a great live feel."

Most of the songs were written at Hotel le Chalet in New Jersey during the hotel’s off-season, then recorded down in Nassau.

Certainly, Piece of Mind sets the mark for the "new Maiden" in terms of personnel and how the band sounds on record. It's the first record in a string of albums that includes Powerslave, Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son of Seventh Son to have that clean, crisp, modern, Maiden metal sound.

"I think it's now becoming what Iron Maiden is all about, and we expect it's going to develop from there," said Harris at the time.

Sound of the Mind

The distinct sound of Piece of Mind is in no small part thanks to producer Martin "Black Night" Birch, who began working with the band on the Killers record. While Number of the Beast had a very doomy, dark feel to it (like it was recorded in a catacomb), Piece of Mind was very crisp and open.

"Martin has always added his expertise in the studio and his great ability at recording our sounds," noted Harris. "We've only just come to this point in our drum and guitar sounds, which are exceptional now - it's just a team growing up together."

The album came together very quickly, with Harris noting "Where Eagles Dare" was recorded in two takes.

"Revelations" was a Dickinson song that Harris feels comes off much better live than on the album. Same with "Flight of Icarus", which was the first single off the record (it hit No.12 on the Billboard Rock Chart). Harris prefers it better live because it's faster, and if he had his druthers, the band would have put more pace into it on the record, but Dickinson argued for a slower, more plodding beat.

Backwards Message on Piece of Mind

The backwards recording before "Still Life" was Maiden getting back at all the religious freaks who came down on the because of Number of the Beast. The recording is actually a drunken McBrain doing an impersonation of Idi Amin (leader of Uganda in the 1970s), so the accent is very thick. Played forwards its says: "What ho, said da t'ing wid da t'ree bonce. Don't meddle wit t'ings you don't understand."

McBrain said the band had enough of being labelled as Satanic: "We were sick and tired of being labelled as Devil worshippers and all this bollocks by these fucking morons in the States, so we thought, 'Right, you want to take the piss? We'll show you how to take the bleeding piss, my son!' And one of the boys taped me in the middle of this Idi Amin routine I used to do when I'd had a few drinks. I remember it distinctly ended with the words, 'Don't meddle wid t'ings yo don't understand.' We thought, if people were going to be stupid about this sort of thing, we might as well give them something to be really stupid about, you know?"

Another cool song on the album and very underrated, is "To Tame A Land", which was based on the "Dune" novels by Frank Herbert. Interestingly, back in 1983, Harris said it's the best song he's ever written up to that point.

With Piece of Mind, Iron Maiden really came into their own and began a string of phenomenal records that carried on until 1990, when Adrian Smith left the band while in pre-production for "No Prayer for the Dying".

Check out the five best Maiden songs with Paul Di'Anno

Albums that Spent the Most Time on Billboard Charts

Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon

When you think about some of the truly great albums of all time that have spent time on the album charts, it's worth noting Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is still top dog.Released way back in March, 1973, the record spent an astounding 953 weeks on the Billboard charts, even spending a week at No. 1 in the U.S.

What's really interesting is it fell off the charts in 1988, only to re-appear with the introduction of the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart in May 1991, and has been a perennial feature ever since. It's a testament to the innovation and song writing the Pink Floyd brought to Abbey Road Studio when they created the masterpiece. 

Floyd's bassist and principal songwriter Roger Waters says he knew the band was onto something amazing when he played it for his wife.

"When the record was finished I took a reel-to-reel copy home with me and I remember playing it for my wife then, and I remember her bursting into tears when it was finished. And I thought, 'This has obviously struck a chord somewhere', and I was kinda pleased by that. You know when you've done something, certainly if you create a piece of music, you then hear it with fresh ears when you play it for somebody else. And at that point I thought to myself, 'Wow, this is a pretty complete piece of work,' and I had every confidence that people would respond to it."

Of all the albums that spent the most time on the Billboard 200, only two of the top five are non-compilations - Dark Side of the Moon and Metallica's Black Album, which sits at No. 4 with 542 weeks on the chart. Bob Marley's Legend (No. 2), Journey's Greatest Hits (No. 3), and Johnny Mathis' Greatest hits (No. 5), are all compilations.

The Black Album Shows Longevity

Metallica's Black Album

Metallica's 1991 record marked a massive change for the thrash band. The San Francisco quartet brought in uber producer Bob Rock to help them find a different sound as the band went from the brutally produced ...And Justice For All to a clear, hard-hitting sound that made the band more accessible to a much wider audience. It also helped that "Enter Sandman" became a staple of modern rock radio. The band also made a concerted effort to slow down, going from pure thrash to more grinding metal.

"…And Justice For All album sounds horrible, awful, can't fucking stand it," says Hetfield "That was our fancy stage, showing off too much. We knew we had to move on and the Black Album was the opposite. So when me and Lars got back together after a short break, I said, 'We gotta really try and write some shorter, to-the-point songs.'"

Metallica fans at the time were outraged the band was "selling out", which they were, to a certain extent, but there aren't many artists who don't want their work to be heard or seen. James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Jason Newsted, and Lars Ulrich can't be faulted for wanting to broaden their horizons and change things up.

Time, the ultimate arbiter of what becomes legendary, has shown how well the Black Album has held up and appealed to multiple generations, much like Dark Side of the Moon.

Check Out: How Pink Floyd created The Wall album

New Guns N' Roses Album in the Works

Duff Mckagan, Axl Rose, and Slash 

After wrapping up their "Not in This Lifetime" tour in December, 2018, it looks like the touring Guns N' Roses lineup is going to record a new album. That means three-fifths of the original band will be at it again with vocalist Axl Rose, guitarist Slash, and Duff McKagan on bass. Additional members would include guitarist Richard Fortus and (hopefully) drummer Frank Ferrer.
Slash, McKagan, and Fortus have all said there is an intent to record a new GNR album, but in the Gunner's world, nothing comes quickly. "Oh, it’s real, but the fun part and the cool part about Guns N’ Roses is we don’t really talk about it, and what happens next just happens,” said McKagan, who has heard a few new songs written by Rose, on Trunk Nation. “It’s never been that band that there’s a direct schedule of how we do things. I’ve heard some magnificent stuff that Axl has, really cool stuff he’s been working on. So I’m excited about the possibilities with that, of course. I don’t mean to get anybody rabid. Our day will happen when it happens, that’s for sure.”
Slash echoed those sentiments in an interview in Japan where he noted: “Axl, Duff, myself and Richard have all talked about… there’s material and stuff going on already for a new record,” said Slash. “It’s just, with Guns N’ Roses, you don’t go, ‘Oh, there is a plan, and it’s gonna be like this,’ because that’s not how it works. So, basically, the only real answer to give is we’re hoping to put a new record out, and we’ll just see what happens when it happens.”
Slash currently has touring commitments with Myles Kennedy through August, so presumably the top-hatted one would be working with Rose and the rest of the band after that.
"Slash is on tour right now. Once he gets back from that, we’re gonna get some more recording done and hopefully get an album out soon. And then we’ll get back to touring," Fortus told the St. Louis Dispatch. He went on to say a new record could come around "faster than you think."

Chinese Democracy Took a Long Time to Record

The most recent Guns N' Roses album, Chinese Democracy, which was some 11 years in the works, features only Rose as an original band member. While it would be great for the Gunners to make a record with the original lineup, including drummer Steven Adler and guitarist Izzy Stradlin, chances are it won't happen.

And if the band is indeed working on a new album, knowing Rose's perfectionist OCD tendencies, it likely won't be released in 2019.
Given Rose wrote at least two albums worth of material during the Chinese Democracy period, one wonders how many of those tracks will see the light of day on a new record and get some input from Slash and McKagan.

Can Slash and Axl Rose Get Along?

Rose and Slash rocking it on the "Not in This Lifetime" Tour

Also too, it remains to be seen if Slash and Rose can work together in the studio. Remember those ugliest feuds. In his 2007 biography, Slash stated he left Guns N' Roses because of Rose's constant lateness to concerts, the alleged legal manipulation Rose used (since denied by Rose) to gain control of the band, and the departures of original drummer Steven Adler and guitarist Izzy Stradlin. For his part, Rose stoked the fire with some nasty words in a 2009 interview, saying "Personally I consider Slash a cancer and better removed, avoided — and the less anyone heard of him or his supporters, the better." No doubt Rose knew Slash had lost his mother to cancer and the comments didn't sit well with the guitarist. Rose also told Billboard in 2009 (when there was talk of a GNR reunion back then): "What's clear is that one of the two of us will die before a reunion and however sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is."
Well they got together for the reunion tour (money has that type of influence), so fans are hoping they can get through making another album together.

Appetite for Destruction: Making Guns N' Roses' Masterpiece

Guns N' Roses original lineup back in 1987.

When it comes to debut albums in the rock and roll world, it doesn't get much better than Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, an out-of-control train that became one of the best-selling albums of all time.

The record burst onto the scene at a time when hair metal was all the rage and spandex suppliers were making a killing. Guns N' Roses and Appetite ripped into the fabric of  L.A.s' hard rock scene and tore it apart with hard-edged tracks and lyrics paying homage to the rock and roll lifestyle and living on the edge.

Recorded from Jan. 18-March 31, 1987 at four L.A. area studios, including The Record Plant, with Mike Clink producing, Appetite for Destruction has sold more than 30 million copies and stands among the finest works in modern rock.

Prior to working with Clink, the Gunners' record label (Geffen) considered hiring uber-producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, but decided spending the kind of money Lange commandeered wasn't worth it (imagine if Lange had produced the album??!!). So Clink was chosen to oversee the album and got to know the band by recording a test track called "Shadow of Your Love" which was subsequently released as a B-Side for "It's So Easy/Mr. Brownstone" and again in 2018 on the Appetite boxed set.

Finding that they clicked with Clink, the band began work on the album in January 1987 with recording the basic tracks, which took two weeks. Interestingly, Clink was a workaholic who spliced together the best takes with a razor blade and then worked 18 hour days with Slash and Axl Rose on guitars and vocals. 

Slash was having trouble finding a sound he liked, but settled on a copy Gibson Les Paul through a Marshall amp. Drummer Steven Adler says his drum parts took six days, but much of the $370,000 recording budget was used up by Rose, who insisted on recording his vocals one line at time, which took forever and forced the rest of the band out of the studio and into the local watering holes.

Geffen A&R man Tom Zutaut, who took a chance on the band, recalled to Loudwire.com: "There are some bands that just can't be stopped and you can sense it. No amount of alcohol or drugs will slow them down. Guns N' Roses were able to consume those things, yet deliver at a live show and deliver in the studio."

The Songs Make Appetite a Success

Original artwork for the Appetite Cover

What really stands out are the songs on Appetite for Destruction. From the rawness of the tracks to the lyrics, everyone is a testament to what the band was living through at the time: sex, drugs, and rock and roll. They didn't apologize for a song about heroin addiction (Mr. Brownstone), were unrepentant about how wasted they would get ("Nighttrain"), and women who would give them anything they wanted ("It's So Easy"). 

A prime example of the desire to be as authentic as possible came when Rose was set to lay down vocals for "Rocket Queen". He wanted to incorporate the live sounds of having sex on the album, so he asked Adler's girlfriend if she wanted to do it and she said "yes". They had sex in the studio and put the sounds on tape. It's the epitome of what Guns N' Roses is all about.

Appetite Fizzles on Release

When Appetite for Destruction was released on July 21, 1987, it received little fanfare. After six months, it had sold only 250,000 and MTV wasn't playing the "Welcome to the Jungle" video. Finally, after much persuading from Geffen, MTV relented (playing the video at 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning) and gave the song some air time, as did Much Music in Canada. Soon the song was getting tons of requests and the band found a larger audience. But it was "Sweet Child O' Mine" that really took them into the stratosphere when it was released as a single in August, 1988.

Zutaut predicted to David Geffen that Appetite would sell 10 million copies. Turns out even he was wrong.

Check out why Izzy Stradlin was such an integral part of the original Guns N' Roses lineup.

How the Red Hot Chili Peppers Matured as Songwriters

A sure sign of a great band is its ability to evolve and still maintain its core essence.

Over the years (we're talking 34 years now since their first album), the Red Hot Chili Peppers have constantly shifted their sound but album after album, they continue to mature as songwriters.

For a band that started out as a funk-rock-punk outfit, the current incarnation of vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante have successfully transitioned into a solid rock outfit that's not afraid to stretch the sound by adding synthesizers or disco beats.

Back in the early 1980s as a band starting out, the Peppers wrote songs that broke the mold, becoming one of the first bands to merge metal, rap, and funk. "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes" from their self-titled 1984 debut is a prime example of the band's early songwriting.

Their next two albums contained similar songwriting styles and on "Fight Like A Brave" from The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, the band strengthened their craft with more meaningful lyrics as Kiedis detailed one of his many battles with heroin, a drug that claimed the life of original guitarist Hillel Slovak in 1988.

The band really began to mature in 1988, after Slovak's death, on their Mother's Milk album. Songs like "Knock Me Down", "Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky", and the brilliant instrumental "Pretty Little Ditty" (the first song ever written together by Flea and John Frusciante) showcase a band that's coming into its own, with profound lyrics, a better sound, and deeper musical grooves.

Following up on the commercial success of Mother's Milk, the Chilis hired uber-producer Rick Rubin and released Blood Sugar Sex Magik in 1991. Again, the band continued to evolve, with "Under the Bridge" reaching No. 2 - a song brought to the band by Kiedis, who didn't think it was good for the band's modus operandi, but Rubin convinced him it was a worthy track. It's another example of the group digging deeper and not being afraid to stick with one style of music.

Fast forward to 2002 and the album By the Way. RHCP by this time had mellowed out in a big way. It's their least funky record but a song like "Can't Stop" hearkens back to the Blood Sugar Sex Magik days. And a song like "On Mercury" showcases a serious ska/reggae influence. Then there's the title track, with the phenomenal vocal harmonies of Kiedis and Frusciante. At this time, the guitarist had cleaned up in rehab, was happy, and became instrumental in the songwriting, leaning on influences from the Beach Boys and The Beatles. "By the Way" is a roadmarker in how the Chilis had evolved to that point, as was the whole album.

The L.A. band's amazing The Getaway (with Josh Klinghoffer on guitar) really is among their best work. A real California rock record that shows them at their peak in terms of melody, feel, and groove. "Dark Necessities", "Go Robot", and "Sick Love" (featuring Elton John - who would have thought that in 1984? are among the finer tracks RCHP has ever laid down. Take "Sick Love", which boasts the base chord structure of John's "Bennie and the Jets". It's a song that encompasses four decades of musical influences, shining strong in one song.

For longtime fans who has been fans since the 1980s, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have proven themselves to be an ever-changing, evolving fountain of youth in terms of their songwriting. For music fans, that's about as good as it gets.

How Gojira Found a Much Larger Audience

No doubt many metal fans — especially those over 40 years of age — had never heard of Gojira or listened to them until they opened up for Metallica in North America in the summer of 2017.

For a speed-metal band like Gojira to slot onto Metallica’s WorldWired Tour was a huge coup for the French outfit consisting of drummer Mario Duplantier, singer/guitarist Joe Duplantier, guitarist Christian Andreu and bassist Jean-Michel Labadie. Those shows opened up a massive new audience for the band at a time when their latest album, Magma (2016), was a bit slower and less all-out-aggression than their previous efforts. Magma is arguably the best metal album from 2016.

When Gojira, which formed in 1996, were announced as part of Metallica’s tour, along with Avenged Sevenfold, Joe Duplantier knew it was a golden opportunity for his band to showcase itself to a whole new audience.

“I hope they will see something they've never seen before; it could be subtle. And the energy and our sound, I hope they will take away something cool and original and refreshing, ‘cause I know Metallica draws a huge crowd,” said Duplantier, who along with brother Mario, write most of the band’s songs. “They have the old-school metalheads, they have the new fans, and then there’s almost like random people that don't know anything about metal … I hope these people will experience something original.”

Certainly for those who’d never seen or heard the mighty Gojira before, it was amazing to hear them for the first time. It was heavy with a lot of melody, and for this writer anyways, picking up the Magma album after seeing them live was a must and what great record it is!

With slower tracks like “The Shooting Star” and “Stranded”, Magma is the perfect album to showcase for new fans. And there is still plenty of high-tempo speed on the record as well with songs like “Silvera” and “The Cell”. As Duplantier said, it was just time for the band to naturally slow down from and change it up previous albums, a move partly brought on by the death of the Duplantier brothers' mother. Her passing led to more introspective and emotional lyrics, which no doubt led to slower songs.

“We never sat down around a table and decided, ‘Okay, it’s time to do new stuff or to change or to calm down on the music.’ It was just like a completely natural, organic thing. And we still argue a lot in the band; we bring up ideas and sometimes the rest of the band doesn't like them,” said Duplantier. “So, there’s always this common ground that we have to find between all of us, and Magma is the common ground between the four of us at that particular time. So that’s what it is — it’s like being spontaneous and being natural and trying to find the common ground in the band. And we’re lucky enough to have that same desire — to be more mellow, I guess, and more melodic too, and more emotional.”

Drums Dominate Gojira Sound

One thing that’s been steady with Gojira all these years is how Mario Duplantier’s drums are front and centre in the music. While most drummers provide a backbeat with some fills to round out a song, Duplantier’s drumming is often the instrument that’s at the forefront of a Gojira track. Often, it’ll be the guitar, but there’s no doubt the drums take front and centre with many Gojira tracks. On Magma, for example, the title track and “Low Lands” are two shining examples of the drums being the dominant instrument.

Gojira, which means Godzilla in Japanese, were noted for creating some of the heaviest and fastest music. As one Reddit user noted about 2005’s From Mars to Sirius album that it featured some of the heaviest music ever written. Heavy yes, but all with an underlying melody that’s sometimes hard to find, but it’s there.

To show how far the band from Bayonne has come, they were nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2016: Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance for “Silvera”. Gojira didn’t win in either category, however, as Ghost took Best Metal Performance with “Cirice” and Drones by Muse won for Best Rock Album.

If you’re a metal fan and haven’t heard of, or listened to Gojira, do yourself a favor and check this band out. You’ll be blown away.

Five of the Most Underrated Guns N' Roses Songs

As the mighty Guns N' Roses take a break between legs of their seemingly-never ending Not In This Lifetime World Tour, we decided to investigate some of the band's most underrated songs. And while fans wait for the end of the tour (later this year) to see what will happen with the band (Will they make a new record? Will they break up again?), check out these five amazing, underrated GN'R tracks.

14 Years

If Axl Rose brings the Mick Jagger swagger to Gun N' Roses, Izzy Stradlin brought the street-smart, rhythm guitar feel of Keith Richards. Make no mistake, "14 Years ", from Use Your Illusion II is largely an Izzy Stradlin tune. The former Gunner handles lead vocals for a song that's likely about Stradlin's friendship with Rose. Overall, this is a fantastic rock n' roll song that really has a Rolling Stones feel to it with the background piano hammering away. Sadly, Stradlin left the band on the Illusions Tour in 1991.

Coma

The longest Gun N' Roses track (at 10:13) from the Illusions records, "Coma" is one of those songs that grows on you more and more over a few listens. Written about his own overdose experience, Axl Rose had trouble penning the lyrics. He is quoted as saying: "I tried to write that song for a year, and couldn't. I went to write it at the studio and passed out. I woke up two hours later and sat down and wrote the whole end of the song, like, just off the top of my head. It was like, I don't even know what's coming out, man, but it's coming. I think one of the best things that I've ever written was maybe the end segment of the song "Coma".

Prostitute

If you enjoy the Chinese Democracy album, then you're probably on board with how good "Prostitute" is. From the quiet build up to the explosive ending, "Prostitute" is one of Axl Rose's shining moments as a songwriter and lyricist. While the subject of the track (former band mate or record company?) isn't clear, what's clear is the phenomenal lead guitar work of Buckethead on this track.

Human Being

The only song on this list not written by the band, "Human Being" is a cover of a 1974 New York Dolls track that appeared on GN'R's Spaghetti Incident album from 1993. While it was the last studio album to feature Slash and Duff McKagan, "Human Being" is a shining example of how they could make a song absolutely groove from start to finish. Much like Metallica, Guns N' Roses can take an old song and almost make it better than the original. Any way you slice, the GN'R version of "Human Being" is insanely good.

Pretty Tied Up

Ah the "Perils of Rock n' Roll Decadence". Written solely by Izzy Stradlin, "Pretty Tied Up" has an eastern flare from a coral sitar in the intro followed by a grooving verse riff with Stradlin's rhythm chops prominently featured. Stradlin has said in interviews that the subject of the song was a Hollywood dominatrix. Fans of this track really enjoy the line "Cool and stressing" which sounds like cool ranch dressing.

Check out our story on why Izzy Stradlin is a key cog missing from the current GN'R tour

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The Story of How David Lee Roth Left Van Halen

Happier times for Eddie and Diamond Dave

When you look at how Van Halen originally broke up in 1985, the truth about David Lee Roth leaving is a cloudy affair.

It's generally accepted that Roth left the band to pursue a solo career, however that may not be the real story.

To get to the point of the Van Halen brothers, Eddie and Alex, feuding big time with Diamond Dave, we need some context.

Now according to a former Van Halen employee, Pete Angelus (former Van Halen lighting director, creative consultant and Black Crowes manager), the band had decided to take a year off and recharge after pretty much consistently touring since the first album came out. During that break, Roth was going to work on a movie, Crazy From the Heat, (it was never made).

Despite all band members being on board for the hiatus, according to Angelus, a story appeared in Rolling Stone (in July 1984) saying Roth had quit the band. Now according to Angelus, Alex Van Halen told him the band didn't want to wait around while Roth made the movie and that it was "bullshit ... we're not going to be in a holding pattern to Dave's whims."

Talk to the Van Halen brothers and they'll yell to the top of the mountain Roth left the band.

In early 1985, there were signs that all was not well in the Van Halen camp.

Roth released his EP Crazy From the Heat in late January 1985, a four-song collection that contained nothing written by Roth. They were all covers. Then in February, he was quoted as saying "We’ll be going back in the studio and start arguing again and we all look forward to that. ... We have a lot of respect for each other and get along quite well, actually.”

Not true. They weren't getting along at all.

According to reports Roth and Eddie met in March to go over the future of the band. One thing they surely chatted about was Roth making the movie. Turns out he wanted Eddie to do the score and soundtrack. Eddie said "no".

Concerning that meeting, Eddie told Rolling Stone in a 1986 article the discussion came to a grinding halt, with Roth declaring, “I can’t work with you guys anymore. I want to do my movie. Maybe when I’m done, we'll get back together.”

So from Eddie's point of view, it appears there was no talk of a year's hiatus.

Now it should be noted the Van Halen brothers fired their manager, Noel Monk, in April 1985, despite desperate pleas from Roth to keep Monk on board. With no intermediary between Roth and the brothers, things quickly fell apart. With no glue keeping the egos in check, there was no hope of Eddie and Roth reconciling.

Van Halen Likely Broke Up in March, 1985

And publicly, there was no talk of the band breaking up, even by April 1, April Fool's Day and the one most have pegged as the day Diamond Dave departed.

The mighty Van Halen in 1984

The first public knowledge came in the summer of 1985, when Rolling Stone noted on July 4 that "Van Halen is on permanent hold. Eddie, who’s rumored to be scouting around for a new lead singer, is writing songs with Patty Smyth and planning to collaborate with Pete Townsend. As for David Lee Roth, he intends to pursue an acting career full time and is developing his own movie."

At that time, neither Eddie or Roth had said anything publicly.

But the silence from the Van Halen camp ended in August when Eddie declared, in Rolling Stone: "The band as you know it is over. Dave left to be a movie star . . . He even had the balls to ask if I’d write the score for him."

The guitar virtuoso went on to state: "I’m looking for a new lead singer ... it’s weird that it’s over. Twelve years of my life putting up with his bullshit."

So clearly there is a discord between the brothers and Roth and whether or not they were taking a year off, as Angelus stated, or were breaking up because Roth wanted to be a movie star (as the Van Halen brothers have said).

The inclination is to believe Eddie and Alex. Roth is a master of spin control and verbal diarrhea. And it's interesting to note Angelus went on to become one half of the Roth solo video team as a one of the Fabulous Picasso Brothers, so clearly his best (monetary) interests were tied to the Roth camp.

The Van Halen feud became one of the most notorious in rock and roll.

See how Van Halen's amazing 5150 album came together with Sammy Hagar

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Five of Keith Richards' Greatest Riffs

Richards at Sunset Sound in 1972

When it comes to rhythm and guitar riffs, Keith Richards is the backbone of the Rolling Stones and one of the all-time great rhythm players. The hard-living, easy-going death dodger has crafted hundreds of mind-blowing riffs over the decades, so picking five is a huge challenge. But when you look at the body of work from the Stones, these riffs have special qualities, are instantly recognizable and timeless.

Start Me Up

One of the Stones most popular songs, "Start Me Up" was released in 1981, but the riff was crafted back in 1978 while writing for the Some Girls sessions. And it was originally written with a reggae vibe and called "Never Stop", but the Stones couldn't get it right, so they shelved it until engineer Chris Kimsey discovered it, and the band re-worked it for the Tattoo You record. That intro riff is instantly recognizable and the song is played at just about every live sports venue, every single day of the year.

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Although played to death on classic rock radio, the three-note "Satisfaction" riff is where it all started for Richards and the Stones. It's the song that put them into the rock and roll stratosphere back in 1965. A maestro fuzzbox gives the riff that distinctive sound. Interestingly, Richards and Mick Jagger had to be talked into releasing it as a single. It became the first Stones No. 1 hit in the United States, turning them into mega rock stars.

Jumpin' Jack Flash

For the epic Jumpin' Jack Flash riff, Richards showcased his open D tuning using a capo to E on an acoustic. The recording has a second acoustic guitar playing the opening chord and lick in Nashville tuning, but an octave higher. And both were recorded on a Phillips cassette recorder. As Richards said of the track in Rolling Stone: "When you get a riff like 'Flash,' you get a great feeling of elation, a wicked glee. I can hear the whole band take off behind me every time I play 'Flash' – there's this extra sort of turbo overdrive. You jump on the riff and it plays you. Levitation is probably the closest analogy to what I feel." Bill Wyman has stated he actually came up with the riff on the piano.

One Hit to the Body

The opening track on 1986's Dirty Work is one of the finest examples of the Stones' post-glory-days tracks. The opening riff is like a sledgehammer hitting you right between the ears, augmented by Ronnie Wood's acoustic playing (he got writing credit!!). This song is figuartively about Richards and Jagger's feud, which was at its peak in 1986. The riff certainly has an angry feel and that's certainly not by accident on Richards' part.

Can't You Hear Me Knocking

One of the shining examples of Keith Richards' open G tuning is on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking", off the amazing Sticky Fingers album. Richards said he "loves the chopping, staccato bursts of chords". According to Richards, this was one of the quicker songs to put together: "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" came out flying – I just found the tuning and the riff and started to swing it and Charlie picked up on it just like that, and we're thinking, hey, this is some groove." Indeed. It's one of the best Stones tracks, bar none.

Check out our look at 5 of Mick Taylor's best solos during his Rolling Stones tenure

There Will Be A New Tool Album in 2018

New Tool album in 2018 - Danny Carey

Well it won't be 10,000 days until fans have to wait for the new Tool album.

According to drummer Danny Carey, the powerhouse alt-progressive metal band is set to unleash a new record in 2018. For Sure. Absolutely. Without a doubt.

In an interview with Loudwire, Carey was pressed about when new Tool material would be released.

"Yes. I’m saying definitely. We’ll probably have it done in the first half [of the year] if things go as planned," said Carey when asked if the new Tool record will be out in 2018. "There’s setup times and manufacturing – I can never predict all that, it seems like it’s constantly evolving. [What time of year it will be out] I can’t tell you."

Tool's last album, 10,000 Days, came out in 2006, and in their history as a recording artist, they've only released four albums since 1993, which is highly unusual, especially for bands as popular as Tool, but then again, Tool always march to their own drummer.

Tool's Songwriting: Slow Process

For the members of the band, Carey, singer Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones and bassist Justin Chancellor, the writing process is a long, analytical one – just ask Keenan, who is often frustrated by how long it takes the group to pen songs.

"I like to release records and write things a little more quickly than those guys like to write. Their process is very analytical," said Keenan. "As far as the way Danny [Carey], Adam [Jones], and Justin [Chancellor] write, it’s a very tedious and long process, and they’re always going back over things and questioning what they did and stepping back and going back further."

It took a while for Keenan to get used to the plodding process and not take it personally.

"My desire to move forward and get things done, I’m always butting heads with the guys in the band," he said. "It’s just not their process. It took me a while for me to go, this is not personal, this is just the way they have to do it and I have to respect it and I have to take my time and they take their time.”

For Tool, it's a matter of writing the music for a track, then Keenan adds lyric and melodies, then the band records. Back in June this year, Chancellor said they were "90%" there, but also noted: "It really is an evolving thing. We’ve just been really picky over what we want to put on this new album and really want to come up with something completely unique. Plus, we have endless amounts of material to sift through, so it’s just been a process . . ."

Well thankfully that process seems to be over and 2018 should be the year Tool finally releases a new album.

Read our in-depth look at how Rush made their groundbreaking 2112 album

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Five of the Most Controversial Heavy Metal Album Covers

Over the years, metal bands have come up with some interesting and controversial album covers, both as intentional, and sometimes unintentional, ways to garner publicity. Some bands, like the Scorpions, would pretty much create some sort of stir with every album they released in the mid-late '70s through to the mid 1980s. Other bands would simply see how much attention they could get with lewd or shocking artwork. So here are five of the most controversial metal album covers from records that actually sold more than 50,000 copies.

Scorpions - Virgin Killer (1976)

The infamous Virgin Killer cover

Controversy has dogged this Scorpions record until just recently, after the FBI launched an investigation to determine if the young, naked girl on the original cover violated U.S. child pornography laws. The image was also blocked by many United Kingdom ISPs. However, the block has been lifted because of technical problems occurring as a result of the blocking mechanisms and due to the already "wide availability" of the cover image. The way the 10-year-old girl is posed and the title of the record also fueled the flames. The cover shows the girl's vaginal area blocked by a crack in the camera lens. Of course the album was banned in the U.S. upon its release. Interestingly, the German arm of RCA Records fully supported the controversial cover art. Over time, several band members have publicly expressed regret over the artwork. Despite the controversy, the record failed to sell anywhere except Japan. Many Scorpions album covers have been controversial, including Lovedrive, Animal Magnetism and Love at First Sting.

Guns 'N Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987)

This was orginal Appetite cover

The iconic logo artwork on Guns 'N Roses debut Appetite for Destruction is not what the band originally intended to grace the cover. They wanted to use the infamous robotic rape scene painted by Robert Williams that wound up on the inner sleeve on the original vinyl release. But some retailers refused to put the record on their shelves, so Geffen Records forced the gunners to go with an alternate. It should be noted Axl Rose wanted to use a photo of the space shuttle Challenger explosion, but was talked out of it by Geffen, who thought it wasn't in good taste. The band settled on the now famous celtic cross with skulls showing the five band members. It was designed by Billy White Jr. and originally meant to be a tattoo. Even in 2008, with Appetite about to get released again on vinyl using the rape scene cover, the label balked at the last minute and went with the cross cover.

Mötley Crüe - Shout at the Devil (1983)

Plenty of attention from this artwork

In a move to reap some publicity in 1983, Mötley Crüe decided to put a massive pentagram on their breakthrough Shout at the Devil cover. Naturally back in 1983, church groups and Christians were wrongly led to believe the satanic icon would lead unknowing listeners down the path of evil to devil worship. Naturally band leader Nikki Sixx spent every interview reminding folks his band don't worship Satan, and the title is shout AT the devil, not shout with the devil. Certainly the cover helped the Crüe get some extra attention to what was a very, very good album back then.

Janes Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual (1990)

Ritual de lo Habitual artwork

No strangers to controversial artwork, Jane's Addiction's second big-label album, Ritual de lo Habitual saw the original cover rejected by several retailers because it depicted nudity and the idea of a threesome. "Ritual de lo Habitual" featured a photograph of a diorama with singer Perry Farrell in a menage a trois with two women. The cover was actually a representation of the song "Three Days". When some record stores refused to carry the album with the racy art, Farrell offered an alternative version of a plain white cover with the First Amendment printed on it.

Metallica - Kill 'Em All (1983)

The original title and cover for Kill 'Em All

Call it Metallica's first example of selling out. The cover for Kill 'Em All that we all know and love wasn't what the band had originally intended, neither was the title. Metallica wanted to call their debut Metal Up Your Ass with the famous hand in a toilet bowl holding a knife upright as the cover (which became a very popular T-shirt). But nobody wanted to put that cover on their shelves, so Megaforce records urged the band to change the cover and the name. So former bassist Cliff Burton came up with "Kill 'em All" as a shot at the "timid record distributors". The classic hammer and blood art came from the band, who made sure it still had some attention-grabbing value.

Check out Cliff Burton's influence on Ride the Lightning

Alice in Chains New Album Set for 2018 Release

Fans can expect new Chains music in 2018

Well, looks like Alice in Chains fans will have to shop for some other stocking stuffers this Christmas, because the new album won't be out until 2018.

That's the word from guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, who had originally hoped the latest Chains offering would be ready this year, but clearly that won't happen.

"We’ve been working all summer on writing some tunes. We worked a little bit in Seattle over the summer. We’re just kind of taking our time. Hopefully we’ll get something together for you guys next year," said Cantrell, 51. "We’re in the process of cobbling together some tunes, and hopefully in the very near future we’ll have something out for you guys."

The upcoming record will be Alice in Chains' third studio effort since the passing of original vocalist Layne Staley in 2002.

Their previous two records, Black Gives Way to Blue and 2013's The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, were both fairly well received by most fans of the band, although a vocal minority wants nothing to do with them since Staley overdosed and Cantrell, stalwart drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez carried on with William Duvall handling Staley's vocals during concerts.

And the guy who produced their last two albums, Nick Raskulinecz, is again handling production duties for the upcoming record, which is being worked on at Studio X in Seattle. It's the same venue they recorded their 1995 self-title "tripod" album.

While fans don't' know much about what what direction Alice in Chains will go this time around, one thing they can count on is a good-sounding record with thick, sludging guitars, good overall tone and Alice in Chains exceptional vocal harmonies.

Let's hope the new albums sees the band stretch itself out more than they did on the last record, where several songs lacked a spark and seemed a bit too formulaic.

Read about how Degradation Trip is such a window into Jerry Cantrell's soul

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Five of AC/DC's Most Underrated Riffs

Malcolm Young's Gibson Gretsch guitar

With the recent passing of AC/DC's founder, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter, Malcolm Young, it's a good time to look back on the band's massive body of work and the riffs Malcolm came up with. With no less than 17 studio albums, the enduring Aussie rockers have a ton of high voltage tracks. But we're going to look at five of the most underrated riffs penned by Malcolm Young. Needless to say, there really isn't a bad riff in AC/DC's entire canon (just a few repetitions).

Bedlam in Belgium

Buried as the eighth song on the underrated Flick of the Switch record, "Bedlam in Belgium" has an absolutely swinging riff, which was a hallmark of Malcolm's writing. Like many AC/DC songs, it opens with one guitar playing the main riff, then a second joins in for the third bar and, boom it really kicks in. Of note: the lyrics are a true story from a 1977 concert in Belgium.

Given the Dog a Bone

Pretty much every song from 1980's Back in Black album is very good. However, "Given the Dog A Bone" is a track that may get glossed over, but it's actually a killer song with a killer riff that Malcolm wrote. The boogie of the main riff perfectly complements Brian Johnson's lascivious lyrics of receiving oral sex from a less than good looking woman ("She's no Mona Lisa, no, she's no Playboy star").

Send for the Man

Suffice it to say, the riff on "Send for the Man" is one of the band's heaviest. It's the final song on 1985's Fly on the Wall album and many teenagers were banging their heads to that record in the summer of '85. The opening riff on "Send for the Man" with its potent power chords is a tribute to how amazing Malcolm Young was because it's so simple, yet powerful.

Riff Raff

One of Malcolm's signature boogie riffs, the relentless "Riff Raff" is found on AC/DC's amazing Powerage album. The first minute of that song is the definition of what an AC/DC song is all about: the riff intro, the build up, then the foot-stomping release and boogie as the song gets going.

Go Down

It might be a misnomer to consider the opening track of 1977's Let There be Rock as underrated, but "Go Down" is one of those songs nobody ever talks about (and according to setlistfm.com, they've only played it once in concert, ever), yet it's the first song on one of their finest older albums. The riff is the epitome of AC/DC chord structure back then with a blues based influence made heavy and menacing with that trademark added boogie element.

Check out AC/DC's 5 most underrated songs with vocalist Brian Johnson

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Five Rolling Stones Albums For New Stones Fans

It can be pretty daunting if you're a new Rolling Stones fan and want to know which albums to get into from their vast catalogue, or which are their best records to check out first.

The Stones have officially released 30 studio albums, as well as a ton of greatest hits packages and live albums. But for new fans of the band who really want to tap into what the Stones are about, there are several key albums to delve into, primarily from when they were at the peak of their power in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The five albums are in chronological order (except Hot Rocks) to help new fans get a sense of what was happening with the band at the time of each record.

Hot Rocks 1974-1971

Hot Rocks

Starting with Hot Rocks, a double album of greatest hits, you can get a good sampling of the Stones early days, when they were wide-eyed youngsters making it big on the pop scene with songs like "Time is My Side", "Satisfaction", "Mother's Little Helper", and "Let's Spend the Night Together", among many others. Hot Rocks was released by their former manager, Allen Klein, who duped the Stones into signing over their entire catalogue from their original label, Decca Records, and it contains most of their big hits up to 1971, when the band formed their own label, Rolling Stones Records. Hot Rocks also gives listeners a quick taste of what's on some of the best albums.

Beggars Banquet (1968)

Beggars Banquet

Regarded as one of the Rolling Stones best albums ever by aficionados, Beggar's Banquet (their 9th US studio album) marks the beginning of the Stones true glory days in terms of their song depth and sound. It's the first record produced by Jimmy Miller, who worked with them on every album through 1973, and it's the first album where founding guitarist Brian Jones is starting to get pushed to the sidelines (but that's another story). Opening with "Sympathy for the Devil", Beggars Banquet features a much better sound in terms of the production than their previous albums. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman and Jones also pay homage to their bluesy roots with tracks like "No Expectations" and "Dear Doctor". But you can hear the Stones branching out into more straight up rock and roll with the amazing "Stray Cat Blues" and "Jigsaw Puzzle". It's the last album where the Stones relied predominantly on an "acoustic" sound.

Let It Bleed (1969)

Let It Bleed

The follow up to Beggars Banquet was Let It Bleed, again amazingly produced by Jimmy Miller. By now the Stones, particularly Keith Richards and Brian Jones, were heavily into drugs, and it would be the last album Jones recorded with the band before getting fired by Mick and Keith. It's also the first album to feature Jones' replacement, uber-talented guitarist Mick Taylor, who plays on "Country Honk" and "Live With Me". It's fair to say Let It Bleed is where the Stones refined their sound, especially with songs like "Gimme Shelter", "Live With Me" and "Let it Bleed" that are riff-based rock and roll songs with heavy background piano as in the latter two tracks. "Gimme Shelter" is arguably one of the best Stones songs, period, while "You Can't Always Get What You Want" became a radio favourite. This album is no-filler with "Monkey Man" being one of the Stones' more underrated songs and "Midnight Rambler" as one of the their live staples. For the new listeners, it's Richards handling lead vocal on "You Got the Silver".

Sticky Fingers (1971)

Stickey Fingers

The first album on their new Rolling Stones label with the famous tongue logo, Sticky Fingers is extremely polished and heavily drug-influenced as Richards was by now a full-time heroin addict, and drugs feature heavily in the lyrics of most tracks. Many argue this is the Rolling Stones finest album, period. There's nary a bad song to be found on this diverse, 10-song collection which showcases the Stones as country rockers ("Dead Flowers"), hard rockers ("Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" and "Sway"), balladeers ("Moonlight Mile" and "Wild Horses"), and they also throw in some heavy blues with a cover of "You Gotta Move". Sticky Fingers prominently showcases the saxophone playing of Bobby Keys, who basically became a sixth member of the band and recorded and toured with them for years after. It's also a showcase for Mick Taylor's guitar playing and listening to the solos on "Sway" gives new fans an idea of how good Taylor was as a Stone.

Some Girls (1978)

Some Girls

While it is tempting to put Exile on Main St. here, it's more of an album for the anointed as opposed to new Stones fans. Some Girls boasts 10 very good songs including the hit singles "Miss You" and "Beast of Burden". Produced by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it's another diverse collection with Jagger as the driving force after Richards was busted in Toronto for heroin possession and had to deal with that issue. But Richards did pen and sing lead vocal on "Before They Make Me Run", which has become one of his trademark songs. Then there's a song like "Far Away Eyes", a country classic that grows and grows on you. Some Girls represents the last truly great album the Stones would record, and it's a must-listen for new fans of the band.

Check out our look at the five best Stones songs co-written by Mick Taylor.

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