The most "epic" rock song in the past 40 years?

Question

1) Us and Them (Pink Floyd)
2) Stairway to Heaven (Led Zepplin)
3) The End (The Doors)
4) November Rain (G & R)
5) Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
6) Jeremy (Pearl Jam)
7) Times Like These (Foo Fighters)
8) Separate Ways (Journey)
9) Love Bites (Def Leppard)
10 (CSNY) Carry On

Agree? Add your own list..

If you don't know what epic means, dictionaries are free now..

dictionary.com

Ahhh, forgot The Who. Yeah definitely, Won't Get Fooled Again is number 11.
There was no particular order to my list..

Can't go with We Are the Champions as 'epic', unless maybe it's coupled with We Will Rock You. Great songs, but not epic so to speak.

Alright, calm down everyone... I did say you can ADD to the list..

Answer 1

Some of yours and a few more of my own thoughts

1) Free Bird (Lynard Skynard)
2) Stairway to Heaven (Led Zepplin)
3) We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You (Queen)
4) November Rain (G & R)
5) Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
6) In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Iron Butterfly)
7) Echoes (Pink Floyd)
8) Separate Ways (Journey)
9) Magnus Opus (Kansas)
10) The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys (Traffic)
11) American Pie (Don McLean)
12) Alice's Restaurant - (Arlo Guthrie)
13) Do You Feel Like We Do - (Peter Frampton)

Answer 2

I don't know what you mean by "epic" here. I would say that "Kashmir" by Zeppelin is more "epic" than "Stairway." Also, "Achilles' Last Stand" and "Carouselambra" I would consider more epic than "Stairway."

But that song and those on your list pale in comparison to some others I can think of.

It also depends on what you mean by "song." Usually epic means LONG, and usually with some kind of story or concept. Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick" would be the winner by that criterion, because it's a 40 minute long song (back in the days of LPs, it took up two entire sides of an album, and was just called "Thick as a Brick" - it wasn't a suite, like Yes, or ELP would do.)

But not so fast. Yes could win in this sense, because their album "Tales From Topographic Oceans" is four "songs," each clocking in at about 20 minutes each. Jon Anderson described them as four "movements," all based around a common theme, so it could be argued that "Tales" is one big 80-minute long opus - if not a "song," then a "song cycle."

I suppose then that "rock operas" (or concept albums) would need to be considered as well, such as The Who's "Tommy," Pink Floyd's "The Wall," and also the much-overlooked "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" by Genesis, among others. The question is, then, do these works consitute a single "song" each? If so, then we must consider Frank Zappa "Joe's Garage - Acts I, II, and III" - I believe this was a total of three long playing discs, which would make it two hours long.

Then, to make things more confusing, I believe that George Clinton claims that EVERYTHING by Parliament-Funkadelic is all part of one long continuous "funk opera." So maybe the P-Funk canon is the most "epic."

Nothing by the Grateful Dead (or any other "jam band") would count, because in concert they would take a three minute song (like "Truckin'") and stretch it out to 45 minutes of jamming, which doesn't count.

Although, I guess from your list, epic didn't mean "long." I guess the jury will always be out.

Love jack

PS: Note on Queen: While "We are the Champions" is indeed played at many sporting events, the other Queen song, "We Will Rock You" beats it out. That song is the second-most performed or played song in history, second only to "Happy Birthday." If Brian May had written nothing else besides that tune, he'd probably STILL be one of the richest men in England.

Answer 3

"Stairway To Heaven" fer sure!

There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.
There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.
There's a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.
And it's whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.
Your head is humming and it won't go
In case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How ev'rything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.
And she's buying a stairway to heaven

Answer 4

Jeremy is a damn good one. But I'll do you one up on that.

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana (started the whole grunge scene)

And maybe add two others

Enter Sandman - Metallica
Sweet Child of Mine - G~N~R

Answer 5

I haven't heard all of those but from what I know I'd have to say November Rain - it's actually what first came into my head before I saw the list.

Answer 6

Won't get fooled again - The Who.
But, Stairway to Heaven from your list.

Answer 7

Star Spangled Banner -Jimi Hendrix
Ohio -Crosby Still Nash & Young

Answer 8

Yes-and you and I
Nirvana-endless nameless
Opeth-deliverance
Tool-close your eyes and point to any song on any album
Led Zeppelin-achilles last stand
Black Sabbath-fairies wear boots
Pink Floyd-Echoes
Jane's Addiction-just admit it Ted(or somesuch off of Nothing's Shocking)
A great local band called Hematavore does a lot of cool stuff.Surely you would dig these cats.

Answer 9

"Stairway to Heaven" usually gets the most votes --

But as far as maintaining overall popularity in our culture, I'd say, "We Are the Champions" by Queen -- it's still clapped, and stomped, and sung at all kinds of sports venues.

Answer 10

I was thinking of #4 before I even saw it on the list.
So I'm going with that.