Something I've often thought about and this seems like as good a place as any to hear what others think - what are the, say, 5 prettiest rock songs of all-time? Please try to keep it to 5 vs. giving a dump of every song that ever moved you.
Here's my list(not in any order):
- Satellite of Love - Lou Reed
- Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks
- Skyway - The Replacements
- Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
- The Concept - Teenage Fanclub
"God Only Knows" is pretty much in a class by itself in this category. I'll echo Paul's "Rose for Emily" pick and add "Brief Candles" from ODESSEY as well.
Others:
The Beatles, "In My Life"
The Beatles, "For No One"
The Beatles, "I Will"
The Beatles, "Julia"
Big Star, "Thirteen"
Big Star, "Nightime"
The Velvet Underground, "Sunday Morning"
The Velvet Underground, "Candy Says"
The Left Banke, "Pretty Ballerina"
Richard and Linda Thompson, "Has He Got a Friend for Me"
Buffalo Springfield, "Expecting to Fly"
The Band, "Whispering Pines"
The Byrds, "Here Without You"
The Kinks, "No Return"
The Lovin' Spoonful, "Rain on the Roof"
- "Kathys's Song" by Simon and Garfunkel
- "If You See Her, Say Hello" by Dylan
- quite a few tracks by the almost completely unacclaimed British folkie trio Magna Carta; personal favourite, "Father John" from the 1973 album "Lord of the Ages" (ranked #290 album of that year on RYM)
- oh, and somehow Steve Earle's "John Walker's Blues" strikes me as "pretty" as well
Like many people already mentioned, "God Only Knows" and "In My Life" are very high on this list. I'd also like to add "Stephanie Says" by the Velvet Underground. Lou Reed's rewriting of the song however, diminishes it of much of its charm.
Yeah, you couldn't use the word "pretty" in relation to anything on BERLIN, unless you're thinking about the way Dennis Hopper's Frank Booth mutters "pretty, pretty" in BLUE VELVET...
The Association - Never My Love
The Beatles - Here, There and Everywhere (perhaps their "prettiest." others worth mentioning: "In My Life," "Here Comes the Sun," "Golden Slumbers," "I Will")
The Beach Boys - Forever (plus of course the entire Pet Sounds album)
Buddy Holly - True Love Ways
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole – Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World
But there are so many great pretty songs in rock music. I could easily list my 50 favourite, maybe top 100 pretty songs.
Also, I think Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee" is lyrically easily one of the most beautiful songs in music, but I wouldn't call it pretty.
Excellent topic, by the way. We should have more topics like this, finding the best songs that fit a specific adjective.
"Rocket man" by Pearls before Swine. From my favourite 1970 album (and one of my all-time favourites), "Use of Ashes". Allegedly it inspired Elton John. It sure inspires me.
