Number 1 of the
100 Greatest Songs (According to
VH1 that is).
This song truly embodies
everything that is Rock and Roll. The
riff, the driving
beat of both the
bass and
drums. But perhaps
most of all, it is the lyrics that make
Satisfaction one of the greatest RnR songs of all time. The young man, singing about his
inability to get any is certainly a more universally felt emotion than
she loves you ya, ya, ya.
Musically, it embodies the fusion of blues, pop and jazz that is Rock and Roll. One interesting observation is that it doesn't seem to have any separate 'movements'. There is always the same, unchanging back-beat in the
rhythm section. Perhaps you could make a distinction between those parts where the
guitar riff is present and those that lack it, but this would be a bit forced. Does this element truly embody RnR or is something like
My Generation, with distinct solos for each instrument, or perhaps
Stairway to Heaven's introductory,
acoustic solo and light vocal building into
Roger Plant's scream and
Jimmy Paige's
guitar heroics. Second, do we want to say that these lyrics truly do embody RnR, or should we lean more towards the
folk roots such as
Like a Rolling Stone or
The Sound of Silence.
Historically, there are no objections to placing this song as the
greatest. It may not have been
revolutionary or
break through. But there is no question that it is one of the best examples of the
Rolling Stones.
Not only that, but it stayed at the top of the charts for over 4 weeks! Perhaps not deserving of a 10 because of its lack of
innovation...this song comes very close.
Personally, I think that yes, indeed, this song does embody all that Rock and Roll is. But I believe, too, that there are a few songs that are
equally qualified. I think that while the lyrics are very good, I would not want to place these at the pinnical of RnR. IMNSHO,
My Generation qualifies just as well
musically and,
lyrically, is better.
Slowly but surely you will probably begin to see this prejudice towards
The Who in my writeups. It is simply because
The Who are the
greatest band of all time.
Deal with it!
Final Ranking:
Musically...........10
Lyrically:...........9.5
Historically:........9.5
_____
Personal Ranking:...29