[Mariner]

The author is conceptually correct.

All of the great rock bands started by covering the classics.

But his selection of songs is somewhat laughable.

I suggest: House of the Rising Sun Homework Good morning little school girl Revolution Under my thumb Eight days a week Refugee

What about you folks? What great classics should be included? Not the obscure, but real mainstream rock winners.

[virgil]

Hotel California. huh

[SkyDancer]

Ricky Nelson’s Garden Party - that’s my theme song! Why do someone elses songs? Do your own. However one point: A group called Poppa Do-Ron-Ron does the Beach Boys better than the Beach Boys.

[Roccus]

Since I’ll assume you mean classics to dance to I’ll add

Mustang Sally
Midnight Hour
Get Ready

[dfwgator]

Smoke On the Water

[raiderboy]

sweet home Alabama?

[SamAdams76]

I think any band that covers this classic song will get a lot of attention really fast. It's not a well known song but easy to learn and very catchy.

Syndicate of Sound - Little Girl

Check out the seagull at the 1:22 mark. I think that is one of the most awesome "seagull in a music video" moments ever. That seagull was so full of life and had so much energy!

[partyrepub]

Comfortably Numb, Wish you Were Here.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

I would think any such list should begin and end with “Johnny B Goode” and “Louie Louie.” Everything else is more or less optional.

[Bodleian_Girl]

Whipping Post.

Just sayin’....

[Bodleian_Girl]

“Under My Thumb.”

Yep.

[Billthedrill]

Zappa's The Black Page, Liquid Tension Experiment's Universal Mind, Racer X's YRO, just the basics.

[bigbob]

Louie Louie

that’s all

[Paladin2]

Rawhide....

[llevrok]

Rock is dead. Sad to say. It’s a lost art form especially to any one under 30.

[irishjuggler]

Freebird.

[Will88]

Highway to Hell

[Will88]

Highway to Hell

[Stevenc131]

Well first of all, you have to be able to play Van Morrison’s “Gloria” and “Summertime Blues” (Cochran but more The Who version).

Local Tallahassee Garage/Punk band, the Slut Boys, played a varied mix of covers and their own songs. Their selection of covers stands as about the best I’ve come across as far as creating energy in a live show.

Aside from aforementioned ‘Gloria’ and ‘Summertime Blues’ you usually heard:

‘We Got To Get Out of This Place’ - Animals
‘Pump It Up’ - Elvis Costello
‘Lust For Life’ & ‘Raw Power’ - Iggy Pop
‘Get Off My Cloud/If You Can’t Rock Me’ medley by the Stones (version from ‘Love You Live’ LP).
‘Gunslinger’ - Willy DeVille

The songs were from different eras, but they were the same in that they were examples of genuine rock and roll.

It doesn’t matter much anymore since rock isn’t really relevant to young people, but I would say, play what you love, play it with passion and believe in the music.

[Will88]

I Shot the Sheriff

[Finalapproach29er]

Freebird!