Best Closing Track on an Album

[Rockperson]

Lonely Is The Word - Black Sabbath
Over And Over - Black Sabbath
I Believe In You - Y&T
Lightning - Reo Speedwagon
Back On The Road Again - Reo Speedwagon
Animal Magnetism - Scorpions
Rime Of The Ancient Mariner - Iron Maiden
La Villa Strangiato - Rush
Between The Wheels - Rush

 

[Jonny Come Lately]

The single track which stands out to me as the greatest album closer of all time is Eclipse from Pink Floyd's DSOTM - given that this thread asks for the closer which best ties up all that's gone before it, I really don't think this can beaten, as it completes the album's concept perfectly with the main character's descent into insanity - sometimes I wish I'd come up with the idea of this song!

A few other favourites of mine include:
Buckets Of Rain - Bob Dylan
It Never Rains - Dire Straits
The Last Resort - Eagles
When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Words (Between The Lines Of Age) - Neil Young
Shine On You Crazy Diamond Part IX - Pink Floyd

I noticed some other posters mentioned Echoes in this thread, although while I think it is definitely one of the best Pink Floyd songs I personally feel I can't justify stating that a track that takes up an entire album side (on the original LP) is the best album closer.

 

[Musikwala]

MLK - U2 (The Unforgettable Fire)
All I Want Is You - U2 (Rattle And Hum)
Love Is Blindness - U2 (Achtung Baby)
Wake Up Dead Man - U2 (Pop)
Grace - U2 (All That You Can't Leave Behind)

 

[therocker696]

Here is my top5, in no particular order.

Homicidal Suicidal - Budgie
Long as I Can See the Light - CCR
Into the Void - Black Sabbath
I'm Your Captain - Grand Funk Railroad
Rainmaker - Traffic

 

[Lynch]

A few more:

• Black Sabbath - Dirty Woman (from Technical Ecstasy) - hell of a decent ending to what is otherwise a very subpar album.
• Dio - Shame on the Night (from Holy Diver)
• Dio - Egypt (The Chains are On) (from The Last in Line)
• Def Leppard - Billy's Got a Gun (from Pyromania)
• Bon Jovi - Love For Sale (fromNew Jersey)
• Styx - Suite Madame Blue (from Equinox)
• Warrant - Train Train (from Cherry Pie)
• AC/DC - Whole Lotta Rosie (from Let There Be Rock)
• AC/DC - Night Prowler (from Highway to Hell)

 

[Khor1255]

La Villa Strangiato - Rush (easy for me because it's my favorite song anyone has ever done).
Something for Nothing - Rush
Cygnus X1 (Book 1) - Rush
The Writ - Black Sabbath (My God this song drives nails!)
Overture - Def Leppard
Animal Magnetism - Scorpions
Island of Domination - Judas Priest
Dissident Aggressor - Judas Priest
Devil's Tower - Angel Witch
Nights in White Satin - Moody Blues
I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band) - Moody Blues (arguably the closing track to the entire band)
Black Diamond - Kiss
How Many More Times - Led Zeppelin
Bring it on Home - Led Zeppelin

I'm sure there are lots more. Those were just a few off the top of my head.

The closing track is sometimes the definitive statement or at least the calling card on an album. Good thread.

 

[Sharp Dressed Man]

The first ones that came to my mind...

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird / (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)
ZZ Top - Asleep in the Desert / Tejas
Blackfoot - Highway Song / Strikes
The Allman Brothers Band - Whipping Post / ST
Molly Hatchet - Fall of the Peacemakers / Silent Reign of Heroes
Bad Company - Seagull / ST
Pink Floyd - Echoes / Meddle
Queen - The Show Must Go On / Innuendo
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms / Brothers in Arms
Iron Maiden - Rime of the Ancient Mariner / Powerslave

And a more recent one...

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gifted Hands / God & Guns

 

[Pappy]

The first ones that came to my mind...

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird / (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)
ZZ Top - Asleep in the Desert / Tejas
Blackfoot - Highway Song / Strikes
The Allman Brothers Band - Whipping Post / ST
Molly Hatchet - Fall of the Peacemakers / Silent Reign of Heroes
Bad Company - Seagull / ST
Pink Floyd - Echoes / Meddle
Queen - The Show Must Go On / Innuendo
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms / Brothers in Arms
Iron Maiden - Rime of the Ancient Mariner / Powerslave

And a more recent one...

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gifted Hands / God & Guns

I was gonna say Freebird and Fall of the Peacemakers. Both just masterpieces.

Others
Metallica - Damage Inc
Sabbath - Lonely Is The Word
Judas Priest - Steeler

 

[mrJim]

Surfin' On Heroin by the Forgotten Rebels, The Pride and Disgrace (1986)

****Warning not Language Safe ****


This song (and particularly this version of it) always struck me as the best way to end a great Punk Album.

Jim

 

[Sharp Dressed Man]

I forgot to mention...

Outlaws - Green Grass & High Tides / Outlaws

The following version, from the live album "Bring It Back Alive", is probably the best version of the song, but the studio version is excellent as well.





Also:

Iced Earth - Gettysburg (1863) / The Glorious Burden