Best songs for a classic rock covers band

[brian maiden]

i've got a classic rock covers band that's started gigging frequently (we cover leeds/ yorkshire and are actually quite good).

our set is a mixture of well known stuff and more obscure personal faves. however we quickly realised it's the well known stuff that really gets the crowd going, and really that's what you want when playing live. we've gone the democratic route up until now but i'm worried we're going to miss the obvious stuff.

so, what songs should we be playing? here are the rules:

1. nothing after 31st dec 1979 - this is the golden age of rock we're talking about
2. our set should cover all the well known rock bands from the late 60s, and 70s - so these songs need to be their big hits
3. these tracks should be well known even to the non-rock punter (pity them)

 

[Foxhound]

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones

Get off of My Cloud - Rolling Stones

Jumpin' Jack Flash - Rolling Stones

Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones

Brown Sugar - Rolling Stones

Miss You - Rolling Stones

Journey to the Center of Your Mind - Amboy Dukes

Liar, Liar - Castaways

Psychotic Reaction - Count Five

Friday on My Mind - Easybeats

I Had Too Much to Dream - Electric Prunes

Nobody but Me - Human Beinz

Louie Louie - Kingsmen

Lies - Knickerbockers

Time Won't Let Me - Outsiders

96 Tears - ? & the Mysterians

Wooly Bully - Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs

Pushin' Too Hard - Seeds

Gloria - Shadows of Knight

Dirty Water - Standells

Surfin' Bird - Trashmen

Ball and Chain - Big Brother & the Holding Compaany

Sunshine of Your Love - Cream

White Room - Cream

Crossroads - Cream

Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Down on the Corner - Creedence Clearwater Revival

I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Susie Q - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Somebody to Love - Jefferson Airplane

Purple haze - Jimi Hendrix Experience

Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix Experience

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix Experience

You Really Got Me - Kinks

All Day and All of the Night - Kinks

Lola - Kinks

Dazed and Confused - Led Zeppelin

Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin

Good Times Bad Times - Led Zeppelin

Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin

Born in Chicago - Paul Butterfield Blues Band

For Your Love - Yardbirds

Heart Full of Soul - Yardbirds

Over Under Sideways Down - Yardbirds

Laugh, Laugh - Beau Brummels

Summertime Blues - Blue Cheer

I Fought the Law - Bobby Fuller Four

Time Has Come - Chambers Brothers

Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' - Crazy Elephant

Red Rubber Ball - Cyrkle

Come on Down to My Boat - Every Mother's Son

Shakin' All Over - Guess Who(Chad Allan & the Expressions)

Let It All Hang Out - Hombres

Black Is Black - Los Bravos

Fever - McCoys

Hang on Sloopy - McCoys

Good Golly Miss Molly/Devil with the Blue Dress - Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels

A Little Bit of Soul - Music Explosion

Needles and Pins - Searchers

Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love) - Swingin' Medallions

Little Girl - Syndicate of Sound

Here Comes the Night - Them

Wild Thing - Troggs

Gaslight - Ugly Ducklings

She's Not There - Zombies

Time of the Season - Zombies

House of the Rising Sun - Animals

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Animals

It's My Life - Animals

Green Onions - Booker T & the MGs

Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple

Light My Fire - Doors

Roadhouse Blues - Doors

Black Magic Woman - Santana

Gimme Some Lovin' - Spencer Davis Group

I'm a Man - Spencer Davis Group

Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf

Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf

I'm Eighteen - Alice Cooper

School's Out - Alice Cooper

Paranoid - Black Sabbath

Iron Man - Black Sabbath

Lightnin' Strikes - Lou Christie

Bus Stop - Hollies

Long Cool Woman - Hollies

Do Wha Diddy Diddy - Manfred Mann

Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison

24 Hours from Tulsa - Gene Pitney

Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers

The Seventh Son - Johnny Rivers

I Think We're Alone Now - Tommy James & the Shondells

Hanky Panky - Tommy James & the Shondells

Mony Mony - Tommy James & the Shondells

Crimson and Clover - Tommy James & the Shondells

Hard Day's Night - Beatles

I Saw Her Standing There - Beatles

Day Tripper - Beatles

Help - Beatles

I Wanna Hold Your Hand - Beatles

She Loves You - Beatles

Paperback Writer - Beatles

Bits and Pieces - Dave Clark Five

Over and Over - Dave Clark Five

Henry The VIII, I Am - Herman's Hermits

No Milk Today - Herman's Hermits

Kicks - Paul Revere & the Raiders

Just Like Me - Paul Revere & the Raiders

Needles and Pins - Searchers

Love Potion #9 - Searchers

I Can't Explain - Who

Happy Jack - Who

Pinball Wizard - Who

Behind Blue Eyes - Who

 

[troggy]

1. nothing after 31st dec 1979 - this is the golden age of rock we're talking about

Since when is 1979 "the golden age"?

 

[Magic]

dont know about 1979, but I know those that graduated in 1978 can now obtain a Golden Buckeye Card....

Seniors Discounts all over the place with that card

 

[troggy]

dont know about 1979, but I know those that graduated in 1978 can now obtain a Golden Buckeye Card....

Seniors Discounts all over the place with that card

So anyone over 50 is considered a senior? That's fairly insulting.

 

[That 70s Guy]

You will hear these magical words that every classic rock cover bands hears...

"hey!! do you guys know "Brown Eyed Girl"?

 

[Magic]

Well, not considered a senior, but you can get senior discounts at restaurants, stores, gas, etc....

I save 5 cents a gallon on gas at Kroger stations with the Golden Buckeye card.

And Golden Corral gives you a 20 % discount with the card. Pizza Hut gives you 10%.

So it really isn't an insult.

 

[Magic]

You will hear these magical words that every classic rock cover bands hears...

"hey!! do you guys know "Brown Eyed Girl"?

or do you know "Wipeout"....

 

[Odysseus]

You will hear these magical words that every classic rock cover bands hears...

"hey!! do you guys know "Brown Eyed Girl"?

 

[brian maiden]

Since when is 1979 "the golden age"?

it's not just 1979 - more like the 70s (and late 60s) that was the golden age for rock. there's a big difference between zep and bon jovi. one is raw and earthy, the other is more... well presented and saccharine. i've got no problem with slippery when wet or the like, but there was a certain time that had a certain vibe that we really like - and it's not the 80s. plus there's a purity to narrowing your catchement to specific breed of song, and even non-rock crowds appreciate that.

as for seniors, well we're all in our 30s so what does that say about us? in the UK music isn't so segregated as the US; in general our radio stations play a lots of different types of music, and anyone can appreciate a classic when they hear it.