Final Mixtape

Songs: 1. Bob Dylan- Like a Rolling Stone 2. The Beatles- Hey Jude 3. Bruce Springsteen- Born to Run 4. Rolling Stones- Gimme Shelter 5. John Lennon- Imagine 6. Bob Dylan/Jimmy Hendricks- All Along The Watchtower 7. Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven 8. The Beastie Boys- Fight For Your Right 9. Radiohead- Paranoid Android 10. Nirvana- Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

Bob Dylan – “Like A Rolling Stone”

Written in 1965, Bob Dylan’s most popular song is often cited as one of the most influential songs of the twentieth century with its accusing lyrical content delivered through Dylan’s nasally warble. While the ‘60’s are often remembered as a decade of free love and liberation, Dylan’s question of “How does it feel/To be on your own/With no direction home/A complete unknown/Like a rolling stone,” seems more menacing and sneering, as if implying that these places that this generation has idealized might have been a little harsher than many people are willing to admit. The layered composition of the song was an important stepping-stone of Dylan’s transition of acoustic folkie to world famous bandleader.
The Beatles – “Hey Jude”
The most popular song by the most popular band to ever exist is a slow-burning ballad written by Paul McCartney that was released in 1968 and stayed at Number One for nine weeks. The verses, which were supposedly written by McCartney to comfort John Lennon’s son Julian during his parents’ divorce, build upon themselves starting with just McCartney on piano and then end with a group sing-along chorus that is still engraved into the collective consciousness of the world. As with anything the Beatles have done, this song became the blueprint for every similar-sounding song written after its release.
Bruce Springsteen – “Born to Run”
Written in 1974 as a last-ditch effort at stardom, “Born To Run” brought The Boss into the national spotlight and gave him the career he still continues to this day. The song is the golden standard of “get-out-of-town” songs as the protagonist begs Wendy to leave town with him with promises of love and success; “Together Wendy we’ll live with sadness/I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul.” Springsteen was largely known as an entertaining bar-band leader up until this point, but “Born To Run” demonstrated Springsteen’s ability to make complex arrangements that feature several distinct sections. Bands like Gaslight Anthem and The Hold Steady have emulated Springsteen’s style and continued his tradition.
Rolling Stones – “Gimme Shelter”
Released in 1969 on Let It Bleed, “Gimme Shelter” is protest song inspired by the tension that the world was suffering under during the Vietnam War: “War, children/It’s just a shot away/It’s just a shot away.” The song is a long, foreboding prose of warning against war and its violent consequences. The song was built upon the intro of the song written by Keith Richards while the band was on a short hiatus due to Mick Jagger’s acting career. Merry Clayton, the female vocalist featured during the chorus, put such a strain on her voice and body during the recording that she tragically miscarried upon returning home after the studio session. In the history of protest songs, this song is usually considered a cornerstone in both lyrical content and engaging song structure.
John Lennon – “Imagine”
“Imagine” stands alone as the only post-Beatles song written by an ex-Beatle that reached the same level of fame and influence as any of the LPs from the Fab Four. An “anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic” (Lennon) serenade for world peace, “Imagine” is one of the most covered songs of all time because of the peaceful imagery painted by the calming piano and strings that support Lennon’s slow, simple lyrics: “You may say that I’m a dreamer/But I’m not the only one/I hope someday you’ll join us/And the world will live as one.”
Bob Dylan/Jimi Hendrix – “All Along the Watchtower”
The original “All Along the Watchtower” was written and released by Bob Dylan in 1967, but Hendrix’s ’68 rendition that was released on Electric Ladyland has stood as the most recognized and celebrated cover of this three-chord masterpiece. Hendrix’s whirlwind assault on his guitar goes to dizzying heights in between Dylan’s vague but descriptive storytelling in a way so satisfying that Dylan actually abandoned his original arrangement upon hearing Hendrix’s version and began emulating the cover during his shows. In the present day, it’s rare to find a rock band that doesn’t cover this classic at least a handful of times in their career.
Led Zeppelin – “Stairway to Heaven”
“Stairway to Heaven” exists at a bit of a brother-track to “Watchtower,” as it is not only just as popular as the Hendrix/Dylan piece, but uses the same three-chord structure as “Watchtower” during the explosive third act that features the iconic solo by guitarist Jimmy Page. Singer Robert Plant has explained that the lyrics of “Stairway” tell the story of “a woman getting everything she wanted all the time without giving back any thought or consideration.” It begins with a quiet, medieval-sounding acoustic section that later erupts into a display of virtuosity that Led Zeppelin trademarked during their short existence.
The Beastie Boys – “Fight For Your Right”
The first single from the legendary Beasties is a three-and-a-half-minute power-chord disaster made to mock the ‘80’s hair band fade, but the irony was lost on most of the world that celebrated it as an anthem of debauchery. Regardless of the missed message, this single has been played at virtually every party or bar at least once since its release and helped establish the Beastie Boys as goofy pranksters whose childish disregard for genre-limits led them to build one of the most eclectic careers in rock history, making music influenced by hip-hop, funk, jazz, punk, pop, and techno, among others.
Radiohead – “Paranoid Android”
Radiohead are one of the most critically acclaimed groups in recent history and this song from 1997’s OK Computer helped usher in a new form of music-making that used both traditional instrumentation and digital technology side-by-side. Influenced by the song structure Queen used in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Paranoid Android” features several distinct sections in varying time signatures and tempos for six minutes of claustrophobic paranoia. Acts like Coldplay and Travis have cited this song and album as a major influence on their musical tastes during their formative years.
Nirvana – “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?”
Nirvana have obviously recorded bigger hits than this old folk cover performed during their MTV Unplugged show, but this particular performance is remembered as a time capsule-like moment that showcased Kurt Cobain’s deep musical knowledge, his passion for live performance, and his irreverence for what was expected of him by the music industry. Instead of closing their unplugged set with a hit, Cobain insisted that the band cover Lead Belly’s old, woeful dirge as their finale. Cobain delivers a passionate vocal performance that’s lifted by the cellos during the outro until he’s screaming the last few lines in frustration; “My girl, my girl/Don’t lie to me, tell me/Where did you sleep last night?” Several months later, Cobain was found dead, leaving this song as the last live recording left of the troubled artist. Nirvana’s Unplugged performance, and particularly this song, is remembered as some of the best work the group put together during their existence.