Top Five Epic Classic Rock Songs

The rules: (1) The song must be long, i.e. pushing six minutes at minimum (2) The song must be one of the two or three seminal works by that band (3) the song must be propulsive and engaging to the point where you hope it's never over.

1. "Stairway to Heaven," Led Zeppelin
Even without the accusation that the song contains Satanic messages when played backwards, Stairway is a true classic. I was introduced to it as the traditional last song at my high school dances, and after a short amount of time, the opening guitar line along with the gradual increase in tempo to the final climax before the sudden cutback became one of my favorite pieces of music.

2. "Bohemian Rhapsody," Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody was the song that made Queen famous. Freddie Mercury's opus magnum was an incredibly complex for its time interweaving of vocal tracks, instruments, and special effects, complete with an opera section. Thanks to Wayne's World, a whole new generation was able to enjoy the wonder that is this song.

3. "Free Bird," Lynyrd Skynyrd
All you need to do is listen to this song once -- and not even the whole song, just the extended guitar solo at the end -- to understand why yahoos are always screaming for cover bands to play it.

4. "Light My Fire," The Doors
Light My Fire is yet another example of how great a song you can make with short, perfunctory lyrics followed by an extended instrumental. Since it predates all the other songs on the list you can hear the psychadelic motifs of the late 1960's. It's the kind of song that you think is just about to end, and yet, it keeps going on and on.

5. "November Rain," Guns N' Roses
I'm taking a huge liberty here by considering this 1992 song to be classic rock. Anyhow, November Rain has a great orchestral backdrop, punctuated in the middle by the obligatory virtuouso guitar solo. Then, once you think the song is over, you get to the extended coda that changes the mood completely. Instead of sitting there sulking, you want to run out and punch someone.

Honorable Mention: "Layla," Derek and the Dominos
The distinctive guitar melody line just goes to prove that Clapton is indeed God. For someone introduced to Eric Clapton through his Unplugged album, discovering the old school Derek and the Dominos cuts surprised me how this guy could actually rock out. The first half of the song gets you out of your seat and dancing. Then, the piano kicks in for the more sedate but equally rich second movement.