10 Best Rock Anthems

When you hear your favorite rock anthem -- that pulsing, swaggering cacophonic sound that undoubtedly sweeps you off your feet by the strike of the first note -- the power is undeniable. While older generations might simply call these songs "noise," the rest of the us know these 10 Best Rock Anthems (rated by AOL radio listeners) as groundbreaking moments across the musical landscape.

'Bohemian Rhapsody'

Queen

The chorale element was created by having the band members sing their vocal parts continually for ten to twelve hours a day, resulting in 180 separate overdubs.

iTunes | Lyrics

'Paranoid'

Black Sabbath

Like 'Free Bird' in the states, this rock anthem is heavily considered the jokey go-to encore reference in Finland.

iTunes | Lyrics | 10 Best Black Sabbath Songs

'Dream On'

Aerosmith

After Danny Gokey sang this rock anthem on 'American Idol' in 2009, his ear-splitting scream earned him a great deal of criticism, even from Gokey himself.

iTunes | Lyrics

'Crazy Train'

Ozzy Osbourne

The Atlanta Braves play this rock anthem every time Chipper Jones comes to bat.

iTunes | Lyrics | 10 Best Ozzy Songs

'Enter Sandman'

Metallica

While on tour (and after releasing their album, 'Load'), Metallica would stage accidents at indoor shows while playing this song.

iTunes | Lyrics | 10 Best Metallica Songs

'Sweet Home Alabama'

Lynyrd Skynyrd

The rock anthem was written as an answer to Neil Young's 'Southern Man' and 'Alabama.'

iTunes | Lyrics | 10 Best Southern Rock Songs

'Livin' on a Prayer'

Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi considers "the Reagan era and the trickle-down economics" driving forces behind writing this rock anthem.

iTunes | Lyrics

'Stairway to Heaven'

Led Zeppelin

Bassist John Paul Jones recalls the crowd at the first live performance of the song as being "bored to tears."

iTunes | Lyrics | 10 Best Led Zeppelin Songs

'Welcome to the Jungle'

Guns N' Roses

Our second-best rock anthem ever was named the greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.

iTunes | Lyrics | 10 Best Guns N' Roses Songs

'You Shook Me All Night Long'

AC/DC

Although it wasn't released as a single, radio stations started playing a 2002 cover by Céline Dion and Anastacia from their VH1 Divas Las Vegas concert.

Lyrics | 10 Best AC/DC Songs

Listen to Rock Anthems Radio

Filed under: Best Songs, Top 10 Lists

Reader Comments

(Page 1)

1. Ummmm, where's We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions? That should have been #1.

Posted at 11:22AM on Oct 16th 2009 by Brian B.

2. Queen is the best band to listen to with your friends in the car on road trips. Great list of rock anthems there, I agree with all of them!

Posted at 2:49PM on Oct 16th 2009 by lu.galasso

3. Come on. The greatest rock anthem of all time is "We Will Rock You." I would think everyone would know that by now.

Posted at 4:06PM on Oct 16th 2009 by Dr. Metal

4. Is Turn The Page an anthem.cause that should certainly be concidered.

Posted at 4:59PM on Oct 20th 2009 by Rick

5. 1) Guns and roses should be "Sweet Child" or "Paradise City" both superior.
2) Have you not seen the boss do 'Born to Run'?
3) Elton "Saturday Night's alright for Fightin'"
4) Doesn't everyone shout "Freebird" at every concert and you don't choose it?
5) Won't Get Fooled Again
6) Jumpin Jack Flash or Satisfaction????

Posted at 3:59PM on Nov 8th 2009 by amarsh54

6. Really? ACDC as the best anthem, compared to every other band on here, they lack any skill or originality.

Posted at 11:12PM on Nov 13th 2009 by Brian W

7. I'm not talkin' about the band, cause they don't compete to being greatest in the least, but i would suppose 'born to be wild' from steppenwolf to be in here..?

Posted at 9:12AM on Jan 13th 2010 by Steven

8. Really? ACDC? I mean they were a great band and all, but Queen should have at least 3 songs up there. We Will Rock You is played at least 5 times at every sports game. We are the Chapmions is played when a team wins a championship and Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the greatest songs ever created. Come ON!! Queen deserves more than 10!!!!!

Posted at 3:40PM on Jan 28th 2010 by Chris C.

9. Sure would be nice if one could actually play Led Zep'santhem song. I am avid Zep fan.

Posted at 4:42PM on Mar 24th 2010 by d rouselle

10. AC/DC deserve to be #1, but I would pick a different song by them - Back In Black

Posted at 2:57AM on Mar 31st 2010 by AusBOX

11. What! No KISS, "ROCK & ROLL ALL NITE"! lAME LIST.

Posted at 10:10AM on Apr 5th 2010 by meckley

12. ACDC should not be anywhere near #1 with songs like Children of the Grave, or How Many More Times.. IMO writer also has contract with walmart :x ..
1. Stairway to Heaven
2. All Along The Watchtower
3. We Will Rock You
4. Nothing Else Matters
5. Free Bird
6. Crazy Train
7. Children Of The Grave
8. How Many More Times

Posted at 2:08PM on May 10th 2010 by kio

13. Anthems? You want Anthems? Try these on for size!

15) "Rock And Roll Part 2"--Gary Glitter
14) "Balls To The wall"--Accept
13) "Rock You Like A Hurricane"--Scorpions
12) "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"--Judas Priest.
11) "We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You" and "Another One Bites The Dust"--Queen
10) "Kings Of Metal"--Manowar
09) "Step Up"--Drowning Pool
08) "Danger Zone"--Kenny Loggins
07) "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)--Cinderella
06) "Baba O'Reilly"--The Who
05) "Jump"--Van Halen
04) "Tom Sawyer" and "2112"--Rush
03) "Mean Evil Woman"--ELO
02) "Lights Out"--UFO
01) "Touch And Go"--Emerson, Lake, and Powell.

List based randomly, so don't feel cheated if I didn't list your fave where you want it. Deal?

--RKJ

Posted at 10:46PM on Aug 27th 2010 by Robert Johnston

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Off-topic, promotional or otherwise inappropriate comments will be removed.