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.

Queen Bohemian Rhapsody10) Queen: ' Bohemian Rhapsody'

Did you know? 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.


Black Sabbath Paranoid9) Black Sabbath: 'Paranoid'

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



Aerosmith Dream On8) Aerosmith: 'Dream On'

Did you know? 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.


Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Ozz7) Ozzy Osbourne: 'Crazy Train'

Did you know? The Atlanta Braves play this rock anthem every time Chipper Jones comes to bat.




Metallica Enter Sandman6) Metallica: 'Enter Sandman'

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








Lynyrd Skynyrd Sweet Home Alabama5) Lynyrd Skynyrd: 'Sweet Home Alabama'

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





Bon Jovi Livin' on a Prayer4) Bon Jovi: 'Livin' on a Prayer'

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





Led Zeppelin Stairway to Heaven3) Led Zeppelin: 'Stairway to Heaven'

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








Guns N' Roses Welcome to the Jungle2) Guns N' Roses: 'Welcome to the Jungle'

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





AC/DC You Shook Me All Night Long1) AC/DC: 'You Shook Me All Night Long'

Did you know? 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.









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10 Best '80s Songs
Filed under: Best Songs, Top 10 Lists

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