Rock anthems

[malumbu]

Having just listened to a very good Tom Robinson programme on 6 Music on listeners favourite anthems, I considered them all to be nice sing alongs, from an indie/alternative stable. Many of which I could dad dance to, but not hold my arms in the air with 20,000 others at a fesstival. Apart from Look Back in Anger which finished the programme that does meet my definition.

I usually think of this genre very much as long soft rock songs, which develop, and have a climax. Not really my cuppa but Journey "Don't Stop Believing" being one example, and I expect lighters to be held up in the air as the audience goes into a trance.

I looked at the track list for the "Best Rock Anthems ever" - most of this seeemed to be laddish toe stopmping stuff with a bit of Jeremy Clarkson thrown in.

Just out of interest what do you reckon a rock anthem is, and better still your fave? This is a light hearted posting, and I am not inviting either serious discussion, or p taking. I hope that this is allowed.

[Parkdrive]

LA Woman is a rock anthem for me, as is Won't get fooled again, Come as you are, to name but a few

[uncleglen]

long track, with repetitive refrain so you can sing along...Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden comes to mind....

[Otta]

Africa - Toto

[Jeremy]

IMO a "rock anthem" could be anything from The Stones to Metallica... not too fast/heavy but not too slow either... singalong chorus. Probably pretty radio friendly and corny, but nevertheless instantly recognisable from the first note or two. Something I'd associate with commercial music and big stadium shows, fists in the air, etc, rather than anything indie/"alternative"/punk/etc.

Sweet Child o Mine

I can't get no satisfaction

Jump

Back in black

Bohemian Rhapsody

Enter Sandman

etc...

[Jah Lush]

Yeah, your right Jeremy but why does everything have to be a bleeding anthem these days. I blame Oasis. The Gallaghers seemed to think everything they wrote was an anthem, so anything by them. Take your pick.

Anyway, here's one not by them -

 

[malumbu]

mixed views on many of the above

Anything tht is is rocky and fast with some riffy stuff doesn't count in my opinion eg Jump.

We are the Champions seems spot on. Good point on the Gallaghers!

Crystal Ship?

[Jeremy]

I guess I consider a "rock anthem" - as you mentioned in your O.P. - as something you would have heard on Top Gear in the 90s while Jeremy Clarkson accelerated past the camera. So anthemic (and potentially cheesy) driving rock.

We are the champions probably qualifies, but is bordering on rock ballad / power ballad...

[*Bob*]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> We are the champions probably qualifies

Rock anthems in 6/8 time just aren't musically possible, Jeremy. That's just how it is.

[Jeremy]

Difficult to pump your fist in the air in compound time, I agree.

[*Bob*]

Exactly. Just can't be done. Your average nuts and bolts rocker is befuddled by compound duple.

Sure, you can throw in the occasional one now and again to keep them on their toes and mix it up a bit, but you have to get back to hitting things four times every bar (at around 110bpm) before their brain melts. Same goes for dance music - only faster.

[Jeremy]

Quite a few old-school metal bands were partial to 12/8 time signatures, but sped up to a sort of galloping "diggidy-diggidy-diggidy-diggidy"... but outside the "rock anthems" topic, I suspect.

[*Bob*]

That sort of stuff would never make it onto the carousel in Esso.

[Otta]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> Exactly. Just can't be done. Your average nuts and

> bolts rocker is befuddled by compound duple.

>

> Sure, you can throw in the occasional one now and

> again to keep them on their toes and mix it up a

> bit, but you have to get back to hitting things

> four times every bar (at around 110bpm) before

> their brain melts. Same goes for dance music -

> only faster.

Haha, I remember years ago being in rehearsal with an old band. I tapped out this beat which involved a couple of triplets and it was like the drummer just wasn't hearing me right, he just seemed completely incapable of getting it.

[malumbu]

Ballads vs anthems - now there is an intersting question!

Here's a weird one