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Was thinking about this topic this morning while driving to a place. David Essex's Rock On came up on the playlist, and I was thinking that after all this time, it is still a kick-ass rock song. So I got to wondering if it was the oldest song that could still be considered "kick ass," and was thinking probably.

But then I sat down and looked it up, and it was released in 1973. Sabbath started putting out stuff in 1970, and it could be argued that they have some older stuff that still holds up.

So, thoughts? What's the oldest song that still holds up to modern rock standards?

This one may not be quite rock enough for you, but would go back to 1952. I had to google to find that date, and apparently Aerosmith covered this in 75?

I almost said, "No bands with horns."

The Sultans of Swing say fuck off.

Way too current for the purposes of this question, and completely unlike the style of the 50's when horns were huge.

That "Fire" song has the cheesy 60's organ that I associate with an older era, and the "Jams" song sounds like a punk song and I don't think that's really music.

Cue Catt.

Sabbath started putting out stuff in 1970, and it could be argued that they have some older stuff that still holds up.

Their debut was recorded in '69. That had N.I.B., which is one of the all-time great heavy riffs.

That "Fire" song has the cheesy 60's organ that I associate with an older era, and the "Jams" song sounds like a punk song and I don't think that's really music.

The Hammond organ sound? That's still in use today. Type O Negative used it on Creepy Green Light. As for the punk comment, bullshit. It's as much music as Miles Davis or Bach.

I just hate punk.

Granted, Type O never lost the cheesy Hammond organ, but.... but. It always reminds me of the Doors stuff from the 60's, which I wouldn't call modern except for maybe The End.. Or Paul Shaffer from early Letterman.

It always reminds me of the Doors stuff from the 60's, which I wouldn't call modern...

Wtf does "modern" mean? Back in the day, Stairway to Heaven was "heavy metal" and I think today most would call it "classic rock." In Da Gadda Da Vida has a 17-minute organ solo but is clearly a rock song with psychedelic and blues influences.

Malcolm wrote:

It always reminds me of the Doors stuff from the 60's, which I wouldn't call modern...

Wtf does "modern" mean? Back in the day, Stairway to Heaven was "heavy metal" and I think today most would call it "classic rock." In Da Gadda Da Vida has a 17-minute organ solo but is clearly a rock song with psychedelic and blues influences.

Exactly.

"Modern" is whatever I feel like for the sake of this thread. It sort of makes me godlike.

I stand by Johnny B Goode.

Kick out the jams counts as rock, but it's clearly an antecedent to the punk movement.

TheCatt wrote:I stand by Johnny B Goode.

Kick out the jams counts as rock, but it's clearly an antecedent to the punk movement.

If we're talking Chuck, "Roll Over Beethoven" predates "Johnny..." by a year. I believe the "first" rock and roll song is "Rock Around the Clock."

Malcolm wrote:

TheCatt wrote:I stand by Johnny B Goode.

Kick out the jams counts as rock, but it's clearly an antecedent to the punk movement.

If we're talking Chuck, "Roll Over Beethoven" predates "Johnny..." by a year. I believe the "first" rock and roll song is "Rock Around the Clock."

But I don't think Rock Around the Clock or Roll Over Beethoven stand up to modern times as well as Johnny B Goode does.

TheCatt wrote:

Malcolm wrote:

TheCatt wrote:I stand by Johnny B Goode.

Kick out the jams counts as rock, but it's clearly an antecedent to the punk movement.

If we're talking Chuck, "Roll Over Beethoven" predates "Johnny..." by a year. I believe the "first" rock and roll song is "Rock Around the Clock."

But I don't think Rock Around the Clock or Roll Over Beethoven stand up to modern times as well as Johnny B Goode does.

I think there's some Back to the Future bias in there. I'll also state Little Richard was doing "Tutti Frutti" as early as '55. Apparently, contrary to my previous post,
"Rocket 88" by Ike Turner is considered to be the "first" rock song.

This thread has nothing to do with "first rock song" or what other people consider to be rock. It's what the posters consider.

Tutti Frutti also fails the time test (oh rutti).

So is this the first rock song from back in the day that an impartial party might mistake for modern rock? Wtf is the "time test?" N.I.B. sounds dated to me. Then again, so does "Two Princes."

Malcolm wrote:So is this the first rock song from back in the day that an impartial party might mistake for modern rock? Wtf is the "time test?" N.I.B. sounds dated to me. Then again, so does "Two Princes."

Two Princes sucks and would never be considered rock, so it's got two strikes.

The point being, hater, that each slice of time of music, no matter how large or small, is going to have its own distinct sound. N.I.B. sounds like it's from the '60s. ELO sounds likes the '70s. Ratt sounds like the '80s. I could go on.

Two Princes sucks

"Two Princes" beats the shit out of pretty much anything on "1989," Swiftees.