Epic song thread.....

"Edge of Seventeen" -- Stevie Nicks (from Live in Chicago)
"Whipping Post" -- The Allman Brothers
"That Smell" -- Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Kashmir", "The Battle of Evermore" and "When The Levee Breaks" -- Led Zeppelin
"Gimme Shelter" -- The Rolling Stones
"Dream On" -- Aerosmith
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" -- The Beatles
"Go Your Own Way" -- Fleetwood Mac
"Eminence Front" -- The Who
"Barracuda" -- Heart
"You're So Vain" -- Carly Simon
"Walk" -- Foo Fighters
"First Time" -- Lifehouse

And that's just the songs that most people probably know.

 

Good list FT. I'm curious and will cop to not fully understanding what constitutes "epic",
but why "That Smell" not "Free Bird" for Skynard? BTW "That Smell" is perhaps my
favorite Skynard song.

 

Not Simple Man?

 

Sam, it is my studied opinion that the best recorded performance of a song Genesis ever produced was Musical Box on the Genesis Live album from 1973. Talk about epic... In fact, that's the album that turned me on to them back in my freshman year of college, and I don't think they've ever topped it.

 

Great song. My problem with it is that it becomes a trigger for wanting to
chew some Red Man.

 

Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
Tom Sawyer - Rush
Rock Lobster - B52s
Jocko Homo - Devo
Halo - Machine Head
Matte Kudasai (sp?) - King Crimson
Vienna - Ultravox
NWO - Ministry
The Sun Always Shines on TV - Aha
Stupify - Disturbed
Love Reign O'er Me - The Who

 

The Air That I Breathe and He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother) might even be better fits on my list.

 

To me, the term "epic" in most cases should mean that there's a story in the song or at least enough of a story that it can put pictures in your mind. Thus, most in my list of songs that are "epic" will include that criteria. But some in my following list might not be considered songs with a story. Nonetheless, most will, and it will show that my favorite genre of music is the Singer/Songwriter.

Taxi -- Harry Chapin
WOLD -- Harry Chapin
Better Place to Be -- Harry Chapin (And I probably could list a dozen more of his songs that that you haven't heard)
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant -- Bill Joel
Captain Jack -- Billy Joel
The Ballad of Billy the Kid -- Billy Joel
City of New Orleans -- Arlo Guthrie
American Woman -- The Guess Who
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald -- Gordon Lightfoot
Canadian Railroad Trilogy -- Gordon Lightfoot
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road -- Elton John
Someone Saved My Life Tonight -- Elton John
Same Old Lang Syne -- Dan Fogelberg
Have You Seen Her? -- The Chi-lites
Rapture -- Blondie
Fire On High -- ELO (epic instrumental)
Mrs. Robinson -- Simon & Garfunkel
Bridge Over Troubled Waters -- Simon & Garfunkel
The Boxer -- Simon Garfunkel
Rudy -- Supertramp

And just about anything from the Tom Waits "Heart of Saturday Night," "Closing Time" or "Nighthawks at the Diner" albums

And in the "epic songs you've probably never hears" category:
Tucson, Arizona (Gazette) -- Dan Fogelberg (here's the link:

)

 

One of my favorite songs that fits your criteria is "Sharon" by the hugely-underappreciated David Bromberg. It's got one of the greatest lyrics ever: "Then out comes this girl, dressed in a scarf and a sneeze..."

 

Strongly agree with the tracks bolded above.

ELO is a strong group, but would opt for "Telephone Line," "Can't Get It Out Of My Head," "Shine A Little Love" or even "Last Train to London." Not as familiar with what you suggested, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with that, of course.

Steak, I hear what you're saying, but "epic" is different things to different people. And while there have been a few long lists - and I'm guilty of one of them - I've yet to see anything spin out of control. We're enjoying the thread and, best of my knowledge, the mods haven't had to clean up any messes. I think it will be OK.

 

tony's great underrated picks: "Rudy" by Supertramp, "Ballad of Billy The Kid" by Joel and "WOLD" by Chapin. Three memorable tales.