Making a list and keeping it twice. Michele Catalano has now listed 400 of her favorite rock songs of all time, as a response to Rolling Stone Magazine’s list. I’m not even going to attempt mine, but Lileks’take on the latter list is spot on:

Anyway – “Like A Rolling Stone” is a rock song in the same sense that “Tommy” is an opera. A rock song rocks, and this is one instance where a tautology comes in handy. To name that tune a rock song, let alone the best, shows how much people have invested in the era, and why: because the music meant something, man. It was heavy, it was deep. Whatever. I remember when it came on the jukebox at the Valli, the air just left the room: oh great, six minutes of ORGAN music and nasally accusations. How did it feel? It felt boring, Bob.

I’m not big on genre snobs, especially the type who have some sort of litmus test for bands before they declare with such authority: “Hey, that band/song isn’t really [insert genre here].” Lileks’definition of rock, though, is probably the biggest tent pitched in the name of rock since VH-1 took the initiative.

One particular device used by some bands has grown on me lately: the use of classical orchestrations as support for their music. Yellowcard’s single classically-trained violinist is just the tip of the iceberg. I recall the intro of Smashing Pumpkins’Tonight, Tonight. The interludes of The All-American Rejects‘ The Last Song and especially Too Far Gone (call ‘em cheats all you want for their use of a drum machine). There’s the intro of Guns N’Roses’November Rain. And of course, should I leave out Mr. Meat Loaf?

Anyone else know of any good songs that use orchestral accompaniments? Who cares if their use cross the bands over from Rock to Pop, with me, I like what sounds good to me.