View Full Version : Anthems
brampta
30 Nov 2001, 20:57
A few years ago Video Hits did their "Anthems" countdown and I was really looking forward to it because I was expecting to see the videoclips for songs that I'd never seen the videoclips for. My bad - my definition of "anthem" wasn't exactly the same as what video hits had in mind. My conclusion? Pop songs do not make good anthems. What would you consider to be the anthems for our generation?
This is what I had in mind:
1. Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
2. Rage Against the Machine: Killing in the Name
3. Pearl Jam: Alive
4. The Living End: Prisoner of Society
5. Offspring: Come out and Play
6. Offspring: Self-Esteem
7. Silverchair: Tomorrow
(Anthem for the year 2000...???)
8. Blur: Song 2
9. Blink 182: Dammit
10. Soundgarden: Black Hole Sun
11. Regurgitator: ! Song formerly known As
12. House of Pain: Jump Around
13. Tool: Stinkfist
14. Radiohead: Creep
Am I on the totally wrong track here?? I'd love to hear everyone elses opinions on this issue - what is an anthem? What classifies as an anthem???
I think it all depends on the individual. I guess different people, and different music-listening groups, will all have different choices as to their anthems (which probably explains why you thought that the choices that Video Hits made were bad!).
From all accounts, Nirvana held the song 'Paper Cuts' as their anthem, as opposed to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'.
There are also heaps of bands, who had one-off "hits", who mainstreamers won't know much of, and you've got bands who might be relatively obscure, yet, are popular on a world scale, having provided some sort of anthem at some stage.
Likewise, there are tonnes of bands, who write "anti-anthems", which in effect, become anthems all of their own! (Take the Sex Pistols, or Sonic Youth for instance).
I think there are also a lot of songs, which are fairly "anthemic" in nature, yet, for the reason that they weren't released as a single, or are too long perhaps (meaning they never got much airplay on radio), have been overlooked by a lot of people, and therefore never achieved a hugely popular status.
There are heaps of examples like this, really.
The Hitman
1 Dec 2001, 06:32
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Times Are a Changin' - Bob Dylan
Killing In The Name - RATM
Under The Bridge - RHCP
Creep - Radiohead
Last Goodbye - Jeff Buckley
Jerk Off - Tool
That's for me anyway...
The Hitman
"Imagine" John Lennon probably my favourite anthem song next to "Advance Australia fair" (especially Johnny Howard singing it!!):p
For the Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations" is undoubtedly their anthem, it's an awesome sound hearing like 50,000 people singing along. :D
danzy_rocks
1 Dec 2001, 16:16
Misfits - Cold Chisel
it has to be said Wheres The Pope? - 'We Want Your Beer' is the best anthem ive heard.
Prisoner Of Society is up there with the best
Machine Head - Davidian
Slipknot - (sic)
Slipknot - Surfacing
Slipknot - People=s**t
Sevendust - B!tch
System of a Down - Prison Song
they are all pretty good anthems too
SydneyBomber
1 Dec 2001, 17:29
Originally posted by danzy_rocks
Misfits - Cold Chisel
Hey, the Misifts never had a song called 'Cold Chisel' that I know of...;)
Santos L Helper
1 Dec 2001, 21:04
Originally posted by Macca19
it has to be said Wheres The Pope? - 'We Want Your Beer' is the best anthem ive heard.
Prisoner Of Society is up there with the best
Machine Head - Davidian
Slipknot - (sic)
Slipknot - Surfacing
Slipknot - People=s**t
Sevendust - B!tch
System of a Down - Prison Song
they are all pretty good anthems too
Glad you liked it Macca!! It was written for people like yourself to enjoy.
Mobbenfuhrer
2 Dec 2001, 08:05
My idea of an anthem was generally anything that a group of folks would be tempted to (shout as much as ) sing directly at the band, the jukebox, their mates, the sky, or the one bloke in their group who was hungover, etc etc.
When developing jingles for a footy club, I used to come across a song, think "that's anthemic", and use it as a shell. The songs usually had distinct riffs and lyrics.
Here's some examples of songs I thought were anthemic enough to rip off (though not necessarily 'good', popular or even well-known songs :
Old Man River (TISM)
You Give Love A Bad Name (Bon Jovi)
We Didn't Start The Fire (Bon Jovi)
I Want You (Savage Garden)
Edie (The Cult)
No Rain (Blind Melon)
Harness Up (Died Pretty)
Back In Black & Hells Bells (AC/DC)
Talkin' Sly (The Sharp)
Henry The Eighth (Herman's Hermits)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
Psychosonic Cindy (Transvision Vamp)
The Look (Roxette)
Sonic Boom Boy (Westworld)
I Talk With My Hands (Rainmakers)
For songs that I truly consider anthemic, its generally the ones that a bunch of folks love to scream or chant :
Khe Sanh (Cold Chisel)
Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
(Almost all songs) - AC/DC
Battle Of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
etc etc
Originally posted by Mobbenfuhrer
Battle Of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
Whoa there mobben ..an anthem? for what? Well I like most kids used to love those old songs we had for every historic event; holiday; state of origin; big river; alma mater; country of ancestry; branch of the bloodyarmed forces (w@nkers away!); religion; flower that reminds you of home; infamous criiminals...you name it -there was an old song. This part is easy to remember when you see a rabbit:
We fired our guns and the
British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many
as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and
they began to runnin' on
down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.
Yeah, they ran through the briars
and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes
where a rabbit couldn't go.
They ran so fast that the hounds
couldn't catch 'em on
down the Mississippi
to the Gulf of Mexico.
I love that footy teams have appropriated some of the tunes! My brother went to Notre Dame and "you coulda knocked me down with a feather" when the Swans finally won one & I heard their anthem :confused: :D and the Dees make me wanna salute but I'm 'happiest 'with the yankee doodle dandies at Hawthorn :D
I'm keeping my "sunny side up" with my team....an easy thing to do as they are good performers.
As for the original question: a few oldies:
Keep on Truckin': the Dead
Fixing-to-Die-Rag: Country Joe what are we fighting for? Quite frankly I don't give a damn. Next stop is Vietnam
The Wall: Pink Floyd
Respect: Aretha
Blowing in the Wind : Dylan
"Something's Happening Here:" Buffalo Springfield
"My Generation" : The Who
"whiter Shade of Pale": Procul Harem
Real old:
'Twist & Shout":anybody doing it
"I Wanna Hold Your Hand" it changed everything
Pretty new:
Alive: Pearl Jam
Teen Spirit: Nirvana
Wonderwall: Oasis (was that Noel Gallagher in a sitcom the other night?)
Who let the dogs out : Baya Boys
that song that goes well if you side is losing: "You knock me down & I get up...tadada...you're never gonna keep me down"
catalyst
2 Dec 2001, 13:20
Who let the dogs out? I hope you're joking.
Originally posted by Mobbenfuhrer
My idea of an anthem was generally anything that a group of folks would be tempted to (shout as much as ) sing directly at the band, the jukebox, their mates, the sky, or the one bloke in their group who was hungover, etc etc.
Pretty much what I'd have as the criteria, or in some cases, being an artist's signature piece. At live shows, the anthem is often what the artist closes their main set with.
Deep Purple - Child In Time, Smoke On The Water
Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
Judas Priest - Breaking The Law
Metallica - Creeping Death, Seek and Destroy
Rose Tattoo - We Can't Be Beaten
AC/DC - For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills, Running Free
Helloween - How Many tears, I Want Out
The Starchild
2 Dec 2001, 13:56
I'm biased, sure.
"Rock'n'Roll All Night" by KISS is rock'n'roll's national anthem.
THE anthem.
Originally posted by The Starchild
"Rock'n'Roll All Night" by KISS is rock'n'roll's national anthem.
THE anthem.
Maybe a little biased, but it's a fair comment that many non-Kiss devotees would probably agree with.
Originally posted by Santos L Helper
Glad you liked it Macca!! It was written for people like yourself to enjoy.
its a classic!! the lyrics are spot on and its very shouty. my group of mates have commendeered that song as "our song"...always put it on for a shout in the car on our way to a club or whatever
THE perfect rev you up to go out song!!
Queen, in my view, would have to be one of the main contributers to songs of anthemic quality, either as a group or individually.
For example (in no particular order):
1. Bohemian Rhapsody - close to one of the best anthemic songs ever written, especially the opera/rock section.
2. We Will Rock You - Queen used to open their concerts with this one
3. We are the Champions - played after many sporting victories, including after the Brisbane Lions premiership. Queen used to close their concerts with this one, along with "God Save the Queen".
4. One Vision - very anthemic tune published about 1986 from the 'A Kind of Magic' album.
5. Princes of the Universe - (title track to the movie "Highlander")
6. The Show Must Go on. - one of Queen's last releases.
7. Innuendo - from the last Queen album in 1990.
8. Radio Ga Ga - perhaps too poppy (but the chorus is quite anthemic, especially live in concert when thousands of people are completing the rhythmic clapping)
9. Barcelona - theme for the 1992 Olympics.
10. I Want It All - published in about 1988.
11. 'Flash' - title song for the movie "Flash Gordon'
11. Driven By You - chosen as the tune to market Ford cars in Britain.
as well as The entire Queen I and Queen II albums, circa 1973-4.
Quite apart from the these anthemic songs, you also have other Queen songs that are just as well known, but perhaps are too pop orientated to be classed as anthems. 'Under Pressure' 'Another One Bites the Dust', Killer Queen' are just a few that spring to mind.
Gerry and the Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone.
The anthem for the Liverpool Football. As the game is nearing it's end you'll hear all the supporters at the Kop end start singing that tune. When everyone joins in it actually sounds pretty good, and gets the emotions churning, especially if you are a Liverpool supporter.
That's what I believe a rock anthem is. A song that get the crowd involved. It may not be the best song the group has ever written, but it's usually a simple tune, with simple lyrics that grabs you from the first listen. Queen mastered it, with songs like We Will Rock Up and We are the Champions.
Originally posted by Roylion
Queen, in my view, would have to be one of the main contributers to songs of anthemic quality, either as a group or individually.
10. I Want It All - published in about 1988.
According to the liner notes of the Greatest Hits II CD (I think that's it, but I don't have the CD handy so I may be wrong), the young black people of South Africa adopted this song as an anthem of some sort during the anti-apartheid movement in the mid 1980s.
I might be getting 'anthems' confused with 'power ballads' but I would have thought Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi; Here I go again - Whitesnake; and Dreams - Van Halen were right up there. Maybe 'no woman no cry' as well.
I agree on a lot of the others mentioned, and I can't believe I'm not the only person here who knows the battle of new orleans! I thought it was something my father-in-law owned the only copy of!
I can't believe no one has said the Lygon St national anthem. Eye of the Tiger by Survivor great stuff just great.
'Hey Jude' - The Beatles (and I know someone who will be happy I mentioned that song. ;))
'Freedom' - Paul McCartney
Waltzing Woof Biscuit
9 Dec 2001, 11:42
Beautiful synopsis Roylion. Queen surely must have the greatest output of anthemic choruses per capita, per square mile, per se.
A few others spring to mind too:
Born to be wild - Steppenwolf
All the young dudes - Mott The Hoople
I still call Australia home - Peter Allen
Strawberry kisses - Nicki Webster
PS - yes, that was a joke. Who in their right mind would include Steppenwolf??
I must have eye trouble, or is it that no-one has said Down Under - Men At Work ????? Great song!
Originally posted by vanders
I must have eye trouble, or is it that no-one has said Down Under - Men At Work ????? Great song!
Ahh yeah definately...
Thanks you everyone who's replied on this thread. Video Hits should hang their heads in shame for suggesting aqua songs as anthems... :D Plus a few others that just made me think "What the..?"
I think I do tend to get confused between Anthems and Power ballads - my friends and I sit around on Australia Day with our own special Australian anthemy CD which has Gangajang, Icehouse and the Choirboys on it.
I spose its all subjective...but boy there's been some good songs to live our lives by :D
The Hitman
10 Dec 2001, 08:44
My personal anthem;
Loser - Beck
The Hitman
Waltzing Woof Biscuit
10 Dec 2001, 09:38
Originally posted by The Hitman
My personal anthem;
Loser - Beck
The Hitman
Bugger off Hitman. You don't belong here :( ;)
Danny Chook Fan Club
10 Dec 2001, 09:58
For mine, the key notion of an anthem is a simple, sparse opening that builds up through the song to a identifiable climax. It's hard to squeeze an anthem into three minutes, and as such most of my 'anthems' are pretty long.
Hey Jude is the prototype. Simple piano tune to start with, gradual introduction of drums, bass and guitar, eventually into orchestral accompanyment. There's also the crucial sing-a-long factor at the end.
Others that I would classify as 'anthems':
November Rain - Guns 'N' Roses
Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
Whatever - Oasis
The Last Resort - Eagles
Khe Sanh - Cold Chisel
God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You - Kiss
Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler
Ahh, I love a good anthem!
To this point I have read a post on rock-anthems with out anyone having mentioned U2!?!?!?!
In my mind there isn't a band around that has relied more on the "anthemic" principle than U2 and they are the best at it too!
Pride (In the Name Of Love)
Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
With Or Without You
Where the Streets Have No Name
One
Beautiful Day
Sunday Bloody Sunday...crikey the list goes on forever!!!
Originally posted by The Hitman
My personal anthem;
Loser - Beck
The Hitman
hahah.. hey, that is one of mine too... :p
The Hitman
10 Dec 2001, 17:37
Originally posted by Waltzing Woof Biscuit
Bugger off Hitman. You don't belong here :( ;)
...cos I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo... ;) :D
The Hitman
Originally posted by The Hitman
__________________
Life ain't easy for a dog-faced boy.
The Hitman
hahah.. great signature this week hitters.. !
E's souljacker kicks assss.. ~~
The Hitman
10 Dec 2001, 21:42
Originally posted by coxon
hahah.. great signature this week hitters.. !
E's souljacker kicks assss.. ~~
I aim to please, Coxon.
:D
The Hitman
Can't believe I haven't mentioned Pegazus's "The Crusade".:o
There, I've mentioned it now! :)