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The "Epic" Playlist

Silver Linings #18

By Adam WallacePublished 6 years ago 7 min read
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Hello, and welcome back to Silver Linings where I rattle off the best of... well... whatever I feel like.

I love music. I think I established that over the past year since I actually went to bat for Lionel Richie and John Barry's film scores. I can find something to like in just about every era and genre. I've used many words to describe songs over the years, but there's one word I've used that I don't think gets used often enough. That word is "epic".

So, what constitutes an "epic" song? Well, like many things in life, it can be left up to the audience's interpretation. For me, an epic song has a grandiose nature to it. I just listen to it, and the first word that comes to mind is whoa. If that sounds too subjective, I have put together my criteria for an epic song. For me to consider a song "epic", it has to do at least one of these three things:

1) The lyrics and vocal delivery have to come together to rip me to shreds.

2) The composition, instrumentation, and production have to provide a sense of immense scale.

3) The subject matter and the way it's handled have to be so daring that they get me admiring the sheer guts of the artist.

Well, to get people understanding what I mean, I decided to put together the first of several playlists of songs that I consider "epic". However, this was too huge a task to handle on my own; so, I called on my family, friends, and co-workers to give me their suggestions. These songs will be in alphabetical order since they're too big to rank.

So, let's get it started in here! (Don't worry; The Black Eyed Peas are not on the list.)

(Thanks, Aunt Nancy!) This 8 1/2 minute folk song definitely counts as epic and not just for its length. Don's lyrics start with recounting his feelings when Buddy Holly died and spin off into a stream of consciousness that is just absorbing. The layered instrumentation just added to its grandiose nature.

Ally, my significant other of 12 years and counting, is a full-fledged metalhead. This track is nearly ten minutes of some of Metallica's greatest technical mastery combined with James Hetfield's pure, undiluted rage at the state of the country. This is epic anger here.

This is easily the most obvious pick for this playlist. Queen's theatrics are the stuff of legend, and this is one of the only songs I can think of that fit ALL THREE of my criteria. The nearly six-minute-long song is not just a song; it's a full-fledged opera. Really, I don't have to say any more. It's friggin' Queen!

No, I didn't just pick Faith No More's biggest hit just because its title is "Epic" (though it would be funny if I did). Everything about the song from Mike Patton's hard half-rapping to Jim Martin's amazing guitar solo makes this track just sound huge. It's a metal track as epic as its name.

(Thanks, Stephanie!) Girl power anthems are nothing new; Helen Reddy was doing them back in the 70s. However, Lindsey Stirling pounds it into you with the most amazingly bizarre musical fusion I'd ever heard. Who would have imagined that techno would mix so well with Celtic folk???

(Thanks, Shannon!) I'm just gonna cut to the chase; this is one of the greatest songs ever recorded. The story lyrics mix with Don Henley's pained delivery to keep you uneasy. The production is top-tier with amazing vocal harmonies and the greatest guitar outro in history. It's classic rock perfection.

(Thanks, Zaketia!) This ballad was already a great song when Dolly Parton first recorded it. However, Whitney's cover jumps ahead due to the glossier production and her sheer, raw vocal power. Yes, it was overplayed, but that was for a reason.

(Thanks, Jim!) This is one of the simplest songs on the list, but it didn't need to be any bigger than it is. The string section combined with the acoustic guitar grabs you right from the first notes, and Gordon Lightfoot rips you to pieces with his heart-wrenching delivery of a song about a love falling apart. I wonder how many people were driven to tears by this song back in 1971.

I just had to include this one. Sure, the vocals are simple, and so is the arrangement of just a piano, drums, and string section. However, John had tremendous balls to release this back in 1971. This was the song that got him put on FBI watchlists as a potential Communist spy back then. That definitely fulfills criterion #3.

This chanteuse Québécoise can make anything sound epic through the strength of her unbelievable voice. While "My Heart Will Go On" was suggested, this one just has a much grander scale. Céline tears me up with this song every time.

I just had to get my all-time favorite band on the list somewhere. "Janie's Got a Gun" takes the VERY touchy subject of a vengeful abuse victim and gives it all the weight and gravitas it deserves. The way the music builds to a scary but thrilling climax with Joe Perry's guitar solo is master craftsmanship. While it's not my favorite Aerosmith song (that would be "Rag Doll"), I can't deny that it is one of the best they ever recorded.

Yes, we're back to Ally's love of metal. Tool is one of her favorite bands, and I can see why. "Lateralus" is 9 1/2 minutes of the hardest, technically brilliant acid trip I've ever heard. The stream of consciousness lyrics are open to a million interpretations, and the technical mastery is astonishing. It's actually timed to match the Fibonacci Sequence! This song can outright hypnotize you!

Madonna was never a stranger to ruffling people's feathers, but "Like a Prayer" was her most epic monocle-pop. The lyrics can be interpreted spiritually OR sexually, and, knowing Madonna, she probably MEANT them both ways. It also had the most grandiose production of all of her songs, complete with a full gospel choir. It is easily one of the biggest songs on this list.

This was the song that got me to do this list. Everything is grand-scale in this song, from Axl's aching delivery of lyrics about dying love, to Slash's amazing guitar solo, to the chilling outro. There's even a full orchestra backing up the band! "November Rain" was easily the most epic song of the 90's.

(Thanks, Uncle Charlie!) If there's anyone that could compete with Queen when it came to theatrics, it would definitely be Meatloaf. Only he could create an eight-minute operatic roller coaster of a song about anticipating sex rather than having it. Honestly, I can fill a whole epic playlist with just Meatloaf songs.

The biggest hit of 2011, this is easily the most epic break-up song in history. Unlike most break-up songs that are wistful or remorseful, Adele provides nearly four minutes of pure fury. Adele treats every soaring note like a knife in the heart, and the production goes out of its way to push the knife in harder. This is the musical embodiment of the "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" idea.

This was the song that completely changed the face of rock almost overnight. I'd say that's epic enough. Listening to it 25 years later, it's amazing how much power and fury Kurt Cobain managed to cram into a relatively simple song.

(Thanks, Charity!) Don't worry, Wayne. I don't have a "No Stairway" sign here, and why would I? The slow burn nature, the layered instrumentation, and Robert Plant's aching vocals combine to mesmerize absolutely anyone. It's little wonder that Led Zeppelin is considered one of the most influential bands in history.

If you think that rap can't be epic, try telling that to Eminem. The arrangement for "Stan" is one of the tightest ever in hip-hop, but it's the lyrics that put it on this list. "Stan" takes the subject of obsessive fans who become stalkers dead seriously (pun intended). This is one of the most haunting songs ever recorded.

I don't like Taylor Swift in general. Her early stuff was too cutesy, and her recent stuff is too obnoxious. However, "Style" absolutely grabbed me. The pulsing production punctuates the pained performance Taylor brings to this song about how fleeting attraction can be. It's just that powerful.

Bonnie Tyler's magnum opus feels almost too big even for a concert hall, fitting as Meatloaf's frequent collaborator Jim Steinman was involved behind the scenes. While a basic love song, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" pulls out all the stops. Bonnie's straining vocals can tear the heart to pieces, and the grand scale production turns the song into full-fledged opera. This is, put simply, the most epic love song of the 80's.

No song pulls listeners into the pain of fame like Bon Jovi's "Wanted" does. Everything came together perfectly. Jon's lyrics push through how rough life on the road can be, and Richie's guitar work runs from acoustic plucking to power chords effortlessly. In fact, the music tells the story as well as Jon's lyrics do. That's quite an accomplishment.

I know there are a lot more "epic" songs out there. Let me know which ones you like to include in a later list. Rock on!

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About the Creator

Adam Wallace

I put up pieces here when I can, mainly about games and movies. I'm also writing movies, writing a children's book & hosting the gaming channel "Cool Media" on YouTube! Enjoy & find me on Twitter!

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