Top 10 Songs That Launched Legendary Bands

WatchMojo

These songs changed everything! Join us as we count down our picks for the career-defining tracks that launched legendary rock groups into superstardom. Our list includes iconic hits that transformed garage bands into household names and shaped music history forever. Which breakthrough anthem do you think deserves the top spot?

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the career-changing tunes

00:11that helped bring legendary groups into the public eye.

00:19Number 10. Light My Fire, The Doors.

00:30After their hit Break On Through to the Other Side, this tune was even bigger.

00:37It's one in a string of classic rockers from The Doors, complete with an exciting intro and tight grooves.

00:42Light My Fire is a perfect encapsulation of the band's greatness.

00:53The track also includes the dynamic lyrics and vocal stylings of Jim Morrison.

00:57Ray Manzarek's hands give the composition another edge, while Robbie Krieger's guitar is worth a shout-out.

01:03The group's relatively short output can be traced back to successes like this one.

01:07Their number one hit put them in the spotlight, with the four-piece becoming psychedelic icons soon after.

01:23Number 9. Take It Easy, Eagles.

01:26You might love them or hate them, but you can't deny their success.

01:36The Eagles arrive as a unit ready to hit the big time.

01:39Their first album includes one of their most enduring hits, powered by greyhooks and notable storytelling.

01:44The song is co-written by bandmate Glenn Frey and rock legend Jackson Brown.

01:49Together, they bring a specificity to the overall experience.

02:01It's a novelistic tale that blends the best country writing with a rock vibe.

02:05In their first years as a band, they already had a song to help carry them through their biggest decade.

02:09Take It Easy is still recognized by audiences today as something of a standard.

02:13Number 8. Enter Sandman.

02:22Metallica.

02:22This might be a controversial choice given the long history of Metallica.

02:26They slayed audiences in the 1980s as a thrash metal outfit, with some really great songs like Master of Puppets and Fade to Black.

02:41But the mainstream crowd didn't always connect with them.

02:43Their self-titled record came out in 1991 and made them even bigger.

02:47With the song Enter Sandman, the band was able to capitalize on their roots and deliver something for the masses.

03:01Purists might think it's too popular or distracts from their deeper work.

03:04Ultimately, you can't deny that this Billboard Top 20 hit reshaped their career.

03:09It's also a Furious production that stands as a quality recording.

03:19Number 7. Creep. Radiohead.

03:22Despite their impressive career since then, Radiohead is still associated with its 1992 song.

03:35Creep was their first single and later ended up on their debut album.

03:38Pablo Honey.

03:40The hit's song lives on as an angsty anthem, with distorted guitars and Tom York's signature falsetto.

03:53They got off to an amazing start with an engaging track.

03:57Finding the outcast in All of Us, the lyrics provide a compelling template for an emotional ride.

04:02It's rare that a group is so successful right out of the gate.

04:04In the alternative world, the band gave audiences a song that feels grungy and refreshing at the same time.

04:11It struck a chord with listeners, went platinum, and made the musicians ones to watch.

04:15Number 6. Smells Like Teen Spirit. Nirvana.

04:32It's the most recognizable song for one of the 1990s greatest bands.

04:37Smells Like Teen Spirit was a major force in mainstreaming grunge, making Nirvana one of the top groups of the early decade.

04:44The track helped turn their album, Nevermind, into a massive success, and pulled focus to other alternative acts from Washington.

04:50Well, the lights out, it's so dangerous, you and I are now, every day now.

04:59Kurt Cobain's generational talent combined personal songwriting, a punk attitude, and pop hooks.

05:05The singer and his bandmates came ready to play, creating a radio staple that wowed audiences of all kinds.

05:11This single made the trio icons that influenced the next phase of rock music.

05:15Number 5. I Can't Explain. The Who.

05:26Before their louder and more intense work in the 1970s, the Who staked a claim for rock dominance with this track.

05:32I Can't Explain came out during a defining period in pop music, and put the band among contemporaries like the Beatles and the Kinks.

05:39The garage rock feel also provided a less polished and grittier feeling that made the record more energetic.

05:53With a top 10 hit on the UK singles chart.

05:56Can't Explain. I bring this love. Try to say it to you. When I feel blue.

06:02The group were well on their way to releasing future classics, like My Generation.

06:06All it took was some catchy songwriting from Pete Townsend, and the work of his excellent bandmates.

06:17Number 4. Paranoid. Black Sabbath.

06:21Black Sabbath was integral in making heavy metal a reality.

06:24Their first several albums created a foundation for the genre, with Paranoid being one prime example of their sound.

06:30The latter's song did especially well in their home country, while also shaking up the charts around the world.

06:42It's still one of their most popular tracks, and even performed better worldwide than works like Iron Man.

06:47Tony Iommi's guitar parts likely inspired a host of imitators, creating a legion of metal players over the next few decades.

06:54Ozzy Osbourne also created a gritty performance style that made him a legend.

06:58Along with the incredible work of Bill Ward and Geezer Butler, the original quartet were going places after the second album's single.

07:17Number 3. Whole Lotta Love. Led Zeppelin.

07:21As rock got harder and heavier, Led Zeppelin helped spearhead a new sound for the genre.

07:33They impressed audiences with their first album, and kicked it up a notch for their second.

07:37Whole Lotta Love represented another stage in the evolution, with Jimmy Page's crunchy riff leading things off.

07:43I'm gonna give you my love.

07:46It starts off their sophomore record with a huge bang, with countries around the world taking notice of it.

07:54The single elevated the intensity and universality of awesome rock.

07:59Robert Plant's towering voice only complements the hard-hitting grooves of an all-star rhythm section.

08:04After you hear it, you'll know why Zeppelin became synonymous with cool.

08:07Number 2. I Can't Get No Satisfaction. The Rolling Stones.

08:19In rock history, few riffs are as noteworthy.

08:21I Can't Get No Satisfaction is among the band's signature songs for that reason and more.

08:28I can't get no satisfaction.

08:33The lyrics are also iconic, but they're provocative themes.

08:38This song saw success as a single in 1965, with a major response in both the United Kingdom and America.

08:45The track could be seen as a turning point on multiple levels.

08:47Send cigarettes to me. I can't get no.

08:53I can't get no.

08:54On the tale of bands like the Beatles, this tune helps set the act apart with their more counter-cultural and raw style.

09:01They bring an attitude that feels especially groundbreaking for a more clean-cut era.

09:06Keith Richards hits you with his guitar, while Mick Jagger's sassy vocal charms you even more.

09:11I Can't Get No Satisfaction.

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09:34Number 1. I Want to Hold Your Hand. The Beatles.

09:37It's nearly impossible to boil this band's legacy down to one hit.

09:41The Beatles are often considered the best for a reason, but there was a time when they weren't atop Mount Olympus yet.

09:46Oh yeah, I'll tell you something. I think you'll understand.

09:54Their early catalog included a promising debut album and singles like Love Me Do.

09:59I Want to Hold Your Hand was a track that combined their pop and early rock influences together.

10:12Unsurprisingly, the song took the charts by storm.

10:14I can't hide. I can't hide.

10:20It was one of the songs the band played on their career-defining visit to America in 1964.

10:26Thanks in no small part to this tune, Beatlemania became a well-known and contagious condition.

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