Genres: Rock

Listen to the most popular rock songs in America as determined by the Billboard charts.

One of the most important and popular developments in rock history, the alternative sounds of grunge and Britpop ruled the airwaves in the 1990s. Get out your flannel shirt and listen to these essential '90s alt-rock songs.

The best stadium-ready modern rock songs have several key ingredients: a soft intro, a slow build to the chorus, and then a gratifying, transcendent melody backed by ethereal guitars and a driving rhythm section.

The most essential classic rock hits from the late '60s through the early '70s. Long hair, epic guitar solos, and singers who graduated from frontman school with honors.

These are the songs that take classic rock to another level: forgotten B-sides and sprawling deep cuts from the most iconic rock acts of the '60s and '70s.

They don't make rock songs like they used to! These songs feature the best axe-men of all-time playing their best riffs, licks, and solos.

Rock's greatest in-concert moments, from the grunge gods of the '90s (Nirvana, Soundgarden) to the indie icons of the '00s (Decemberists, Bright Eyes) and beyond.

Listen to songs by all the artists performing at the 2011 Vans Warped Tour.

This playlist includes songs from essential emo-pop artists like genre “founders” Jimmy Eat World and newcomers All Time Low.

The hardest partying, most indulgent '80s rock stars were at their best when they showed their sensitive side. These hit love songs feature the dramatic choruses, passionate vocals, wailing guitar solos, and epic drum fills that defined an era.

During the 1058 days between Jan. 14, 1967 (the Human Be-In) and Dec. 6, 1969 (Altamont), rock became the voice of a generation. This fertile period yielded more iconic songs than ever before or since.

Cool tunes from the golden age of pre-punk classic rock, 1965-'76, featuring deep tracks from the era's superstars as well as definitive songs from cult heroes and oddballs. Vintage doesn't have to mean old-fashioned.

Tap into your teenage angst with classic songs from the '90s era of pop punk.

Hair metal (or glam metal) was born on LA's Sunset Strip in the 1980s. Synonymous with heavy riffs, anthemic choruses, blown-out hair, and spandex, hair metal is some of the best party music ever made.

The mid-1990s brought about the end of the grunge heyday, but many of its key players have continued performing in various incarnations. This selection of songs presents many of them, along with a number of their notable followers.

From Black Sabbath to his solo career to Ozzfest, Ozzy Osbourne has always been an innovative pioneer of hard rock. This playlist includes songs by his closest contemporaries, his indebted followers, and the Prince of Darkness himself.

Some songs just sound like summertime. Hold up your lighter and groove to these essential warm-weather classic rock jams.

Hop in your VW Bus and take the psychedelic journey back to the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. This playlist features live (and some studio) versions of songs that'll transport you right to Yasgur's Farm. And remember, don't take the brown acid!

The Beatles are arguably the most important group in the history of recorded music. This playlist features essential songs by The Beatles, solo recordings by individual members, as well covers from their friends and indebted followers.

In 1996 Lollapalooza refused to let Ozzy join the tour. BIG MISTAKE. Ozzy started his own festival tour and it rocked really, really hard. These are the bands who've played Ozzfest through the years.

A collection of rock's hardest-hitting classics, from metal to glam to grunge.

Unleash your inner daredevil with these songs from MTV's Jackass television series and films.

From the late '70s to the early '80s, rock music evolved to incorporate a softer, more sophisticated studio-produced sound. These are the best songs from the last era of rock before video killed the radio star.

From Sabbath to Isis, a mix of heavy bands with influences and appreciation beyond the insular metal scene.

Punk may not be known for its sentimentality, but these tunes would leave Sid and Nancy swooning. So grab your partner by the studded dog collar and bask in punk-rock puppy love.

Celebrate the release of Jack White's new album Blunderbuss (http://bit.ly/Io5JGE) with this playlist, featuring the best of the White Stripes, his side projects, artists on his Third Man Records label, and other collaborations.

An introduction to all things metal: the loudest, fastest, most brutal genre of rock music.

Contemporary pop-rock ('90s to today), focusing on female vocalists and sensitive guys. Contemplative and emotional yet SFW (Safe for Work).

One of the most eclectic sub-genres in rock music, new wave features the punk-influenced, synth-dominated sound that defined pop music in the early 1980s.

With the fast tempos of traditional punk, today's pop punk prominently features electronic keyboards and hi-fi production for an accessible, radio friendly sound.

Featuring songs from modern surf movies such as "Innersection," "Leave a Message," and "High Five," this playlist will get you in the mood to rip.

Developed in the 1980s, Math rock is a guitar-based genre influenced by progressive and experimental rock known for using odd time signatures, interlocking rhythms and complex arrangements.

In the 1990s, these bands revitalized and re-imagined the British tradition of tuneful, guitar driven pop bands (established, of course, by The Beatles). The lyrics celebrate British youth culture and the music is packed full of big, bright, catchy hooks.

The perfect soundtrack for hanging out with your friends on the quad, drinking beers, grilling burgers, and tossing a frisbee.

Post-rock tracks ranging from the abstract (Godspeed You! Black Emperor) to the melodic (Stereolab) and everything in between.

If you thought your favorite '90s alt rockers were gone then you were mistaken. Listen to the return of the flannel-flaunting hitmakers who are attempting to be restored to the glory of the grunge years.

Motorik, German for "motor skill," is a propulsive 4/4 drum pattern popularized in 1970s Germany by acts like Neu that's perfect for cruising down the Autobahn. This playlist features modern and classic songs built onto of the Motorik rhythm.

In late '50s Britain, the young Beatles consumed a surprisingly eclectic mix of styles, including early rock & roll, pop, jazz, blues, folk, country & western, and swing. Here are the songs that inspired the 20th century's most influential band.

Celebrate John Lennon's musical legacy with these covers and tribute songs.

The best songs from the groups that pioneered that ultra-cool surfer sound. Guitar-heavy and full of reverb, these tunes are perfect for strapping your board to the roof of your woodie and cruising to the beach.

Here's some hard rock motivation to maintain that rock-hard body.

Listen to the breeziest lite rock songs of the '70s.

Listen to songs performed at the 1967 The Monterey Pop Festival, a three-day concert that featured the first major American performances of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Who.

Sit back, relax, and drink the "electric kool-aid." This playlist offers up the best psychedelic music from the genre's most fruitfull decade, the 1960s. Far out, indeed.

You're not an American until you take a cross-country road trip, and it isn't a proper road trip unless you're blasting these songs. This playlist is long enough for even the most arduous leg of your journey.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is the definitive American Southern Rock band. Listen to essential songs by Lynyrd Skynyrd as well as their greatest influences and contemporaries.

Fire up the grill and crack a Bud Heavy - this collection of southern rock classics will make you feel like one of the good ole' boys, no matter where you're cooking-out.

This playlist takes you back to an idyllic '70s pool party where the bathing suits were as small as the sunglasses were big and Stealers Wheel was blasting out of the poolside AM and funky disco gems were spinning inside on the HiFi.

Tie a sweater around your neck and set sail for the high seas with these smoother than smooth yacht rock classics.

Home to The Swampers, one of the greatest house bands in American R&B history, Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama remains the go-to destination for artists seeking that iconic, soulful sound. These are the essential songs recorded there.

Folk rock was born when bands started using rock instrumentation to play traditional folk music in the 1960s. These are the songs that defined this important development in popular music history.

Born from post-punk and new wave influences, college rock describes the brand of alternative rock that dominated college radio playlists in the 1980s, before alternative rock went mainstream with the grunge movement in the 1990s.

The first wave of punk bands in Britain produced some of the fastest, hardest, and grittiest rock music the world had ever heard. Hold on and get ready for "anarchy in the U.K."

Punk rock was born in New York City, but by the late '70s the genre's infectious primitivism had reached cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, where bands began playing a tougher, thrashier style of punk.

New York City is the birthplace of punk rock, and like the city that birthed it, the punk rock scene in the late 70s was diverse, contentious, noisy and unlike any other in the world. This is the sound of CBGB's and Max's Kansas City.

Krautrock is the British label given to the crop of German bands to emerge in the late '60 - the first generation born into post-war Germany. What united these artist wasn't a singular style, but a shared frustration and willingness to experiment.

Listen to essential songs by Iggy & The Stooges as well as their greatest influences, contemporaries, and followers.

This is the funky, abrasive, and distinctive sound of downtown NYC's various post-punk scenes of the late '70s and early '80s.

Post-punk artists who felt the funk, from both the U.S. (Liquid Liquid) and the U.K. (Gang of Four).

Garage rock and other hard-rocking songs from the '60s and early '70s that helped pave the way for The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and other early punk rock bands.

This playlist of doom, sludge, and drone metal features heavy guitar riffs, slowed down tempos, and thick chords that create an impenetrable wall of sound.

Not for the faint of heart, these songs are fast paced, with growled vocals and distorted instrumentation.

Fierce tracks from the thrash/speed-metal heyday of the 1980s and early '90s.

The heavier side of the alternative boom of the late 1980s and early '90s.

Precision-mounted industrial tracks from the style's late-1980s/early-'90s peak era.

Summery, fun, and jangly lo-fi pop. Grab some friends, pack some munchies, and lie on the grass and watch clouds for hours.

Highlights from the Domino Recording Company catalog. Founded in 1993, Domino has gained a reputation for consistently releasing influential, critically-acclaimed and accessible independent music.

Some call it chillwave, others call it glo-fi. Whatever the name, this laid-back blend of modern lo-fi recording techniques and vintage synth noises is one of today's most addictive sounds.

Hazy, soothing pop songs that'll make you feel like you're having the best dream ever.

Sweet, romantic indie songs that provide the perfect soundtrack for a make out session.

XL Recordings is one of the world's premier indie labels. Listen to highlights from their impressive roster, which includes Adele, Vampire Weekend, The xx, Sigur Ros and more.

Listen to studio versions of songs performed on La Blogotheque's experimental video series of "Take-Away Shows."

4AD Records is known for breaking some of today's most critically-acclaimed independent artists, including Bon Iver, St. Vincent, The National, and Deerhunter. This playlist features songs released on the label since 2000.

A panorama of rock & roll artists that came into the spotlight in the emerging 21st Century.

During the 1990s, the unconventional indie side of the alt-rock boom thrived even as the fortunes of more accessible acts waxed and waned. Guitar-heavy, smart, and often slightly strange, this sound is exemplified by Pavement and its peers.

It wasn't all peace and love; feel the bad vibes of the psychedelic void with artists from the 1960s to now.

Break out the clear heels and stripper pole; these sexy blues rock and hair metal songs are the soundtrack for your next Strippercize workout or private dance for that special someone.

Songs about drinking too much, partying too hard and loving every minute of it.

The pioneers of prog emerged from the ashes of psychedelia, forging an ambitious new sound that took rock to the next level in the early '70s. From classic-rock icons to cult heroes, here's an introduction to the style.

You don't need words to rock! Instrumental metal from the 1970s to today, including classic rock, thrash, post-metal and much more.

Even as they approach retirement age, the classic rockers of the '60s, '70s and '80s have continued making exciting and intriguing music over the last two decades. Check out these old dogs' new tricks.

The mighty Metallica has never been shy about acknowledging its influences and favorite contemporaries. This playlist explores the band's metal, punk and hard rock roots, as well as some of their favored contemporaries.

Listen to female rockers from the punk era to today's indie girl-crushes who use smarts, speed and sex appeal to get their point across.

We are Sudamerican rockers, Central American rockers, Spanish rockers, and Latino rockers. These are the best songs ever by bands united by a common language: rocenrol! Escuche!

Meet the '50s rockers who combined hillbilly music and rock & roll, and see how their music has influenced subsequent generations of rockers. And not just the ones who put pomade in their hair, either.

In their 30 years together, R.E.M. helped shape the post-punk musical landscape. From the bands who inspired them to their contemporaries on the college radio scene, explore how the boys from Athens helped change everything

Dirty, dusty sounds left out in the sun too long, echoing off the steer skulls and sand dunes into the wide open spaces.

Explore the current wave of scuzzy, lo-fi rockers, with a smattering of old-school classics of the style.

If you never want to hear "Monster Mash" again, you're in the right place. Spooky, silly and sometimes downright scary, this is Halloween for the rockers.

Of course, only Freddie Mercury and the lads truly sounded like Queen, but these artists invoke the spirit of Queen by being as bombastic, exciting and over-the-top as possible.

Whether they're jamming on extended improvisational solos, combining unlikely genres, or playing songs backwards, jam bands make innovative, risky, and unclassifiable music that'll never sound the same way twice.

Epic-length explorations from the jam band underground, along with a few tunes by the bands who inspired the style.

The history of industrial music, from its pre-punk roots to its first wave pioneers in the post-punk era to its modern-day genre offspring -- this playlist includes EBM, coldwave, industrial rock, power electronics and more.

These true believers carried the prog torch into the post-punk era, from '80s trailblazers to 21st-century new seekers who have drawn on decades of progressive inspiration.

A collection of classics and lesser-known gems from the beginning of rock & roll, with an emphasis on country-leaning "hillbilly rock," or rockabilly

As the '80s became the '90s, Manchester's lively, drug-fueled music scene smashed together dance music and psychedelia with wild-eyed glee. Recall the acts that peaked during 1989's New Summer of Love, as well as the bands that book-ended the era.

The American punk underground spawned some of the most creative, fiery and fiercely independent bands of the 1980s. Listen to the groups that paved the way for grunge, emo and pop-punk's commercial ascent in the 1990s.

Fuzzy, noisy, primal rock where passion is paramount has existed almost as long as rock itself. Explore the history of lo-fi from the garage-psych '60s through the post-punk '70s and the DIY '90s until today.

Embracing all things melancholy, these post-punk acts unabashedly reveled in the morbid and the miserable. Return to the time before goth became just another uniform choice for aspiring teenage rebels.

Songs by indie artists that are strongly influenced by traditional roots rock, bluegrass, and country. Rootsy and rough around the edges.

The best radio-ready, melodic rock songs from the past fifteen years.

In the early 1960s, young fashionable Londoners, or "mods," danced all night to the uptempo sounds of African-American soul, Jamaican ska, and British rock & roll. Put on your sharpest suit and celebrate the original mod scene's best songs.

Wham bam, thank you ma'am! Glossy and raucous tunes from the 1970s glam-rock era, from both leading lights and also-rans of the glitter scene.

Say hello to one of the premier emo and pop-punk labels of the early 2000s. This exploration of their catalogue features the label's biggest artists alongside more obscure but equally worthy tracks

Gathering in musical testimony has never been as cool as it is now. Today's Christian rockers know how to spread the gospel with passion, beats, and "bang your head" enthusiasm.

With their penchant for twang and aversion to lyrics, these 1950s and '60s acts -- some fleeting, some lasting -- all reveled in the rock instrumental.

Mom-friendly tunes from classic rockers and newer artists. Nothing too loud or outrageous: you get enough of that in your day as it is.

It's easier than ever to lose it these days, so here's a little music therapy from the '70s. Enjoy these songs of comfort, joy, and common sense from the "Me" generation.

Industrial metal is a harsh, metal-machine music combining the anger and fury of metal with industrial music's blistering speed and pounding beats. Bang your head, factory-style.

Hit the southern backroads with these classic 45s from the birth of rock 'n' roll. And while you're out there, visit 706 Union Street in Memphis, where Sam Phillips' Sun Records birthed their pioneering mix of R&B and hillbilly music.

Jimi Hendrix was arguably the best guitarist to ever live. Celebrate his life and music with songs by his greatest influences, closest contemporaries, indebted followers, and Jimi himself. Request songs at https://www.facebook.com/TheJimiHendrixExperience

Cramming for finals requires cool, calming tunes to balance the stress of studying. Help put yourself in the right state of mind with these pop and rock tunes.

Whether they're redefining their own songs or taking a cheeky crack at a popular favorite, artists love to perform without the aid of electricity. Check out some acoustic covers of popular rock songs throughout the years.

Sometimes it takes a grown man to make a grown man cry. These songs, all by great male artists, take guys to their emotional zeniths.

Journey's powerful, timeless rock ballads have made them one of the most commercially successful rock bands of all time. This playlist includes songs by Journey (and its members' side projects) and their closest contemporaries.

After proving their pop sensibilities with the multi-platinum album Rumours, Fleetwood Mac released Tusk, an experimental double album of endless inventiveness. Here are songs from (and inspired by) the era when classic rock was morphing into new wave.

Life can't all be thrash. Enjoy the more relaxed side of post-2000 pop-punk artists, with slower tempos and acoustic guitars for those mellow moments.

The Doors were one of the most influential rock bands of all time. Listen to essential songs by The Doors (and their members' side projects), their greatest influences, closest contemporaries, and indebted followers.

You may have dumped me, but I still have my Moog. Classic '80s synthpop and new wave about the down side to love.

Roy Orbison pioneered a new brand of rock & roll in the early 1960s with his distinctive baritone voice and orchestral arrangements. Listen to songs by The Big O and his greatest influences, contemporaries, and followers.

Some of the punk bands on the teen-friendly Warped/Bamboozle circuit proudly acknowledge their Christian faith in their music. Testify from the pit!

Surfacing during the heyday of nu metal, Linkin Park has revealed remarkable longevity in subsequent years. Here are some of the band's finest moments, along with numerous rock and hip-hop acts in its orbit.

Dance the night away to the stacked jukebox in a steamy dive bar on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

Celebrate the Stones at their 1970s peak with this selection of some of their biggest hits, along with favorites by some of the other bands in their orbit.

This brooding set of synth-pop features acts ranging from Tubeway Army to LCD Soundsystem.

Fuzz guitars, reedy combo organs, and singers with a psychedelic chip on their shoulders abound in this tour of the trippy-but-tough world of '60s garage psych sounds.

Spastic, experimental emo with a touch of metal thrown in for good measure. Careful not to shred your vocal chords.

Nothing but the big hits from the classic rock era, optimized for going that extra mile.

Classic sounding, sometimes sentimental, and a still a little drunk, these nocturnal rock ballads are the perfect nightcap to a long day of sex, drugs, and rock & roll.

Covering songs -- or entire albums -- is a long standing tradition amongst jam bands. This playlist collects the greatest recorded covers by some of the best jam bands, past and present.

The Foo Fighters are one of the most enduring bands in rock and roll. Listen to their greatest hits plus songs by their influences, contemporaries, and side projects.

At the end of the relationship, sometimes you just want to wallow. These classic lost-love ballads from the 1980s are the perfect soundtrack to a good cry.

As garish as the decade could often be, the 1980s were also a time of musical sophistication. Especially in the post-punk UK, a suave persona and musical creativity were admirable traits even among DIY indie types.

It wasn't all about grunge at the birth of The Alternative Era. Some artists took from the rich history of elegantly-constructed pop and made their own indie-minded version of sophistication.

In memory of the life of Levon Helm (1940-2012), this playlist explores the country- and blues-flavored roots rock of The Band. Each recording on this playlist features a performance by Robbie, Rick, Richard, Garth or Levon.

Get yourself the eye of the tiger by psyching up with this set of rousing late-'70s and '80s cocky rock hits.

Hendrix may have said "You'll never hear surf music again," but he was wrong. Surf's reverb and twang has been an essential influence on the punk, new wave and indie eras, not to mention those acts that took surf itself into modern times.

From the stylish East Coast multi-piece bands to the more playful, slacker-style SoCal scene, here are all your third-wave ska favorites that made the '90s so much fun.

Take a trip from Haight on down to Sunset with these acoustic-centric songs by California artists from the late '60s and early '70s. Singer-songwriter, folk rock, country rock, soft rock. Lots of harmony, and plenty of mellow.

Sink into the gently serrated sound of shoegaze, that amorphous strain of British indie pop of the late '80s and early '90s. All the original shoegazer hits are hit, from all the key figures in the scene that celebrated itself.