200 Greatest Epic Rock Songs

Criteria: This list of Rock Epic Songs was compiled and ranked based on Influence, Impact, Reputation, Popularity after release, Overlasting popularity, Composition, Song length, Variety, Uniqueness, Technical ability shown, and Difficulty to play.

What makes an epic song?
- Requires at least 5 minutes length.
- Versatile composition featuring time changes, unique instruments and sounds, etc.
- (Usually) Instrumental solos or versatile vocals.
- Lyrics and song themes, emotional topics.
Last Updated: 2011-01-25
Greatest Epic Rock Songs
  1. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
  2. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
  3. Child in Time - Deep Purple
  4. Desolation Row - Bob Dylan
  5. A Day in the Life - The Beatles
  6. Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd
  7. Hotel California - Eagles
  8. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly
  9. The End - The Doors
10. Layla - Derek and the Dominos
11. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
12. Love Reign O'er Me - The Who
13. American Pie - Don McLean
14. Victim of Changes - Judas Priest
15. War Pigs - Black Sabbath
16. 2112 - Rush
17. 21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson
18. Master of Puppets - Metallica
19. Hallowed Be Thy Name - Iron Maiden
20. November Rain - Guns N' Roses
21. Close to the Edge - Yes
22. Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield
23. Supper's Ready - Genesis
24. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
25. Karn Evil 9 - Emerson, Lake and Palmer
26. Jungleland - Bruce Springsteen
27. Madame George - Van Morrison
28. Firth of Fifth - Genesis
29. Sister Ray - The Velvet Underground
30. Xanadu - Rush
31. I Want You (She's So Heavy) - The Beatles
32. Evie - Stevie Wright
33. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf
34. Sympathy with the Devils - The Rolling Stone
35. Echoes - Pink Floyd
36. Cortez the Killer - Neil Young
37. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
38. Stargazer - Rainbow
39. Paranoid Android - Radiohead
40. Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull
41. When the Music's Over - The Doors
42. Abbey Road Medley - The Beatles
43. The Rolling Stones - Midnight Rambler
44. 1983...(A Merman I Should Turn to Be) - Jimi Hendrix Experience
45. That's It for the Other One - Grateful Dead
46. The Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson
47. Question - The Moody Blues
48. Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John
49. Tarkus - Emerson, Lake and Palmer
50. Starship Trooper - Yes
51. Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands - Bob Dylan
52. Pull Me Under - Dream Theater
53. I Am the Resurrection - The Stone Roses
54. Cygnus X-1 - Rush
55. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
56. MacArthur Park - Richard Harris
57. Aqualung - Jethro Tull
58. One - Metallica
59. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills & Nash
60. Time - Pink Floyd
61. Keeper of the Seven Keys - Helloween
62. Foreplay/Long Time - Boston
63. Living for the City - Stevie Wonder
64. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) - Metallica
65. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
66. Green Grass and High Tides - The Outlaws
67. Cemetery Gates - Pantera
68. Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meat Loaf
69. Purple Rain - Prince
70. Rooster - Alice in Chains
71. Three Days - Jane's Addiction
72. Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac
73. Down by the River - Neil Young
74. Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
75. Holy Wars...The Punishment Due - Megadeth
76. Magnum Opus - Kansas
77. We the People Who are Darker than Blue - Curtis Mayfield
78. Baba O'Riley - The Who
79. Powerslave - Iron Maiden
80. Achilles Last Stand - Led Zeppelin
81. Iron Man - Black Sabbath
82. A Change of Seasons - Dream Theater
83. Christian Woman - Type O Negative
84. Stan - Eminem
85. Gates of Babylon - Rainbow
86. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel
87. High Hopes - Pink Floyd
88. Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath
89. Innuendo - Queen
90. Dry County - Bon Jovi
91. Gates of Valhalla - Manowar
92. Ghost Love Score - Nightwish
93. Estranged - Guns N' Roses
94. Ænema - Tool
95. Lizard - King Crimson
96. For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) - AC/DC
97. The Prophet's Song - Queen
98. Megalomaniah - Black Sabbat
99. Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
100. Champagne Supernova - Oasis

101. Knights of Cydonia - Muse
102. Loaded - Primal Scream
103. Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Iron Maiden
104. Cassandra Gemini - The Mars Volta
105. Fade to Black - Metallica
106. New Potato-Caboose - Grateful Dead
107. Soma - The Smashing Pumpkins
108. Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All) - Type O Negative
109. Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
110. Whipping Post - The Allman Brothers Band
111. Band on the Run - Wings
112. Land - Patti Smith
113. Trilogy - Sonic Youth
114. Floods - Pantera
115. Heart of the Sunrise - Yes
116. And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda - The Pogues
117. Dancing with the Moonlight Kit - Genesis
118. Heroin - The Velvet Underground
119. You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones
120. Who Are You - The Who
121. Forever Autumn - Jeff Wayne
122. We're in This Together - Nine Inch Nails
123. Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts - Manowar
124. Oh Comely - Neutral Milk Hotel
125. Still Loving You - Scorpions
126. In My Darkest Hour - Megadeth
127. Tunnel of Love - Dire Straits
128. Willie the Pimp - Frank Zappa
129. Love Is Like Oxygen - Sweet
130. Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler
131. Wake Up - Rage Against the Machine
132. B-Boy Bouillabaisse - Beastie Boys
133. Who Wants to Live Forever - Queen
134. I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) - Meat Loaf
135. Jizzlober - Faith No More
136. Come Sail Away - Styx
137. L'Via L'Viaquez - The Mars Volta
138. Larks' Tongues in Aspic - King Crimson
139. Eulogy - Tool
140. Halo of Flies - Alice Cooper
141. Phantom of the Opera - Iron Maiden
142. When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
143. Beyond the Realms of Death - Judas Priest
144. The Unforgiven - Metallica
145. Atom Heart Mother - Pink Floyd
146. Black Sabbath - Into the Void
147. New Year's Day - U2
148. No Quarter - Led Zeppelin
149. Under a Glass Moon - Dream Theater
150. A Quick One, While He's Away - The Who
151. Black Juju - Alice Cooper
152. Juicy - The Notorious B.I.G.
153. Dogs - Pink Floyd
154. Suite Sister Mary - Queensrÿche
155. Freedom - Rage Against the Machine
156. Jesus Christ Pose - Soundgarden
157. Trapped in the Closet - R. Kelly
158. Billy the Mountain - The Mothers of Invention
159. Fear of the Dark - Iron Maiden
160. Jesus of Suburbia - Green Day
161. No More Pain - 2Pac
162. Black Rose Immortal - Opeth
163. Don't Fear (The Reaper) - Blue Öyster Cult
164. Civil War - Guns N' Roses
165. Art of Life - X-Japan
166. Wherever I May Roam - Metallica
167. April - Deep Purple
168. Pictures of a City - King Crimson
169. Worn Down Piano - Mark & Clark Band
170. Earth Song - Michael Jackson
171. Arriving Somewhere but Not Here - Porcupine Tree
172. Alexander the Great - Iron Maiden
173. No More Tears - Ozzy Osbourne
174. Lateralus - Tool
175. The Divine Wings of Tragedy - Symphony X
176. Lady Fantasy - Camel
177. Grendel - Marillion
178. Doctor Jimmy - The Who
179. I'm Mandy Fly Me - 10cc
180. The Adventures of Greggery Peccary - Frank Zappa
181. Still of the Night - Whitesnake
182. Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison
183. Gone - Kanye West
184. Come Together - Primal Scream
185. Dopesmoker - Sleep
186. Octavarium - Dream Theater
187. Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness - Rhapsody of Fire
188. Breaking into Heaven - The Stone Roses
189. Roads to Madness - Queensrÿche
190. I'm Your Captain / Closer to Home - Grand Funk Railroad
191. Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy) - Roger Hodgson
192. Godless - Danzig
193. Marathon - Rush
194. The Road to Hell - Chris Rea
195. Cowgirl in the Sand - Neil Young
196. King for a Day - Faith No More
197. Moment of Surrender - U2
198. Kim - Eminem
199. Marquee Moon - Television
200. Coma - Guns N' Roses

Bohemian Rhapsody, Stairway to Heaven single sleeves







Bohemian Rhapsody single sleve cover with the band Queen sitting
Bohemian Rhapsody

Stairway to Heaven single sleve cover with the band Led Zeppelin sitting
Stairway to Heaven

Child in Time single sleve cover with the band Deep Purple heads carved in stone
Child in Time

Bob Dylan Album (featuring Desolation Row)
Bob Dylan Album
(featuring Desolation Row)

A Day in the Life sleve cover with the Beatles faces
A Day in the Life

Pink Floyd band members posing
Pink Floyd






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10 Greatest Rock Epic Albums:

1. Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
2. Wish You Were Here -Pink Floyd
3. A Night at the Opera - Queen
4. Quadrophenia - The Who
5. In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson
6. Selling England by the Pound - Genesis
7. A Farewell to Kings - Rush
8. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf
9. Master of Puppets - Metallica
10. Close to the Edge - Yes
Led Zeppelin IV album cover
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd album cover








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