Created: 2025-03-19
Without music life would be a mistake. (Ohne Musik wäre das Leben ein Irrtum. - Friedrich Nietzsche)
Music is international, we don't need to understand the lyrics to enjoy it. We don't need lyrics at all. Maybe it is universal too.
Here is a list of songs and albums that I really like, that I'd recomend you to listen to. There are a lot more songs that I like, but this list is about special songs, they have something different in my opinion. I'll also include some intresting or rare songs, that maybe are not exactly good but are rare or intresting.
The list is incomplete and I'm adding more songs from time to time. I'll try to keep this list updated.
Introduction to my music preferences
I started to listen to music when I was 14. I would download songs via some p2p program like Ares or EMule. One of the first band was Oasis, and then Green Day. Today I like them but not as much as before.
Then when I was 15, some friends persuaded me into listening to Heavy Metal. Some of the first songs I downloaded were by Iron Maiden, Run to the Hills and Two Minutes to Midnight. One day a friend lend me a CD with a mix of songs. If I remember correctly, it had Dream Theater, Symphony X, Rammstein, and AC/DC. And I recall watching and listening to the S&M album by Metallica in a friend's house.
In the beginning, I would only listen to international bands and none from Argentina. I don't know why I thought that argentine music was bad (it is NOT). Several years later someone mentioned me Hermética, and that led me to discover and enjoy V8 - Hermética - Almafuerte. And years leter, I would listen and enjoy Charly García, some songs by Luis Alberto Spinetta, and bands like Los Abuelos de la Nada, Bersuit Vergarabat, and others.
Now, I have a strong preference for music before the year 2000, and usually I prefer the first albums of each band. It's like it feels to me that bands change their style and I not like them as much as before.
I like listening to covers, I like different versions of the same song or with a different voice. I also like live versions because of the same idea, live music is sometimes a bit different than the recorded version. There is a website called https://secondhandsongs.com/ where you can find who composed the song and find covers of it.
Special mention to some artists
If I have to choose some specific artists and bands, that somehow had a bigger impact in me, those are:
Ronnie James Dio, Marty Friedman, Tarja Turunen, Dream Theater, Rammstein, Rainbow, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Pink Floyd.
And from Argentina:
Ricardo Iorio, Claudio O'Connor, Charly García, Los Abuelos de la Nada, Luis Alberto Spinetta.
Rock
- Pink Floyd
- Comfortably Numb
- This song is one of my favourites of all, in particular the guitar solo. I think this song is the best of the best. There may be other songs that are at the same level than this, but there are no other songs above it.
- Rare: Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour & Davie Bowie
- Album: The Dark Side of the Moon
- This is an album to listen from start to end, in order, without interruptions, all songs are awesome. This album is the best of the best
- Cover: High Hopes - Nightwish
- Comfortably Numb
- Queen
- Rare: Under Pressure - Annie Lennox & David Bowie
- This is from The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness, 5 months after Freddie Mercury died.
- Rare: Under Pressure - Annie Lennox & David Bowie
- Deep Purple
- Scorpions
- Wind of Change
- Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
- Some people think that the CIA was involved in this song.
- Cover: The Temple of the King (Rainbow)
- From Ronnie James Dio - This is your Life tribute album.
- Rare: Viento de Cambio
- This is Wind of Change in spanish, very intresting.
- Wind of Change
- Uriah Heep
- I don't like much songs from them, but there are a few that I like.
- Lady in Black
- My favourite song by they.
- Easy Livin'
- The Wizard
- Look at Yourself
- Cover: Dama Negra - Mago de Oz
- Lady in Black in spanish.
- The Beatles
- Helter Skelter
- Is this Heavy Metal?
- I Saw Her Standing There
- I had to sing this song in an english lesson
- Eleanor Rigby
- Octupus's Garden
- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
- Helter Skelter
- The Who
- Yes
Argentinian Rock
Heavy Metal
- Rainbow
- The Ritchie Blackmore's band, and Ronnie James Dio was here too.
- I think I can listen and enjoy their first two albums entirely. The combination of Blackmore and Dio is so good. I love Dio's voice.
- Because of this, I'm going to write both, albums and songs.
- Stargazer
- The Temple of the King
- A Light in the Black
- Tarot Woman
- Cover: The Temple of the King - Scorpions
- Album: Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
- Album: Rising
- Megadeth
- Marty Friedman was here too, from 1990 until 2000.
- Holy Wars... the Punishment Due
- Hangar 18
- Tornado of Souls
- This on has a great guitar solo.
- Album: Rust in Peace
- One of the top albums of all time, and I wanted to highlight the previous 3 songs, from Rust in Peace, with Marty Friedman.
- In My Darkest Hour
- I was introduced to this song by a friend, who really liked the part that Mustaine says bitch.
- Peace Sells
- Symphony of Destruction
- Megadeth, Megadeth, aguante Megadeth! This is a good song, but I specially included it because of the aguante Megadeth chant.
- Here is Mustaine talking about that, and also here too. He said he thought that aguante meant tequila.
- It is said to have started in 1994, and Mustaine didn't know what was going on so he stopped singing to pay attention. Here is the video, it happens in the first 45 seconds.
- Mechanix
- There are two ways you can hear this next song. There is our way, and there is their way
- Mustaine wrote Mechanix before joining Metallica (our way). Then Metallica used Mechanix to write the song The Four Horsemen (their way).
- Live Album: That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires
- This is a live album from 2005. I didn't know Megadeth yet, and I was too young to understand and enjoy music. What a shame. That is a concert I would pay a ticket that takes me back to 2005.
- Rare: Tust (spanish version)
- So Trust but with the chorus in spanish, both versions are very good.
- Black Sabbath
- Some people say Black Sabbath is the father of Heavy Metal.
- Fluff
- I like this one because I like it, and because it is instrumetal and acustic.
- Album: Heaven and Hell
- Ronnie James Dio is the singer here. This is an excelent album, and Dio's voice makes it better. I love Dio's voice.
- Cover, Rare: Blue Suede Shoes
- Rare, Live: Black Sabbath w/ Rob Halford
- This is rare, but someone I don't like Halford's voice with Black Sabbath. I prefer Dio over Ozzy, and Ozzy over Halford (in Black Sabbath).
- There are two women kissing and one of them is flashing her boobs at 32:14
- Ronnie James Dio (his personal site)
- Hear 'n Aid
- This was a charity album for famine relief in Africa. It was organized by Ronnie James Dio and the members of Dio.
- Stars
- This would be the We are the World of Heavy Metal.
- Judas Priest
- Rammstein
- I like Rammstein a lot, there is something special in their songs. Maybe it's because I don't understand the lyrics. And I enjoy their new albums, something that usually doesn't happen with other bands.
- Engel
- Mutter
- Du Riechst So Gut
- Weißes Fleisch
- Bück Dich
- Mein Land
- The video is also good
- Feuer und Wasser
- Te Quiero Puta!
- Ich Will
- Du Hast
- According to a german teacher I had, they play between "du hast mich" (you have me) and "du hasst mich" (you hate me).
- Cover: Das Modell
- Korrekt!
- Cover, Rare: Du Hast - Los Colorados
- An ukrainian band called Los Colorados (The Gingers)
- Cover: Seeman - Apocalyptica
- Till Lindemann
- Cover: Entre Dos Tierras
- Cover: Helden
- This is Heroes by David Bowie, in german, by Apocalyptica and Till.
- Dream Theater
- I think this is one of the best bands. I don't know much music, but I like and enjoy their sophistication.
- Metropolis - Part I - The Miracle and the Sleeper
- A masterpiece. Listen. Enjoy. Pay attention.
- The Dance of Eternity
- There is a moment with drums that is very complex and awesome. Here is Mike Portnoy showing how to count the tempo of that part.
- Stream of Consciousness
- Album: Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes From a Memory
- This is an album to listen from start to end, in order, all songs are awesome. Each song is connected to the following, and the whole album tells a story.
- Liquid Tension Experiment
- One cannot mention Dream Theater without mentioning Liquid Tension Experiment.
- Acid Rain
- Freedom of Speech
- Iron Maiden
- Up the Irons!
- The Number of the Beast
- Woe to you, o'er Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the beast with wrath, because he knows the time is short. Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six.
- Excelent song, and the introduction makes it more special. This was one of the first Heavy Metal songs I listened to.
- I think this is an iconic Heavy Metal song. If one has to pick Heavy Metal songs to explain people what Heavy Metal is, this is one of those songs.
- Live: Fear of the Dark
- Beautiful song! And I prefer the live version over the one from the album.
- Album: The Number of the Beast
- Excelent album! Excelent cover! The best of the beast.
- It is said that some religious people burned the vinyls in public. But there was one group that didn't burn them, instead they smashed them with hammers because they were afraid of inhaling the smoke, but it is unknown if their concern was based on health or religion.
- Cover: Fear of the Dark + The Number of the Beast + Run to the Hills - Epic Symphonic Rock
- I love symphonic covers
- Cover: Hallowed be thy Name + Aces High + The Trooper - Epic Symphonic Rock
- I love symphonic covers
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Mr. Crowley
- A classic, an excelent song. What an awesome keyboard solo at the start!
- There is a live version which has a slower tempo, I prefer the original with faster (normal) tempo.
- Mr. Crowley
- Nighwish
- I prefer the songs with Tarja Turunen (her personal site) as the singer. Fun fact, Tarja is married to an Argentine man, and she speaks spanish.
- Wishmaster
- Here is the live version from the End of an Era DVD.
- Live: Wish I Had an Angel
- I prefer the live version from the End of an Era DVD over the original version from the album Once.
- Cover: High Hopes (Pink Floyd)
- Helloween
- I went to one concert, and it was one of the best.
- I Want Out
- Is Helloween a libertarian band?
- Eagle Fly Free
- In the sky, a mighty eagle doesn't care about what's illegal.
- Is Helloween a libertarian band?
- Dr. Stein
- Rush
- To be honest, I have conflicting feelings with Geddy Lee's voice. But I like their music.
- In the movie I Love You, Man, Paul Rudd and Jason Segel play Tom Sawyer, and then attend a Rush concert.
- Limelight
- Tom Sawyer
- Leave That Thing Alone
- Awesome instrumental. Pay attention to the bass!
- Metallica
- Seek & Destroy
- Fade to Black
- Nothing Else Matters
- Live Album: S&M
- Cover: Whiskey in the Jar (Irish traditional song, also played by The Dubliners)
- Jason Becker (his personal site)
- Altitudes.
- I have shed a tear listening to it, with eyes closed and headsets.
- Altitudes.
- Marty Friedman (his personal site)
- Cacophony
- The band of Jason Becker & Marty Friedman
- Speed Metal Symphony
- Saxon
- Christopher Lee
- Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee. He played as Saruman in LOTR, fought in WWII, and worked with the british secret service. He explained to Peter Jackson (LOTR's director) what noise happens when somebody is stabbed in the back.
- He worked with Rhapsody of Fire and Manowar. And he recorded two Heavy Metal albums as Charlemagne, which I find interesting.
- Jingle Hell
- Heavy Metal version of Jingle Bell. Is this heresy? I love it.
- Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross
- Charlemagne: The Omens of Death
- Coroner
- No so famous band. I found them on the Rate Your Music website.
- W.A.S.P.
- Harder Faster
- This song is a response to the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center. The PMRC was an U.S. group of conservative people, founded by the wives of men in the U.S. government. They wanted to control the access of children to music that they thought was inappropriate.
- Animal (Fuck Like a Beast) (alternative video)
- This was one of the PMRC's "filthy 15".
- Harder Faster
- Twisted Sisters
- We're Not Gonna Take It
- This was one of the PMRC's "filthy 15".
- Rare: Huevos con Aceite
- This is how "we're not gonna take it" is misheard in spanish. We're not (huevos) gonna (con a-) take it (ceite) anymore (y limón).
- We're Not Gonna Take It
Argentinian Heavy Metal
- Hermética
- This is the best band from Argentina, ever. Only 3 albums and the 3 of them are good.
- Almafuerte
- Ricardo Iorio
- He would be the father of argentine Heavy Metal. He founded V8, then Herética, then Almafuerte, and then he played a solo artist.
- His style, in particular with Almafuerte, was kind of folk heavy metal. Using ideas from argentinie folk music and tango.
- His lyrics are very good (since Hermética).
- V8
- I think V8 is important because of history, but I strongly prefer Almafuerte, or even better, Hermémtica.
- Rata Blanca
- The guitarrist, Walter Giardino, was in V8 for a few months. In the song Buscando Razón by Hermética, the lyrics is about V8 rejecting Walter because he wrote "love ballads".