5 Rock Anthems Turned from Dull Songs – Grunge
“I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” gained attention on its own and became a massive hit in 1982 – spending seven weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Joan Jett’s version is more aggressive, more confident, and more fitting for the subject matter. It’s not just a love letter to rock ‘n’ roll — it’s a full-throated declaration of love and an assertion of identity, perfect for a woman who grew up infatuated with rock music in the 1970s before breaking into the male-dominated world of punk and becoming an independent, pioneering artist.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Bob Dylan’s original recording of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” conjures images of a weary, road-weary troubadour who’s seen better days. It’s the kind of song you might hear around a campfire, sung by one guitarist and a dozen friends with beers in hand. Lyrics about being calm under threat and contemplating mortality appeal to our universal fear of impending doom. And while it was enjoyable and contemplative in Dylan’s hands — on his album “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid,” where it played as part of a movie soundtrack — it wasn’t necessarily a recognizable single by the his lofty standards. It even failed to break into the Top 40.
Leave it to a couple of rock ‘n’ roll titans, Guns N’ Roses, to elevate “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” from campfire folk to stadium rock. While Axl Rose gives arguably his best vocal performance, he’s joined by fellow guitarist Slash, who simply tears up the track with howling leads and licks that elevate the song into iconic status. Guns N’ Roses’ version, released in 1990 as part of their album “Use Your Illusion II,” soars to grand heights on the power of Rose’s impassioned singing and Slash’s undeniable guitar virtuosity. It was a hit, too, sneaking into the U.S. Top 20. It remains one of the band’s signature songs, performed at nearly every one of their concerts. Funny how Bob Dylan’s forgotten song — considered too dreamy and sleepy for radio — became a rock powerhouse that lives forever in the barroom brawls of our souls.