Best Album-Closing Tracks in Rock history?

[Lathum]

eye's of a stranger- operation mindcrime-queensryche

I totaly agree on Rocket Queen

[Draft Dodger]

Voodoo Chile is another excellent choice

[Fidatelo]

Ok here is M-Z

To Be With You - Mr. Big (Lean Into It)
Hurt - Nine Inch Nails (The Downward Spiral)
All Apologies - Nirvana (In Utero)
Where Did You Sleep Last Night - Nirvana (Unplugged)
Champagne Supernova - Oasis (What's the story morning glory)
Don't Mess With A Man (After He Takes A Big Poo Poo) - Tom Green (Prepare for Impact)
Last of the Unplucked Gems - Tragically Hip (Road Apples)
Opiated - Tragically Hip (Up To Here)
Put It Off - Tragically Hip (Trouble at the Henhouse)
Impossibilium - Tragically Hip (Day for Night)
The Wanderer - U2 (Zooropa)
Vagabond - Wolfmother

[Maple Leafs]

NIN's The Downward Spiral isn't for everybody, but if you like the album then "Hurt" is pretty much a perfect closer for it.

[cthomer5000]

Under Pressure - Queen (feat David Bowie) from the album Hot Space

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I hate hidden tracks because they ruin 'shuffle'. Either you end up listening to a bunch of dead air on a track, or even worse the CD skips around between 85 empty 'tracks' (I forget what album, but in high school I had a CD with two hidden songs on tracks 98 and 99. It was very annoying and probably almost destroyed my CD player).

That sounds familiar. I must have had the same CD, or several people did that.

Was it NiN?


And my contribution: "Aerials" by System of a Down (Toxicity)

[Maple Leafs]

Yes, NIN's "Broken" EP had the two hidden tracks at 98 and 99.

[ISiddiqui]

Aside from those mentioned by others ("A Day in the Life") is amazing!

I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet) - White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
It's True That We Love One Another - White Stripes - Elephant
Black Like Me - Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Champagne Supernova - Oasis - What's the Story (Morning Glory)?
Married with Children - Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Behind Blue Eyes - The Who - Who's Next

Behind Blue Eyes is probably the #1 best closing track for me.

[Maple Leafs]

"Rocket Queen" is a great under-rated song. The problem is that Appetite for Destruction has one of the great album closers of all-time in Paradise City, and they didn't close the album with it.

On the flip side, "My World" from Use Your Illusion might be in the discussion for worst album closer of all time.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

On the flip side, "My World" from Use Your Illusion might be in the discussion for worst album closer of all time.

I always consider that one a hidden track even if they didn't try to hide it.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Yes, NIN's "Broken" EP had the two hidden tracks at 98 and 99.

broken was my thought, too -- but since I felt like I had to keep it lower-case, every way I typed it out made it seem like I was asking if his CD player was broken.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Aside from those mentioned by others ("A Day in the Life") is amazing!

I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet) - White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
It's True That We Love One Another - White Stripes - Elephant
Black Like Me - Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Champagne Supernova - Oasis - What's the Story (Morning Glory)?
Married with Children - Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Behind Blue Eyes - The Who - Who's Next

Behind Blue Eyes is probably the #1 best closing track for me.

I don't know about the CD song order, but the record album's last track is "Won't get Fooled Again", which is a great song but like Hotel California has been played a few too many times on local radio for me to get into anymore.

[Honolulu Blue]

I had to think about this one.

"Fortress Around Your Heart" - Sting (The Dream of the Blue Turtles)
"The Secret Marriage" - Sting (...Nothing Like the Sun)
"Nothing 'bout Me" - Sting (Ten Summoner's Tales)
"Tea In the Sahara"* - The Police (Synchronicity)
"Darkness" - The Police (Ghost in the Machine)
"Up and Down" - The Cars (Panorama)
"Christmas At Ground Zero" - "Weird Al" Yankovic (Polka Party!)
"We Do What We're Told"* - Peter Gabriel (So)
"It's Wrong" - Stevie Wonder (In Square Circle)
"Leave Me Alone"** - Michael Jackson (Bad)
"Zanz Kant Danz" - John Fogerty (Centerfield)
"Sometimes It Snows In April" - Prince (Parade)
"My Hometown" - Bruce Springsteen (Born in the U.S.A.)
"Lake Shore Driving" - Duran Duran (Big Thing)

* - LP version only
** - CD version only

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by panerd

I don't know about the CD song order, but the record album's last track is "Won't get Fooled Again", which is a great song but like Hotel California has been played a few too many times on local radio for me to get into anymore.

Wow, that's weird. "Won't Get Fooled Again" is #9 on my CD. Then again, they liked to do strange stuff with albums when putting them on CD... and between US and UK releases.

Though I guess the "Behind Blue Eyes" on the CD version is one with Alt lyrics, so if that counts or not... I dunno.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

"Rocket Queen" is a great under-rated song. The problem is that Appetite for Destruction has one of the great album closers of all-time in Paradise City, and they didn't close the album with it.

which would be another great category - songs that would be a great album closer, but aren't. Paradise City and Ride On have been mentioned. Jane's Addictions' Three Days would fit as well.

[Draft Dodger]

back on topic, Rage Against the Machine - Freedom.

[ISiddiqui]

I want to add to my list:

Walking Contradiction - Green Day - Insomniac

[Hurst2112]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

which would be another great category - songs that would be a great album closer, but aren't. Paradise City and Ride On have been mentioned. Jane's Addictions' Three Days would fit as well.

IIRC, Paradise was end of side A of the album/cassette. My Michelle was side B. So, they did ok there.

[Passacaglia]

Boxing from Ben Folds Five. That one always made me want to start the CD over again, which seems like the best measure of a final song.

[rowech]

I have to go with the medley of songs on Abbey Road that all blend together. Not only was it an album closing track but a group closing track that everybody knew was the group closing track.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Hurst2112

IIRC, Paradise was end of side A of the album/cassette. My Michelle was side B. So, they did ok there.

Paradise was the end of side A, but I think My Michelle started side B, not ended it

[Passacaglia]

Scrolling through my ipod for more:

King of the World -- Countdown to Ecstasy -- Steely Dan
It's Gonna Get Better -- Genesis -- Genesis
Some Girls are Bigger than Others -- The Queen is Dead -- The Smiths
I Will Not Take These Things for Granted -- Fear -- Toad the Wet Sprocket
At My Funeral -- The Ghosts that Haunt Me -- Crash Test Dummies
Yes, Anastasia -- Under the Pink -- Tori Amos
Calmly -- Shape -- Frente
Monochrome -- Static and Silence -- The Sundays

[Draft Dodger]

another one I thought of while out on my walk:

Van Halen - House of Pain.

Obviously, I'm an unabashed Van Halen fanboy, but I've always felt this was an underrated track on a terrific album. It was the last song on the last Roth-era album, although the song actually dates back to their early days (pre-VH1 demos of the song use the VW horn hooked to a volume pedal that they'd end up using on Running with the Devil).

[Hurst2112]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

Paradise was the end of side A, but I think My Michelle started side B, not ended it

you are correct. I meant to say My michelle started side b.

[Pyser]

i thought let it be was released after abbey road

[Lathum]

slayer- seasons in the abyss-title track

Death Angel-Act III -falling asleep

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

Paradise was the end of side A, but I think My Michelle started side B, not ended it

Paridise City is the closer on the live double-album (like it is for every concert), so I'm making the executive decision that we can include it.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Pyser

i thought let it be was released after abbey road

Let It Be was an aborted album ("Get Back") that the band walked away from. They then recorded and released Abbey Road. Let It Be was then released by the time the band was already broke up. I think McCartney had dropped his solo album, or at lease a single, before Let It Be came out.

So Let it Be is last released, Abbey Road last recorded. I guess there is some debate as to what their last album is... but i think in spirit almost anyone would have to say Abbey Road is their last album.

[scooter]

Happy Trails - Van Halen (Diver Down). Classic.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by stevew

Find the River-REM-Automatic for the People

Good call.

[kurtism]

Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely: "Carolina Drama"

Love the last song on most White Stripes albums, but they are usually (if not always) cutsey, throw-away tunes. "Carolina Drama" is the best song on Consolers, IMO, and maybe the best song of the last twelve months.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by kurtism

Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely: "Carolina Drama"

Love the last song on most White Stripes albums, but they are usually (if not always) cutsey, throw-away tunes. "Carolina Drama" is the best song on Consolers, IMO, and maybe the best song of the last twelve months.

I agree 100%.

[cthomer5000]

I don't think Carolina Drama is nearly the best song on that album. And it's because I think that is hands down the best album released this year. All killer no filler on that album, though I found myself preferring all the Benson tracks to the White ones.

[Buccaneer]

Brain Damage/Eclipse - Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
Love Reign O'er Me - The Who, Quadraphenia

[Groundhog]

Lark's Tongue in Aspic, Pt II - King Crimson
Foxtrot - Genesis (Actually, Genesis generally did an awesome job of picking closers)
Boxing - Ben Folds Five

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by kurtism

Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely: "Carolina Drama"

Love the last song on most White Stripes albums, but they are usually (if not always) cutsey, throw-away tunes. "Carolina Drama" is the best song on Consolers, IMO, and maybe the best song of the last twelve months.

Meh... I think it's well behind "Old Enough", "Salute Your Solution", and "Consolers of the Lonely" (in that order). Maybe it's after that, but it has to compete with "Many Shades of Black", "Switch & the Spur", and "Rich Kid Blues".

[Johnny93g]

Jungleland from Springsteen's Born to Run

[Anthony]

ok, now people are just naming the last tracks on all the albums they know. so much for selecting the "best".

[VPI97]

Best closing track? Gotta be the 10 minute version of Fools Gold on The Stone Roses eponymous debut album.

That album also features the best album-opening track with I Wanna Be Adored.

[EagleFan]

Tesla - Before My Eyes (Mechanical Resonance)

Queensryche - Eyes of a Stranger (Operation Mindcrime)

Billy Joel - Captain Jack (Piano Man)

Y & T - Surrender (Ten)

Van Halen - Happy Trails (Diver Down)

Garth Brooks - The Dance (Garth Brooks)

The Eagles - The Last Resort (Hotel California)

Boston - Let me Take you Home Tonight (Boston)

Extreme - Hole Hearted (Pornograffitti)

Eminen - My Dad's Gone Crazy (The Eminem Show)

Journey - Open Arms (Espcape)

Scorpions - Still Loving You (Love at First Sting)

Scorpions - Holiday (Love Drive)

Great White - Sae your Love (Once Bitten...)

Metallica - The Outlaw Torn (Load)

[3ric]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Queensryche - "Anybody Listening?" (Empire)

Agreed.

Originally Posted by Honolulu Blue

"Nothing 'bout Me" - Sting (Ten Summoner's Tales)
"My Hometown" - Bruce Springsteen (Born in the U.S.A.)

Oh yes.

[Honolulu Blue]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

(Actually, Genesis generally did an awesome job of picking closers)

I disagree. While Genesis & Phil Collins have had some good songs on side two ("Taking It All Too Hard", "Anything She Does", "Man on the Corner", "Don't Lose That Number", etc.), their actual closers are below their standard, IMO. "Follow You Follow Me" is the one that I think is the best.

Then again, my experience with Genesis begins & ends with PC as the lead, so maybe that's the difference.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by sabotai

That sounds familiar. I must have had the same CD, or several people did that.

Was it NiN?


And my contribution: "Aerials" by System of a Down (Toxicity)

I'm thinking the culprit is Kerosine Hat by Cracker which had a few songs hidden and I think a 99 track listing ("Eurotrash Girl" being the popular hidden track).

"Find the River" by REM is a favorite; "Purple Rain" gets props too.

I'm partial to "Famous Final Scene" by Bob Segar off of "Stranger in Town"

[Butter]

Originally Posted by VPI97

Best closing track? Gotta be the 10 minute version of Fools Gold on The Stone Roses eponymous debut album.

That album also features the best album-opening track with I Wanna Be Adored.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Qwikshot

I'm thinking the culprit is Kerosine Hat by Cracker which had a few songs hidden and I think a 99 track listing ("Eurotrash Girl" being the popular hidden track).

I think ML was right, it was a NiN album. I never had any Cracker CD's, and I was a big NiN fan at the time, so it adds up.

[JPhillips]

This is cheating a little as they're listed as separate tracks, but they play without pause.

Pink Floyd- Brain Damage/Eclipse from Dark Side of the Moon

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Honolulu Blue

I disagree. While Genesis & Phil Collins have had some good songs on side two ("Taking It All Too Hard", "Anything She Does", "Man on the Corner", "Don't Lose That Number", etc.), their actual closers are below their standard, IMO. "Follow You Follow Me" is the one that I think is the best.

Then again, my experience with Genesis begins & ends with PC as the lead, so maybe that's the difference.

Well yeah, that's probably it.

My Genesis collection finishes at the end of their Prog Rock phase, with 1976's Wind and Wuthering. I've never heard any of the later Genesis outside of a few radio hits that I barely can recall.

[path12]

Originally Posted by Bigsmooth

All Apologies - Nirvana - In Utero

Oh, now that's a good one. I've recently gotten back into Pink Floyd, and really, Shine on You Crazy Diamond 6-9 is just beautiful. (I know someone mentioned that before).

[st.cronin]

Life in a Glasshouse

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Honolulu Blue

"Christmas At Ground Zero" - "Weird Al" Yankovic (Polka Party!)

Nah, if you're going to pick a Weird Al, it has to be Albuquerque.

SI