In our iTunes-ruled world of 99-cent singles, the careful construction of an album’s song order has become sort of a lost art, which is precisely what inspired the fine folks over at music social community site JamsBio to put together a list of the 25 best closing tracks in (mostly rock) music history. Overall, it’s a solid list. Included are "A Day in the Life" from the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” from Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” from the Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” from the Who’s Who’s Next, and “Gouge Away” from the Pixie’s Doolittle.
Anyone who doubts the waning importance of track sequencing need only look at the last half of the list, starting with that Pixies selection, which, while inarguably a great closer, feels a bit less obvious a choice as the first three. We can go back and forth over whether the Beatles are better represented by "A Day in the Life" than "Tomorrow Never Knows" from Revolver, but both are clearly ideal for this list. On the other hand, "Glorybox" from Portishead’s Dummy? "Blue Line Swinger" from Yo La Tengo’s Electr-O-Pura? Again, great songs, but they don’t scream "greatest closer ever" the way "You Can’t Always Get You Want" does. Perhaps it’s just a case of being too recent. It’s taken 40 years of history to build "Won’t Get Fooled Again" into the anthem it is today. Plus, music today is so much more segmented than it used to be, making JamsBio’s list seem incomplete without any electronic dance music ("The Private Psychedelic Reel" from the Chemical Brothers’ Dig Your Own Hole), metal ("The Call of Ktulu" from Metallica’s Ride the Lightning), or hip-hop ("Mind of a Lunatic" from the Geto Boys’ Grip It! On That Other Level).
But again, the biggest reason this list has just two entries since the turn of this century is because the music industry has become so singularly focused on singles, while consumers have taken full advantage of the option to buy individual songs. Sadly, this shift has made song sequencing feel like an antiquated practice back from the age of album sleeves, 7-inch B-sides, and 37-minute LPs.
So check out the list, PopWatchers, and let us know which of your favorite album closers are left off. Do you still buy complete albums, or are you more of a singles consumer? Do you think album sequencing is a thing of the past, or is it still in integral part of the records you buy, if not culture as a whole?
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Pink Floyd – Dark Side – Brain Damage/Eclipse.
Their list isn’t bad, but they forgot the single best closer ever:
Bruce Springsteen – Jungleland, from Born to Run.
I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot lately, especially about how on Born to Run, the title track is right in the middle of the album if you’re listening on CD, but leads off side 2 on vinyl. My additions to the list would be “Jungleland” from that album as well as “Only in Dreams” from Weezer’s “blue” album.
I would definitely have to agree with “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “A Day in the Life” (plus bonus run-out groove).
As for my personal music-buying habits – if I want single songs, I get them off iTunes. If I want a whole album, I buy the CD. I need that tangible, physical item – having that adds to the album experience for me – and since I feel I should add my age into this, I’m 34.
Dan, that one WAS listed. It’s classic!
Here’s some of my favorites:
- “Shine On You Crazy Diamond – Part VIII” from Pink Floyd’s WISH YOU WERE HERE
- “Two Suns in the Sunset” from Pink Floyd’s THE FINAL CUT
- “Open Arms” from Journey’s ESCAPE
- “Here Comes the Feeling” from Asia’s debut album
- “The End” from The Doors’ debut album
- “Golden Slumber through to The End” from The Beatles’ ABBEY ROAD.
- “Whipping Post” from The Allman Brothers Band’s debut album
- “Tempus Fugit” from Yes’ DRAMA
- “Vital Signs” from Rush’s MOVING PICTURES
- “Countdown” from Rush’s SIGNALS
- “Josie” from Steely Dan’s AJA
- “Sparkling in the Sand” from Tower Of Power’s debut album
- “Harmony” from Elton John’s GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK
- “Follow You Follow Me” from Genesis’ AND THEN THERE WERE THREE
- “All Mixed Up” from The Cars’ debut album
- “40″ from U2’s WAR
- “Near the End” from David Gilmour’s ABOUT FACE
- “Hallowed Be Thy Name” from Iron Maiden’s THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
“Clean” – Depeche Mode – Violator
“Goodnight Song” – Tears for Fears – Elemental
“Silence Must be Heard” – Enigma – The Screen behind the Mirror
Agreed, Mike – it seems that bands and singers don’t put out unified albums these days, so that when someone does the music press always makes a big deal out of it. Glad they included Radiohead on this list. The left-out closer that immediately came to my mind was “There is a Light that Never Goes Out” by The Smiths. However, in checking the CD I find it’s only 2nd last, followed by “Some Girls are Bigger than Others.” So never mind.
The end of “Days of Future Passed” by the Moody Blues … the extended “Nights in White Satin” … is pretty kick-ass.
mmm…i miss albums. i buy them whenever i can. an i-tune kid, i am not. my shoutouts:
- “billy davey’s daughter” – the stereophonics, “word gets around”
- “holy grail” – badly drawn boy, “one plus one”
- “tomorrow never knows” – the beatles, “revolver”
- “the rhythm of the saints” – paul simon, “the rhythm of the saints”
- “messenger wind” – bruce cockburn, “you’ve never seen everything”
- “past-due”, the weakerthans, “reconstruction site”
man, i love albums!
Your title is incorrect. It should say “Honoring a dead art: JamsBio’s best album closers” — it says “JamesBio’s”. I have nothing further to add.
After so many reissues, it’s not the last track anymore. But on my old school copy of “The Violent Femmes,” “Good Feelings” was an absolutely amazing closer. Tori Amos’s title track closer to “Little Earthquakes.” Bjork’s “Unison” on “Vespertine.” And the be all end all, “Gone for Good” from Morphine’s “Yes.” Sorry if any of those are repeats – I didn’t want to forget any so I posted before link clicking.
(I’m 32)
And I’m with Winona – I have to buy cd’s. I bought an album on itunes and felt like I betrayed someone.
Oh MAN – what about NIN “Hurt”? Closes “The Downward Spiral” perfectly. Perfectly.
(And I can’t believe “Unison” was on their list. Awesome!)
Um, “Stairway to Heaven” is obviously the most famous album closer of all time. How can the original list not even mention it?
I don’t think you can end Dummy with anything but “Glory Box.” It’s fantastic. And “Good Feeling” is another fave of mine of Violent Femmes’ debut.
The Replacements generally closed albums really well. Three in a row from them with “Answering Machine” from Let It Be, “Here Comes a Regular” off of Tim, and “Can’t Hardly Wait” from Pleased to Meet Me.
More recently, I think The Hold Steady have really mastered the art of closing an album.
Yes – Siberian Khatru on “Close to the Edge”
Genesis – Supper’s Ready on “Foxtrot”
This is why I cannot stand albums that are re-issued with extended cuts! It destroys the entire “flow” that the album was meant to have from its conception.
ns – Stairway is side one’s closer, but not the album. It should have been, though.
My Favorite Album Closers:
Garbage’s Version 2.0 – “You Look So Fine”
Madonna’s Music – “Gone”
Killers’ Hot Fuss – “Everything Will Be Alright”
Title track on Purple Rain by Prince
RHCP’s Californication – “Road Trippin’”
Being that choosing best album closers is kind of a boring pursuit, how about a look at what are the worst album closers from otherwise great albums:
“Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” – The Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead
“Mother’s Lament” – Cream’s Disraeli Gears
“Do What You Like” – Blind Faith
“Relevation” – Love’s Da Capo
“Life In A Glass House” Radiohead’s Amnesiac
“All Apologies” – Nirvana (In Utero) Lyrically, a very appropriate send off from the band’s final studio album.
“Mosquito Song” – Queens Of The Stone Age (Songs For The Deaf) While not as hard rocking as the previous tracks on this album, this secret final track’s dark, creepy and orchestraic nature captured the essence that was this album.
“Street Spirit (Fade Out)” – Radiohead (The Bends) The Head at one of its finest moments on one of their best albums. Although they usually close albums pretty well (“Wolf At The Door’” “Videotape,” etc.).
“Freedom” – Rage Against The Machine (self-titled album) From the tempo changes to Zach’s blood-curdling scream (“FRREEEDOOOOOM!!!”) to the distorted feedback at the very end of the album, this closer defined who Rage was in a nutshell.
I only buy full albums, i dont like downloading singles or burning any cds for that case. I like to support the artist if i like a song or the artist ill go and buy the cd. I do think the order of the songs is very important b/c the album should be a story of some sort. I think out of all my friends im the only one that still buys cd’s!
I like having something in my hand and I like looking at the artwork, etc. My favorite ender is Matchbox Twenty’s “So Sad So Lonely” at the end of “More Than You Think You Are”, including Rob’s proclaimation of “that’s so LAME!”
The Clash – London Calling – Train in Vain
Some more favorites:
- “We’re Not Gonna Take It” from The Who’s TOMMY
- “Love Reign O’er Me” from The Who’s QUADROPHENIA
- “Don’t Turn Your Back” from Blue Oyster Cult’s FIRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN
- “When the Levee Breaks” from Led-Zeppelin’s 4th album
- “Third World Man” from Steely Dan’s GOUCHO
- “Soul Sacrifice” from Santana’s debut album
- “Everybody’s Everything” from Santana’s 3rd album
- “Beautiful Girls” from Van Halen’s 2nd album
- “I’m Gonna Crawl” from Led-Zeppelin’s IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR
- “The Tide is Turning” from Roger Water’s RADIO K.A.O.S.
- “Sorrow” from Pink FLoyd’s A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON
- “High Hopes” from Pink Floyd’s THE DIVISION BELL
- “Between the Wheels” from Rush’s GRACE UNDER PRESSURE
- “The Loadout/Stay” from Jackson Browne’s RUNNING ON EMPTY
- “Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five” from Paul McCartney & Wings’ BAND ON THE RUN
- “Lucky Man” from Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s debut album
I work with the writer at JamsBio. Wow, y’all have some great additions.
Feel free to add them to this list that was created in August ‘08 by ‘bigdirty,’ a JamsBio community member:
http://jamsbio.com/lists/browse/best_album_closing_songs
Ha. I was going to comment before that “Yesterday” is not the last song on Help!, but the window closed on me, so I came back a while later and see that it’s been changed to “Tomorrow Never Knows,” yet the rest of the sentence remains exactly the same, as if all Beatles songs were interchangeable.
“40″ – U2’s War
“Joy” – The Sundays’ Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
“The Tourist” – Radiohead’s OK Computer
“Purple Rain” – Prince’s Purple Rain
“Bring it on Home” – Led Zeppelin II
“No Answer” – Juliana Hatfield’s Hey Babe
“Buckets of Rain” – Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks
“Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline
“Release” on Pearl Jam’s Ten
Descending – Black Crowes Amorica album. Extremely underrated release by the band, the closing piano is the perfect finish to the album.
I download single tracks more and more these days, but I still love to buy the physical albums of artists I love.
A few album closers for consideration:
“Hurt” – Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral
“Gravity” – Sara Bareilles, Little Voice
“You Won’t Be Mine” – Matchbox Twenty, Mad Season
“I Know” – Fiona Apple, When The Pawn…