Sometimes a little you time is what you really need. Maybe it’s a chance to cook yourself dinner, sing in the shower, or walk in the park. And when you’re alone, the music put on during those times on says a lot about you. That’s when the guilty pleasure songs start to flood your eardrums.
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Here below, we wanted to highlight three guilty pleasure classic rock songs we have a hunch are in your rotation. A trio of tracks that rock and are perfect to sing along to but also aren’t exactly The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Heart, or Jimi Hendrix. Indeed, these are three guilty pleasure classic rock songs we know you love to sing along to.
[RELATED: No Skips: 4 Classic Rock Albums You’ll Never Have to Fast-Forward]
“Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey from Escape (1981)
One of the most fun songs to sing along to. A piano riff comes in and you’re already preparing your vocal cords to sing about a girl taking a midnight train going anywhere. For the San Francisco-born rock band Journey, it’s a signature hit. And there’s nothing shameful about that. But the song, because of its largesse, has somehow taken on an outsized personality and if you walk into any dive bar in America, chances are you’re going to hear this one. As lead vocalist Steve Perry sings,
Just a small town girl
Livin’ in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere
A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
“Mr. Roboto” by Styx from Kilroy Was Here (1983)
A classic song from the 1983 concept album by Styx, this track is about a part-human, part-robot character. Part of the tune’s lyrics are in Japanese but that doesn’t stop the most ardent of fans from singing along about what the future portends for people and technology. In some ways, the song is a bit corny. In another light, it’s perfect. But either way, it gets you singing along with lead vocalist Dennis DeYoung, who offers,
You’re wondering who I am (secret, secret, I’ve got a secret)
Machine or mannequin? (Secret, secret, I’ve got a secret)
With parts made in Japan (secret, secret, I’ve got a secret)
I am thee modern man
I’ve got a secret, I’ve been hiding under my skin
My heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain IBM
So if you see me acting strangely, don’t be surprised
I’m just a man who needed someone and somewhere to hide to keep me alive
Just keep me alive, somewhere to hide, to keep me alive
“Rock and Roll All Nite” by KISS from Dressed to Kill (1975)
There is something both very cartoonish and very professional about the New York City-born rockers KISS. While they are covered in clownish face paint, they also play their instruments well and put on shows that might burn your eyebrows off. This song is perhaps their best known and is the song that gets crowd fired up. Who doesn’t want to belt out lyrics about parties and rock music? We all do! Indeed, on the offering, lead vocalist Gene Simmons sings,
You show us everything you’ve got
You keep on dancin’ and the room gets hot
You drive us wild, we’ll drive you crazy
You say you wanna go for a spin
The party’s just begun, we’ll let you in
You drive us wild, we’ll drive you crazy
You keep on shoutin’, you keep on shoutin’
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day
I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation
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