A guilty pleasure rock song probably means something different to different people. For some, it may be one of their favorite jams. Regardless, each song on this list was a hit. And whether or not you think these tracks count as guilty pleasures, crank them anyway.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” by Journey
Journey’s hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” often makes these lists, but I’m going in another direction. The intro synth on “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” sets the mood for a romantic crossroads. The point of no return. But most remember the music video. The band appears on a wharf as a woman walks by. They approach her and rock air instruments while Steve Perry croons in desperation.
Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched and went our separate ways.
“I Was Made For Lovin’ You” by KISS
You might say: Disco KISS is the best KISS. Now, one has no intentions of angering the KISS Army, but consider this. Paul Stanley, in Kabuki makeup, explains to some girl that he was made, evolved, and engineered to love her. An ideal premise for a KISS jam. Also, the intro falsetto remains the band’s most iconic melody. Search YouTube to find Stanley introducing the song a cappella and witness the arena erupt. You know who’s not a fan of this song? Gene Simmons.
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do.
“Juke Box Hero” by Foreigner
A disappointed boy stands outside a sold-out show. He can’t get in. But there’s one way to guarantee entry in the future. The kid buys a guitar. He begins to shred, feels the magic under his fingers, and becomes a rock star. Once he becomes famous, the kid, touring in a no-name town, comes face-to-face with the shadow of his former self. But he knows what to do. He keeps on rocking. That’s Thomas Dolby you hear on the synthesizer. Whenever this song has played on the radio, I don’t think I’ve ever turned it off. Why would you? Lou Gramm delivers Foreigner’s rock-star origin story with a blood-curdling scream. And Mick Jones’s arena-rock guitars are as modern as if they were recorded today.
Just one guitar, slung way down low
Was a one-way ticket, only one way to go.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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