3 of the Best Classic Rock Album Closing Tracks

This may be hard to understand in the age of streaming and playlists, but an album’s track listing is crucial. Or at least, it used to be. In the past, artists and bands didn’t simply frontload an album with choice cuts, thinking the listeners’ attention span might wane. They thoughtfully curated a long-form experience. Many of rock music’s most iconic albums have ended with equally iconic songs, as you’ll hear in the closing tracks below.

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“A Day In The Life” by The Beatles

How do you close one of the most monumental rock albums in history? If you’re John Lennon and Paul McCartney, you write one of the most monumental songs in history. Naming The Beatles’ “best” track is a little like picking Mozart’s best composition. There are just so many to choose from. However, “A Day In The Life” is a true masterpiece. And it fits two amazing tunes inside one epic song to end Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones

Let It Bleed begins with one of the greatest album openers: “Gimme Shelter”. It’s such a perfect song, one wonders, where do you go from here? Well, if you’re The Rolling Stones at the height of your powers, you rip through the title track, “Midnight Rambler”, and “Monkey Man”, among others. Finally, you arrive at “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, which opens with London’s Bach Choir. A little piece of rock and roll wisdom from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.   

“Purple Rain” by Prince

Prince ends his 1984 masterpiece with “Purple Rain”. He recorded it live at First Avenue in Minneapolis with overdubs captured at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. It started as a country song until guitarist Wendy Melvoin reworked the chords into the famous guitar riff that opens the track. This purple hymn defined Prince, his movie, and album of the same name. If George Harrison wanted to know what a weeping guitar sounded like, this is it. “Purple Rain” remains one of the greatest closing tracks. Then Prince outdid himself with an emotional Super Bowl halftime show performance in 2007: He played “Purple Rain” in the rain.

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