Journalist-turned-novelist John Sandford's new thriller, Broken Prey, continues his series featuring middle-aged Minneapolis police officer Lucas Davenport. In this installment, Sandford reveals his character's music-loving side.
When Davenport's wife gives him an iPod, he sets out on a quest to compile the best 100 rock songs recorded. Sandford tells Linda Wertheimer why all road trips must begin with ZZ Top.
Lucas Davenport’s "Best Songs of the Rock Era"
In no particular order, except that, as any intelligent person knows, any decent road trip will start with ZZ Top.
1. ZZ Top, "Sharp-Dressed Man"
2. ZZ Top, "Legs"
3. Wilson Pickett, "Mustang Sally"
4. Crash Test Dummies, "Superman’s Song"
5. David Essex, "Rock On"
6. Golden Earring, "Radar Love"
7. Blondie, "Heart of Glass"
8. Jefferson Airplane, "White Rabbit"
9. Jefferson Airplane, "Somebody to Love"
10. Derek and the Dominoes, "Layla"
11. Doors, "Roadhouse Blues"
12. Animals, "House of the Rising Sun"
13. Aerosmith, "Sweet Emotion"
14. Aerosmith, "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)"
15. Bruce Springsteen, "Dancing in the Dark"
16. Bruce Springsteen, "Born to Run"
17. Bruce Springsteen, "Thunder Road"
18. Police, "Every Breath You Take"
19. Tom Waits, "Heart of Saturday Night"
20. Van Halen, "Hot for Teacher"
21. Who, "Won’t Get Fooled Again"
22. Gipsy Kings, "Hotel California"
23. Tracy Chapman, "Give Me One Reason"
24. Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Down on the Corner"
25. Eagles, "Lyin’ Eyes"
26. Eagles, "Life in the Fast Lane"
27. Dire Straits, "Skateaway"
28. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Mary Jane’s Last Dance"
29. Janis Joplin, "Me 'n Bobby McGee"
30. The Doobie Brothers, "Black Water"
31. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, "I Love Rock ‘n Roll"
22. John Mellencamp, "Jack and Diane"
33. Pink Floyd, "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)"
34. Pink Floyd, "Money"
35. Billy Joel, "Piano Man"
36. Eric Clapton, "After Midnight"
37. Eric Clapton, "Lay Down Sally"
38. AC/DC, "You Shook Me All Night Long"
39. AC/DC, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
40. The Hollies, "Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)"
41. Bob Dylan, "Like a Rolling Stone"
42. Bob Dylan, "Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door"
43. Bob Dylan, "Subterranean Homesick Blues"
44. The Rolling Stones, "Satisfaction"
45. The Rolling Stones, "Brown Sugar"
46. The Rolling Stones, "Sympathy for the Devil"
47. Sex Pistols, "Anarchy in the UK"
48. Grateful Dead, "Sugar Magnolia"
49. The Pointer Sisters, "Slow Hand"
50. Eurythmics, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
51. Elvis Presley, "Jailhouse Rock"
52. David Bowie, "Ziggy Stardust"
53. Bob Seger, "Night Moves"
54. The Everly Brothers, "Bye Bye Love"
55. Jimi Hendrix, "Purple Haze"
56. The Kinks, "Lola"
57. Jackson Browne, "Tender is the Night"
58. The Kingsmen, "Louie Louie"
59. George Thorogood and the Destroyers, "Bad to the Bone"
60. Metallica, "Turn the Page"
61. Lynryd Skynyrd, "Sweet Home Alabama"
62. Queen, "We Will Rock You"
63. The Allman Brothers Band, "Ramblin’ Man"
64. Led Zeppelin, "Rock ‘n Roll"
65. Tina Turner, "What’s Love Got to Do With It"
66. Steppenwolf, "Born to Be Wild"
67. U2, "With or Without You"
68. Black Sabbath, "Paranoid"
69. Foreigner, "Blue Morning, Blue Day"
70. Billy Idol, "White Wedding"
71. Guns ’n Roses, "Sweet Child o’ Mine"
72. Guns ‘n Roses, "Paradise City"
73. Guns ‘n Roses, " Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door"*
74. Lou Reed, "Walk on the Wild Side"
75. Bad Company, "Feel Like Makin’ Love"
76. Def Leppard, "Rock of Ages"
77. Van Morrison, "Brown Eyed Girl"
78. Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, "Devil With a Blue Dress On"
79. Aretha Franklin, "Respect"
80. John Lee Hooker and Bonnie Raitt, "I’m in the Mood"
81. James Brown, "I Got You (I Feel Good)"
82. The Righteous Brothers, "Unchained Melody"
83. Prince, "Little Red Corvette"
84. Chuck Berry, "Roll Over Beethoven"
85. The Byrds, "Mr. Tambourine Man"
86. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, "Ohio"
87. Buddy Holly, "Peggy Sue"
88. Jerry Lee Lewis, "Great Balls of Fire"
89. Roy Orbison, "Oh, Pretty Woman"
90. Del Shannon, "Runaway"
91. Run-DMC, "Walk This Way"
92. Otis Redding, " (Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay"
93. Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
94. Paul Simon, "Still Crazy After All These Years"
95. Bo Diddley, "Who Do You Love? "
96. Brewer and Shipley, "One Toke Over the Line"
97. Ramones, "I Wanna Be Sedated"
98. The Clash, "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
99. Talking Heads, "Burning Down the House"
100. Dmitri Shostakovich, "Jazz Suite No. 2: Waltz 2"
* Yeah, yeah, I know it’s on the list twice.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.