Rock.

So one side effect of proctoring exams is you can't read a book or use your computer. As it is exam season here in Connecticut that leaves me lots of bored time, in which I make lists, to keep me from falling asleep. (The rooms are small, as is the number of students - so strenuous proctoring isn't required.)

Here are 100 essential songs to understand rock n roll.

1.       1949 – Saturday Night Fish Fry – Louis Jordan

2.       1952 – Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley

3.       1954 – That’s All Right – Elvis Presley

4.       1955 – Maybellene – Chuck Berry

5.       1956 – Long Tall Sally – Little Richard

6.       1956 – I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash

7.       1957 – Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis

8.       1957 – Wake Up Little Susie – The Everly Brothers

9.       1958 – Lonesome Town – Ricky Nelson

10.   1958 – What’d I Say – Ray Charles

11.   1958 – Well All Right – Buddy Holly

12.   1960 – Walking to New Orleans – Fats Domino

13.   1961 – Mama Said – The Shirelles

14.   1962 – Up on the Roof – The Drifters

15.   1962 – Autumn to May – Peter, Paul and Mary

16.   1963 – Be My Baby – The Ronettes

17.   1963 – Louie Louie – The Kingsmen

18.   1964 – My Girl – Temptations

19.   1964 – A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke

20.   1965 – Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones

21.   1965 – Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag – James Brown

22.   1965 – Going to a Go-Go – Smokey Robinson

23.   1965 – My Generation – The Who

24.   1965 – California Dreamin’ – The Mamas and the Papas

25.   1965 – I Ain’t Marching Anymore – Phil Ochs

26.   1965 – Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan

27.   1966 – Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys

28.   1966 – Eleanor Rigby – The Beatles

29.   1966 – Scarborough Fair/Canticle – Simon and Garfunkel

30.   1966 – Reach Out I’ll Be There – Four Tops

31.   1966 – You Keep Me Hangin’ On – The Supremes

32.   1966 – Trouble Every Day – The Mothers of Invention

33.   1967 – For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield

34.   1967 – Higher and Higher – Jackie Wilson

35.   1967 – Respect – Aretha Franklin

36.   1967 – The End – The Doors

37.   1967 – European Son – Velvet Underground

38.   1968 – All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix

39.   1968 – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding

40.   1968 – Beside You – Van Morrison

41.   1968 – Everyday People – Sly and the Family Stone

42.   1968 – Troubadour (Live) – Tim Buckley

43.   1969 – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down – The Band

44.   1969 – Christine’s Tune – The Flying Burrito Brothers

45.   1969 – Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish – Captain Beefheart

46.   1969 – Shangri-La – The Kinks

47.   1969 – Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival

48.   1969 – Turn On Your Love Light (Live) – The Grateful Dead

49.   1970 – Oye Como Va – Santana

50.   1971 – Imagine – John Lennon

51.   1971 – What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye

52.   1971 – Changes – David Bowie

53.   1971 – Layla – Derek and the Dominos

54.   1971 – The Last Time I Saw Richard – Joni Mitchell

55.   1971 – Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin

56.   1971 – Proud Mary – Ike and Tina Turner

57.   1971 – Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin

58.   1971 – Hot ‘Lanta (Live) – The Allman Brothers Band

59.   1972 – Superfly – Curtis Mayfield

60.   1972 – Superstition – Stevie Wonder

61.   1972 – Old Man – Neil Young

62.   1973 – Turn the Page – Bob Seger

63.   1973 – Penetration – The Stooges

64.   1975 – Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain – Willie Nelson

65.   1975 – Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

66.   1975 – Birdland – Patti Smith

67.   1976 – Blitzkrieg Bop – Ramones

68.   1976 – Anarchy in the U.K. – Sex Pistols

69.   1976 – Corn Fish Dub – Lee Scratch Perry

70.   1977 – Europe Endless – Kraftwerk

71.   1978 – (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding – Elvis Costello

72.   1978 – 1/1 – Brian Eno

73.   1979 – Life During Wartime – The Talking Heads

74.   1979 – London Calling – The Clash

75.   1980 – Redemption Song – Bob Marley

76.   1980 – Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd

77.   1980 – Shoot to Thrill – AC/DC

78.   1982 – Avalon – Roxy Music

79.   1982 – Billie Jean – Michael Jackson

80.   1982 – The Message – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

81.   1984 – When Doves Cry – Prince

82.   1985 – Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Tears for Fears

83.   1986 – Walk This Way – Run D.M.C. ft. Aerosmith

84.   1986 – Battery – Metallica

85.   1987 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2

86.   1987 – Bring the Noise – Public Enemy

87.   1988 – Fuck Tha Police – N.W.A.

88.   1989 – High Plains Drifter – Beastie Boys

89.   1989 – Like a Prayer – Madonna

90.   1992 – Come As You Are – Nirvana

91.   1994 – Mysterons – Portishead

92.   1995 – California Love – 2Pac

93.   1997 – Paranoid Android – Radiohead

94.   2000 – Big Exit – PJ Harvey

95.   2000 – Stan – Eminem ft. Dido

96.   2001 – Too Long – Daft Punk

97.   2006 – Margaret vs. Pauline – Neko Case

98.   2007 – No Cars Go – Arcade Fire

99.   2007 – Paper Planes – M.I.A.

100.2010 – Lost in the World – Kanye West ft. Bon Iver 

The Great Music List

Music - 100 recordings if there was ever a new 'Voyager' type of project.

Asia-Pacific and Africa

·         Sub-Saharan Africa

1.      Venancio Mbande – Timbila

2.      Tradtional – Aka Yodelling

3.      Henry Kaiser and David Lindley – Hana

4.      Thomas Mapfumo – Kuyaura

5.      Fela Kuti – Gentleman

6.      Konono No. 1 – Kule Kule

7.      Salif Kieta – Kou Kou

8.      Ladyship Black Mabazo – Nansi Imali

9.      Youssou N’dour – Badou

·         Middle East and North Africa

1.      Khaled – Serbi Serbi

2.      Oum Kalthoum – Beid Annak

3.      Yoselle Rosenblatt – Achrinu Kol Beis Yisroel

4.      Kayhan Kalhor – Come With Me

5.      Parisa – Baz Amadam

6.      Ozel Turkbas – Kandirali Ciftetelii

7.      Khalifa Ould Eide and Dimi Mint Abba – Yar Allahoo

8.      Traditional – Hava Nagila

9.      Alim Qasimov – Bagishlamani

10.  Cesaria Evora – Nha Cancera Ka Tem Medida

·         India, Nepal, Sri Lanka

1.      Ravi Shankar – Raja Jog

2.      A.R. Rahman – Mumbai Theme Tune

3.      Ali Akbar Khan and Asha Bhosle – Rag Gaur Sarangi

4.      Ustad Sultan Khan and Zakir Hussain – Sarangi Rajanthani Folk Song

5.      Nitin Sawhney – The Conference

6.      M.I.A. – Jimmy

7.      Preet and Pinky – Piya Piya o Piya

8.      Traditional – Resham Firiri

·         Indonesia, Australia and Pacific Islands

1.      O.M. Soneta and Elvy Sukaesih – Sengaja

2.      Orkes Kroncong Mutiara – Kroncong Segenggam Harapan

3.      Traditional – Gamelan Barong

4.      Traditional – Sabilulungan

5.      Traditional – Kumilipo Chant

6.      Richard Walley – Night Falls…Night Creatures Stir

·         Japan and China

1.      Kodo – Irodori

2.      Goro Yamaguchi – Tsuru no Sugomori

3.      Traditional – Flowing Water

4.      Traditional – White Snake Goddess Wedding

5.      Peng Xiuwen – Days of Emancipation

6.      Codona –Goshakasuchi

7.      Tony Scott – Murmuring Sound of the Mountain Stream

8.      Kieko Fujiie – Ten No Yo Na Chi, Shoshite Chi No Yo Na Ten

9.      Danjuro Ichikawa – Kanjincho from Geni Geni

10.  Traditional – Song of the Herdsman

11.  Traditional – Spring on a Moonlit River

·         Russia and Mongolia

1.      Huun-Huur-Tu – Steppe

2.      Traditional – Korobushka

3.      Traditional – Troika

4.      Rimsky Korsakov – Scheherezade: The Calendar Prince

5.      Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker: Russian Dance

6.      Stravinsky – The Rites of Spring

Europe and the Americas

·         Europe

1.      Abelard – O Quanta Qualia

2.      Palestrina – Missa Papae Marcelli

3.      Moneteverdi – L’Orfeo: Possente Spirto e Formidabil Nume

4.      Bach – St. Matthew’s Passion

5.      Haydn – Op. 20/5: String Quartet in F Minor

6.      Mozart – Don Giovanni: Madamina, il Catologo e Questo

7.      Beethoven – 9^th Symphony

8.      Wagenr – Gotterdamerung: Mien Erbe Nun Nehm’ Ich Zu Eigen

9.      Glenn Morgan – Rakish Paddy, Mason’s Apron

10.  Ivo Papasov – Tziganska Ballada

11.  Bulgarian Female Choir – Pilentze Pee

12.  Portishead – Mysterons

13.  Piaf – La Vie En Rose

14.  Morriconne – The Ecstasy of Gold

15.  The Beatles – Only a Northern Song

16.  Kraftwerk – Europe Endless

17.  Daft Punk – Harder Better Faster Stronger

18.  Jorgen Ingman – Apache

19.  Propellerheads – Spybreak!

·         North America

1.      Miles Davis – So What

2.      John Coltrane – A Love Supreme

3.      Charlie Parker – Bloomdido

4.      Blind Willie Johnson – Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground

5.      Scott Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag

6.      Benny Goodman – Sing Sing Sing

7.      Stevie Wonder – Superstition

8.      Professor Longhair – Mardi Gras in New Orleans

9.      Traditional – Apache Sun Dance

10.  Maria Anderson – Go Down, Moses

11.  Beusoleil – Le Jig Francais

12.  Brian Eno and David Byrne – Come With Us

13.  Jimmy West and Speedy Bryant – Stratosphere Boogie

14.  Captain Beefheart – Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish

15.  Philip Glass – Einstein on the Beach: Trial, Prison: I Feel the Earth Move

16.  Grandmaster Flash – The Message

17.  A Tribe Called Quest – Vibes and Stuff

18.  Patti Smith – Birdland

19.  The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Earl’s Breakdown

20.  Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan’s Dream

·         South and Central America

1.      Bebel Gilberto – August Day Song

2.      Los Camperos de Nati Campo – Los Arrieros

3.      Los Amigos Invisibles – Cuchi Cuchi

4.      Sukay – El Condor Pasa

5.      Aurora Miranda – Os Quindins de Yaya

6.      Buena Vista Social Club – Chan Chan

7.      Carlos Gardel – Por Una Cabeza

8.      Cal Tjader – Vibe Mambo

9.      Santana – Oye Come Va

10.  Bob Marley – No Woman No Cry

11.  Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry – Corn Fish Dub