Dream Theater
The Best of Times
A powerful song by arguably one of the best progressive metal bands of all time. The lyrics for this song were penned by Mike Portnoy, the drummer and dedicated to the memory of his father. The harmony of the keyboard and violin during the intro shows that Dream Theater can make something as heavy as the Dark Eternal Night and something as emotional as this. John Petrucci's guitar solo at the end makes this song a masterpiece.
Joe Satriani
Always With Me Always With You
This song is from the album Surfing With The Alien, released in 1987. It is one of Satriani's best-known songs and won him a Grammy nomination. Even without any vocals Joe Satriani brings out the emotion of love with this song. He throws in a great guitar lick as the bridge. A must-listen for any Joe Satriani fan!
Linkin Park
Papercut
It speaks of a person who is haunted by paranoia. The lyrics, tune and video of the song come together rather strangely. The song is heavy and the lyrics are compelling. An interesting mix of rap and screaming vocals make this song a modern alternative rock classic. Considered by many as one of Linkin Park's best songs.
Iron Maiden
Dance of Death
This song is from the album of the same name released in 2003. A chilling intro is followed by Bruce Dickinson's vocals which talk about a man who comes across a group of people performing the dance of death, a medieval ritual. The song grows heavy as it progresses and eventually leads to another one of Iron Maiden's signature three-guitar solo. A wonderful song overall.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Snow (Hey Oh)
A soft, melodic song guaranteed to lift your spirits. A harmony between bass and lead guitars has made this song another one of the band's numerous hits. Its okay if you don't understand the lyrics, listening to this song is great by itself!
Those that almost made it
John Petrucci: Glasgow Kiss
Pantera: I'm Broken
Nickelback: Too Bad
Greenday: 21 Guns
Joe Satriani: Starry night
(Vijay Ramakrishnan is a student of animation in Bengaluru.)
