This July 4th weekend will be full of celebration parades of red, white, and blue floats, patriotic melodies, and explosions of colorful gunpowder (except in California, where apparently wildfires are a “problem”—nice job Scwarzenegger).
To do our part in this celebration, we’re counting down the greatest rock songs in history through a bunch of lists. So before you spark up that... uhh... “sparkler”... single handedly finish that keg, or question whether or not you’ve got room for an 8th hot dog... flip on 92.3 K-Rock and let our lists be the soundtrack to your Independence Day festivities.
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Here is a list of the top rock musicians, as compiled by Intern Samantha, that had something to say about the U.S.A.
This is a list you won’t hear on our “Everybody Loves Lists” weekend because, c’mon now people, that’d be overkill.
Being patriotic and being a rock star haven’t always gone hand in hand, but for a handful of rock icons it has been almost essential to their success.
Rage Against The Machine
Known for displaying upside-down American flags on stage (and famously banned from Saturday Night Live for doing so) ... they aren’t necessarily the most patriotic artists out there. Apparently the two-party system of America just did not fly with these rockers and especially not with front man Zack de la Rocha, who seemed to fuel the band’s political fire.
Pearl Jam
Surprisingly the most politically honest out of all these musicians. Why? They stood by a position loudly and publicly and then backed out of it for more money while no one was looking. Remember that whole Ticketmaster uproar over prices for their shows, where they even testified before Congress? Well, I just paid 90 bucks to see them at MSG... through Ticketmaster.
Bruce Springsteen
This “Boss” had "Born in the USA" as an album title - so really, how could he not be on here?
Green Day "American Idiot", need I say more? These guys weren’t about to release another album without jumping on the disgruntled American citizen bandwagon. And no, definitely not with just one or two “screw America” songs (that’s what Anti-Flag is for). They were ready to blast our U.S. government with an entire politically based album - or opera as they put it.
Lynrd Skynrd
These guys have taken stances against handgun ownership (“Saturday Night Special”) and proclaimed supreme love for the state of Alabama. Have also changed members as many times as America has changed gas prices, but unlike gas prices - people still like them.
Linkin Park "What I’ve done"? What about what they’ve done? Oh right - greatly influenced the intergalactic struggle between the Autobots and Decepeticons. It was covered in the 2007 documentary “Transformers.”
Nine Inch Nails "Survivalism", "Capitol G", "The Great Destroyer", "Another Version of The Truth".
Rejected names for Michael Moore movies? No - just a few of Trent Reznor’s recent tunes.
John Mellencamp
For a man who has changed his name at least three times (Jonny Cougar? John Cougar? John Cougar Mellencamp? - was it really that necessary to add Mellencamp back into the mix?) it’s no surprise that he’d change his tune from helping the “common man” to stickin’ it to the big man. When presidential hopeful John McCain wanted to use “Pink Houses” and “Our Country” in his campaign, Mellencamp banned him from doing so. So despite what John’s previously written, some times when you fight authority, authority loses!
Serj Tankian (System Of A Down)
How do you go from being a businessman selling Proprietary Vertical Industry Modular Accounting software to rock star speaking out against KFC’s chickens? Ask Serj!
Foo Fighters “In Your Honor” - a John Kerry tribute album? Seriously? Yes, seriously. During the 2004 presidential election Dave Grohl was a little more than excited about the possibility of Kerry winning the election. Yet, as we all know, his album did not swing the election.
Liam Gallagher Disses Coldplay
While Chris Martin says he's a big Oasis fan and that Coldplay would be willing to open for the Manchester group, the feeling isn't mutual for Liam Gallagher.
Kiss unhappy about rock hall of fame exclusion
They've sold millions of records, and influenced several generations of fans and musicians. So why isn't Kiss in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? "There are disco bands, rap bands, Yiddish folk song bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but not Kiss," the band's outspoken frontman said during a speech at the Billboard Touring Conference
How Axl Rose Spent All That Time
?Chinese Democracy? is the Titanic ship of rock albums: It?s outsize, lavish, obsessive, technologically advanced and, all too clearly, the end of an era.
The 20 Dumbest Band Names of All Time
#12 - Boyz II Men -- Everyone loves some ?Motownphilly,? but the creativity behind this group?s name is just plain stupid. What was Michael Bivins smoking when he decided to allow the Philadelphia legends to release R&B records under one of the worst play on words ever?
60 Belgian Women Sing Radiohead's Creep (Listen)
That said, it?s been a long time since I?ve actually listened to any early-era Radiohead, but I recently discovered this fantastic live recording of Scala & Kolacny Brothers doing a beautifully sullen piano and voice rendition of Radiohead?s ubiquitous 1993 single. The cluster of sixty something Belgian women focus primarily on minimalist...
This July 4th weekend will be full of celebration parades of red, white, and blue floats, patriotic melodies, and explosions of colorful gunpowder (except in California, where apparently wildfires are a “problem”—nice job Scwarzenegger). 
Here is a list of the top rock musicians, as compiled by Intern Samantha, that had something to say about the U.S.A. 
Rage Against The Machine
Green Day
Nine Inch Nails 
