Stephen King Reveals His Surprising Picks for Rock's Greatest Songs
When he's not writing horror masterpieces, Stephen King is a huge rock and roll fan with some very strong opinions. He once got AC/DC to score his movie, but his all-time favorite tracks might not be what you expect from the master of horror. Find out which artists he can't stand and which three songs he considers the pinnacle of the genre.
When Stephen King isn't adding another novel to his massive collection of works or seeing one of his stories adapted for the screen, you can usually find him listening to rock and roll. It has long been his go-to genre, though he makes a few exceptions. For instance, he's likely hesitant to ever play Lou Bega’s ‘Mambo No 5’ in his house again after his wife threatened to leave him over his obsession with the catchy tune.
King's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
His all-time favorite band is AC/DC, a passion he got to explore when he hired them to create the soundtrack for his directorial debut, Maximum Overdrive. Their music is widely considered the only memorable part of the otherwise panned film. King also counts Bruce Springsteen as a close friend, so his admiration for ‘The Boss’ is well-known. Other artists he's praised include Metallica, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Ozzy Osbourne.
Interestingly, none of these iconic musicians are behind the three songs he has named as the greatest in rock history. He shared his top picks while explaining his intense dislike for Celine Dion. “What I’m not interested in is ear candy,” he wrote for Entertainment Weekly. “There’s a place where you can put that, and it’s not in your ear. I think that stuff should crawl right out of the radio speaker and get in your face.”
The Ultimate Three-Way Tie
Following that blunt assessment, he declared he has “no interest whatsoever in Celine Dion” and took a shot at her fanbase for good measure. “If you like Celine Dion, you should write or email the editors of this magazine and tell them that on no account should they hire Steve King to write commentaries, because Steve King thinks ‘Who Let the Dogs Out’ is better than all the songs Ms Dion has recorded, put together.” It's a harsh take, but it makes clear that ‘My Heart Will Go On’ won't be on his playlist anytime soon.
Instead of Dion's discography, King has a trio of songs that he believes are in constant competition for the title of rock's best. “Ask me to name the greatest rock and roll song of all time, and I have to say it’s a three-way tie,” he revealed. His top contenders are an eclectic mix: “Between Slobberbone’s ‘Gimme Back my Dog’, Count Five’s ‘Psychotic Reaction’, and Elvis Costello’s ‘(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love, and Understanding.’” These three tracks—a 2000 alt-country song, a 1966 garage rock classic, and a 1978 cover of a Nick Lowe original—share little in common, except for their place at the very top of Stephen King's list.