G.O.A.T.: Surrender by Cheap Trick (1978)


Surrender might just be my favorite rock and roll song ever, and it only ever got to #62 on the charts.  I still get shivers every time Robin Zander snarls the line about his parents getting high and listening to Kiss.  It’s got perfect counter-culture lyrics, and music starts strong but builds with energy, anxiety, and force until it explodes into a brilliant collapse at the end…”We’re all all right!  We’re all all right!”

Further listening: The obvious other Cheap Trick GOAT is I Want You To Want Me.  But they’re a terrific band with a lot of less-known, great rock songs.  Like: Dream Police, If You Want My Love, Stop this Game, Way of the World, Voices…Yeah, I’m a fan.

So, where does this song fall in my running list of my personal 100 favorite songs ever?  It’s tough.  Before today, here was the list:

  1. Layla by Derek and the Dominoes (1970) (link)
  2. Better Things by The Kinks (1981) (link); and: Covers of the top 30 Kinks songs here and here
  3. Ironic by Alanis Morissette (1995) (link)
  4. Somebody Told Me by The Killers (2004)(link)
  5. Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Richard Hawley (2007) (link)
  6. Misfits by the Kinks (1978) (link); and: Covers of the top 30 Kinks songs here and here
  7. Grindin’ by Clipse (2002) (link)
  8. Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum (1969) (link)

I can’t really say that this song is better than Layla.  And Surrender, Layla, and Better Things all give me chills…Hmm…I’m going to put it up at #2.  Interesting.  I’m a child of the ’80s musically, but my top two are ’70s tunes.

Covers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Edv-kTOoHM

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