Black Flag’s Henry Rollins is a punk icon with a pretty eclectic music taste, so it only makes sense that his list of favorite songs would be a well-curated mix worthy of any decent punk rock playlist. Back in 2014, the Black Flag frontman listed quite a few of his favorite songs in an interview with Esquire for all to enjoy. Let’s look at just four of Henry Rollins’ favorite songs!
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1. “Human Fly” by The Cramps
The Cramps were an important part of late-1970s and early-1980s Ohio/New York punk music, and their psychobilly and surf leanings made them stand out from a sea of similar bands at the time. Naturally, Rollins was around during the band’s heyday, and he has hailed the 1983 track “Human Fly” as one of his favorite songs.
“One of the greatest rock bands of all time was from Ohio,” said Rollins in the Esquire interview. “They were called The Cramps. This is not up for debate. Ask the countless thousands who were lucky enough to bear witness to the band’s life-altering live shows and they will tell you that without a doubt, the band’s vocalist, Lux Interior, was one of the greatest frontmen of all time.”
2. “Politicians In My Eyes” by Death
If you’re a punk fan and never heard of Death, you need to watch the 2012 documentary A Band Called Death immediately. This small group of young men from Detroit founded what many consider to be one of the very first American punk bands in the early 1970s. They were visionaries. And Rollins acknowledged that fact when he said the 1976 track “Politicians In My Eyes” was one of his favorite songs.
“Three brothers, David, Dannis, and Bobby Hackney, recorded and in 1976 released a two-song single with ‘Politicians in My Eyes’ and ‘Keep on Knockin’,” said Rollins. “Decades later, after the release of an album’s worth of material and a critically acclaimed documentary, ‘Politicians in My Eyes,’ thankfully, isn’t a hard song to find. It used to be. The original pressing of the single is said to be only 500. I have seen only one.”
3. “City Slang” by Sonic’s Rendezvous Band
Another one of Henry Rollins’ favorite songs is none other than “City Slang” by Sonic’s Rendezvous Band. This punk/garage rock outfit was a supergroup of sorts. The band was comprised of members of The Stooges, MC5, The Rationals, and The Up.
“In a little over 5 minutes, the band delivers some of the most thrilling, blowout, burn-up rock and roll,” Rollins said of the song. “Smith’s tone and attack is without peer, Asheton’s solid drive is the epitome of rock drumming. The band is a cohesive thing of perfection.”
4. “Ha Ha Ha” by Flipper
Punk band Flipper doesn’t get as much love as they deserve. They influenced countless grunge and noise rock bands in the 1990s. Krist Novoselic of Nirvana even played with them in the 2000s. Rollins recognized their influence and noted that “Ha Ha Ha” from 1984 is one of his top songs. However, he also noted that their recordings weren’t amazing by any means. Rather, he appreciated that the band was best as a live act.
“The weight of this band is beyond measure,” said Rollins. “I hate to use this word, but in this case, it’s the only one I can dredge up that works: Flipper was f***ed. The studio releases are great, but Flipper was a live band. It was when they had you in a venue that they could really do their awful business to you.”
Photo by Lindsay Brice/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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