The Greatest Scream in Rock ‘n’ Roll History?

The Greatest Scream in Rock ‘n’ Roll History?

March 21, 2013 by Jennifer Gavin

Duke Ellington has been famously quoted as saying:

“If it sounds good, it is good.”

Which brings us to Topic A of today: 

What’s the greatest scream in rock ‘n’ roll history?

Janis Joplin said it all — vocally, but wordlessly — at the end of “Piece of My Heart”

In my own mind, it’s a tossup which of these is No. 1 — Janis Joplin’s soul-scraping vocalization at the end of “Piece of My Heart” or John Lennon’s wordless reveille at the opening of “Revolution.” Joplin’s amazing album with Big Brother and the Holding Company, “Cheap Thrills,” has been named to the National Recording Registry for 2013 by the Librarian of Congress.

There’s a lot of other fantastic stuff on this year’s recording registry – bet you can find personal connections to a bunch of it, too.  Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”  – my college roommate played that album end-to-end daily for six months, but it was OK, because it was really good. 

Harking back a bit more, Artie Shaw’s “Begin the Beguine” is on my IPod – that is one hot instrumental, enduringly so. (Thanks, Mom and Dad, for putting me on to that one.)  Ditto the soundtrack to “South Pacific,”played in our home again and again in the 1960s.

“Just Because” by Frank Yankovic & His Yanks is on this year’s registry; I can’t say I’m familiar with the album, but I know about Frank because a young woman I went to high school with was of Slovenian extraction, and let me know in no uncertain terms he was the man to see about polka.

And “Hoodoo Man Blues” by Junior Wells is on this year’s registry.  I had the enjoyment of seeing a very talented acquaintance of mine back in Denver, the irrepressible Robin Chotzinoff, sit in on piano with Junior Wells and Buddy Guy at Herman’s Hideaway.

Care to nominate an alternate rock cri de coeur? 

Offer a comment below. And if you’d like to nominate sound recordings for next year’s registry, offer your suggestions here.

58 Comments

1. A Zamoyski
   March 21, 2013 at 10:46 amThe Who – Baba O’Riley

2. Bishop Perry
   March 21, 2013 at 10:52 amJames Brown, “The Big Payback” greatest scream of all time.

3. David Knight
   March 21, 2013 at 10:58 amHow about Roger Daltrey’s wail in “Won’t Get Fooled Again”?

4. Lynn McKenzie
   March 21, 2013 at 11:10 amThe ones in the Beatles’ cover of “Twist and Shout”.

5. Pam Joyce
   March 21, 2013 at 11:17 amI second Roger Daltrey’s primal scream in “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.

6. C Wilson
   March 21, 2013 at 11:41 amLittle Richard screaming “Woooo” in “Jenny, Jenny, Jenny” and other songs.

7. Jay
   March 21, 2013 at 11:45 amCan’t go wrong with the WDGFA, but Pink Floyd’s Be Careful With That Axe Eugene, scared the living daylights out of me first time I heard it.

8. David
   March 21, 2013 at 11:52 amScreaming Jay Hawkins “I put a spell on you”. Is always a favorite.

9. Mike
   March 21, 2013 at 12:19 pmI’d say the best scream is probably by Roger Daltrey from The Who, in the song “Won’t get fooled again”.

10. michael proctor
    March 21, 2013 at 12:19 pmA third for Roger Daltry’s and the Who-Won’t get fooled again!

11. Rita
    March 21, 2013 at 12:44 pmThank you Jennifer. It’s great to have somebody cool doing this stuff.

12. Bill LeFurgy
    March 21, 2013 at 12:45 pmWhen the Music’s Over, The Doors; also Joe Cocker, With a Little Help From My Friends

13. Jennifer Gavin
    March 21, 2013 at 12:57 pmHey, thank YOU for following the Library’s social media — we hope to get the word out that all the items in our collections (that’s more than 155 million items) are here for you and everyone to use.

14. Bunnie
    March 21, 2013 at 4:05 pmJohn Lennon would be one. But, Robin Zander of Cheap Trick is one of the best.

15. David Knight
    March 21, 2013 at 4:13 pmOh, drat! I forgot about Jim Morrison on When the Music’s Over. That’s particularly unforgivable since:
    1.) The Doors are one of my favorites
    and
    2.) Just watched the Hollywood Bowl ’68 concert twice recently on Palladia

16. Ken Kenyon
    March 21, 2013 at 4:25 pmLittle Richard’s scream in the middle of “Good Golly Miss Molly” is the most memorable for me. As a kid I played the record over and over just waiting for it. The piano intro to the same song must be one of the best also.

17. Rachel
    March 21, 2013 at 6:42 pmAny time Robert Plant opened his mouth.

18. Ray Fowler
    March 21, 2013 at 10:00 pmJANIS JOPLIN – ME AND BOBBY MCGEE

19. Meg
    March 21, 2013 at 10:39 pmNo list would be complete without Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander: so many great songs, but Gonna Raise Hell has to be near the top.

20. Kari Branjord
    March 22, 2013 at 8:56 amRoger Daltry was my first thought. My second thought was the scream in Beastie Boys’ Sabotage. Nothing wrong with something a bit more modern.

21. Tom Miner
    March 22, 2013 at 1:54 pmJoe Cocker, in “The Letter”, has a classic scream!

22. david
    March 22, 2013 at 2:27 pmWilson “the wicked” Pickett – Land of 1000 Dances

23. vmarek
    April 18, 2013 at 3:04 amGreatest real screams in rock n’ roll history are:
    Robert Plant in Immigrant Song
    Bruce Dickinson in Number of the Beast
    Those two pretty much set the standard.
    Daltrey in Won’t Get Fooled Again is pretty good, though … never mind.
    More obscure: the Pagans’ “Boy Can I Dance Good”

24. Jerry Parshall
    June 6, 2013 at 8:56 amMy top suggestions are Roger Daltrey’s second scream (after the drum solo) in “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and Paul McCartney’s panther-like screams when “Hey Jude” starts getting raucous.

25. Jacobfr104
    August 1, 2013 at 11:05 amHow has Kashmir not yet been mentioned? I dont know if it’s the best but Plant’s scream about halfway through certainly warrants some consideration.

26. Ted M
    August 4, 2013 at 9:13 amThe video of ‘Revolution’ I’ve seen shows McCartney doing the intro scream…but I’m sure you’re right, it does sound more like Lennon on audio. Aside from the worthy and obvious Daltrey entries, I’d throw in Bono (Trip Through Your Wires, Angel of Harlem) and Donnie Iris (Ah Leah).

27. Jennifer Gavin
    August 5, 2013 at 10:53 amThanks for the input re Paul — if it is him, gives me another reason on my already-long list to appreciate him. More proof that crowdsourcing has true value!

28. Steve
    October 15, 2013 at 2:33 pmHow about David Lee Roth’s scream in “On Fire” by Van Halen? That was quite frightening as it sounded like he was actually burning!

29. Jim
    January 15, 2014 at 7:39 pmBon Scott in stick around acdc
    Rob halford victim of changes Judas priest
    Stephen Tyler dream on aerosmith

30. cip09
    February 14, 2014 at 2:31 pmkurt cobain- where did you sleep last night (unplugged)

31. Roctober
    February 25, 2014 at 7:41 pmRodger Daltrey
    Won’t Get Fooled Again

32. Dave Elliot
    March 28, 2014 at 6:04 pmMy favorite scream is John Lennon in “BAD BOY” with a runner up him screaming in “SLOW DOWN”

33. Dan Szmagalski
    April 9, 2014 at 12:19 amJames Brown all through the song, “Cold Sweat.”

34. Tim Troy
    May 6, 2014 at 10:41 amNobody has brought up Jim Morrison’s primal scream at the beginning of the live version of Back Door Man. It’s worth consideration. Or Bon Scott’s scream in the studio version of If You Want Blood (You Got It)

35. Chris
    July 10, 2014 at 1:23 amRoger Daltrey in The Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again. Nothing else even comes close. Its primal, raw and drenched with pure emotion.

36. George Smith
    August 25, 2014 at 3:45 pmIt’s not exactly “rock n roll,” but Bruce Dickinson’s scream in Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast makes Roger Daltrey’s scream in Won’t Get Fooled Again a joke in comparison.

37. Matt
    August 29, 2014 at 10:58 amHands down Daltrey on “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

38. Pete
    September 19, 2014 at 7:26 amNumber of the Beast – Iron Maiden
    Ram It Down/Painkiller – Judas Priest
    The Happiest Days of our Lives/Careful With That Axe, Eugene – Pink Floyd
    Under Pressure – Queen and David Bowie

39. Aussie Pete
    September 19, 2014 at 7:15 pmBit late for the conversation, but:
    Pink Floyd – Careful With That Axe, Euguene; The Happiest Days Of Our Lives; Run Like Hell
    Iron Maiden – Number Of The Beast (my personal favourite!); Run To The Hills; Flight of Icarus, Rime of the Ancient Mariner
    Aerosmith – Dude Looks Like a Lady
    Judas Priest – Painkiller; Ram It Down (second favourite, but by a reeeeally close margin)
    Queen & David Bowie – Under Pressure

40. Jim Phillips
    September 27, 2014 at 2:22 pmNot the greatest song, But “I am the God of Hell Fire” the song Fire by Authur Brown. See if it doesn’t make all the start barking.

41. roger
    December 22, 2014 at 3:16 pmLight my fire (absolutely live by the DOORS). Best scream ever!

42. Paul Roe
    January 3, 2015 at 9:20 pmAussie Pete- Late to the party is better than nothing. And, we’re talking about the Library of Congress here, something more concerned with lasting impact than timely fads, though fads sometimes do lead to impact and influence. So, commenting on this in 2020 should still be fine!
    Best Screams in Rock History:
    When the Night Comes – Joe Cocker
    Not his best song, but he gets the screams down so well by the mid 1980s that they are just perfected on this track, and there are several, with the last one being particularly intense
    Bad – U2
    ‘I’m WIDE AWAKE!!! I’m not sleeping’. Bono hits transcendent levels here
    To Awake and Avenge the Dead – Thrice
    Check out the first verse. After a few seconds of an intro, this song will let you know why Screamo is a genre to be considered and not brushed aside
    Thieves – Ministry
    Another harsh track, this time of the Industrial genre, with unbelievable intense screaming throughout
    Pitiful – Blindside
    Yet another. This time a Scandanavian hardcore band with Christian undertones
    Worst That Could Happen – The Brooklyn Bridge
    The final telling of ‘If he really loves you more than me…’ is up on the expressive charts
    That Lucky Old Sun – Frankie Laine
    Final “Send down that cloud with a silver lining’. Pretty facuking intense.
    Time Consumer – Coheed & Cambria
    Intense Emo track highlighted by the sort-of chorus refrain “Me and my star, Matthew goodnight!”
    Last Night – The Strokes
    Essentially one long perfect scream to peel the paint
    Season of the Witch – Donovan
    The titular scream, the eponymous yawp.
    Screaming Infidelities – Dashboard Confessional
    Last Emo-genre song, but the genre has some serious screaming going on, whether lamenting wails or caustic screeches. Serious climactic screaming of the chorus toward the end
    Different Drum – Linda Rondstadt
    Another song that is essentially one long extreme peal
    Does Verbosity mean anything? Forgot the meaning. And, realize some are not quite ‘rock and roll’, but close enough.

43. James boudinot
    February 6, 2015 at 8:57 pmIn the “screamed lyrics” category, my vote goes to Merry Clayton on the Stones’ Gimme Shelter. Never heard anything like it. “RAAPE! MURD//ee//ER!!”

44. Don Styra
    February 14, 2015 at 5:38 amPink Floyd ft Clare Torry
    -The Great Gig In The Sky

45. Tim
    April 9, 2015 at 6:50 pmTed Nugent, Double Live Gonzo near the end of Motor City Madhouse.
    Asphalt Ballet, Hell’s Kitchen right at the beginning.

46. Jeff P
    April 28, 2015 at 11:47 pmTool, “The Grudge” around the 7 minute mark.

47. Larry
    August 13, 2015 at 7:51 pmHow about each line in the verses of Kings of Leon’s Charmer?

48. bhart
    September 13, 2015 at 7:44 amRoky Erickson of The Thirteenth Floor Elevators!!
    “You’re Gonna Miss Me” and others from their albums.
    Take a close listen, I think Janis learned to scream from him.

49. Daniel nixon
    November 11, 2015 at 5:17 pmTerritorial pissings-nirvana towards the end. Best thing ever

50. Robert
    December 12, 2015 at 7:58 pmThe scream at the beginning of revolution was Paul McCartney. You would think the Library of Congress would get it right once in a while.

51. Jennifer Gavin
    December 14, 2015 at 7:24 amThanks for your comment. I investigated, and stand by my version. Meanwhile, please blame the writer, not the Library, if you find an error in our blogs: as you’ll see posted on our blogs, they do not represent official Library of Congress communications.

52. Jack SS
    March 7, 2016 at 9:28 amDavid Bowie: Look Back In Anger
    The Stooges: T.V. Eye
    David Bowie: Heroes
    Sex Pistols: Bodies
    Public Image Ltd.: Theme
    The Stooges: Raw Power
    New York Dolls: Personality Crisis
    Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
    Devo: Too Much Paranoias
    Gorillaz: Punk

53. Merr
    August 6, 2016 at 1:56 amSebastian Bach I remember you!

54. Sirtimtim
    October 19, 2016 at 2:43 pmMontrose “Space Station Number 5”
    Sammy Hager “Heavy Metal”

55. Mike C.
    December 17, 2016 at 11:44 amTom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “I Need To Know’. At (approx.) the 1:30 mark, they scream… IN HARMONY.

56. Travis
    January 16, 2017 at 12:37 pmKing diamond in the mercyful fate song a corpse without soul easily one of the greatest screams in all of rock history

57. Ant
    January 17, 2017 at 1:24 pmDave grohl on monkey wrench, absolutely awesome
    Bruce dickinson number of the beast

58. Gene
    May 18, 2017 at 12:00 pmEdgar Winter from his first album Entrance “Tobacco Road “