Audio By Carbonatix
Editor’s Note: An abridged version of this article appears in this week’s issue, featuring 100 Songs that Defined Arizona. In celebration of Arizona’s centennial, we’ve rounded up sound clips for (almost) everything featured in our list, and will be rolling them out over the course of the week.
“I just kept thinking how it would feel/to be cruising down Central in my own set of wheels.” — Poor Boy Rappers, “Low Rider Rap”
The goal of finding Arizona’s 100 greatest songs was hardly easy. We asked our readers to tell us what songs have defined Arizona over the past century. As we combed through e-mail submissions, one thing became clear: Arizona’s musical heritage is as diverse, fascinating, and complicated as the people who live here.
In addition to submissions, we dove into New Times archives, consulted historians, musicians, record collectors, scoured blogs, and slipped into YouTube rabbit holes to complete this list, focusing on artists you might’ve heard any given night in a dusty nightclub or bar.
Read on for entries 26-50, marking the changing musical landscape as punk, metal, and even hip-hop flourished in Arizona.
1975: “White Punks on Dope,” The Tubes, The Tubes (A&M)
1977: “Teen Love Song,” The Consumers, All My Friends Are Dead (In the Red reissue)
1978: “Naomi’s Song,” Jerry Riopelle, Live in the Round (Little Eskimo)
1979: “Tonight,” Blue Shoes, single (self-released)
1980: “Jesus Entering from the Rear,” The Feederz, Jesus (Anxiety)
I Love You Arizona from doninarabia on Vimeo.1981: “Arizona, I Love You,” Rex Allen Jr. (declared the unofficial state anthem)
1981: “Do the Hannigan,” JFA, Blatant Localism (Placebo)
1981: “Bombs Away,” Loosely Tight, Fightin’ Society (Star Struck)
1982: “Low Rider Rap,” Poor Boy Rappers, single (Raina)
1982: “I Love You,” The Jetzons, Made in America (self-released)
Grant and the Geezers – Monster Stomp
1982: “Monster Stomp,” Grant and the Geezers, single (self-released)
1983: “Out Out!” Tone Set, Calibrate (MLP)
R. Carlos Nakai: Death Song-Lament
1983: “Death Song — Lament,” R. Carlos Nakai, Changes (Canyon)
1983: “Open the Door,” Gentlemen Afterdark, EP (self-released)
1985: “Exterminator,” Mighty Sphincter, Mighty Sphincter (Placebo)
1985: “We Got Cactus,” Bloodspasm (Read more and listen to “We Got Cactus.”)
1985: “Up on the Sun,” Meat Puppets, Up on the Sun (SST)
1985: “Pizza and Beer,” Dave Pratt and the Sex Machine Band, The Worst of Dave Pratt (KUPD)
1986: “Swing of Kings,” Sun City Girls, Grotto of Miracles (Placebo)
1986: “Draining You of Life,” Sacred Reich, Draining You of Life (self-released)
1986: “Doomsday for the Deceiver,” Flotsam and Jetsam, Doomsday for the Deceiver (Metal Blade)
1989: “Found Out About You,” Gin Blossoms, Dusted (San Jacinto) (Read more about and listen to “Found Out About You.”)
1990: “We Don’t Do That Anymore,” Sidewinders, Auntie Ramos’ Pool Hall (Mammoth/RCA)
1994: “One Man Crusade,” Rainer (Read more about the music of Tucson legend Rainer.)
1994: “Yer Ropes,” Giant Sand, Glum (Imago)
