The origins of jazz, the 4/4 timing of most pop music and most famously rock ‘n’ roll are from Congo Square in New Orleans where on Sundays many African Americans would gather to play music together. We owe them all a debt of gratitude for the tremendous art that followed in their footsteps. Robert Johnson famously sold his soul at the crossroads to play guitar the way he did, but he was one of many. There was a great northern migration up the Mississippi to Kansas City and Chicago by these musicians to escape the nightmare of the racist south, but the music spread far wider than that.

The British liked it so much that they perfected it before we had a chance to. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, Black Sabbath, and dare I say, Oasis. This isn’t an indictment on America, the music is for everyone, but they own the ‘classic rock’ era and it’s not even close. Maybe I was inconsiderate to not include U2, but I didn’t want to escalate tensions in the region, because they are up there too. Where would I be without my first musical memory on State St. being, ‘Where the Streets have No Name.’

The Beatles were something to everyone, because the songs were so damn likable. My perspective on them is skewed by that a bit, and, ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’ isn’t my bag. However, when they started doing psychedelics and ‘expanding’ their horizons, that’s when they got me. My favorite Beatles song is, ‘Taxman’ for the Harrison guitar solo, but ‘Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds’ has to be a close second. When I see things like Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl teaming up to make, ‘Band on the Run’ happen at The White House, I know my music isn’t dead.

‘Mick and the boys makin’ some noise.’ I heard this quip from an old timer at my college job, and upon consideration there isn’t a bigger understatement of their significance that I have ever heard. I wanted to tell him, ‘Gimme Shelter’ but I don’t think he would have gotten the reference. The Rolling Stones have now transcended centuries and are for me, the definition of Rock’n’Roll. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have formed this unshakable core to their band and songwriting with many others swapping in and out. Make no mistake, The Rolling Stones are the greatest rock band of all time.

Every amateur guitarist almost inevitably starts by learning as much of, ‘Stairway to Heaven’ as they can. Jimmy Page is a genius, and it was as if he had a classic riff in every pocket of a pair of jeans with very deep pockets. Led Zeppelin is an institution in rock and will be forever. The talent level of every member of the band may never be matched again, even in so called, ‘super groups.’ ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’ is my favorite of their songs, but there are at least 15 more that you might change your road speed or volume due to the induced adrenaline.

I’ve seen it written that, ‘My Generation’ is the most covered song of all time and I’m not surprised. Released in 1965, it has had a few generations to resonate with. The Who, and by the way, what a great name. The Who were the loudest and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ is classic anthem of protest that is sometimes mis-interpreted as a conservative statement. ‘YEAH!’ There just isn’t anything like that scream anymore. We used to play, ‘Baba O’Riley’ in our college band, so the memory will never leave me of replicating that Daltrey/Townsend magic.

This is not an anti-American post, merely a statement of fact that when it comes to Rock’n’Roll, we have to give it to the British. It’s like the Italians with food, or the French with dropping rifles, sometimes you just have to stand in amazement and not hate the greatest. The best thing that any of this gave me was the influence that made Oasis, and Noel Gallagher, so I could pick up a guitar and mess about myself. As he says, ‘We’re All Part of the Masterplan.’

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My dad always used to talk about Muhammad Ali, and the way he was the biggest thing in the world of sports. I have watched most of the fights, and recognize the social impact he had as well and I would just love to see him fight Tyson one time. He also had Jack Nicklaus to enjoy for all of those majors on Sundays and I don’t want to discount him. I just want to take a look at my two, that I’ve been so lucky to have witnessed. I have seen no greater in my existence in sports than Tiger Woods and LeBron James. Nobody has made my sports life better than these two phenoms.

I have been a golf nerd for my entire life, so I was the only grade schooler I knew watching Tiger Woods win amateur title after amateur title whenever it was on television. I knew I would never play like him, but he was mesmerizing to watch from the very beginning. Early on with the Nike sponsorship and campaigns I remember my mom saying that one of her students after significant improvement and killing a test, turned it over and wrote, ‘I am Tiger Woods’ on the back from the ads. There has never been a greater democratization of the game of golf than when Tiger made everyone want to play.

My high school went to state one of the years that LeBron and company were also involved, and I remember watching their game from the hotel in the morning before ours. He has also been there for me throughout my life, and I want to dispel something that has been a lifelong stain on our sports history as a fellow Ohioan. There was a hatred for LeBron among Ohio people that I never felt when he left, and it was totally unjustified. Jesse Owens to Jim Brown to LeBron James we should feel lucky to have had any of these legends in Ohio, and LeBron has never, and will never, owe you anything. Enjoy that title Dan Gilbert, you don’t deserve it, and you can shove that letter you wrote up your ignorant ass.

The 1997 Masters win by Tiger was indescribably inspiring, seeing a black man dominate and infuriate a stuck up white sport was that revolutionary moment that is only possible in sports. This couldn’t be more personified than by the real time reaction by fellow player Fuzzy Zoeller at the event, ‘You know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it.’ Tiger won by 12 strokes that year and that’s the biggest middle finger you could give all the racists, Radio Raheem would be proud.

I was in Paris when I opened my laptop and saw the news of ‘The Decision.’ I couldn’t have been happier for him to go and play with his friend Wade, and ‘go to college’ as he described it. Those four years in Miami were so much fun to watch, and I don’t wanna hear about some Ray Allen bailout 3, LeBron was that team. Erik Spoelstra may have had the greatest juggling act in NBA history dealing with that group, but he deserves credit too, and is very likable. In the end I just wish they would have won all four years, but I don’t fault LeBron for a thing.

The 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines win, for me, is one of the most heroic victories in all of sport. I would put it up there with Jesse Owens sticking it to Hitler at the Olympics, or the, ‘do you believe in miracles? Yes!’ hockey victory over the Soviets. Tiger walking the long south course with a broken leg to win on arguably golf’s toughest test of the year was heroic. He birdied the final hole on Sunday to force a playoff, meaning he would have to walk another 18 holes on the broken leg to win it on Monday. This was simply a testament to his will to do anything to win, and what any athlete should strive for.

Then last night, LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all time scoring leader with a shot that was eerily reminiscent, from the same spot, of Jordan’s game winner against the Jazz in 1998. There is an argument about all time players to be had, it’s LeBron for me, the fact that he now has the most points ever in the game when he spent most of his career not being a points chaser is astonishing. It’s been a joy to watch these two legends, and seeing them beat Steph Curry and Phil Michelson has been an absolute joy.

“Your old road is rapidly agin’, please get out of the new one, if you can’t lend your hand, for the times they are a-changin.’ 1964, before the moon landing, before Vietnam, Bob Dylan was a musical and lyrical genius and I just want to highlight a few lyrics that over the years have meant something to me. ‘Hurricane’ being another Dylan classic I can’t pass by that ends tragically with, ‘Yes, that’s the story of the Hurricane, but it won’t be over ’til they clear his name, and give him back the time he’s done, put in a prison cell, but one time he coulda been, the champion of the world.’

When you hear that acoustic guitar intro come in on, ‘More Than a Feeling’ I don’t know how you don’t turn up the volume involuntarily. Such an amazing rock song with a memorable guitar solo, but for all the happy sounding chords it’s actually sad, ‘When I’m tired and thinking cold, I hide in my music, forget the day, and dream of a girl I used to know, I closed my eyes and she slipped away.’ The one that got away might be a trope, but it’s not untrue. Boston didn’t leave a mis-spent note on this song, and it’s a great one to wake up to.

The iconic intro to, ‘Wonderwall’ is unmistakable and catchy and beautiful. Whoever Noel Gallagher was writing this song to must have been the MVP of womanhood. The guitar is amazing, but I challenge anyone in my generation to find more romantic lyrics than, ‘because maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me, and after all, you’re my wonderwall.’ I know it’s a cliche, but I never tire of playing this song on guitar. The composition is perfection like the film, ‘Casablanca’ and I will enjoy strumming this one to death until my passing.

That guitar intro to, ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ is just something else. From the first second, you are immersed in one of the greatest rock songs of all time. It’s the passionate, protective lyric that makes the song though (in addition to Slash’s fantastic wah-wah solo) ‘She’s got eyes of the bluest skies, as if they thought of rain, I’d hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain.’ That first album was fantastic, and I’m not a fan of them, but this song was a masterpiece. I’ll never be able to play like Slash, but I hope I can write something this meaningful someday.

Catchy guitar intros seem to be a theme here, so Incubus’ ‘Drive’ is no surprise. Their first big hit in the late nineties definitely resonated with me, and Brandon Boyd’s voice and lyrics were unforgettable. ‘Whatever tomorrow brings I’ll be there, with open arms and open eyes yeah.’ How can you not love that? Forget Mike Einziger’s warming acoustic guitar, forget the rest of the song, how can you argue with that line?! They might not have topped this track throughout their career, but I’m so glad they made this one when they did, and you should be too.

I could have picked about five for Foo Fighters, but this is the obvious and forever one. ‘Everlong’ is their best song, and best lyric that Dave Grohl has in his deep catalog of classic ones. ‘If everything could ever feel this real forever, if anything could ever be this good again, the only thing I’ll ever ask of you, you’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when.’ You know what, I’m going to extend this paragraph because, ‘Times Like These’ deserves the recognition too. ‘It’s times like these you learn to live again, it’s times like these you give and give again, it’s times like these you learn to love again, it’s times like these time and time again.’ I know great musicians will keep giving me lyrics to fawn about, so play on.