What songs define 'music'?

[MSIC]

A friend of mine who is new to the country (been here a few years actually) but not really emersed himself in western culture and still tends to listen on to Malaysian and Indian traditional music.
All well and good, but we got to having a conversation when i mentioned
"You know, like how John Lennon said in 'Imagine'"
"John who?"

And it struck me! I had a task to do - to give my friend a basic exposure to western music. For his part, he's really excited about this, and said that he's never tried to keep away from it per se, but with such a huge amount of music, and no way to discrimiate or begin, it's like climbing a mountain and has no reference to start with.

The task
To introduce him to western music, for him to use as a springboard from which he can then truly begin a journey. I also want him to begin to understand the flavour of the relationship between music being a product of a time / decade, and yet in turn and in part it became to help define that period.

The rules (totally self-imposed and quite arbitrary)
20 songs in total (so as to remain acessible)
To at least hint or suggest at the range and breadth of styles and genres (to i dont want two songs of a similar style) - i need some country, some r&b, some pop, some disco (?) etc....
From 1950's to modern day (although i might miss out the Naughties)
Each song has to legitimately have impacted on music to come
It doesnt have to be the very first of a particular style (eg rap) but something that has since come to represent and/or evoke a strong link to it.
I want to try to spead out the decades too - it would all too simple to have 90% of the list set in the 60's or 70's. Given that we have at least 5 decades then, the final list will have max 5 songs from 60's, 5 songs from 70's.
Ideally the songs would also represent a particular artist too.

I'd totally welcome some opinions from as many of you guys as possible
I also totally get that almost by definition this task is doomed to failure as such an undertaking isnt even slightly possible, however, as long as it stimulates thought and conversation, and future music listening, then i'm happy.

So... one to begin with (and please feel free to argue about this)
John Lennon - Imagine. (and anyone who aruges with this is wrong)

[subucni]

I started trying to type stuff down to help, but found i just couldn't limit myself and pick a song that most summed up a genre so i may name a few and let you pick your favourite.

Also an idea might be rather than asking for songs, first find a list of 20 iconic genres and then find the best song to express that genre.

Also an idea could be to try and find songs that are sampled in other songs to show how an older and much differently sounding song influence another genre, I.e. Bill Wither's - Grandma Hand being sample in the Rap R&B track No Diggity by Blackstreet.


And to get it out of the way, as someone will suggest it

Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (I'll get my coat)


Possible Genres to consider:

Country,
R&B,
Pop,
Disco (Gotta Be something like "Carwash", "I want you back" - Jackson 5 or "Machine Gun" - Commodores)
Blues (BB King - "My Lucille", Robert Johnson - "Crossroads", Eric Clapton, Seasick Steve, all viable),
Jazz (Miles Davis, John Coltrane Cannonball Adderly) "Freddie Freeloader" by Miles Davis would be my choices),
Motown, (Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Commodores etc..) "Endless Love", "Easy" or "Greatest Love of All" being my choices, infact i could give hundreds.
Dance (Techno etc..),
New Romantic (Probably The Smiths or the Cure),
Concept Rock Opera (Pink Floyd - "Shine on you crazy diamond", or all of Dark Side of the Moon clearly),
Novelty Pop Songs (The Bane of Music, but they are a genre, Crazy Frog or some crap)
Classical,
Rap (Gangsta or otherwise. Probably NWA being a good choice),
Hip Hop (Jurrasic 5 - "Concrete Streets", Sugar Hill Gang, Grandmaster Flash) or see here


There are so many different types of Rock (Especially around the 50's and 60's)
Early Rock (Early Elvis, Early Beatles, "Rock Around the Clock" Happy days theme tune type stuff)
Hippy Flower power/psychedelic Rock (Beatles/Doors kinda of stuff, or something like like Simon and Garfunkel's "America")
Hard Late 60's Blues Rock (Lots of good options, Jimi etc.., but i'd have to insist some Led Zeppelin Lots of visable blues influences can be seen too)
The Birth or metal (Sabbath etc..)
80's Power Rock (Bon Jovi etc...)
Nu Metal,
Punk,
Hard Core Punk (for want of a better name, i'm sure he'd appreciate you giving him Dillinger Escape Plan. Second thoughts, maybe not)

Etc...Etc..

As you can see, narrowing down the list of genres could be the first priority


Although Doing it this way may mean that some really influential Artists/Bands don't really fit into any of the genres.
I.E. Queen
They aren't really a late 60's/70's Blues rock band.
And certainly aren't Punk, Metal or 80's Hair rock, they just don't fit but have equal right at being


Bres

P.S. thank you, you just got me listening to a load of good music again.

Also, i know they'll never make the list but if i'm recommending stuff, i'd have to encourage the album "Done and Dusted" by the Dusty Junkys. I love it. A white Mancunian rapper back up by some funky bluesy guitar and bass, with some scratching thrown in for good measure. You'll either love them or just not get them at all. They're like marmite.

[this_is_gav]

Some early 80's REM. Without REM, there would be no Radiohead or Nirvana. One of the most influential bands in the past quarter of a century.

Defining songs from that era:

(Don't Go Back To) Rockville (folk)
So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry) (alternative rock)

[MSIC]

I do actually have a potential 20, however it is easy to tear it to shreds because there will always be the 'how can you have x without y that influenced it'.
However I do think I should have one led zep, one Hendrix, one stones...
But then it all gets too 'rock'. And what about the fact that for alot of the 20th centuary much music was also seperated into 'black' and 'white' music.
Nina simone? Stevie wonder? Michael Jackson?
I also really want an early johnny cash, both to represent country but also in terms of wider influence

[subucni]

Yeah i was tempted to say Johnny Cash - One Piece at a time in there somewhere.

[Jay]

A few songs that jumped out for me are.

The Beatles - In My Life
Louis Armstrong - We Have All the Time in the World
The Beatles - Let It Be
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Sam & Dave - Hold on I'm Comin'
The Cure - Friday i'm in Love

and one to lighten it up a bit

Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride