Well, my list is probably atypical. Basically I consider anywhere from the 80's and before to be classic. However, I have to say most of favorites are from the 70's (and 80's by extension). Please include a Youtube link to your favorite song from each one!
Metallica- If you want to talk about thrash metal, this band is famous for it. They are why I said most of my favorite rock bands are from the 70's. Metallica is from the early 80's. I could talk about all their songs from Kill 'Em All like "Seek and Destroy". Ride the Lightning kicked ass, especially with "Fade to Black" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls". One cannot forget Master of Puppets with the title track and "Sanitarium". Then of course, there's the self-titled album, affectionately known as The Black Album, which is perhaps their best album with songs such as "Enter Sandman", "Wherever I May Roam", "Sad but True", and "The Unforgiven". My favorite Metallica song of all is also from the self-titled album. It is called "
".
Led Zeppelin- They were one of the first metal bands. Quite frankly they're revolutionary. Most people are familiar with "Stairway to Heaven" and "Kashmir", but there are many awesome Led Zeppelin songs. I have already mentioned my favorite, "
". I cannot forget songs like When the Levee Breaks (my second favorite), Over the Hills and Far Away, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Rock and Roll, and "Trampled Under Foot". I list Led Zeppelin as my favorite, but Led Zeppelin is almost a Metallica for me.
Rush- It's strange, but I didn't really hear much of them except "Tom Sawyer" for the longest time. I had only really heard them on a Kansas City radio station. When I moved to Texas, I found a rock station that played more than just one Rush song, and I've discovered that I like "Freewill", "Spirit of Radio", and "Xanadu" much better. My favorite of the three is "
". It's like I discovered another band that I absolutely love, which is awesome!
Black Sabbath- This band, as far as I'm concerned, died when Ozzy was kicked out. "Iron Man", "Paranoid", and "N.I.B" are good tunes. My favorite is "War Pigs". I have to add some more Ozzy Osbourne tunes as well, because let's face it, the band went to shit when he left, and he's a rock god! "Mama I'm Coming Home" is definitely my favorite, but I also like "Crazy Train", "Shot in the Dark", "Bark at the Moon", and "No More Tears" among others.
Pink Floyd- What's not to love about Pink Floyd? "The Wall" was a definitive rock album of the 1970's, and it includes my favorite song of theirs, "
". Another Brick in the Wall is awesome too! "Mother", "Young Lust", and "Money" are worth mentioning as well.