Ticket 2 Ride

Sequencing songs on an album is tricky and if done right are an incredible experience for the listener. On occasion, the perfect final song on a great album elevates the entire album and listening pleasure. The last track can be a bookend to the opening track, draw the musical experience to a satisfying conclusion, feel like a showstopper or fade out with a lasting thought or image. The final track is quite an opportunity to make a statement or leave the listener playing a melody in their heads.

Here are a dozen or 20 memorable closing tracks.

“A Day in the Life” Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. While there are other great Beatle album choices, the Sgt. Pepper experience is so unique, and “A Day in the Life” such a creative tour de force, that it is difficult to top. However, other consideration goes to “Tomorrow Never Knows” from Revolver, and “The End”/“Her Majesty” from Abbey Road.

“Won’t Get Fooled Again” Who’s Next by The Who. The perfect album, Who’s Next was a game-changer in rock music. “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is a rock anthem.

“Nights in White Satin”/“Late Lament” Days of Future Past by the Moody Blues. These are two separate pieces that segue seamlessly together. The poem set to orchestration is a remarkable conclusion to this groundbreaking album. An alternate choice could be “Have You Heard Part 1”/“The Voyage”/“Have You Heard Part 2” from On the Threshold of a Dream, or “Watching and Waiting” from To Our Children’s Children’s Children.

“Jungleland” Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen. “Jungleland” is Springsteen’s first epic, a grand finale to what would be his critical and commercial breakthrough. This song is a band effort and pulls together the various themes and angst set loose by the album’s other tracks.

“Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Four” Band on the Run. Paul McCartney has always been keen on how to end an album. Band on the Run was a redeeming album for McCartney and Wings. “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Four” is grand and builds to a crescendo, with a sliver of “Band on the Run” tacked on for good measure. My other choice from Paul McCartney would be “Backseat of My Car” from Ram.

“Words” Harvest by Neil Young. His fourth solo album, Harvest is Young at his best, and a journey into the commercial lane, something that he rarely did. “Words” is a lengthy, hard-edged finale to a generally calm and introspective collection of songs.

“Siberian Khatru” Close to the Edge by Yes. Arguably their best album, certainly an extraordinary one. A total of three songs, but two are over ten minutes. “Siberian Khatru, whatever that means, is a hard-rocking, warp-speed charging song, which wraps up this complex and multidimensional prog-rock classic.

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” Let it Bleed by The Rolling Stones. The Stones were sowing new ground, Let it Bleed was a looser collection of genres, but somehow it all worked. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is undoubtedly one the Stones’ classics and it is a showstopper as it wraps up the album and the 1960s for the Stones.

“One Summer Dream” Face the Music by the Electric Light Orchestra. In 1975, the Electric Light Orchestra released their first complete album, Face the Music. Every song is strong, as Jeff Lynne was moving in a more commercial vein. “One Summer Dream” is a beautiful, textured song that showcases the band at its finest. If I were to pick another ELO closter, it would be “Shangra-La” from New World Record, the next album to follow.

“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” Tapestry by Carole King. Tapestry was a sales juggernaut and critical hit. Every song on the album is a journey, a declaration of love, heartache and perseverance. This was a song that Aretha Franklin had a huge hit with, and is no less a great performance from King.

“Crime of the Century” Crime of the Century from Supertramp. I would rather pick “Fool’s Overture” from Even in the Quietest Moments, but Crime of the Century is a more cohesive and stronger overall album, trumping “Fool’s Overture” which is a masterpiece.

“The Last Resort” Hotel California by the Eagles. This is the right choice given the thematic flow of the album, but I am tempted to select “Best of My Love” from On the Border, which has less grandeur, but is a more raw and exciting album and listening experience. Hotel California is an epic, cinematic work, so it gets the nod.

“To the Last Whale…” Wind on the Water by Crosby & Nash. This as their second album together and they were at the height of their creativity, and before Crosby’s drug habit got the best of him.

“I Love the Dead” Billion Dollar Babies by the Alice Cooper Group. ACG was truly a great band, after previously releasing School’s Out. ACG raised the bar with Billion Dollar Babies. “I Love the Dead” showed their musical dexterity and closed the album with great fanfare.

“Shadow of a Lonely Man” Pyramid by the Alan Parsons Project. A nice bookend to an album that starts with the optimism and enthusiasm of a journey of awareness. Another good APP choice would be “Old and Wise” from the album Eye in the Sky.

“The Royal Scam” The Royal Scam by Steely Dan. A dark groove, a dark album. “The Royal Scam” is a drawn-out coda for an album of disjointed characters and sagas. Another choice for consideration is “Josie” from Aja.

“Minstrel Gigolo” Christopher Cross by Christopher Cross. Every song on this debut album clicked, and it ended on a melodic and melancholy song that tugged at your heart.

“Spellbinder” Double Vision by Foreigner. This was the second album and it showed Foreigner’s growth. “Spellbinder” is ethereal and foreboding and makes the listener wonder what the next album will have in store.

“Wild is the Wind” Station to Station by David Bowie. “Fame” was a career that expanding song on Young Americans. The next album, Station to Station raised the bar. “Wild is the Wind” concludes the album with a soulful and hypnotic vibe, as Bowie had morphed into a new persona.

“Love is Blindness” Achtung Baby by U2. Never comfortable in repeating themselves, U2 struck gold on this album of grungy guitar riffs and soaring bass lines. This not one of those, rather a moodier and introspective song to close one of U2’s best albums.

“I’m So Afraid” Fleetwood Mac by Fleetwood Mac. A slow, thundering, raw song by Lindsay Buckingham, something you might find on an early John Lennon solo album. Pain, anguish and a soaring guitar assault is in contrast to the jangly pop of the rest of the album, proving that FM can rock out when they want to.

“Magnum Opus” Leftoverture by Kansas. A multi-song suite of theatrical, thunderous progressive-rock finishes Kansas’ most daring and ambitious album.

“Pirates” Works Volume 1 by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Three sides of this two album set was made up of solo material, with the fourth side consisting of two group tracks. “Pirates” is rousing and adventurous, one of ELP’s most enjoyable songs.

“Give Me the Love” 21 at 33 by Elton John. I’ll start by saying this is not one of Elton’s best albums. There are some very good tunes including the closer, “Give Me the Love.” A great closer is a song feels like that there is nothing left to say, it’s an exclamation point to the listening experience. That’s what “Give Me the Love” says.

“When the Music’s Over” Strange Days by The Doors. Just listen to the song. The Doors knew how to write a closer. Another choice would be “The End” from their debut album.

“Life’s Been Good” But Seriously, Folks… by Joe Walsh. Eagle Joe Walsh has his best solo effort and closes it with a humorous, but true song, a cap to a quality album.

“Mystery Achievement” The Pretenders by The Pretenders. A hard-rocking, pounding song that only grows in intensity until it suddenly ends. The Pretenders saved the best for last.

“Train in Vain” London Calling by The Clash. Originally, a surprise track on the album because it was added at the last minute. An upbeat, rocking song, something you wouldn’t expect from a punk band.

“Truckin’” American Beauty by the Grateful Dead. Bands don’t often put one of their update, soon to be most popular songs at the end of their album. “Truckin’” is one of their most endearing songs.

“Los Endos” A Trick of the Tail by Genesis. There are many choices of great Genesis songs that end their albums. “Follow You, Follow Me,” “It,” and Aisle of Plenty” are all worthy, but the trophy goes to “Los Endos,” not only a perfect album ended, but also a concert closer. This song rocks.

“Brain Damage”/“Eclipse” Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. These two tracks fit together as a bookend to “Speak to Me” which launches the album.

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So, there you have it. What are your favorite final album tracks?