Photo: Jennings/WireImage
On Friday, Rock Daily was pondering Lil Wayne’s impending trip to prison — and T.I.’s last days of incarceration — and asked our readers to muse on the concept of “Freedom” for our Weekend Rock List. The results are in, and they are pretty literal: seven of the Top 10 tracks include the word “Free,” though Bob Marley’s inspiring “Redemption Song” and Aretha Franklin’s “Think” also made the cut. Check out the list and our gallery of rock-star mug shots:

1. Neil Young – “Rockin’ In The Free World”
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird”
3. Tom Petty – “Free Fallin’”
4. Rush – “Freewill”
5. Queen – “I Want To Break Free”
6. R.E.M. – “Radio Free Europe”
7. Rage Against The Machine – “Freedom”
8. Bob Marley – “Redemption Song”
9. Bob Dylan – “I Shall Be Released”
10. Aretha Franklin – “Think”

Barring any more root canal surgeries or courthouse fires, this weekend will be Lil Wayne’s last as a free man before he’s officially sentenced to a year in jail on Monday. The day Weezy goes behind bars, T.I. will unveil his first post-penitentiary single, a celebration of his own freedom called “I’m Back.” As a tribute to the soon-to-be-incarcerated and the recently released, this weekend’s Rock List is dedicated to Freedom Songs. Tell us your favorites and on Monday we’ll tally the votes. Until then, here’s a handful of our picks and a gallery of rock-star mug shots:

• The Who – “I’m Free”
• George Michael – “Freedom! ‘90″
• Ween – “Freedom of ‘76″
• The Beatles – “Free as a Bird”
• Devo – “Freedom of Choice”

Newcleus-Jam On It

DIAZ | MySpace Video

Newcleus’ Robert “Chilly B” Crafton — who features in the electro classic “Jam On It,” above — passed away this Tuesday, February 23rd following a stroke, Newcleus’ MySpace page solemnly writes (via Pitchfork). He was 47. As “Jam On It” is one of our favorite jams, this week’s Rock List looks back at Newcleus and other icons of ’80s hip-hop. All styles, genres and subgenres are fair game, as long as they were recorded between 1980 and 1989. Leave your picks in the comments, and on Monday we’ll tally the votes. Until then, here’s a small sampling of our faves below:

• Slick Rick – “Children’s Story”
• Boogie Down Production – “The Bridge Is Over”
• Run-DMC – “My Adidas”
• Newcleus – “Jam On It”
• The Beastie Boys – “Paul Revere”

Katy Perry slightly dropped out of the spotlight to go to India, get engaged to Russell Brand and then hit the GRAMMYS wearing little more than a rhinestoned body stocking, but the “Hot N Cold” singer is slowly starting to make her presence felt again. She pops up on the March cover of Nylon, looking awesome in a pink Jeremy Scott raincoat and mini skirt. Inside the mag, she talks about gearing up to work on her new LP and where she finds herself in the pop landscape. (You can check out excerpts from the interview here, at The Prophet Blog).

Perry also talks extensively about working with new collaborators, which got us thinking—as we tend to do in these here parts—who would we like to see Katy work with on her new platter…

+ Tim Armstrong
Tim Armstrong worked punk wonders with Pink on her album Try This. For Perry, wouldn’t it be great to see Tim bring our her tuneful snarl and inner Rancid fan? Granted, Katy’s not the punkest chick we’ve ever seen, but that doesn’t mean she’s not dying to start a melodic circle pit on LP2.

+ Rivers Cuomo
A collaboration between Katy and Rivers Cuomo was talked about last fall and we’ve got our fingers crossed that something came of it. In fact, Katy Perry would’ve been a good choice to front Weezer while he was recovering from the band’s bus accident last year. Weezer’s stadium-ready hooks combined with her sass and melody? Sounds like the perfect combination to us!

+ Nicki Minaj
Katy’s first dalliance with R&B was her collaboration with Timbaland on his Shock Value II track, “If We Ever Meet Again.” For her sophomore album, we’d like to see her hook up with someone who shares her spunky sensibility and sense of humor. You know exactly who we mean: The Harajuku Barbie herself, Nicki Minaj, whose twisted, multiple-personality rhymes would sound dope on the bridge of a Perry jam.

+ West Ham United Football Club Fans
Katy already has a certain affinity for her fiance’s favorite soccer club, West Ham United, seeing that she rocked lingerie with their colors and crest on them while hosting the MTV Europe Music Awards. Well, why not take it one step further? British soccer fans love to sing and what better way to win over Hammers supporters than by inviting some of them to do a cover of The Irons’ anthem “Forever Blowing Bubbles“?

+ Benny Blanco & Dr. Luke
In Nylon, Perry talks about wanting to expand her sound and to evolve as a songwriter but, hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In this case, we’re referring to the production and songwriting talents of pop hit-makers Benny Blanco and Dr. Luke, who worked on Perry’s hits “I Kissed A Girl” and “Hot N Cold.” Luckily, it appears the two are already on board. Hallelujah!

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of AC/DC singer Bon Scott, who passed away in 1980 following a night of hard, hard drinking. To pay tribute to the Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap singer’s legacy — and all the music history his resilient Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bandmates achieved following his death — this weekend’s Rock List is dedicated to AC/DC songs. Tell us your favorite songs by the Aussie hard rockers, and on Monday we’ll count up the votes to reveal our Readers’ Rock List.

Before you cast your votes, be sure to check out one of Rolling Stone’s first features on the band, a 1978 profile that finds AC/DC on the road in support of their then-new album Powerage. Plus, check out the band’s amp-bursting odyssey from High Voltage to Black Ice in our AC/DC essential album guide. A handful of our favorite cuts are below:

AC/DC in Photos: Four Decades of Big Riffs and Schoolboy Uniforms

• “Back in Black”
• “(If You Want Blood) You Got It”
• “Thunderstruck”
• “Let There Be Rock”
• “T.N.T.”

Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty
Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. What do you do when the boxes of chocolate are all sold out, the price of roses is astronomical and all the good restaurants are booked? You make a mixtape, of course. For this long weekend’s Rock List, we’re calling upon the Rolling Stone readers to help craft the perfect V-Day mix. Tell us the ONE essential song you’d include, and on Tuesday we’ll dig through the comments to construct the surefire Valentine’s Day mix. For a further education on the art, check out Rob Sheffield’s Love is a Mixtape, and to get the ball rolling, check out some of our favorites below while clicking through our Couples on the Cover of Rolling Stone gallery:

• The Beach Boys – “God Only Knows”
• Red House Painters – “All Mixed Up”
• U2 – “With or Without You”
• Guns n’ Roses – “Patience”
• Prince – “Adore”

Photo: Mayer/WireImage
Between Dave Grohl on Saturday Night Live and Zak Starkey filling in for the Who’s Keith Moon during the Super Bowl, drummers were in the spotlight this past weekend, so we asked our readers to tell us the greatest of all time. After counting up the votes, and there were lots of them, it comes as no surprise that Bonzo himself, Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, was voted Number One, beating out Moon, Grohl, Rush’s Neil Peart and more. And despite a grass-roots effort to get The Muppet Show’s Animal on the list, we kept the results to drummers with a human pulse. (Check out RS‘ Greatest Singers and Greatest Guitarists stories, too):

1. John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)
2. Neil Peart (Rush)
3. Keith Moon (The Who)
4. Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Them Crooked Vultures)
5. Stewart Copeland (The Police, Oysterhead)
6. Ringo Starr (The Beatles)
7. Ginger Baker (Cream, Blind Faith)
8. Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins)
9. Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones)
10. Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band)
11. Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix Experience)
12. Danny Carey (Tool)
13. Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
14. Buddy Rich
15. Alex Van Halen (Van Halen)

Dave Grohl will be back behind the skins this weekend when Them Crooked Vultures serve as musical guests on Saturday Night Live. The next night, the Who will perform a handful of songs that originally featured the rapid-fire beats of Keith Moon, another drumming legend. So this weekend’s Rock List is dedicated to drummers. Tell us your picks for the best drummers of all time, and on Monday we’ll reveal the Readers’ List. Until then, here’s are a couple of greats:

• John Bonham
• Dave Grohl
• Keith Moon
• Chad Smith
• Ginger Baker

Check here for winners in the major categories of the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

Photo: Sullivan/Getty
Steve Jobs and Apple might have had a stranglehold on the tech beat this week with the announcement of the new iPad, but our weekend Rock List will focus on a classic gadget: the radio. Tell us your favorite, and following the post-Grammy blitz, we’ll reveal the readers’ favorites. And check out some of our best picks:

• R.E.M. – “Radio Free Europe”
• Elvis Costello – “Radio Radio”
• The Clash – “This Is Radio Clash”
• Nirvana – “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter”
• Wall of Voodoo – “Mexican Radio”

Photo: Mainz/Getty

This week, Conan O’Brien might have lost his job as host of The Tonight Show, Susan Boyle lost her stranglehold on the charts and we inched seven days closer to the final season’s premiere of Lost. As a final touch, this long weekend’s Rock List will focus on Lost Songs. Suggest your picks in the comments, and peruse some of our favorites:

• The Clash – “Lost in the Supermarket”
• Coldplay – “Lost!”
• Beck – “Lost Cause”
• LCD Soundsystem – “Losing My Edge”
• The Righteous Brothers – “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”

Last week, in honor of the Thin White Duke’s 63rd birthday, we asked for our readers’ favorite David Bowie songs. We tallied the votes, and not surprisingly, the Readers’ List reads like Changesbowie shuffled, with Bowie’s triumphant “Heroes” voted the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s best track. Check out where “Rebel Rebel,” “Changes” and all the Ziggy-era classics landed (and enjoy an amazing array of Bowie photos):

1. “Heroes”
2. “Ziggy Stardust”
3. “Life On Mars?”

4. “Space Oddity”
5. “Suffragette City”
6. “Fame”
7. “Moonage Daydream”
8. “Five Years”
9. “The Man Who Sold the World”
10. “Rebel Rebel”

11. “Queen Bitch”

12. “Golden Years”
13. “Young Americans”
14. “The Jean Genie”
15. “Changes”

Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty

Seventy-five years ago today Elvis Presley was born, and in 1947 a man named David Robert Jones—or David Bowie as we know him—arrived, too. (Also celebrating birthdays today: The Doors’ Robby Krieger, Jenny Lewis and R. Kelly. January 8th rocks.) As a gift to the Thin White Duke on his 63rd birthday, this weekend’s Rock List is dedicated to David Bowie songs. Leave your picks in the comments, and on Monday we’ll reveal an awesome playlist. Until then, re-familiarize yourself with Bowie’s catalog — Tonight is pretty damn underrated — and check out some of our faves below:

Enjoy our collection of David Bowie photos, too.

• “Ashes to Ashes”
• “Lady Stardust”
• “Panic in Detroit”
• “Life On Mars?”
• “Heroes”

Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty

Last week as we popped corks to celebrate the arrival of 2010 we asked for your favorite Party Songs. In the first Rock List of this new decade, the Beastie Boys’ anthem “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)” reigns supreme, beating out tracks by the Fab Four, the King of Pop, Prince and Kiss. Plus, read reports from two of the biggest NYE parties — the Flaming Lips and Mariah Carey’s concerts.

1. Beastie Boys – “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)”
2. Prince – “1999″
3. Andrew W.K. – “Party Hard”
4. The Beatles – “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party”
5. Kiss – “Rock And Roll All Nite”
6. Blink 182 – “The Party Song”
7. The Beatles – “Birthday”
8. Chic – “Good Times”
9. The Replacements – “Swingin’ Party”
10. Black Flag – “TV Party”
11. Kool & the Gang – “Celebration”
12. Lady Gaga – “Just Dance”
13. Led Zeppelin – “Celebration Day”
14. Michael Jackson- Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough
15. Oingo Boingo – “Dead Man’s Party”

Photo: Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

It’s the end of the year and the end of the decade, and as our New Year’s Eve guide demonstrates, everyone in the rock universe from Lady Gaga to Phish will be doing one thing tonight: partying. So for those about to party, we salute you. Tell us your favorite songs about celebrating and popping champagne, and we’ll tally the results in 2010. To get this fiesta started, check out some of our faves:

• The Beastie Boys – “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)”
• Black Flag – “TV Party”
• Weezer and Lil Wayne – “Can’t Stop Partying”
• Prince – “1999″
• Led Zeppelin – “Celebration Day”

As Rolling Stone continues to look back at the best of the 2000s, this week’s Rock List looks back at the decade’s greatest music videos — videos you most likely watched on YouTube or other Websites, rather than on TV. Thanks to OutKast (above), Britney Spears, OK Go, Kanye West and more imaginative artists, an art form that was seemingly threatened continued to thrive over the past 10 years. Hit us with your favorites in the comments, and enjoy our suggestions after the jump.

Weezer – “Pork and Beans”

Beck – “Girl”

White Stripes – “Fell in Love With a Girl”

Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)”

The year 2009 was a banner one for fashion-forward music videos. The last 12 months have been dominated by aggressive, progressive, unbelievably stylish divas, hipsters, rappers, glam rockers and rebels.

At the top of the list would have to be Lady Gaga and Rihanna, both of whom catapulted themselves into the upper atmosphere of pop culture stardom, bordering on iconic status.

With their daring combos of hot and haute couture and brave filmmaking, they released a series of videos that combined catwalk-ready fashion with cinematic craftsmanship. Ri-Ri’s “Hard” and Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and “Bad Romance” simply dazzled.

Take a look at those year-defining vids, as well as other fashionable clips from the likes of Jay-Z (“Run This Town”), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (“Heads Will Roll”), Beyonce (“Videophone“), Shakira (“She Wolf“) and more in our Best of 2009: Fashion Forward video playlist below.

Britney Spears hit back at the gossips on Monday, publishing a list of the top 75 most ridiculous or offensive stories written about her in 2009 — including one claiming her family was once so poor they ate squirrels.

We were maybe listening to that Lil Wayne album that maybe leaked thanks to Amazon when we noticed that the soon-to-be-incarcerated Weezy is a big fan of songs with “fire” in the title. “On Fire” is the latest Lil Wayne track to feature a pyromaniacal title, following Tha Carter III’s “Playing with Fire” and TC2’s “Fireman.” Tell us your favorite songs about flames, and on Monday we’ll tally the votes and reveal the Readers’ List. Here’s a little inspiration:

• Grateful Dead – “Fire on the Mountain”
• The Doors – “Light My Fire”
• Kings of Leon – “Sex on Fire”
• Sebadoh – “On Fire”
• Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Fire”

Now that Rolling Stone has posted our lists of the 100 Best Albums and 100 Best Songs of the decade (as voted on by a panel of more than 100 industry experts and artists), and our readers have had their say in our Decade-End Readers’ Poll, we’re looking at what got left behind: first up, the 2000s’ most underrated albums. The Rock Daily faithful were adamant that the Killers got short shrift this decade, voting the band’s 2006 LP Sam’s Town the most criminally unappreciated of the era. Find out where the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Raconteurs and Blink-182 charted here:

Revisit more of Rolling Stone’s all-time lists.

1. The Killers – Sam’s Town
2. Pearl Jam – Pearl Jam
3. Kings of Leon – Because of the Times
4. R.E.M – Accelerate
5. Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
6. The Killers – Day & Age
7. The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely
8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
9. Beck – Guero
10. Muse – Black Holes and Revelations
11. Pearl Jam – Backspacer
12. The Mars Volta – De-Loused in the Comatorium
13. Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
14. Guns n’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
15. Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue
16. Franz Ferdinand – You Could Have It So Much Better
17. Green Day – Warning
18. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
19. Cake – Comfort Eagle
20. Blink-182 – Blink-182