Classic Rock 2

You know what they say: If it ain't broke . . . However many times rock 'n' roll gets mashed up and reinvented, it's always great to know that the original templates are worth their weight in gold. Feel the rush of monster tracks like the Doors' "L.A. Woman" and the Who's "You Better You Bet" — still as fresh as the day they were baked.

Classic rock status is not easily won: These tracks not only capture artists at the peak of their talent, they also offer the flavour of an era that remains unsullied by years. Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee," the Guess Who's "No Time," and Rush's "Limelight" work like time machines, bringing the sonic past to life.

Over the years, as these classic tracks have matured like vintage wine, filmmakers have harnessed their immense power. So it is that Tom Cruise wields his pool cue like a samurai to "Werewolves of London" in The Color of Money, and Michael Madsen brandishes his razor to "Stuck in the Middle with You" in Reservoir Dogs.

Few of the artists featured in our Classic Rock 2 playlist had the slightest inkling that the revolutionaries of punk and hip-hop would someday challenge their hold on the world's pop sensibility. But during the time they laid down these seminal tracks, they were untouchable. From the piano-led anthems of Supertramp and Elton John to the epic axe work of Boston and Foreigner and the falsetto overload of Queen and Sweet, we give you rock in its grandest, most brilliant disguise.