Mainstream Rock

Not all music has to go off like a powder keg. With their insanely catchy hooks and sing-along melodies, these mainstream-contemporary classics have found a home in the hearts of many adult listeners and fans of video channels like VH-1 on the power of songwriting alone. Kick off with major hits from Alanis Morissette and Green Day.

All of the goodness minus the bombast: The softer textures of modern mainstream rock have produced some of the best-loved sounds in all of pop, thanks to that basic, vital component — stellar songwriting. Check out the brilliantly crafted funk-rock of "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies, or Avril Lavigne's kinetically charged "Sk8er Boi."

If you love the music, but shy away from mainstream commercialism, you'll find that most of these tracks went easy on the hype. Stomp and handclap along to Rob Zombie's "Foxy, Foxy" or sink into the deep pools of sound created by Snow Patrol. Of course, thanks to American Idol, there's no chance that Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" eluded you.

Often considered the non-offensive, "softer" side of rock, mainstream rock is chock-full of catchy hooks and melodies, with lyrics that always seem to get stuck in your head. These tracks represent the cream of the crop: all of them simple, but highly effective. Who can resist the feel-good (sorry, feel-brilliant) euphoria of U2's "Beautiful Day" or No Doubt's bold and bassy Talk Talk cover, "It's My Life"? Weave your way through these Essentials from R.E.M. to Gnarls Barkley, from Nickelback to Maroon 5, safe in the knowledge that these sounds will delight most of the people, most of the time.