Required Reading: John Diliberto of Echoes lists his ten greatest rock songs!

This fall WXPN is counting down the 885 Greatest Rock Songs, as voted on by our listener community. How is “rock” defined? Well, that’s entirely up to you. It can be 50s rock. It can be hard rock. Heck, it could be rock opera. Read our host picks and staff picks to get the wheels turning, and if you’re all ready set to vote, you can do so here. If you need a bit more time to contemplate, we urge you to take a look at what John Diliberto, longtime host of Echoes at WXPN, had to write on the subject. His nationally syndicated program might broadly specialize in what he likes to call “soundscapes” – ranging from ambient electronic to free jazz and acoustic folk – but don’t pigeonhole Diliberto, since his knowledge of music runs deep and spans the musical spectrum. He recently shared his thoughts on the concept of “rock songs” over at the Echoes Blog, and he defines it, quite literally, as songs that rock:

It’s the sound screaming out the window of my mother’s 1970 yellow Comet riding up Rte 93 to Hampton Beach in the summer. It’s the songs that I still turn up whenever they come on the radio, even though some of them never come on the radio, but you know what I mean. In other words, when I think “Greatest Rock Songs” I think songs that rock. There’s no ballads, no heart-felt anthems.

Read Diliberto’s entire essay (and see his top ten) here; then, cast your own vote. The polls are open until Aug. 24!