By "great final songs", I don't mean just a good song that happens to be the final track on the album. I'm referring to good songs that are a fitting end to the album; songs that seem to know what the previous 10 or so songs have been doing.
An album's closing song is, quite often, a bit different to the rest of the album. Sometimes it foreshadows the sound of the next album. I think the perfect final song has to be in response to a near perfect album. Otherwise it's just a good song, and you could just download it from iTunes.
Here are some great final songs that spring to mind:
Mothers Of The Disappeared - U2, The Joshua Tree
Although the big hits are found at the beginning of this classic album, it still finishes strongly with this mesmerising song.
Find The River - REM, Automatic For The People
This album finishes on a great note thanks to this beautiful song.
Indifference - Pearl Jam, VS
A great rock album and one of the finest things to come out of the grunge era; Pearl Jam's 'VS' closes with a slightly eerie, depressing but excellent song. Musically, this album is reasonably varied so it doesn't seem out of place at all.
Rock n Roll Suicide - David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust
This song has a very conclusive vibe to it. The opening chords sound so perfect after the big riff based rock tracks that precede it. Lyrically, it is a great epilogue to the album's story. Probably my favourite Bowie song.
A Day In The Life - The Beatles, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
This would have to be high up on any "best closing tracks of all time" list. After you hear this song, it doesn't matter how many silly songs there are on this album, 'A Day In The Life' redeems them.
You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed
An epic ballad - always a great way to close an album. This perfect album finishes as strongly as at starts (Gimme Shelter), with one of the Rolling Stone's best.
Street Spirit (Fade Out) - Radiohead, The Bends
This is probably one of the most sombre songs ever recorded. But it brings the album to a close, leaving you a little bit numb in the process.
Desolation Row - Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited
An 11 minute, heavily poetic, exercise in surrealism would not be the average person's choice to put on the end of a rock n roll album. But it works brilliantly. I reckon it's a better song than 'Like a Rolling Stone'.
Can you think of any others?
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Vito's Ordination Song from Sufjan's Michigan album.
One and the Same from Rob Dougan's Furious Angels.
Evaporated from Ben Folds Five's Whatever & Ever Amen.
Both The Great Below on Left and Ripe (With Decay) on Right from NIN's The Fragile.
I think Coldplay's The Escapist on Viva la Vida is a bit of a cheat (of course bookends feel right), and Strawberry Swing would have been a much better closing track.
Thanks for the suggestions. Actually, speaking of Coldplay - it's a bit of a cheesy song but 'Amsterdam' from 'A Rush of Blood to the Head' works wonderfully as a closing track.
The last time I listened to 'Desolation row', I ended up in tears. It's very powerful.
One of my favourite album-ending tracks at the moment is 'I dream a highway' from Gillian Welch's album Time (The Revelator). Like 'Desolation row', it's epic and unrelenting, but it's softer and provides a really satisfying full stop to the album.
Possibly one of the most genius track listings of all time was putting 'Twist and shout' last on the Beatles' debut album 'Please Please Me'. Might sound lame today, but man, what an impression to leave people with back in 1963!
I really like what I've heard of Gillian Welch. Will have to check out that album.
I like the last one on the Chilli Pepper's Californication but I can't be bothered finding out what it's called. It's a heap slower pace than the rest of the songs and is about a road trip.
It makes the album coming to an end seem the most perfect thing. It sends you out to continue on with your life, blessed by having spent a bit of time with the boys. I think it's called Road Tripping.
Yeah, it's called Road Trippin'. Nice song.
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