The 25 best album closers

Not only is this the stellar closing track from the Ramones' acclaimed debut album, but it's also one of the most underrated tunes in the band's extensive catalog. It was an interesting segue for the band to begin dominating the American punk scene.

"Train in Vain" was not listed on the original release of this legendary record by The Clash — only because it was a late addition to the album. Still, it was the first song from the band to make it into the top 30 on the charts in the United States. While it might not be a lengthy, epic-style tune like other closers, "Train in Vain" is nonetheless a great song that would stand out no matter where placed on any record. 

There is a lot for metal fans to love about Iron Maiden's breakthrough album from 1982. The band has always had a theatrical element to its music and the live concert experience, and it seems safe to consider the haunting "Hallowed By Thy Name" as a big final closing number to a loud and aggressive musical. 

We wouldn't expect a record called Let There Be Rock to end with anything but a rocker. And AC/DC delivered. Bon Scott's tale of a one-night stand with an overweight groupie while on tour in Tasmania might not be your typical closing track in terms of emotion. It's not a ballad but wallops the ears and leaves the listener amped up and eager to keep rocking when the album is finished.

The finale of the band's major-label debut was nothing like we'd heard from Paul Westerberg and Co. Maybe it's a poor man's "Piano Man," a barroom story of somebody whose life isn't where expected, but at least they can be content on being a pub hero. There's also an alternative, Springsteen vibe to the track. 

This was not a released single off LCD Soundsystem's Grammy-nominated 2007 Sound of Silver release. However, it remains one of James Murphy and Co.'s most beloved tracks. It's the perfect lyrical description and rant of one's love-hate relationship with the Big Apple. For many, it is relatable and appropriate.  

Not only is this one of Biggie's most underrated tracks, but it's also quite eerie considering the Grammy-nominated Life After Death was released a little more than two weeks after the artist's death on March 9, 1997. Rumors swirled that the track was partially a lyrical takedown of friend-turned-rap-rival Tupac Shakur, who was killed in September 1996. Biggie, however, reportedly denied that specific rumor. It's haunting, nonetheless.

On the four-sided Electric Ladyland, "Voodoo Child" concludes one of the great rock albums of the 1960s. This is a condensed version that is more well-known and still resonates with fans of Hendrix and classic rock. Hendrix's cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" and this gem might be the best 1-2 finish to an album in rock history.

A massive radio hit for Oasis in 1996, "Champagne Supernova" was their second No. 1 single on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart in the United States. It's like taking a psychedelic, knock-off Sgt. Peppers journey while modestly buzzed. And watching it all unfold on MTV. The band considers it an epic piece, and at nearly 7 1/2 minutes in studio form, that seems about right. The song is correctly positioned on a record that made Oasis international superstars.

In Utero doesn't always get the credit it deserves as one of the truly special alternative rock albums. There are plenty of strong deeper cuts, but closing with a No. 1 hit (Billboard's Modern Rock chart) makes a song worthy of this list. "All Apologies" earned even more praise and popularity through its version on the MTV Unplugged series. A more melodic side of the band, especially Kurt Cobain, remains an integral part of Nirvana's legacy.

As legend has it, Marley wrote "Redemption Song" around the time in 1979 when he was diagnosed with cancer that would ultimately cause his death in May 1981. It's a reflection on his own life and mortality. Some of the lyrics were also inspired by Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey. 

This always seemed like a song that would be a great album opener, but it's enjoyed legendary rock status as a quality closer — beginning with Petty and his band's self-titled debut record and then as a late-concert staple. Simply put, "American Girl" is a song many fans believe is Petty's best in a catalog loaded with special selections.

A true rap anthem, "Fight the Power" defines Public Enemy. Even before the group collaborated with thrash metal studs Anthrax. The song was actually released one year prior to Fear of a Black Planet coming out in April 1990 as part of the Do the Right Thing soundtrack.

Arguably the most emotionally powerful track on The Downward Spiral. Trent Reznor's dark musical journey about self-mutilation and addiction is far from pleasant but has an element of lyrical beauty that makes it one of the best songs in the NIN catalog. The tune reached even more ears when Johnny Cash brilliantly covered the song for his American IV: The Man Comes Around album from 2002. 

The Grammy-winning Brothers in Arms was the record that made Dire Straits stars among the mainstream pop/rock music acts of the 1980s. MTV helped with playing "Money for Nothing" around the clock, but it's the title track closer that's one of the album's most memorable pieces.

As Todd Louiso's character stated in the 2000 film High Fidelity, this song's involvement with The Big Chill disqualifies it from any such list. It is a strong choice to close an album, especially on such a stellar record as Let It Bleed. 

It's tough to pick the "best" Prince song. However, the super-charged, emotionally beautiful title track closer to his most recognizable project must be near the top. Purple Rain was a very personal album for the late legend, and the most introspective song on the record is the title cut. From the passionately poignant lyrics to Prince's scintillating guitar work to the moments of hand-waving crowd participation, it's a memorable climax to one of the great rock experiences of all time.

The appropriately titled finale of the Doors' self-titled debut runs 11 minutes, 35 seconds. It's a haunting song. Perhaps a goodbye to innocence? In many ways, that made it the perfect track to open Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam War classic Apocalypse Now. 

There are only eight songs on Skynyrd's celebrated debut release. "Free Bird" is not only the signature song on the album but also in the group's history. A longtime, classic rock staple, almost to the point of ridicule in some circles, "Free Bird" is a marathon piece at just over nine minutes long. However, it's the perfect closer, complete with plenty of emotion and a three-lead guitar finish that left plenty of listeners back wanting more.

The casual Zeppelin fan probably knows this album as the home of "Stairway to Heaven." Yet, "When the Levee Breaks" is a 7-plus-minute bluesy romp that concludes the record in style. The band was looking for something "different" for the record, most notably to show off its love for blues. So, it went for a cover of a country blues tune that Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie released in 1929 and modernized it with a new Jimmy Page guitar riff and John Bonham's amazing drumming.

The album version is just over 8 1/2 minutes, but it is full-on, aggressive classic rock at its best. Who's Next would be an exceptional album without one of the band's most beloved hits. This caps it with an exclamation point that even Jake Jarmel would not question. From Keith Moon's manic drumming to John John Entwistle's exceptional bass work to Roger Daltrey's scream to Townshend's windmill, this closer packs a mighty punch.  

The conclusion of Springsteen's breakthrough album can be described as "epic." At 9 minutes, 33 seconds, "Jungleland" tells the tale of a "spiritual battleground," in The Boss' own words, with characters like the "Magic Rat" and the "Barefoot Girl." It's also a fitting end to a record that details hope and despair with the same brilliance. Musically, it showcases the special talents of not only Springsteen coming into his own as a songwriter but Roy Bittan's superb piano playing and that memorable sax solo from Clarence Clemons.  

The entire Appetite album is a well-balanced journey of musical aggression and emotion. "Rocket Queen" is the epitome. The melodic-then-aggressive finish seems like the perfect climax to not only the most underrated song in the Guns' catalog but an album that turned the tide of mainstream rock in the late 1980s.

A truly great song concluding a groundbreaking album. "A Day in the Life" is the crowning jewel of the Sgt. Pepper's experience because it's a perfect example of the experimentation the bad put forth on the album. It's a rather psychedelic romp of current events, complete with stereophonic rhythms.

Technically, these are two separate songs to close one of the most commercially and critically successful records of all time. But, over the years, radio has combined the two. What makes Dark Side of the Moon a special album is how the songs flow into one another. There is no better example of that than these two tracks. "Brain Damage" is a Roger Waters creation inspired by former lead singer Syd Barrett's mental health issues. It's also a perfect mellow, table-setter for the impactful, climactic build-up of "Eclipse," which brilliantly concludes this sensational listening experience and leaves listeners only with a heartbeat.