# classic rock **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674 "2008-12-18T01:33:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/21 "2008-12-18T16:49:07Z")
For me it’s the Cars, Supertramp, & REO, mainly because of the glass-shattering, hound dog traumatizing whiny-voiced tenors who front said bands. If I am stuck in a setting (restaurant) where I have no control over the knob, I pray and hope that none of these hacks come on while I am eating, or I typically will lose my appetite. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/22 "2008-12-18T17:04:32Z")
I’ve been trying to get our local station that brags about their variety, to start a blacklist of songs but not artists to get them to play other songs besides the hits and to introduce more music to their fans. The listeners could even nominate and vote on songs! For example, AC/DC ==\> ban “Shook Me All Night Long”, but play “Let’s Get it Up” ban “Highway to Hell”, but “Jailbreak '74” is OK Or say Van Halen ==\> ban “Eruption/You Really Got Me” but “Little Guitars” good tune! ban “Hot for Teacher” but “Drop Dead Legs” isunderappreciate. The list goes on and on. Unfortunately, as much as I love Zeppelin, all their songs are overplayed on the radio these days. ---
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/23 "2008-12-19T04:27:40Z")
Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd I realize that this may cut some bar-bands’ set-lists in half, but seriously, we never need to hear these again. And we certainly never need to hear a bunch of half-drunk idiots singing along at 12:30 in the morning. And no, Mr. Mullett, the band will NOT play Bohemian Rhapsody, because there’s no piano and only one singer and he’s a f\*4king baritone. Oh good, they’ve started “Some Kind Of Wonderful”. I’m outta here. thwartme ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/24 "2008-12-19T05:06:00Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > I’ve been trying to get our local station that brags about their variety, to start a blacklist of songs but not artists to get them to play other songs besides the hits and to introduce more music to their fans. The listeners could even nominate and vote on songs! > > For example, AC/DC ==\> ban “Shook Me All Night Long”, but play “Let’s Get it Up” > ban “Highway to Hell”, but “Jailbreak '74” is OK > > Or say Van Halen ==\> ban “Eruption/You Really Got Me” but “Little Guitars” good tune! > ban “Hot for Teacher” but “Drop Dead Legs” isunderappreciate. > > The list goes on and on. > Unfortunately, as much as I love Zeppelin, all their songs are overplayed on the radio these days. I’ve been saying the same thing for years. They don’t even have to play obscure songs. Just lesser-known ones. Jethro Tull–\> ban Locomotive Breath. Play Hymn 43. The Who–\> Ban Baba O’Reilly. Play Trick of the Light. The Rolling Stones–\>Ban Brown Sugar. Play Sway. And why the hell don’t American stations play Slade? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/25 "2008-12-19T05:14:07Z")
Hey, I even sent an email to the program director at the classic rock station here in Ottawa proposing that they should stray from the standard play list from time to time. Here’s his response: > [@](#): > > Thanks for the e-mail. Your complaint is one we get fairly frequently, and it’s a tough one to address. The main reason is that with survey after survey we do some songs come back as being more popular than others. That’s what we base airplay on. At the same time, we recognize that the repetition of these songs can drive some more sophisticated rock lovers crazy, hence the reason we try to go a lot deeper on things like our Sunday programming. > Ottawa’s a really competitive radio market, with four rock stations (23 in total by my last tally) and we’ve learned over 30 years that the best way to stay competitive is by offering what the listeners say they want. The problem is, there is a huge range of people from those who want to hear just the hits, and those who want really obscure stuff all the time. You wouldn’t believe (or maybe you would) how many requests after all these years of playing it, that we get for Stairway to Heaven. As a classic rock fan myself, with pretty eclectic tastes, my perfect station would no doubt be different from yours, and both of them would probably be broader than what gets played everyday on Cxxx. I understand however what keeps most listeners satisfied, most of the time, and that’s what I do when programming the music on Cxxx. It’s kind of like any other business; find out what items sell best, and make sure you keep lots of them in stock. At the same time be sure there are products that more adventuresome customers demand. > I hope this helps, and makes some sense. > Again, thanks for the e-mail. > > Cheers, Cxxx - Name changed to protect, umm, well you never know. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/26 "2008-12-19T12:25:06Z")
Wow, 25 posts and I’m the first to say _Margaritaville_? It instantly makes me think of a fat, drunk middle aged guy in a Hawaiian shirt and a bald ponytail. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. The live version is way better than the one you hear on the radio. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/27 "2008-12-19T14:26:58Z")
Thanks for posting that, **Leaffan**. On one hand, we all probably already knew why the playlists are the way that they are. On the other hand, it was really interesting to see it articulated by the guy who actually makes the decisions. And it’s nice to see that he’s thoughtful about the tradeoffs that he’s making and willing to discuss it. You can sense a certain level of frustration there. There is one station around here that makes a big deal about playing “deep cuts.” In other words, they play supposedly lesser-known songs from the usual gang of artists. And that’s exactly what I’m saying they should do, right? But the songs that they are claiming are “deep cuts” are songs that were standard fare just a few years ago! I don’t remember any particular ones for certain, but it was on the level of playing Tull’s “Bungle in the Jungle.” BUT–I will take this opportunity to brag on New Jersey’s own WDHA. It’s pretty damn awesome. I’m not claiming they have a perfect playlist or anything, and they do play a lot of the same old boring stuff, but mixed in there are plenty of lesser known tracks AND new-ish songs too! Plus they play a lot more stuff from the '90s than most “classic rock” stations do. Sadly, stations like this are few and far between. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/28 "2008-12-19T14:50:42Z")
I think **everything** by **Bob Seeger** should be scrapped. There’s already been 2 requests…if this thread gets long I’m sure we’ll cover them all. Let’s just cut it off at the pass! I also could live without **everything** by the **Cars** (already mentioned). I only listen to the classic rock station in the morning when I wake up. Around the time my alarm goes off, they are playing a “Beatles Twin Spin” in which they will play anything from the catalog. I actually did wake up to **Hey Bulldog** the other day. Rock! I think the only reason I manage to get up out of bed in the morning is because they eventually play some Cars or Eagles and it’s just too much. I have to get up so to escape the classic rock crappitude. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/29 "2008-12-19T16:03:53Z")
Lots of good candidates for removal from the standard classic rock playlist have been mentioned, so I will avoid repeating them. Here are some my additions: [ul] [li]Layla- Derek and the Dominoes[/li][li]Jet Airliner- Steve Miller Band (Let’s add “The Joker” while I’m at it-- Good God, does that song ever annoy me.)[/li][li]Life’s Been Good to Me So Far- Joe Walsh (I like long songs, but this one just “moves” too slowly for me)[/li][li]Taking Care of Business- Bachman Turner Overdrive[/li][li]Born to Run- Bruce Springsteen[/li][/ul] In general I find the whole “classic rock” format to be tiresome because of what it seems to be limited to. There are lots of great songs out there that a lot of people would remember and appreciate that seldom if ever see the light of day over the airwaves. I suspect a lot of songs mentioned in this thread could probably be spared if it weren’t for the advertising industry exploiting these songs because of their familiarty. ---
**Author:** ![tattman40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tattman40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tattman40)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/30 "2008-12-19T18:35:21Z")
on 104.3 in ny they do “off the back wall” songs thinking they are playing some obscure music when its schools out by alice cooper for example. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/31 "2008-12-19T18:56:40Z")
Here’s a concept for the Clear Channel Borg Stations[sup]TM[/sup]: Since all of you do “Two Fer Tuesdays” why not play the hideously flogged to death song by an artist that you think we lurve, and _then_ play whatever is on the _current_ album by that artist or one of its members. So, we could hear the Beatles _Back in the USSR_ followed by whatever Paul’s just put out. (Yes, I _realize_ that in the case of McCartney, its probably dreck [the man is hugely talented, but just has poor taste in much of his post-Wings material], but its better than hearing the same shit over and over again.) Hell, music sales might even _increase_ because people would realize that their favorite artists are _still_ recording! Also, we need to ban the whole “Its 8 o’clock, time for _Stairway to Heaven_ (or whatever).” shit. I do **not** want to be able to set my watch based on what the radio station is playing. Its bad enough that you only play a half dozen different songs, but to play them _at the same time every day_ isn’t merely adding insult to injury, its also nursing you back to health simply so you can do it over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/32 "2008-12-19T18:57:12Z")
The sad thing is it’s really not that hard to come up with a playlist that is fairly recognisable and still doesn’t cover the same old ground. This took about fifteen minutes and could easily fill three hours: B B King - Why I Sing The Blues 8:38 Stephen Stills (Manassas) - How Far 2:53 Cry Of Love - Bad Thing 3:07 Tom Petty - So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star 3:36 Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Riverside 3:45 Zero - Ermaline 6:03 Tommy Bolin - The Grind 3:29 Frank Zappa - The Torture Never Stops 5:20 Deep Purple - Stormbringer 4:04 Gov’t Mule - Trane 7:27 Jimi Hendrix - Earth Blues 4:21 Little Feat - Mercenary Territory 4:24 Nuclear Valdez - Eve 3:33 Screaming Cheetah Wheelies - Hello From Venus 6:07 Robin Trower - Caledonia 3:34 Guess Who - Rain Dance 2:48 Yes - Then 5:49 Neil Young - Transformer Man 3:19 Santana/Buddy Miles - Marbles 4:18 Alan Parsons Project - Secret Garden 4:42 Gypsy - Crusader 3:10 ZZ Top - Sheik 4:04 Freddy Jones Band - In A Daydream 5:28 Allman Brothers Band - Pegasus 7:31 Grand Funk Railroad - Gimme Shelter 6:17 Black Sabbath - Fairies Wear Boots 6:16 Dire Straits - Ride Across The River 6:58 Rush - Ghost Of A Chance 5:18 Wishbone Ash - Blowin’ Free 5:31 Traffic - Love 3:15 Any songs here you’ve heard too much lately? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/33 "2008-12-19T18:59:44Z")
> [@tattman40](#): > > on 104.3 in ny they do “off the back wall” songs thinking they are playing some obscure music when its schools out by alice cooper for example. Maybe that’s what I’m thinking when I said “deep cuts.” I’m pretty sure _some_ station around here plays “deep cuts,” but I’m also pretty sure I was talking about 104.3 before. Ironically, one of the examples that I was going to use for “instead of this, they should play that” post was “Joan Jett–\>ban I Love Rock’n’Roll. Play Do You Wanna Touch Me?” And when I flipped on the radio today, guess what they were playing? 😛 But it was part of one of those “workforce block” thingies, so they really did have to play some additional Joan Jett songs. **tattman40** : Whereabouts do you live? ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Alan\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Bird)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/34 "2008-12-19T19:07:49Z")
> [@DfrntBreign](#): > > The sad thing is it’s really not that hard to come up with a playlist that is fairly recognisable and still doesn’t cover the same old ground. Not going to C&P that list but I’d say “fairly recognisable” is quite a stretch. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/35 "2008-12-19T19:08:07Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Hey, I even sent an email to the program director at the classic rock station here in Ottawa proposing that they should stray from the standard play list from time to time. Here’s his response: > Cxxx - Name changed to protect, umm, well you never know. I am in Ottawa as well, but the station I have been petitioning is BOB-FM since they seem to pride themselves in playing more variety. I have a couple of friends who are radio personalities and they swear that even when they open up the phone lines to requests they can predict the songs people will ask to hear. So, it’s back to Sweet Home Alabama, Back in Black, Rock and Roll All Nite, Welcome to the Jungle, Whole Lotta Love, etc.. U2 is a great band but it is sickening how often you hear them. My wife, who’s a huge U2 fan, will even change the channel! I have to admit I’ve gone to internet radio at work and am considering satellite radio. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/36 "2008-12-19T19:17:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, we need to ban the whole “Its 8 o’clock, time for _Stairway to Heaven_ (or whatever).” shit. I do **not** want to be able to set my watch based on what the radio station is playing. Its bad enough that you only play a half dozen different songs, but to play them _at the same time every day_ isn’t merely adding insult to injury, its also nursing you back to health simply so you can do it over and over again. You mean they play the exact same song at the exact same time? Not like DHA’s 8:00 Hair Club or Scott Muni’s lunchtime Beatles block. The same exact song? Good Og, that must be annoying. > [@DfrntBreign](#): > > The sad thing is it’s really not that hard to come up with a playlist that is fairly recognisable and still doesn’t cover the same old ground. This took about fifteen minutes and could easily fill three hours: > [list omitted] Sure. And I could come up with a similar list. Any classic rock fan who’s listened to more than the radio could. The difficulty is balancing the listener’s desire for the familiar with their desire for something a little different. Your list is too obscure for a commercial rock station. Maybe all of those songs could (and should) be played on a commercial station, but not all in a row like that. (which doesn’t mean that I’m not going to totally load that playlist onto the 'pod! Thanks!) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/37 "2008-12-19T19:31:48Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > You mean they play the exact same song at the exact same time? Not like DHA’s 8:00 Hair Club or Scott Muni’s lunchtime Beatles block. The same exact song? Good Og, that must be annoying. You have **no** idea. At a couple of jobs I’ve had, they _insisted_ on playing the classic rock station, and I knew it was time for lunch when _Stairway to Heaven_ came on (I worked **nightshift** , BTW, so this _wasn’t_ some kind of “Led Zepplin Lunch” nonsense). People wondered why I was always cranky at work, and failed to comprehend when I pointed out that the music selection process used by the radio station was akin to the Chinese water torture. Frankly, I think I’d rather be waterboarded than have to go through that again. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/38 "2008-12-19T19:44:20Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > For me it’s the Cars, Supertramp, & REO, mainly because of the glass-shattering, hound dog traumatizing whiny-voiced tenors who front said bands. I don’t know what Cars singer you’re referring to, but if it’s Ric Ocasek, you don’t know what you are talking about. He is far from a whiny-voiced tenor, and the lead singer of one of the greatest bands in rock/pop, _ever_. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/39 "2008-12-19T20:31:50Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > …Sure. And I could come up with a similar list. Any classic rock fan who’s listened to more than the radio could. The difficulty is balancing the listener’s desire for the familiar with their desire for something a little different. Your list is too obscure for a commercial rock station. Maybe all of those songs could (and should) be played on a commercial station, but not all in a row like that. > > (which doesn’t mean that I’m not going to totally load that playlist onto the 'pod! Thanks!) But that’s exactly my point. The major complaint about “classic rock radio” has always been they play the same music over and over and over. Everyone I know has commented on it at one time or aanother. I’ve never heard the opposite complaint. As for the list, I’ll give you that a few of them are always going to be obscure, but most are obscure and unfamiliar because they don’t get played. And they don’t get played because they are obscure and unfamiliar. But look again at the band names. How many of them are unknown? (And I hope you’ll like them, but I didn’t mean for that to be an actual playlist. It was a real quick and dirty process.) And **Alan Bird** , “recognisable” was probably a poor choice of words. What I meant was none of them would be out of place on a classic rock format station. IMO ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674/40 "2008-12-19T20:49:05Z")
> [@DfrntBreign](#): > > The sad thing is it’s really not that hard to come up with a playlist that is fairly recognisable and still doesn’t cover the same old ground. This took about fifteen minutes and could easily fill three hours: > > B B King - Why I Sing The Blues 8:38 > Stephen Stills (Manassas) - How Far 2:53 > Cry Of Love - Bad Thing 3:07 > Tom Petty - So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star 3:36 > Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Riverside 3:45 > Zero - Ermaline 6:03 > Tommy Bolin - The Grind 3:29 > Frank Zappa - The Torture Never Stops 5:20 > Deep Purple - Stormbringer 4:04 > Gov’t Mule - Trane 7:27 > Jimi Hendrix - Earth Blues 4:21 > Little Feat - Mercenary Territory 4:24 > Nuclear Valdez - Eve 3:33 > Screaming Cheetah Wheelies - Hello From Venus 6:07 > Robin Trower - Caledonia 3:34 > Guess Who - Rain Dance 2:48 > Yes - Then 5:49 > Neil Young - Transformer Man 3:19 > Santana/Buddy Miles - Marbles 4:18 > Alan Parsons Project - Secret Garden 4:42 > Gypsy - Crusader 3:10 > ZZ Top - Sheik 4:04 > Freddy Jones Band - In A Daydream 5:28 > Allman Brothers Band - Pegasus 7:31 > Grand Funk Railroad - Gimme Shelter 6:17 > Black Sabbath - Fairies Wear Boots 6:16 > Dire Straits - Ride Across The River 6:58 > Rush - Ghost Of A Chance 5:18 > Wishbone Ash - Blowin’ Free 5:31 > Traffic - Love 3:15 > > Any songs here you’ve heard too much lately? I think every song from “Brothers in Arms” was getting a lot of airplay the last time I listened to the radio. In all fairness, it IS a great CD. 🙂 Maybe “Skateaway” or “Industrial Disease” instead? Hey, some love for the Wheelies! Saw them open for Meat Loaf (Don’t judge me!) on the Bat Out of Hell 2 tour. I had never heard of them, but they put on a great show. I think Mike Farris (the lead singer) is performing around Nashville a lot now, primarily gospel music. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-rock/477674.md?page=3)