# How come nobody ever told me how amazing ELO were before? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685 "2011-06-07T23:17:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/21 "2011-06-08T15:11:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_Q](#): > > Whose reputation _didn’t_ it ruin? Well, mine for one. I do like ELO. I’ve been recently listening to the Traveling Wilburys and really like all the songs on Vol. 1 especially Jeff Lynne’s great rockabilly throwback “Rattled.” Any reputation he lost with Xanadu he gained back with his producing career. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/22 "2011-06-08T15:11:39Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > How come nobody ever told me how amazing ELO were before? We did. You weren’t paying attention. Good thing you showed up when you did - the Last Train to London (is just headin’ out). ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/23 "2011-06-08T15:27:30Z")
> [@LateComer](#): > > Well, mine for one. > > I do like ELO. I’ve been recently listening to the Traveling Wilburys and really like all the songs on Vol. 1 especially Jeff Lynne’s great rockabilly throwback “Rattled.” > > Any reputation he lost with Xanadu he gained back with his producing career. For those reading along at home, **The Traveling Wilburys** are a late 80s supergroup consisting of Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison. It’s really wonderful stuff, and if you like **ELO** you should give the **Wilburys** a listen. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/24 "2011-06-08T15:37:24Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > …if you like **ELO** you should give the **Wilburys** a listen. This! ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/25 "2011-06-08T15:49:23Z")
I’ve always loved [Livin Thing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SfaVIVSwxE&feature=related) but have no idea what [it’s about](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/livin'-thing-lyrics-electric-light-orchestra/5f3c91836ff0e16848256ab8000bb10a). [Telephone Line](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZB-DUCrhVQ&feature=related) is nice too. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/26 "2011-06-08T15:52:11Z")
I kinda liked ELO back in the day but they sounded just a little too poppy and highly produced for me. More recently, I’ve gotten into them more. I think back then we just had an embarrassment of riches musically, coming off the 60s and all… I was still using the Beatles as a benchmark for pop, for chrissakes. (And yeah, you kids get offa my lawn.) ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/27 "2011-06-08T17:56:18Z")
“Livin Thing” was one of the key songs of my adolescence. It was a huge hit at exactly the same time that I had my first huge crush on a girl in ninth grade. Of course, she barely noticed me. Even today, I can never hear that song without having a wave of nostalgia wash over me. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/28 "2011-06-08T18:01:33Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > How come nobody ever told me how amazing ELO were before? Nobody ever listens to me because I liked Xanadu. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/29 "2011-06-08T18:04:27Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > [Telephone Line](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZB-DUCrhVQ&feature=related) is nice too. Not if you’ve seen BILLY MADISON. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/30 "2011-06-09T00:05:40Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Not if you’ve seen BILLY MADISON. I haven’t, thankfully. I try not to watch Adam Sandler movie if at all possible. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685/31 "2011-06-09T00:18:29Z")
I have several ELO songs burned to CD out in my car and I still listen to them. I never told you about them because I’m like, old and stuff, and you wouldn’t listen to me if I did start nattering about the past . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-nobody-ever-told-me-how-amazing-elo-were-before/584685.md?page=1)