# Songs that make you want to stick pencils in your ears **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 27, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163 "2019-06-27T16:21:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/141 "2019-07-02T18:48:39Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > I have a pet theory that the rise of classic rock radio parallels the rise of today’s cultural conservatism. A whole generation of (mostly) middle and working class whites think everything was perfect back in the early 80s and only want to hear what they loved then. Plus they can sing along with it. > > The popularity of modern country only confirms this idea. Take away the southern accents, and a lot of it sounds just like 70s and 80s MOR rock. Maybe you weren’t aware of it, but the same thing happened in the early '70s, when the hits of the '50s were dusted off and got a lot of airplay. I doubt it has anything to do with political conservatism. Old farts like myself (I’m 64) just enjoy listening to the music they grew up with. I suspect hits of the '20s, '30s, and '40s would also have been recycled 10–15 years later if a comparable pop culture had been in existence then. (They ended up on Lawrence Welk’s show instead.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/142 "2019-07-02T18:59:14Z")
I grew up in the 80s, and the “classic rock” of the late-60s to late 70s (maybe touching into the early 80s, but I remember it all being 70s at the latest) was pretty huge here, as well, and had nothing to do with cultural conservatism, from what I can tell. All the rockers when I was in high school from '89-'93 listened to a lot of classic rock, and I grew up in a politically mixed area (I’m in Chicago, but don’t be under the impression that the whole city is liberal because it votes Democratic. It is not.) ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/143 "2019-07-02T19:20:28Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Maybe you weren’t aware of it, but the same thing happened in the early '70s, when the hits of the '50s were dusted off and got a lot of airplay. I doubt it has anything to do with political conservatism. Old farts like myself (I’m 64) just enjoy listening to the music they grew up with. I suspect hits of the '20s, '30s, and '40s would also have been recycled 10–15 years later if a comparable pop culture had been in existence then. (They ended up on Lawrence Welk’s show instead.) > [@pulykamell](#): > > I grew up in the 80s, and the “classic rock” of the late-60s to late 70s (maybe touching into the early 80s, but I remember it all being 70s at the latest) was pretty huge here, as well, and had nothing to do with cultural conservatism, from what I can tell. All the rockers when I was in high school from '89-'93 listened to a lot of classic rock, and I grew up in a politically mixed area (I’m in Chicago, but don’t be under the impression that the whole city is liberal because it votes Democratic. It is not.) Not to completely derail the thread, but … I never meant to imply that everyone who likes classic rock is a MAGA head – that’s obviously false. IANAS, but it just seems that the cultural shift that’s made classic rock (and modern country) so bankable is part of the same shift that’s brought us to MAGA. “Hey, you non-white kids, quit playing that hippy-hoppy shit on my lawn!” (_puts in earbuds, plays “I Won’t Back Down” for the 900th time_) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/144 "2019-07-02T20:25:33Z")
I don’t think there’s anything new about people clinging to the music of their youth. In my dad’s generation there were people who hated rock and roll, and would only listen to big band music. Often when a new musical genre comes around, it’s embraced by the young and reviled by the old. At the same time, young people often reject the music of their parents’ generation. When I was a kid, things like big band jazz and Frank Sinatra were seen by me and my peers as hopelessly square. The same thing happened with the coming of jazz in the teens and be-bop in the forties. It’s happened again (sort of) with the coming of rap. This isn’t a reactionary political thing. I know plenty of leftists and progressives who don’t like rap, and would rather listen to the music that was popular when they were in high school and college. It’s actually unusual (and, to me, encouraging) that young people today haven’t rejected rock music. Lots of kids today love the music of their parents’ and grandparents’ generations. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/145 "2019-07-02T21:06:10Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > “Hey, you non-white kids, quit playing that hippy-hoppy shit on my lawn!” (_puts in earbuds, plays “I Won’t Back Down” for the 900th time_) In my observation, it’s more a case of generational chauvinism biased toward the 70s ( when they were young adults ) “Hey you millennial philistines, quit playing that acid rock!” ( I’ve actually heard them use that term today; to them, anything harder than ‘Bostons’ ‘More than a feeling’ ) _Then proceed to play The Eagles or Fleetwood Mac greatest hits_. The emphasis on “hits”. Nothing too eclectic like the third track on the “B” side of their treasured LPs or cassettes. They loves them some vanilla. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/146 "2019-07-02T21:38:38Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > In my observation, it’s more a case of generational chauvinism biased toward the 70s ( when they were young adults ) > > “Hey you millennial philistines, quit playing that acid rock!” ( I’ve actually heard them use that term today; to them, anything harder than ‘Bostons’ ‘More than a feeling’ ) _Then proceed to play The Eagles or Fleetwood Mac greatest hits_. > > The emphasis on “hits”. Nothing too eclectic like the third track on the “B” side of their treasured LPs or cassettes. They loves them some vanilla. I understand that every generation favors the music they heard growing up. What bugs me about classic rock is that – unlike big-band jazz or 50s rock – it became a dominant, go-to format long after its original impact had worn off, and remains so to this day. It didn’t become nostalgia; it remained mainstream. I also understand that’s because the generation that grew up on this stuff was the biggest, wealthiest, most influential generation ever. And I see a parallel between that big, wealthy, influential generation’s clinging to its music and that big, wealthy, influential generation’s clinging to other cultural tropes such as English-only, white Christians in charge and “traditional” families. Yes, lefties can love classic rock, and white supremacists can love death metal. I’m talking broad cultural stuff, not individual tastes. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/147 "2019-07-02T22:39:56Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > What bugs me about classic rock is that – unlike big-band jazz or 50s rock – it became a dominant, go-to format long after its original impact had worn off, and remains so to this day. It didn’t become nostalgia; it remained mainstream. I think this is a gross oversimplification. I don’t believe it’s “go-to” for everyone, and for those who are partial to it, there is an element of nostalgia. So it seems to me you’re mistaken on both counts. There are many genres of music today, and each one has its own following. At the same time, there’s a lot of overlap. I’m not confined to any one style or artist, and what I listen to is determined by my mood. I can enjoy music from all decades equally, and I do. ---
**Author:** ![by-tor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/by-tor/32/266_2.png) [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/148 "2019-07-03T00:29:28Z")
Any song with auto-tune as an effect. Any Polka. All new country and a lot of old country. Country music is perverted Blue Grass as far as I am concerned. All carnival music. Most Show tunes. Most rap music after 1990. Modern R&B, especially anything with vocal gymnastics in it. Grunge, Emo, and other whiny/depressing music for the most part. Glam metal. Get offa my lawn! ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/149 "2019-07-03T02:10:46Z")
“Honey” - Bobby Goldsboro “In the Year 2525” - Zager and Evans Pretty much anything by America Anything by Gary Puckett ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/150 "2019-07-03T13:52:21Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > Almost anything by Billy Joel, but especially “Piano Man.” His picture should be next to the word “unctious” in the dictionary. I can’t believe I forgot to add that one to my list of hated songs. ---
**Author:** ![Snake\_Plissken\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Snake\_Plissken\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake_Plissken_1)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/151 "2019-07-03T14:14:27Z")
…or ‘American Pie’. Again, life is way too short and those songs are way too long. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/152 "2019-07-03T14:33:59Z")
What kills me is that there’s “Classic Badass Rock” and “Classic Crappy Rock”. But only one of those two get played these days. Whenever I have to hear one of those stations, I always get my hopes up for a second when an artist’s name is mentioned, only to have them dashed by hearing their one or two Middle Of The Road songs that get airplay over and over. Case in point “We’ll be right back with more fart jokes, but first, some Steve Miller Band…” (Wow! Hope it’s an early track, or maybe the jazzy stuff he did with Ben Sidran…) Nope, _Fly Like An Eagle._ Again. That was from the day I tried listening to twenty minutes of a “morning drive time” station. I clicked back to NPR when I realized that I could feel my IQ slipping a notch every time the DJs laughed over a song… ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/153 "2019-07-03T14:34:22Z")
Just thought of three more that I file in the trash heap as _Hey There Delilah_: Deep Blue Something - _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ Tal Bachman - _She’s So High Above Me_ Blessid Union of Souls - _Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me For Me)_ Not sure if these came out around the same time and it was the trend to sound like an emasculated weenie or if I just mentally house them together because they all illicit the same response from me (anger. unreasonable, irrational anger). ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/154 "2019-07-03T14:45:13Z")
> [@Snake\_Plissken](#): > > …or ‘American Pie’. > Again, life is way too short and those songs are way too long. We saw a guy in Nashville cover “American Pie” just like he learned it from an old 45 – a couple of skips and repeats, plus a 30-second gap in the middle from when he had to turn the record over. Genius. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/155 "2019-07-03T15:19:51Z")
I was in a (male) gay bar once, and Madonna’s version of American Pie came on. When you hear a bar full of gay men screaming “Turn it off!” at a Madonna song, you know it’s really bad. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/156 "2019-07-03T16:10:42Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Not sure if these came out around the same time and it was the trend to sound like an emasculated weenie or if I just mentally house them together because they all illicit the same response from me (anger. unreasonable, irrational anger). The ultimate emasculated weenie song: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92oT9rvnr\_E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92oT9rvnr_E) :mad: ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/157 "2019-07-03T16:32:09Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The ultimate emasculated weenie song: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92oT9rvnr\_E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92oT9rvnr_E) :mad: Grrrrrrrrr. Brought to you by the same wankers who are responsible for the asinine _Baby I’m-a Want You_. In fact, looking over Bread’s catalog, I think we can safely say they are the definitive “Soulless Whinger” band of their time. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/158 "2019-07-03T16:38:02Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I think this is a gross oversimplification. I don’t believe it’s “go-to” for everyone, and for those who are partial to it, there is an element of nostalgia. So it seems to me you’re mistaken on both counts. > > There are many genres of music today, and each one has its own following. At the same time, there’s a lot of overlap. I’m not confined to any one style or artist, and what I listen to is determined by my mood. I can enjoy music from all decades equally, and I do. When did I say classic rock was a “go-to” for everyone? My beef is not that it’s some dominant genre that stops you (or anyone) from enjoying others – my beef is that it’s a _genre at all_. There’s no major difference between mainstream rock recorded from 1966-86 and that recorded since then, except that a huge slab of people (most of them from a particular demographic) grew up with it and continue to prefer it. Yeah, I like it, too – as long as I also get to hear other genres and other eras. But when someone says their favorite music is classic rock, it’s like they closed their mind to new ideas (musical and otherwise) 30 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/159 "2019-07-03T20:16:21Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I was in a (male) gay bar once, and Madonna’s version of American Pie came on. When you hear a bar full of gay men screaming “Turn it off!” at a Madonna song, you know it’s really bad. When that song was released, radio stations were being bombarded with requests to NOT play it. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163/160 "2019-07-03T20:21:14Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Oi! You can’t touch The Hutch! I loved that song, at the time, but keep in mind that I was 13 years old. Found out later that he was a coke-addled wife-beater. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-make-you-want-to-stick-pencils-in-your-ears/836163.md?page=9)