And Ram Jam with “Black Betty”.
Not a fan, but Lynyrd Skynyrd (and specifically the song “Free Bird”), sums up the whole manufactured genre label called “Classic Rock”. It’s not an authentic genre; it’s a marketing label for anything that appeals to old white guys.
I’m amazed no one has said Allman Brothers Band. And then GargoylWB has to say Bob Seger and now I am really torn. And of course that led me in the direction of George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
Today, probably so, and it’s more a radio format than a “genre,” per se, though one that has its focus on certain artists from specific genres (hard rock, heavy metal, Southern rock, etc.)
When “classic rock” stations evolved out of “album-oriented rock” stations in the early 1980s, their primary playlists – songs and artists from the mid '60s through late '70s – were songs that were, at that time, only between 5 and 20 years old. Then, they weren’t appealing to “old white guys,” they were appealing to “teen to middle-aged white guys who liked rock more than pop.”
But, as time went on, other than adding some additional artists and songs at the back end of their time frame, the basic format, and basic playlist, hasn’t fundamentally changed in 40 years, and those “teen to middle-aged guys” who were listening to the format back then, and are still listening to it now, have indeed become “old white guys.”
They’re definitely classic rock, but I kind of have them filed away in a Southern Rock compartment in my brain, so not the most representative of the whole genre.
Well, yeah. I like Skynynd. Or did in High school and college. Best friend was a big fan. You know who the band is named after?
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Their high school gym coach that said that those long hairs will never go anywhere.
After I posted, I got a little obsessed with that idea and came up with this (yeah, I know I left a bunch of people out 
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Epitome: a person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type.
- The Rolling Stones
- Led Zeppelin
- The Who
Also Keith Moon’s last performance with The Who.
All these guys throwing out Stuck in the Middle with You and not even acknowledging that torture scene. Which reminds that a significant part of Reservoir Dogs is K-Billy’s Super Sounds of the Seventies. So I’ll be good with any classic rock song as long as Steven Wright is the DJ introducing it.
Nice! Although I don’t think I have the patience or the eyesight to give it the attention it deserves, and figure out whom you’ve unjustifiably snubbed,
Heh.
As soon as I generated it I said to myself, “how could I leave out ___ and ___ and ___!” The thing is, once you plug in more than 100 words or so, some of them end up being in such tiny font you wouldn’t be able to read them anyway.
This is exactly what I thought when I read the title.
I personally listen to a lot of Pink Floyd and AC/DC.
Hard disagree - the genre was coined later for the radio market, but to me the centerpiece of classic rock was the Album-Oriented-Rock of the 1970’s (say late 1960’s to early 1980’s).
I’d probably go with the very loose consensus and pick Led Zeppelin. But I’m also fine going with the Rolling Stones.
I’m going to agree that certain bands are likely the epitome of “classic rock” depending on definitions, but aren’t generally my favorite acts of the era(s).
So what came to mind for me immediately were The Rolling Stones and AC/DC. Pink Floyd was way up there, and as a group I actually listen to more, was a bit painful to say “not quite rock enough” and disqualify.
Most of the groups mentioned have good music. Not that I think it is, or should be a criterea, but I’ve personally heard more covers of The Rolling Stones music than any of the other groups mentioned except the Beatles, and I kinda agree that the Beatles are many things at many times, but also, not fully Rock all the time.
First band I thought of was Zeppelin, second was Aerosmith, third was Thin Lizzy.
I’d probably rather listen to the Stones over each of them, but I dunno. There’s something kinda chic and introspective about the Rolling Stones that kinda puts them in a place outside of what I think of as classic rock. Plus, I think of the classic rock era as the 70s, and they had a significant drop off in quality after Exile on Main St. in the 70s (hey, it’s hard to remain on that kind of peak)
The first band I thought of on reading the question was Aerosmith.
Somehow, to me classic rock is that type of slightly “harder-but-not-metal” 70s sound with just a hint of blues, more biting than The Rolling Stones or The Who, and also more one-dimensional.
Lynyrd Skynyrd would be a close second but too geographically-marked.
The Beatles are too all over the place (in an amazing way) and so are Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac to a much lesser extent.
That term hit me hard. Wait, all the music I love is now classic? First sign of getting old.
It sure has hung on well though.
For me, I have three. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Rolling Stones, and CCR.
They arguably blew the Stones off the stage with their Rock And Roll Circus performance of A Quick One While He’s Away.