That is, songs that should be staples of rock radio and likely are in Narnia or some other damn parallel universe where people have taste.
Mine-
1.) 1977: Blue Oyster Cult, “The Golden Age of Leather.” Terrific (as always) Buck Dharma melody/vocal and an incredibly accomplished lyric, even by BOC standards.
2.) 1975: Scorpions, “Robot Man.” If you’ve never heard it, please seek this one out; you. Will. Thank me. Catchiest thing these soon to be hair metal German poofters ever stumbled across. Would love to hear someone like Lenny Kravitz do it today, with his ultra cool analog-is-king production sound.
I’ll second that, bordelond. And nominate Deep Purple’s Knockin’ at Your Back Door. You’ll find it on the radio from time to time, but not enough, IMO.
UFO - Rock Bottom - off the live album, Strangers in the Night - propulsive rhythm, heavy, with Michael Schenker playing amazing leads. Would also nominate Lights Out, Only You Can Rock Me and Too Hot to Handle…
Montrose - Rock the Nation, off the first, self-titled album. Ted Templeman’s and Donn Landee’s first attempt at Van Halen - guitar gunslinger, decent rhythm section and howling front man (in this case Sammy Hagar, who of course ended up in Van Halen). Great track.
There are dozens (and dozens and dozens) of others, but these two leapt immediately to mind from the '70’s, that I don’t hear on classic radio but rock hard and well…
I like your picks, WordMan. At 50% of the first Montrose album deserves classic status. And Strangers in the Night is one of the best live albums ever.
Queen’s “The Prophet’s Song” is a much better cut than the overplayed “Bohemian Rhapsody” on the same album (Night at the Opera).
Yes’s “The South Side of the Sky” off Fragile really should get airplay and doesn’t.
There’s a lot of Pink Floyd to be found on the radio, but they hardly ever cue up “Summer '68”, “Paintbox”, “Childhood’s End”, “Stay”, “See Saw”, …awww, heck, they just need to rotate the Floyd selection around, there aren’t many wrong cuts, they just need to quit putting on the same ones all the damn time.
I never hear Heart’s “Mistral Wind” unless I cue it up on myself.
I’m gonna nominate:
The Godz-Gotta Keep Runnin’- a classic piece of sleaze.
and Zodiac Mindwarp’s Prime Mover (“Well I Love Tv And I Love T. Rex/I Can See Through Your Skirt I’ve Got X-ray Spex”)
Queen could really rock when they tried. They had some great straightforward rock songs, like “Hammer To Fall” and “Headlong,” that maybe got overshadowed by their more ideosyncratic material.
Rock and roll music by The Frost
No Big Deal by Ambrosia(yes, THAT Ambrosia)
Shake Your Foundations by AC/DC
Could Have Been A Lady by April Wine
Rock, Jump and Holler by The Stompers
That’s all I can think of off the top of my head, I’ll post more later…
Chris W
I really have to second Robot Man Moody Bastard. This has been on heavy rotation lately around the cave here and I am really surprised how well it holds up after all of these years.
“I Got a Line on You” (original recording and 1984 re-recording with, like, a zillion guest musicians (see the video)) by (the late) Randy California and gang.
by the SuperJesus - released in Australia in August 2000 and due to machiavellian payola machinations of US Commerical Radio and the major labels - couldn’t even get a look in into the US market.
Download it. Rejoice in one of the great rock songs of the last 10 years - and with a stellar female vocal no less. And then ask yourself - how many magnificent songs get made outside of the USA each year which you’ll never know about because your industry is now so irretrievably held ransom by Clear Channel?