sigdiamond2000: This is one of the greatest rock albums ever made, and I'd be willing to bet 99.9% of the population - and about half of all AC/DC fans - have never heard even one song off of it.

I purchased that cassette at least 4 times (along with Let There be Rock and If You Want Blood).

I can throw on Powerage anytime I'm in a shiatty mood and BAM! Rockin!

For the folks touting Peter Green's FleetwoodMac, You should check out the Best of Peter Green. Awesome.

I used to like those stations that let their DJ's play what they want simply for the oppotunity to be "turned on" to some new music. That died LONG LONG ago.

The first Boston album was an instant classic with some very solid material that obviously still holds up today. Radio overplay kills everything it touches. Hate the stations and their overlords, not the artists.

Major labels don't have to push new young rock acts anymore. It's too expensive to promote a band who may or may not hit it big after recording four albums and touring for five or six years.

The major labels and Clearchannel have stacked the deck against good new music -- classic rock stations only play bands who have been established for decades, and hot-top-40 stations only push manufactured pop acts who are a license to print money. Throw in some niche marketing to the R&B and country crowd and you have the state of music today.

The best acts performing today don't get pushed by the labels or the radio stations, so they don't get hugely popular.

I think radio will improve when downloading finally kills off the major labels.

/what am I listening to today? Glad you asked. (new window)
//Why would a radio station play an old Paul Simon song that everyone has heard five hundred times when they could play this? (new window)

I remember my first transistor radio that had the FM option, and listening to my local FM station play tracks from Zep's "Physical Graffiti" in the middle of the night - and feeling spooked by it (I was young, it was when Physical Graffiti was just released, and I was unaware of most music other than the AM pablum I grew up on). It was, quite honestly, life-changing. That may be the last time I felt that way listening to a radio station.

I'd rather listen to a news channel now if I'm in the car without Sirius/XM. If in the car with the satellite radio, I like listening to Underground Garage, Classic Vinyl and Deep Cuts. They can all surprise me sometimes.

Infamous Dr. X: Japancakes: I'm sincerely not trolling. I honestly don't understand the need. Can someone explain to me WHY there are still music-playing terrestrial/satellite stations in 2010?

Maybe I'm smug, too, but I agree with most of what you're saying.

There are a few reasons, though, why it's still out there. Lest I appear pedantic and lecturing, I'll summarize:

1. Access is free (or nearly so) and there's no work involved. Whether you're in your car, on foot, on the train, sitting by the pool, or at work, you can turn on your radio and have instant access to entertainment at virtually no cost (save the investment in the radio) and with no energy/work expended (in researching which albums/tracks to accumulate and put onto a mixtape or mp3 player).

2. It's still a key part of the industry marketing machine. Despite the advent of youtube, itunes, pandora, last.fm, etc., terrestrial radio is still THE premier marketplace for the industry - for free, you are able to sample a very wide variety of product, product that you'll likely go buy some of (in form of a cd or album download). The industry WANTS people to have cost- and work-free access to their product.

3. No actual statistical data for this, but I suspect that the vast majority of people WANT radio, because it makes life easier. In some small way because their choice of outlet/music source and/or fandom of genres helps them identify themselves and seek like-minded people, just like people watch certain stations on TV or follow certain shows. The same reason people choose to join random subcultures based on hobbies, fashion, or whatever. Again, because it's cost- & work-free, it's an easy and convenient way for people to get entertained and enjoy community.

Okay, that was pretty f*ing pedantic. Sorry.

Thanks very much. That's exactly what I was looking for when I posted (out of a place of "genuinely curious-ignorance").

Oh and best live rock album honors go to "Kick Out The James" by the MC5.
Best non-rock live album goes to "Live At the Apollo" by James Brown.

sigdiamond2000: This is one of the greatest rock albums ever made, and I'd be willing to bet 99.9% of the population - and about half of all AC/DC fans - have never heard even one song off of it.

A great, big THIS.

AC/DC, down payment blues (new window)

I could easily go my entire life without ever hearing any of the hits off of Back in Black, as well as countless other songs, thanks to classic rock radio. This is all thanks to being stuck in a sign shop listening to FM radio for 15 years. Didn't take long!

It got so bad that I will gladly listen to sports talk radio for 8 hours straight.

You'd think living in one of the largest radio markets in the country would yield some variety to their rock and roll. And while I appreciate the effort to bring in some of the new young turks out there (Green Day? On MY classic rock station?! I'm sure they're just as surprised), I wholeheartedly agree that I have never, ever, ever, heard a Warren Zevon song other than "Werewolves of London."

How sick am I of 70's and 80's cheese rock, mixed with "new classics" like Nickleback? I will only listen to Oldies stations nowadays, just for the off chance that they'll play "Louie Louie" and maybe, just maybe, any of the early Who songs that isn't that kind-of-lame extended cut of "Magic Bus."

/also, I hate that U2 is played everywhere from top 40 to Alternative rock to classic rock, to lite rock. That should seal how miserably bland they are.
//I still sing along to "Magic Bus" anyway, by the way. Can't ignore those blocks!

Marisyana
It's not even about the same bands, it's about the same SONGS.

Holy god this irritates me. I hear one of two Stone Temple Pilots songs every single day on the radio. I never liked them to begin with, but seriously? They released, what, two or three albums in their entire career (not a huge fan, so there may well be more)?

devilskware: I could easily go my entire life without ever hearing any of the hits off of Back in Black, as well as countless other songs, thanks to classic rock radio. This is all thanks to being stuck in a sign shop listening to FM radio for 15 years. Didn't take long!

It got so bad that I will gladly listen to sports talk radio for 8 hours straight.

Dude, I'm CONVINCED this exact thing is what led to the sports talk boom. Pure backlash against rock radio overplay. I would pray for baseball season to start just for something different. At least we had awesome college radio in my area.

PopFreshenmeyer: You'd think living in one of the largest radio markets in the country would yield some variety to their rock and roll. And while I appreciate the effort to bring in some of the new young turks out there (Green Day? On MY classic rock station?! I'm sure they're just as surprised), I wholeheartedly agree that I have never, ever, ever, heard a Warren Zevon song other than "Werewolves of London."


Really? Our local classic schlock station manages to alternate "Werewolves" with "Lawyers, Guns and Money" pretty regularly. But that's it; apparently Mr. Zevon only wrote two songs.

It doesn't have to be olde to be classical!

drewogatory: devilskware: I could easily go my entire life without ever hearing any of the hits off of Back in Black, as well as countless other songs, thanks to classic rock radio. This is all thanks to being stuck in a sign shop listening to FM radio for 15 years. Didn't take long!

It got so bad that I will gladly listen to sports talk radio for 8 hours straight.

Dude, I'm CONVINCED this exact thing is what led to the sports talk boom. Pure backlash against rock radio overplay. I would pray for baseball season to start just for something different. At least we had awesome college radio in my area.

i generally listen to my CD collection while driving. i hear radio mostly in my wife's car. Even then it gets annoyingly repetitive. Corporate radio does this. It's all singles, commerials and jibber jabber.

The mostly Internet-based radio station from KCDX is a commercial-free jukebox of deep-cut classic rock. Mostly familiar artists, mostly unfamiliar songs, as TFA requested.

Just wanted to drop in and agree with all the intelligent AC/DC fans. Powerage is their greatest album. What's Next to the Moon is pretty much the most underrated song on their underrated album.

Ok, gonna have to give Powerage a try. If its as good as "let there be rock", i will win.

/Whole Lotta Rosie is the best song about farking fat chicks ever

GoatCheeseNog: sigdiamond2000: This is one of the greatest rock albums ever made, and I'd be willing to bet 99.9% of the population - and about half of all AC/DC fans - have never heard even one song off of it.

A great, big THIS.

AC/DC, down payment blues (new window)

That song and "Overdose" on Let There Be Rock are my two favorite AC/DC songs.

From TFA: 7. Seemingly the only nod that the entire New Wave movement will get from classic rock radio is that U2 gets played every once in a while.

THIS.

Sometimes one of the local rock radio stations play something long like "Innagaddadavida" all 17 mins, or PF's "echoes", all 23 minutes. hell, i'm pretty sure they played PF's "Dogs" once. that's pretty cool.

they started playing "thick as a brick" by Jethro Tull, and it surprised the crap outta me... but they only played the edit... first 3 mins....

I wish they'd play more stuff like Van Der Graaf Generator and/or Peter Hammill on the radio.

Peter Hamill : "Nadir's Big Chance"
Link (new window)

What amazes me is that nobody seems to care about Joe Satriani & other instramental guitar shredders of the 80's.

The stuff is straight up ROCK!!!!

PopFreshenmeyer: You'd think living in one of the largest radio markets in the country would yield some variety to their rock and roll. And while I appreciate the effort to bring in some of the new young turks out there (Green Day? On MY classic rock station?! I'm sure they're just as surprised), I wholeheartedly agree that I have never, ever, ever, heard a Warren Zevon song other than "Werewolves of London."


Really? Our local classic schlock station manages to alternate "Werewolves" with "Lawyers, Guns and Money" pretty regularly. But that's it; apparently Mr. Zevon only wrote two songs.

My local station sometimes plays, "Hula Hula Boys," but maybe that's because I live in Hawaii.

I think they play excellent songs on classic rock radio, but they play them to death. Familiarity breeds contempt. The sad truth is though, that's what people want. If no one listened, they wouldnt play it. the NYC classic rock station has the typical Stones-Aerosmith-Clapton-Beatles-Pinkfloyd-Who etc rotation, the same songs on all the time. It's one of the top 10 stations on the air. The other, barely-adventurous rock station (some newer tunes mixed with the overplayed 90s stuff) is at the bottom of the list. So blame your fellow radio listeners.

And by the way, the Eagles were a pretty damn talented band who wrote good songs. The problem is Classic Rock stations have overplayed every farking song in their catalog for the last 35 years. I used to immediately switch the station anytime an Eagles song came on (still do when I hear Hotel Calif.) But I happened to read Don Felder's book and began listening to them again, it was almost new to me since I've been turning them off for 20 years. Damn good band, and I wonder if a band like that would even get airplay today. (Band of Horses is in somewhat of a similar vein I guess).

also:
in the same vein as my previous post,

"Birthday Special"
by Peter Hammill

Link (new window)

keep in mind, both were 1975. the beginnings of 70's british punk?

Just gotta add to the Powerage love. AC/DC's best album. There is some actual lyrical content instead of the usual "I'm gonna fight, fark, and go to hell" shtick.

John Buck 41:
Agree 100% but that's a pretty low bar, isn't it? There's Fat-Bottomed Girls by Queen and Baby Got Back by some rap mofo...what else?

Don't forget the Tap.
Link (new window)

Listening to the radio to find good music is like going to McDonald's to discover some interesting new cuisine.

How to find great old music:
1. Buy a used record player somewhere, like a thrift store. Make sure it works and the needle isn't too gnarled.
2. Start buying up records from the same sources (flea markets, etc). Buy anything that looks interesting. They're only like $1 each or less usually.
3. Listen to the records. Both sides entirely, a few times.
4. Repeat from #2.

If you're really hip you'll get into 8-tracks and find a whole new dimension... but that's for the truly dedicated.

/Hi Rockers!

the problem? focus groups. no bullpuckey.

so much of this programming is the result of traveling to malls in middle america, swinging a check for $50 and a domino's pizza in front of a willing participant, and then providing a series of stupid one-or-the-other choices over the course of an hour.

you like pink floyd? oh yeah? would you rather hear "fearless" or "comfortably numb"?

excellent. how about steely dan? would you rather hear "botthisivah" or "peg"?

thank you. led zeppelin. which song do you like more, "stairway to heaven" or "hats off to roy harper"?

wonderful. here's a tough one. nazareth. here's "love hurts" and here's "waiting for the man". which one do you have stronger memories with?

excellent, please... enjoy some more pizza. now, here's "satisfaction", by the stones. would you rather hear that, or "torn & frayed"?

and so on. focus groups... especially when accounting for groupthink and the fact that they aren't directed at music fans... well, they ruin everything.

and take it from someone who worked in commercial radio, they were EVERYWHERE for a while. it cemented the lowest common denominator among programmers.

Shame Based Man: Just gotta add to the Powerage love. AC/DC's best album. There is some actual lyrical content instead of the usual "I'm gonna fight, fark, and go to hell" shtick.

John Buck 41:
Agree 100% but that's a pretty low bar, isn't it? There's Fat-Bottomed Girls by Queen and Baby Got Back by some rap mofo...what else?

Don't forget the Tap.
Link (new window)

And let's not forget Spinal Tap doing Big Bottom live (new window)

was watching that famous Woodstock documentary, and up came a band who were pretty damn awesome.

Ten Years After. I had never even heard of them... and they still perform to this day, and i grew up with classic rock, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame city.

Infamous Dr. X: Okay, that was pretty f*ing pedantic. Sorry.

Nah, nothing to apologize for, good stuff there. I know everything on FARK is supposed to be two sentences at most and full of snark, but screw that, this is the music tab and we do what we want.

I never really listened to radio when I was younger, I had a circle of friends who were music fanatics and we were very competitive about finding new stuff and introducing it to the gang. My big scores were Echo & The Bunnymen and The Smiths. Now the Internet functions like that group of friends.

Now I listen to classical music in my car and at work and sad to say, it's run on pretty much the same model as classic rock stations: the same pieces from Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, over and over. There's only one classical station of any power left in Los Angeles (KUSC) so I'm kind of stuck. If they dare play something weird or atonal, it's at 3:00 am so it doesn't frighten the children.

Henry Holland

Now I listen to classical music in my car and at work and sad to say, it's run on pretty much the same model as classic rock stations: the same pieces from Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, over and over. There's only one classical station of any power left in Los Angeles (KUSC) so I'm kind of stuck. If they dare play something weird or atonal, it's at 3:00 am so it doesn't frighten the children.

Our local classical station KMFA is plagued by DJs who confuse movie soundtracks with classical music, and by a New Agey evening show called 'Reverie' that sets my teeth on edge. We don't get much modern fare outside of Gershwin. Very rarely something by Philip Glass. The one nice thing is that the heavy rotation is fairly deep - Corelli, Sebelius (sp?), Shostakovitch, and then the usual suspects.

/ KSTX 89.1 San Antonio FTW

/ KSTX 89.1 San Antonio FTW

Woopsy.

/ KPAC 88.3 FTW

I live in Los Angeles, and I say we start small. By forbidding stations to play more than one song by Tom Petty per hour.

GreenAdder: 97X. Bam! The future of rock and roll.

There's no future anymore... (new window)

the article was toooooooo daaaamn looooooonnnnggg!

Infamous Dr. X: sigdiamond2000: Greatest live album ever recorded. Bar none.

drewogatory: Uh, just no. Live and Dangerous is with Strangers in The Night a close second.

Well, I beg to differ (as much as I love Blood). Of course, this is all wicked subjective and we can argue 'til we're all dead from exhaustion, but I have some alternative choices for "best":

The Who, Live at The Isle of Wight (1970)
The Who, Live at Leeds (Expanded De-Luxe mega edition, or whatever they called it)
Neil Young, Live at The Fillmore East (1970)
Otis Redding, In Person at The Whiskey-A-Go-Go (1966)
Cream, Wheels of Fire Disc 2 (Winterland/Fillmore, 1968)

There's a bunch of other live albums out there that I think are absolutely killer, but these five I think are the absolute tops among "classic rock"...Blood and Cheap Trick At Budokan are at the very top of the honorable mention list.

Great list, I would add "Get yer Ya-Ya's Out" and Allman's "Live at the Fillmore East".

Anyone else here have Santana "Lotus"?

every classic rock band has great tunes you've never heard, with the exception of Journey, REO, Styx, Nugent , Foreigner, and Boston. freeform radio died a horrible death, but first gave birth to the most predictable, repetitive, boring format possible.
/get the Led out
//get the floyd and eagles out while you're at it

dictyboy 2010-08-03 09:44:05 PM


Anyone else here have Santana "Lotus"?

*raises hand*
oooh oooh i do!

i got it for $33 for a used 3LP set [import] a few years ago.

T.rex: was watching that famous Woodstock documentary, and up came a band who were pretty damn awesome.

Ten Years After. I had never even heard of them... and they still perform to this day, and i grew up with classic rock, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame city.

I find this very amusing, considering your Fark handle.

My favorite AC/DC (new window)

Sorry if it's been posted.

My old Dad has a huge record collection. Lots of good old stuff: Beatles, Doors, Hendricks, Rush, Zappa, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath... He often talks about buying new records (for less than $7.00 I might add) taking his treasure home, putting on the headphones on and listening to the entire album while reading the liner notes. Sounds like fun to me.

I, on the other hand, have literally never paid for music in my entire life. I really can't come to terms with the idea of paying 20+ dollars for a CD that I know for a fact will be unplayable even after a few years of normal use. There are no lyrics to read, because there are no liner notes, the cover art will be cheap (most likely a lame photograph) and the music usually is, generally speaking, very shallow, trashy, and much like all the other music that I've already been exposed too very repeatedly.

If music is dying it's because the RIAA is killing it.

/2c
//getting off lawn