CLASSIC ROCK TRACKS POLL voting thread -- deadline July 15 -- VOTING CLOSED

Cannot wait for hair metal. Cinderella and Skid Row, oh yeah.

My criteria: If I was driving and listening to CR and then arrived at my destination just as this song came on, would I sit in my car and listen to it all the way through? If yes, then it makes my list.

I've been enjoying the cutting. Taking out an artist in one fell swoop (Elton John) or even songs that I like but don't fit my definition of classic rock (sorry Alice ' s Restaurant, but you're a folklore record). But the Can't You See revelation in the other thread made me nervous. I can't just randomly cut things that I think I haven't heard, because what if I've heard them 1000 times but just never knew their name? So now I'm listening to the Spotify playlist, checking out things like Asia and Aldo Nova to see if they are long lost southern rock classics. This is torture. This is ILM.

Ok, Lonely is the Night by Billy Squier? Totally thought that was just some Zeppelin song I hadn't heard yet.

Heresy.

First pass: do I even like these songs? If no, cut. Am I so tired if these songs that they are barely noticeable to me when they come on or does the thought of listening to it right now make me sad? If yes, cut. Also listening to anything I didn't recognize by name.

Second pass: does this really fit my definition of classic rock, though? If no, cut. Also the "Come on, girl, you can't keep all the Zep/Yes/Genesis/Heart songs" pep talk and reluctant cutting.

Third pass: listening to songs that I included by rote to make sure they actually pass first/second cut tests.

Step three is how I found myself watching Def Leppard videos and marveling at their cheese and also realizing that I have had Joe Elliot's haircut for most of my adult life.

Also the "Come on, girl, you can't keep all the Zep/Yes/Genesis/Heart songs" pep talk and reluctant cutting.

In a couple cases, if there's a big artist and I like too much of their stuff, I've cut all but one of their songs out. Not the case with Heart though, I will tell you that.

Not making many new discoveries going through the list though. Some of this sounds like shit I would have heard in a McDonalds twenty years ago or something.

there will be 3 possibly 4 billy squier tracks in my top 50

Okay, is it worth me taking part in this just to rep the songs I do love, considering I really really hate the vast majority of the list? Or should I leave the party to the people who like this stuff generally?

yes put together a ballot of 20

Yeah, seriously emil.y. Join the fun. I am not making any assumptions about what the results are going to look like. The more people who join who want to make it weird, the better, imo.

As long as people don't mind, I'm up for it. Not sure I'll make it particularly weird (is 'Barracuda' weird? Man I love that song), but I do have quite *specific* tastes.

you should absolutely submit a ballot, especially if you're voting for Heart

Even though I whined a little bit in the noms thread about not being able to vote for Van Halen's When It's Love, it's worth noting that both that one and Finish What Ya Started are 1988 and therefore after the cutoff.

Not that many of you would vote for them anyway.

listening to these songs while sitting at a computer is an unusual experience
come to think of it, listening to them on purpose is an unusual experience
my most hated list is coming along nicely -- lotsa old time rock and roll, you know "the good stuff"

Definitely submit a ballot, emil.y. I agree that the more people who submit and the weirder the results the better.

I'm down to 109 and shit just got super difficult.

I just got mine down to 100. It took cold precision.

Had to be a little heartless.

no heart??

Definitely a lot of Heart. I just meant that I ruthlessly cut some favorites.

Hey, why isn't Lou Reed's "Vicious" on there? I am 100% sure I heard that song on CR radio because 1) otherwise I wouldn't have known it in high school and 2) I remember dancing around the kitchen to it when I was in 9th grade after eating a shocking amt of Cheez-Its, as I did every day in my friend's kitchen as we gossiped and listened to the radio.

Haha, my first cut left me with 14 tracks.

Also I think "Jane" is going to kill in this poll. That song rules. I thought it was called "Change" until not too long ago.

Jane is absolutely badass.

"Jane" was in heavy rotation on WLS-AM in Chicago in 1979-80 because the mayor at the time was Jane Byrne. It's all a rich tapestry.

Don't know if I'll quite make it to 100, but I expect this will be my longest ballot yet. I will include things things that were cut--I understand why they were, but I figure there's no real harm if you include them on your own ballot. But I will try to honor the spirit of the poll, i.e. only vote for things that I've heard on Q-107 here. Except when I don't, because I really, really want to vote for something.

The beginning part of the guitar solo in "Jane" is the eighth wonder of the classic rock world.

I don't see any difference b/w "songs that epitomize classic rock" and "my favorite songs."

Boy that is really true. I cut Jane in round three after I listened to it again but now I'm having second thoughts. xp

Would it be fair to say that Seger is four-fifths Bruce Springsteen and one-fifth Van Morrison with about one-twentienth of their talents?

imo that is unfair, see also:

Bob Seger Reissue News

Ugh I just listened to it AGAIN and it is so good. I kinda want it to go on forever just like the opening part and then the solo and skip all the "playin a GAAAAAAAME" stuff but it's the classic song where I had no idea who sang it, what it was called, or even whether it was a man or woman singing, but I could identify it within a few seconds of it starting and I always liked it. Quintessence of turn it up man classic rock radio for me.

As I'm sitting here trying to whittle, there are so many songs I don't recognize the titles of. Makes me realize just how many Floyd/Zep songs I don't know.

I think could make my ballot so much easier if I could place my hand on a yes button and a no button while listening to each song -- so many of these songs are not associated with words for me, just sounds.

not and, OR

Probably won't be listening to any of these before voting. If I can't conjure it in my head, it doesn't get my vote.

that was my approach

"Hmmm...Sister Christian...not as good as War Pigs, but...better than Can't Find My Way Home?"

War Pigs >>>> CFMWH >>>>>>>>> Sister Christian

see, easy!

AC/DC and Bob Seger both absent from spotify-- any other big ones?

You, sir, need to do some more motorin'.

Probably won't be listening to any of these before voting. If I can't conjure it in my head, it doesn't get my vote.

total opposite-- there are riffs in my bones I couldn't begin to guess the name/artist for

I don't see any "All That It's Worth" by Buffalo Springsteen. Worst poll ever.

xp - otm

that's why i want yes/no buttons

also have we already talked about free bird? i just watched it live on the old grey whistle test and it made my arm hairs stand up.

not and, OR

i thought your original AND was kind of perfect for classic rock.

good point

I'd like to do some random campaigning for Roll with the Changes by REO Speedwagon. I just listened to that to get an idea of if/where it might place and that song is a fucking jam.

Jane has been my biggest "ohhhh THAT song!" so far

slowly working my way through the playlist, good grief what is this black oak arkansas abomination?

I'd like to do some random campaigning for Roll with the Changes by REO Speedwagon. I just listened to that to get an idea of if/where it might place and that song is a fucking jam.

― carl agatha, Wednesday, July 2, 2014 10:46 AM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Such a perfect highway song.

yeah that one is good. i find myself wishing there were less singing in 80% of these songs. speaking of REO Speedwagon, here's something i've always wondered: can someone explain/point me to the history of the high pitched male singer? i remember being a little kid and not being able to sing as high as some of these dudes. is it robert plant? what is a classic rock poll for if not asking the really big questions?