CLASSIC ROCK TRACKS POLL: THE RESULTS

Good afternoon, listeners, thanks for tuning in to 107.7 WILX "The Aorta." Starting on Monday, we will be rolling out the top 100 tracks of all time, as decided by 63 voters, with beautiful images courtesy of gr80.

You all voted for a total of 917 songs, and remember there were only 861 in the official nominations list, so that's a lot of write-ins.

But first, we are starting things off with our subpolls. And for a very special "no request weekend" you told us what songs you say NO to requesting. That's right, the 10 worst classic rock songs of all time, coming up in a few minutes.

that's powerful stuff

yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

37 ballots came with 'worst' lists. Here are the 10 songs that made you say "stay away from me-hee":

10. The Guess Who – American Woman
31 points, 4 votes, 2 worst place votes

Wow, really? Is this residual hatred for Lenny Kravitz? I have no need for the long version of this but the core of the song is super rockin'!

Huh, is it just the cheap America-bashing that people hate?

8. (tie) Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville
33 points, 5 votes

oops, did not bold that one

8. (tie) Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville
33 points, 5 votes

wtf American Woman

I HATE "American Woman", voted it 7th worst.

"Now woman, I said stay away
American woman, listen what I say"

but if she stays away, how can she hear him? hideously stupid

Nibblin' on sponge cake,
watchin' the sun bake;
All of those tourists covered with oil.
Strummin' my six string on my front porch swing.
Smell those shrimp
They're beginnin' to boil.

8. (tie) Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
33 points, 4 votes, 1 worst place vote

disgusting
both of them
bring it on!

whoops xp

107.7 WILX "The Aorta" is going to make me laugh all week long.

hahahahha okay, that's fair - but surely true of lots of "woman, get thee gone!" songs. Listen this one last time, etc.

But that lead guitar sound, man! Like a balloon overfilled with diesel fumes, something really great about that. DOODLE OO DOOOOOOOOO

"Margaritaville" made my 100 on principle - Jimmy Buffett filled a lot of the empty playlist slots where I wasn't hearing lower-tier Bob Seger et al. down south. Not my favorite Buffett but it's fine.

that was xpost to Euler re: American Woman

"Don't Stop Believin'" is soooooo painfully overplayed and over-heralded, these days more than ever. I cannot imagine a state of mind where I'd be glad to hear it.

I hate "Don't Stop Believin'" with a deep abiding hatred

"Now woman, I said stay away
American woman, listen what I say"

but if she stays away, how can she hear him?

Always loved the song--even more so, now!

wow, does it really say "I don't need your ghetto scenes" ???

yeah man, we don't need Canadian rockers judging Americans ::turns up "Southern Man"::

I still like Don't Stop Believin', but whatever you guys. Good work on the American Woman and Margaritaville.

(xxpost) It does. Burton Cummings had a real anti-hippie thing (cf. "Hand Me Down World" too)--except when it was convenient to sound like a hippie ("No Sugar Tonight," "Share the Land"). He was all things to all people. He was as shameless and as trashy as it got.

tbh I hate "Southern Man" even more b/c I actually like Neil Young, whereas the Guess Who...well, I guess it's fun to sing "These Eyes" as "These Nuts", I'll give them that.

I wonder how many of the "Worst" songs here will place in the main poll! I don't expect "Margaritaville" will come close, but DSB had a surprising number of defenders here: "Come Sail Away" vs. "More than a Feeling" vs. "Don't Stop Believing"

believe it or not, there are TWO ties in this top ten, and here comes the other one:

6. (tie) Bob Seger – Old Time Rock & Roll
39 points, 7 votes, 1 worst place vote

I voted for Don't Stop Believing in my main list, mainly cause it's truly one of those songs where everyone knows the words (at least the first verse), and listening to the song in a big group is a lot of fun, even if I would mostly switch the station if it came on the radio.

DSB got my one Journey vote. didn't vote for Margaritaville but I like it, probably b/c I left Florida when I was 13

I never submit worst lists, but if I had, "Old Time Rock & Roll" would have been my #1.

I guess the Seger song is overexposed? I don't care about it one way or another, though Risky Business is probably my favorite movie

listening to the song in a big group is a lot, yes. Fun, no.

My mandatory listening thread has totally opened my eyes on Seger, who I previously gave credit only for "Katmandu" and "Night Moves" (which I came to late in life). But "Old Time Rock & Roll" still seems like a real dog to me, just forced as hell and the lyrics really miss out on chances for specificity in favor of hoary old filler lyrics. Which is sorta old time rock and roll but it would have been great if he'd really brought some Berry-like wit and imagination to the lines - "Roll Over Beethoven" rocks harder while being more delightful and believable as the words of a man excited to rock.

"Margaritaville" was absent from my worst ballot because I never think of it as CR--it has more of an oldies station or dentist's office vibe for me--but I'm happy to see it place.

won't go to hear 'em play a tang-o

I've never really understood which rock 'n' roll songs "Old Time Rock & Roll" is supposed to sound like

well, yeah

6. (tie) The Eagles – Hotel California
39 points, 5 votes

each of these songs sounds like it should be blasting out of tinny speakers at a car dealership
to me it's the sound of desperate (sometimes macho) fake fun

i admire "don't stop believin'" for the resolute weirdness of its structure:

intro verse verse verse bridge verse verse bridge solo chorus chorus fadeout

plus it's a pretty great song.

bibbity bup at the hotel california

Don, Glenn, and the Eagles had SEVERAL songs in contention for this list that missed the top 10 btw

my money was on "Witchy Woman," oh well

"Hotel California" just missed worst list for me on strength of its final solo - always kinda stoked to hear those cascading guitars in sync. The rest is a snooze but usually refreshing when heard in a non-Eagles cover that people actually seem to like - I respond to enthusiasm. Is there anybody in the world who still turns on the radio and is hoping to hear the Eagles version of the song? Kinda the ultimate in CR canon wearing out an okay song until it's a detestable ubiquity.

I don't hate Hotel California. Didn't vote for it, but I still like the guitar sound on the solo.

Old Time Rock & Roll is the first of these that was on my worst list and one of two Bob Seeger songs on my worst list.

I know some of y'all love him but he makes me grind my teeth.

Voted life in the fast lane on my worst list, to me the pinnacle of Henley's dumbass cynicism masquerading as trenchant social commentary

margaritaville TOO LOW

"old time rock & roll" woulda been my #1 dog if i had submitted a dogs list. any and all today's-music-ain't-got-the-same-soul complaints, from any era, make me want to gag, but never more so than when they become massive hits in the very era they're complaining about.

also: wtf complaiing about hearing too many tangos in 1978? where was he getting his pop culture information? from 20-year-old chuck berry records?

I voted for "Witchy Woman" as sixth worst, worser than bullshit "American Woman". the opening notes of "Witchy Woman" are enough to get me to smash the radio, and that's before the awful vocals. I think I hate vamps, and, well, the Eagles.

huge kudos to some dude for the thread title, btw. raw, simple and self-explanatory, like boston or the cars.

I voted for Margaritaville at number 8 on my worst list actually, so good job everybody.

margaritaville TOO LOW

― resulting post (rogermexico.), Saturday, July 26, 2014 1:00 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^ this. I used to work in an office where the bosses had Buffett playing on repeat. Heard "Margaritaville" an average of five times a day. It was the company's hold music too, so at least once a day I'd take a call where a customer would excitedly say, "HEY, COOL HOLD MUSIC! ARE YOU A PARROTHEAD?" "No, sir, I am not. How may I help you?"

and now, we continue sticking it to Winnipeg:

5. Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Takin’ Care of Business
45 points, 7 votes, 1 worst place vote

haha okay will admit that tarfumes's story sounds like pure hell

Don't like this one, but You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet is worse.

"Takin' Care of Business" is fun! Very stupid, but fun. Work out!

context of overplay has got to be a huge factor in everyone's hates

Is there anybody in the world who still turns on the radio and is hoping to hear the Eagles version of the song?

no, but i never ever turn it off when i do hear it. made my top 100.

seems like there might be an obvious #1 here (for musical and non-musical reasons)

man we shoulda voted for our Friday 5 o'clock whistle songs, I'd have voted for "Takin Care of Business" there. along with "Shanty".

lol

"Takin' Care of Business" has a great guitar lead. i really don't understand why "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" has a better rep w/ y'all.

forgot all about the five o'clock whistle

FRIDAY
FRIDAY
FRIDAY
FRIDAY
FRIDAY
FRIDAY

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE

-> "Bang the Drum All Day" -> "Shanty"

"You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" better make the top songs rollout.

I do or have sometimes actively enjoyed 9 or 10 of the songs on this list, and this is probably my favorite:

4. Billy Joel – Piano Man
55 points, 7 votes, 2 worst place votes

this is like the Eagles making the worst list for Hotel California ... so many worse Billy Joel songs to choose from

glad they are both represented tbh

starting to get nervous that we may not see the Doors on this list at all

YES! Forgot to vote for this because I assembled my worst ballot hastily, but I fucking despise every second of this song's miserable existence.

Chill out, man. Have a tonic and gin.

Do you mind if I make love to it?

I was the #1 Vote for DSB. It's rise to a "Stairway.../Freebird/Hotel California"-level CR Staple is one of the worst things to happen to the format. Plus, since it's popped up on some TV shows, the thing has become a go-to shorthand for a great 'old song' by a lot of younger people I know.

FWIW, I'm just not that into Journey on the whole.

also: wtf complaiing about hearing too many tangos in 1978?

The Evita musical was a big deal at the time

this one was a widely tipped favorite for #1, which should give you an idea of just how hated the other 2 songs are...

3. Don McLean – American Pie
68 points, 8 votes, 3 worst place votes

don't do hate lists but this is sort of fun.

Saved by the Mott the Hoople live version "The day the music died...OR DID IT?"

this one was a widely tipped favorite for #1, which should give you an idea of just how hated the other 2 songs are...

legit suspense here tbh! what could be worse?

okay wait i can think of one: Defend the Indefensible: "Wonderful Tonight"

"Margaritaville", "Old Time Rock and Roll", and "Takin' Care of Business" are the ones I dislike from this list. "Old Time..." is by far my least favourite.

Interesting: 10 years ago, I would have picked DSB as a top Journey song and it would have easily made my favourites list. When I listened to things this time around, I realized that there were several other Journey songs that I enjoy far more now. Probably just a result of overplay over the last 5-8 years or so.

I don't do 'worst' lists though.

so the last two "Piano Man" and "American Pie" made my main list.

and now, a song that I've heard far too many amateur guitarists proudly show off their ability to play:

2. Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
72 points, 11 votes, 3 worst place votes

I think what makes "Wonderful Tonight" especially loathsome is that it's this 'romantic' song that seems to be unwittingly told from the perspective of a hopeless drug addict whose girlfriend has to drag him home and put him to bed at the end of the night

my worst Clapton selection was "I Shot the Sheriff" but on reflection this is more representative

I think what makes "Wonderful Tonight" especially loathsome is that it's this 'romantic' song that seems to be unwittingly told from the perspective of a hopeless drug addict whose girlfriend has to drag him home and put him to bed at the end of the night

― some dude, Saturday, July 26, 2014

EXACTLY

::tips shades:: I think we're ready for #1

1. George Thorogood – Bad To The Bone
73 points, 9 votes, 1 worst place vote

Was a "do not play" at my recent wedding, DJ played it anyway, such is the song's awful power

Xp, obviously

bu bu bu bu bu bu barf

here is your Spotify playlist of (most of) the 25 worst classic rock songs of all time, should you dare to listen:
http://open.spotify.com/user/1219464571/playlist/0scmjFFi4ZPkfaCFpFzPGA

1. George Thorogood – Bad To The Bone
73 points, 9 votes, 1 worst place vote

2. Eric Claptop – Wonderful Tonight
72 points, 11 votes, 3 worst place votes

3. Don McLean – American Pie
68 points, 8 votes, 3 worst place votes

4. Billy Joel – Piano Man
55 points, 7 votes, 2 worst place votes

5. Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Takin’ Care of Business
45 points, 7 votes, 1 worst place vote

6. (tie) The Eagles – Hotel California
39 points, 5 votes

6. (tie) Bob Seger – Old Time Rock & Roll
39 points, 7 votes, 1 worst place vote

8. (tie) Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
33 points, 4 votes, 1 worst place vote

8. (tie) Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville
33 points, 5 votes

10. The Guess Who – American Woman
31 points, 4 votes, 2 worst place votes

11. (tie) Blood, Sweat & Tears – Spinning Wheel
26 points, 3 votes, 2 worst place votes

11. (tie) Billy Joel – Captain Jack
26 points, 3 votes, 2 worst place votes

11. (tie) Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On
26 points, 7 votes

14. (tie) Joe Cocker – With A Little Help
25 points, 5 votes, 1 worst place vote

14. (tie) Eric Clapton – I Shot The Sheriff
25 points, 5 votes

14. (tie) Led Zeppelin – D’Yer Mak’er
25 points, 4 votes

14. (tie) The Eagles – Heartache Tonight
25 points, 4 votes, 1 worst place vote

18. Styx – Come Sail Away
21 points, 3 votes, 1 worst place vote

19. (tie) Foreigner – I Want To Know What Love Is
19 points, 3 votes

19. (tie) John Lennon – Imagine
19 points, 4 votes, 1 worst place vote

21. (tie) Don Henley – Dirty Laundry
18 points, 3 votes

22. (tie) Billy Joel – It’s Still Rock & Roll To Me
18 points, 3 votes

22. (tie) Dire Straits – Walk of Life
18 points, 3 votes

22. (tie) Steve Miller – The Joker
18 points, 4 votes

25. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Teach Your Children
17 points, 3 votes

best albums countdown on Sunday btw

"Bad To The Bone" invented Blueshammer.

god bless the other three votes for "d'yer maker"

absence of Doors is highly suspicious though

not angry, just disappointed that no one shares my endless burning hatred for

Paul McCartney/Wings - Silly Love Songs

The Doors were 'victims' of vote-splitting -- 6 different songs got votes, only "Roadhouse Blues" got more than one.

OK, nos. 1 and 2 are pretty indefensible. I've long wondered if Clapton intended "Wonderful Tonight" to be darkly humorous/ironic.

yeah, i can get behind not liking those two songs.

I had different songs by Thorogood (Move It On Over) Clapton (I Shot The Sheriff) and Joel (Captain Jack). Also chose Glen Frey (The Heat Is On) over any Eagles.

Don't Stop Believin', however, was my #1 107.7 jam, which is the rare song that gets better for me every single time I hear it.

b-b-b-b-but b-b-b-bo diddley in the "b-b-b-b-bad to the bone" video!

Here's my worst ballot:

Styx – Come Sail Away
Kansas – Dust in the Wind
Boston – Foreplay/Longtime
America – Horse With No Name
Emerson Lake and Palmer – Lucky Man
Foreigner – Hot Blooded
Bachman Turner Overdrive – You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet
Bryan Adams – Summer of 69
Jimmy Buffett – Margaritaville
REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You

Can't complain cause I didn't vote, but no "Hey Jude?"

I truly hate Come Sail Away.

Also, where's the hate for "Horse With No Name"? Do people think of it fondly cause it was in that one episode of Breaking Bad?

i don't hear "Hey Jude" on CR radio that much anymore. "Get Back" is the scourge of my existence now.

My Please Die list.
Blood Sweat & Tears-Spinning Wheel
Jethro Tull-Aqualung
Eric Clapton-I Shot the Sheriff
Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky
The Moody Blues-I'm Just A Singer In A Rock And Roll Band
Billy Joel-Captain Jack
Ram Jam-Black Betty
George Thorogood-Move It On Over
Glen Frey-The Heat Is On
Linda Rondstadt When Will Be Loved

(xp) would love to live in a world in which there is no "get back."

"Horse With No Name" got some votes

The Heartache Tonight worst-place is mine. So many to choose from though, I definitely had at least one other limp Eagles classic in there.

But xp I don't understand how Roadhouse Blues can be a multiple pariah. Even if you hate The Doors, that's still pure untouchable essence of rock surely? There are so many better candidates. It'd be like, I dunno - hating Zeppelin, especially Rock And Roll; or hating drinking, especially water.

not angry, just disappointed that no one shares my endless burning hatred for

Paul McCartney/Wings - Silly Love Songs

― Brad C., Saturday, July 26, 2014 2:03 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

someone does; i just didn't vote in this subpoll

Was going more by the (justifiable) hatred for HJ expressed elsewhere on ILM, but good point.

absence of Doors is highly suspicious though

― resulting post (rogermexico.), Saturday, July 26, 2014 2:02 PM (10 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"Peace Frog" made my ballot. So many to choose from, though.

Where now stands the Sake Bar Decibel on 9th Street in NYC there used to be a karaoke bar with a live backing band. They had very thick Japanese accents that were pretty much impenetrable, with which they would sing a number of their own covers now and then but would also announce the customer selections. One of these I heard as '"Where Are You, Donna?" by Eddie Cochran' which turned out to be "Wonderful Tonight," by Eric Clapton. That is all I have to say about that song.

Aw, I love "Aqualung" and "Eye in the Sky".:(
xposts

"Heartache Tonight" hate surprised me, that's totally one of the best Eagles tonight

er best Eagles songs

BLAST First (from politeness) billy joel – captain jack
2 moody blues – nights in white satin
3 loggins and messina – your mama don’t dance
4 sammy hagar – I can’t drive 55
5 supertramp – the logical song
6 emerson, lake & palmer – karn evil 9 (1st Impression, part II)
7 don henley – all she wants to do is dance
8 don henley – dirty laundry
9 the eagles – take it to the limit
10 bob seger – old time rock and roll

Aqualung-Prog is a blind spot for me, and flutes make me angry. Clarinets too.

thought gary glitter would take this

feel like people here have generally not held the crimes of the person against their music, and in Glitter's case the crimes have kind of eclipsed whatever feelings the music generated

Also: In America, his most famous recording is something most people don't know (A) who performs it, and (B) what the song is actually called.

Worst:

1 Stevie Ray Vaughan – Pride And Joy
2 The Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar
3 George Thorogood – Bad To The Bone
4 Bob Seger - Old Time Rock and Roll
5 Dire Straits – Money For Nothing
6 Bryan Adams – Summer Of ‘69
7 Glenn Frey – The Heat Is On
8 John Fogerty – Centerfield
9 Bob Seger – Turn The Page
10 The Tubes - She's a Beauty

Also re:the Doors: I hate their collected body of work, but none of their individual CR canon songs is as bad as any of the songs on my worst list.

If I did a top 30 worst, there might be a Doors song., but none are so egregious as to make top 10.

btw, at the conclusion of the top 100 on Friday, i will start a ballots thread, and will encourage people to hold off on posting their ballots for the poll and subpolls until then

She's A Beauty?

it got literally 1 point on the worst poll. it is the least worst.

my most hated:

Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Takin’ Care of Business
Jimmy Buffett – Margaritaville
Blood, Sweat & Tears - You've Made Me So Very Happy
Bob Seger – Old Time Rock & Roll
The Eagles – Hotel California
Billy Joel – It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me
Van Halen – Hot For Teacher
Sammy Hagar – I Can’t Drive
Loggins & Messina-Your Mama Don't Dance
Little River Band - Reminiscing

"Still Rock and Roll to Me" got robbed

the song Billy Joel wrote after his bandmates convinced him that there was a hip new musical genre called "Funny Butt"

Reminiscing was right on the bubble for me. so dreadful.

She's A Beauty?

Mostly for the execrable, misogynist video, which was on heavy rotation on Philadelphia's home grown video show Video Rock and was egregious even for the early 80s.

i like "old time rock n roll" a lot, it sounds more pissed off than joyous to me.

It's definitely not that joyous but I don't find the reactionary grumpiness particularly compelling, even as someone who generally prefers rock to disco: is this really what we listen to rock and roll for? More importantly, I don't feel like the obvious chug-along music makes a very strong case for rock and roll. American heartland rock is my blind spot, though. (I voted for one Springsteen song.)

More importantly, I don't feel like the obvious chug-along music makes a very strong case for rock and roll.
Think there was a thread about this kind of song but can't seen to find it

All I could find was this Not liking old music doesn't make a young person stupid. Liking new music doesn't make an old person smart.

haha i am listening to the 'worst' playlist and GROOVING. "Captain Jack" and Cocker's "With A Little Help" are a-OK with me.

fuck, even the drums on "I Shot The Sheriff" kind of knock

Good enough for epmd

Homages to 1950s/early 1960s rock recorded in the 1970s always sound so odd to me. It makes me wonder to what extent the '70s artists were conscious of making an up-to-date, contemporary tune with a "Golden Oldies" subject matter versus sincerely trying to emulate or evoke a retro sound, because the results always sound more of the '70s than the '50s in terms of feel and sonics. Thinking of songs like "Old Time Rock & Roll," the Carpenters' "Yesterday Once More," or even straight-up covers like Linda Ronstadt's version of Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy."

"Bad to the Bone" is such shit. It comes on the radio every single car trip, and I want to die.

So glad I wasn't the only one to vote for Brown Sugar. Ugh. Cannot imagine the people for whom it is, apparently, preferable to ''Teach Your Children,'' ''Walk of Life'' and motherfucking ''Come Sail Away.'' However, the entire exercise has probably been worth it for 'Eric Claptop.'

Clappin' your troubles away with the Claptop.

''I Shot The Sheriff's'' drums are also, I think, sampled on King Biscuit Time's ''I Walk The Earth,'' which rides the loop for like six minutes or something without getting old. So I'll give that to ol' Claphand.

I don't understand why no-one nommed The goddamed stupid Stroke & why it isn't #1

hate u guys so much right now

*kicks dirt*

My votes for worst (nothing in the top ten)

Asia - Heat of the Moment
Chicago - Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is
Don Henley - Dirty Laundry
The Eagles - Heartache Tonight
Journey - Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'
Loverboy - Working for the Weekend
Meatloaf - Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Quiet Riot - Cum on Feel the Noise
Rick Derringer - Rock & Roll Hootchie Koo
Toto - Africa

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is gets extra points for stupid pseudo-philosophical gibberish lyrics. I know what time it is: time to stop playing this song forever.

Oh I totally voted for Heat of the Moment

hate that stupid song

I think about this tweet at least once a week.

http://i.imgur.com/6ljismA.png

lol

tayngoooooow

Oh fuck, I totally meant to vote against The Stroke. Wtf? Sorry Veg.

Heat of the moment is positively hilarious

that tweet is wrong, bob's just like a roots rocker in the 90s bitching about the swing revival

his message is "fuck all these 'dance moves' and shit lef's break bottles and holler"

it's "get off my lawn" in song form

pretty sure i voted for DSB and margaritaville in my top 100 songs.

'old time rock and roll' is horrible, it's just that kind of garbage early '80s midwest midtempo rock that kind of seemed to soundtrack my upbringing bc everybody from the generation right before mine just thought it was the most incredible hardcore shit and it just had soul and was just about the swingingest tune of all time, i swear it was played on jukeboxes more than any song in my town aside from probably 'the joker', until it was temporarily unseated by 'black velvet' for a period of about six months or so there. then it went right back to the top. such a shitty song, you'd never imagine the dude responsible for it was also responsible for 'ramblin gamblin man'.

or, for that matter, "2+2=?"

there's two bob segers

Yeah, but I thought the other one did "Shakedown".

My votes for worst (nothing in the top ten)

Asia - Heat of the Moment
Chicago - Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is
Don Henley - Dirty Laundry
The Eagles - Heartache Tonight
Journey - Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'
Loverboy - Working for the Weekend
Meatloaf - Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Quiet Riot - Cum on Feel the Noise
Rick Derringer - Rock & Roll Hootchie Koo
Toto - Africa

― that's not my post, Saturday, July 26, 2014 10:38 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

six great songs here

i'm gonna stay out of this thread i don't think i understand it

"Heat of the Moment" is great IMO

Everybody's worst list is like 50/50 "oh yeah, good call" and "WTF that was in my top twenty on the main poll." Bodes well for a super unpredictable and fraught rollout. Still wish this could be like, one song a day for the next three months.

that tweet is wrong, bob's just like a roots rocker in the 90s bitching about the swing revival

To be fair, Seger stole that lyric from Chuck Berry ("Rock and Roll Music"). At least the tango - despite Bob's gringo pronunciation thereof - is an actual dance, unlike such inventions as the "congo" (from Chuck Berry) or the "mamba" from Starship's "We Built This City."

this was my worst list:

The Beatles – Get Back
Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
Golden Earring – Twilight Zone
Europe – The Final Countdown
Steve Miller – The Joker
Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb
Red Rider – Lunatic Fringe
Styx - Renegade
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Karn Evil 9 (First Impression, Part II)
John Lennon – Imagine

holy shit @ "Lunatic Fringe", are you a madman

Piano Man is the perfect example of a failed song. what is it supposed to be? perceptive? no, not an original line in sight. nostalgic? again, these characters are too terrible for anyone to ever care. anthemic? "Oh, la la la, di da da" oh for fuck sake!

holy shit @ "Lunatic Fringe", are you a madman

― Euler, Sunday, July 27, 2014 6:49 AM (30 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yes, i am a lunatic and the song hits too close to home for me

I think it's supposed to be a "magical stranger" story (like Mr. Bojangles or whatever), only Joel casts himself in the role of the magical stranger which is dumb.

it's a magical tale where people put bread in jars

What's wrong with Twilight Zone?

Man, what are you doing here?

http://the-toast.net/2014/01/03/coda-piano-man-paul-davey/

High 5 to whoever else voted for Captain Jack as worse!

I don't think I know that song? obviously I don't want to listen to find out though

I never need to hear "Piano Man" again, but the "Bill, I believe this is killing me" always makes me laugh when I do.

"Captain Jack," on the other hand, is fantastic and woulda made my ballot were I non-lazy enough to vote.

imo there should be a thread where everybody listens to every Billy Joel song just like w/ the Eagles

i think the unifying principles for my most hated are "boomer asshole" + "mawkish schmaltz"
those are two things i really really cannot stomach, generally speaking

I voted Captain Jack 6th worse on my poll, Billy Joel had reserved a spot on the worst poll for me after I had to hold my nose and acknowledge the greatness that is You May Be Right.

Man, what are you doing here?

Can't help but notice three tracks on the extended Worst list are whitey CR trying to do Reggae

Sheriff
Hotel Cali
D'yer

Margaritaville being a related but not identical move

good point! The Police remained relatively unscathed, though.

Because rhythm isn't what makes Sting embarrassing.

I'd rather listen to the entire Eagles discography before I ever listen to Captain Jack again.

My worst:

1 Billy Joel - Captain Jack
2 Don McLean - American Pie
3 George Thorogood - Bad To The Bone
4 The Police - Every Breath You Take
5 John Lennon – Imagine
6 The Byrds – Turn! Turn! Turn!
7 Bob Seger - Turn The Page
8 Billy Joel - Piano Man
9 Glen Frey - The Heat Is On
10 Buffalo Springfield – For What It’s Worth

imo there should be a thread where everybody listens to every Billy Joel song just like w/ the Eagles

― some dude, Sunday, July 27, 2014 8:38 AM (38 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The idea was floated, but no agreement could be reached as to a beginning (Hassles? ATILLA? Non pitch-corrected Cold Spring Harbor?).

Anything besides sick-of-it behind "Turn Turn Turn" and "For What It's Worth," Jeff? Those are unusual picks.

how about a thread where we just listen to Attila every day
xp

"Your sister's gone out. She's on a date
And you just sit at home and tabulate (those classic rock ballots)"

I had Turn Turn Turn on mine; I might've gone for For What It's Worth as well had I thought of it. It's the damn worthiness and inoffensiveness of the exercise that riles me. Rock should be a little bit dirty, selfish, morally-compromised. Especially when we're talking Classic Rock.

Anything besides sick-of-it behind "Turn Turn Turn" and "For What It's Worth," Jeff? Those are unusual picks.

― clemenza, Sunday, July 27, 2014 9:23 AM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Because they were both on the Forrest Gump soundtrack, duh.

But yeah, overplayed, folky tunes that just make me cringe when I hear them. Far from my own personal definition of what classic rock sounds like.

hey ilx

you look wonderful tonight

(ducks)

is it a wonderful day to count down the top ten AOR albums of all time?

YES

OK, like the 'worst' poll, this one also received 37 ballots, although not from all the same people, a lot of folks just did one or the other.

The Top 10 Classic Rock Albums of All Time:

10. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
34 points, 4 votes, 1 first place vote

Their most CR album imo, good work everyone.

also fun to have an album included which had a track on the 'worst' list

Picked this one as my representative Zep album because I don't hear songs from it on the radio as often, but I get irrationally excited when one of them pops up.

question: do people have strong feelings about the UK edition vs. US edition?

9. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced?
39 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote

Too bad that D'Yer Mak'er is the most played, when it should really be The Ocean.

is it too late to post my worst ballot? yes?
1. Don McLean – American Pie
2. J. Geils Band – Love Stinks
3. George Thorogood – Bad To The Bone
4. Joe Walsh – Life’s Been Good
5. Bob Seger - Katmandu
6. Billy Joel – It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me
7. Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive
8. Jackson Browne – The Load-Out / Stay (Live)
9. Gary Wright – Dream Weaver
10. The Firm – Radioactive

Houses is my favorite Zep LP. great balance of epics and pop songs and weird aesthetic outliers.

in the airplay data i've seen, "Over The Hills" is the album's biggest radio recurrent over "D'Yer Mak'er."

xpost i thought we were saving ballots til the end tbh

JIMI

in high school my brother and my friend stole a big spindle of cable tv cable that said HENDRIX on its end. that's classic rock

there will be a separate thread for ballots at the end of all this, but i'm not gonna be a hardass about it

Huh, I never knew about the US vs UK differences on Are You Experienced? ... it's hard for me to imagine the album without "Purple Haze," "Hey Joe," and "The Wind Cries Mary."

so wait until I post it to complain

i said it yesterday but nobody paid me any mind so i let it go

i didn't realize the forrest gump sdtk had such a chilling effect on people -- interesting
also i love the byrds (but that song is not a favorite tbh)

US version of AYE definitely has a stronger tracklisting.

we've got a box of donuts down here at The Aorta this morning, so a lot of us have sticky fingers right now, I tell ya

8. The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
46 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote

definitely one of those albums where it just boggles my mind how many classics are on it. i remember the first time i looked at the tracklist like "wait, my favorite '70s Stones songs, they're all here!?"

xpost (baby) booming post

CAN'T YOU HEAR ME KNOCKING?!

That's two of my top five now, plus I had a gateway Hendrix comp too. Feeling like my 'no deep cuts' policy is paying off.

i think i underrated sticky fingers bc i kind of mentally edit out "brown sugar" and "bitch"

sorry, Ismael, we have rules about greatest hits albums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xillqqt0Y0&feature=youtu.be&t=1m4s

I know Brown Sugar has shown up as a most hated track (understandably), but I love that live version on The Brussels Affair.

I happen to be listening to "Louisiana Rain" right now, good time to let this one fly:

6. (tie) Tom Petty – Damn The Torpedoes
55 points, 7 votes, 2 first place votes

How is this only #6? Oh right, I didn't send in an albums ballot. You people are disappoint.

History is written by the voters!

would have probably landed at #6 my ballot tbh -- indisputably classic but its no Boston

okay that comes off a lot harsher than i meant it. xo tom p i listen to you a lot more than tom s

I was only kind of jokingly complaining. I know what the staples are, and there are more than ten of them, so this list is (or should be) all gold.

One of my big takeaways from the Petty doc I watched a couple weeks ago is that drum sound they fine-tuned in the studio during the Torpedoes sessions (and maintained through the rest of the 80s until Jeff Lynne butted in). It is SO IMPORTANT to the success of top-tier Petty songs.

yeah i feel like it's a minority opinion around here but f jeff lynne's magic touch imo

btw, if you sync this thread up to the first season of Rizzoli & Isles, some trippy stuff happens

6. (tie) Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon
55 points, 7 votes, 2 first place votes

I'm pretty embarrassed that I didn't know about the different track lists of AYE. I always just listened to the 17-track CD tbh.

Dark Side of the Moon: Peak AOR

it's Zoso if you ain't know so

5. Led Zeppelin – IV
65 points, 8 votes, 2 first place votes

ilx you have won back my heart, a+ list so far

Hard to argue with LZ IV

I can see that everybody's waitin'. Gettin' crazy. Anticipating love and music, play play play. Yeah? Yeah.

4. Boston – Boston
80 points, 10 votes, 1 first place vote

YEAAAAAAAAH

<3 brad delp up in heaven

that boston album is like a greatest hits on its own

all killer no filler, so good

Houses of the Holy is such a weird ragbag mess of an album, it's hard to believe that PG is the odds-and-ends comp.

you may be asking yourself about now, what could possibly next? what could be higher than Boston? who's next, huh? well....I'm gonna go ask the station manager if he can remember, because I can't. we're all wasted, quite frankly.

3. The Who – Who’s Next
102 points, 12 votes, 4 first place votes

FUCK YEAH

I should have voted for this one.

my #1 - can't wait to see what bullshit ILM thinks is more classic rock than Who's Next

hint: nothing

My number one as well, every song holds up for me despite the constant rotation.

Wow, what a dull list

Who's Next wasn't my #1 (but another Who album was, which likely won't show up).

just noted our #6/5/4/3 albums were on my ballot IN THAT ORDER

me otm \m/

Wow, what a dull list

― g simmel, Sunday, July 27, 2014

feel like maybe we approached this particular ballot differently

My # 2 and only one to place so far. Of course I had a greatest and a live album, so that's on me.

man "love ain't for keeping" is so good

xxp yeah, dull is what it should be I guess

my #1 - can't wait to see what bullshit ILM thinks is more classic rock than Who's Next

― resulting post (rogermexico.), Sunday, July 27, 2014 1:01 PM (18 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I hear a lot of bullshit, I hear a lot of rumors

2. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
104 points, 13 votes, 3 first place votes

who's next is the classic rockiest of all classic rock albums as far as i'm concerned, but i didn't vote for it because i'm way beyond sick of the two classic rockiest anthems on it.

there are three tracks from rumours in my top 60. it didn't even occur to me to vote for the album. i have no idea why.

I feel like there're three possible no.1s now, each of which will make for a radically different tracks countdown.

fingers crossed

Unless it's Abbey Road, then I won't know what we're getting.

1. The Cars – The Cars
105 points, 12 votes, 5 first place votes

YES

note the razor thin margin between the top 3 in points.

<3 you ILM

man "love ain't for keeping" is so good

― resulting post (rogermexico.), Sunday, July 27, 2014 1:17 PM (18 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Dig this live version:

http://youtu.be/m5RH8HIjFD8

DONCHYASTOPDONCHYASTOPDONCHASTOP

ILM's Top 25 Classic Rock Albums

1. The Cars – The Cars
105 points, 12 votes, 5 first place votes

2. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
104 points, 13 votes, 3 first place votes

3. The Who – Who’s Next
102 points, 12 votes, 4 first place votes

4. Boston – Boston
80 points, 10 votes, 1 first place vote

5. Led Zeppelin – IV
65 points, 8 votes, 2 first place votes

6. (tie) Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon
55 points, 7 votes, 2 first place votes

6. (tie) Tom Petty – Damn The Torpedoes
55 points, 7 votes, 2 first place votes

8. The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
46 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote

9. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced?
39 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote

10. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
34 points, 4 votes, 1 first place vote

11. David Bowie – The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
27 points, 3 votes, 1 first place vote

12. Lynyrd Skynyrd - (Pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)
26 points, 3 votes, 1 first place vote

13. The Rolling Stones – Exile On Main St.
25 points, 3 votes

14. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland
24 points, 3 votes, 1 first place vote

15. (tie) Lynyrd Skynyrd – Street Survivors
19 points, 2 votes, 1 first place vote

15. (tie) ZZ Top - Eliminator
19 points, 3 votes

17. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
18 points, 2 votes

18. (tie) Neil Young – Harvest
17 points, 2 votes

18. (tie) Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
17 points, 2 votes

20. (tie) Van Halen – 1984
15 points, 2 votes

20. (tie) Fleetwood Mac – Tusk
15 points, 2 votes

20. (tie) Pink Floyd – The Wall
15 points, 2 votes

20. (tie) Bob Seger – Night Moves
15 points, 2 votes

20. (tie) Rush – Moving Pictures
15 points, 2 votes

20. (tie) The Police – Synchronicity
15 points, 2 votes

My lonely crusade for The Wall continues.

s/t Van Halen wuz robbed (I didn't do an albums ballot tho)

it strikes me that seven of our top 10 were basically born as classic rock albums while the other three had to immigrate to the format. cars and petty albums were very much new wave albums upon release, while fleetwood mac album was top 40.

Oh man I was kind of torn between ziggy stardust and dark side... REGRETS

Argh no Back In Black, no Brothers In Arms ... at least Remain In Light isn't there

yeah I didn't even think to vote for rumours.

did think to vote for the cars but it slipped off in favor of classic rockier stuff. awesome surprise finish.

lol Remain In Light.

DON: While we were in the midst of recording The Long Run, we had the chance to hear an advance copy of the Cars' debut. It was like listening to music from an unsettling future. Garage rock with hovercrafts. We wondered where we'd fit in.

GLENN: ...And five minutes later we had "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" in the can, and we were back on our merry way--Which is to say I had sex with a chick named Mary!

DON: Well, yeah.

My albums & most disliked tracks. Not sure I've ever heard "Bad To The Bone".

Albums
01. Supertramp – Breakfast In America
02. The Cars – s/t
03. Electric Light Orchestra – A New World Record
04. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
05. ZZ Top – Eliminator

Ugh
01. Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
02. The Turtles – Happy Together
03. Foreigner – I Want To Know What Love Is
04. Peter Frampton – Baby, I Love Your Way
05. Dire Straits – Walk Of Life
06. The Beatles – Let It Be
07. REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You
08. John Waite – Missing You
09. Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl
10. Procol Harum – Whiter Shade Of Pale

since I'm very eager to show off gr80's handiwork, I'm gonna go ask the station manager if we can arrange a little preview for our Sunday faithful...

XP If you've seen a mainstream Hollywood film from the late '80s/early '90s, then you've heard BTTB.

http://i.imgur.com/zInNePs.jpg

100. Ram Jam – Black Betty
817 points, 14 votes

a note about the scoring system, btw, since I don't think I've explained it yet. your #1 track gets 109 points, each track after that gets one less point, and so on until your #100 track gets 10 points.

Dig the font!

And this is the Spotify playlist for the results:
http://open.spotify.com/user/1219464571/playlist/7pw9uBSg3Vb49ONnFZEn3O

Black Betty was in my top 10!

it's funny, i don't remember hearing that song much at all growing up, but at some point in the last 15 years it started to feel ubiquitous

I always think of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulC0Lerkkbc

p sure i already posted this in the noms thread, but this 90s house remix is kind of amazing http://youtu.be/UKAKKEGtPO8

I heard the Spiderbait version about a dozen times on a Qantas flight back to L.A. from Sydney.

The song is definitely timeless, just like crossing the International Date Line from the west.

Love the visual, it looks like any random photo from one of my FB photo albums, I lived this shit, people.
Also changed my DN for the festivities.

Ram Jam owns

The "Black Betty" remix is by Ben Liebrand, one of the best remixers of all time, IMO. (Check out his remixes of "Precious Little Diamond", "Housequake", "Love Can't Turn Around", the "ALF" theme [seriously!], "Holiday Rap", etc, etc.) He sometimes gets a bad rep for the Art of Noise-sampling breakbeat remix of Bill Withers' "Lovely Day", but I think that one's kinda cool in its own way too.

He also did this other classic rock remix, which I think clearly beats the better know Sure Is Pure remix of "Long Rain Running":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOcrI6LAVWA

One of my big takeaways from the Petty doc I watched a couple weeks ago is that drum sound they fine-tuned in the studio during the Torpedoes sessions (and maintained through the rest of the 80s until Jeff Lynne butted in). It is SO IMPORTANT to the success of top-tier Petty songs.

― Johnny Fever, Sunday, July 27, 2014 12:00 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this sounds like my kind of documentary!

The 'dullness' of the albums list seems dead on IMO - "things that are boring but good" and maybe this is the part of the poll where we really work out our acceptance of certain aspects of the relatively monolithic canon of Classic Rock: it's a pretty solid list of ten rock records worth owning and listening to if you like the genre, and if radio has worn their highs into the ground, you can at least sorta understand why, and amazingly I'm usually still stoked to hear most (not all) of the recurrents from these records. Boston is probably what I most want to listen to as an album in its own right, but only because I discovered it pretty late in life and really don't know it in and out like the others.

Wow, the Cars though. Again, just never thought of them as remotely Classic Rock at all, and I think the only record I've listened to as a record is Candy-O. Guess I should check this one out? Never would have remotely expected it to be the consensus #1, but that's why I'm reading ILM and not a Rolling Stone list. Always always will remind me of this post:

no no you guys this one's pretty easy

"I look outside my window and I watch the Cars" - Paul is in London where Roy Thomas Baker is producing their debut, he sees them arriving at the studio daily for tracking
"I fear I'll do some damage one fine day" - he is thinking of covering one of their songs in his own style
"but I would not be found guilty by a jury of my peers" - old hippies will love my Cars cover no matter what it sounds like
"still crazy after all these years" - I am an axe murderer

― pathos of the unwarranted encore (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, August 30, 2011 12:57 PM (6 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'm not sure I ever heard "Black Betty" til I moved to Ohio, and at that time I figured it was much later than it is - has this revivalist feel, like it could be the Black Crowes or even Jet. It's fine, but I can't really pull much of it to mind besides the refrain.

Loving the font and feel here, great job on the graphics.

If you watched MTV Europe back in the early 90s, there was this classic rock compilation ad that played there literally for years, and it started with "Black Betty"... The tune was burned to my mind forever based on that ad alone! Though I think the house remix also did kinda revive it, at least in Europe, IIRC it was often played at discos etc.

Was hoping to see Led Zeppelin II in the albums poll. Not my favorite Zep record, and not the best one, but the one that feels the most CR to me.

…probably due to my home station having 6 of its tracks in heavy rotation throughout my childhood.

The Petty documentary is fantastic, a must-see. Long, but worth every minute.

Albums

1. Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
2. Boston - Boston
3. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
4. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
5. Van Halen - Fair Warning

Worst tracks

Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
Led Zeppelin – D’Yer Mak’er
Peter Gabriel – Solsbury Hill
Crosby, Still, Nash & Young-Teach Your Children
Steve Miller – Take The Money
Queen – Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Jethro Tull – Aqualung
Supertramp – The Logical Song
America - Horse With No Name
The Doors – Hello, I Love You

My worst of list:
1 Billy Joel – Piano Man
2 Don McLean – American Pie
3 Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
4 Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
5 Led Zeppelin – D’Yer Mak’er
6 Three Dog Night - Joy to the World
7 Pink Floyd – Young Lust
8 Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends
9 Stephen Stills – Love The One You’re With
10 Kansas – Carry On Wayward Son

I'm glad to see "Margaritaville" make the list, I meant to include it on mine. Also glad to see Moving Pictures in the top 20 albums.

Oh I had assumed that was a typo, and ILM meant Making Movies.

don't be a sore Wenner

a Knopf shutout is my worst-case scenario for this poll

inspired by Sandy I too have changed my DN

gr8080 big ups on visuals preview! looks super sweet!

tip of the hat to the Shipley Family Archive for the photos as well

Hell yeah VegemiteGrrl I knew you would be with me on totally embracing the spirit of this thing

I'm pleased with that album list-- Boston and Petty made the top ten, Bowie and Beatles did not. Very much in the spirit of CR. (Do they even play songs from "Ziggy Stardust" much? When I hear Bowie on the radio these days it's usually "Space Oddity," "Fame" or "Heroes")

"Suffragette City" is still huge on CR in Pittsburgh

nice results!

my worst & albums ballots:

MOST HATED:
1. Toto - Rosanna
2. AC/DC - Big Balls
3. Foreigner - Urgent
4. Toto - Africa
5. John Cougar - Hurts So Good
6. Steve Miller Band - Rockin' Me
7. Billy Joel - Big Shot
8. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Our House
9. Don Henley – Dirty Laundry
10. The Doors – Roadhouse Blues

ALBUMS:
1. The Cars - S/T
2. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes
3. Boston - S/T
4. Fleetwood Mac - Rumors
5. Led Zeppelin - III

4 outta 5 on the albums! Led Zep III is a critic's choice anyway

"Fame"/"Space Oddity"/"Changes"/"Under Pressure" are definitely the dominant Bowie radio recurrents but "Suffragette" and "Ziggy" get play and the Ziggy feels like his biggest AOR cornerstone album (although Young Americans is gaining on it).

10 worst tracks
The Guess Who – American Woman
The Pretenders – Brass In Pocket
The Eagles – Hotel California
Pink Floyd – The Happiest Days of Our Lives / Another Brick In The Wall Part 2
The Moody Blues – Nights In White Satin
The Doors – Break On Through
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Woodstock
Don Henley – Dirty Laundry
Eric Clapton – I Shot The Sheriff
Grateful Dead -- Touch of Gray

5 albums full of deep classic rock cutz
Aerosmith, Rocks
Stones, Exile On Main St.
Van Halen, 1984
Queen, Night At The Opera
Bowie, Young Americans

you can tell i live in boston by that #1 album pick

also cmon guys fuuuuck pink floyd

fp'd u for 'brass in pocket' tho

i hate the pretenders for reflexive reasons that i don't even understand

Much as I love Young Americans I wouldn't even classify it as CR to begin with.

i can see being sick of "Brass" but damn across-the-board Pretenders hate? :(

totally have your back on "Another Brick In The Wall" though

maura i love u but besmirching pink floyd, girl idk

am i srsly the only one who hates Stroke

It made my best of list. Not high, but made it.

well of course

Aerosmith Rocks Natick, specifically

This poll is helping me refine my road trip compatibility table.

I was one of the 2 votes for Harvest in the albums poll. That album is so much more than its singles!

so are we all changing our DNs for the countdown?

That would be a no.

Billy Squier spreading his ear pollution far and wide to VG's disdain

;_;

xxxp: I'm game.

lol

True story - I have a friend who was Billy Squier's bass player at the height of his career (1982). He was touring with Foreigner and when they did "The Stroke", they'd get some of the guys from Foreigner and crew guys and any friends of the band to come onstage and sing the "stroke me, stroke me" part and do this very exaggerated jerking off hand motion. I got recruited in Pittsburgh, Philly, and Cleveland. They were my shining moments.

― Sandy, Tuesday, June 24, 2014 5:02 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i always liked "The Stroke" but i like it even more after this story.

maura, I can't handle your recoiling from the Pretenders.

CR is one of the biggest pet peeve making genres

sorry guys. i think it's hynde's voice. just do not like it

pink floyd however i'm not apologizing for, that shit has become the musical standard bearer for vaguely anti-establishment dudes who are still Part Of The Problem and i'm like nahhhh

i have a lot of baggage with Floyd, too, although for the most part Dark Side just gets to me

btw i never realized "Slow Ride" was 8 minutes before. do most stations play a single edit, or did i just never notice how long it went on?

I hate The Stroke so much but could not bring myself to vote for it for worst song because it made me the closest to a rock star I will ever be.

^ forgiven

the rest of you are on notice

Dark Side is the most boring post-Barrett PF album imo, but I realize I'm out on an island there.

i think it's hynde's voice.

That's like half the reason I love Pretenders. The other half is James Honeyman Scott's guitar playing, but he unfortunately didn't stick around as long as he should've.

Dark Side is at least very pleasant to listen to. the ways that the other albums are more 'interesting' are mostly just annoying to me.

Getting caught up after a weekend away. VegGrrl, you're not the only Stroke-hater.

ALBUMS
1. Electric Ladyland (Jimi Hendrix Experience)
2. Physical Graffiti (Led Zeppelin)
3. Who’s Next (The Who)
4. Layla (Derek and the Dominos)
5. At Fillmore East (Allman Bros. Band)

WE HATES IT FOR EVER:
1. Bob Seger - Against the Wind
2. Foreigner - Hot Blooded
3. Journey - Any Way You Want It
4. George Thorogood - Bad to the Bone
5. Boston - More Than a Feeling
6. Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son
7. Styx - Lady
8. Billy Squier - The Stroke
9. Charlie Daniels Band - Devil Went Down to Georgia
10. AC/DC - For Those About To Rock

true story: Kansas would have been #7 on the most hated list if all the votes for "Carry On Wayward Son," "Dust In The Wind" and "Point Of Know Return" were pooled together

i couldn't do a list of worst songs because the worst songs bring me so much joy laughter-wise

dark side has shitty sequencing /challop

i mean, track sequencing, the synth sequencers rule obviously

OK, fuck it, some more fun with math

20 most hated artists by total 'worst' track poll point totals:
1. Eric Clapton 110
2. Billy Joel 102
3. Eagles 92
4. George Thorogood 77
5. Don McLean 68
6. Bob Seger 63
7. Bachman-Turner Overdrive 52
8. Styx 49
9. Journey 48
10. Led Zeppelin 39
11. Don Henley 38
12. Foreigner 37
13. Kansas 36
14. (tie) Glenn Frey 34 / Steve Miller 34 / Blood, Sweat & Tears 34
17. (tie ) Jimmy Buffett 33 / Supertramp 33
19. Lynyrd Skynyrd 32
20. (tie) Dire Straits 31 / The Doors 31 / The Guess Who 31

High placement for Foreignerkansasjourneystyx is very gratifying...Boston joining them would have been too much to hope for.

imo there should be a thread where everybody listens to every Billy Joel song just like w/ the Eagles

based on the above, what there really oughta be is an eric clapton listening thread.

also, kudos to don mclean for collectively coming in fifth worst pace, presumably with a single song.

Joel and the Eagles at least have some kind of consistent songwriting vision that you can engage with, for better and for worse. Clapton's solo catalog just seems like decades of coasting on covers and so-so originals.

yeah McLean, Buffett and The Guess Who each only had one hated song

PINK FLOYD RULES

you dark side haters dont get it maaaaaaan

My number one best song has showed up on someone's worst song list.

^ ILX's biggest "Dirty Laundry" fan

200 different songs were on the 'worst' ballots. a lot of them are great songs.

Joel and the Eagles at least have some kind of consistent songwriting vision that you can engage with, for better and for worse. Clapton's solo catalog just seems like decades of coasting on covers and so-so originals.

i don't disagree with any of that. but i think, as a result, there are probably a bunch of hidden things in ec's catalog, both good and bad, that very few if any people here would ever have encountered. whereas i think joel's catalog is small enough and beloved enough by people on this very board (cough cough) that there'd be very few, if any, surprises.

on the other hand, i will never turn down an opportunity to re-engage with billy, so if his thread were ever to happen, i'd be there faster than you can say "brenda and eddie."

I'm sure. And I'm sure some will place in the top 100. Xpost

(xp)
I have this corny bit of business with the manager of Table Wine around the block from my house in which I go in and ask for the "Billy Joel Special- a bottle of red, bottle of white." He pretends to laugh and go along with it, although they mostly seem to listen to Aimee Mann in there.

I haven't said this on the Eagles thread yet, but keep in mind that there is a Billy Joel poll on the master schedule.

Now, you all know that I wouldn't mind listening to every single one of his songs in a row and then participating in a poll, but for the rest of you, yes, I do doubt your commitment.

See, I voted The Wall as my #2 CR album because of how effectively classic rock radio winnows it down. I have no interest in the album as a whole, but there are like eight CR warhorses on it, and when one of them comes on the radio I pretty much never change the station even though I've heard them dozens of times before. Ditto most of the Eagles' catalogue - enjoyable enough radio fodder, never cared to check out the albums. Ignoring the lyrics helps, too.

Always think of pplains and fcc as the biggest Billy Joel fans on ilx or, if not of Billy himself, than at the very least of Liberty DeVitto.

My number one best song has showed up on someone's worst song list.

― Jeff, Sunday, July 27, 2014 10:20 PM (16 minutes ago)

"For Those About to Rock," betcha betcha betcha

I have this corny bit of business with the manager of Table Wine around the block from my house in which I go in and ask for the "Billy Joel Special- a bottle of red, bottle of white." He pretends to laugh and go along with it

if he were a real mensch, or at least a real new yorker, he'd bring you a bottle of rosé instead.

ha, yes exactly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0l9XAhe21k

was "sunset grill" nominated? I wouldn't have voted for it, but that's got one hot dramatic synth riff

Enjoyed the worst tracks countdown but gutted to see ILX doesn't seem to share my hatred of Supertramp.

With the albums subpoll I decided to voted base on how well the albums were represented in the nominations list - e.g. Tusk is my favourite record ever but it didn't feel right voting for something with only two songs in there, whereas Rumours has five awesome songs (and 'Don't Stop') so that got my #1 slot.

Rise and shine, rock fans! I'm here with our morning zoo crew to officially kick off today's countdown. I'm just going to unveil a couple of songs before I have to head out for a bit, and gr80 will be here in a bit to post some more results. In case you missed it, I got an early start on Sunday with #100: CLASSIC ROCK TRACKS POLL: THE RESULTS

And now, 99...

http://i.imgur.com/pf127WW.jpg

99. The Who – Eminence Front
818 points, 12 votes

it's a put on!

love that song, though I'm sure I never heard it on classic rock radio & so didn't vote for it.

really? I feel like it's become a real staple over time

yeah I'm talking about back in the day (meaning mid 80s to early 90s) ; haven't listened to much classic rock radio since then

ah yeah. a lot of early/mid 80s stuff has entered the canon in the last decade or so.

"Eminence Front" was #19 on our The Who tracks poll. I promise you there are not 18 more Who songs in this countdown.

yeah I didn't vote for any Who tracks in this; they just weren't an integral part of my classic rock experience. same for lots of the bands for whom we have separate polls. it was more fun to vote for the "Lunatic Fringe"s of the list (ahem)

It's kind of funny to see how people talk about Tom Cochrane/Red Rider on these threads since they were far from a fringe one-hit wonder up here. Several songs are in rotation. I like "White Hot" as much as "Lunatic Fringe".

Woohoo! I also did not grow up with this on CR - it was one of my last-minute adds based on hype on the poll threads and particularly the fcc-curated Casino listening thread. Love the change of sound for them, the stiff Who-like attempt at funk and the vague Reagan-era cocktail party dread washing around the lyrics: a personal front of pretension and deceit? A storm gathering? Or the battle lines in an icy, looming war? The thing has got great atmosphere. People forget...

"Reagan era cocktail party dread"

Whoa yeah that's apt as heck.

OK, will drop one more song before I head out and will let gr80 post some whenever he feels like it. this would've been a good song to START the countdown with, but still applies:

http://i.imgur.com/KS0ZMxB.jpg

98. Bachman-Turner Overdrive – You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
826 points, 13 votes

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Eff the haters! This song is just so joyous. Essential summer jam - BOMP BOMP! Bu-bu-bu-baby!

While I spent a ridiculous amount of time getting my 100 and 10 worst just right, at the end of that I just threw 5 records out that I love. Which is a way of apologizing for the dullness of said list.
It does seem to me that CR is, if not the creator, then the natural home of live records. so that rule bums me out. Would probably have voted in Lynyrd Skynyrd's Second Helping and Houses of the Holy in place of the 2 disqualifications.

1. Aerosmith Toys In The Attic
2. The Who Who's Next
3. Kiss Alive II
4. Journey Greatest Hits
5. Pink Floyd The Wall

distressed that i will likely be too busy at work today to follow this appropriately : /

so glad i voted for eminence front!! that is one of my most cherished "WHAT IS THIS SONG" jams from youth

tbrr i still go nuts when i hear it in the car

Eminence Front was probably one of the last cuts from my ballot. I dig the song deeply. Took me a long time to figure out who it was because I thought they were singing "livin' in a front". I dunno.

Hasn't been mentioned yet, but I've got a real good feeling about gr8080s pic selection here.

I don't think I hear this very much. I like the synths and that first solo.

They were playing this on a PA the other day and I was talking to my 4 year old about it and singing along with the chorus and she was like "Daddy I have seen a LOT of things!"

mentioned this on the nomination and/or voting thread but eminence front is one of the only tracks i can think of that sits comfortably in both the CR and balearic canons

Eminence Front dropped off my ballot at the last minute too.

I voted the BTO song really high -- it's one of my favorite examples of '70s blue-collar boogie, just a great rhythm section in that band.

Certainly a heavy one. (Get it?)

btw are these photos all ship/8080 family shots or stuff from the k-hole?

ALBUMS:

1. The Who - Live at Leeds
2. The Who - My Generation
3. The Who - Who's Next
4. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
5. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland

WORST:

1. Meat Loaf – Paradise By The Dashboard Light
2. Billy Joel – Piano Man
3. George Thorogood – Bad To The Bone
4. Jimmy Buffett – Margaritaville
5. The Doors – Peace Frog
6. Crosby, Still, Nash & Young-Teach Your Children
7. Jethro Tull -- Thick as a Brick
8. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Our House
9. Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression, Part II)
10. George Thorogood – Who Do You Love

btw are these photos all ship/8080 family shots or stuff from the k-hole?

― mookieproof, Monday, July 28, 2014 8:42 AM (2 seconds ago)

i'll just let that remain a mystery for now. http://i.imgur.com/rDVfRb2.gif

ugh, i had "our house" on my most hated list too
does anyone like that song?!

the stiff Who-like attempt at funk

I dunno, I think they pull if off reasonably well. Moon couldn't have done it (he sort of tried on "The Relay," which wasn't stiff, but wasn't particularly funky, either), and Zak Starkey can't sit in that groove either. It's probably their only post-Moon song that really allowed Kenney Jones to do what he does best (maybe "Another Tricky Day," too).

I didn't participate in this poll – fatigue, sorry! – but will follow closely. And, yeah, I hear "Eminence Front" more than "You Better You Bet" these days.

*dons headphones*
*adjusts chair*
*pulls microphone in close*

well its a beautiful Monday morning here at The Aorta, and its my pleasure to fill in for some dude today. i'll be with you over the next couple hours as we take you through the rest of our bottom twenty...

anywho, i'll shut up now and just ask you to listen....

listen to the wind blow....

http://i.imgur.com/SiNpBpZ.jpg

97. Fleetwood Mac – The Chain
832 points, 13 votes

This song is the ne plus ultra of instrumental and vocal interplay.

A CR station named "The Chain" would be cool.

... fuck ...

re: Eminence Front, nah, yeah, they do pull off what they're doing fine, I was more trying to express that I like the interaction between their baseline approach and the funkier thing they're attempting here, it makes for a cool sound.

Just heard "Our House" for the first time recently and I thought it was pretty but can tooooootally understand why it would be hated as proto-twee hippie self-celebration. Would have been interesting if CSNY had all got laryngitis and had to focus instead on shopping these songs around to passing bubblegum acts - a little faster and a little punchier and this would be a forgettable rain-on-the-windowpane number. It seems like a good song for kids and probably even written with kids in the room - the very-very-very fine house is the kind of thing I'd have enjoyed singing at age 7 or something.

It's also not so loud that it will wake up the other kid that you've just lullabyed, or get in the way of the conversation about Watergate while you're doing the dishes. In a pre-Raffi universe, with a whole lot of boomers starting little families, these were probably a pretty big selling point to this (and a lot of other AM gold), and may also relate to why this stuff has been purged from the macho and individualist Classic Rock universe.

kids who like schlocky songs maybe

• Eminence Front an awesome song to play around with the crossfades, for the beginner. They did a lot of good stuff with Kenny.

• A common re-written lyric to be sung in junior high was "she looked at me with her one brown eye and said...."

• I've got this memory of crossing the Mississippi late at night into St. Louis and hearing The Chain on KDHX. When I played bass in the second band, the drummer and I would just play that final riff over and over, and with no one there to finally go CHHAAAAAIIIIN, we'd just keep going up and up into the air until we turned into butter.

proto-twee hippie self-celebration.

That's otm, and pretty much why I hate it. It feels like, "Remember that counterculture stuff we used to be into? What was THAT about? This is so much nicer! With two cats in the yard, oh shit, did the cats get out again?"

But I also hate everything else CSN and sometimes Y ever did (except for "Ohio").

Ooh Cooper Black, excellent - my favourite font.

Nash wrote "Our House" about Joni Mitchell and she dumped him like a week later. Critics.

So many great things about The Chain, especially that final section with the awesome bass riff, and "RUNNING IN THE SHADOWs!"

It feels like, "Remember that counterculture stuff we used to be into? What was THAT about? This is so much nicer! With two cats in the yard, oh shit, did the cats get out again?"

Huh, yeah, that's pretty hate-able - I read it as much more like hippies coupling up in a shabby old hippie house, walls leaning, "If it's yellow, let it mellow" in the bathroom, etc. The fact that they are yard cats seems key here, also note that all their amenities are nature-driven: flowers, sun through windows. Still totally self-satisfied and ex-activist, but closer to McCartney or even the bohemian urbanites in "I Do It For Your Love" than sneering ex-hippie "yeah, money rules!" anthems.

(Two cats may also indicate two couples: this may not look like a family to anybody else, but our house is a very fine house.)

Loving the photos.

(Sorry, I have nothing to say about "The Chain" - always enjoy it when it's on, nicely shaded, cool opening, just never connected with me beyond that.)

http://i.imgur.com/M7P2uWl.jpg

96. The Kinks – Lola
833 points, 15 votes

So many great things about The Chain, especially that final section with the awesome bass riff, and "RUNNING IN THE SHADOWs!"

THIS

I heard "Yoda" before I ever heard "Lola," and therefore always consider it sort of a novelty song...despite a deep and abiding love for all things Kinks.

i first heard about 'lola' on 'family ties,' so

I read it as much more like hippies coupling up in a shabby old hippie house, walls leaning, "If it's yellow, let it mellow" in the bathroom, etc.

haha, yeah, I never thought of it like that, but that totally makes sense.

at some point in the last few years "Gypsy" became my go-to FMac radio jam, but for a number of years "The Chain" was my shit, glad it made the cut.

on the cassette of it's hard that i had, the end of eminence front was abruptly cut off

scarred me for lyfe

love the chain but kinda wish the bass/runnin in the shadows part rocked harder

i'm 0/5 so far

heads up, folx: believe it or not, we've got a three-way tie coming up for the ninety-three spot...

http://i.imgur.com/GGJraHM.jpg

93. (tie) Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
834 points. 14 votes, 1 first place vote

love these crazy thin point margins. This poll is going to be so unpredictable.

xxpost i'm still not sure whether i love or hate "lola," which i guess is just right.

gr80 that pic is amazing and OTM

Yeah there were several more songs in the 800 point range that just missed the cut. For a while I was sure "Don't Stop Believin'" was out of the running entirely, which woulda kept people guessing a bit more.

i still believe

honestly a little stunned by DSB coming in so low.

High five to the one first place voter!

That's me.

I had it at 28.

it's no stone in love

the first track from the top 100 to also appear on our "worst" list.... will it be the last??

Hopefully not! I need "Takin' Care of Business" to make this poll.

it's no stone in love

― mookieproof, Monday, July 28, 2014

it's not even "wheel in the sky"

wonder if either of those will make the cut...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpGVUuvPKmk

SS at the top there stands for "Steve Smith" naturally.

that little turnaround they do on 'niiiiight' at the end of the chorus before it goes back to the intro chords drives me insane.

Heaven is a funky moose.

I do kind of wish I felt the same way now about "Don't Stop Believin'" as I did when I first heard it.

You stopped belevin'!

Believin' too!

Feel like a poll of the same people 10 years ago would have led to far higher placement for Don't Stop Believin

Expecting a few more Detroit shout-outs before poll is through

this is still one of my favorite viral videos ever (it is also from, like, 2000, pre-viral)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fCWD1PFkFQ

2001 iirc!

Expecting a few more Detroit shout-outs before poll is through

Probably no more for South Detroit, tho.

shout out to windsor ontario

ehh, I love both big universal sentiment songs and concept albums, I'm kind of an outlier.

I still love this song, have never gotten burned out on it.

93/900 seems about right

lets drag out another hit....

http://i.imgur.com/kti9OJu.jpg

93. (tie) Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty – Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around
834 points, 16 votes

"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" has a particular statistical significance to the poll that I will explain later in the week...

I love this woman and like this guy but this song bores the hell out of me.

good song! I didn't vote for it though.

The Chain and SDMHA are two of the few times I can tolerate Stevie Nicks, obv because they aren't her dopey songs.

she wrote most of "The Chain."

Ugh so fun to listen to twice and sing one part each time. I do the TP part best. Love the lyrics too, esp the stuff about knocking on the door. Who hasn't known, etc. Excellent song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmfc67NfwOw

Thing I always notice about the video is that TP doesn't show up until 45 seconds in: http://youtu.be/6UD0c58nNCQ

sorry for the youtube embed, I meant to link it but didn't realize the https thing had been fixed

I thought she only wrote the lyrics to The Chain, and even Christine helped with those.

Looks like our bits of biographical ephemera are spliced, much like the song itself:

According to interviews on the writing of Rumours, the final section of "The Chain"—beginning with a bass progression—was created by John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. Stevie Nicks had written the lyrics separately and thought they would be a good match; she and Christine McVie did some reworking to create the first section of the tune. Other elements were worked in from an early project of Christine's called "Keep Me There".[1] The blues-style piano motif was removed, and the remainder combined with a bridge from yet another piece manually using a razor blade to cut and splice the tapes. To complete the song, Buckingham recycled the intro from an earlier song from a duet with Nicks, "Lola (My Love)", originally released on their self-titled 1973 album.

Due to the spliced nature of the record - the drums and guitar were the only instruments actually recorded in each other's company - and its sporadic composition and assembly from different rejected songs, "The Chain" is one of only a few Fleetwood Mac songs whose authorship is credited to all members of the band at the time.[1]

Well then, to be on the safe side, I hate The Chain, too.

>:(

a personal favorite coming up here

http://i.imgur.com/ZqkOgqM.jpg

93. (tie) The Knack – My Sharona
834 points, 13 votes

too low

i'd imagine a lot of voters cut it from their ballots under some "too new-wave" criteria?

Woo I love that song. Also fun trivia: it was the number one song the day Jeff was born.

lol at all the boozecentric jpegs up in here

"My Sharona" was kinda the new wave meeting classic rock halfway (Bonham drums) same as the Cars' debut xpost

lol at all the boozecentric jpegs up in here

baby, you aint seen nothin' yet

Hey, I did vote for one FM song! One of Lindsey's!

I prefer "My Bologna"

Yeah, we could probably fill out a good Weird Al playlist based on the parodies just from these results.

I had a relatively 80s-, and by extension, new wave-friendly ballot here. Had it at 79 here.

These images are fantastic.

http://i.imgur.com/A9kgZPL.jpg

92. Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side
837 points, 16 votes

Due to the spliced nature of the record - the drums and guitar were the only instruments actually recorded in each other's company - and its sporadic composition and assembly from different rejected songs, "The Chain" is one of only a few Fleetwood Mac songs whose authorship is credited to all members of the band at the time.

apologies for dragging the beatles into this, but one of the things i've always liked about "the chain" is that it's like one of those true lennon/mccartney co-writes where you really can't tell whose song it is. it sounds like it's expressing the essence of the band, not one of its three fron people. and that chorus has always sounded to me like the central thesis of all of rumours, lyrically, emotionally, and especially in the way the three voices don't harmonize with each other so much as they wrap around each other.

Still not buying this one as a CR radio staple, but maybe that's just the case where I'm from. Many of y'all had never even heard Shambala before, so I get it.

I first heard "Walk On The Wild Side" through CRR, but IME it's in super light rotation

and/or a song that stations will throw into medium rotation for a month or two and then remove from the playlist for years

I know that it was (and Vicious too) because it's how I first heard Lou Reed and his songs being on the radio helped me find VU's greatest hits at the library and I am really trusting my own personal memory not to fail me on this particular salient detail of my life.

greatest hits = best of
lol

anyway i am glad he made it!

CR radio was where I first heard (and was baffled by) "Walk on the Wild Side". I will always associate with that format and I didn't even vote for it.

associate it*

Classic rock radio is the place where she said hey baby...

Correct about it being in very light rotation. I remember after hearing it for the first time, waiting to hear it for months just to learn who/what it was.

http://i.imgur.com/4c5H1wx.jpg

91. Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
839 points, 14 votes

Too low!