CLASSIC ROCK TRACKS POLL parking lot tailgate pre-party -- nominations, discussions, parameters, etc.

Yes, put that on the list so I can definitively not vote for it.

Haha, I seriously hate that song so much, not for the song itself so much (which is just bland, and you wish everyone singing it at large gatherings would stop now), but for the usual reasons of "this station will play the Blues Brothers but not Magic Sam (to say nothing of Robert Johnson)."

George Thorogood to thread. I wont nominate him though because i cant stand that shit.

Have the Fabulous (not at all fabulous) Thunderbirds made an appearance yet? They were super gross in that same way.

Damn is that a long and intimidating list of nominations. Are we definitely doing a "Worst Of" side poll?

Thunderbirds also mirror the Blues Brothers by having a hit with a Sam & Dave song played by stations that would never play Sam & Dave. Ditto the Black Crowes.

oh man i am totally adding all of THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS CERTIFIED HOOD CLASSICS to the list

campaigning for "Abracadabra" to be voted worst

Is Greg Kihn classic rock?

take heart -- for all of the stuff that doesn't get included, there's a whole huge sandbox of classic rock awesomeness still left to play with!

I woke up with 'Hold On Loosely' playing in my head so I take that as a positive omen

hahaha now i know how to annoy Crüt

there should be a battle of the worst lyrics
steve miller cooing about panties is def top 10, but there is a LOT to choose from

Time to get a bunch of blatant CanCon out of the way:

Loveryboy - Turn Me Loose
Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Hey You
Guess Who - These Eyes
Chilliwack - My Girl
Trooper - Here For A Good Time (Not a Long Time)
Trooper - Raise a Little Hell
Max Webster - Paradise Skies
Max Webster - Let Go The Line
April Wine - Oowatanite
Prism - Armageddon
Five Man Electrical Band - Signs

Electric Light Orchestra - Livin' Thing

also "telephone line"

Van Halen - Ice Cream Man

Greatest songs of all time list from my current local station and the one I grew up with (Chez 106, Ottawa's Best Rock, natch):
http://www.chez106.com/2013/01/01/chez-106-listener-advisor-top-106-favourite-songs-of-all-time/

("London Calling" = #91 fwiw)

And, yeah, they were more of a progressive album-oriented station when they were playing stuff like "21st Century Schizoid Man" (and Zappa and Babe Ruth).

About time the Who topped one of those lists.

re: Talking Heads: I've definitely heard Life During Wartime and Burning Down the House on a couple CR stations.

They're not classic rock like Foghat is classic rock, but CR plays some of their tunes anyway.

Interesting to note that Jethro Tull is completely absent from that list now. The modern rock station was actually playing them the other day, citing them as an influence on Mumford & Sons and neo-Britfolk.

lol

from sund4r's current local station's list, this seems particularly deserving of an add:

rolling stones - wild horses

It's probably partly true, but no less crazy.

lol - "neobritfolk like mumford & sons" makes me want to die and laugh at the same time

on a similar note, it never fails to blow my mind just how many of these songs insinuated themselves into my brain permanently without my cooperation. I just looked over this list and calculated that I could sing at least 80% of this list if you pointed to me and said "Sing the first line of _____ that comes to your mind". I couldn't sing the whole thing and there would probably be some made-up lyrics but I could at least give you an accurate vocal melody. That's crazy!

I can only conclude that I was listening to the radio every waking minute of my childhood.

I can only conclude that I was listening to the radio every waking minute of my childhood.

and/or that most of these songs were kinda good!

it never fails to blow my mind just how many of these songs insinuated themselves into my brain permanently without my cooperation

^^^ this

When I suggested stuff like green eyed lady, or Rock On it was more a reflection of that stuff being played constantly more than actually wanting to hear it, let alone rep for it

One of the stations I grew up with wasn't "classic rock," but in the 80s couldn't face the competition and became a talk station. This is the top 100 from their last "Top 500 of All Time!" countdown:

http://user.pa.net/~ejjeff/wlsrr1.html

it never fails to blow my mind just how many of these songs insinuated themselves into my brain permanently without my cooperation

Yeah, me too. I also listened to a lot of oldies stations growing up, so I can sing along to an astounding number of heavy rotation good times, great oldies hits.

One of the stations I grew up with wasn't "classic rock," but in the 80s couldn't face the competition and became a talk station. This is the top 100 from their last "Top 500 of All Time!" countdown:

Oh whoa, this is like a mix of classic rock and oldies (which is mostly a defunct format up here).

In retrospect, it was a weird station, but at the time it seemed completely normal to hear "Johnny B. Goode" right after "When Doves Cry." It was Top 40, but that meant the top 40 from every year since 1955 or so.

Thanks, Marko--my favourite BTO song, generally overlooked.

Speaking of Tull, I nominate "Bungle in the Jungle" if it hasn't already been mentioned yet. I think I heard that one 10x for every one occurrence of "Aqualung."

plus, "bungle in the jungle" more influential on mumford & sons, obvi.

yeah iirc pre-Beatlemania music was still in the mix on a good amount of "rock" stations in the 80s and well into the 90s. nowadays the only thing earlier than 1967 that i hear regularly is "My Generation" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." but i'm up for earlier stuff being nominated, honestly, i just didn't want to presume it should be in off the bat and put it in the pre-nominated pile.

speaking of beatlemania, some pre-67 beatles tracks that i think are relevant here:

eleanor rigby
ticket to ride
day tripper
paperback writer

So Hollies, Turtles and Zombies are ok?

If so,

Hollies - Bus Stop
Turtles - Happy Together
Zombies - She's Not There

"She's Not There" DEFINITELY is still in rotation on a lot of stations

otm, borderline oldies should be able to qualify, but shouldn't get fast-track nomination status.

Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin On

xp to sd
In that case...

Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode

Tempting to go overboard with pre-64 stuff, but even back in the mid 80s, there seemed to be an Oldies vs. CR divide, and stuff like "Jailhouse Rock" just doesn't feel right here.

Another nom:

Edwin Starr - War

(xp) i love hollies, turtles and zombies, but that all seems like a different poll to me esp. that hollies and that turtles.

Do Rare Earth or Blood Sweat and Tears get played on Classic Rock stations or they more Oldies?

i kinda feel the same way, and i don't care either way -- i just know that i heard those songs on the radio and it took me roughly two decades to figure out which song was by which two-syllable one word group that was not beatles

Hollies: Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress

^^Still in microwave rotation.

it took me roughly two decades to BELIEVE "long cool woman in a black dress" was by the hollies. i knew it was a hollies song pretty early on, but that made no sense to me, so i doubted my own knowledge for a good 20 years until i finally gave in and accepted it.

ultimately, i'm gonna let most stuff in and just pull out the occasional thing that doesn't pass my personal smell test or got convincing objections itt. when it gets to a point where it feels like we're no longer nominating anything that could possibly get into a top 100 or even top 200 and are just debating irrelevant outliers for the sake of it, i'll give the 24 hour notice that i'm closing down nominations and will start prepping the voting thread.

xp - ikr?!?!

i found out when i finally found the hollies greatest hits and was like huh? ew.

Canned Heat - On The Road Again

(many xps)

Rare Earth shamed into oblivion in '71? (AFAIK now only rated by crate diggers). But I'd add all of these Blood Sweat & Tears hits to the poll:

You've Made Me So Very Happy
Spinning Wheel
And When I Die

Don McLean – American Pie

Just a warning. Anyone who votes for this vomitous piece of shit will forever be subject to my wrath.