CLASSIC ROCK TRACKS POLL: THE RESULTS

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

The intro to "Silly Love Songs" takes me right back to rollerskating when I was 11 years old. I can't hate on it.

aw

feel like 'all right now' is the quintessential classic rock song

it's . . . decent? but i can't imagine any possible context in which it might be mentioned other than 'classic rock songs that exist'

It’s the Stanfurd Band fight song, unfortunately

(“unfortunately” b/c it’s a pretty cool song without that association)

REO and Styx were local boys made good, so they were played an extremely irritating amount on WLS.

It's hard to believe such a calamity, Tarfumes.

Hi Infidelity sold 10 million copies, I don't think it was a regional quirk or anything

the following year they split the Layla votes into original Layla and EC unplugged, and both made the top 10, but this ensured Stairway would be first.

god, imagine preferring the MTV Unplugged version

Hi Infidelity sold 10 million copies, I don't think it was a regional quirk or anything

Time for me to Fly gets a lot of play

WLS also played barely-hits like the live version of “Ridin’ The Storm Out” (#97 Billboard), “Time For Me To Fly” (#70; re-release #72), and “Roll With The Changes” (#48) into the ground. I heard them so often that I just assumed they were all much bigger hits. It’s like learning that Rusted Root’s “Send Me On My Way” only hit #72 — then why was it on the radio all the goddamn time?

classic rock hits aren't supposed to be pop hits! "free bird" topped out at #19. "crazy on you" at #35. "runnin' with the devil" at #84. "american girl" didn't chart at all. "stairway to heaven" and "baba o'riley" weren't singles. classic rock radio rolls with the changes, not the charts!

I don’t have much to compare it to, but in addition to the Hi Infidelity singles, WLS also played barely-hits like the live version of “Ridin’ The Storm Out” (#97 Billboard), “Time For Me To Fly” (#70; re-release #72), and “Roll With The Changes” (#48) into the ground. I heard them so often that I just assumed they were all much bigger hits.

huh yeah me too, these have been staples on minneapolis's kqrs for years too

feel like 'all right now' is the quintessential classic rock song

it's . . . decent? but i can't imagine any possible context in which it might be mentioned other than 'classic rock songs that exist'

With an eye toward the exits, I'll mention a context where I think it's great: cutting away from Annette Bening screaming in the much-beloved American Beauty.

“feel like 'all right now' is the quintessential classic rock song”
I think you mean Highway to Hell

i think u mean FREEBIRD

also imo Alright Now is good for 30 seconds to a minute or so when it starts up and then it’s super boring

like it wears out its welcome for me very quickly

wow, Paul Kossoff is great. never tire of All Right Now, especially live versions. and Angus gets a fair bit from him.

also imo Alright Now is good for 30 seconds to a minute or so when it starts up and then it’s super boring

Truthfully, I feel this way about 30 to 40% of classic rock warhorses. After 90 seconds I'm flipping the radio dial.

...and there's another 10 to 15% that I don't even give that long anymore.

yeah, delete my "wow," get it just am always there for that guitar

quality wise it's in the top 100 or 500 or maybe more but i do think "all right now" does feel like a very middle of a venn diagram classic rock song

Dug up my ballot from e-mail. 1) I can't believe I turned in a ballot of 100 songs--my ballots are almost always half the limit allowed at best. 2) "All Right Now" wasn't one of my 100, which surprised me a little.

I don't listen to classic rock radio much, and I don't think they play "All Right Now" all that often, but that would be infinitely preferable to another helping of Guns N Roses.

classic rock hits aren't supposed to be pop hits! "free bird" topped out at #19. "crazy on you" at #35. "runnin' with the devil" at #84. "american girl" didn't chart at all. "stairway to heaven" and "baba o'riley" weren't singles. classic rock radio rolls with the changes, not the charts!

That’s just it: WLS was a top 40 station, not a “classic rock” station (which also accounts for the fact that it took until 1986 or ‘87 for “Stairway” to top its annual Top 500 list). I never heard “Baba O’Riley” on WLS, not even during the Who-saturated autumn of 1982, during their “Farewell” tour.

“Farewell (and good riddance)”

I was just reminiscing with one of my kids about AOR in the 70s. Denver had two very good stations, KBPI and KAZY. They had actual local DJs who had, or seemed to have, a fair amount of control over or at least input on what got played. Sure, you'd hear "All Right Now," but you'd also get "Silver, Blue & Gold" or "Wishing Well" or even an entire side of Burning Sky. Also, they took actual requests.

We were laughing about this because of the state of "classic rock" radio now. The stations are all standardized, even the names. In Atlanta, and half a dozen other places, it's "The River." In Denver, it's "The Mountain." Who even listens to these now?

In Portland, Maine, their “classic rock” station is “The Blimp.” I asked a friend who lives there, “So, do they play Captain Beef-“ “YES! ALL THE FUCKING TIME! THEY JUST PLAY THE ‘THE BLIMP! THE BLIMP!’ PART BUT NEVER AN ACTUAL BEEFHEART SONG!”