CLASSIC ROCK TRACKS POLL: THE RESULTS

"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

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!”