CLASSIC ROCK TRACKS POLL: THE RESULTS

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!”