OK … I admit it … processing all these votes is kickin’ my ass … but hey, I asked for it … and I couldn’t be happier that so many people have gotten onboard. (Have you cast YOUR votes yet??? It’s easy … just send an email to classicrockvote@yahoo.com … and we’ll do the rest. No limit to how many songs you can vote for … or how often you can vote as more ideas pop into your head.)
Keeping things interesting is The Drive (97.1 FM) Chicago, who last weekend offered up their Vinyl Four Special to coincide with the NCAA Final Four Tournament. This means we got to hear FOUR tracks in a row from SO many Classic Rock Albums … played from vinyl … which meant that they were also offering up some “deep tracks” that you just don’t hear every day.
It’s promos like this (and The Drive’s ever-popular A to Z series) that really make this station stand out, head and shoulders above the rest.
We’re getting closer to our goal of 3333 titles … right now, as I type this, thanks to lists like the one below, we are closing in on 3000 candidates. In a perfect world, we’ll cut the nomination process off at 5000 titles so we can pare things down to the final 3333.
Keep up the great work!
Your love of music and dedication are amazing.
Dan Guilfoyle
Your love of music and dedication are amazing.
Dan Guilfoyle
You have forced my hand to pitch a new idea for your Classic Rocks idea. Get ready for "The OTHER Classic Rock" Hits ...
Songs I would choose if I were programming the current "style" known as "Classic Rock" … that is, songs that WERE underground rock classics in their day … but have been "culled" (to use an old west term) due to the methodology of todays' programmers. Sure, I would put "All Right Now" near the TOP of your list, but not on the one I submit to you below.
Songs I would choose if I were programming the current "style" known as "Classic Rock" … that is, songs that WERE underground rock classics in their day … but have been "culled" (to use an old west term) due to the methodology of todays' programmers. Sure, I would put "All Right Now" near the TOP of your list, but not on the one I submit to you below.
There won't be much 60's on it because I am emulating what this format has become over the years ... "forgetting most of the 60's." In other words, "SACRILIDGE!" There are a FEW that FM radio didn't even play, BUT SHOULD HAVE!
OK, so I do have quite a few 60's songs in here after all. I just couldn't resist.
OK, so I do have quite a few 60's songs in here after all. I just couldn't resist.
THE 'OTHER' CLASSIC ROCK LIST!*
*Chimney Rock, western Nebraska
1. GREENBURG, GLICKSTEIN, CHARLES, DAVID SMITH & JONES -CRYAN' SHAMES
It's like a "White Room - Part II"! Both out at the same time, but only one has gotten its due. OK, both are from the 60's after I just said today's stations seldom program 60's. Oh well, I never hear "White Room" on these stations, but maybe they play it still???
2. THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL - MOODY BLUES (truly the most mind-expanding stereo ever if you listen in headphones from only 2-channel stereo!)
3. LUCKY MAN - EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER
4. COULDN'T I JUST TELL YOU - TODD RUNDGREN – Todd … 'nuff said
5. IN-A -GADDA-DA-VIDA - Iron Butterfly (Long version)
6. HOT SMOKE & SASSAFRASS - BUBBLE PUPPY Need something from 50 years ago, right?
7. KICK OUT THE JAMES - MC5
8. SAN FRANCISCO GIRLS - FEVER TREE
9. FATHER & SON - CAT STEVENS - What's with these stations NOT playing his classic songs anymore??? Religion?
10. OPEN MY EYES – NAZZ – Todd …'nuff said
11. Back to the River - Damnation of Adam Blessing
12. Wild Eyes - Stampeders
13. Under My Wheels - Alice Cooper
14. Back Home - Golden Earring
15. For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
16. Hold Your Head Up - Argent
17. Still Crazy After all These Years - Paul Simon
18. Beside You - New York Rock & Roll Ensemble
19. Doraville - Atlantic Rhythm Section
20. A Hard Way To Go - Savoy Brown
Others ...
I'm Not in Love - 10CC
I Got A Line On You - Spirit
Comes a Time - Neil Young
Home & Dry - Gerry Rafferty
Hymn 43 - Jethro Tull
Let Your Love Go - Bread
Journey To The Center Of The Mind - Amboy Dukes
I Dreamed Last Night - Hayward & Lodge
Lady Samantha - Elton John
Look Wot You Dun - Slade (Lennon II)
Think I'm Gonna Rain - Kyle
No Mercy - Nils Lofgren
I'll Be Standing By - Foghat
Ride a White Swan - Tyrannosaurus Rex
To the Last Whale - Crosby & Nash
Free Man in Paris - Joni Mitchell
Every Night - Paul McCartney
Sylvia - Focus
Mother Freedom - Bread
It Keeps You Runnin’ - Carly Simon
Sangria Wine - Jerry Jeff Walker
Wondrous Stories - Yes
Roberta - Bones
Costafine Town - Splinter
Homebound - Ted Nugent
You Gave Me Life (With That Look In Your Eye) - Hollies
A Salty Dog - Procol Harum (Live version)
Imagine the Swan - Zombies
From the Beginning - ELP
Beautiful Daughter - Move
Going To The Country - Steve Miller Band
Hurdy Gurdy Man - Donovan
Something Better - Chilliwack
Mystic Traveler - Dave Mason
On the Border - Al Stewart
Gudbuy Gudbuy - Slade
Uncle Lijah - Black Oak Arkansas
No Matter What - Badfinger (Why no one plays their songs is crazy)
When I'm Dead & Gone - McGuiness Flint
Sometimes in Winter - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Immigration Man - Nash & Crosby
Free Wheelin' - BTO
Mirror - Emitt Rhodes
America - Yes
Whatcha Gonna Do - Pablo Cruise
Apricot Brandy - Rhinoceros
Back Up Against the Wall - Atlantic Rhythm Section
Fanfare For the Common Man - ELP
Too Much of Nothing - Peter, Paul & Mary
Boogie Bands & One Night Stands - Kathy Dalton (Could have been Janis' next hit?)
Cathedral - CSN
Love Is Like a Rock - Donnie Iris
Grey Seal - Elton John
Black Friday - Steely Dan
Stealer - Free
One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor - Paul Simon
Angry Eyes - Loggins & Messina (45 version)
Circle Game - Joni Mitchell
Country Road - James Taylor (45 version)
Next Time, This Time - Jim Croce
The Late Show - Jackson Browne
Believe in Humanity - Carole King
Mama Told Me (Not to Come) - Three Dog Night
You Better Think Twice - Poco
Hocus Pocus - Focus
Virginia - Vigrass & Osborne
So It Goes - Nick Lowe
Sing it Shout It - Starz
Cheyenne Anthem - Kansas
Sausalito Summer Night - Diesel
Carry On Till Tomorrow - Badfinger
Green-Eyed Lady - Sugarloaf
We - Shawn Phillips
Wasn't Born To Follow - Byrds
Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs
Teacher - Jethro Tull
Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane (WOODSTOCK time!)
Mouthful of Grass - Free
Flyin' - Prism
Somethin' Comin' On - Blood, Sweat & Tears
To One in Paradise - Alan Parsons Project
It's My Life - Animals
It's Your Life - Andy Kim
Grand Illusion - Styx
Reflections Of My Life - Marmalade
Itchycoo Park - Small Faces
One More Rainy Day - Deep Purple
This Will be Our Year - Zombies
Captain Bobby Stout - Jerry Hahn Brotherhood
Summertime Blues - Blue Cheer
Masquerade - Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
House of the King - Focus
SWLABR - Cream
Eyesight To The Blind - Who
The Letter - Arbors
The Letter - Joe Cocker
Something's In The Air - Thunderclap Newman
Wild Night - Van Morrison
Angie - Rolling Stones
Music Eyes - Heartsfield
Ah! Leah - Donnie iris
River Road - Uncle Dog
Love Heals - Colours
Bright Lights, Windy City - Westminst'r
The Sailing Ship – Cryan’ Shames
Go Back - Crabby Appleton
I Know You (Your Nature's like Mine) - MC2
Come & Get It - Badfinger
Doing That Scrapyard Thing - Cream
Oh Yeah! - Shadows of Knight
America - Nice
Goddess of Love - Gentrys
(I Know) I'm Losing You - Rare Earth
Postcard - Who
With A Girl Like You - Troggs
Superman - Ides of March
I've Never Seen Love Like This - Orpheus
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - First Edition
Little Wheel Spin & Spin - Chakras (What Heart would sound like later on)
People & Me - New Colony 6
Commotion - CCR
In the Year 2525 - Zager & Evans (Don't knock the LINCOLN ROCK!)
It's All Too Much - Beatles
I Can't Quit Her - Blood, Sweat & Tears
I Can't Quit Her - Arbors
When Friends Fall Out - Guess Who
And She's Mine - Spanky & Our gang
Water Sign - Gary Wright
Hard Road - Deep Purple
California Rock & Roll - Crowfoot
Dancer - Things to Come (a Rate a Record tune I recorded in 68)
Hand Me Down World - Guess Who
Knock On Wood - Harper's Bizarre
Gardens in the Rain - Tomita
Sunshine Roses - Gene Cotton (It's "American Pie II"?)
Golden Country - REO Speedwagon
People Got To Be Free - Rascals
Blue Suede Tie - Tremeloes (Coulda been SLADE song!)
Sahra Cynthia Sylvia Stout - Shel Silversteen (45 version) Remember when you could hear weird things like this or "Boogie With me" by John Hartford?)
The concept is awesome … but I don’t know HOW you can possibly tabulate all of these!
Clark Besch
You may find this hard to believe but a full 42% of the titles you’ve listed have already been nominated and are receiving votes … which just proves again just how cool our list of readers really is!
Again, it’s all subjective …
I’ll admit that I don’t know quite a few songs on your list … and, in the long run, many of these titles may find that the only vote they received was yours … but I whole-heartedly agree that, had it been given the proper chance, “Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles David Smith And Jones” would have been the rock classic it deserves to be. The Cryan’ Shames just never got their due … and that IS a cryin’ shame.
As for Badfinger, we hear them all the time here in Chicago … literally on a daily basis … and I’m talking about all four major hits.
Hopefully your list will inspire others to “dig a little deeper” when submitting their own.
And don’t be discouraged …
Until we reach our goal of 5000 song titles, EVERY song is a potential candidate to make the final Top 3333 … which means that right now, EVERY vote counts. Get your favorite, most-deserving tracks nominated NOW so that when we start sending out our final recap, giving readers the chance to vote one last time for their favorites before we do our final tabulation, YOUR choices are well represented.
Thanks, Clark … for yet ANOTHER hour’s worth of tabulating on my end!!! (lol) kk
Here’s another Greatest Classic Rock Songs List to peruse …
Quite a few worthy omissions on this list, too … but maybe it will spark an idea or two for your own ballot!
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/top-100-classic-rock-songs/
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/top-100-classic-rock-songs/
Just to keep you all in the loop, I have not put this promotion out to any of the Classic Rock Stations yet at this point yet. Although I feel their input is absolutely necessary in order to determine a TRUE final ranking, representing a cross section of votes received from the entire United States, the truth is I can barely keep up with tabulating the votes now! We’re getting very close to the point where we may need some type of automated system to assist us in doing so. (I’m open to ideas and suggestions in this regard if anybody out there feels they can help.)
Actually, I think it will get easier once we have our final ballot because then we can start to circulate tracks in a controlled environment for all of you to vote on … where simple daily tally sheets should do the trick.
But until then, we’re struggling … but also persevering, getting closer and closer toward our goal.
But first, one final swipe at our hometown boys before I go.
Until very recently, Chicago used to support FOUR Classic Rock Stations … two of those stations (The Loop and The Fox) have now switched formats, taking on a more religious tone.
That leaves The Drive and The River … both of whom have been broadcasting this format of music for many years now.
As one might expect, they both play from very similar play lists (although The Drive’s catalog seems to run significantly deeper.) However, they also tend to offer more of the “obscure” tracks while The River seems to stick closer to the more “tried and true” method of broadcasting.
That being said … with a playlist of, I would guess somewhere between 500 and 1000 tracks … why would The River EVER have to repeat the same song twice within a fifteen hour period???
It’s just bad form … and yet that’s exactly what they did the other day when I pulled their track log.
FOUR tracks were repeated twice … why??? (Here’s a station that can really use our Top 3333 selections!!!)
The old theory has always been that NOBODY listens to the radio for more than an hour anyway … and since the people in charge know that EVERYBODY wants to hear “Kashmir” every day, they just keep playing it every four hours to make sure that nobody misses it! (Not all together different from the old Top 40 philosophy where the most popular songs repeated during each jock’s 3-4 hour shift … and sometimes the REALLY popular cuts popped up every two hours.)
We don’t need to do that anymore today. The wealth of material available to choose from has eliminated the need to repeat ANY tracks during the course of a single day’s programming. And the truth is you wouldn’t have to repeat ANY tracks at all if you programmed your station in such a way to make listeners WANT to tune in longer, knowing there was more variety to be had! Trust me … this would please both the listeners AND the jocks playing the music.
By the same token, The Drive has turned Two For Tuesday into a real snore fest. The same artists are repeated throughout the day, week after week after week.
This past week they played EIGHTEEN Led Zeppelin songs in twelve hours! They also played fourteen songs by Aerosmith, ten songs each by AC/DC and Van Halen, as well as eight songs by The Who, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Def Leppard, Tom Petty and Billy Joel. (Half a dozen artists each got six songs each as well.)
I could get just as much variety by popping the Greatest Hits CDs of ten of these artists into my 10-CD-Disc Changer in The Jeep and taken a nine hour road trip ... and it would have been commercial free!
There is SO much more variety that could be featured! Use Two For Tuesday to dig deep and play a few tracks you just don’t get to hear that often … by a few artists that aren’t already part of your heavy rotation.
I guess the “comfort zone” here is that when you tune in to these stations, you know EXACTLY what you’re going to hear. (There are SO little surprises these days!) And I will acknowledge that this is probably what MOST radio stations … and most listeners … really want … but our Final Countdown of The Top 3333 Most Essential Classic Rock Tracks offers the ability to change that … so PLEASE help to spread the word and get your votes in. Let’s make this the definitive list by tapping into the widest variety of music possible … and then ranking them in the order they deserve to be honored.
Just drop me an email listing your favorites … no limit … at ClassicRockVote@Yahoo.com … and we’ll take care of the rest.
kk
Kent Kotal
Forgotten Hits
