>>>So who jumps to the top of the Ignored, Deserving and Denied List now? (My immediate answer to that one is The Guess Who ... it's downright insulting that these guys continually get passed over!) Who else? (In all fairness, dozens of artists that made our original Deserving And Denied List eighteen years ago have since been inducted ... so I guess there's still hope yet for some of the others! But should it REALLY have taken this long to do so?) Let us hear from you ... and we'll put together our OWN list of "favorite candidates." (kk)
Hi Kent,
Absolutely agree with you about The Guess Who. But what about Three Dog Night? Besides having 18 Top 20 Billboard hits in five years and the undisputed #1 song of 1971, they also introduced us to such great songwriters as Laura Nyro, Randy Newman and Paul Williams. The Hall of Fame, by totally ignoring groups like The Guess Who, Three Dog Night, Tommy James and the Shondells, the Grass Roots and the Turtles, acts as if late 1960's and early 1970's Top 40 pop didn't exist at all. Guess it just wasn't important enough for them.
Ian N. Berger
Three Dog Night introduced us to SO many great songwriters ... they had a real knack for picking the "future hits" ... add Elton John, Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Hoyt Axton, Russ Ballard, Dave Loggins, Jesse Colin Young and John Hiatt to that list, too. And what other band was able to trade off between three lead singers fronting an absolutely killer back-up band. Yep, these guys are right near the top of the heap, too. The overlooking of Tommy James as a travesty, which seems to be the case of ALL of the "feel good" groups of the '60's and '70's. Hopefully, under new leadership, The Hall will slowly start to mend its erroneous ways. (kk)
Here are four who should deserve induction:
1) Big Star - They only released three albums, but all three ended up on Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 500 Albums of All Time list. They inspired bands like the Pixies and REM. You could also add Alex Chilton by himself, considering his solo work, his work with Big Star and the Box Tops.
2) Harry Chapin - His contribution to being involved in social issues and creating the impetus behind Band-Aid, Live Aid, Farm Aid, Hands Across America should be honored.
3) Dan Fogelberg - He succeeded in every type of musical format ... Country, Pop, Rock, Classical, Bluegrass ... and many of his songs have become classics.
4) Tommy James - He was the bridge from pop music to being one of the first psychedelic artists with songs like Crimson and Clover. He's also the only artist whose hits were redone and one remake replaced another remake at #1 when Billy Idol's version of "Mony Mony" succeeded Tiffany's take of "I Think We're Alone Now." Even Joan Jett respected him enough to have him perform "Crimson and Clover" with her at her induction.
If you follow impact on music all around, I could probably also make a case for Barry Manilow, but that will be another time.
Thanks -
Gil McAuliff
I'm not sure ANYBODY could make a winning case for Barry Manilow ... but yeah, I just don't get the Tommy James thing at all ... he's good enough to perform at the induction ceremony ... he's good enough to have one of his suits prominently featured on display at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Museum for years ... but he's NOT good enough to actually nominate and induct. It's crazy thinking like that that has destroyed any credibility The Rock Hall could have had. (I think Tommy may have since had his suit removed in protest ... but it was there when we visited Cleveland for the very first time a few years ago.) kk
Frannie
There are still a number of songs on The Top 3333 List that I would agree don't really "fit the mold" ... and that's after editing and excising quite a few. But the thing to remember is that this is the list that THOUSANDS of people came up with as songs that they would accept as being played on Classic Rock Radio ... which opens up all kinds of new horizons for the genre (and perhaps help keep it both alive and interesting for years to come.) Otherwise we're doomed to repeat 10-12 Bon Jovi, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin songs every day till the end of time! (kk)
Billboard Magazine came up with a list of thirteen eligible acts that THEY feel deserved to make the ballot. I can make a case for a few of these ... but certainly not all.
In the category of "What did they do that changed the way this music is perceived?", I would have to rank OutKast (they just brought back '70's soul, without really adding anything new to it), Weezer, Oasis (aka Baby Beatles), Nas, The Fugees (maybe), Beck (maybe), Elliott Smith (who?), Portishead (double who??), Aalyiah (rock and roll?), Korn, Hootie and the Blowfish (I don't think that's EVER gonna happen!!! WAY too popular for their time!) and Jeff Buckley (best known for his rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" ... but Cohen's already in ... for God knows what reason ... so do we really need to induct Jeff Buckley, too?)
The one artist that I absolutely COULD make a case for would have to be Daft Punk, who injected a whole new vibe to the genre, blending classic soul with techno (and very effectively I might add!)
This list only represents artists who are newly eligible, having recorded their first music 25 years ago. Notice that there is no mention of any of the vintage acts long overlooked. (kk)
Speaking of which ... from our original Deserving And Denied List (first published in 2007), I am happy to report that 17 of the Top 40 artists listed have since been inducted ... and three more are on the ballot for The Class of 2020. In addition, six more from our "Honorable Mention" list have also made the cut.
The most glaring omissions still to date:
The Guess Who, Ed Sullivan, Jethro Tull, Three Dog Night, Joe Cocker, Tommy James and the Shondells, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Styx and Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
I've given up all hope on some of the early pioneers making it at this point ... if they haven't been recognized by now, I'm certain they've fallen completely off the radar: deserving acts like Chubby Checker, Connie Francis, Pat Boone, Paul Anka, Jan and Dean. Freddy Cannon and Neil Sedaka will likely never be honored for their contributions. (Thank God major rock and roll players like Bill Withers, Percy Sledge, Leonard Cohen, Bonnie Raitt and Niggaz With Attitudes were able to step in and fill those spots!) kk
THE TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME:
Wow, Kent, allow me to offer my congratulations on your mile long listings ... well done!
Rockin' Lord Geoff (In England)
Enjoying the hell out of your Countdown! What's fun is not only seeing the predictable "sure things" but songs, that despite their chart action or lack thereof, remain in people's minds and memories. You know, the "Forgotten Hits!"
Tim Kiley
This list is bringing so much music history to your fans. We're enjoying songs we haven't thought of in years! I'm wondering if the tracks above 2,500 or 3,000 will turn out to be the most meaningful since they're the really deep ones. Surely there's a publisher ready to put this in print. Joel, maybe?
Thank you for all you've put into this, Kent.
David Lewis
David Lewis
I don't know that that'll ever happen ... right now I'm just content to get the list out there and circulating among the fans AND the radio stations ... as THIS is where we'll be able to make a difference. (Of course getting a few stations to countdown any portion of this will also help in that regard!) Honestly, I've yet to see a serious nibble ... but that doesn't mean we've given up trying. Besides, I have always believed that there will be more of a "long term" result once radio starts to step outside their comfort zone a little bit every now and then. (kk)
I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed looking back at all of these hits. It's like opening up Christmas gifts that were put away that you forgot you have and now slowly but surely they get given to you again.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing this!
Nikki Sloan
Hey Kent ...
But then ... a couple of days later ...
I believe that some of your readers have a valid point. I think that there is a definite difference between the genre of "Rock" and the genre of "Rock 'n Roll." I believe that is where the conflict lies. Generally speaking, "Rock" music is more of a "recent" phenomena as opposed to the "Rock 'n Roll" era that dates back to the early '50s. For me personally, I think of artists like Del Shannon as more of a rock 'n roll singer, similar to singers like Bobby Vee and Bobby Rydell, Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, Fabian, etc. I do not recall seeing any of their names on the voting list. Yes, there are the "crossovers" like Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, etc. In all fairness, I believe that their contributions are also worthwhile as I am sure that you do. However, I see your point that there had to be a narrower list which excluded these artists. Maybe if at all possible, just maybe in the future, there could be a voting for just "rock 'n roll" classics. After all, these are the "pioneers" of classic rock. Classic Rock wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for these other artists. So I tend to agree with the readers who had noted this. Notwithstanding, I am aware that the name "rock" is short for "rock 'n roll."
As to the Classic Rock Vote ... Congratulations Kent! Kudos to Kent! I finally was able to access the first 82 songs on the 3333 list. Thank you! You also took the time to download the videos with the songs. Wow! I swear I have never met anyone so dedicated to classic rock music.
Several of these videos I had never seen. I enjoyed the Frank Lloyd Wright video ... Simon and Garfunkel, and the Paul McCartney video from Scotland, and, naturally Bruce's "Sandy." I'll have to watch the others when I get a chance.
Your comments made sense and were important to the survey about how you went about putting all of this together and pulling it off, the criteria you chose to use, and the philosophy you chose to justify your original choices of voting songs. It's also a great idea to list all the songs at the end that didn't make the top list. You covered all of your bases. If I lived closer, I would invite you out for a beer at your favorite tavern. Thanks, Kent!
I am sure that you have become acclimated to enjoying the songs again or will soon and not be categorizing them to one of your many lists. lol That would drive me bonkers. My hope is that the radio stations will "wake up" and play something different so that they will have more listeners which will be to their advantage as well as to the advertisers advantage (more revenue for their product and the radio station! What an idea!)
I plan on sending your list to a few radio stations in my area. By the way, I was once a DJ at my college radio station. I enjoyed it immensely, having my own radio show and control over what I wanted to play. Very cool.
Kent, You are AMAZING! Thank you, Kent, for all you do for the Forgotten Hits fans. Be safe and stay well.
Kent, You are AMAZING! Thank you, Kent, for all you do for the Forgotten Hits fans. Be safe and stay well.
But then ... a couple of days later ...
I am sorry to say that I am having "major problemos" trying to access the countdown. I called "Geek Squad" ... also called AOL. They asked if there were any other websites that I was having problems with. I said "no." So I guess I will have to wait until the actual list comes out rather than try to open up my email. My computer freezes every time. I have tried refreshing the email but to no avail. But believe me, I have done my best to try over the past two weeks to see the results of all of the tabulations.
Thanks again for all the work you put into this!!! I am anxious to see it!
Sandy
I know it's taking longer than usual to load because there is SO much information in each posting ... and even I have had to "refresh" every now and then in order to get the tracks to play ... but they ultimately do. (Oddly enough, the page seems to load MUCH faster on my phone ... which makes absolutely NO sense to me at all!)
In order to do the list justice, I felt I had to feature some of these tunes each day. Maybe try a different browser? (Firefox works fine for me ... and I also hear Google Chrome works very well, although I've never actually tried it. AOL and/or Explorer are probably two of the WORST when it comes to this sort of stuff ... so maybe you want to consider downloading something like Firefox as your main source???)
I hate to see ANYBODY missing any part of this countdown as I know how much time and effort went into compiling the results. But (as you'll see in the email below yours) a final "print out version" of the list is pretty much inevitable. (kk)
I hope that when your countdown of 3333 songs is completed, you can somehow list them online, maybe in smaller print with several on one page so one may copy them.
Larry Neal
We'll figure out something ... but even when I printed out the original tally work sheets it came out to be something like 76 pages long, even as an Excel spreadsheet. Or I may just eventually post the complete list on the other Forgotten Hits website along with all of our other classic lists ... but like I said, we'll come up with something! (kk)
THIS AND THAT:
Kent,
I always like this time of year in that I love, as I call it, football Sunday with right at 10 1/2 hours of football. That also means seeing new commercials during the games with background music that is quite familiar.
Some new ones of late, and you may have heard them, are Johnny Cash's 1972 THESE ARE MY PEOPLE along with the Vogues' TURN AROUND, LOOK AT ME. Both of these were used as background music for car commercials.
Now I have heard two other commercials, both for cars again I believe. However, I cannot place the singers doing them.
Both of the singers are girls ... I think maybe Maxine Brown or Dinah Washington maybe ... possibly Sarah Vaughn. Anyway, it's ironic that you can't hear these songs any more on the radio but as background music on commercials on television you can. Also, don't forget Applebees in that they seem to change their commercials every two weeks or so with a different song. They were doing GOOD LOVIN' a few weeks ago.
Larry Neal
Lately I've been hearing "All I Have To Do Is Dream" quite a bit ... and "Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith. (There seems to be a wide array of Classic Rock Songs being used in commercials right now.) Also Stevie Wonder's "Uptight" ... and even "Back In Baby's Arms" by Patsy Cline! (When's the last time you heard THAT one!!!) Gotta love it! (kk)
Queen Drummer Roger Taylor pulled no punches when addressing critics who panned the Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody." In an interview with Planet Rock, Taylor told the naysayers: "Fuck you! Fuck you all the way to the bank!" (He always was the well-spoken one in the group!) kk
Hi Kent,
Just wanted to mention that one of the reasons you may not have heard from Burton Cummings recently is that he is in the middle of an extensive tour across Canada of which he has 26 concerts still to play between now and December 6th.
Regards,
Tim Kiley
I had heard about the tour and they were going to try and get some comments from him before it started but it never happened. Who knows - he may call midstream / a LOT of Guess Who songs made the countdown ... so I'm hoping he'll still chime in at some point. Meanwhile, I'm supposed to do "phoners" with both Al Kooper and Tommy James later this week ... so several of the artists in the countdown will be well represented. (kk)
First off Kent, again let me say THANK-YOU for that mass-undertaking ("Please Tim, don't say the word 'undertaking', I'm half-dead already from putting together this Countdown") of taking the votes, counting them, and assembling a genuine reflection of true music aficionados who think the world of music, artists, and radio. It is appreciated more than you'll ever know!
When I think of Al Kooper, what immediately comes to mind is he is the one who plays the Hammond B-3 on "Like A Rolling Stone!" To me, it took the song from a Triple to a Grand-Slam! Al Kooper ... now there's a guy with an historic music history: Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Bob Dylan, Mike Bloomfield, Stephen Stills, The Blues Project, let alone his role as a Producer.
Kent, THANK-YOU for all of your "Blood, Sweat, & Tears" in assembling this massive Countdown. Do they give a Nobel Peace Prize for assembling a Coundown? "It could happen!" Have a "Super-Session" day, and again, great to hear from you!
Regards,
Tim
Here's another review we came across for the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles' White Album show. (How cool would it have been to be there Tuesday Night after Todd Rundgren's nomination for The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame had been announced?!?!?)
The show is back at The Arcada Theatre on December 2nd ... and yes, we're going to see it again! (kk)
THE '60's ARE ALIVE AND WELL IN CHICAGO!:
Check out this lineup of acts coming soon to a theater near us ...
October 26th - The Ides Of March with special guests Mark Farner (formerly of Grand Funk Railroad), Bo Bice (American Idol runner-up and lead singer of Blood, Sweat and Tears) and Cathy Richardson, lead singer of Jefferson Starship - all appearing at the Genesee Theatre
The Fab Four Beatles Tribute - November 1st at The Arcada Theatre (several Forgotten Hits guests will be joining us for this show ... don't miss PREMIER Beatles tribute band ... and watch for an EXCLUSIVE Forgotten Hits Interview with the guys next week!)
The Music of Cream - November 3rd at The Arcada Theatre
November 14th - Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. and the MG's) at The City Winery
November 23rd - The Beatles vs. The Stones at The Genesee Theatre
November 30th - The Cornerstones of Rock featuring The Buckinghams, The Ides Of March, The New Colony Six, The Cryan' Shames and The Shadows Of Knight at The Arcada Theatre (with a return engagement on May 2nd)
December 2nd - The 50th Anniversary Tribute to The Beatles' White Album at The Arcada Theatre, featuring Christopher Cross, Todd Rundgren, Micky Dolenz, Joey Molland and Jason Scheff (the first show sold out ... don't miss your chance to see it!)
December 14th - The Ides Of March Christmas Show at The Arcada Theatre (an annual holiday delight!)
The Lettermen - December 15th at The Arcada Theatre
Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone ... appearing with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap on January 11th at The Genesee Theatre ... and then back again for a solo show on Sunday afternoon, May 24th, at The Arcada Theatre
Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night) - March 6th at The Arcada Theatre
The Grass Roots with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap - March 8th at The Arcada Theatre
The Association with The Classics IV at The Arcada Theatre, April 5th
Bobby Rydell - June 7th at The Arcada Theatre
Tommy James and the Shondells - September 20th at The Arcada Theatre
Online box office links:
http://www.arcadalive.com/upcomingevents/
https://www.geneseetheatre.com/events/all
https://citywinery.com/chicago/tickets.html?SID=b2ob7renp9o70ot0lc0iltu1s2&_=1571228364787&p=5
Regards,
Tim
It's because of that incredible legacy that we wanted to talk to Al again ... he made the list for his work on ALL of those projects ... Super Sessions, "Like A Rolling Stone," Blood, Sweat and Tears ... not to mention discovering and producing the first Lynyrd Skynyrd albums ... and getting The Zombies' #1 Single "Time Of The Season" released here in The States! Kooper has been a "player" every step of the way. (And the stories this guy has to tell!!! Founding and then being fired from his own band?!?! Scamming his way into the Bob Dylan recording session?!?! Who else does this kind of stuff happen to?!?!? lol) kk
Here's another review we came across for the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles' White Album show. (How cool would it have been to be there Tuesday Night after Todd Rundgren's nomination for The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame had been announced?!?!?)
When your classic rock countdown is totally over and done and you are talking music again one on one, I want to talk about Emitt Rhodes. I listened to his "Fresh As A Daisy" today and didn't realize he had played all the instruments on it and folks at first thought it was a Paul McCartney album. I've had quite the discussion with several DJ friends over this one.
I'm a patient woman, Kent, and the fact you are doing the classic rock essentials at all is a plus!!
Nikki
Hey, you're talking to a MAJOR Emitt Rhodes fan here ... so I'm happy to discuss at ANY point in time. (In fact, your email prompted me to dig out his most recent release from a couple of years ago, "Rainbow Ends," and listen to it again.)
My original review was one of disappointment ... after waiting forty years to hear new music from this incredibly talented artist, it was a bit of a downer ... suffice to say that there is little "up tempo" to be found within these eleven tracks ... nor will you find much hint or trace of the Emitt of old.
But after revisiting it again ... and listening to it another three or four times ... I have started to embrace a few of the tracks ... so thank you for inspiring me to do so.
"Fresh As A Daisy" SHOULD have been a MUCH bigger hit. (It ultimately peaked at #38 in Cash Box ... but only reached #54 in Billboard.) I've been trying to get Me-TV-FM to play it for a couple of years now as I just know their listeners will respond favorably to it ... and it fits the format and is far more accessible than some of the other rare and lost cuts that they feature.
Emitt's 1970 album was compared to McCartney's first solo release both because of the sound of his voice (VERY McCartney-esque!) and the fact that each artist played all of the instruments themselves on their respective releases.
I'll put the Emitt Rhodes album up against McCartney's any day, toe to toe ... it's that good. Pure pop, thru and thru. (After Dunhill released the "Emitt Rhodes" album, his old label A&M quickly reissued "An American Dream," which is nearly as good. BOTH would make for welcome additions to any CD library.) Follow up releases ("Mirror" and "Farewell To Paradise") got progressively weaker ... and then he was gone. Rumors of a new release circulated for two decades so when "Rainbow Ends" finally materialized, it was quite a shock. I would recommend "Dog On A Chain," "If I Knew Then" and "Put Some Rhythm To It" as this LP's strongest cuts, if you want to hear what Emitt Rhodes sounds like, circa 2016.
If you don't already have it, grab a copy of 1970's "Emitt Rhodes" CD ... nearly every track is as strong and enjoyable as "Fresh As A Daisy." (kk)
THE '60's ARE ALIVE AND WELL IN CHICAGO!:
Check out this lineup of acts coming soon to a theater near us ...
October 26th - The Ides Of March with special guests Mark Farner (formerly of Grand Funk Railroad), Bo Bice (American Idol runner-up and lead singer of Blood, Sweat and Tears) and Cathy Richardson, lead singer of Jefferson Starship - all appearing at the Genesee Theatre
***PLEASE NOTE: THIS JUST IN -
This concert will now be filmed for a television special! Radio / TV Broadcasting Legend Roe Conn will MC the event, celebrating The Ides Of March's 55th Anniversary and the release of their new album "Play On."
Don't miss your chance to take part in this very special event.
The Ides of March with Special Guests Mark Farner, Bo Bice & Cathy Richardson | Genesee Theatre The Fab Four Beatles Tribute - November 1st at The Arcada Theatre (several Forgotten Hits guests will be joining us for this show ... don't miss PREMIER Beatles tribute band ... and watch for an EXCLUSIVE Forgotten Hits Interview with the guys next week!)
The Music of Cream - November 3rd at The Arcada Theatre
November 14th - Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. and the MG's) at The City Winery
November 23rd - The Beatles vs. The Stones at The Genesee Theatre
November 30th - The Cornerstones of Rock featuring The Buckinghams, The Ides Of March, The New Colony Six, The Cryan' Shames and The Shadows Of Knight at The Arcada Theatre (with a return engagement on May 2nd)
December 2nd - The 50th Anniversary Tribute to The Beatles' White Album at The Arcada Theatre, featuring Christopher Cross, Todd Rundgren, Micky Dolenz, Joey Molland and Jason Scheff (the first show sold out ... don't miss your chance to see it!)
December 14th - The Ides Of March Christmas Show at The Arcada Theatre (an annual holiday delight!)
The Lettermen - December 15th at The Arcada Theatre
Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone ... appearing with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap on January 11th at The Genesee Theatre ... and then back again for a solo show on Sunday afternoon, May 24th, at The Arcada Theatre
Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night) - March 6th at The Arcada Theatre
The Grass Roots with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap - March 8th at The Arcada Theatre
The Association with The Classics IV at The Arcada Theatre, April 5th
Bobby Rydell - June 7th at The Arcada Theatre
Tommy James and the Shondells - September 20th at The Arcada Theatre
Online box office links:
http://www.arcadalive.com/upcomingevents/
https://www.geneseetheatre.com/events/all
https://citywinery.com/chicago/tickets.html?SID=b2ob7renp9o70ot0lc0iltu1s2&_=1571228364787&p=5
