Classic Rock: Definition?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Khorn, Jul 29, 2002.

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  1. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian Thread Starter

    How do you define "Classic Rock"?

    Is it a style?

    Is it a time period thing?

    Does it mean different things to people depending on how old they are?

    It seems this genre is the most discussed on this forum followed to a lesser extent only by even earlier stuff from the 50's

    Why do you think it's so popular here and does that mean many here think that music actually died after the 'Classic Rock' ?

    Proportionally there doesn't seem to be that much interest in "new music". I wonder what the reason is.

    The above is the take I get. Does anyone else see it that way?
     
  2. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    Well, music actually died after the Beatles broke up.

    (moooannnn, groooannnn, another Beatles thread..... ;) )

    Seriously, at one time I felt that there was a lack of direction after they split up. John Lennon inspired hard rock, Paul McCartney inspired production values, George Harrison was released and could get his creativity on record and Ringo Starr was lost, doing a Country album, getting help from good friends for "Ringo", etc.

    Eh, what do I know?
     
  3. Rspaight

    Rspaight New Member

    Location:
    Kentucky
    Sort of. The rock beat is about the only constant. Almost everyone involved is white, with Hendrix and maybe Sly and the Family Stone as the exceptions. Beyond that, you've got everything from AC/DC (Australian party rock) to Chicago (SoCal horn-softrock) to Yes (English arty-rock) to the Ramones (NY punk-rock).

    I'd say so. 1964 (Beatles on Ed Sullivan) to 1981 (MTV), to my thinking.

    Probably. The older you are, the more selective you probably are.

    My guess is that most of those who can afford to play this audiophile game are those who grew up with "classic rock" and thus that's the genre that interests them most. That's the music they're most familiar with, and so that's the music they most want to hear in it's best form.

    Also they're the ones old enough to remember what music sounded like before MP3s...

    Ryan
     
  4. Sckott

    Sckott Hand Tighten Only.

    Location:
    South Plymouth, Ma
    Classic Rock can be, but is not confined to 1965-1987, of Rock And Roll formatted music, normally something including guitar, bass, drums.

    The bare format of Classic Rock is also called AOR. Album Oriented Rock.

    I loved the Black Crowes. I loved Guns N' Roses and even Metallica. The Black Crowes split, mainly because of drug and alchahol abuse, and disagreement between the brothers. Guns? Well, Axel is old news. Let him sit down for another 40 years. Metallica? One word: Napster.

    I still listen to the old music. I love it. Problem is, no one's doing anything rockin' with confidence and blusy from something NEW. Not many. You can still see the old bands, doing WELL on stage. Records? A scary idea.

    To be honest, there's tons of amazing music the 50's had, that cannot be done like that again. Pretty soon, the 70's and 80's will, if not already, fall into the same category.

    The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cream, ZZ top, Beatles, Creedence, Pretenders, Rush, all great memories. All produced with loving care. All attention to detail. Now, the labels are more in control. They're more nervous. They want guarantees.

    The world is so much different now. Artists used to DIE for a record contract. Now, with a lawyer telling them the ins and outs, they're scared to death.

    Rock Is Dead. Long Live Rock.
     
  5. proufo

    proufo Forum Resident

    Hello Khorn.

    It's likely to be an age thing. I'd say that the richness, variety and quality of the classic rock era is unsurpassed but that too could be considered an age thing.

    New artists and recordings have to forcefully land in my lap for me to take notice. And even then I'm quite likely not to purchase any recordings.
     
  6. Trainspotting

    Trainspotting Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    What most people refer to as 'Classic Rock' is music which was popular on FM radion stations from the late '60s-the late '70s. There is very little pre late '60s and post late '70s music played on these stations. Though, there are exceptions.
     
  7. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    Two Definitions

    Friends,

    In thinking about Sckott's post there probably two definitions: one that refers to collecting Classic Rock music that is pretty broad-based and another that is more tightly defined for the Classic Rock Radio format--a playlist crafted by Radio consultants.

    Make sense?

    Bob
     
  8. musicfan37

    musicfan37 Senior Member

    That basically sums it up for me. Classic rock to me = Beatles, Rolling Stones, Who, Lynyrd Skynard, Bob Seger, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Boston, Santana, Styx, Journey, Cheap Trick, Yardbirds, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Kinks, Dire Straits, Eagles, Jefferson Airplane, Byrds, Animals, AC/DC, Kiss, Foghat, Nazareth, Peter Frampton, Kansas, REO Speedwagon, BTO, Bad Company, Steve Miller, etc. I could go on...
     
  9. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian Thread Starter

    Re: Two Definitions

    Sometimes I think that we're all part of some insidious 'play list' that keeps showing up over and over again here on this forum. Some sort of warped "Steve Hoffman Twilight Zone" thing'
    Maybe we're all in his head or, then again......... :cool:
     
  10. Sckott

    Sckott Hand Tighten Only.

    Location:
    South Plymouth, Ma
    Tight would definately be a good explination. Some AOR stations MIGHT play "Question" by the Moody Blues, but be dammed if they play Nights In White Satin.

    Yeah, it wouldn't be fair. Especially when they WILL play Guns & Roses "November Rain", all 11 minutes of it.

    When I hear an AOR radio station, it's rare that you'll hear any King Crimson, Fleetwood Mac when Mr. Green was in charge, and very early Rolling Stones.

    I've really enjoyed a very unpopular Fleetwood Mac album called "Mystery To Me". It's rock, but is it classic, and would a radio station play it? No way to categorize it.

    "You can't disect it, it just won't stand up. So... sha-hUp!" Roger Daltry in "The Kids Are Alright" film, deleted sequence.
     
  11. Claus

    Claus Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany
    Classic Rock the best magazine beside of Mojo! They cover only Rock and Heavy Metal Groups... very good reviews!
     
  12. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian Thread Starter

    Somebody would come up with a totally 'off the wall' definition!:laugh:

    thanks Claus
     
  13. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    Eh think of it this way....

    In 20 / 30 years, Classic Rock will be Michael Jackson, Slipknot, Mary Bilge, Snoop Doggy Dog, et all.

    I'll be a dinosaur.
     
  14. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian Thread Starter

    And I'll swallow the muzzle and pull the trigger!!
     
  15. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    Dang, you'd better NOT use up the last bullet! :realmad:
     
  16. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    A Garysaurus?

    Bob :laugh:
     
  17. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    And it will be a shame when today's crap will be considered classic rock.
     
  18. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    This is also my exact description.

    Classic rock, to me, is mostly a 70s thing, with a time period of from 1969-1976.
     
  19. Jeffrey

    Jeffrey Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    South Texas
    Hi,

    For me, classic rock started looong before 1969. Geez, that would pretty much leave the Beatles, Jimi, Janis, QMS, JA out of classic rock. I do share you opinion that 1976 was the end of the heart of classic rock. I always like to blame disco! I think we finally started to recover from disco about the same time Travolta did, the early 90's. :D

    -Jeffrey
     
  20. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    Classic Rock--the rough time period

    Friends,

    I have always thought of Classic Rock as beginning in roughly 1966 and ending in 1979. The boundries at either end are somewhat fuzzy and skewed around the edges but clearly I think of 1966 as the start and 1979 as the end of this period. Some say it begins with Rubber Soul by the Beatles and ended with The Long Run by the Eagles. Clearly, from a recording standpoint when I am making Classic Rock comps I least think in these terms, although nothing is hard and fast. All the while Classic Rock was at it's most creative ebb was the continuation of Top 40 for AM and FM Radio fomats that included Soul, Country-Crossovers, Funk, 70's R & B, Jazz and yes, Classic Rock tracks that were released as singles, often in an edited format as to be more more palatable on Top 40 Radio formats.

    Bob
     
  21. kipper15

    kipper15 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    For me 'Classic Rock' would refer all the great rock music from the 60s through to about the mid-80s. This was when rock music expereienced it's most creative and innovative period.

    True classic rock would include acts such as (in alphabetical order) Beatles, Bowie, Clash, Doors, Dylan, Hendrix, Kinks, Lou Reed, Pink Floyd, Police, REM, Rolling Stones, Springsteen, T Rex, U2, Velvet Underground, Who. I would NOT put contemporary acts like Limp Bizkit and Blink 182 in the "classic rock" category ;) although a band like Radiohead could be a contender in a few years from now.
     
  22. lsupro

    lsupro King of Ignorers

    Location:
    Rocklin, CA
    Oh Boy, here we go.

    In the desperate need for Record companies, Radio Stations, and MTV to "label" music into a particular genre, the term Classic Rock evolved. Classic rock can not be defined by any one factor, but rather, era, sound type, instrumentation, and even the band or artist that a particular cut comes from. Combine that with each individual's listening tastes, we have set the table for an out of control discussion.

    As a programmer for a "Classic Rock Station", it takes knowing your mass audience and playing the songs that the audience likes to generate ratings. Ratings generate revenue. I do music testing twice a year to stay number #1. Play the "hits" in the classic rock genre. and if it tests well, but wasn't a hit, we play it. There is stuff that was a HUGE hit that tests like crap that we don't play and are scorned for it by the "loyalists" and "purists", but as long as the ratings are good, I keep with the plan.
     
  23. lbangs

    lbangs Senior Member

    Well, there is your best definition. The only thing I would add is that classic rock tends to be confined to albums that actually sold pretty well in their time. Despite its age and quality, The Velvet Underground and Nico is usually not considered classic rock, while Journey, a middling band at best, is. It is, to a fairly large degree, a matter of the charts, although, luckily, much of the dross does skim off (let's hope Linkin Park and Nickleback do).

    There are LOADS of great new rock music out there. You just can't expect it to *sound* like classic rock, because it ain't, and when it tries to, it is usually embarrassing. (Lenny Kravitz, stand up)

    Always exceptions, of course. Black Crowes and Counting Crows (crows, hmmm) spring to mind.

    I'm not claiming 2002 compares to 1967 or 1969, mind you. In fact, I'm not really sure what use there would be in comparing them. For those with ears to hear, however, there are many, many rich veins to mine out there. The gold just don't sound the same.

    For most people over 35, classic rock will always be mid-sixties to right around the year they graduated. Currently, 87 is sounding right. Not a judgment call, just a fact.

    MHO, natch!

    Shalom, y'all!

    L. Bangs
     
  24. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    On the Classic Rock channel of Music Choice they have played some Velvet Underground, It's a Beautiful Day, etc. besides the usuals.
     
  25. SteveSDCA

    SteveSDCA Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego
    ...music that was released when you still had hair
     
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