timschochet
Footballguy
This may be the first time ever Don Henley and Bauhaus appeared in the same paragraph.
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The 100 Greatest Classic Rock Albums of All Time: #1. Sticky Fingers (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter timschochet
- Start date
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Seems to me....
I liked Joe Walsh's previous band over the Eagles....I think it was bc our parents started buying Hotel California....
dude my mom listens to the Eagles / WORLD'S COLLIDING kind of thing
I liked Joe Walsh's previous band over the Eagles....I think it was bc our parents started buying Hotel California....
dude my mom listens to the Eagles / WORLD'S COLLIDING kind of thing
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
In that statement’s context I should have said “over-estimating”.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
My issue with the Eagles is they have some cringy songs (IMO) that get a lot play on the radio, by DJs, at bars, karaoke, Muzak type and others. If I hear Witchy Woman or Desperado one more ****ing time I’m going to stab my eardrums.
They do have some good songs though.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
Be careful out there. Those songs can sneak up on you.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
And you have to skip one episode of Seinfeld for sure.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
And remember, it's Witch-A Woman.
Stoneworker
Footballguy
This is a fun thread to reminisce and everything...but taste-wise unfortunately I'm never going to see eye-to-eye with a list creator who has Come Sail Away as the top overall song of 1977...while not even including the uber classic Black Betty in the top 100 songs of that year.
Black Betty - Rock and roll as it was meant to be played
Black Betty - Rock and roll as it was meant to be played
Tau837
Footballguy
In the current Middle Aged Dummies countdown, I am counting down the Foo Fighters.
In the previous Middle Aged Dummies countdowns, I included songs by:
- US
- Pearl Jam
- Prince
- Foo Fighters
- Linkin Park
- Audioslave
- Incubus
- White Stripes
- Nirvana
- Jimmy Buffett
- Dr. Dre with Snoop Dogg
- Marvin Gaye
- 2Pac with Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman
- Rage Against the Machine
- Mike Shinoda
- The Replacements
- The Connells
- Beyonce and Walter Williams Sr.
- Bob Schneider
- Beastie Boys
- Frank Sinatra
- UK
- Phil Collins
- Cure
- Cult
- Radiohead
- Peter Gabriel
- U2
- Simple Minds
- Oasis
- Smiths
- Verve
- Squeeze
- OMD
- Aqualung
- Amy Winehouse
- Sinead O'Connor
- Muse
- Judas Priest
- Billy Idol
- World Party
- Bee Gees
- Non-US/UK:
- Living Colour
- Dave Matthews Band
- Metallica
- Little River Band
- INXS
- Talking Heads
- Robbie Robertson
- Sia
- Death Cab for Cutie
- The Church
- Seether
- Finger Eleven
- Alanis Morrissette
- Men at Work
- Gotye
- Jet
- Red Rider
- Aldo Nova
timschochet
Footballguy
I have no excuse for forgetting about Black Betty. Absolutely shameful on my part, embarrassing. It’s one of the all time great rock songs.
Have you heard the Larkin Poe cover of Black Betty? It’s really good:
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
youtu.be
Stoneworker
Footballguy
Phew. Glad to see the apparent disconnect was a mirage.I have no excuse for forgetting about Black Betty. Absolutely shameful on my part, embarrassing. It’s one of the all time great rock songs.
Have you heard the Larkin Poe cover of Black Betty? It’s really good:
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
Love the cover. Especially cool when female singers cover male vocalists. Even better when different generations. And great interpretations throughout that make it their own without losing integrity of the original (e.g. slide guitar amplifying the Southern rock feel, select vox harmonies)
rockaction
Footballguy
The rack and the screw ain't enough for you, tim. You should wear a hair suit while you're at it.
A little exaggeration for emphasis. There's a lot of classic rock in there (especially relative to others) and then a transition to and what's become classic rock after Tim's cutoff. Also the songs you talked about most in the non-us/uk draft were rock oriented more so than most in that thread.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
If I said “When the Levee Breaks” is one of my all time favorite songs by a British artist that wouldn’t mean it’s still in heavy rotation for me, necessarily.
Like I said, I surely do still listen to Stones, Beatles, Zeppelin etc albums often enough - but it’s probably now 25% of my general rotation when it used to be 75%. Which also makes sense since the catalog of music keeps growing.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
No offense to Tim but it’s also just an uninspiring start to this but obviously a lot of heavy hitters still left for the 89 albums still to come.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
We got to discuss The Big Lebowski and the history of hatred of the Eagles. That’s a win.
Raging weasel
Footballguy
Wow, this was great!I have no excuse for forgetting about Black Betty. Absolutely shameful on my part, embarrassing. It’s one of the all time great rock songs.
Have you heard the Larkin Poe cover of Black Betty? It’s really good:
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
timschochet
Footballguy
89. Queen- Jazz (1978)
Classic Rock Radio Hits: Fat Bottomed Girls, Bicycle Race, Don’t Stop Me Now
Earlier in the thread somebody offered this album as an example of hit songs accompanied by weak filler and deep cuts. I strongly disagree, obviously: I think this entire record save the last song is strong material and deserving of its place on this list.
Mustapha
The album kicks off with a pretty solid rocker. As a kid I used to get confused with The Prophet Song (similar theme?). Always liked both of them.
Fat Bottomed Girls
The lyrics are worthy of Spinal Tap. Nonetheless a classic rocker. May’s guitar is so legendary.
Jealousy
A gorgeous ballad of the sort you’re only going to hear from this band.
Bicycle Race
Growing up this was probably my least favorite Queen “hit”. But over the years I’ve come to appreciate it a lot more. The chord changes are extremely complex and worthy of prog rock.
If You Can Beat Them
A Deacon contribution. May’s guitar work saves this from being filler.
Let Me Entertain You
Freddie Mercury singing to the crowd. A live favorite.
Dead On Time
Might be my favorite of the deep cuts: love that lead guitar. So good.
In Only Seven Days
Another Deacon song. Nice mellow rocker.
Dreamer’s Ball
Brian May’s tribute to Elvis is, IMO, one of this band’s all time great ballads.
Fun It
A funk/disco effort by Taylor. Queen’s exploration of new musical styles (for them) would lead directly to “Another One Bites The Dust”.
Leaving Home Ain’t Easy
Brian May sings here. Another fine ballad.
Don’t Stop Me Now
Has to be up there in consideration for Queen’s greatest song ever. Wasn’t there some study that suggested this was the most positive tune of all time? I can’t find it but I remember reading that. Ironic because at the time it was written May didn’t like the lyrics because they appeared to justify Freddie Mercury’s self-indulgent behavior: cocaine and sex with random guys.
More Of That Jazz
This is all Taylor. He sings and plays almost every instrument. Entirely forgettable.
Classic Rock Radio Hits: Fat Bottomed Girls, Bicycle Race, Don’t Stop Me Now
Earlier in the thread somebody offered this album as an example of hit songs accompanied by weak filler and deep cuts. I strongly disagree, obviously: I think this entire record save the last song is strong material and deserving of its place on this list.
Mustapha
The album kicks off with a pretty solid rocker. As a kid I used to get confused with The Prophet Song (similar theme?). Always liked both of them.
Fat Bottomed Girls
The lyrics are worthy of Spinal Tap. Nonetheless a classic rocker. May’s guitar is so legendary.
Jealousy
A gorgeous ballad of the sort you’re only going to hear from this band.
Bicycle Race
Growing up this was probably my least favorite Queen “hit”. But over the years I’ve come to appreciate it a lot more. The chord changes are extremely complex and worthy of prog rock.
If You Can Beat Them
A Deacon contribution. May’s guitar work saves this from being filler.
Let Me Entertain You
Freddie Mercury singing to the crowd. A live favorite.
Dead On Time
Might be my favorite of the deep cuts: love that lead guitar. So good.
In Only Seven Days
Another Deacon song. Nice mellow rocker.
Dreamer’s Ball
Brian May’s tribute to Elvis is, IMO, one of this band’s all time great ballads.
Fun It
A funk/disco effort by Taylor. Queen’s exploration of new musical styles (for them) would lead directly to “Another One Bites The Dust”.
Leaving Home Ain’t Easy
Brian May sings here. Another fine ballad.
Don’t Stop Me Now
Has to be up there in consideration for Queen’s greatest song ever. Wasn’t there some study that suggested this was the most positive tune of all time? I can’t find it but I remember reading that. Ironic because at the time it was written May didn’t like the lyrics because they appeared to justify Freddie Mercury’s self-indulgent behavior: cocaine and sex with random guys.
More Of That Jazz
This is all Taylor. He sings and plays almost every instrument. Entirely forgettable.
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timschochet
Footballguy
zamboni
Footballguy
Wore this album out a ton as a kid - still own the album I bought in 1980. I won’t argue its placement here but a long time favorite of mine.
timschochet
Footballguy
If you’re taking about The Game it didn’t make the list. It was one of my last cuts, and perhaps the hardest one I made. In the end I just didn’t think the deep cuts were strong enough overall (despite including one of my all time favorite Queen songs “Sail Away Sweet Sister”. But the other non-hits were, IMO, weaker than the band’s albums I chose for this list.
zamboni
Footballguy
My bad - I was actually talking about Jazz, which I also bought in 1980. Collected all of Queen albums in 1980 after The Game came out. I agree The Game is a bit weaker than most of their previous material once I heard them all.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
The hits on Jazz are killer, but man, most of the deep cuts suck swamp water. I love Queen, but you couldn’t pay me to listen to this album from start to finish again.
Bogart
Footballguy
I remember as a kid being aware of Queen, but I didn't buy any albums (CDs) until 1990. Queen Live at Wembley Stadium and the Flash Gordon soundtrack. Same day, I know exactly what mall. The live album spoiled me, because I thought everything was going to be amazing and was really disappointed in a number of studio albums I bought after. Queen became one of my "library bands" that I would only listen to their discography if I could borrow it from the library first to make sure I liked it.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
As I was saying.
timschochet
Footballguy
88. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1976)
Classic Rock Radio Hits: American Girl, Breakdown
It took a while for the hits on this album to become radio staples; it wasn’t until the great success of the band’s third record, Damn the Torpedoes, that “American Girl” and “Breakdown” really started getting played. Petty was categorized as New Wave when in actually he was a progenitor of what we now think of as “roots rock”: bluesy tight songs heavily influenced by the Byrds.
Rockin’ Around With You
As if to prove my last point, this album begins with a tight butt kicking rocker.
Breakdown
One of Petty’s all time classics (there are so many!) Campbell’s guitar playing, the harmonies, the sync of the band- all demonstrated here for the first time. It’s almost too short.
Hometown Blues
Simple rocker but one of my favorite deep cuts from this bad.
The Wild One, Forever
Petty attempts to channel Bruce Springsteen in this fine ballad.
Anything That’s Rock N Roll
This was the first single released and actually got some radio attention back in the day. But it hasn’t maintained longevity the way the two other singles have.
Strangered In the Night
This is filler.
Fooled Again (I Don’t Like Again)
This would also be filler except for some interesting chord changes. Also Petty’s vocals sound a bit like Mick Jagger here.
Mystery Man
This deep cut is really catchy. Another of my long time favorites.
Luna
Kind of a forgettable ballad.
American Girl
The story is that when Roger McGuinn of the Byrds first heard this on the radio, he asked “when did I write that?” (Eventually McGuinn recorded it himself). Obviously a terrific song in the finest folk rock tradition. But like Breakdown, it ends too soon for me.
Classic Rock Radio Hits: American Girl, Breakdown
It took a while for the hits on this album to become radio staples; it wasn’t until the great success of the band’s third record, Damn the Torpedoes, that “American Girl” and “Breakdown” really started getting played. Petty was categorized as New Wave when in actually he was a progenitor of what we now think of as “roots rock”: bluesy tight songs heavily influenced by the Byrds.
Rockin’ Around With You
As if to prove my last point, this album begins with a tight butt kicking rocker.
Breakdown
One of Petty’s all time classics (there are so many!) Campbell’s guitar playing, the harmonies, the sync of the band- all demonstrated here for the first time. It’s almost too short.
Hometown Blues
Simple rocker but one of my favorite deep cuts from this bad.
The Wild One, Forever
Petty attempts to channel Bruce Springsteen in this fine ballad.
Anything That’s Rock N Roll
This was the first single released and actually got some radio attention back in the day. But it hasn’t maintained longevity the way the two other singles have.
Strangered In the Night
This is filler.
Fooled Again (I Don’t Like Again)
This would also be filler except for some interesting chord changes. Also Petty’s vocals sound a bit like Mick Jagger here.
Mystery Man
This deep cut is really catchy. Another of my long time favorites.
Luna
Kind of a forgettable ballad.
American Girl
The story is that when Roger McGuinn of the Byrds first heard this on the radio, he asked “when did I write that?” (Eventually McGuinn recorded it himself). Obviously a terrific song in the finest folk rock tradition. But like Breakdown, it ends too soon for me.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
This is how I remember Petty's early career happening, too. He was absolutely lumped in with the New Wavers like Talking Heads by radio programmers until at least 1980.
Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley were two other big influences. The Beatles and Motown, also.
Like most people my age who bought his records, I backed into this LP after Damn The Torpedoes. It's really good.
Are you doing one album per artist?
timschochet
Footballguy
Already been two Queen albums.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Stoneworker
Footballguy
Solid choice. Unforgettable and unique sound.
Although if Strangered in the Night is indeed filler, it has to be the most popular filler song in rock and roll history.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
too low
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I lived in Connecticut and had access to multiple radio markets (NYC, New Haven, Hartford, Springfield, Providence, Boston). All of them played TP from the beginning and he was never anything close to an alternative, new wave, pop, or MTV act. He was a rock artist. In the early, early days, he also was played on college radio where I lived, but that fell off after his first two albums.
Once there was a distinction of rock stations, his 70s stuff was played on classic rock stations and his newer stuff was played on current rock stations (ie, focused more on new releases). At some point later in the game, his music ended up on other formats as well (pop, adult contemporary, oldies, etc.).
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
MTV wasn't around yet but he shortly became a huge star on it once it did.
Stoneworker
Footballguy
Not according to Tom Petty...
...[His] image, paired with the blunt force of the songs on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, would see the band get positioned as punk, with Petty telling Spin in 1989 that they would regularly play at CBGB and share stages with the Ramones, Blondie, and even the Clash.
"Then people started saying, 'Well they're different, but they're not punk,' so they called us new wave. I think we were the first band to be called new wave, not that it's any honor you'd want to hang on your wall," Petty told the magazine.
It's strange to think a record with songs like "Breakdown" or "American Girl" would ever be considered punk—or even new wave—but that dichotomy would come to be a defining part of Petty's creative life.
Tom Petty Was an All-American Anomaly
Petty's career spanned five decades, yet he never made sense in any era.
www.vice.com
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
With the exception of Wildflowers, Petty is not really an album artist for me, but he has a ton of good songs. Most of the deep cuts here are afterthoughts for me, but the two big “hits”/mainstays are great.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Maybe there were places that considered him punk or alt rock (or booked him as such) when he first showed up, but the stations I listed to played him all the time as a rock act right from the beginning (although not as often as they did a couple of years later). The list being developed here is for what was considered classic rock. He was a regular on classic rock where I lived (which include the NYC market).Not according to Tom Petty...
...[His] image, paired with the blunt force of the songs on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, would see the band get positioned as punk, with Petty telling Spin in 1989 that they would regularly play at CBGB and share stages with the Ramones, Blondie, and even the Clash.
"Then people started saying, 'Well they're different, but they're not punk,' so they called us new wave. I think we were the first band to be called new wave, not that it's any honor you'd want to hang on your wall," Petty told the magazine.
It's strange to think a record with songs like "Breakdown" or "American Girl" would ever be considered punk—or even new wave—but that dichotomy would come to be a defining part of Petty's creative life.
Tom Petty Was an All-American Anomaly
Petty's career spanned five decades, yet he never made sense in any era.
Yes, his first live shows in NYC were at CBGB's (usually for the types of acts cited above). But right after that, he booked many shows at The Bottom Line and My Father's Place, both known as a draw to rock artists.
zamboni
Footballguy
I agree for the most part, although I think Damn The Torpedoes, which may appear later, is super strong cover to cover.
zamboni
Footballguy
Also hard to hear American Girl and not think of a thrown roll of toilet paper at the school building
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Stoneworker
Footballguy
Not worth arguing over but "right from the beginning" is a relative term that varies market by market, as well as station by station.Maybe there were places that considered him punk or alt rock (or booked him as such) when he first showed up, but the stations I listed to played him all the time as a rock act right from the beginning (although not as often as they did a couple of years later). The list being developed here is for what was considered classic rock. He was a regular on classic rock where I lived (which include the NYC market).Not according to Tom Petty...
...[His] image, paired with the blunt force of the songs on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, would see the band get positioned as punk, with Petty telling Spin in 1989 that they would regularly play at CBGB and share stages with the Ramones, Blondie, and even the Clash.
"Then people started saying, 'Well they're different, but they're not punk,' so they called us new wave. I think we were the first band to be called new wave, not that it's any honor you'd want to hang on your wall," Petty told the magazine.
It's strange to think a record with songs like "Breakdown" or "American Girl" would ever be considered punk—or even new wave—but that dichotomy would come to be a defining part of Petty's creative life.
Tom Petty Was an All-American Anomaly
Petty's career spanned five decades, yet he never made sense in any era.
Yes, his first live shows in NYC were at CBGB's (usually for the types of acts cited above). But right after that, he booked many shows at The Bottom Line and My Father's Place, both known as a draw to rock artists.
My recollection is it took Petty a few years to get traction on the bigger "classic" rock stations, but then his stuff rode the tide in the 1978-79 timeframe along with bands like Patti Smith, the Cars, the Pretenders et. al. that gained significant momentum for the newer "crossover" sound.
Once Refugee hit in 1979 the Petty grey area was officially over.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
It’s not worth arguing. He was surely marketed as a new wave artist when the band first broke, no matter what some’s anecdotal evidence says.
That didn’t last very long for obvious reasons though and he was “moved” into the rock genre.
timschochet
Footballguy
But this leads to
This is basically what I’ve read and heard. I can’t say personally; like others here my own consciousness of Petty began with “Refugee”.Not worth arguing over but "right from the beginning" is a relative term that varies market by market, as well as station by station.Maybe there were places that considered him punk or alt rock (or booked him as such) when he first showed up, but the stations I listed to played him all the time as a rock act right from the beginning (although not as often as they did a couple of years later). The list being developed here is for what was considered classic rock. He was a regular on classic rock where I lived (which include the NYC market).Not according to Tom Petty...
...[His] image, paired with the blunt force of the songs on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, would see the band get positioned as punk, with Petty telling Spin in 1989 that they would regularly play at CBGB and share stages with the Ramones, Blondie, and even the Clash.
"Then people started saying, 'Well they're different, but they're not punk,' so they called us new wave. I think we were the first band to be called new wave, not that it's any honor you'd want to hang on your wall," Petty told the magazine.
It's strange to think a record with songs like "Breakdown" or "American Girl" would ever be considered punk—or even new wave—but that dichotomy would come to be a defining part of Petty's creative life.
Tom Petty Was an All-American Anomaly
Petty's career spanned five decades, yet he never made sense in any era.
Yes, his first live shows in NYC were at CBGB's (usually for the types of acts cited above). But right after that, he booked many shows at The Bottom Line and My Father's Place, both known as a draw to rock artists.
My recollection is it took Petty a few years to get traction on the bigger "classic" rock stations, but then his stuff rode the tide in the 1978-79 timeframe along with bands like Patti Smith, the Cars, the Pretenders et. al. that gained significant momentum for the newer "crossover" sound.
Once Refugee hit in 1979 the Petty grey area was officially over.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I was in the DMV and can tell you that he absolutely was played on New Wave channels and not AOR. Maybe it was a geographical difference, but it happened. And I know he was marketed as "New Wave". It happened.
New Binky the Doormat
Footballguy
I'm from OH, the Midwest - '78 was the year "I Need To Know" hit us and he was well played and known after that for us.
zamboni
Footballguy
Government workers are assuredly the authority on what constitutes New Wave and what does not.
New Binky the Doormat
Footballguy
... ok zamboni - that was f'n funny. our man UH was only speaking for the "common man" - it was a great example of real-life facts
not all us are trying to be Lester Bangs
timschochet
Footballguy
In preparing for this draft I purchased copies of the official New Wave Guidebook for the years 1976-1983, which were issued by the US government. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers appears in the 1976 and 1977 editions, but does not appear in subsequent editions.
zamboni
Footballguy
I know - just being punny - lol. After all these years, I’m sure UH gets my humor.
our man UH was only speaking for the "common man" - it was a great example of real-life facts
not all us are trying to be Lester Bangs
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Tom Petty got a ton of airplay on KROQ here in Los Angeles from his first album on, which was the New Wave station when New Wave was a thing. He fell out of the rotation on that station around 87, 88. I think Don't Come Around Here No More was the last song of his that was in their rotation.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
Torpedoes and Full Moon Ever are the other Petty records where I can revisit most of the songs (but not all).
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