Classic Rock Radio Revisionism
Left Photo -- Lenin, Trotsky & Others. Right Photo -- Lenin & Others: The Commissar Vanishes!
Classic Rock is not a genre of music: it’s a radio format. Rock n’ Roll is a genre of popular music that spans over fifty years and has very many sub-genres. Classic Rock tends to only feature music from the mid 60’s to the late 70’s. My issue with this radio format is not what music they play: it’s what they don’t play.
Like most people, I listen to radio in my car. And I’m a compulsive channel changer: always looking for that tune I like. My typical favorite stations are Hard / Alt Rock, Oldies and Classic Rock. I listen to talk radio too.
Steppenwolf is one of my favorite bands. Listening to Classic Rock radio, you’d think the only songs they ever recorded were "Magic Carpet Ride" and "Born To Be Wild:" two great songs. However, Steppenwolf has a great body of work. Couldn’t we hear some other tunes by the band?
Since the turn of this century, the Jimi Hendrix Estate has released great unheard material. I like the tunes "Purple Haze" and "Hey Joe," and it’s refreshing to hear the different versions of these songs from the recent releases.
Who would have thought there would be a new Beatles record in 2007? LOVE is a fresh take on Beatles music. It was put together as the soundtrack for the Cirque du Soleil production in Las Vegas. George and Giles Martin did an excellent job reworking the songs. The most striking is the mash-up of "Within Without You" and "Tomorrow Never Knows." It’s effectively a new Beatles song.
But this fresh take on these radio staples go mostly ignored and the same old material is repeated on the same old format.
All roads lead to Liverpool and the Beatles with rock music since the mid ’60’s. Of course the Rolling Stones have their place, too. These British bands opened the doors for others to follow.
Since the mid 60’s, American bands like The Seeds, The Sonics and others produced a hard-edged sound commonly known as Garage Rock. Out of this movement came the seminal Stooges. Iggy Pop and the Stooges blazed the path for Punk Rock with their three album’s, The Stooges, Fun House and Raw Power.
Iggy Pop made great music in the mid 70’s (and beyond) with the albums Lust For Life and The Idiot. A song like "Lust For Life" has only entered contemporary popular sensibilities through being featured in television advertising. Why don’t they ever play this song on the Classic Rock stations I listen to? Couldn’t they bump Pink Floyd’s "Money" (Great tune!!), a few turns out of rotation to make room for Iggy?
It’s unfortunate that Classic Rock radio is ignoring this and other important work. It’s revisionism. Even though he looms large over music history, Iggy has been airbrushed out of the picture.
Of course this matters little if music is only what you hear in an elevator or on hold with a telephone. Music has been a way of life for me. Not only as a musician, but as a fan!
By today’s sensibilities, Classic Rock radio programming could merely mimic the content of an individual’s mp3 player. And it is, in a way. Playlists originate from a central location in the belly of the station’s corporate headquarters.
Commercial radio also ignores electronica: true modern music. Radio is stuck in a certain part of the past. It wasn’t always like this. Radio in the 70’s didn’t feature a heavy dose of music from the 30’s and 40’s!
Today, listeners hungry for challenging music can turn elsewhere with different technologies to not only get new music, but to not ignore important artists from pop’s echelon.
Note: This Thursday I'm hosting on the Ron & Don Show 710 KIRO -- 3 to 6pm. I'll be talking about free association and our democracy. My guests, so far, are Richard Winger from Ballot Access News, Stephen Gordon from Third Party Watchand Matt Gonzalez, running for Vice President with Ralph Nader's Independent bid for the White House.
24 comment(s)
Mike says:
Amen Brother! I long for a station with nothing but deep tracks. There are so many out there that never get any play. Even on so called satellite channels it is the same old rotation with a few odd ones thrown in for flavor.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 8 2008 @ 9:24AM
Charlie says:
Hey Krist, totally agree with what your saying. Radio both the kinda of mainstream-modern stations and the classics seem to overplay certain songs, whether it be the big new song or a classic hit.
Music these days does frustrate me but in the end it\'s about finding stuff out for yourself, that you like.
Theses days I found a way around the radio problem in the car, I\'ve bought myself one of those fm transmitter things to play my ipod.
keep it up!!!
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 8 2008 @ 10:58AM
Ol\' Gabby says:
A great point...there\'s a huge difference between a music genre and a radio format. Classic rock stations have a huge universe of music from which to choose and choose that could be part of their music database--that\'s what it is--a fairly short list of songs that have been approved by focus groups or other \"scientifically\" researched method.
You mentioned Iggy. No radio programmer I know would even bother testing Iggy or Quicksilver or It\'s a Beautiful Day or Love or---well, the list goes on ad infinitum. Classic Rock stations--like stations in general-- are corporate entities staffed by people far more interested in and responsible for sales than in worrying about their on-air content. It\'s frustrating to try to find a commercial station that plays anything beyond homogenized, sterilized corporation approved pablum for the masses. That goes for all formats. So, thank god for the internet and open minds. It may be harder to promote a record into public consciousness these days, but if the public is conscious, it can find good music. It is not being sold and promoted the way it was in the \"good old\" days. The music \"business\" is currently in disarray. Anarchy is ruling and in some ways it\'s good. It means, however, that commercial radio stations are probably the worst way to discover really good music.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 8 2008 @ 12:10PM
Buzz says:
Classic Rock on the East Coast is pretty much Led Zep, Pink Floyd & The Who as the nucleus with other great bands thrown in for taste. I dig it but there could be more added to the rotation.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 8 2008 @ 1:44PM
Ben says:
I\'ll be excited to hear you on Thursday. Get them to use some of this music for bumpers!
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 8 2008 @ 4:09PM
Ray Gore says:
Their just playing what the majority wants to hear most of the time. Same with Teen Spirit. You couldnt get away from it then and its always played now on those older rock stations. I personally think it changed the face of popular music from the big hair bands into alternative but its the same concept your talking about. Popular music... I think music goes through phases when there simply is not anything worth listening to besides the once in awhile popular selection form a \"good looking\" stand up person. Again, the same thing that helped Nirvana become popular after a long spell of stage acts intent on wowing with hair and explosions. The time is right again for another break out act.
Posted On: Tuesday, Apr. 8 2008 @ 8:51PM
bigyaz says:
Try satellite radio (once this merger thing shakes out). XM has a channel called \"Deep Tracks\" that, while it may not go as deep as some would like, definitely goes beyond the obvious hits.
Posted On: Wednesday, Apr. 9 2008 @ 9:08AM
The Mad Scotsman says:
Down here in Sunny Ess Eff, our Classic Rock Station is the Bone. While they mainly fall into the pit of predictability that you just railed against, they have a couple of tricks to freshen it up.
One is the listener request hour at noon. Another is their all request weekends (I sound like a shill for the station now). They do play so called \"deep\" tracks every now and again.
I think what I\'m saying is it\'s not the format, it\'s how the stations respond to the format. If your Classic Rock Station keeps playing the same thing, call them up and request something different.
Cheers, Neil.
Posted On: Wednesday, Apr. 9 2008 @ 12:17PM
Branden says:
The crazy thing is I heard Guns n\' Roses on the Classic Rock station the other day. They actually do keep the variety, unfortunately it\'s coming from the late seventies and the 80\'s Commercial Hard Rock category.
I long for the days when the Classic Rock station played more 60\'s popular Rock. You barely ever get any Beatles anymore. If there is going to be a Radio category/label called \"Classic Rock\" I\'d prefer it stay in 60\'s and 70\'s. Maybe then we\'d get some at least minor delving into all the great music that came that time in R \' R\'s history.
Posted On: Wednesday, Apr. 9 2008 @ 2:33PM
Branden says:
The crazy thing is I heard Guns n\' Roses on the Classic Rock station the other day. They actually do keep the variety, unfortunately it\'s coming from the late seventies and the 80\'s Commercial Hard Rock category.
I long for the days when the Classic Rock station played more 60\'s popular Rock. You barely ever get any Beatles anymore. If there is going to be a Radio category/label called \"Classic Rock\" I\'d prefer it stay in 60\'s and 70\'s. Maybe then we\'d get some at least minor delving into all the great music that came that time in R \' R\'s history.
Posted On: Wednesday, Apr. 9 2008 @ 2:34PM
Everett Greene says:
kinda interesting since Nirvana was the last worldwide rocking banana... :)
Wanted: MBA dapper and able
To run a ‘corporate’ record label
Must like teenagers - for breakfast or lunch
Train yourself to ignore every good hunch
You must be willing to blame your bad bets
On tike thievery from the internet
In our defense, we’re not peddling smut
Just selling energy drinks and big trucks
We’re down hot dog, phat and totally whack
By year’s end, all music will be Muzak
Also a plus,
A lover of all things flesh and glitter
And your parents are brother and sister…
But, but, but…
Rock ain’t about being politically correct
it’s going to church smoking a cigarette
Support the Institute for Wayward Youth
and the Resurrection of Rock?
Posted On: Friday, Apr. 11 2008 @ 2:05AM
Kevin says:
Love is a very stimulating CD.
As for Iggy Pop, Sonic, Green River and many, many others....my Ipod does them justice.
Posted On: Friday, Apr. 11 2008 @ 10:12AM
David Feldman says:
For a sample of what FM \"classic\" rock radio could be, check out a Portland station, KPSU, 1450 AM (Portland State University\'s station) from 8 to 9 PM on Saturday evenings. Their show called \"Psychedelic Renaissance\" could be a lot of what Krist is writing about.
Posted On: Friday, Apr. 11 2008 @ 12:13PM
David Feldman says:
For a sample of what FM \"classic\" rock radio could be, check out a Portland station, KPSU, 1450 AM (Portland State University\'s station) from 8 to 9 PM on Saturday evenings. Their show called \"Psychedelic Renaissance\" could be a lot of what Krist is writing about.
Posted On: Friday, Apr. 11 2008 @ 12:14PM
Jamie Christopher White says:
I hear you brother, the problem with \"Classic Rock Stations\" is that the decision making coincides with the lifestyle, which menas we\'ll continue to hear the Led Zep tune, the AC/DC tune, the radio-friendly Steppenwolf tune because the associative memory still exists within the label of a cheap, domestic beer. Rise to Internet-radio, the saving grace for the artistry of sound.
Posted On: Friday, Apr. 11 2008 @ 2:56PM
Jamie Christopher White says:
I hear you brother, the problem with \"Classic Rock Stations\" is that the decision making coincides with the lifestyle, which means we\'ll continue to hear the same Led Zep tune, the same AC/DC tune, the same radio-friendly Steppenwolf tune because the associative memory still exists within the label of a cheap, domestic beer. Rise to Internet-radio, the saving grace for the artistry of sound.
Posted On: Friday, Apr. 11 2008 @ 2:57PM
Jack Fogelberg says:
I walk through the factories at Boeing and there are always boom boxes permanently tuned to our Seattle classic rock station. I usually see 40-something guys playing air guitar to some song that even Osama Bin Laden must be sick of by now in his cave. In the female-dominated shops it\'s ususally lightweight dance music. Seems like your average Joe or Jill just does not get into music to the extent they tend to get bored and seek stimulation outside the tunes they enjoyed when their development essentially arrested in high school or college.
Posted On: Saturday, Apr. 12 2008 @ 11:11AM
un poco de litio says:
:)
I almost never listen to radio,and I dont look at much tv.
I prefer making my own lists for the ipod, and be in the PC choosing to see and to listen about that I am interested.
Posted On: Sunday, Apr. 13 2008 @ 11:54AM
milos jefferson III says:
huh, I didn\'t know Iggy Pop played with Stalin and Trotsky - \'Iggy Pop & The Commie Stooges?\'
Iggy Pop & i share a melodic Lust for Life. When I think back through the years, at your prompting Krist, I realize that Iggy was always there, not in your face, but there enough that you could feel the fury and beat on the back of your neck. Iggy Pop is rock-n-roll sobriety.
Posted On: Monday, Apr. 14 2008 @ 10:44PM
Carlo says:
I found a real gem on an online Radio Station. A station called \"Radioio 70\'s\"
The show hosted by a guy named Tom plays exclusively what they say are tracks from LP\'s that, besides the hits were also great. Or the flipside sounds. Bands such as \"Mountain - Roxy Music- Iggy Pop, alot of progressive rock. And yes, you will here some of Steppin\'Wolfs other songs and alot more. Now if only I could play that station in my car...
Posted On: Friday, Apr. 18 2008 @ 10:49AM
Kroms says:
YES! Thank you! Thank you a LOT! I was just talking about this two weeks ago: If I hear \"Stairway to Heaven\" or \"Bohemian Rhapsody\" ONE MORE TIME on the radio, I\'ll shoot someone.
What I\'m saying is: Hey, where\'s some of the less known Zeppelin/Aerosmith songs? I\'m not asking you guys to play Black Flag, I KNOW it\'s not the most popular thing in the world, but there\'s more to Aerosmith than \"Back in the Saddle\"/\"I Don\'t Wanna Miss a Thing.\" I wish it would also play some missed but good songs - I hope you don\'t mind me saying I wish they\'d play Sweet 75 and Eyes Adrift songs.
I\'ve given-up on radio. But that said, I\'m not a big fan of electronica. It just doesn\'t click for me.
Posted On: Sunday, Apr. 20 2008 @ 8:30PM
aps says:
My favorite Steppinwolf song is \"The Pusher\" [or the pusher-man whichever its actual title is?] You can hear the influence of that song in most of the late 80\'s hard rock and even the early 90s stuff like Nirvana and so on... It was so before its time recorded in the 60\'s...EVEN Bush 1 must\'ve listened to that song or something because he actually did \"launch a war against drugs\" AS MENTIONED IN ONE OF ITS CONTROVERSIAL LYRICS...anyways no shock you and I have similar music tastes! Hendrix rules man!
Posted On: Monday, Apr. 21 2008 @ 4:37PM
banjofiddle says:
If I had known I would have to listen to the rock of the 60\'s for the rest of my life I would not have listened to it then. What was the alternative is now the establishment taking up all the air and space so as new bands are kept out and smothered under piles of commercial old crap. If I never have to hear Elton,Eric,Tom,Van,Etc again it will be too soon. Rock has become the sound track of the shopping mall. The comfort zone for us to feel free to drink another Pepsi and buy another cool item. Radio is there to keep us listening in between money making commercials.Rock is one of the tools use to keep us listening. Its what were all comfortable with. If people wanted better music they would support listener sponsored radio, they don\'t. I would like to take this oppurtunity to thank Riz Rollins for making such great radio in his days @KCMU.
Posted On: Thursday, Apr. 24 2008 @ 11:00PM
Mike from sydney says:
hey! dave was on the cover of classic rock magazine a few months back. whats with that then?
Posted On: Wednesday, Jul. 29 2009 @ 11:03PM