What would be your personal top 25 classic Rock songs? Order is not important but what songs warrant being in your top all time playlist?

Here is mine:

1 Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven
2 The Who Baba O'Riley
3 Lynyrd Skynyrd Freebird
4 The Eagles Hotel California
5 Queen Bohemian Rhapsody
6 Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
7 Pink Floyd Comfortably Numb
8 Aerosmith Dream On
9 AC/DC Back In Black
10 Scorpions Still Loving You
11 Pink Floyd Shine On You Crazy Diamond
12 Guns 'N Roses Sweet Child O' Mine
13 Boston More Than A Feeling
14 Pink Floyd Hey You
15 STYX The Grand Illusion
16 Aerosmith Sweet Emotion
17 Van Halen When It's Love
18 Pink Floyd Time
19 Lynyrd Skynyrd Sweet Home Alabama
20 Rush Tom Sawyer
21 Pink Floyd Money
22 Sammy Hagar Your Love Is driving Me Crazy
23 Kansas Carry On My Wayward Son
24 Queen We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions
25 Van Halen Runnin' With The Devil

Good Stuff!

1 Minnie Ripperton - Lovin' You
2 Austin Roberts - Rocky
3 Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun
4 BJ Thomas - Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
5 Barry Manilow - Mandy
6 Debby Boone - You Light Up My Life
7 Biz Markie - Just A Friend
8 Mariah Carey - One Sweet Day
9 Laura Brannigan - Gloria
10 David Geddes - Run, Joey Run
11 Billy Paul - Me & Mrs. Jones
12 Debbie Gibson - Shake Your Love
13 Wise Guys - Start The Commotion
14 Edward Bear - Last Song
15 Ray Peterson - Tell Laura I Love Her
16 Christopher Cross - Think Of Laura
17 Petulaa Clark - Don't Sleep In The Subway
18 Bay City Rollers - Money Honey
19 Glen Campbell - Galviston
20 Michael Bolton - That's What Love Is All About
21 Helen Reddy - Angie Baby
22 Melissa Manchester - Don't Cry Out Loud
23 Benny Bell - Shaving Cream
24 Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
25 A-ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV

All INCREDIBLE songs.

Next thread, please.

"Next thread, please."

I'll say.

Classic rock is the scourge of radio programming. So many "good" songs have been absolutely ruined by being so overplayed that they become detested by many who once thrived on hearing them.

My first self programmed show on the air in 1973 was at a station that forbid only 3 songs. Stairway to Heaven, Free Bird, and American Pie. Why? Because they already had been overplayed. And "classic rock" wasn't even a wet dream in Lee Abrams head at the time. Many of the songs that are considered part of the classic rock library now were getting zero airplay at the pop (then Top40) stations. They were too busy with the Jackson Five and Pet Clark. Meanwhile, we were covering acts like the Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd, and Bruce Springstein.
Many many of the artists listed in the two posts above this one contain songs that are total crap IMHO both musically and lyrically. Corporate junk from artists that have no catalogue of art nor following outside those that endear one hit wonderdom.

Many of the groups that make up the classic rock library deserve better status than "classic rock." Often their best work is overshadowed by the phenomenon of one song becoming a
TM. Classic rock is an invention of the record companies in cahoots with large broadcasters whose target demographic psychology assumes people will listen to the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Is that you? It sure isn't me!!

Give me the better songs by those artists. Give me the obscure tracks less known. Radio just doesn't provide that anymore, and that's too bad.

Maybe the thread should be "Top 25 B Side Rock Songs Not Played Enough"

Sorry!

Did not mean to offend.

Just thought it would be interesting to hear everyone's favorites!

If this is a bad subject then by all means no more posts!

Have a Good One!

Hey Andy...who pissed in your corn flakes and why?

Although Chaplain's list is hilarious...

Chaplain ... way to go, dude! You invented a new format: "Classic Schlock"

Help!
I'm starting my own station:
http://www.rockhitsradio.com

What should i play?

Peed my pants Champ.... Damn you beat me to it!

But you left off Honey - Bobby Goldsboro

I say Star Baby - Guess Who should be a part of everyones Classic Rock library!

I like "Disco Duck" lol

I used to like "American City Suite" by Cashman & West. Has anyone heard it since 1972?

There's some good stuff on this Rolling Stone top 500 list from a couple of years ago.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/rs

How about this one
1. Time Love and Tenderness By Michael Bolton
2. Sailing by Cristopher Cross
3. Nothings gonna change my love for you by Glenn Mederos
4. Barry Manilow " I write the songs"
5. Christmas in the Northwest by ??? Who the hell knows
6. Mandy by Barry Manilow
7. Lost in Emotion by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
8. Masterpiece by Atlantic Star
9. Miss you like crazy By Natalie Cole
10.I miss you by Climax
11.Ill never get over you getting over me by Expose
12. Touch Me by Samantha Fox
13. Release me by Wilson Philips
14. Lets wait awhile by Janet Jackson
15. The greatest love of all By Whitney "I smoke crack" Houston
16. Don't know much but I know I love you By Aaron,"I have a nasty birthmark above my eye" Nevil.
17. Somewhere out there "The theme from American Tale"
18. Shes like the wind by Patrick "I have no longer have a carrer" Swayze.
19. How can we be lovers if we can't be friends by Michael "I used to wear a nasty mullet" Bolton
20. Hungry Eyes by Eric "cheeseball" Carmen
21. "lost in your eyes" By Debby "Formally known as Debrah" Gibson
22. Save the best for last by Vanessa "proactive products" Williams
23. Secret Lovers By Atantic "gag me" Star

Andy, the record companies didn't collaborate on creating the classic rock radio format. There's nothing worse to a record company than a radio format without currents!

I think Rupert Holmes needs to be feelin' some of our love.

Semoochie...

I have "American City Suite" in my .mp3s and it's the full almost 11 minute version not the cheesy four minute radio edit.

"Andy, the record companies didn't collaborate on creating the classic rock radio format. There's nothing worse to a record company than a radio format without currents!"

Yes and no. I understand I could have been more succinct. Abrams is credited as a developer (not the only one ... a debate that still rages and is apart from what we are talking about) of AOR which became classic rock as the demo aged. Abrams solicited a lot of input from various sources re: what the people on his grid (young --- old::::sophisticated --- non sophisticated) were spending their money on at the music shops. His effort to put on the air a solid representation of what was selling further showcased what large groups like enough to buy, and in so doing made not only the radio stations but the record companies lots of money. The record companies supported this with giveaways to the stations to give to listeners, so every time a new album from an artist hit the streets, radio stations got way more than their airplay copy in the form of "promotional use" copies. So, ergo, although today under a radically different scenario record companies appear to be out of the classic rock loop, they were there when it all began and fed the furnace, so to speak, immensely.

I hate to get too wordy around here, so I understand what you are saying and I should have given a bit more detail about what I meant to say in my initial post.

Andy

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.10/xmradio.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_rock

Dark-
I went over your list a bunch of times. It looked perfect. Then, I remembered these:

Marshall Tucker Band- Can't You See?
Outlaws - Green Grass and High Tides
ZZ Top - La Grange
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
And finally, one I can't take:
Supertramp - Bloody Well Right

Hey....Thanks....Finally someone with taste!!!! LOL

Only Kidding Guys....don't flame me!!!!

Warner...
I would change out Supertramp for Jethro Tull then I think I would have a winner!!

Have A Good One!!!!

You all forgot Rush: "The Trees"

Best ever IMHO.

No forget Rush....Tom Sawyer is in the list dude!!!

It is really hard to pick one RUSH favorite but i'll stick with Tom Sawyer. Although The Trees is good as well. RUSH is way underplayed these days IMHO!

How come classic rock is always the Hits not album tracks.
For instance I know of a few minor hits from Led Zeppelin and Guns N roses that were minor hits but are so damn good they deserve to be played on classic rock stations.How many times do we need to hear "sweet Child O mine"?? Its a great song BUT Guns n roses had a lot of minor hits that were just as good, and get very little airplay today. I like KUFO because they play more album cuts from Guns N Roses, and other artists, not just there huge hits. Thats something KGON should take into consideration. Not to go off subject but who determines what is a hit and what is not??? The billboard album chart?? Because I can think of a bunch of classic rock /80's songs that were very minor hits back in the day and get OVERPLAYED today!

I agree with you Beano....but with that said this would be my playlist for my enjoyment....not one I would air if I was in the BIZ! These are my personal picks.....if I only had one CD with 25 songs....I would not mind listening to it over and over for a while! But you are right....radio does not play enough B side hits! Although KGON does have there Block Party and Album Side weekends so that hits those then. But in prime advertising hours during the work week would they not look to the ratings grabbers? It is well worth the listen in off peak hours....some great stuff played in those times!!!

RUSH *is* way underplayed. No doubt about it.

You asked and here's my top 25:

1. Derek & The Dominoes - Layla
2. CCR - Heard It Through The Grapevine
3. War - Gypsy Man
4. Doors- Riders on the Storm
5. The Band - The Weight
6. Moody Blues - Question
7. Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man
8. Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath
9. Emerson, Lake, & Palmer - Lucky Man
10. Bob Seger - Turn the Page
11. The Who - Baba O'Reilly
12. Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
13. Jimmy Hendrix - All Around the Watchtower
14. Procol Harum - Whiter Shade of Pale
15. Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want
16. Cream - White Room
17. Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
18. Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
19. Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild
20. Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to Love
21. Lynyrd Skynryd - Free Bird
22. The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
23. The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
24. Jimmy Hendrix - Hey Joe
25. Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Great list !

Your's is more true to classic rock than mine for sure! Mine has a heavy slant of the eightie's but both are still good.

Two more like that and we got a top 100. Can't really consider Chaplin's and Timberfake's though! LOL

...and Hair Of The Dog, Nazareth..... Can't beat a song with Son of a bitch in it........

I don't see " drivers seat" by Sniff n The Tears anywhere... ;(

I don't know if this song really qualifies, but I have to add it anyway as it cries out to me this morning...Phil Ochs - A Small Circle of Friends

OK..
Here is the modified top 79 so far....
Anyone want to add to it and make it a top 100 list?

1 Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
2 The Who - Baba O'Riley
3 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
4 The Eagles - Hotel California
5 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
6 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
7 Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
8 Aerosmith - Dream On
9 AC/DC - Back In Black
10 Scorpions - Still Loving You
11 Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond
12 Guns - N - Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
13 Boston - More Than A Feeling
14 Pink Floyd - Hey You
15 STYX - The Grand Illusion
16 Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
17 Van Halen - When It's Love
18 Pink Floyd - Time
19 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
20 Rush - Tom Sawyer
21 Pink Floyd - Money
22 Sammy Hagar - Your Love Is driving Me Crazy
23 Kansas - Carry On My Wayward Son
24 Queen - We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions
25 Van Halen - Runnin' With The Devil
26 Derek & The Dominoes - Layla
27 CCR - Heard It Through The Grapevine
28 War - Gypsy Man
29 Doors- Riders on the Storm
30 The Band - The Weight
31 Moody Blues - Question
32 Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man
33 Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath
34 Emerson, Lake, & Palmer - Lucky Man
35 Bob Seger - Turn the Page
36 Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog
37 Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
38 Jimmy Hendrix - All Around the Watchtower
39 Procol Harum - Whiter Shade of Pale
40 Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want
41 Cream - White Room
42 Jethro Tull - Aqualung
43 Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
44 Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild
45 Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to Love
46 Blue Oyster Cult - The Reaper
47 The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
48 The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
49 Jimmy Hendrix - Hey Joe
50 Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
51 Marshall Tucker Band- Can't You See
52 Outlaws - Green Grass and High Tides
53 ZZ Top - La Grange
54 Rush - The Trees
55 Kiss - Lick It Up
56 Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
57 Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' with disaster
58 Night Ranger - Sister Christian
59 U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
60 Poison - Every Rose Has It's Thorn
61 Warrant - Heaven
62 Foreigner - Head Games
63 Whitesnake - Is This Love
64 Santana - Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
65 Skid Row - I Remember you
66 Journey - Lights
67 Guns - N - Roses - Don't Cry
68 ZZ Top I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
69 Heart - If Looks Could Kill
70 Quarterflash - Harden My Heart
71 Icehouse - Icehouse
72 White Lion - Radar Love
73 Pink Floyd - On The Turning away
74 CCR - Who'll Stop The Rain
75 Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever
76 Def Leppard - Animal
77 Dio - Holy Diver
78 Winger - Spell I'm Under
79 Steve Miller - Fly Like An eagle

Here are 25 more. As previously mentioned, they not in any particular order.

Song #3, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, is the version on the “Sun Secrets” album. It is much, much better than the version that gets all the air play.

1 Mason Proffit – Two Hangmen
2 Mama’s Pride – Can I Call You A Cab?
3 Eric Burden And The Animals – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
4 J.D. Blackfoot – The Ultimate Prophecy
5 J.D. Blackfoot – The Song of Crazy Horse
6 Aliotta Haynes and Jeremiah - Lake Shore Drive
7 Yes – Close To The Edge
8 The Guess Who – Clap For The Wolfman
9 Cat Stevens – Foreigner Suite
10 Cat Stevens – Father and Son
11 Harry Chapin – Taxi and Sequel (played back to back)
12 Harry Chapin – Mr. Tanner
13 The Moody Blues – Eyes of a Child
14 John Prine – Sam Stone
15 Jimmy Buffett – Pencil Thin Moustache
16 Creedence Clearwater Revival – Down On The Corner
17 Eric Clapton – Tears In Heaven
18 J.J. Cale – Cocaine
19 Ozark Mountain Daredevils –Standin’ on the Rock
20 Steppenwolf – Snow Blind Friend
21 Three Dog Night – An Old Fashioned Love Song
22 Frigid Pink – House of The Rising Sun
23 – Peter Paul and Mary – Puff The Magic Dragon
24 – Gypsy – Gypsy Queen (Part 1 and Part 2)
25 – Jonathan Edwards - Shanty

Journey - "Any way you want it" Not sure if that's the title, but it's the Caddy Shack song where Rodney Dangerfield cranks his in golf bag stereo!

I'll second the vote for Sniffin the Tears - "Drivers Seat"

Greg Kihn Band - The Breakup Song

Thrill Kill Cult - "Sex on Wheels"

(I know that's pushing it, but it fits well with this list!)

Dire Straits - "Industrial Disease" & "Man's too Strong" & "Expresso Love" -- Pick one or more!

Anything solid by the Tubes.

Bachman Turner Overdrive's Blue Collar should be on the list

Missing- kskd:

Right, Drivers Seat is a gem, and one of the coolest songs of all time; very over looked. ALSO overlooked are songs by Spinal Tap.. " Sex farm" , " hell hole" , " tonight I'm gonna rock you".

Oh hell YEAH! Spinal Tap Rules! Not a bad movie either.

Ok....
For better or worse here is my top 100.

1 Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
2 The Who - Baba O'Riley
3 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
4 The Eagles - Hotel California
5 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
6 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
7 Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
8 Aerosmith - Dream On
9 AC/DC - Back In Black
10 Scorpions - Still Loving You
11 Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond
12 Guns - N - Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
13 Boston - More Than A Feeling
14 Pink Floyd - Hey You
15 STYX - The Grand Illusion
16 Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
17 Van Halen - When It's Love
18 Pink Floyd - Time
19 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
20 Rush - Tom Sawyer
21 Pink Floyd - Money
22 Sammy Hagar - Your Love Is driving Me Crazy
23 Kansas - Carry On My Wayward Son
24 Queen - We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions
25 Van Halen - Runnin' With The Devil
26 Derek & The Dominoes - Layla
27 CCR - Heard It Through The Grapevine
28 War - Gypsy Man
29 Doors - Riders on the Storm
30 The Band - The Weight
31 Moody Blues - Question
32 Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man
33 Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath
34 Emerson, Lake, & Palmer - Lucky Man
35 Bob Seger - Turn the Page
36 Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog
37 Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
38 Jimmy Hendrix - All Around the Watchtower
39 Procol Harum - Whiter Shade of Pale
40 Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want
41 Cream - White Room
42 Jethro Tull - Aqualung
43 Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
44 Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild
45 Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to Love
46 Blue Oyster Cult - The Reaper
47 The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
48 The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
49 Jimmy Hendrix - Hey Joe
50 Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
51 Marshall Tucker Band - Can't You See
52 Outlaws - Green Grass and High Tides
53 ZZ Top - La Grange
54 Rush - The Trees
55 Kiss - Lick It Up
56 Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
57 Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' with disaster
58 Night Ranger - Sister Christian
59 U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
60 Poison - Every Rose Has It's Thorn
61 Warrant - Heaven
62 Foreigner - Head Games
63 Whitesnake - Is This Love
64 Santana - Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
65 Skid Row - I Remember you
66 Journey - Lights
67 Guns - N - Roses - Don't Cry
68 ZZ Top - I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
69 Heart - If Looks Could Kill
70 Quarterflash - Harden My Heart
71 Icehouse - Icehouse
72 Metallica - The Unforgiven
73 Pink Floyd - On The Turning away
74 CCR - Who'll Stop The Rain
75 Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever
76 Def Leppard - Animal
77 Dio - Holy Diver
78 Sammy Hagar - Give To Live
79 Steve Miller - Fly Like An eagle
80 Cheap Trick - Dream Police
81 Sniff 'n' the Tears - Driver's Seat
82 White Lion - when The Children Cry
83 Journey - Any Way You Want It
84 Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Roll On down The Highway
85 Moody Blues - Nights In White satin
86 Motley Crue - Smokin' In The Boys room
87 Fleetwood Mac - The Chain
88 Bob Seger - Against The Wind
89 Sammy Hagar - Eagles Fly
90 Black Sabbath - Iron Man
91 Ratt - Round And Round
92 J. Geils Band - Love Stinks
93 Aldo Nova - Fantasy
94 Tom Petty - You Got Lucky
95 Golden Earing - Radar Love
96 Triumph - Fight The Good Fight
97 Winger - Headed For A Heartbreak
98 Metallica - Nothing Else Matters
99 Eric Clapton - White Room
100 Van Halen - And The Cradle Will rock

Thanks for you input and help putting this together!