Im quite curious where the cut off for Classic Rock is? Do they Stop at a certain year or a certain album? It seems like 90's groups like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and STP should be played on classic rock stations pretty soon. Pretty soon Zeppelin will be played on "Oldies" radio stations.

I'd be interested to hear an "official" definition, as well. There has to be more to it than just the timeframe. For instance, punk rock and new wave have never been considered classic rock, even though both peaked in popularity during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Paging Iris!

(Does she even come over to this side of the board?)

Maybe you should post it over there?

Merkin--

http://feedback.pdxradio.com/board-profile.cgi?action=view_profile&profile=iris- users

Could this be a sign??

My take on this is that Classic Rock is a time- period and or era of music whose artists and or bands originated within a certain time frame.

Now what is exactly that time frame and who qualifies as an artist within this time frame?

IMHO music acts consisting of rock n roll artist who formed and or put out there first album within this time frame: Mid to late Sixties to Mid to late Eighties.

I almost shit my pants, a few weeks back i heard "Dangerzone" by Kenny Loggins, I kid you not. ON KGON! Now to me that is stretching "classic rock".
I also heard "drive" by The Cars on kgon. "Drive" is more of a light AC than a classic Rock song. I would consider early cars classic rock but their 80's stuff I think is more AC. But thats just me. although I've been told that late 70's Cars is more "New Wave" than classic rock. Oh, HELL, Im confusing myself. Im also shocked to hear "living on a prayer" by Bon Jovi to be considered classic rock. Oh how times have changed!
Ok, now how about these bands

Poison
Motley Crue
Twisted Sister
Quiet Riot
All groups that shoud be on classic rock stations. Poison's music really isn't that bad is it?? I am almost 100% sure that Merkin was rockin out to Poison back in the day. Come on Merkin, You were hot for Dee Snyder back in the day, right?

For some reason I picture Merkin back in the summer of 1987, just getting her drivers license. She has just taken Daddy's convertable out. While driving she is rocking out to "Living on a prayer" by Bon Jovi.

I picture Merkin back in the summer of 1987, just getting her drivers license.

Drivers license, 1987? Hmm . . .

Iris posts under the handle Radiowoman

http://feedback.pdxradio.com/board-profile.cgi?action=view_profile&profile=radio woman-users

Now with respect to the thread ... classic rock is a radio format,
not an industry standard and has no specific list of bands. In fact, bands have fallen in and out of favor on so called classic rock stations. Radio is ratings competitive and stations will play what it thinks its demo wants to hear. As a result, the stations in one market claiming to be classic rock may have a dissimilar playlist than those in another market, unless they are owned by the same corporate giant (which is frequently the case).

So, does this mean that classic rock is composed of bands and songs that programming consultants and program directors have chosen because they believe that the resulting radio format will appeal to a specific (primarily male, primarily Baby Boomer) audience?

This station in Seattle
has this format DOWN as the definitive:

http://www.kzok.com

Boomer (d.o.b. between 1946 - 1964) is too broad a specification.
The oldest boomers were 10 when Bill Haley and The Comets were rocking round the clock, the middle boomers were 10 when the Beatles were singing Norwegian Wood and the youngest boomers were 10 when Rush was starting out with Working Man. Not to mention everything inbetween. Boomers currently are the demographic 44+ if there is such a thing. I'd guess classic rock stations aim for younger than boomer aged folks up to and including all but the oldest boomers.

Hey Beano, I bet that weird stuff you listed you heard during the noon hour when Iris does connect the classics. Basically there are no rules and she can play stuff like that. She played "Shooting Shark" from BOC not to long ago. When was the last time you ever heard that played? Great song BTW!

Yeah it probably was during the noon hour Temper.

Beano, either you think I'm 10 years younger than I am (LOVIN' YOU), or you think I'm an idiot who flunked the test for 11 years straight.

(Skep: don't say it...)

And sorry, no Bon Jovi, ever. I learned to drive with KGON, and sadly, there wasn't much Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, and punk on the radio back then. It was all Boston, all the time. And Styx. Yuck.

Thank Gourd for Elton John, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty and Bob Seger. Oh, and Journey. You know, the same stuff they're still playing...

And definitely no convertible, I had to drive whatever my parent's weren't using at the moment: A '72 Vega or a Chev Kingswood Station wagon that was the color of glittery sparkle poop. BARF!

We did, however, have a Bitchin' Camaro for Driver's Ed...now that was hot! Except for the big sign on top: Student Driver (Dork).

No Snyder/TS, no Poison, but I dig the 'Crue, would've been fun to see them last week.

Well you sound so young and sweet Merkin, you can't be over 35 years of age.

That does it, Im calling up KGON and requesting "Lovin touchin, squeezin" By Journey (I heard thats Merkin's song) What do ya say Merky poo??

I was channel surfing today and came across the Goofy Movie, Goofy's Gremlin made me think of Merkin. I didn't know they could float like that! Hey Merkin, didn't you have one of those Levi edition Gremlin's?

http://static.flickr.com/70/154108226_847b47124a.jpg

This one!

(A girl can dream, can't she?)

I'm quite impressed that Mrs. M's parents had a Vega that was still running in 1987!

Define Classic Rock....

It's classic, it rocks.

Rolling Stones=Classic Rock
Beach Boys=Classic Hits
Hendrix=Classic Rock
Sly and the Family Stone=Classic Hits
Doors=Classic Rock
Blood Sweat and Tears=Classic Hits
Boston=Classic Rock
Chicago=Classic Hits

Oops! Double post

I disagree on one: Sly Rocks!

> It's classic, it rocks.

A vintage rocking chair=Classic Rock

Classic Rock is an oxymoron.

yes, but oxymoron isn't a moron.

Mrs. M, Sly may rock but you won't hear 'em on a true classic rock station. They would rather play Walk This Way or Sweet Emotion EVERY FRICKIN DAY

Another Burnt out Rock KLASSIK... Don't Fear The Reaper, but Alice Cooper is in extremely
L

O

W
rotation..........

> Classic Rock is an oxymoron.

In the grand scheme of musical history, this is quite true. Real classic rock might be described as igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary.

Roger--
"Don't Fear the Reaper" was Blue Oyster Cult (ör Öyster, if you prefer), not Alice Cooper!

Remember that "classic" doesn't mean old, it means timeless. I'd say that once a song has proven that it won't lose it's appeal due to the passage of time, it's a classic. Songs that embody the flash-in-the-pan sound of a particular era, and as a result, sound less and less relevant every year, are not classics, but rather oldies.

If we weren't living in a world of inappropriate monikers, "Classic Rock" would be the perfect term to describe Little Richard, Gene Vincent, and Buddy Holly. Instead, it is another industry buzzword, like "Oldies" or "multitask" that makes us all shake our heads.

My theory is that "Classic Rock" is a very short period in the history of music adopted to simplify playlists. This is a small sliver of loud rock that is post-psychedelic, never punk, seldom ever pop, and only once in a while glam. The format seems to embrace most hard rock, a lot of prog rock, a bit of glitter rock and some heavy metal. The music library is exclusively releases by major labels in the United States between roughly 1968 and 1978.

"Classic Rock" is [insert band] plugging a Gibson [insert model] solid body guitar into a Marshall stack, taking [insert pill and drink] and cranking the volume to eleven. [Insert ganked out genius] writes songs about women, cars, bars, women in cars, women in bars, women behind bars -- or -- is heavily influenced by [insert science fiction writer].

[Insert bandname] was able to focus long enough between tours over the course of [insert double digit month total] to make the [insert adjective] record. [Insert legendary producer] and [insert legendary engineers] spent [insert double digit month total] at [insert legendary studio] cobbling together the [insert adjective] that was left on tape. It cost [insert ridiculous sum] and that was a [insert noun]-load thirty odd years ago.

Many "Classic Rock" acts have similar ends to their biographies. [Insert band] flailed around in an ever widening [insert white powdery drug] induced spiral while the thousands of fans at [insert name of ashtray shaped stadium] piddled themselves. One day, [insert band members] met with a tragic demise. Now, [insert lone surviving member] is out of rehab and tours as [insert original band name] appearing at small clubs and county fairs.

Ironically, some of the most loved "free form radio" bands of 70s FM were the foundation for one of the narrowest and tightest formats ever conceived. While inroads have been made to include artists and releases that expand the focus, or selections from prior to or after that period of time, the "Classic Rock" label does not always fit the new additions.

If a wasted woman climbs out of her wrecked Firebird in front of your house with the radio blaring, it is "Classic." If she takes off her shirt and screams most of the lyrics to "Snowblind" or "Metal Guru" before throwing up and falling down, it is "Classic Rock." The 70s were awesome, but you had to survive them.

With all that said, I still like "Classic Rock" in spite of the limitations. KGON can be just what you need on a hot day.

It's a classic until its fans turn 55.

Yes it was (re BOC) I was referring to the fact that I hear Reaper every day, but Alice Cooper once a month MAYBE

Re Littlesongs post Qualifies Brian Wilson as Classic Rock. Can't recall ever hearing Beach Boys on a True CR station. "Coming up this hour, AC/DC, Zepplin, Van Halen, and the Beach Boys, keep it right here...................

Littlesongs,
You may be right. But if you are, I'd like to add that any song that SOUNDS like that era also can qualify as classic rock. For instance, any Tom Petty track from 1989-1995 (the albums Full Moon Fever, Into The Great Wide Open, and Wildflowers) should qualify. These songs fit seamlessly into the classic rock playlist.

I like the definition that Littlesongs posted, as it sounds like the best description of classic rock station playlists. The only comment that I would offer is that the "inappropriate monickers" of today are there by design. Logic would dictate that pioneers of rock music, such as Little Richard, Elvis, Buddy Holly, etc. should rightfully get the label of "classic rock."

Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, repeat...

I think that somebody should do a "first decade of Rock & Roll" format and use the monicker "REAL Classic Rock!" Ha ha ha ha ha!