An open letter to US classic rock radio

[lickknob25]

Classic rock is normally considered rock music from 1965 to what seems like 1985. That gives the program director 20 years of music to choose from for a playlist.
Is there a reason then as to why you choose to play the same tired songs from the same bands every day?

Take for example ZZ Top, I think they've put out a few albums over the years. Yet all you play is the same 2 songs over and over off a 1983 album. Why?

Boston? Does anyone really request More Than a Feeling be played 3 times a day 7 days a week?

Steve Miller, Frampton, Rod Stewart did do other great rock songs beside Maggie May.

Most of the bands you play have several albums of material to chose from, surely there must be more to the classic rock era than the same 40 songs you've been playing for the last 24 years.

Am I wrong? Freeones Bull Board what do you think?

 

[cam-perv]

94.7 out of detroit is pretty good.lots of variety

 

[Kil4Thril]

AMEN BROTHER! There's also the fact that each year should give one more years' music to the station, but it doesn't happen.

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

Too true. Enjoy some rep for that one.

 

[Ol-Skool-Perv]

You said it man. FFS, are there any programmers out there with a bit of originality/creativity?? I can't even listen to our local station anymore, so much stale repetition(and here in Canada they're legally bound to play "our" acts, so it's really lame hearing those 7 bands and 7 songs every day).

But worst is when a song has been edited to cut the duration down a bit. I frickin hate that!

 

[lickknob25]

This past week on my towns classic rock station, they played Aerosmith's Dream On between 8 AM and 9AM for five days straight.
Steve Miller-Fly Like an Eagle, twice a day? Really?
Does "Jane" from Jefferson Starship really fit the definition of a "deep track" ?

Fucking corporations own too many radio stations.

 

[calpoon]

You should listen to Night's With Alice Cooper. He's great, and he plays good shit too.

 

[lickknob25]

You should listen to Night's With Alice Cooper. He's great, and he plays good shit too.

I do, and I agree he is really good. He has a lot of entertaining stories about most of the bands he plays. And he's a big Guess Who fan too, thats why I started listening to his show. Our classless rock station only plays American Woman by them. Oh and Alice Cooper's show ain't on the classless rock station either, one of our better rock station airs his show.

If you never heard 38 Special's "Hold on Loosely" again, would anyone care?

 

[meesterperfect]

Classic rock is normally considered rock music from 1965 to what seems like 1985. That gives the program director 20 years of music to choose from for a playlist.
Is there a reason then as to why you choose to play the same tired songs from the same bands every day?

Take for example ZZ Top, I think they've put out a few albums over the years. Yet all you play is the same 2 songs over and over off a 1983 album. Why?

Boston? Does anyone really request More Than a Feeling be played 3 times a day 7 days a week?

Steve Miller, Frampton, Rod Stewart did do other great rock songs beside Maggie May.

Most of the bands you play have several albums of material to chose from, surely there must be more to the classic rock era than the same 40 songs you've been playing for the last 24 years.

Am I wrong? Freeones Bull Board what do you think?

man ive been saying that for years.
with all the thousands of great songs that have been recorded, why play the same ones over and over.

I believe its probably because the suits who run the stations know nothing about the music.

 

[Violator79]

I agree with everything that's been said, but I'll go one further when I say I'm just glad that there are radio stations that play classic rock instead of the shit that's called "music" these days. 102.5 WDVE here in Pittsburgh plays a good selection, but it can repetitive at times, but it really doesn't bother me. At work, only a few of us listen to classic rock, everyone else listens to that rap shit and it drives me crazy. I'm about to get promoted and days when I'm in charge, anyone puts on that rap shit is going home early.

 

[feller469]

The soulless people that own most radio stations are looking only for a profit, not to be a part of people's lives. They get consultants who do market research and tell you the average person wants to hear Bad Company. I used to cringe when I had to play that band. I worked in a small market that used to get record company support, but after the industry narrowed its audience, my market became a blip on the radar.

Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, STP, heck even Nirvana now fit the definition of "Classic Rock". 20 years is one measure, 15 is another.

these programming borgs won't put Stevie Ray on the list because he "doesn't test well with the audience" but think we want to hear the same four Skynyrd songs over and over.

And why is it that when Aerosmith puts out a new album, classic rock can play it, but Pearl Jam is a no-go? Spineless, clueless soulless station owners.

Maybe after this corporate reshuffling, some station owners will listen to its audience. Once an hour play Dio, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest. We grew up on them, went to their concerts and still crank it to 11 when they are on the CD player or VH1 Classic (ha ha).

 

[lickknob25]

XM before they merged with Sirrus had 5 great rock channels. I went 2 years without listening to the local radio stations.
I just checked out what they're playing right now, Phil Collins-In The Air Tonight. Ugh!!!

 

[meesterperfect]

tom and bruce already addressed this issue.
good songs

http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/BruceSpringsteen/Radio-Nowhere--47559360

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-UvOv7Cws4
songs starts 1:45

 

[Ol-Skool-Perv]

Yeah, good idea for this thread, the what's playing list of shame.

Just checked mine and wouldn't you know it, Money - Pink Floyd (it's the only song of theirs I can't listen to anymore because of classic-rock overplay genocide)

 

[Facial_King]

Classic rock radio is destroying classic rock, just making it as unexciting and backgroundy as Big Macs. It's almost disrespectful, really.

 

[meesterperfect]

if i may add, grew up in south jersey, currently living in south america.
the only rock station here thinks rock began in 82 and ended in 92.
60's and 70's rock is unknown, doesnt exist.
theyll play a cool lost 80's songs at times, but back it up with gloria esteban or beat it, followed by guns and roses
november rain (gnr is popular here, dont know why) they are completely clueless, they just mix all genres.
heres and internet station that plays some good obscure stuff.

http://luckysevenradio.com/

 

[lickknob25]

I wanna know who the asshole is that calls in on The All Request Lunch Hour and requests George Thoroughgood's Bad to the Bone. I mean, dick-head they just played it 2 hours earlier!! Just once, I'd love to be surprised and hear a Deep Purple song from Burn, or something by Peter Frampton besides those 3 songs they've been playing since 1977!
Holy crap I'm fired up now. You guys have encouraged me.

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!!!"

 

[tiger1977]

And please stop doing the countdowns of the 500 greatest classic rock songs of all time. We all know how it is going to end: #1 - Stairway to Heaven, #2 - Freebird. All they're doing is shuffling around the rotation of their limitless playlist.

Does anyone else listen to House of Hair with Dee Snider? I love it, takes me back to the days of yore.

 

[draken]

Absolutely every radio station is guilty of this, and it's annoying as hell.

 

[Member2019]

Two words ...

Deep Tracks

I.e., XM Radio

One of the few reasons I have DirecTV at home instead of cable (beyond cost, the other being that my cable company can't itemize and get the billing straight without fucking me).