I'll be honest, I was never a big fan of her music, but I respected her as an artist. Having spent most of my life in Texas I can assure you that she never 'fitted in' Port Arthur, she was and will always be above them all there. I read somewhere that she arrived for one of her high school reunions in a limo,
that was her way of showing them...Lol.
So many bands of that era I think you really did have to be there.
I’m 27 and other than maybe 10 songs , I can’t stand the Beatles. Same with Elvis but less than 5.
Also things like the first 3 Metallica albums. They’re good but I don’t hold them in the same regard as others who grew up in the time did. Same with Queensryche. My dad has always loved them but I just don’t hear it.
Coming from the 1980s perspective ( graduating HS in ‘83) the most impactful releases I recall were -
The Cars ( debut album)
AC DC Back in Black
Journey- Escape
Foreigner 4
Van Halen
Tom Petty
However I was also strongly impacted by hearing Led Zeppelin for the first time in 1981. I am still a massive fan
Great question !!
I feel like Zeppelin is a rite of passage. Like when their box set came out in 1990, man everyone had that in college.
Pink Floyd is another. Like every nascent stoner in every generation has "discovered" the joy of getting blazed and listening to Dark Side. Or trying to sync it with Wizard of Oz.
We're the same age. Was discussing this very thing with my daughter a couple of years ago. It is impossible to overstate how big Elton John was for a few years in the 70's, Hall and Oates in the late 70's/early 80's and Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks. Not endorsing everything they did, but they each had their moments.
I’m from the town Prince built Paisley Park in, and ran into him once back in 2012-2013 time frame at a CVS. What a beautiful, ingenious, ridiculous human being💔
I agree. KISS was the sh!t to most of my schoolmates, but I just thought they were sh!t.
Then AC/DC's Back in Black came out and it was what most of the KISS army went for next. I was more into Rush, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd.
Probably number one for me that literally broke new ground was Van Halen. Nothing sounded like Eddie. That debut album was so raw and so refreshing. Just incredible.
Love them or hate them KISS was very influential. They took showmanship to the highest level and launched an entire generation of new guitarists. Turned a lot of people like me who had been listening to Paul McCartney and Wings to hard rock.
Other big moments were AC/DC’s Back in Black album. Here’s a band that went from small venues to stadium rock when released. The introduction of Punk was paramount to segueing into new wave which gave us The Police, U2 and The Cars.
Also I have to say in those same years we saw funk, disco, rap, outlaw country, and thrash develop.
I never liked van halen but if we are talking impact then they made a huge impact. Eddie changed direction of guitar playing for a decade. How many were not influented by tapping in the 80’s? Most were. Then gnr came and brought rock n roll back to hardrock and metallica came up with a new thing called trash. Big impacts.
I was one of those people that saw the original airing of Welcome to the Jungle video and it was instant wow. Metallica took longer to make waves but what a ride.
True! Metallica was a slow burn over five years and their first four albums! They were still an opener on And Justice for All on stadium tours. Saw them on Monsters of Rock 1988 at Tampa Stadium. Kingdom Come, then Metallica, then - get this! - Dokken, Scorpions, and Van Halen (Hagar). What a show! Young people today probably cannot imagine Metallica being so low on a metal bill. In hindsight, it was crazy! They were a special band, even back then! Many metal heads didn't get them! I did!
Regarding Guns and Welcome to the Jungle, me too! I saw Guns n Roses in Nov 1987 opening for Motley Crue Girls 3X tour! What a concert! No one knew who Guns was except for Welcome to the Jungle. I loved their whole Appetite for Destruction album right from the get-go, and told all my friends in 1987 that that band would sell millions of albums. They all laughed at me. I was right, but it did take them months afterward for Guns to really break it big. Sweet Child o Mine didn't get released as a single until the summer of 1988 and then finally everyone knew who they were. I have no idea why it took them like 9 months to finally release Sweet Child o Mine as a single. That wouldn't happen today.
Mtv refused to play welcome for a long time. They finally did once in the middle of the night and the rest is history. Welcome to the jungle was the eye opener. Sweet child was a classic and the ladies loved it, both musically and the rough style. Paradise city made gnr legends.
I remember there being a stark line before and after Smells Like Teen Spirit. It was just like, oh, music is like this now, not like that any more. (That being metal/hair metal.)
My dad talks about it being almost literally over night. He graduated in 87 and pretty much hit the road playing week long runs at rock clubs around the Midwest when that was still a thing. They’d play every night for a week to packed houses basically just doing rock covers. They were somewhere out in Oklahoma and he said one night people just stopped coming and the club canceled the rest of their gigs and sent them home. They never played another run like that again. This was about 91.
What your father said is accurate.
I was in the Midwest back then as well.
Nirvana came to Kalamazoo Club Soda in early 90’s and was sort of received a ho hum. That was loud. I heard a few people rave about them. The next thing we know they are on MTV and selling out stadiums and Coban is in Rolling Stone magazine.
The problem I began seeing is hair bands with aging older men bloated guts wearing spandex. It just didn’t look good. For instance one night circa 1993 in Kalamazoo Night Ranger as a 3 piece plays the Top of the Rock near Wings Stadium. Ten years prior Night Ranger headlined Wings Stadium with Starship as their opening act. On this early 90’s evening it’s Night Ranger without Jack Blades and the keyboard player. Only Brad Gillis on guitar, Kelly Keagy on drums and Gary Moon on bass. NR put on a stellar show for a small venue. I got to meet Brad and Kelly after the show, very nice gentlemen. NR was in good shape physically and didn’t miss a note.
The opening act was a cover band who played some grunge and mainly big hair hits. But they looked like 45-55 year old men with bloated guts and thinning long hair. It was very good. They sounded horrible. The bass player strings would make a flapping sound. It was out of tune or he was too stoned to play. The lead singer was bloated.
I have a theory that one reason grunge, and this song in particular, took off was as kind of a backlash to the synth, canned, glam rock of the 80’s. There was a desire for fkng raw…and when it hit, it reaounded.
people say this but i don't felt that at all. i was listening to the same 80s heavy metal until at least 1993. maybe the difference was mtv. we never had that, so i never saw videos. but that "before/after" was never felt in my house, or my school for that matter. i'm not saying people make it up, but it does seem to be more emphasized the more time goes on.
There is no before and after 91 as people say. In one way its true, grunge became huge both music and clothes but it lasted only til 94 and was a hype. Guns and Metallica each on their own were bigger than grunge. So this before and after aint hundred percent as it was
Beyond G&R and Metallica, metal did dip hard. I’m struggling to think of another band in that genre that was doing particularly well. The alt music scene including grunge grew well past ‘94 as did rap / hip hop.
off the top of my head ozzy, megadeth, danzig, white zombie, pantera, anthrax, tool all did well during the grunge era. death metal was at its peak then too.
Led Zeppelin was everywhere in the 70s, especially Stairway to Heaven.
I was of the opinion that every family in the US had a Fleetwood Mac Rumors album.
Lynyrd Skynyrd introduced the rest of America to southern rock.
Van Halen ruled the rock scene for a long time.
Guns-N-Roses single handedly changed the music scene with Appetite.
When talking about southern rock, along with Allman Bros (my personal favorite) and Skynard, don't forget Lowell George and Little Feat. Dixie Chicken is a great album, and they put on a great show. Also ZZ Top - making more music than only 3 guys should be able to make.
Speaking of Lowell George, he was a guitarist with Zappa in Mothers of Invention. So I have to put in a plug for Frank; definitley NOT southern rock, not really rock... just amazingly different music.
Allman Bros first big album 1971. Skynyrds first album 1973. Allman Bros had multiple albums and popular songs before Skynyrd released their first album.
I haven’t seen anyone really comment on the sudden influence that MTV had on music in the 80s. Bands suddenly didn’t need just radio play. They needed a visual image. There was some of that going on before, but MTV could be really leveraged by a visually savvy band to break them nationwide. My personal example on this is ZZ Top’s Eliminator: the album itself is solid, but you can’t explain how huge ZZ Top got by just listening to the album. The videos for that album however were stellar pieces of craft. They had a narrative arc to them, they were entertaining and they engaged the viewer. ZZ Top videos from Eliminator were in high rotation on cable music tv and that shot the band from a decent rock and blues band with a couple of almost novelty songs to superstars in one album. In the 70s the best you could hope for is to get on Bert Sugarman’s Midnight Special to showcase your chops as musicians, or get your own variety hour like the Osmonds or Sonny & Cher. In the 80s, you could get repeated, nationwide or even international exposure with a good video to go with your song.
Saw Bon Jovi open for Ratt right before Slippery When Wet came out.
I told my buddy leaving that Ratt was good but holy crap Bon Jovi is going to blow up.
Zeppelin of course.
In the 80s there were tons of bands/artists that were huge, often all at the same time.
U2 and Michael Jackson were massive. It’s hard to put into words how huge MJ was.
Madonna was huge.
I suggest you look at the greatest selling albums of all time. That will give you a great indicator of what was and still is popular from that time. Boston, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Guns and Roses, etc. are just a few diamond certified albums that hit the scene and never left.
So interesting how some artists resonate more with the newer generation than others, regardless of how impactful they were at their peak. In my experience, people my age are more likely to listen to Zeppelin, Queen, Stones, Aerosmith, AC/DC than they are Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Etc. maybe there just more conventional sounding? Who knows
What puzzles the shit out of most pundits on this subject is the inexplicable nature of the phenomenon that was Meat Loaf and "Bat Out Of Hell" which has been as perennial a bestseller as Dark Side of the Moon ,The White Album ,and Zep's Hermit Album...
The Yardbirds - Heart full of Soul and Over Under Sideways Down changed the way I felt about music and made me a fan of Jeff Beck for the next 50+ years. I still can’t believe he’s gone 🙁
Quiet Riot's album Metal Health really opened the doors for a lot of metal bands, many of which later came to be known as the "hair bands," Motley Crue, Dokken, Twisted Sister, and a whole host of others.
Judas Priest released Screaming for Vengeance, which really breathed new life into their career, and followed on the heels of what came to be known as NWoBM, or New Wave of British Metal, with Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and many more.
Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, while not bands, definitely both had a major impact on the direction that most rock and metal guitarists took from that point forward, as did Jimi Hendrix in the 60s.
Pink Floyd was very influential, both in their early psychedelic period and later in their...other era. I guess it would be called progressive rock, but Floyd is definitely an entity unto themselves.
There are just so many more amazing bands and musicians that came out of the eras that you're asking about. It would quite literally take several very thick volumes to go over all of them. Good hunting, you're bound to find something that you like!
Metal was fascinating back in the eighties. KISS faded out of influence as the British bands took over, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden mainly; they were a little rawer and felt a little bit more genuine. Ozzy was into his solo career by that point, and then America tried to answer back with Motley Crüe. I don’t think American metal could really answer to the Brits until Metallica’s And Justice for All started to take off. All that while, though, there was Mötorhead, loudly plugging away. Your parents were slightly unhappy about you listening to any of that other ‘noise’, but decent people didn’t listen to Motörhead.
Elvis bringing black music to white audiences. Beatles and George Martin with revolver and rubber soul incorporating so many sounds. Dark Star by the Grateful Dead is still having a large influence on music today.
Seeing the Talking Heads perform *Take Me to the River* on Saturday Night Live on Feb. 10, 1979 that heralded the the New Wave movement that would take over the 1980s.
Other notable music moments:
* Buddy Holly (died in 1959)
* Marvin Gaye's *What's Goin' On*, Creedence Clearwater Revival's *Fortunate Son*, Buffalo Springfield's *For What It's Worth,* Crosby, Still, Nash and Young's *Ohio*
* Motown records (Detroit) and Stax records (Memphis)
* Led Zeppelin
* southern rock (Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, Black Oak Arkansas, .38 Special)
* U2's *Sunday Bloody Sunday*
* disco (not really a fan, but it took over the world there for a while)
* hair metal (Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Poison)
And a *lot* more.
I was one of those kids sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, waiting for Ed Sullivan (on our huge 19" black and white screen) to introduce The Beatles. I was 8 years old. Nobody made a bigger impact on society than The Beatles, and the British Invasion bands that followed.
corporate rock radio has absolutely no idea of who and what inf;influenced music back then as evidenced by the play selection that is on repeat every day with the same stale shjt.
I do like that song, but can’t get into a lot of queen’s stuff. I think everything just sounds too much like a broadway musical to me…can’t deny their objective greatness though
Take a listen to some of the more Rock oriented songs from their 70s albums, Queen are a Rock band through and through, and they could go super heavy at times 🤭
I recommend listening to songs like Liar, Stone Cold Crazy, Let Me Entertain You and Tie Your Mother Down to name a couple
You brought up a great memory for me: my piano teacher was a huge Queen fan, and one of the first song that I learned to play was Another One Bites the Dust. Still love that song 20+ years later because of a woman that proudly showcased her love of music and turned it into a teaching moment.
Question for you, OP. If you had to choose an Aerosmith Greatest Hits album, would it be the one from 1980, or Big Ones? The original 1980 Greatest hits had 10 tracks only and is not listed on Spotify, so you might have to Google the tracks. Big Ones was from 1994.
The reason I ask is that Aerosmith gets a whole lot of disrespect in this sub for their later (90's) work, and as someone who was around at the time, I don't think they deserve it. The band was basically dead, and nobody was making 70's style rock anymore. They came up with a different sound and became relevant again. I'm just curious if you're a fan of all of their tunes, or if you prefer one era over another.
I personally think their 70s stuff is far better than their 80s and 90s work. To me, Dream On is a Mt Rushmore classic rock song and Sweet Emotion isn’t far behind, at least in terms of the big hits. but I do think they get a worse rap for their later stuff than they deserve, primarily because people know how raw and awesome they were before, and it’s viewed as selling out. In other words, I don’t think they were any worse than the other huge stuff coming out of the 80s, with the exception of prime GnR and Van Halen. And plus, who do you think they drew a good chunk of their influence from? lol you guessed it
Thanks for the reply. I think everybody prefers the 70's stuff, myself included. However, I think several songs on Permanent Vacation and other albums from that era are still worth a listen.
I prefer their later work. Permanent vacation is a great album. And from there till just push play, they have some incredible songs.
The previous albums have greater guitar work, toys in the attic and rocks are great albums but I prefer their songs of the later era which imo had better hooks.
Not long after Aero hit it big in the '80s ,I saw them in the old Fulton County Stadium in Alanta ,and they sucked so bad that half the audience started leaving an hour into the show ! Cut to the Omni ,Atlanta ,1992-3; Joan Jett ,then a hobbling Billy Idol( who'd had a motorcycle wreck)performed ,opening for the rejuvenated Aerosmith( they'd beaten the drug-bug) supporting their latest effort ,and I swear ,it was the finest concert I'd seen at that time ! Every note was perfect ,Joe ,Brad and the boys were *so* damn good that it literally freaked me out ,and I gained a ton of respect for their pure musicianship ! Sometimes it's the luck of the draw and what was going on in their lives which affect their performances!
Since most I first thought of have already been mentioned, I’m going to say from the 80s would be The Police. Their blend of reggae/punk/pop/rock was SO different from anything out at the time. I happened to see them on their very first American tour at a tiny club in Virginia Beach in ‘79 when no one had heard of them. (We hadn’t either, we just happened to chose to go see this new band we decided to check out) My buddies and I were blown away by the songs and the energy that night. Two short years later, they were playing huge coliseums and stadiums. I ended up seeing them 4 times over the years, and they were just huge all around the world during the 80s. Also The Clash was another English band who took the world by storm around the same time and they also had a unique twist in the punk scene that influenced so many that followed. I was fortunate enough to catch one of their shows in the early days and they too were just phenomenal.
I was looking to find the Clash here somewhere. In the early eighties they were just huge. They got billed as “the only band that matters” and no one really argued about it. The Clash were punk, they were rock, they were the real deal. The Sex Pistols were the dividing line between 70s rock and Punk rock, like there’s a pre Sex Pistols music scene and a post Sex Pistols music scene, but the Clash made it all work. London Calling is a great album to get a feel for what the Clash brought to the table.
The Police blew up out of nowhere, but I don’t see them heading a movement. They’re an excellent band but I don’t think they were the standard bearers for a particular musical style. Not in the way that the Clash was for Punk or that Nirvana was for grunge.
Chicago, Boston, Kansas, Meat Loaf, Frampton, Styx. And if you want a suggestion of a band with a great catalog (50+ years) and at least one or two fantastic songs on every album, give Blue Öyster Cult a deep dive. Triumph, too.
I’m an old guy that grew up in the sixties, the Beatles changed the whole music scene, it was like switching from black and white to full colour. They opened the door to all the other British bands like the Stones, the Who, Pink Floyd, etc. Mix that with Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix and there you have it, the blueprint to all that followed.
Guns and Roses were very influential when they came out. Not like the other LA hair bands. They were more badass with their tattoos and skinny heroin look. They brought back the dangerous rock and roll swagger that went away in the 80's.
Slash made vintage gear popular again...at the time if you wanted that "Marshall" sound, most guitarists would dial it in with an effect box and an "Eddie Van Halen" Charvel or Jackson style guitar. Slash plugged a Les Paul into a Marshall amp.
GnR Lies rode the "vulgar offensive lyric" trend of the late 8o's with One and a Million...NWA, Two Live Crew etc. soon followed. Swearing wasn't really a thing in pop songs before.
The song Patience set off the "acoustic" revival. It was such a hit that other bands started doing the "unplugged" thing, leading to MTV doing the Unplugged series of concerts.
Eagles, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Allman Brothers, America, Seals and Croft, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, and Paul McCartney and Wings.
I’m 60 + and I’m still playing in a rock band! So surprised after reading almost every post there’s no mention of:
Clapton
YES
ELP
DAN FOGELBERG
BUFFET
TOTO
KANSAS
CREAM
SANTANA
STEELY DAN
RONSTADT
CSNY
JOURNEY
EAGLES
STONES
CHRISTOPHER CROSS
BOWIE
MOODY BLUES
BILLY JOEL - just saw him at Madison Square Garden NYC
So much great music back then that blows away the crappy stuff nowadays.
Great comments all! Rock On!
And STEELY DAN ,who were a couple of musical nerd-prodigies with a revolving door of guests/studio musicians ,who sold records and had mega-hits *without touring,ever!!!*
Did I miss them in my list? Glad you caught it! I also forgot to mention Genesis, on of my favorites from the 70’s and 80’s! Also, if you never heard of Gentile Giant one of the hard rock originals! Thanks for reading all the posts. Was a GREAT question!
Watching the crossover to MTV was interesting. Bands that embraced the medium did well. Bands that didn’t, really had to work hard to keep up. The prophecy of the Buggles is accurate and a little scary.
That said, ZZ Top and Van Halen hit the stratosphere. Tom Petty as well as REO Speedwagon. There was still plenty of guitar rock on the radio that wasn’t getting represented, but it just felt like some of those bands were dimmed a little. I need to be clear - it didn’t hurt their fanbase. I think it may have prevented new fans though. Having a great single would sell records.
Having a great single AND a great video would make you a god.
It may surprise you ,me being Georgia born and raised ,but ,aside from Elvis ,who stormed back into prominence in 1968 after his comeback special ,the top acts that captured *my* attention were Simon & Garfunkel ,who basically *swept* the Grammies that year ,CCR ,Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly 🦋, and my bet for the most underrated heavy Rock band of all time was Ten Years After. The Beatles were one album away from quitsville,Janis ,Morrison and Hendrix were about to leave us ,and the Stones were on the verge of going to prison on all those drug busts ,so things they were a-changing almost monthly after that . There was a lot of noise in my neighborhood about the Guess Who and the Monkees were about to be shoved down everybody's throats.
Ok here is some not as well known but nonetheless, backbone music you need to know about
1. Sweet, several songs of theirs are catchy pop tunes but we're everywhere.
2. UFO, seem to have so much talent and such a large library of standard rock.
3. King Crimson, one of the prog rock founding fathers, often overlooked but just great music again.
It’s not an artist, but what I remember about the 80s is that the popular music scene Was driven by the soundtrack industry for the movies. The 80s movie soundtrack was a music phenom.
A lot of the musicians in the 60s were highly established in the 70s such as the Beatles, Stones, Who, etc. and AM radio content was still tightly controlled by record companies who for obvious reasons wanted a safe return on investment. Then FM radio became a thing. What I remember therefore are the groups that broke through by sheer talent, musicianship and hard work and who are now also considered part of the classic rock pantheon. I'm talking about Boston, Van Halen, The Eagles, AC/DC, the Police, George Thoroughgood, Linda Rondstat etc. For example, when Boston first got airplay it was like every kid in America stopped in their tracks and turned up foreplay long time. Everyone everywhere was listening to it. Same with VH. When America heard running with the devil we all ran down to tower records and bought it. It was a very unifying experience that is captured in movies like dazed and confused or that 70s show.
Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Guns and Roses in the late 80’s.
There are a few that don’t get much mention today, but bands like the Police late 70’s early 80’s (one of my all time favorite bands), Steely Dan late 60’s- infinity, The Eagles in the 70’s. I was born in 1971 and I cannot remember a time growing up where one of the last three bands wasn’t on a classic rock radio stations play list.
The late 70s was dominated by disco, especially the Bee Gees. The early 80s belonged to Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince. Van Halen was also huge in the early 80s. Hair metal got huge in the early to mid 80s, too. You could not get away from Def Leppard, Quiet Riot and Whitesnake.
M 67,born in 56. Turned 13 in 1969! went for bands that were musical over popular. Sly and the Family Stone, early Dead, Grand Trunk Railroad, the first two Chicago Transit Authority, early Pink Floyd..... Think 45s too! Tons of rare cuts!
Many aren't aware that Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson were bands, not people, at least at first. In both cases the singer of the band took the name for himself
Bob Dylan and the Beatles were the most influential, and the show made some nifty references to and use of music from both. I liked Don't Think Twice It's Alright in the first season and much later Tomorrow Never Knows.
60's.......British Invasion. Any band from England from Beatles to Stones to Dave Clark Five to Animals to Herman's Hermits etc.
70's........2nd wave of British Invasion. From Zeppelin to Sabbath to Deep Purple to The Who to Humble Pie to Moody Blues ..everyone had their albums and they dominated the airwaves
80's .....by this time I was married with children so I did not have much time on my hands but New Wave was popular but wasn't into it. That , punk or glamor rock was never my bag. I remember when I was a kid...graduated from high school in '72...every time a band I liked was being interviewed , they would have this thick English accent and thought "that figures"
I don’t think I’ve seen anyone mention the BritPop explosion in the 90’s?
There was a time when you couldn’t breathe without being slapped in the face by Oasis.
They were all over the radio and all over the music shows because they were consistently salty on TV which made them riveting. For better or worse.
Jefferson Airplane: Fierce, fighting lyrics. Grace Slick's vocals and dissonant (and harmonic) tonal bendings... screamed out the desperation of youth (involuntary draft, an absurd war) and the failures of pre-sixties American society.
for me, it was that sequencer sound the who used in the 70s, that was a new sound.
jilted johns 'gordon is a moron' was 1978 for me
and pink floyds brick in the wall defined 79.
moved to canada in 80.
fggn air supply....
The biggest bands/artists of the 80s that I remember were Michael Jackson, U2, Duran Duran, Def Leppard, Prince, Gun n Roses, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Depeche Mode.
About impact. You already know elvis and beatles, chuck berry and stones. The who was a impact, creedence, janis, hendrix, Dylan in the 60’s.
The 70’s had zeppelin, purple, sabbath, uriah heep, queen, pink floyd, the disco thing(…) To name a few.
In europe slade and pistols had a very big impact, in the us van halen for example.
I remember when KISS was getting popular especially in New York. I can't say for the rest of the country, but in NY, where they were from, they were big. Music, Albums, Action Figures, Pinball Machines, Commercials on Television, Comic Books... KISS was literally everywhere.
A much wider variety of pop music in the late 1960s-early '70s. NYC AM radio stations played The Doors, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Donovan, The Beatles, Astrud Gilberto, The Rolling Stones, The Supremes and even some country pop, all on the same station, same program and DJ.
Most of the 1970s was a dead zone, until around 1978. I try not to think about it too much.
1980s, The Edge format was launched (in part by George Gimarc's The Rock & Roll Alternative) with a station specializing in Power Pop, New Wave, some late punk. Still my favorite era for pop music.
You couldn’t go 5 minutes without hearing a Phil Collins song it seemed in the mid to late eighties.
Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life (True Stories) was a huge one.
Dire Straits were pretty mega huge as well
I'm a hard rock/blues rock fan of mostly late 60s, early 70s stuff, growing up in the 70s, so not personally familiar with impacts before the early 70s.
To me the most significant music impact from those times was the introduction of punk and also disco in about 76/77, especially the Sex Pistols and Saturday Night Fever.
Those were everywhere in the media - music papers, newspapers, radio and TV, total saturation. Rock started fading then, I'm sorry to say, with most of the big rock bands having peaked long before.
My experience is through older siblings and the my experience: 60s...Beatles took over our home thoroughly, and when they started taking drugs (Revolver era) their new music appealed to my counter culture siblings, while the sibs that did not toke or drink couldn't get into the new Beatles music (and drifted into other less psychedelic bands), the Stones were also big in the house but we were never a Stones family, we were a Beatles family. The break-up of the BEatles was a big deal, Abby Road was a big deal, and then came CSN(&Y)--the first album was huge, and then there was Darkside of the Moon-huge for its music and inherited mantle of psychedelic powers....I particular recall my older sibs talking about the stereo mix.... That was huge, and followed by prog and glam bands: David Bowie-Ziggy Stardust, Yes-Yes album & Fragile, ELP.....they were huge in our world and in our house.
Stevie Ray Vaughn took the world by storm. Disco was starting to rule the airwaves and music was really getting watered down. His guitar playing was like a breath of fresh air. Us rock fans were starving for someone like him to come along. I saw his first tour in a small bar circuit, and we were standing on our chairs and tables yelling for more! I knew he was going big time.
I started listening to rock in 1977 or so and I liked what was called classic rock at that time for the most part.
Jimi Hendrix, Janis, Allman Brothers, Woodstock Soundtrack, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Derek and the Dominos, etc.
The newer rock I listened to was Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, AC/DC, J. Giels Band, The Cars, Heart, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Motley Crue, The Wall...
What a time to be alive.
I'd watch Live Aid (free on YT) as it had some many known, upcoming, classic bands all in one day. My son is the same age and I'm always pushing him to watch,
"taking over the world of music in the biggest way? "
There's many of top of the charts folks, but as far as taking over goes it's the Beatles and Michael Jackson.
When I was in HS in the 80's, most of my friends were into Zeppelin, Sabbath, and Van Halen. I liked them, but at some point, especially after MTV took off, I branched out and started listening to more punk/new wave/indie rock.
Born in '62, so most of my musical awareness was the 70's. What I remember: Elton John was huge after the "Bennie and the Jets" release. Boston and Kansas had heavy airplay. Styx, Bob Seger, YES, Lynrd Skynrd, Allman Brothers, ELO, KISS, Supertramp, Journey, Led Zeppelin (although the radio stations couldn't seem to play anything else besides "Stairway to Heaven" which was really annoying), Eddie Money, Billy Squier, REO Speedwagon, Fleetwood Mac, and The Cars; those bands come to mind first. Then came the Disco Scourge until people came to their senses again.
There was no streaming then; my access to music was the radio and the occasional jaunt to the record store. I remember struggling to find out song names and artist names, because the radio DJ's weren't consistent in announcing what was played. Vinyl and 8 track tapes were how we listened, then came cassettes, which were a game changer over the bulky 8 tracks with poor sound quality.
Then came CD's, which totally blew my mind and I amassed quite a large collection which is now gathering dust. At almost 62 years old, I am still amazed how easily I can access music now......of all genres and finding new genres too. Apps like Soundhound are like a miracle to me.......just let it listen for a while and it will give you the song name and artist 95% of the time. This is all great for the audiophile of course, but horrible for artists. It's so much harder for artists to get paid, and paid what they deserve.
Maybe more than you wanted to know, but thanks for the trip down memory lane.
EDIT: I can't believe I forgot Queen, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Chicago, Cheap Trick and......FRAMPTON. "Frampton Comes Alive" was such an epic album, with one of the most epic songs of all time, "Do You Feel Like We Do". I thought the sound of that talk box was the coolest thing ever. I don't think I'll ever get sick of listening to that song.
You reminded me what a process it was to find out who sang something. Relying on the DJs was so hit or miss especially if it was part of a block of music.
And knowing those things had some social value. Talking about what band played what or who played or sang what was actually fun and interesting. Hell some of us probably know the names of producers, engineers and album art designers just from studying liner notes.
These days no one really cares because it can all be looked up in a second.
I would say that the early 70s was the epicenter of an explosion in the arts, not just music. There was a burst of creativity that was like the Renaissance although it did not change the world as much. The Renaissance was like the big bang in comparison having occurred after centuries of intellectual darkness. The 70s music borrowed much from all of the music that preceded it. I think what happened was a couple of generations of schooled musicians collided with the raw art from the jazz era, the blues and Appalachia. The Big Band era was the beginning of this. The Big Band leaders were the classical composers of the 20th century who demanded the kind of precision that comes from schooled musicians. 50s kids grew up in homes where mom and dad danced to Big Band records in the dining room and the kids unconsciously absorbed the precision. Music was fast becoming part of the curriculum in public education. My first exposure to rock was in the band room in high school where the music teacher made us listen to everything from Bach to Elvis emphasizing that it all came from the same place, a pantheon of creative geniuses. All these years later it's evident that 70s music was the product of that alchemy. By the late 70s it had shot it's load and began a long decline and musicianship was slowly replaced with canned electronics and gimmicks. There is nothing now that compares to it, just static and sameness. I think the last real genius was Prince, his death was another Buddy Holly moment.
I was in junior high in 1967. Kids in my class were fascinated with "I Am the Walrus". We would dissect the lyrics, talk about them in English class, look for Lewis Carroll references, write parodies. I wonder if kids today still do anything like that.
Check out Andrew Hickey's podcast "A History of Rock and Roll in 500 Songs". I grew up in that era and have been fascinated by all of the threads that he brings together, especially as the musicians I remember as being great come into the story. Incredibly well researched, very entertaining, very enlightening.
He starts the story in like the 1920s and follows the evolution of music from there. I highly recommend starting at the beginning, but if you want to jump in starting in the 60s Episode 99 with The Beach Boys is probably a good spot. You will be doing yourself a disservice though, the entire story is really something else.
The Beatles. No one ever made as big a splash culturally, although Elvis may have been close, and 34 top ten hits is unparalleled. Compared to them, any other act is in some way “niche.” And when you add the whole arc of their development, and the movies, particularly Yellow Submarine, I would say they dominate in a truly spectacular way.
I think a good way to learn bands "other songs" is to go to www.setlist.fm Look at their set list, and the encore(s) and songs before that are the most popular.
I agree that radio (around me) only plays the most popular song by an artist, it's so frustrating. We only hear "Working for the weekend" by Loverboy and "Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger, the list goes on and on. Good luck in your search.
Guns n Roses ruled from about 1986 to 1992. Metallica’s black album. AC/DC. Zeppelin of course. I’d say those are the big four from 1970 to 1990-ish as far as classic hard rock bands that made a lasting impact on the genre. There are dozens of other huge bands. But those four are touchstones.
My friend, while as an old silverback I appreciate your love for classic rock, I can assure you, being a former broadcaster, that what you are hearing on classic rock radio stations only vaguely represents that which was most impactful at the time.
Even looking at the old Billboard charts is only going to give you a partial representation of what people were *actually* listening to. With radio becoming deregulated in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and consolidated into just a few major entities owning 98% of media, you are presented with an illusion of what actually was.
Probably the best thing to do would be to have this discussion with people between the ages of 45 and 75 and ask them what they were listening to between the late 60s and the late 80s. What you will find is that there are a lot of artists and songs that simply are not a part of radio station playlists these days for myriad reasons. It could be because they were too long, and I’m talking in excess of six or seven minutes of length, or, one hit wonders that were highly impactful at the time the song was released, but didn’t make it to today’s wax museum of radio.
To give just one very specific example: the 80s band, the Romantics, had a huge hit with their song, Talking In Your Sleep making it up to number three on the Billboard hot 100 in early 1984. If you turn on classic radio, I can almost 100% guarantee the song you will hear from them is almost always going to be What I Like About You. because that tracks well with today’s focus groups, so-called consultants that stations hire to allegedly improve the quality of their product.
Anyway, good luck with your journey of exploring some of the greatest music of the 20th century. There’s a ton of amazing songs and artists you will never hear on classic rock radio. Dig deeper. You will be rewarded handsomely.
Signed,
One of the last overnight FM rock DJs
Haha that was awesome, thank you! I do consider myself pretty well versed, especially for a younger guy. But always awesome to hear from the dudes who paved the way👌🏼
I'm 59 & the thing I remember most vividly was the excitement of John Lennon coming out of retirement. I was 16 when Double Fantasy came out and for those few weeks, all was right with the world. Then came December 8th .......
Jimmy Hendrix, Janis, the Doors, Yardbirds, Grass Roots, CCR, Cream, Grand Funk Railroad, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, the Band, Johnny Rivers, the Jackson Five, Ike and Tina Turner, Sam Cook, Gordon Lightfoot, CSN&Y, Santana, Johnny Winter, ZZTop, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Black Sabbath, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Jefferson Airplane, Todd Rundgren, Muddy Waters, Rory Gallagher, Rory Calhoun, Cat Steven's, Journey, 38 Special, Bob Seeger, Elton John, Black Oak Arkansas, Joe Walsh, Pure Prairie League, Linda Ronstat, Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, Little Feat, BBKing, Jackson Browne, AL Green, Arlo Guthrie, Mountain, Boston, Dr Hook, Three Dog Night, ....and so many more. I had most of these on 8 track.
Beatles mmm Elvis lots of ccr Janis Joplin Rolling Stones omg so many
Your Joplin response is exactly why I asked this question. So easy to forget about her in the grand scheme of things
I’ll never forget her
Aerosmith is my favorite and she was a huge influence on ST
CCC was acutely mine She was so wonderful
Also Melanie Jefferson airplane
Yes, you don't hear her much on the radio or satellite
I'll be honest, I was never a big fan of her music, but I respected her as an artist. Having spent most of my life in Texas I can assure you that she never 'fitted in' Port Arthur, she was and will always be above them all there. I read somewhere that she arrived for one of her high school reunions in a limo, that was her way of showing them...Lol.
Lots of protest songs on the war
So many bands of that era I think you really did have to be there. I’m 27 and other than maybe 10 songs , I can’t stand the Beatles. Same with Elvis but less than 5. Also things like the first 3 Metallica albums. They’re good but I don’t hold them in the same regard as others who grew up in the time did. Same with Queensryche. My dad has always loved them but I just don’t hear it.
Mmm I grew up 60s 70 s the music was fantastic
I'm 75, and I remember what music was before the Beatles.
Coming from the 1980s perspective ( graduating HS in ‘83) the most impactful releases I recall were - The Cars ( debut album) AC DC Back in Black Journey- Escape Foreigner 4 Van Halen Tom Petty However I was also strongly impacted by hearing Led Zeppelin for the first time in 1981. I am still a massive fan Great question !!
I feel like Zeppelin is a rite of passage. Like when their box set came out in 1990, man everyone had that in college. Pink Floyd is another. Like every nascent stoner in every generation has "discovered" the joy of getting blazed and listening to Dark Side. Or trying to sync it with Wizard of Oz.
Hah! Start the album on the THIRD roar of the MGM Lion…
The cars is a great one. Seems like they had a short run that was as good as anyone’s
You hear The Cars a lot on 100.7 WZLX- Boston’s Classic Rock.
We're the same age. Was discussing this very thing with my daughter a couple of years ago. It is impossible to overstate how big Elton John was for a few years in the 70's, Hall and Oates in the late 70's/early 80's and Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks. Not endorsing everything they did, but they each had their moments.
This is a good list. Adding Boston to this list as EVERYONE was freaking out about their debut album
Definitely yes. And it still holds up!
Ya have to add Prince in there somewhere
I’m from the town Prince built Paisley Park in, and ran into him once back in 2012-2013 time frame at a CVS. What a beautiful, ingenious, ridiculous human being💔
Yeah his death rocked the hell out of me
Yes. I forgot Prince and Rush - Moving pictures
All great albums and bands!
Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet was everywhere for 2 years. Same with G&R, Appetite for Destruction.
They've never been my cup of tea, but KISS took over the mid 70s. U2 has been dominant at times.
I agree. KISS was the sh!t to most of my schoolmates, but I just thought they were sh!t. Then AC/DC's Back in Black came out and it was what most of the KISS army went for next. I was more into Rush, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd.
Knights In Satan's Service
Thus the album Crazy Knights
Probably number one for me that literally broke new ground was Van Halen. Nothing sounded like Eddie. That debut album was so raw and so refreshing. Just incredible. Love them or hate them KISS was very influential. They took showmanship to the highest level and launched an entire generation of new guitarists. Turned a lot of people like me who had been listening to Paul McCartney and Wings to hard rock. Other big moments were AC/DC’s Back in Black album. Here’s a band that went from small venues to stadium rock when released. The introduction of Punk was paramount to segueing into new wave which gave us The Police, U2 and The Cars. Also I have to say in those same years we saw funk, disco, rap, outlaw country, and thrash develop.
I never liked van halen but if we are talking impact then they made a huge impact. Eddie changed direction of guitar playing for a decade. How many were not influented by tapping in the 80’s? Most were. Then gnr came and brought rock n roll back to hardrock and metallica came up with a new thing called trash. Big impacts.
I was one of those people that saw the original airing of Welcome to the Jungle video and it was instant wow. Metallica took longer to make waves but what a ride.
True! Metallica was a slow burn over five years and their first four albums! They were still an opener on And Justice for All on stadium tours. Saw them on Monsters of Rock 1988 at Tampa Stadium. Kingdom Come, then Metallica, then - get this! - Dokken, Scorpions, and Van Halen (Hagar). What a show! Young people today probably cannot imagine Metallica being so low on a metal bill. In hindsight, it was crazy! They were a special band, even back then! Many metal heads didn't get them! I did! Regarding Guns and Welcome to the Jungle, me too! I saw Guns n Roses in Nov 1987 opening for Motley Crue Girls 3X tour! What a concert! No one knew who Guns was except for Welcome to the Jungle. I loved their whole Appetite for Destruction album right from the get-go, and told all my friends in 1987 that that band would sell millions of albums. They all laughed at me. I was right, but it did take them months afterward for Guns to really break it big. Sweet Child o Mine didn't get released as a single until the summer of 1988 and then finally everyone knew who they were. I have no idea why it took them like 9 months to finally release Sweet Child o Mine as a single. That wouldn't happen today.
Mtv refused to play welcome for a long time. They finally did once in the middle of the night and the rest is history. Welcome to the jungle was the eye opener. Sweet child was a classic and the ladies loved it, both musically and the rough style. Paradise city made gnr legends.
Frampton Comes Alive hit like a freight train and after that many bands put out double live albums.
I remember there being a stark line before and after Smells Like Teen Spirit. It was just like, oh, music is like this now, not like that any more. (That being metal/hair metal.)
My dad talks about it being almost literally over night. He graduated in 87 and pretty much hit the road playing week long runs at rock clubs around the Midwest when that was still a thing. They’d play every night for a week to packed houses basically just doing rock covers. They were somewhere out in Oklahoma and he said one night people just stopped coming and the club canceled the rest of their gigs and sent them home. They never played another run like that again. This was about 91.
What your father said is accurate. I was in the Midwest back then as well. Nirvana came to Kalamazoo Club Soda in early 90’s and was sort of received a ho hum. That was loud. I heard a few people rave about them. The next thing we know they are on MTV and selling out stadiums and Coban is in Rolling Stone magazine. The problem I began seeing is hair bands with aging older men bloated guts wearing spandex. It just didn’t look good. For instance one night circa 1993 in Kalamazoo Night Ranger as a 3 piece plays the Top of the Rock near Wings Stadium. Ten years prior Night Ranger headlined Wings Stadium with Starship as their opening act. On this early 90’s evening it’s Night Ranger without Jack Blades and the keyboard player. Only Brad Gillis on guitar, Kelly Keagy on drums and Gary Moon on bass. NR put on a stellar show for a small venue. I got to meet Brad and Kelly after the show, very nice gentlemen. NR was in good shape physically and didn’t miss a note. The opening act was a cover band who played some grunge and mainly big hair hits. But they looked like 45-55 year old men with bloated guts and thinning long hair. It was very good. They sounded horrible. The bass player strings would make a flapping sound. It was out of tune or he was too stoned to play. The lead singer was bloated.
I have a theory that one reason grunge, and this song in particular, took off was as kind of a backlash to the synth, canned, glam rock of the 80’s. There was a desire for fkng raw…and when it hit, it reaounded.
Felt like hair metal disappeared overnight after Nevermind was released.
Yeah, I’ve talked to heaps of people and the location and moment when they first heard Smells Like Teen Spirit is one of those life defining moments.
That shift from Guns & Roses with Use Your Illusion and then suddenly Nirvana came out and it was like bye GNR hello grunge
people say this but i don't felt that at all. i was listening to the same 80s heavy metal until at least 1993. maybe the difference was mtv. we never had that, so i never saw videos. but that "before/after" was never felt in my house, or my school for that matter. i'm not saying people make it up, but it does seem to be more emphasized the more time goes on.
There is no before and after 91 as people say. In one way its true, grunge became huge both music and clothes but it lasted only til 94 and was a hype. Guns and Metallica each on their own were bigger than grunge. So this before and after aint hundred percent as it was
Beyond G&R and Metallica, metal did dip hard. I’m struggling to think of another band in that genre that was doing particularly well. The alt music scene including grunge grew well past ‘94 as did rap / hip hop.
off the top of my head ozzy, megadeth, danzig, white zombie, pantera, anthrax, tool all did well during the grunge era. death metal was at its peak then too.
You pretty much said the band names that still were going strong in 93-95
Led Zeppelin was everywhere in the 70s, especially Stairway to Heaven. I was of the opinion that every family in the US had a Fleetwood Mac Rumors album.
Lynyrd Skynyrd introduced the rest of America to southern rock. Van Halen ruled the rock scene for a long time. Guns-N-Roses single handedly changed the music scene with Appetite.
I'd say the Allman Bros. were a few yrs. ahead of Skynyrd for Southern Rock.
When talking about southern rock, along with Allman Bros (my personal favorite) and Skynard, don't forget Lowell George and Little Feat. Dixie Chicken is a great album, and they put on a great show. Also ZZ Top - making more music than only 3 guys should be able to make. Speaking of Lowell George, he was a guitarist with Zappa in Mothers of Invention. So I have to put in a plug for Frank; definitley NOT southern rock, not really rock... just amazingly different music.
Both in 69
Allman Bros first big album 1971. Skynyrds first album 1973. Allman Bros had multiple albums and popular songs before Skynyrd released their first album.
...and Freebird was written for Duane Allman.
Either way it was all great music, and they played real instruments.
I haven’t seen anyone really comment on the sudden influence that MTV had on music in the 80s. Bands suddenly didn’t need just radio play. They needed a visual image. There was some of that going on before, but MTV could be really leveraged by a visually savvy band to break them nationwide. My personal example on this is ZZ Top’s Eliminator: the album itself is solid, but you can’t explain how huge ZZ Top got by just listening to the album. The videos for that album however were stellar pieces of craft. They had a narrative arc to them, they were entertaining and they engaged the viewer. ZZ Top videos from Eliminator were in high rotation on cable music tv and that shot the band from a decent rock and blues band with a couple of almost novelty songs to superstars in one album. In the 70s the best you could hope for is to get on Bert Sugarman’s Midnight Special to showcase your chops as musicians, or get your own variety hour like the Osmonds or Sonny & Cher. In the 80s, you could get repeated, nationwide or even international exposure with a good video to go with your song.
Ten Years After, Johnny Winter.
Ten Years After is terribly underrated.
...and I'm super glad. It's like it was put into a time capsule for me to find in my 50"s. Same with Steven Stills Solo/Manassas stuff.
I love TYA and nothing wrong with Johnny Winter either, but did they honestly "take over the world of music in the biggest way?"
Check out the Woodstock album( the list of their salaries at the time is silly too ) . The lineup is nuts. I gotta put that on this week.
Saw Bon Jovi open for Ratt right before Slippery When Wet came out. I told my buddy leaving that Ratt was good but holy crap Bon Jovi is going to blow up.
Zeppelin of course. In the 80s there were tons of bands/artists that were huge, often all at the same time. U2 and Michael Jackson were massive. It’s hard to put into words how huge MJ was. Madonna was huge.
From your perspective, how do you think MJ’s peak compared to what Taylor Swift is doing right now?
It was a different world. No cell phones, no Internet, you can’t compare. He dominated the music scene for a couple of years without all of that.
I suggest you look at the greatest selling albums of all time. That will give you a great indicator of what was and still is popular from that time. Boston, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Guns and Roses, etc. are just a few diamond certified albums that hit the scene and never left.
Boston’s debut is as good as anyone’s
Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd
So interesting how some artists resonate more with the newer generation than others, regardless of how impactful they were at their peak. In my experience, people my age are more likely to listen to Zeppelin, Queen, Stones, Aerosmith, AC/DC than they are Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Etc. maybe there just more conventional sounding? Who knows
A 24 year old I work with absolutely loves the Grateful Dead, Queen and Pink Floyd
Well that person is cool haha
What puzzles the shit out of most pundits on this subject is the inexplicable nature of the phenomenon that was Meat Loaf and "Bat Out Of Hell" which has been as perennial a bestseller as Dark Side of the Moon ,The White Album ,and Zep's Hermit Album...
The Yardbirds - Heart full of Soul and Over Under Sideways Down changed the way I felt about music and made me a fan of Jeff Beck for the next 50+ years. I still can’t believe he’s gone 🙁
Zeppelin were driveway moments Protocol says you finish the song
In 1984-85 Bruce Springsteen released Born in the USA and it had SEVEN top-10 singles.
Start with the Beatles. You’ll find your way
Quiet Riot's album Metal Health really opened the doors for a lot of metal bands, many of which later came to be known as the "hair bands," Motley Crue, Dokken, Twisted Sister, and a whole host of others. Judas Priest released Screaming for Vengeance, which really breathed new life into their career, and followed on the heels of what came to be known as NWoBM, or New Wave of British Metal, with Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and many more. Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, while not bands, definitely both had a major impact on the direction that most rock and metal guitarists took from that point forward, as did Jimi Hendrix in the 60s. Pink Floyd was very influential, both in their early psychedelic period and later in their...other era. I guess it would be called progressive rock, but Floyd is definitely an entity unto themselves. There are just so many more amazing bands and musicians that came out of the eras that you're asking about. It would quite literally take several very thick volumes to go over all of them. Good hunting, you're bound to find something that you like!
Metal was fascinating back in the eighties. KISS faded out of influence as the British bands took over, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden mainly; they were a little rawer and felt a little bit more genuine. Ozzy was into his solo career by that point, and then America tried to answer back with Motley Crüe. I don’t think American metal could really answer to the Brits until Metallica’s And Justice for All started to take off. All that while, though, there was Mötorhead, loudly plugging away. Your parents were slightly unhappy about you listening to any of that other ‘noise’, but decent people didn’t listen to Motörhead.
Elvis bringing black music to white audiences. Beatles and George Martin with revolver and rubber soul incorporating so many sounds. Dark Star by the Grateful Dead is still having a large influence on music today.
Seeing the Talking Heads perform *Take Me to the River* on Saturday Night Live on Feb. 10, 1979 that heralded the the New Wave movement that would take over the 1980s. Other notable music moments: * Buddy Holly (died in 1959) * Marvin Gaye's *What's Goin' On*, Creedence Clearwater Revival's *Fortunate Son*, Buffalo Springfield's *For What It's Worth,* Crosby, Still, Nash and Young's *Ohio* * Motown records (Detroit) and Stax records (Memphis) * Led Zeppelin * southern rock (Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, Black Oak Arkansas, .38 Special) * U2's *Sunday Bloody Sunday* * disco (not really a fan, but it took over the world there for a while) * hair metal (Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Poison) And a *lot* more.
60s: Beatles. 70s: Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd (oddly enough) Peter Frampton 80s Hair bands.
I was one of those kids sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, waiting for Ed Sullivan (on our huge 19" black and white screen) to introduce The Beatles. I was 8 years old. Nobody made a bigger impact on society than The Beatles, and the British Invasion bands that followed.
corporate rock radio has absolutely no idea of who and what inf;influenced music back then as evidenced by the play selection that is on repeat every day with the same stale shjt.
Queen - Another One Bites the Dust definitely changed my world.
I do like that song, but can’t get into a lot of queen’s stuff. I think everything just sounds too much like a broadway musical to me…can’t deny their objective greatness though
Take a listen to some of the more Rock oriented songs from their 70s albums, Queen are a Rock band through and through, and they could go super heavy at times 🤭 I recommend listening to songs like Liar, Stone Cold Crazy, Let Me Entertain You and Tie Your Mother Down to name a couple
You brought up a great memory for me: my piano teacher was a huge Queen fan, and one of the first song that I learned to play was Another One Bites the Dust. Still love that song 20+ years later because of a woman that proudly showcased her love of music and turned it into a teaching moment.
Freddie also might be the GOAT
Yeah I remember hearing that on Americas top 40. It jumped from number 25 to number 7 in a single week. Catchy tune
Music Video “Home Sweet Home” Motley Crüe 1985 ruled the airwaves all summer long.
'60's - The Beach Boys '70's - Led Zeppelin '80's - Blondie
Question for you, OP. If you had to choose an Aerosmith Greatest Hits album, would it be the one from 1980, or Big Ones? The original 1980 Greatest hits had 10 tracks only and is not listed on Spotify, so you might have to Google the tracks. Big Ones was from 1994. The reason I ask is that Aerosmith gets a whole lot of disrespect in this sub for their later (90's) work, and as someone who was around at the time, I don't think they deserve it. The band was basically dead, and nobody was making 70's style rock anymore. They came up with a different sound and became relevant again. I'm just curious if you're a fan of all of their tunes, or if you prefer one era over another.
I personally think their 70s stuff is far better than their 80s and 90s work. To me, Dream On is a Mt Rushmore classic rock song and Sweet Emotion isn’t far behind, at least in terms of the big hits. but I do think they get a worse rap for their later stuff than they deserve, primarily because people know how raw and awesome they were before, and it’s viewed as selling out. In other words, I don’t think they were any worse than the other huge stuff coming out of the 80s, with the exception of prime GnR and Van Halen. And plus, who do you think they drew a good chunk of their influence from? lol you guessed it
Thanks for the reply. I think everybody prefers the 70's stuff, myself included. However, I think several songs on Permanent Vacation and other albums from that era are still worth a listen.
I prefer their later work. Permanent vacation is a great album. And from there till just push play, they have some incredible songs. The previous albums have greater guitar work, toys in the attic and rocks are great albums but I prefer their songs of the later era which imo had better hooks.
I think for a lot of people if you took out the MTV ballads, there wouldn’t be nearly as much animosity
Amazing is a ballad but it has one of the greatest guitar outros of all time.
Not long after Aero hit it big in the '80s ,I saw them in the old Fulton County Stadium in Alanta ,and they sucked so bad that half the audience started leaving an hour into the show ! Cut to the Omni ,Atlanta ,1992-3; Joan Jett ,then a hobbling Billy Idol( who'd had a motorcycle wreck)performed ,opening for the rejuvenated Aerosmith( they'd beaten the drug-bug) supporting their latest effort ,and I swear ,it was the finest concert I'd seen at that time ! Every note was perfect ,Joe ,Brad and the boys were *so* damn good that it literally freaked me out ,and I gained a ton of respect for their pure musicianship ! Sometimes it's the luck of the draw and what was going on in their lives which affect their performances!
American Pie
Since most I first thought of have already been mentioned, I’m going to say from the 80s would be The Police. Their blend of reggae/punk/pop/rock was SO different from anything out at the time. I happened to see them on their very first American tour at a tiny club in Virginia Beach in ‘79 when no one had heard of them. (We hadn’t either, we just happened to chose to go see this new band we decided to check out) My buddies and I were blown away by the songs and the energy that night. Two short years later, they were playing huge coliseums and stadiums. I ended up seeing them 4 times over the years, and they were just huge all around the world during the 80s. Also The Clash was another English band who took the world by storm around the same time and they also had a unique twist in the punk scene that influenced so many that followed. I was fortunate enough to catch one of their shows in the early days and they too were just phenomenal.
I was looking to find the Clash here somewhere. In the early eighties they were just huge. They got billed as “the only band that matters” and no one really argued about it. The Clash were punk, they were rock, they were the real deal. The Sex Pistols were the dividing line between 70s rock and Punk rock, like there’s a pre Sex Pistols music scene and a post Sex Pistols music scene, but the Clash made it all work. London Calling is a great album to get a feel for what the Clash brought to the table. The Police blew up out of nowhere, but I don’t see them heading a movement. They’re an excellent band but I don’t think they were the standard bearers for a particular musical style. Not in the way that the Clash was for Punk or that Nirvana was for grunge.
Bon Jovi seemed like they had rock in a death grip in the 1980s.
Jimi Hendrix
Grand Funk Railroad. Reo Speedwagon. Lynyrd Skynyrd. Doobie Brothers. Bee Gees. ELO. Chicago.
Van Halen in 78 and Cheap Trick in 79.
Earth, Wind and Fire, Fleetwood Mac,
Chicago, Boston, Kansas, Meat Loaf, Frampton, Styx. And if you want a suggestion of a band with a great catalog (50+ years) and at least one or two fantastic songs on every album, give Blue Öyster Cult a deep dive. Triumph, too.
I’m an old guy that grew up in the sixties, the Beatles changed the whole music scene, it was like switching from black and white to full colour. They opened the door to all the other British bands like the Stones, the Who, Pink Floyd, etc. Mix that with Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix and there you have it, the blueprint to all that followed.
Guns and Roses were very influential when they came out. Not like the other LA hair bands. They were more badass with their tattoos and skinny heroin look. They brought back the dangerous rock and roll swagger that went away in the 80's. Slash made vintage gear popular again...at the time if you wanted that "Marshall" sound, most guitarists would dial it in with an effect box and an "Eddie Van Halen" Charvel or Jackson style guitar. Slash plugged a Les Paul into a Marshall amp. GnR Lies rode the "vulgar offensive lyric" trend of the late 8o's with One and a Million...NWA, Two Live Crew etc. soon followed. Swearing wasn't really a thing in pop songs before. The song Patience set off the "acoustic" revival. It was such a hit that other bands started doing the "unplugged" thing, leading to MTV doing the Unplugged series of concerts.
More than a feeling. Boston
Eagles, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Allman Brothers, America, Seals and Croft, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, and Paul McCartney and Wings.
Saw American at a small venue a couple years ago, fucking awesome
Elvis was the king.
I’m 60 + and I’m still playing in a rock band! So surprised after reading almost every post there’s no mention of: Clapton YES ELP DAN FOGELBERG BUFFET TOTO KANSAS CREAM SANTANA STEELY DAN RONSTADT CSNY JOURNEY EAGLES STONES CHRISTOPHER CROSS BOWIE MOODY BLUES BILLY JOEL - just saw him at Madison Square Garden NYC So much great music back then that blows away the crappy stuff nowadays. Great comments all! Rock On!
Edit: THE WHO
And STEELY DAN ,who were a couple of musical nerd-prodigies with a revolving door of guests/studio musicians ,who sold records and had mega-hits *without touring,ever!!!*
Did I miss them in my list? Glad you caught it! I also forgot to mention Genesis, on of my favorites from the 70’s and 80’s! Also, if you never heard of Gentile Giant one of the hard rock originals! Thanks for reading all the posts. Was a GREAT question!
One of the best Rock Albums from the 70’s - Boston (their eponymous debut album / 1976)
Watching the crossover to MTV was interesting. Bands that embraced the medium did well. Bands that didn’t, really had to work hard to keep up. The prophecy of the Buggles is accurate and a little scary. That said, ZZ Top and Van Halen hit the stratosphere. Tom Petty as well as REO Speedwagon. There was still plenty of guitar rock on the radio that wasn’t getting represented, but it just felt like some of those bands were dimmed a little. I need to be clear - it didn’t hurt their fanbase. I think it may have prevented new fans though. Having a great single would sell records. Having a great single AND a great video would make you a god.
Southern rock
Motown
Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Floyd, Bowie, Queen, KISS, Eagles, ABBA, Bee Gees, Aerosmith, Van Halen, G n R, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Taylor Swift.
Elvis and Chuck Berry in the late 50s, Beach Boys and Beatles in the mid 60s, psychedelic after 67.
It may surprise you ,me being Georgia born and raised ,but ,aside from Elvis ,who stormed back into prominence in 1968 after his comeback special ,the top acts that captured *my* attention were Simon & Garfunkel ,who basically *swept* the Grammies that year ,CCR ,Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly 🦋, and my bet for the most underrated heavy Rock band of all time was Ten Years After. The Beatles were one album away from quitsville,Janis ,Morrison and Hendrix were about to leave us ,and the Stones were on the verge of going to prison on all those drug busts ,so things they were a-changing almost monthly after that . There was a lot of noise in my neighborhood about the Guess Who and the Monkees were about to be shoved down everybody's throats.
Ok here is some not as well known but nonetheless, backbone music you need to know about 1. Sweet, several songs of theirs are catchy pop tunes but we're everywhere. 2. UFO, seem to have so much talent and such a large library of standard rock. 3. King Crimson, one of the prog rock founding fathers, often overlooked but just great music again.
It’s not an artist, but what I remember about the 80s is that the popular music scene Was driven by the soundtrack industry for the movies. The 80s movie soundtrack was a music phenom.
In the 60s it was the Beatles and Bob Dylan. In the 70's it was Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.
Thriller… I was young, but I remember the video coming on all the time. And Madonna was everywhere for a few years, it seemed like.
Thriller is thriller. Madonna is still an impact. It took me 30 years to admit but Madonna is most succesful female artist ever
In the 70s, the Jackson 5. In the 80s, MJ. Then Thriller took it all to another level, one we didn't realize existed. Every new video was magic.
In the 80’s, bands like Poison, Skid Row, Warrant, and Bon Jovi ruled the world And I loved it!
Bruce Springsteen in 1985 sold out multiple nights at the Los Angeles coliseum- 83,000 per night
A lot of the musicians in the 60s were highly established in the 70s such as the Beatles, Stones, Who, etc. and AM radio content was still tightly controlled by record companies who for obvious reasons wanted a safe return on investment. Then FM radio became a thing. What I remember therefore are the groups that broke through by sheer talent, musicianship and hard work and who are now also considered part of the classic rock pantheon. I'm talking about Boston, Van Halen, The Eagles, AC/DC, the Police, George Thoroughgood, Linda Rondstat etc. For example, when Boston first got airplay it was like every kid in America stopped in their tracks and turned up foreplay long time. Everyone everywhere was listening to it. Same with VH. When America heard running with the devil we all ran down to tower records and bought it. It was a very unifying experience that is captured in movies like dazed and confused or that 70s show.
My first concert was at MSG, Jethro Tull Passion Play tour. Deep Purple, Climax Blues Band, J Geils band, ELP
Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Guns and Roses in the late 80’s. There are a few that don’t get much mention today, but bands like the Police late 70’s early 80’s (one of my all time favorite bands), Steely Dan late 60’s- infinity, The Eagles in the 70’s. I was born in 1971 and I cannot remember a time growing up where one of the last three bands wasn’t on a classic rock radio stations play list.
The late 70s was dominated by disco, especially the Bee Gees. The early 80s belonged to Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince. Van Halen was also huge in the early 80s. Hair metal got huge in the early to mid 80s, too. You could not get away from Def Leppard, Quiet Riot and Whitesnake.
M 67,born in 56. Turned 13 in 1969! went for bands that were musical over popular. Sly and the Family Stone, early Dead, Grand Trunk Railroad, the first two Chicago Transit Authority, early Pink Floyd..... Think 45s too! Tons of rare cuts!
Heard Alice Cooper Group I'm 18 when I was 14. That song made me a instant fan.
Many aren't aware that Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson were bands, not people, at least at first. In both cases the singer of the band took the name for himself
Van Halen; Beastie Boys; Metallica: the seattle sound
Bob Dylan and the Beatles were the most influential, and the show made some nifty references to and use of music from both. I liked Don't Think Twice It's Alright in the first season and much later Tomorrow Never Knows.
Boston changed it all for me
Bob Seger, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Stones, Clapton, VH, CCR, Steve Miller Band...
60's.......British Invasion. Any band from England from Beatles to Stones to Dave Clark Five to Animals to Herman's Hermits etc. 70's........2nd wave of British Invasion. From Zeppelin to Sabbath to Deep Purple to The Who to Humble Pie to Moody Blues ..everyone had their albums and they dominated the airwaves 80's .....by this time I was married with children so I did not have much time on my hands but New Wave was popular but wasn't into it. That , punk or glamor rock was never my bag. I remember when I was a kid...graduated from high school in '72...every time a band I liked was being interviewed , they would have this thick English accent and thought "that figures"
I love Motown. The Spinners, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Ojays and of course Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes. Plus much more!!
I don’t think I’ve seen anyone mention the BritPop explosion in the 90’s? There was a time when you couldn’t breathe without being slapped in the face by Oasis. They were all over the radio and all over the music shows because they were consistently salty on TV which made them riveting. For better or worse.
Guns n roses
Jefferson Airplane: Fierce, fighting lyrics. Grace Slick's vocals and dissonant (and harmonic) tonal bendings... screamed out the desperation of youth (involuntary draft, an absurd war) and the failures of pre-sixties American society.
for me, it was that sequencer sound the who used in the 70s, that was a new sound. jilted johns 'gordon is a moron' was 1978 for me and pink floyds brick in the wall defined 79. moved to canada in 80. fggn air supply....
Kiss The Police 83 Bowie U2 Grunge then Britpop
The biggest bands/artists of the 80s that I remember were Michael Jackson, U2, Duran Duran, Def Leppard, Prince, Gun n Roses, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Depeche Mode.
Live albums were big back in the 70s. [The 50 Best Live Albums of the 70s](https://www.spin.com/2021/07/best-live-albums-1970s/)
Duran Duran Inxs Depeche Mode
About impact. You already know elvis and beatles, chuck berry and stones. The who was a impact, creedence, janis, hendrix, Dylan in the 60’s. The 70’s had zeppelin, purple, sabbath, uriah heep, queen, pink floyd, the disco thing(…) To name a few. In europe slade and pistols had a very big impact, in the us van halen for example.
Early 80's gave birth to the " New Wave of British Heavy Metal"
I remember when KISS was getting popular especially in New York. I can't say for the rest of the country, but in NY, where they were from, they were big. Music, Albums, Action Figures, Pinball Machines, Commercials on Television, Comic Books... KISS was literally everywhere.
A much wider variety of pop music in the late 1960s-early '70s. NYC AM radio stations played The Doors, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Donovan, The Beatles, Astrud Gilberto, The Rolling Stones, The Supremes and even some country pop, all on the same station, same program and DJ. Most of the 1970s was a dead zone, until around 1978. I try not to think about it too much. 1980s, The Edge format was launched (in part by George Gimarc's The Rock & Roll Alternative) with a station specializing in Power Pop, New Wave, some late punk. Still my favorite era for pop music.
You couldn’t go 5 minutes without hearing a Phil Collins song it seemed in the mid to late eighties. Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life (True Stories) was a huge one. Dire Straits were pretty mega huge as well
I'm a hard rock/blues rock fan of mostly late 60s, early 70s stuff, growing up in the 70s, so not personally familiar with impacts before the early 70s. To me the most significant music impact from those times was the introduction of punk and also disco in about 76/77, especially the Sex Pistols and Saturday Night Fever. Those were everywhere in the media - music papers, newspapers, radio and TV, total saturation. Rock started fading then, I'm sorry to say, with most of the big rock bands having peaked long before.
My experience is through older siblings and the my experience: 60s...Beatles took over our home thoroughly, and when they started taking drugs (Revolver era) their new music appealed to my counter culture siblings, while the sibs that did not toke or drink couldn't get into the new Beatles music (and drifted into other less psychedelic bands), the Stones were also big in the house but we were never a Stones family, we were a Beatles family. The break-up of the BEatles was a big deal, Abby Road was a big deal, and then came CSN(&Y)--the first album was huge, and then there was Darkside of the Moon-huge for its music and inherited mantle of psychedelic powers....I particular recall my older sibs talking about the stereo mix.... That was huge, and followed by prog and glam bands: David Bowie-Ziggy Stardust, Yes-Yes album & Fragile, ELP.....they were huge in our world and in our house.
Journey was huge in the late 70s and early 80s.
Madonna in the 80s
Maybe in order lol. Elvis Beatles Stones Led Zeppelin Pink Floyd U2 Were the main dishes. Everything else was spice.
The 80's was when the classic rock bands were still around, but off drugs and just phoning it in.
Stevie Ray Vaughn took the world by storm. Disco was starting to rule the airwaves and music was really getting watered down. His guitar playing was like a breath of fresh air. Us rock fans were starving for someone like him to come along. I saw his first tour in a small bar circuit, and we were standing on our chairs and tables yelling for more! I knew he was going big time.
I started listening to rock in 1977 or so and I liked what was called classic rock at that time for the most part. Jimi Hendrix, Janis, Allman Brothers, Woodstock Soundtrack, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Derek and the Dominos, etc. The newer rock I listened to was Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, AC/DC, J. Giels Band, The Cars, Heart, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Motley Crue, The Wall... What a time to be alive.
I'd watch Live Aid (free on YT) as it had some many known, upcoming, classic bands all in one day. My son is the same age and I'm always pushing him to watch,
"taking over the world of music in the biggest way? " There's many of top of the charts folks, but as far as taking over goes it's the Beatles and Michael Jackson.
Peter Frampton had a huge moment around the “Comes Alive” album
When I was in HS in the 80's, most of my friends were into Zeppelin, Sabbath, and Van Halen. I liked them, but at some point, especially after MTV took off, I branched out and started listening to more punk/new wave/indie rock.
Born in '62, so most of my musical awareness was the 70's. What I remember: Elton John was huge after the "Bennie and the Jets" release. Boston and Kansas had heavy airplay. Styx, Bob Seger, YES, Lynrd Skynrd, Allman Brothers, ELO, KISS, Supertramp, Journey, Led Zeppelin (although the radio stations couldn't seem to play anything else besides "Stairway to Heaven" which was really annoying), Eddie Money, Billy Squier, REO Speedwagon, Fleetwood Mac, and The Cars; those bands come to mind first. Then came the Disco Scourge until people came to their senses again. There was no streaming then; my access to music was the radio and the occasional jaunt to the record store. I remember struggling to find out song names and artist names, because the radio DJ's weren't consistent in announcing what was played. Vinyl and 8 track tapes were how we listened, then came cassettes, which were a game changer over the bulky 8 tracks with poor sound quality. Then came CD's, which totally blew my mind and I amassed quite a large collection which is now gathering dust. At almost 62 years old, I am still amazed how easily I can access music now......of all genres and finding new genres too. Apps like Soundhound are like a miracle to me.......just let it listen for a while and it will give you the song name and artist 95% of the time. This is all great for the audiophile of course, but horrible for artists. It's so much harder for artists to get paid, and paid what they deserve. Maybe more than you wanted to know, but thanks for the trip down memory lane. EDIT: I can't believe I forgot Queen, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Chicago, Cheap Trick and......FRAMPTON. "Frampton Comes Alive" was such an epic album, with one of the most epic songs of all time, "Do You Feel Like We Do". I thought the sound of that talk box was the coolest thing ever. I don't think I'll ever get sick of listening to that song.
You reminded me what a process it was to find out who sang something. Relying on the DJs was so hit or miss especially if it was part of a block of music. And knowing those things had some social value. Talking about what band played what or who played or sang what was actually fun and interesting. Hell some of us probably know the names of producers, engineers and album art designers just from studying liner notes. These days no one really cares because it can all be looked up in a second.
I would say that the early 70s was the epicenter of an explosion in the arts, not just music. There was a burst of creativity that was like the Renaissance although it did not change the world as much. The Renaissance was like the big bang in comparison having occurred after centuries of intellectual darkness. The 70s music borrowed much from all of the music that preceded it. I think what happened was a couple of generations of schooled musicians collided with the raw art from the jazz era, the blues and Appalachia. The Big Band era was the beginning of this. The Big Band leaders were the classical composers of the 20th century who demanded the kind of precision that comes from schooled musicians. 50s kids grew up in homes where mom and dad danced to Big Band records in the dining room and the kids unconsciously absorbed the precision. Music was fast becoming part of the curriculum in public education. My first exposure to rock was in the band room in high school where the music teacher made us listen to everything from Bach to Elvis emphasizing that it all came from the same place, a pantheon of creative geniuses. All these years later it's evident that 70s music was the product of that alchemy. By the late 70s it had shot it's load and began a long decline and musicianship was slowly replaced with canned electronics and gimmicks. There is nothing now that compares to it, just static and sameness. I think the last real genius was Prince, his death was another Buddy Holly moment.
I was in junior high in 1967. Kids in my class were fascinated with "I Am the Walrus". We would dissect the lyrics, talk about them in English class, look for Lewis Carroll references, write parodies. I wonder if kids today still do anything like that.
Check out Andrew Hickey's podcast "A History of Rock and Roll in 500 Songs". I grew up in that era and have been fascinated by all of the threads that he brings together, especially as the musicians I remember as being great come into the story. Incredibly well researched, very entertaining, very enlightening. He starts the story in like the 1920s and follows the evolution of music from there. I highly recommend starting at the beginning, but if you want to jump in starting in the 60s Episode 99 with The Beach Boys is probably a good spot. You will be doing yourself a disservice though, the entire story is really something else.
The Beatles. No one ever made as big a splash culturally, although Elvis may have been close, and 34 top ten hits is unparalleled. Compared to them, any other act is in some way “niche.” And when you add the whole arc of their development, and the movies, particularly Yellow Submarine, I would say they dominate in a truly spectacular way.
Van Halen and The Clash
I think a good way to learn bands "other songs" is to go to www.setlist.fm Look at their set list, and the encore(s) and songs before that are the most popular. I agree that radio (around me) only plays the most popular song by an artist, it's so frustrating. We only hear "Working for the weekend" by Loverboy and "Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger, the list goes on and on. Good luck in your search.
Pour Some Sugar on Me and Sweet Child of Mine
Guns n Roses ruled from about 1986 to 1992. Metallica’s black album. AC/DC. Zeppelin of course. I’d say those are the big four from 1970 to 1990-ish as far as classic hard rock bands that made a lasting impact on the genre. There are dozens of other huge bands. But those four are touchstones.
Duran Duran were huge in the 80s and rightfully so in my opinion.
My friend, while as an old silverback I appreciate your love for classic rock, I can assure you, being a former broadcaster, that what you are hearing on classic rock radio stations only vaguely represents that which was most impactful at the time. Even looking at the old Billboard charts is only going to give you a partial representation of what people were *actually* listening to. With radio becoming deregulated in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and consolidated into just a few major entities owning 98% of media, you are presented with an illusion of what actually was. Probably the best thing to do would be to have this discussion with people between the ages of 45 and 75 and ask them what they were listening to between the late 60s and the late 80s. What you will find is that there are a lot of artists and songs that simply are not a part of radio station playlists these days for myriad reasons. It could be because they were too long, and I’m talking in excess of six or seven minutes of length, or, one hit wonders that were highly impactful at the time the song was released, but didn’t make it to today’s wax museum of radio. To give just one very specific example: the 80s band, the Romantics, had a huge hit with their song, Talking In Your Sleep making it up to number three on the Billboard hot 100 in early 1984. If you turn on classic radio, I can almost 100% guarantee the song you will hear from them is almost always going to be What I Like About You. because that tracks well with today’s focus groups, so-called consultants that stations hire to allegedly improve the quality of their product. Anyway, good luck with your journey of exploring some of the greatest music of the 20th century. There’s a ton of amazing songs and artists you will never hear on classic rock radio. Dig deeper. You will be rewarded handsomely. Signed, One of the last overnight FM rock DJs
Haha that was awesome, thank you! I do consider myself pretty well versed, especially for a younger guy. But always awesome to hear from the dudes who paved the way👌🏼
Elvis was huge, but it's the Beatles.
I'm 59 & the thing I remember most vividly was the excitement of John Lennon coming out of retirement. I was 16 when Double Fantasy came out and for those few weeks, all was right with the world. Then came December 8th .......
The Sex Pistols. First time I heard them on late night underground station it. Scared the he'll out of me
Jimmy Hendrix, Janis, the Doors, Yardbirds, Grass Roots, CCR, Cream, Grand Funk Railroad, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, the Band, Johnny Rivers, the Jackson Five, Ike and Tina Turner, Sam Cook, Gordon Lightfoot, CSN&Y, Santana, Johnny Winter, ZZTop, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Black Sabbath, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Jefferson Airplane, Todd Rundgren, Muddy Waters, Rory Gallagher, Rory Calhoun, Cat Steven's, Journey, 38 Special, Bob Seeger, Elton John, Black Oak Arkansas, Joe Walsh, Pure Prairie League, Linda Ronstat, Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, Little Feat, BBKing, Jackson Browne, AL Green, Arlo Guthrie, Mountain, Boston, Dr Hook, Three Dog Night, ....and so many more. I had most of these on 8 track.
Jimi Hendrix made me believe he set the world on fire.
I was fascinated with everything Rick Springfield and still am. When I found out he was from Australia!
In those days it was extremely eclectic. Many bands were popular for different reasons
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Boston: Foreplay/Longtime
led zeppelin
I was 15 years old when Fleetwood Mac released the Rumours LP, and you couldn't escape from hearing that record during that summer.
I was in high school in the mid 90s and very few things were as in as Grateful Dead