What Is Classic Rock?

mike65

For Pete's sake - the first Classic Rock forum controversy!

What is classic rock? Is it powder puff mainstream light rock or actual proper wade through blood and gore heavy music for heavy people?

Snow Patrol are the sort of "rock band" politicians pretend to like in a misbegotten attempt to look vaguely aware of modern cultural trends. We all know they're faking by even mentioning such a band (hell even Queen are cooler by dint of being so uncool), when clearly they should name check the likes of King Crimson, Blue Oyster Cult or Steely Dan - names sufficiently left field yet accessible to be both a bit hip and yet plausible.

If Snow Patrol is classic rock does that mean Ash are? or heaven help us Coldplay? Should there be a cut off point of some description, are bands less than 20 years old classic? Are bands that can't rattle glass at 100 metres Classic Rock? Is it about attitude and age? (or the forum posters own sad nostalgia?).

What is Classic Rock?

4zn76tysfajdxp

Electric guitar music released up to and including Nirvana's Nevermind.

Tom Dunne

I think Dr. B captured it succinctly with the following observations about Classic Rock bands:

They die on drugs on these.
They pioneered fashion.

They play music that makes guitars weep.
They play so loud that it makes ladies undergarments fall off
People talk in whispers about their bizarre sexual behaviour.
They have a midget balancing a plate of coke on his head on speed dial.

in this post.

I'm not sure the above could be said about Snow Patrol.

dr.bollocko

More like snow patroll.

Yadig?

_blank_

Rebekah Easy Numismatist wrote: »

Electric guitar music released up to and including Nirvana's Nevermind.

Woah.

Rage Against The Machine's eponymous album was released in 1992.

big b

This:cool:

Gaspode

Well, cars tend to be called 'classic' if they're 20-25 years or so old, and vintage if older than 35 years so maybe a similar rule should apply to rock . Has to be good stuff though, not any piece of crap car can be a true classic and the same goes for rock. It has to sound as good and kick-ass as it did the first time I heard it.

Or

It's all 100% objective and there can be no rules applied, as what I consider classic being nearly 50 yrs old is vastly different to what a 19yr old considers classic. Thus we can have a good old argument on just about every thread in this shiny new forum!

Tom Dunne

Gaspode wrote: »

what I consider classic being nearly 50 yrs old is vastly different to what a 19yr old considers classic. Thus we can have a good old argument on just about every thread in this shiny new forum!

Pfft. A 19 year old probably considers Snow Patrol classic.

:eek:

Gaspode

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Pfft. A 19 year old probably considers Snow Patrol classic.

:eek:

Exactly!

Orim

In the words of Homer Simpson - I start nodding my head, like I'm saying 'yeeess' to every beat. Yes Yes Yes, this rocks. And then sometimes I switch it up like. No, No, No! Don't stop-a-rockin'!

That's what classic rock does.

dr.bollocko

I think of it as dad rock.

You know, Zeppelin, the stones, the doors, floyd etc. I don't think the definition of "classic rock" is necessarily a moving one, IE I don't think nirvana would be classic rock as opposed to CSNY or something like that.

_blank_

dr.bollocko wrote: »

I think of it as dad rock.

You know, Zeppelin, the stones, the doors, floyd etc. I don't think the definition of "classic rock" is necessarily a moving one, IE I don't think nirvana would be classic rock as opposed to CSNY or something like that.

It is definitely a "moving" definition.

In ten years Nirvana will be "dad rock" - there will be 14/15/16 year old kids listening to Nevermind who's fathers were 14/15/16 when it came out.

Also, Zep, Rolling Stones, The Doors, Floyd are all "clasic rock" but they also come under other subgenres - progrock, rock n roll - Black Sabbath are a Heavy Metal band, but I doubt anyone here wouldn't have them in their videos posted in the Classic Rock forum.

Paranoid, Iron Man - definitely Classic Rock Anthems, also monstors of the early Heavy Metal genre too. \m/

Similarly, Teen Spirit and In Bloom from Nirvana - Jeremy from Pearl Jam, Black Hole Sun from Soundgarden - rightfully take their place as representing the Grunge table in the hall of Classic Rock - if not today, then in ten years most definitely.

They are all Classic songs/bands, and no-one can really say that they aren't Rock.

Tom Dunne

dr.bollocko wrote: »

I think of it as dad rock.

I'm not changing the forum name. Just no.

dr.bollocko

Des wrote: »

It is definitely a "moving" definition.

In ten years Nirvana will be "dad rock" - there will be 14/15/16 year old kids listening to Nevermind who's fathers were 14/15/16 when it came out.

Also, Zep, Rolling Stones, The Doors, Floyd are all "clasic rock" but they also come under other subgenres - progrock, rock n roll - Black Sabbath are a Heavy Metal band, but I doubt anyone here wouldn't have them in their videos posted in the Classic Rock forum.

Paranoid, Iron Man - definitely Classic Rock Anthems, also monstors of the early Heavy Metal genre too. \m/

Similarly, Teen Spirit and In Bloom from Nirvana - Jeremy from Pearl Jam, Black Hole Sun from Soundgarden - rightfully take their place as representing the Grunge table in the hall of Classic Rock - if not today, then in ten years most definitely.

They are all Classic songs/bands, and no-one can really say that they aren't Rock.

Could be a good source of discussion..

For example, is never mind now classic rock?

The certainly had the lifestyle. It is guitar driven rock... But at the same time they weren't so much tight pants and long solos rockers either .

Do you think it's mostly time that makes something classic rock? I'd always view Nirvana and Pearl Jam as Grunge and it will always seem like that to me...

Like Grunge wouldn't relate to classic rock to me, but then what about 80s hair metal? That's definitely falling into the area. Maybe in 5 years time I'll view never mind as classic.

However as I said I'd always view classic rock as being very much of the stones / zeppelin / doors era... But I guess the more you think on it the more the definition can be made wider in scope.

El_Dangeroso

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Could be a good source of discussion..

For example, is never mind now classic rock?

I think personally, for me, classic rock must stop by the time I was born. I'd be very hard pushed to consider 1980's music classic rock.

If that means for someone that Nevermind is classic rock, then so be it. I mean they are completely 100% wrong, but they are allowed think it.:)

Deschain

Despite not really caring much for genre pigeon holing etc I think the term 'Classic Rock' is music from a certain time. This time would be from around 1967-1977 or there about. From 1977 onwards rock music splintered off quite a bit with the emergence of punk, thrash, new wave, whatever. It doesn't matter what age you are or if a 19 year old thinks Nirvana is a classic rock band (or Snow Patrol for that matter), or if its 21 years since the release of Pearl Jam's Ten, classic album that it is, it is not Classic Rock, Classic Rock was the golden era of 20th Century contemporary music.

dr.bollocko

excollier

So, debate aside, who's your favourite "Classic Rock" band? For me, some days it's Deep Purple (Gillan & Glover, 1970-73), some days it's Pink Floyd, then Led Zeppelin, Wishbone Ash........the list is endless depends on the mood, same for my favourite track/song.

dr.bollocko

I think the doors for me.

I just love the guitar, the keys. It sounds somewhat unique, raw yet musically complex.

Love that band.

mackg

I think the whole what counts as classic rock is very tricky, I get the whole sixties/seventies thing but then you have to include those bands later stuff too like Bowie in the 80s.

When Nirvana come up I still personally consider them grunge but have a much harder time discounting The Manic Street Preachers from the genre.

The whole pidgeon holing stuff can get a little excessive but I find it makes interesting reading hearing peoples opinions on it.

I'd still probably say The Beatles are my faves just because I've gotten so much mileage out of their whole catalogue but saying that I listened to a huge amount of The Doors and The Stones when I was in school.

ElectricTaurus

that's a good question what is Classic Rock?

I'll say that it's really a style that ended up around '74 with the Glam Rock explosion, the main characteristic are pounding drums, heavy guitars riffs, great vocalists, lots of improvisation on stage and extended jams.

I consider Nevermind and Appetite to be more "Classic Album" and not really related to the "Classic Rock".

What i noticed that much of the forum revolve around Pink Floyd,The Who, Zep and Purple, but how many of you are on with bands that maybe don't get the cover of Classic Rock magazine but there are pivotal to the style like:

Leafhound

Budgie

Sir Lord Baltimore

Pentagram

Iron Claw

Writing on the Wall

Primevil

Granicus

just to name few, also there are bunch of bands that nowadays are keeping the style alive like:

Orchid

Graveyard

Witchcraft

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats

Astra.

excollier

Definitely Budgie

Rigsby

Twenty two posts into a "Classic Rock" thread and so far not a mention of "Free". Gotta put that right.

I decided to give their excellent "Woman" an airing, as everyone knows "Alright Now".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIeglX2HOSo

nyarlothothep

I like to liken it to the stages of civilisation. Classic rock is like the era of classical antiquity in rock music. Just like the ancient Greeks or Romans classic rock is full of mythology, in terms of the antics of artists and the concept albums which incorporated mythological/narrative themes. Furthermore, music from that era was not apologetic for being what it was, it was full of bombast and grandeur and it was ornate just like the architecture, ceremonies and ballads of ancient times. Not co-incidentally the era of classic rock was when prog rock was at its most popular. Then the barbarians (punk) came along and ushered in a dark age of rock from 1977-1990. Music journalists got a stranglehold in terms of defining tastes and the mentality of simplicity became an orthodoxy, deviation from which was met with accusations of self indulgence by the journalists and proto-hipsters/scenesters/posers. Out of this harsh climate of savagery emerged the metal bands, hardened versions of their classic rock forebears who, like the Knights of Camelot and the medieval times, battled ferociously against the barbarian hordes by adopting some of their traits but combining it with classic rock and prog principles in order to keep the spirit of rock alive. They were the Metallicas, Motorheads and Judas Priests of their era. Verily they put in a good service in maintaining a semblance of civilisation, for by the end of the 80s you had the Renaissance (1987-1992). Classic rock came back with Guns and Roses. It was also conveyed albeit in a modified form with grunge bands like Pearl Jam and The Smashing Pumpkins. Even Britpop bands were significantly influenced by classic rock eg Oasis. 1992-1995 would be definable as the Age of Reason as the alternative scene was beginning to consolidate itself. The mid 90s would have been the Victorian era which lasted until 2003. Then from 2004 with the exception of The Darkness we're in the first half of the 20th century and wow does it suck. There is a world war against rock music with the rise of the hipsters, no different from nazis in terms of their behaviour. Bands like Snow Patrol and Coldplay reign supreme, playing "rock" music for people who don't like rock. The same applies to indie/hipster music. Rock is truly dead, people have sunk from the heights of classical antiquity to the lows of post Weimar Germany. This is a war between the Allies and Axis powers and right now the Axis are winning. People actively like sh1t music. They like sh1t like The Kings of Leon, a band so sh1t that they're dismissive of their audience and don't bother to put on a good show when that's all they can do to salvage their sh1tty music and sh1tty musical ability. This is an age of horrors for rock music fans, it's an endless onslaught of indie and hipster music, and people are oblivious, brainwashed in fact against liking real rock n' roll. All that is left are a few sites of resistance in the form of metal and hard rock bands who keep the flame alive, but will it be enough? A brave new world indeed.

audidiesel

id say the definition of classic rock is different for each and every person. as im around 30, id say in my opinion everything pre 1990 is crossing over into that kinda territory. for someone in their 40's/50's it could well be up to the 70's. neither of us is really wrong in the definition.

the one think i think everyone mostly agrees on is it should have a lot of guitar and be best played loud....

but not snow patrol. never snow patrol

Irish Guitarist

I think it's a meaningless label that someone came up with.

Dublin Spur

What is classic rock ? For me it's

Blues based rock n' roll artists that peaked between around 1965 and 1980.

These were the godfathers of classic rock, rock bands that came after this era like GNR and Oasis (for example) were just reincarnations of the originals.

My own personal favourites would be Aerosmith, The Stones, CCR, AC/DC but the list of course is endless...

(Great forum BTW)

EchoO

For me there would be a fairly vague cut off point around the mid-70's, or pre-punk, but it's not a definition I would hold anyone else to.

blastman

Just noticed this forum and groaned inwardly. While I like the music that will invariably feature (although we referred to it as hard rock/heavy metal/punk/blues/whatever), the Rock/Metal forum was good enough and open-minded enough to cover everything

Classic Rock is a magazine, not a genre.

dr.bollocko

blastman wrote: »

Just noticed this forum and groaned inwardly. While I like the music that will invariably feature (although we referred to it as hard rock/heavy metal/punk/blues/whatever), the Rock/Metal forum was good enough and open-minded enough to cover everything

Classic Rock is a magazine, not a genre.

Would suggest you post your feedback about the forum here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056751472
As opposed to here in the forum itself.

Alternatively if you want a permanent opt-out please let me know via PM.

blastman

Sorry, only saw that thread after I'd posted here.

Fenian Army

What about new releases by old bands, is that classic rock?

mike65

nicked from the Progressive Archives website, unfortunately no Classic Rock section included!

Jake the dog

Its really tough to classify, I love the rock music from the 60's and 70's that I grew up with, and all its many flavours. Although there is no exact date I think that somewhere in the mid eighties a lot of the bands from that era had long run out of steam. The eighties also brought in a new digitized sound and studio techniques which brought in a whole new era of sound. Whilst the classic era for me begins with the maturity of Teddy boy Rock and roll into Rock music in the early 60's.

There's also probably some deep psychological reason why I cant bring myself to class music from the nineties onwards as Classic rock, maybe because I was in my 20's then and can't accept the fact that I'm in my 40's now . But sod that, break open the beers and put the Sabbs on, and turn up to 11!

bullpost

The music Tommy Saxondale likes?

Morag