Billy Joel DOES NOT ROCK

[leejo]

Got Sirius radio recently, and have enjoyed listening to it at work over the internet, but they keep playing Billy Joel on the classic rock channel.

What UP with that?!

[leejo]

Jesus H Fing Christmas ANOTHER BJ song. Kill me!!!

[Mateo]

Originally Posted by leejo

Got Sirius radio recently, and have enjoyed listening to it at work over the internet, but they keep playing Billy Joel on the classic rock channel.

What UP with that?!

What's up with classic rock anyway? Who decides what's a classic?

I was at the gym the other day, and they play the local classic rock station, presumably because it's least offensive to all....so they run the "Classic Rock" station identifier, and launch into some completely forgettable Aerosmith, followed by the aforementioned Mr. Joel.

Then they do the "Here's another lost classic"....and it's some Zepplin from the Houses album(I forget the title).

First: how does a song from Led Zepplin become "lost"? Ok, the Live Aid thing sucked, but it's freaking Zepplin man! Next to The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Hendrix, Zepplin should be required listening in Cultural Acclimation 101.

Second: how does Aerosmith, a pale imitation of the Stones, become a classic, while Kiss does not? Who decides that?

Third: How did Billy Joel and Eric Clapton get classified as rock? Aren't they Pop? When your music is used in musicals or ads, you are no longer rock, right?

Fourth: Where the heck is ZZ Top?

[Vulcan]

That's because your classic rock stations suck!

[AzrealDarkmoon]

If you go by music that is in commercials is not rock then that cuts out most rock! At least from the 60s,70s,80s era.

[leejo]

Hmm I wouldn't lump Billy Joel into any bucket with EC, and EC most certainly IS rock. The Yardbirds, Cream? While My Guitar Gently Weeps? Slowhand has mellowed but he's still one of the all-time giants.

With regard to "lost classic" Led Zepplin tunes, a lot of djs are idiots.

Aerosmith vs. Kiss....yeah I dunno. Seems like a fair gripe. I agree that Aerosmith is a very pale imitation of the Stones. Exile On Mainstreet is one of the best albums ever, and that's just one of many super Stones albums. Sirius has a Rolling Stones channel so I've been listening to a lot of them lately.

Where is ZZ Top? Maybe google knows....

[leejo]

ah....Ironman.

[Steeler]

IMO, Aerosmith is the greatest mediocre band in history. Hence their staying power.

Styx is the greatest terrible band in history.

[leejo]

Originally Posted by Steeler

IMO, Aerosmith is the greatest mediocre band in history. Hence their staying power.

Styx is the greatest terrible band in history.

Interesting idea, but what's the difference between the greatest terrible band and the worst mediocre band? When does a band stop being the greatest mediocre band and start being a good band? Seems like an odd measurement system.

Styx did blow though. You got that right. Foreigner too, but more stupidly, or less pretentiously. Whatever.

[Steeler]

The greatest terrible band produces songs that are so outrageously horrible that you HAVE to dig them up every now and then to appreciate the awfulness in all its glory. The greatest mediocre band produces inoffensive, slightly subversive but ultimately tame pop that everyone can enjoy at some point in their lives.

The worst mediocre band is just bad. According to my scale, anyway.

Billy Joel... well... I just get the impression that he was born with a mid-life crisis.

[CingularDuality]

Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound
Funny, but it's still rock and roll to me

[AzzMan]

Originally Posted by TG_Mateo

What's up with classic rock anyway? Who decides what's a classic?

I was at the gym the other day, and they play the local classic rock station, presumably because it's least offensive to all....so they run the "Classic Rock" station identifier, and launch into some completely forgettable Aerosmith, followed by the aforementioned Mr. Joel.

Then they do the "Here's another lost classic"....and it's some Zepplin from the Houses album(I forget the title).

First: how does a song from Led Zepplin become "lost"? Ok, the Live Aid thing sucked, but it's freaking Zepplin man! Next to The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Hendrix, Zepplin should be required listening in Cultural Acclimation 101.

Second: how does Aerosmith, a pale imitation of the Stones, become a classic, while Kiss does not? Who decides that?

Third: How did Billy Joel and Eric Clapton get classified as rock? Aren't they Pop? When your music is used in musicals or ads, you are no longer rock, right?

Fourth: Where the heck is ZZ Top?

classic rock = old rock plain and simple.

second, they all all suck so who cares?

Third, what passed as rock then barely passes as rock now. Somehow. Most of it (sans Floyd, Yes, Rush and a couple others) basically sucks anyway.

Fourth, see number two

Ironman.

Second metal album like ever/10

[leejo]

Oh sweet child, you just hang in there. One afternoon cutting class your freshman year of college someone will throw on Led Zepplin 4 and you'll get classic rock. It happens to everyone at basically the same age. I bet I could predict several CDs in your collection when you're 25.

[AzzMan]

Except I'm not 40 now, so it's too late for that.

I much prefer older thrash to newer thrash though, that's about it. And older prog rock, sans The Mars Volta.

[SmokingTarpan]

I think they pretty much define classic rock as anything that happened during or prior to the early 80's. I like Billy Joel, but he is not rock.