Classic Rock Song of the Day (Deep Cuts now being featured!!)

[Implode]

Awesome song. It's what introduced me to Yes.

[Unlegit]

Overplayed, but still an awesome song.

[masterthes]

Favorite song of theirs

[DebraKadabra]

Moxy - Sail On Sail Away

Sorry, never heard of it.  I do agree with Jaq's point about DJs having a lot more control over their playlists back then, and your point about...

Yes - Roundabout

Yeah, it's overplayed.  Yeah, it's 8 minutes.  Yeah, it's awesome when played back to back with Schindeleria.  Doesn't mean I still don't love the song to death.  DAT BASS, on BOTH!

[Orbert]

Actually, there was a short version of Roundabout which was more common on AM radio than the full eight-minute version you heard on FM.  I remember hearing it thinking that that the song was longer, and that's what inspired me to buy the album.

I still remember hearing Roundabout on the radio back in 72.  Did I just hear acoustic guitar, electric guitar, organ, three-part harmonies, fast and slow movements, all in the same song?  Amazing what got played on the radio back then.

Yeah, it's awesome when played back to back with Schindeleria. 

You're thinking of Long Distance Runaround.

[Jaq]

It's like you mention a Yes song and Orbert comes running. 

Even before I got into Yes, I was aware of this song thanks to the radio, and generally my reaction to it was usually "damn, what a bass part."  It is a bit overplayed and they have lots of other, better songs, but Roundabout really is an ideal way to introduce someone to Yes, so it doesn't shock me that a lot of people, when discussing how they got into Yes, mention hearing Roundabout on the radio.

[black_biff_stadler]

Fantastic song. Great driving rhythm once it hits full steam, beautiful suspenseful intro, and the vocal work is all kinds of frou frou dee-lish.

[Cedar redaC]

I would say that the classic rock instrumental would have to be either La Villa Strangiato or YYZ.

But that's a Rush fan for you.

[KevShmev]

I would say that the classic rock instrumental would have to be either La Villa Strangiato or YYZ.

But that's a Rush fan for you.

I am the biggest Rush fan here, but neither of those are regularly played on classic rock radio everywhere, thus taking them out of the equation. 

[Cedar redaC]

I would say that the classic rock instrumental would have to be either La Villa Strangiato or YYZ.

But that's a Rush fan for you.

I am the biggest Rush fan here, but neither of those are regularly played on classic rock radio everywhere, thus taking them out of the equation.

Well, if they have to be played on the radio....

Summer Song.

[Unlegit]

Frankenstein?

[Cedar redaC]

Frankenstein?

Can't go wrong with that either.

[KevShmev]

A song from 1992 is not classic rock.  I know it is 21 years old now, but classic rock is generally considered to have ended in the early 80s.

[KevShmev]

Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion

Probably one of the most popular, well known and overplayed classic rock tunes ever...but I still dig it.  It has everything packed into 4 1/2 minutes: cool intro, one of the most memorable riffs ever, a catchy chorus, killer guitar solo, etc.  Great song.

[wkiml]

Aerosmith was one of favorite bands when I first started listening/growing into music  (Nugent/Zep/Queen and Kansas being the others)

Loved this song from day one...the bass and the riff...still love it too this day 70's Aerosmith can do no wrong in my eyes

[masterthes]

An alright song. I used to think this came from the 90's because of the music video

[Zydar]

Great song, and a cool intro

[Unlegit]

Not a huge fan of Aerosmith, but I really enjoy this song.

[Jaq]

I would say that the classic rock instrumental would have to be either La Villa Strangiato or YYZ.

But that's a Rush fan for you.

I am the biggest Rush fan here, but neither of those are regularly played on classic rock radio everywhere, thus taking them out of the equation.

Well, if they have to be played on the radio....

Summer Song.

While classic rock radio has expanded to include the early 90s, judging by the near constant playing of Soundgarden, Rage Against The Machine, Nirvana, and Alice in Chains on my local classic rock station-Summer Song isn't in the same league of iconic as Frankenstein.

As for Sweet Emotion, it's hard for me to talk about Aerosmith without talking about the girl I had a crush on in high school, and who I wound up meeting a couple of years ago and actually talking about Aerosmith's 80s music for a time, but I'm going to give it a shot.  Sweet Emotion is largely the overlooked song from Toys in the Attic, with Walk This Way getting the most attention, but Sweet Emotion has a great riff driving it, and has a lyric that I imagine a lot of young people have to figure out by guesswork, since "the rabbit done died" has been replaced by "the strip turned blue" to indicate a pregnancy test.  Actually, thinking about it, given the usual lyrics on Aerosmith songs in the 70s, I have no idea why that lady I know loved them so. These days they'd be hammered into the dirt for being sexist. Times they have changed.

[Orbert]

Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion

Probably one of the most popular, well known and overplayed classic rock tunes ever...but I still dig it.  It has everything packed into 4 1/2 minutes: cool intro, one of the most memorable riffs ever, a catchy chorus, killer guitar solo, etc.  Great song.

Great song! 

[KevShmev]

Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street

I think this is one of those songs that almost everyone over the age of 30 knows, but many probably don't know the name of it.  Not many classic rock songs feature a saxophone as the lead instrument that just happens to be the hook, but this one does it to great effect.  I once saw the guitar solo in this tune mentioned in a lost of "great solos in bad songs."  

[JayOctavarium]

I know Baker Street. I enjoy Baker Street. Rafferty's death was so sad.

[Zydar]

A classic song indeed with a great hook.

[masterthes]

absolutely love the song

[wolfking]

Great song.  The cover the Foos did was pretty decent too.

[King Postwhore]

This is one of those songs that always makes a 70's mix on my I-Pod.  One of the great 70's radio songs ever.

[Lowdz]

I... Hate... This... Song....

Can't stand it. Just grates on me for some reason. Like American Pie.

[Orbert]

The sax hook is what makes it, but there's a lot of other great things about the production.  The keyboards dance in and around the vocals, the guitar sound is great, even the bassist has some nice licks.  Although I could never tell if that's a fretless bass or synth bass.  It's so smooth.

[lonestar]

Excellent post, Jaq.   I wasn't sure how well-known that Moxy song would be, so here is something a little more familiar...

Yes - Roundabout

This song is a great example of how different the musical landscape back then.  This song, clocking in at a little over 8 1/2 minutes, was played in full on the radio, and still is on classic rock radio, but if it came out nowadays, it would either have no chance at being played or would be chopped down to around 4 minutes.  But anyway, I loved this song the first time I heard it, and despite having heard it hundreds of times over the years, I still do. I think many Yes fans tend to dismiss it now as their overplayed 70s hit, but this is still one of the best rock radio songs of the early 70s.

This is the song that made me love music. First heard it when I was about six or seven years old, never turned back.

Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion

Probably one of the most popular, well known and overplayed classic rock tunes ever...but I still dig it.  It has everything packed into 4 1/2 minutes: cool intro, one of the most memorable riffs ever, a catchy chorus, killer guitar solo, etc.  Great song.

Phenomonal song. You know those top 500 list classic radio stations do? The only time I ever remember Stairway to heaven not winning one was when Sweet Emotion beat it out.

[Jaq]

Always loved the guitar solo in Baker Street, even if it felt like it came from another dimension in that song. That and the big WHOOOM sound the guitar makes behind the sax solo. The guitar on that track is like, "where did that come from?" 

Forgot the sax on that song was played by Rafael Ravenscroft, who also played sax on Pink Floyd's The Final Cut. Found that out looking up who played the guitar solo, which is a guy I've never heard of named Hugh Burns. Well, at least he got that one immortal solo.  And I just found Baker Street on my iTunes playlist; I suspect I bought it for the guitar, lol.

[rogerdil]

Yeah, have always been a big fan of Baker Street and the guitar solo.

[KevShmev]

Journey - Lights

Good, solid classic rock tune.  It is hard to believe that the song is only three minutes and 11 seconds, as it packs a lot into such a short package, which is a major credit to the song; not a moment feels wasted.  So yeah, good song!

[masterthes]

probably my 3rd favorite Journey song. I love Steve Perry's voice

[Jaq]

Lights is a great tune. My memory of it was a live version that played on MTV, and on the Departure tour Journey played it back to back, connected with a little Neal Schon solo, with the equally short Stay Awhile; together they were around six minutes. Back in the "we'll play ANYTHING" days of MTV, playing two songs by the same band back to back wasn't weird in the least.  Journey had a knack, once they ditched their full on prog sound, of being able to make three to four minute long songs seem fuller and longer than they actually were. There's so much going on with both Evolution and Infinity, but combined they'd fit on a single CD with room for a bonus track. It was a neat trick they could pull off almost effortlessly.

[King Postwhore]

Get out your BIC lighters for this awesome tune.