Classic rock

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For the magazine, see Classic Rock (magazine).

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station programming format which evolved from the album oriented rock (AOR) format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large and nearly unlimited playlist of songs ranging from the early-1960s through the early-1980s with more emphasis on the earlier hits by artists associated with the loosely-defined "classic rock era".[citation needed]


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[edit] Origins of classic rock radio

The origins of the classic rock radio format can be traced back to The Beatles' groundbreaking album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which would forever change several courses of the rock and roll format, especially with the slow rise of FM broadcasting even though a majority of people were still listening to AM radio. Since Sgt. Pepper did not spawn any singles, both AM and FM stations began to play select tracks from the album in an attempt to retain listeners. Soon both stations and artists realized that album cuts rather than Top 40-oriented singles could be a major source of radio airplay and artist visibility.[citation needed]

Taken to the furthest level, this created what would be called progressive rock radio in the late 1960s and 1970s. This format was associated with elements of freeform radio, where disc jockeys controlled what was played. A more commercially-oriented variant called album oriented rock (AOR), or "album rock", emerged in the mid- and late 1970s. This format concentrated on album cuts as well, but on a more structured, playlist-oriented basis.

AOR would continue to be popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, but by the end of the 1980s, as "albums" had been supplanted by compact discs and as station playlists largely stopped keeping up with developing musical trends (including new wave music), "album rock" evolved into "classic rock" on many of these FM radio stations.

Classic rock is similar to oldies radio in that the format is based upon music of the past, hence the playlist and artists featured are relatively stable in comparison to Top 40 or other contemporary formats which are based primarily on current releases. However, various bands and songs will come in and out of style on classic rock radio, regional favorites may be featured in a particular market, and newer recordings by the format's core performers will occasionally be showcased. Additionally, in the process of jockeying for position and listener share in competitive markets, stations will often add songs and artists only marginally associated with the classic rock era, and some stations combine the classic rock format with other formats, including modern rock in an attempt to increase popularity. The hybrid of classic rock and modern rock is also referred to as active rock.[citation needed]

[edit] Key artists and albums

The core albums, artists, and songs most often represented in classic rock radio represent a subset of the albums and artists that were actually popular between the mid sixties into the early eighties. The most enduring classic rock songs and artists have proven to appeal to new generations of listeners as well as older listeners who knew the music when it originally appeared.

British hard rock and progressive rock bands make up a central pillar of classic rock artists; significant among these are Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, The Who, Black Sabbath, Yes and Queen. Many different songs from these acts are likely to appear on the playlists of classic rock stations. Australian hard rock band AC/DC are usually found on classic rock stations as well.

American '70s rock bands such as Aerosmith, The Eagles, Kansas, Boston, Bruce Springsteen & the E. Street Band, ZZ Top, and Journey often appear on classic rock stations, as do such solo artists as Neil Young, Bob Seger, and John Mellencamp. Also included is American '60s rock from acts like Jimi Hendrix and The Doors. In many areas, Southern rock acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, and The Allman Brothers Band form a significant subset of classic rock playlists as well.

Many other bands may appear occasionally on classic rock stations; however, this presence may be limited to a few familiar songs. For example, while the band Steppenwolf recorded over a dozen studio albums, only two of their songs ("Born to Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride") are likely to be heard within the classic rock format.

Concept albums indirectly led to the album-rock format and remain a major component of classic rock. Notable are the four Pink Floyd concept albums, including The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon, as well as The Who's two major rock operas: Tommy and Quadrophenia. The Who's 1971 album Who's Next is one of the most often-played classic rock albums of all time.

Artists whose musical output spanned the 1960s and 1970s, including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones form something of a special case: a few later songs from these acts (such as "Revolution" by The Beatles and "Start Me Up" by the Stones) are staples of classic rock radio, while the older songs from these groups are seldom heard on the format, gravitating instead to oldies radio, along with nearly any other material recorded prior to around 1967.

Some classic rock playlists also include some of the hard-rock and heavy metal bands of the 1980s such as Guns N' Roses, Metallica and Van Halen as classic rock; again, particular songs or musical eras from these acts may be more conducive to the format than others, and nearly every station fine-tunes its playlist by adding or deleting songs and artists to differentiate itself from competing stations. Similarly, more modern material in the same style is seldom included unless it is by a recognized classic rock artist; such music often gravitates to top 40 or adult album alternative stations.

Furthermore, some radio stations have began to implement certain "alternative" acts of the late 1980s and 1990s, including bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2 and R.E.M.

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