Classic Rock Radio Needs to Start Being Classic Rock
By joe viglione
5:33 PM Tuesday April 26, 2011
WZLX, 100.7 in Boston played "More Than A Feeling", for the 9 millionth or so spin.
Keep in mind that Tom Scholz's group was virtually ignored by the major labels first time around...like most of us. Read Ted Drozdowski's piece here:
The lanky six-foot-six MIT grad had nearly gone broke after years of making tapes and having them rejected by record labels.
“I had enough money for one last demo and sent it off to 24 companies, then figured I’d sit back and wait for the rejection letters,” Scholz says today. “Lo and behold, three major labels were interested. I couldn’t believe it. Nobody knew who we were, so I wouldn’t even say we were struggling. It was groveling.”
Now back in the day the revamped "Louie Louie" riff sounded completely modern and breathtaking. Fast forward to 2011 and the song is so overplayed that there's little wonder audiences are leaving radio though there are more people on the planet.
And that brings us to the problem with Classic Rock Radio.
The Consultants aren't the RIGHT consultants. When in 1989 Consultant G G (initials only please!) was at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston he told me he was at a Bob Seger concert and saw the people swaying and thought "more Seger" for a Boston radio station...but the problem was he was in Texas and the transistor radios blasting from the people painting houses and out of car radios was not Bob Seger...they wanted to hear The Cars, Aeorosmith...the Beatles...and not just the familiar tracks.
But here's where it gets dicier! A Classic Rock radio - in order to keep a huge fan base - needs to play a spectrum of classic rock, not just the limited 200 song playlist of "Hollywood Nights", "Sweet Home Alabama", "Freebird", "Stairway to Zeppelin"...you get the idea. Here's what a Classic Rock radio station should play in 2011:
TOP 40 PLAYLIST FOR CLASSIC ROCK RADIO, APRIL 2011
#1 STAND Sly & The Family Stone
Quintessential spiritual protest song for people of every race, colour, creed or orientation! Amazing power and it rocks refreshingly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32V2zun5HlA
2)Sky Pilot Eric Burdon & The Animals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1qBa-Z2sIU
3)Trust Me - Janis Joplin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c215JM3PZY
Me & Bobby McGee is the hit and what you hear all day long...be it Oldies radio or Classic Rock...but Pearl is a #1 album and every track (except the brilliant instrumental) is fair game...play the instrumental, Nick Gravenites composition "Buried Alive in The Blues" under p.s.a.'s
4)I'm Waiting For The Man - The Velvet Underground
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOmZimH00oo
THE CURE FOR CLASSIC ROCK RADIO
5)THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A HIT!
http://tinyurl.com/theresnothinglikeahit
6)Mott The Hoople Honaloochie Boogie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_B2hUNuxlQ
7)Blue Cheer I'm The Light
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq01dIP5KGQ
8)Jimi Hendrix Are You Experienced?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4yZXb4aD2Q
NOTES:
Tom Scholz interview
http://www.rockmancentral.com/RockmanCentral/Articles/Maximum_Guitar.html
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