Jump to content

What's the most underplayed classic rock song of all time?


TW Taylor

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 91
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

How can one actually know what is "underplayed"? There are millions upon millions of tunes that have never EVER been played on the radio.

But I think the Kinks are the most underRATED band ever and deserve airplay for many, many more of their songs, especially the live versions. The Kinks sound much better live.

Some "underplayed" Kinks tunes...

"Catch Me Now I'm Falling"

"I'm Not Like Everybody Else"

"Sleepwalker"

"Village Green Preservation Society"

"Add It Up"

"Around The Dial"

"Hatred"

"Life On The Road"

"State Of Confusion"

"Till The End Of The Day"

etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc,.....

Plus a good 70 to 100 Stones tunes, and a good 30 to 50 Who tunes you rarely, if ever, hear on the radio.

Nothing against the Zeppelins - I do love 'em and I plan on getting front row tickets when they tour over here - but NONE of their tunes could seriously be considered "underplayed". They just may be the most played band in history....bordering on overplayed.

:afro: :afro: :afro: :rockon: :rockon: :rockon:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure you can call a song a "classic" if it doesn't get played. To me that may mean it's a classic to you but not to very many others. In that case we all have hundreds of songs we think as being classic to ourselves. For me,I would chose "Rumbleseat" by John Mellencamp which gets hardly any airplay and never has,especially compared to his other hits like "Hurts So Good","Jack and Diane" and "Small Town". I chose "Nights In White Satin" earlier when I thought this thread was about the classic songs that get played the least. But then again,I don't listen to much radio these days either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The question is preposterous . . . but that will never dissuade bazooka from throwing in his two cents (and maybe even six or seven cents).

Here's a couple 'played' but not enough . . . subjectively.

  • Tales Of Brave Ulysses -- Cream
  • Living In The Past -- Jethro Tull

[smallest]DJs take note.[/smallest]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure you can call a song a "classic" if it doesn't get played.

I would think that any music that is classic rock regardless if it was a hit or not, can be called a classic rock song. I believe it has more to do with the era the music came out, not if the song made it to the charts or got much play on the airwaves. I love Pink Floyd and there are some of their songs that don't have a lot of airplay, but the song is still classic rock. And today, music from the 60's, 70's and some 80's songs are classic rock, 1987...20 years ago, time flies. :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What Makes Classic Rock Classic?

Is it the artist? Not automatically. While a group or artist may have released rock albums in the '70s, there’s no automatic guarantee that everything they ever recorded, or will record, is automatically classic.

Is it radio airplay and record sales? Not exclusively. In 1979, The Knack had the top-selling single of the year, My Sharona, from an album that went platinum in less than two months. After two more albums that were received far less enthusiastically, the group disbanded in the early 80s.

Is it a particular musical style or lyric theme? Not so much. Led Zeppelin and The Beatles both recorded classic rock albums, but they hardly performed the same kind of music, or had the same musical style. Courtesy of About.com

So I guess it depends on many different things that determine classic rock. And I feel if a song has some airplay, even a little it is classic rock, just my thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The question is preposterous . . . but that will never dissuade bazooka from throwing in his two cents (and maybe even six or seven cents).

Here's a couple 'played' but not enough . . . subjectively.

  • Tales Of Brave Ulysses -- Cream
  • Living In The Past -- Jethro Tull

[smallest]DJs take note.[/smallest]

It seems Alice Cooper already has taken note. I've heard him play both of these a few times. Great songs they are too. :bow:

If I had to pick a fairly radio friendly classic rock song that is underplayed, another Jethro Tull song comes to mind - Sweet Dream. If radio friendliness is not an issue, then Supper's Ready by Genesis, or any tracks off In The Court Of The Crimson King. :grin:

Also, plenty of Cold Chisel songs could do with getting some airplay overseas.

[smallest]DJs take note.[/smallest]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The question is preposterous . . . but that will never dissuade bazooka from throwing in his two cents (and maybe even six or seven cents).

Here's a couple 'played' but not enough . . . subjectively.

  • Tales Of Brave Ulysses -- Cream
  • Living In The Past -- Jethro Tull

[smallest]DJs take note.[/smallest]

Before the term 'classic rock' existed, there were dj's playing whatever they wanted off of albums of the late '60s and early '70s. My vote would go forIn Memory of Elizabeth Reed by the Allman Brothers.

Being a DJ I have to put in my two cents here, I play all 3 of those songs above, I like them so I play them, and I do play other songs you don't hear as often on the radio that are classic rock songs. And it is a classic if it has been played, maybe not all the time but if it has been played it's a classic rock song. So since DJ's in the 60's and 70's played pretty much the whole album, AOR album oriented rock or album oriented radio both apply, most every song is a classic rock song. The ones that get overplayed are the ones that became hits, made it to the charts, and those songs are cool to hear, but we all need the ones that got lost in the shuffle. But I'm just a DJ, what do I know.

:headphones:

Some songs I think are underplayed...

Maybe ~ Janis

Cold Turkey ~ John Lennon

Hello Old Friend ~ Eric Clapton

Tin Soldier ~ Small Faces

I Don't Need No Doctor ~ Humble Pie

Just a few I like to hear and play from time to time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[smallest]Culled from my postings in other threads [/smallest] :

Alone Again Or ; Seven And Seven Is ; She Comes In Colors -- Love. Arthur Lee’s band has somehow been overlooked by Classic Rock radio.

Rock My Soul -- Elvin Bishop Band

8:05 -- Moby Grape. ... Omaha , which actually squeaked onto the charts, is another of the simultaneously-released singles from this jinxed band.

Country Joe & The Fish are probably best known for the cheer at Woodstock, but does anybody else remember Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine ?

[smallest] And a new nickel's worth of stuff that could stand more playing [/smallest] :

Mr. Spaceman; So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star -- The Byrds

Keep On Truckin' (Mama) -– Hot Tuna

It's No Secret ; Today -– Jefferson Airplane

My Dark Hour -- Steve Miller Band

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rock My Soul -- Elvin Bishop Band

Country Joe & The Fish are probably best known for the cheer at Woodstock, but does anybody else remember Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine ?

Mr. Spaceman; So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star -- The Byrds

Keep On Truckin' (Mama) -– Hot Tuna

A bit of change from your nickel. All these are favorites of mine! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...