Classic rock

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station broadcasting format which evolved from the album oriented rock (AOR) format in the mid-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a limited playlist of songs ranging from late 1960s album tracks to current songs by artists associated with the loosely-defined "classic rock era."

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 during the so-called "classic rock era". 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.

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British hard rock and progressive rock bands make up a central pillar of classic rock artists; significant among these are Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Yes, Rush, and Queen. Many different songs from these acts are likely to appear on the playlists of classic rock stations.

Related Topics:
Hard rock - Progressive rock - Led Zeppelin - The Beatles - The Rolling Stones - The Who - The Kinks - Pink Floyd - The Moody Blues - Yes - Rush - Queen

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American-bred '70s rockers (notably Bruce Springsteen, Boston, Aerosmith, The Doors, and The Eagles) and arena rock bands (such as Styx, Journey, and Supertramp) often appear on classic rock stations. In many areas, Southern rock, notably that of Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers Band, forms a significant subset of classic rock playlists as well.

Related Topics:
Bruce Springsteen - Boston - Aerosmith - The Doors - The Eagles - Arena rock - Styx - Journey - Supertramp - Southern rock - Lynyrd Skynyrd - The Allman Brothers Band

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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.

Related Topics:
Steppenwolf - Born to Be Wild - Magic Carpet Ride

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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:

Related Topics:
Concept album - The Wall - Dark Side of the Moon - Rock operas

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Tommy and Quadrophenia. The Who's 1971 album Who's Next is one of the most often-played classic rock albums of all time.

Related Topics:
Tommy - Quadrophenia - 1971 - Who's Next

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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.

Related Topics:
The Beatles - The Rolling Stones - Revolution - Start Me Up - Oldies

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Some classic rock playlists also include some of the hard-rock/heavy metal bands of the 1980s such as Guns N' Roses 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, modern rock, or adult album alternative stations.

Related Topics:
1980s - Guns N' Roses - Van Halen - Top 40 - Modern rock - Adult album alternative

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Classic rock radio artists are almost exclusively white (Jimi Hendrix being the primary exception) and predominantly male; little of the diverse funk, disco, soul music, or singer-songwriter styles that co-existed with rock music in the original era, and that may have been played contemporaneously on AOR predecessors, survives in the classic rock format.

Related Topics:
White - Jimi Hendrix - Male - Funk - Disco - Soul music - Singer-songwriter

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