Classic Rock Hits: Cream, ZZ Top, CCR & More!

[chaoseverlasting]

What're your fav songs from the classic rock (or what my gen. would call classic rock)? I've been listening to Cream, The yardbirds, ZZ Top, CCR, Zepplin, and well, they are the garbagee!

I love Clapton and his brilliant leads. Tales of Brave Ulysses, Strange Brew, White Room are great songs.

Also, Astronuc once suggested Since I've been Loving You by zepplin, which is now one of my fav songs. One you have to listen to!

 

[redargon]

Led Zeppelin, yeah baby! I love their stuff. It took me a few listens to get into, but there is no turning back now. I like a bit of Dire Straits, Pink Floyd and other stuff my dad listens too. A few good Toto songs (hold the line and Africa being my favourites). The doors is pretty cool. Does black sabbath count as classic rock? the old stuff I mean... nah, probably not.

 

[n!kofeyn]

You can't go wrong with ZZ Top, and they are fantastic performers! They also don't have the rock'n'roll problems other bands have and seem to be great friends.

I loved classic rock in my middle and high school years, although I finally started to expand my likes in college. Either way, I was always resistant to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. I think because they were/are so popular and you had to like them. I can't say I've listened that much to Led, but I hear stuff all the time where it's like...that's really them?! They have such a range of song styles.

One of my friends always tried to get me to listen to Pink Floyd, and I was always very stubborn in resisting. Then I bought the album Wish You Were Here. So so so good! I've spent many a homework or study night listening to them. It and The Dark Side of the Moon cannot be topped in any way. In my opinion, Pink Floyd is the most unique and creative classic rock era band by far.

Although not technically classic rock, I love me some Van Halen. I know it's cliche, but when I first heard the original Van Halen album, it blew me away. I think Eddie is a highly underrated as a rhythm player, and I also think that what caused his music to change is he switched from being a raw rhythm guy to a more melodic type player.

 

[B. Elliott]

As far as just classic rock, i'd have to say...

Pink Floyd
Steve Miller Band
Rolling Stones
Queen
Credence Clearwater Revival
The Eagles

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

For me, recently I've been hearing Kansas' song: 'Carry on my wayward son' in youtube, and I have started downloading their albums, to see if they have other great songs.

 

[turbo]

For me, 1960's Fleetwood Mac is a must. They were a blues/rock band in those days, and Peter Green's guitar tone is to die for. The permanent magnet in one of his pickups was reversed, giving a "scooped-mids" sound when the pickup selector switch was set in the middle position. BB King once said in an interview that Green's tone gave him the "cold sweats".

 

[drankin]

You can't go wrong with ZZ Top, and they are fantastic performers! They also don't have the rock'n'roll problems other bands have and seem to be great friends.

I loved classic rock in my middle and high school years, although I finally started to expand my likes in college. Either way, I was always resistant to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. I think because they were/are so popular and you had to like them. I can't say I've listened that much to Led, but I hear stuff all the time where it's like...that's really them?! They have such a range of song styles.

One of my friends always tried to get me to listen to Pink Floyd, and I was always very stubborn in resisting. Then I bought the album Wish You Were Here. So so so good! I've spent many a homework or study night listening to them. It and The Dark Side of the Moon cannot be topped in any way. In my opinion, Pink Floyd is the most unique and creative classic rock era band by far.

Although not technically classic rock, I love me some Van Halen. I know it's cliche, but when I first heard the original Van Halen album, it blew me away. I think Eddie is a highly underrated as a rhythm player, and I also think that what caused his music to change is he switched from being a raw rhythm guy to a more melodic type player.

I second the Pink Floyd. Wish You Were Here is and Dark Side of the Moon. Great albums.

 

[n!kofeyn]

As far as just classic rock, i'd have to say...

Pink Floyd
Steve Miller Band
Rolling Stones
Queen
Credence Clearwater Revival
The Eagles

Queen is excellent, as they can play almost any style of music. Every band member is an extremely talented and capable musician. I love it when bands have different members than can sing lead and write a song. Until recently, I didn't know it was Roger Taylor, the drummer, who was always hitting those high notes. The Steve Miller Band is fun to listen to, as is CCR, although I have never been a fan of the Stones that much.

 

[Ygggdrasil]

One of my favorite classic rock songs (and bands) that has not been mentioned yet is "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals. Another good classic rock band (that I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet) is The Jimi Hendrix Experience (their cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" is a great song).

 

[Redbelly98]

I always thought The Who epitomized classic rock.

Never could remember the name of the guy who replaced Keith Moon though.

 

[Evo]

For me it's

Moody Blues
Spirit
Mother's of Invention
13th Floor Elevators
Led Zeppelin
Steppenwolfe
Cream
Doors
Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin/Big brother and the Holding company
Fever Tree
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Procol Harum
Jefferson Airplane (not the garbage after they changed to starship)
Iron Butterfly, who didn't listen to In a gadda davida?
Blue Cheer
Yard Birds kind of pre-dates these, there are many early 60's bands that put into another category

Ok, I'll stop now, the list is too long.

 

[chaoseverlasting]

The Rolling stones are brilliant! Their compositions as a whole are amazing. Its not just the rhythm or the samples or the lead that's worth listening to but the song as a whole really comes together.

Evo! I didnt think anyone would mention The Moody Blues! I've listened to some of their stuff and Nights in White Satin is a killer song. For some reason, I've never really liked Hendrix. His cover of All along the watchtower is good if not great, but his guitar tone in general is too damn raw. SRV plays Hendrix's stuff much better I think.

Turbo, I love Peter Greens tones. I wonder if I should mod my guitar to try out the scooped mids. Have no idea how I would go about it though. Maybe a higher gauge of strings would help too...

For some reason, I've heard Pink Floyd, CCR and a bunch of other bands play House of the Rising Sun, but I've never heard The Animals' original version. CCR did a great job with that song though. One place I think Floyd doesn't really compete.

I was looking at the 100 best leads of all times and for some reason Hotel California figures on the list. Its a good track, but the lead is so totally disconnected! I like the Eagles in general, but that particular lead is like, they took a bunch of classic blues licks, put them together as an afterthought and viola. They have a lot of tracks that are much better than that.

All you Pink Floyd fans, there is guy called Roop Kumar Rathod, he's an amazing vocalist, a true master who does ghazals and sufi music. Try and download a track called 'Maula Mere', he is singing in hindustani/urdu, but just listen to the vocals and the track in general. It will absolutely blow you away! Its on a different plane altogether!

 

[berkeman]

Santana -- Europa, Earth's Cry, Heaven's smile
Santana -- Samba Pa Ti
The Who -- so many songs, so strong
Pink Floyd -- The Wall album and others
The Allan Parsons Project -- amazing musicians!

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I'm trying to think of bands. There aren't any I could really say I love, only ones I know and enjoy when I hear them such as The Eagles and Credence Clearwater. I really like the blues much more. Stevie Ray Vaughn is a definite favourite if we are including blues rock aswell.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Santana -- Europa, Earth's Cry, Heaven's smile
Santana -- Samba Pa Ti
The Who -- so many songs, so strong
Pink Floyd -- The Wall album and others
The Allan Parsons Project -- amazing musicians!

I saw Santana up close and personal round about 1979. A buddy who knew someone in the band. They were playing with Eddie Money, another favorite at the time.

I loved most stuff by Floyd, Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, CCR, Eagles, Bread, Queen, Steve Miller, Stones [saw them in ~1976], Frampton, The Who, Zepplin, ZZ Top... many more.

One of my all-time favorites,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdfPER5Cgm8

 

[n!kofeyn]

I'm not for sure how I forgot about them, but AC/DC never gets old and can straight up rock. Plus, like ZZ Top, they've stuck together without any major band problems. I love the intro in this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X80Qjh9Yivs&fmt=18". No bands do it like this any more. Boston is a solid rock band as well and educated too (one of the founders went to MIT).

I saw Kansas in a free concert and they can rock. Santana has always been too jam-bandish for me. That and it got annoying that his recent records were nothing but endless duets. His old songs sort of bore me. If I would choose a melodic player like that, I would choose Joe Satriani, who can certainly groove. I've always been a fan of the riff and rhythm players though. I never liked how SRV covered so much of Hendrix, and I feel like he never broke from those covers. He was just a very good blues guitar player.

Some other bands/songs:

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeQsZOQqO6I", From the Beginning, Hoedown, The Sheriff
Foghat - Slow Ride
Ozzy Osbourne - Randy Rhoads era
Styx - they were excellent live (sans Dennis DeYoung, but the guy they replaced him with sounded just like him)
Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Takin' Care of Business
Guess Who - American Woman
Grand Funk Railroad - We're An American Band
Sweet - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrBDivsSe3k" (it's just so fun)

 

[George Jones]

Queen

Every band member is an extremely talented and capable musician.

And at least one band member probably could have been a capable research scientist;

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=181431.

 

[n!kofeyn]

And at least one band member probably could have been a capable research scientist;

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=181431.

You're right! I forgot to mention that. I think it's great that he went back and finished. They are such nice guys.

As I alluded to earlier, the band Boston's founder and guitarist, Tom Scholz, holds a bachelor's and master's degree from MIT.

 

[chaoseverlasting]

Thats something, wasnt there another band that broke up and one of the members became an astro physicist? I think they made a big deal about it when LHD first went online.

Also, I completely forgot the Allman Brothers! They took rock in a completely different direction!

 

[turbo]

You're right! I forgot to mention that. I think it's great that he went back and finished. They are such nice guys.

As I alluded to earlier, the band Boston's founder and guitarist, Tom Scholz, holds a bachelor's and master's degree from MIT.

And he was working as an engineer for Polaroid when Boston put their first album together. He also invented the Rockman - a small headphone amp that was used to drive amps or directly feed sound-boards on dozens (at least) of rock albums.

 

[n!kofeyn]

Thats something, wasnt there another band that broke up and one of the members became an astro physicist? I think they made a big deal about it when LHD first went online.

I think you're talking about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Cox_(physicist)" , who's very involved with the LHC. Not the LHD. :)

 

[chaoseverlasting]

I think you're talking about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Cox_(physicist)" , who's very involved with the LHC. Not the LHD. :)

:p Yes, LHC. Do you guys buy into the whole rock is from the devil thing?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

:p Yes, LHC. Do you guys buy into the whole rock is from the devil thing?

Yes! You can tell by the way that Elvis guy wiggles his hips.

 

[turbo]

Yes! You can tell by the way that Elvis guy wiggles his hips.

I couldn't tell when he was on the Ed Sullivan Show. They only shot him from the waist up, so people wouldn't be scandalized by the wiggly knees and the swivelly hips.

 

[TeTeC]

:p Yes, LHC. Do you guys buy into the whole rock is from the devil thing?

I would have sticked with Large Hadron Destructor. Way cooler.

 

[Redbelly98]

Do you guys buy into the whole rock is from the devil thing?

Those who do probably would not enjoy many of the discussions here.

 

[Ben Niehoff]

Someone mentioned Jethro Tull; I'd like to second them. Also Queen, CCR, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd. I don't really care for the Rolling Stones except for maybe 3 songs.

Would also like to add: Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steppenwolf.

 

[Loren Booda]

I figure that there are at least 1000 good songs from the rock & roll era. As far as ecstatic emotional experiential arrangements from that time, I guess there are about 50 of them.

Have any of you seen concerts usurping the title sold out by the original group? Here in DC there have been dozens of examples of late. For instance, "Abba" with only two lesser members from the original band.

 

[George Jones]

Have any of you seen concerts usurping the title sold out by the original group? Here in DC there have been dozens of examples of late. For instance, "Abba" with only two lesser members from the original band.

Randy Bachman does not have any rights to "Bachman-Turner Overdrive", and neither Randy Bachman nor Burton Cummings have any rights to "The Guess Who", so now Bachman and Cummings tour as ... Bachman and Cummings.

 

[chaoseverlasting]

Randy Bachman does not have any rights to "Bachman-Turner Overdrive", and neither Randy Bachman nor Burton Cummings have any rights to "The Guess Who", so now Bachman and Cummings tour as ... Bachman and Cummings.

But there are very few groups without ego issues where the band sticks together over the years. CCR, Pink Floyd, Cream, GnR, and a load of other bands broke up because of differences between the band members. The Eagles are famous for their 'Hell Freezes Over' incident.

 

[chhitiz]

johny b goode is my favoritemost classical rock song
and what about the doors, dire straits, the beatles?

 

[Ben Niehoff]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned Kansas yet, but they should definitely be on the list. They do very interesting things with time signatures.