RANT- The Sad State of Classic Rock Radio and Fans Who Just Want to Hear the Hits

[@jamescampbell7422]

Totally agree. I want deep tracks. No more hits!

[@Xxrocknrollgod]

Popular bad

[@ivozanette7010]

Blame it all on so called "rock radio". I left radio years ago when a program director told me I needed to play the hits that stick out like a sore thumb. Saw the writing on the wall and left the business behind that was over 30 years ago and it's only gotten worse. Keep doing what you're doing Pete. Two big huge thumbs up!!

[@markrago5024]

It's the communication giants that own the radio station.

[@rangerrick222]

@@markrago5024 yep went downhill from there

[@peterm.fitzpatrick7735]

I did an interview for a radio station in the late eighties where they explained that all of the music would be fed from a satellite and I would only have to announce them, if even that . I never took the job.

[@TheWiserHatter]

The problem is that the average human is just mildly interested in music. They never actually dig deep into why a piece of music was written or the influences of the artist. They use music as background noise and never really understand why the song they love makes them feel that way. I started collecting albums at a young age and still enjoy finding new artist's. Everyone one I know still listen to the same music that they did when they where 15 years old. 😀

[@ZalMoxis]

The problem is the average human is a lazy ignoramus....

[@RA-VEN8]

Amen the average person is an idiot and this is coming from a person who's worked in customer service. 😊

[@anthony.jesse.s2161]

Agreed. 100%. Most ppl couldn't name more then 3 songs from their "favourite band". It's so sad

[@gregwest2028]

There goes the Last D.J by Tommy Petty comes to mind

[@offtherealm5438]

@manny_ nuff Probably the same reason I can't gain any traction as an Indie artist.

[@BushcraftingBogan]

The station in my area seems to play “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Crazy Train”, and “Welcome to the Jungle” on a perpetual loop.

[@seatstitcher3636]

.....and, “born to be wild”. Hate that fkn song!

[@afterburner2869]

Steve Curtis Along with Rock you like a Hurricane or Carry on my Wayward Sun. Fuck radio, I stopped listening years ago. I can listen to whatever I want on Pandora for less than 50 cents per day. Fuck the hits and the commercials and some tool DJ.

[@gregge.curtisaia6701]

Steve, Cous - I swear to God every time I would turn on my local rock station Zep's "Kashmir" is playing. Its no joke, it's a great song don't get me wrong. But seriously this is what classic rock radio has come down to. We're going to force feed every bands most popular hit's straight into your ear drums and burn it in there like a scar. That's why I stopped listening to radio in 2006.

[@afterburner2869]

Gregg E. Curtis, AIA, LEED GA Pandora dude, it’s awesome! I listened to Alice Cooper’s From the Inside album today and it was great. You’ll never hear that on the radio, I can guarantee that!

[@gregge.curtisaia6701]

AFTERBURNER, I will definitely have to check that out for sure! Being an Alice Cooper fan as such and especially some of his deep cuts off of Killer, From the Inside, and Alice Cooper Goes to Hell albums. Why hear the standard "No More Mr. Nice Guy" for the 15th billionth time in a row!

[@Midknight_Trucker]

I wish I could like this video a million times. I have been asking the same questions in regards to the repetitive nature of classic rock stations. I would like to add a couple of points to your rant. First, when the radio stations only play a select few songs by any given artist, they deprive the listener and especially the younger listener of discovering music that they may never otherwise here. Thanks to folks like you and others with a far more vast knowledge of music than me, I have made discoveries of music I had never heard of and i am in my mid 40s. Secondly, and possibly the most annoying aspect of repetitive radio, is the distaste that i have developed for songs that I used to love back in the late 70s and 80s. I have heard sweet emotion so many times that when I hear it on the radio, I change the channel. The same happens when I hear separate ways or faithfully. I must commend you on a job well done on your channel and I hope you keep this channel going for a long time. Thanks again for what you are doing

[@garygennaro6029]

I do that a lot-change the station when I hear a super played out good song. Don't stop believing is one that first comes to mind.

[@scottlosey4978]

Enter Sandman and Old Time Rock and Roll and Rock and Roll Every Night Party Everyday

[@doccyclopz]

The best is when the local Classic Rock station has an all request hour, and people are actually asking to hear the Hotels-Stairways-Wild Horses ad infinitum. The reason I can't listen to the radio anymore. If I ever hear Back in Black it will be too soon!

[@metalmat3651]

Hey 101.5, I'm the biggest GNR fan and love those guys. I'm ready to listen to some rock! Play Welcome to the Jungle! ...... yuck

[@MastaSquidGT5]

They probably get calls from people who want to hear different songs but they just ignore them and select the few that request songs that are already on the playlist.

[@markhunter8554]

The only way that I can stand to hear those over played songs is in the context of the original album. Personally, I grew up on the albums. Listening to radio is foreign to me and pointless. The mid 1960s to 1970s should have made singles obsolete. Listening to the same song over and over again, divorced from the parent album, is like reading the same chapter of a book again and again and never reading any other chapters.

[@dumbdickler670]

Oh my god if I hear wild horses again I'm gonna go crazy. I heard that song on the drive to work literally 4 days in a row... What the fuck are these radio guys doing?

[@jeffjackson9679]

"Hotel California", "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Crazy Train", "More Than A Feeling", "Walk This Way", "Bohemian Rhapsody"...all great songs, but I swear to god, if I never hear them again for the rest of my life, I would be fine, all thanks to the modern "classic rock" stations.

[@ethancole4359]

I feel the same way, they are classic songs but the only time I listen to them is if there is no internet available and I'm stuck just getting my music from the radio. Most cities whether urban or rural at least has one classic rock station. I can tolerate the songs if nothing else is on or it's the only station I can receive. Other than that I would rather listen to deep tracks on my own time.

[@wolfhart1444]

@Jeff Jackson When I moved to Florida I got pretty excited because the local rock station played some really great songs even if most of them were war-horses. One song that stuck out for me was ELO's Fire On High because it was one I rarely ever heard on other stations. I grew sick of that song and frankly their entire programming in about 2 months. That's when I quit radio for good

[@jeffjackson9679]

@@wolfhart1444 I live in Michigan, and there is this station on the thumb that is old school and actually takes requests from listeners. And it is by far the best station I have listened to in over 20 years because it has such variety. I mean, they have an actual DJ. So much better than the awful corporate stations playing the same pre-programmed sh*t over and over again. The Who, used to be my favorite band in the world growing up in the 90s....now I can't stand them because I have to listen to Who are You every other time I turn on the "classic rock" station. It's like the movie "Groundhogs Day".

[@tannerbartko1203]

None of those are great songs

[@youreokayboah2128]

@@tannerbartko1203 They’re all great and iconic songs, just extremely overplayed.

[@jordanborenstein5390]

Could not agree with you more.....and I am just like you but you have to come to the realization that fans like us are few and far between. I host an internet radio show specializing in Prog and play tons of new stuff and even after almost 200 shows, downloads are not in the thousands like I thought they would be....but other Prog shows with concentrations on the old songs get tons more attention.. I could myself laughing at a few parts of your rant because it's like you were describing me but, again, we are a rare breed anymore. Unfortunately, the "album" is a thing of the past and we just have to accept it. That said, keep reviewing them because even though we are few and far between, we ARE out there still!!!

[@modeljetjuggernaut4864]

You know what, I had tons of albums by by different bands but any more there are just a small few of them in which I listen to from beginning to end. So for me, the album era is over and I mostly listen to compilations, but they're my compilations not 'best of' albums that were already pre-selected by people who think these are the songs I should be listening to.

[@TheSkyRuby]

Whats the name of your show

[@michaelr4063]

I know the station you're talking about. I agree with you 110%. I've given up on FM radio. The stations are no longer allowed to take risks (as if playing 'Slave' by The Rollings Stone would be such a death defying risk). The advertisers tell the program directors what to play, and that's what they play. Safety first. Money talks. I have the perfect radio station. My iPod. And I payed and still pay for everything on there. It's all from my albums and CD's.

[@sirlawrence9161]

@Terrence Reardon and Friends Podcast Podcast Yeah that's it (rolling my eyes)

[@markhunter8554]

Or the radio stations who think they're doing you a favor if they play a Yes song from the Trevor Rabin era.

[@rebelwithacause3574]

I heard "show business" from ACDC on my classic rock station, and about passed out. I couldn't believe they played something from ACDC that wasn't TNT, dirty deeds, or anything from the back in black album. It's that rare.

[@afterburner2869]

Rebel with a cause I once heard them play What’s Next To The Moon, I thought that I had stepped into some sort of bizarreo world where the deep tracks was the norm.

[@mycubiclepenguin868]

I heard my local station play Problem Child just a few months ago. Not necessarily the *deepest* ACDC cut, but still not one of their most popular songs by a long shot.

[@CaretakerWanted]

That's awesome. I absolutely love the band, but holy crap I'm tired of hearing Shook Me All Night Long. It'll be awesome to hear songs like Heatseeker or Riff Raff to name a few.

[@allenellsworth5799]

I can't stand when people ask "Whatever happened to this band. Or this band. " The Internet isn't new if you actually care you would know if a band was still together or not. Also so many of the deep cuts are better than the popular songs.

[@CB-xr1eg]

Agreed, I have suggested to Pete that he does a video featuring deep cuts from famous bands/albums. Hope he does it.

[@hexus9198]

Maybe they’re just trying to start a conversation.

[@ryangioia2358]

Clive Bindley He has a “new” series where he lists five deep cuts from a popular rock/prog/metal band. It’s actually a really good series because, of course, not everyone just wants hear the same radio songs over and over again. He even sometimes has guests on this series. Highly recommend

[@MetalPersonJ]

@@hexus9198 Fuck that, learn how to start conversations better.

[@markhunter8554]

Amen.

[@mikereiss4216]

The only thing I can think of is that mainstream radio is really not geared towards the real music fans but rather the more casual fans who just don't buy much music in the first place(which is kind of ironic being that radio initially was suppose to get people to want to buy the records).

[@markhunter8554]

Kansas refers to the 'fans' who exit their concert right after they play 'Dust in the Wind' as the 'Dust and bolt' crowd.

[@aceman3577]

THEY NEED TO BRING BACK FREE FORM RADIO AGAIN I LOVE DEEP CUTS FROM ALL THESE BANDS

[@jamesrudd8705]

What is needed is a station where the DJ can play what he/she wants and what listeners request.

[@kirk8429]

I've written letters to my local station complaining about the lack of depth in their programming. Even offered to give them a set list from classic rock artists that won't ever repeat itself.

[@RedAndtheBlackRocker]

I wrote my local classic rock station's program director with the same complaint. He wrote back and said it was a nice email compared to many of the nasty ones he gets, and explained that many people actually request these same songs each and every day. It's a business decision at this point he said. Ugh. Not good.

[@dang75790]

You can't ever be hurt from a song you never played. Think about that statement. That's why they play the same songs over and over again.

[@stephenpettengill4809]

Nice video, Pete. Your rant sounds like it was inspired by the Deep Purple song "MTV" from the Rapture of the Deep album! Your BOC experience reminds me of a Jethro Tull show I attended 15 or 20 years ago. I was in the second row and having a great time. But the audience seemed only moderately interested until the final song before the encore...you guessed it..."Aqualung". The whole venue erupted and suddenly everyone was into it. Everyone rushed the stage and started banging their heads like they were at a Metallica concert. ;) I don't understand the thought behind spending tons of money on concert tickets, getting loaded before and during the show and only really digging on the one or two radio hits.

[@pourlefun]

When you're 14 to 24 years old, you are surrounded by active music fans. When you get into your 40s and 50s, that crowd shrinks to a handful. Of the fans that remain, most are simply imprinted with the music of their youth. Pete, these people you're talking about aren't fans of the band - these people are in it for the nostalgia - they are fans of their own youth.

[@dang75790]

I know you made this comment 2 years ago, lol. I agee most people like music of their youth.

[@marshas-music-playlists]

That's one of the best takes on this topic.

[@ClarksMediaArrangements]

I totally agree we need a variety of music that isn't just the hits.

[@irvinchadwick5046]

I love how your RANT is so chill! You make great points and your channel is a gem.

[@Trifixion22]

I'd like to hear some deep cuts and lesser known bands. Budgie, Grand Funk Railroad, Be-Bop Deluxe, Sir Lord Baltimore, Rainbow, some Deep Purple other than Smoke on the Water. How many times do people need to hear Hotel California, Don't Stop Believing, More Than A Feeling, Start Me Up, Layla, Sweet Child O' Mine, Dude Looks Like a Lady, Paranoid, Iron Man, and Learning to Fly?

[@CB-xr1eg]

I never need to hear Smoke On The Water again, or even Highway Star even though its a great song. Pete has done a few videos on deep cuts from classic albums. If you haven't seen them check them out,

[@ethancole4359]

I hate Dude Looks like A Lady. Columbia Years Aerosmith is pretty good though. You'll never hear Mama Kin or Uncle Salty on classic rock radio. Such a shame. But luckily I have the internet to discover new bands and also deep tracks from artists I like

[@trdidion]

Add Bohemian Rhapsody to that list.

[@Trifixion22]

@@trdidion The worst part is that Queen has so many better songs. Give me March of the Black Queen, The Prophets Song, or Brighton Rock anyday!

[@markhunter8554]

@@ethancole4359 Aerosmith's first 4 were their best, I don't care what the critics say.

[@stephenbarrow3352]

I remember playing "Tie your mother down" by Queen in work.......A "Queen Fan" said "I've never heard that song before" lol. Says it all.

[@jeremydraper733]

I didn’t get into queen fr till recently. I’ve heard the hits but I got their box set with all their 70s albums, and my friend that claimed to be a die hard queen fan didn’t know most of what I was playing. I played queen II for him and was like you gotta hear this album it’s killer, he didn’t know shit about it. He just knows the hits like I did. Still not a major queen fan I’m not gonna act like I know everything from them but at this point with just owning their first 8 albums I know more than a lot of these poser fans out there

[@michaelmarino3013]

I was in a cover band in jersey.we opened set 1 with this cut.STACKED HEEL. PICTURES...

[@Townshend90125]

Random Name for me a true queen fan would like hot spaces

[@markhunter8554]

I once knew this girl who claimed to be a huge Queen fan, yet she had never heard of Brian May's home made red special guitar. How can you be a Queen fan and not know that?

[@PepsiPepe]

Queen fan didn't know freddie wasnt the only singer in the band

[@charleshanes2112]

Seems like every time I tune into or local classic rock station there playing pink Floyd comfortably numb or Steve Miller fly like an eagle...I can't take it anymore.

[@tproudboomer5965]

CitizenV Bear Plenty of great deep tracks by the Eagles. Not being a fan of a band is not the same thing as being tired of their songs that are overplayed.

[@afterburner2869]

Charles Hanes Don’t forget Kansas’s Carry on my Wayward Sun or the Scorpions Rock you like a Hurricane.

[@scottlosey4978]

Steve Miller haha couldnt agree more.....Old Time Rock and Roll, Enter Sandman, Ever Rose Has Its Thorn

[@j20man9]

Ditto. I snapped 15 years ago and stopped listening to radio. I was sick of being burned out on too many songs. Highly recommended.

[@michaelmfwayne]

I turned out after they started cycling the same songs every half hour/hour.

[@markhunter8554]

I'll stick with my CDs.

[@petebrown3715]

You're not a dinasour. I like listening to the albums front to back, read the lyrics, read the liner notes and support them live.

[@himoong]

Yea for sure...that's part of the beautiful experience of music...I'm not sure what happened to people

[@seanswinton6242]

Pete Brown Same here. I have an appreciation for the effort and skill it takes to create music in the first place. Furthermore to create music that triggers the reaction of damn that's great or hits a nerve of emotion of tears, joy, the urge to dance. For me it's great to see the performance of the musicianship. I see the sales as votes of approval. Not every song is for everyone, but hits means it's something lots of people like.

[@RobertHurleyJr]

Love reading liner notes. And following along with the lyrics.

[@1970borntorun]

AND (!!) Let's not forget to check who produced and recorded it ! Those super-clean Mixes by Steely Dan, RUSH and Supertramp didn't happen by accident! :)

[@Xxrocknrollgod]

You’re a dinosaur too

[@donbagley2322]

I've been watching you lately, Pete, and I find your classic rock knowledge to be deep and wide. Thanks for all you do. About classic rock radio--it seems they have two or three hundred songs, when the genre produced thousands and thousands of master-level songs and instrumentals. The commercial breaks are very long now, too. Truth is, rock radio sucks. We need to have our music collections if we want variety anymore. And your reviews of old albums are priceless for that reason. I will probably pick up a few albums based on your recommendations. I'm 63, and I live in California. Keep on rockin'

[@jr-oi5fc]

We have a new generation who will probably never buy an album in their lives.

[@markhunter8554]

I've never bought a single in my life.

[@Sammeep02]

Laughs in me being 19 and having all Queen albums on CD AND vinyl.

[@paulbrookes413]

@@Sammeep02 EXCELLENT!!

[@bunnysoup6858]

I'm 16 and the only person I know my age who owns any albums.

[@rangerrick222]

Pete- Spot on. Absolutely spot on. I am in my fifties and I have been waiting for this rant for years. Exactly right. I am in that age group you talk about but i am a deep cuts kind of guy. Feel exactly the same as you. More rants like this please!

[@markhunter8554]

I've been making this rant for years, I just never posted it before.

[@jacksmith3229]

Thank You for inspiring me to listen to new albums of old bands, I am now listening to Jeff Lynne’s ELO - Alone In The Universe 2015.

[@44madison]

I 100 percent agree!!!!!!! The greatest hits are too popular. Like, I'm a big Stones fan, and they have some really great songs, but I saw them live and hear their songs on the radio all the time, but it's all: Satisfaction, Jump'n Jack Flash, and Paint It, Black (even at the live concert) Like did we forget, how could we forget about great ones like Flight 505, Sweet Virginia, Sister Morphine, Moonlight Mile, Parachute Woman... I mean, THE LIST GOES ON! With any band, I wanna hear the stuff that we haven't heard 50 times already. GREAT video! I'm so glad you talked about this:)

[@BretAHart]

I miss those FM radio days. As you said, it's how we discovered new music. Listening to the big hits is fine, but what about the deep cuts? Or listening to an album straight through, to hear the songs in context? I'm with you, I want to hear it all.

[@tonyamaddi3044]

This stuff at concerts makes me crazy too, Pete. I am a big Springsteen fan. Have seen him live several times. I have all his albums. He's my favorite artist. "Fans" who only get excited for the hits are annoying as hell. I love the deep cuts and new stuff. I am impressed to see my favorite artist grow and evolve. It shows that he isn't stuck in a rut. Thanks for your rant. Keep rockin', man. Love your channel. Hi, from Texas, by the way.

[@JoeChewBaca]

That reminds me when I saw Journey on the last tour they had Steve Augeri on. It was the "Through The Years" Tour. They played stuff from the first album and I was like "Yea! Yea!" (I felt like I was the only one cheering!), all this other killer 70's Journey music and this couple a few seats down were whining about them not playing "Open Arms" yet..................

[@jamesrudd8705]

@storeeteller1 No, Steve Augeri. They were doing material from the first three albums. Those three albums, before Steve Perry, are awesome. But people only want to hear the hits. Sucks.

[@markrago5024]

I saw them with the Phillipino guy. Def Leppard opened. Def Leppard was way better. I was luke warm on both before seeing them, after I respect Def Leppard much more, but Journey was boring and awful during the show, can't stand them now.

[@garybackstrom183]

jkbaca41 That’s exactly the crap that makes me want to screen

[@CB-xr1eg]

@@garybackstrom183 Screen, or scream? Maybe both??

[@MJEvermore853]

storeeteller1...you are correct. Journey's original singer was Greg Rollie. They released 3 albums before Perry came along...

[@diannacashion2047]

You are so right on! I feel like I am locked in a room with listening to a record that is stuck on a skip!!!....Insane!

[@lincbond442]

Hey Pete, I truly appreciate your passion for quality music.

[@paulnorman7317]

Pete I 100% agree. I live in Australia now and it is exactly the same here. What makes it worse is that each city actually has the same stations just like TV. The killer is that with no one buying albums now there is no reason to play new music or take a chance on older or rarer stuff. It just makes someone change the channel and unfortunately for most of us there is no where to turn to. I fully believe that this is why bands are now touring full album playlists as this is what people want to here. Who doesn;t want to hear all of Mindcrime or Pyromania. Worth it just to hear the songs in the order you know and not the hits at the end. Keep up the good work, really enjoy the channel.

[@drumdad54sdl47]

"There goes the last DJ.. who plays what he wants to play.. & says what to say.." (Tom Petty)

[@WritteninBlood]

I listen to 98.5 The Fox in the morning on my way home from work and the little bit of time between taking my wife to work on the afternoon. That's the only time I listen to classic rock radio because I know it's going to go exactly the way you say it's going to go; same songs, different day. That's why I started building my own CD collection and at over 1000 discs I'm still trying to expand on it. I found your channel on KZbin and have since subscribed. Keep up the good work and keep on rocking!

[@tommyb9654]

I love classic rock but disturbs me radio stations refuse to play quality new music from new or old bands. Frankly, I do not understand the logic behind the reasoning. Thankfully, web sites like SOT review new, progressive type music, and some new releases are now part of my music collection. Pete, keep up the great work and check out Cosmograf.

[@glennhecker4422]

@storeeteller1 You might like the Philadelphia-based station WMMR (93.3-FM in my area) which you can stream online or download their app. Go to wmmr.com if you are curious. They mix classic rock with new rock.

[@glennhecker4422]

@storeeteller1 Sorry about that! Didn't mean to trigger that. But give that app/station a try, and see if maybe it could help to fill the void left by the loss of your favorite station. We lost a good station, too, when WYSP 94.1-FM was changed to a sports station called "WIP 94.1-FM." We still have WMMR, thankfully, but having that slightly different station alongside WMMR was a wonderful luxury. (BTW: the station WYSP-FM does still exist in some form -- accessible online, I think. That one's worth seeking out as well!) Look these up and see what you think of them. You may find them enjoyable!

[@billsteinly8105]

@@glennhecker4422 have you heard of 88.5 WXPN ? It's a public supported radio station that plays a variety of tunes. Some classics, deep cuts, rarities, and new songs from up and coming artists. In July they celebrated Woodstock 50th anniversary by playing everything in the timeline as it happened 50 years ago.

[@glennhecker4422]

@@billsteinly8105 Yes, I have heard of WXPN-88.5 FM; great station! Similarly enjoyable and eclectic is WVUD-91.3FM from the University of Delaware (streamable through the web at "wvud.org").

[@glennhecker4422]

@@billsteinly8105 And that Woodstock 50th anniversary broadcast must have been killer! ✌✌

[@saltofano337]

Hi Pete, your perspective was spot on. Coming from the media world and also being a " deep music fan " who explored the unknown groups and deep tracks its all based on dollars. Like you I grew up in the late sixties / early seventies when progressive free form station WNEW FM was one of the originals where DJs played long thoughtful sets with curated music - intelligently programmed. It was not uncommon. To hear Zeppelin followed by Budgie into Floyd and then john Coltrane .

[@robertcarter4448]

Van Halen different kind of truth would have been a classic album if it came out around 1986 great album but it came out in 2012 so didn't get played much what a shame

[@jeffroyle7493]

That was a really good and underrated album

[@1970borntorun]

Well, let's be honest, I'm a huge Dave-era VH fan, and that album is spotty at best, material wise.

[@Buckeye_4_Life_]

I really love that album.

[@vinnykster]

@@Buckeye_4_Life_ Same here! HUGE fan of Different Kind of Truth. It is NOT spotty at all. To ME it is Killer and No Filler! The playing from Eddie and Alex in particular is even better than on 1984 in fact! They are both ON FIRE on DKOT

[@71meshuggah]

Late to the party, but you nailed it, Pete. It can be blamed on "structured" classic rock radio that caused me to turn my back on fantastic bands from the '60s and '70s as a teenager in the early 90s and run into the arms of extreme metal and grunge. My friends and I had perceived classic rock radio as simply a sad transmission of desperate nostalgia. So, to Morbid Angel, Sepultura, Death, Entombed etc., I ran. Although I still enjoyed plenty of classic rock music, it dropped in priority. It took one of my closest friends to pull me back to the fold. He played Discipline by King Crimson for me and all I thought was "where has this been all my life?" King Crimson, Wishbone Ash, Mott The Hoople, Gentle Giant, Be-Bop Deluxe....hell, even Burn by Deep Purple! All ignored!! Classic Rock radio plays a massive role in rock and roll's paralytic state. Through the airwaves, they sell the nostalgia ad nauseam, ignore the potential for a younger audience and mortgage the future of the music.

[@louisborselio8608]

Classic rock radio overplaying the same songs over and over and over drove me and I'm sure many others to AM talk radio.

[@diannacashion2047]

OMG! My sister started doing that! I asked her why she will not listen to radio music when she drives and she said that...it distracted her! She used to love FM music, metal, and lots of other stuff...Now...she only listens to AM talk radio.... She is my younger sister and this just Freaks Me Out!

[@louisborselio8608]

Dianna, If there was more variety and some deep cuts 80's metal like WASP, Poison, Cinderella, Y&T, Accept, and other AC/DC songs other than the usual 3 Highway to Hell, You Shook me All Night Long , and Hell's Bell over and over in my area, I may have stayed there. Or at least gone back and forth. But how many times can you hear More than a Feeling. Don't Stop Believing, Bad to the Bone, or the same 40 songs again and again.

[@timothygregor9828]

AM talk radio is all I listen to on commercial radio these days. Mainly sports talk. I listen to music on the internet. At least on the net I can hear my favorite artists from the past mixed in with newer stuff. Lots of great new, young rock and metal artists out there that commercial radio won't even play, so screw 'em. I'll get my tunes somewhere else.

[@markhunter8554]

I just listen to CDs in my car (currently Jefferson Airplane's first six albums in the CD changer, in chronological order of course).

[@markhunter8554]

Classic rock radio drove me to stop listening to radio altogether.

[@davidm2066]

SPOT ON Pete! Couldn't say it any better. Being a big BOC fan, I hate it when everyone goes bonkers over Burnin' For You and they act like they have never heard The Red and The Black. Same experience when I saw Kansas a few years back. The songs that make the radio aren't the best songs. I could go on and on, but you already said it.

[@MFitz12]

The running joke around the shop when someone puts on one of the local classic rocks or classic hits stations is "hey, there's that one song that Ozzy did,... over a 50 year career."

[@Sp33gan]

You're spot on with this rant. I haven't listened to radio in years for the same reasons. I've always said the best way to measure how good a band was is by listening to the rest of the album. How many albums can we play front to back and enjoy every song? One station here focused on only 50s and 60s for several years and would have what they called Two-Fer nights where they'd play two from the same act, back to back. The first song would come on and myself and a buddy would always correctly tell our friends what song was next. We were never wrong. It was kind of fun at first but quickly became boring. Chuck Berry had dozens of hits, let alone his album cuts and b-sides, yet this station played Johnny B Goode and No Particular Place To Go. I had the great pleasure of seeing The Zombies on the tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of Odessey and Oracle. The original members played the entirety of the album and it was sublime. Thankfully, it was a smaller venue - Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom seats only 1,000 - but the crowd loved every moment of it. Afterwards, the current version of the band came out to play. Mostly it was some new stuff mixed with some older Argent songs. I watched the crowd begin to thin out, despite that the music was still wonderfully good. And who can beat live? I run a voting group on Facebook, using only songs from 1963 to 1969. I spent the better part of a year scouring through websites and KZbin finding over 4,000 songs I figured to be worth playing again while keeping in mind that most people will still centre on what they know. I picked from every genre that was popular during the 60s, including b-sides and album cuts, plus singles that never made the charts at all. Many deserve to be heard again. I quickly found that most members voted only for the hits they knew, some not even listening to the others in the poll. If I didn't put two bigger songs on the ballot, the one hit would be a runaway winner. It was boring. I was forced to begin to weed out the more obscure, though the stubborn side of me refused to jettison songs that at least had future meaning, such as from bands where one or more members became big stars later on. It was disappointing but I had to keep interest up for the coming polls, especially since I've got a few more years to go before the end. I wish the general public could hear what we obviously hear, but they don't and often don't want to. They're missing so much.

[@mikereiss4216]

I feel the exact same way Pete. Having lived in NY and PA I can tell you it's the same wherever you go. I wish there were deep tracks stations(not just online)but I suppose they feel that(other than XMSirius)there is no audience. There are many people who will never discover anything beyond the hits and the obvious stuff.

[@stevechristie2660]

The best rant ever ! Couldn't agree more,thanks again Pete !

[@protodiacre9458]

Hey, my favorite song all-time from Rush is Witch Hunt... I think I might not be the only one!

[@1970borntorun]

That is a great deep track man! And so is Digital Man from Signals !

[@ethancole4359]

Kick-ass song way better than hearing Tom Sawyer and Limelight all the time. They should also play the full version of 2112 and YYZ.

[@laurenyoung9334]

@@ethancole4359 Tom Sawyer does represent Rush's sound well but it was never a personal favorite and after a zillion plays I'd rather hear nearly anything else by them.

[@rebeccassweetmusic4632]

FINALLY!!!! Someone who understands. I'm in my early 20s, and the majority of music that I listen to is mostly music from the 70s, most definitely folk-rock/funk/jazz fusion/sometimes metal/sometimes country. I always tell people that my most significant musical influence in songwriting is Joni Mitchell, and every time I mention her name, people will say, "Oh, Joni Mitchell! I love Big Yellow Taxi," and I'm always thinking, "Ehh... That song's good, but she has better songs in her catalog than just that song."

[@NotData]

Let's not forget the even narrower "classic rock that really rocks" stations that think they are too cool to play the softer acoustic numbers. They'll play AC/DC but ignore Fleetwood Mac or complex prog like King Crimson. This was more evidence in the decline of classic rock radio.

[@mycubiclepenguin868]

Yet they don’t even play ACDC’s best songs

[@michaelmfwayne]

@@mycubiclepenguin868 yeah, they're happy to snub songs like Sin City, Ride On, Kicked In the Teeth, Stiff Upper Lip, etc.

[@markhunter8554]

The decline for me was sometime in the late 80's when classic rock stations stopped playing Traffic songs.

[@dominiquez5643]

Man! What a great topic! Love your "rants" and reviews, you are on cue most of the time, except with my beloved pet band King's X haha (joking). So interesting points of view the ones you presenty Pete...always providing food for thought (in short supply these days). Love your channel!

[@The1973Drummer]

WKIT in Bangor Maine does play new music. That's where I heard that "new" Deep Purple song. They've also been playing a song from my label for the last six months.

[@jimarmstrong5820]

Pete I am 68 but I have learned so much about Classic Rock from you who are only 53. Keep up the great work!

[@midohiobuckeyeaorwarrior9743]

I thought Pete was older than that. He's talking about hearing songs back in the early or mid 70's.

[@DokkenSabbath]

I get so burned out on "the hits" by my favorite bands, it's so annoying. I blame rock radio for that, mostly. I used to love Crazy Train, now I actually hate it, because it's so overplayed. It's easy to get burned out and that's why I don't listen to radio anymore. Whenever I'm listening to any song, I have to limit the number of times I hear it, otherwise I'll get sick of it. I agree 100%, Pete! It really is lame programming, they are afraid to take risks of playing stuff people don't know, out of fear of losing listeners. It's stupid.

[@noose-ix7in]

I totally agree with this video. I live in the Detroit area, here's a story that backs up your video: About five years ago I called the local classic rock radio station to request a song. The DJ actually answered and I had a conversation with him. He told me that he was disgusted at the direction of FM radio. He told me that a computer picks the songs and the song selection is based on what "sells". For example, "songs that girls will sing along to", which includes all the popular songs that classic rock fans do not need to hear anymore. The DJ stated that the industry has become corporate, and the DJs really have no control over what is played. It's the same songs over and over every day...disgusting!!! On the other hand, I called a radio station called WILZ 104.5 Saginaw-Bay City in northern Michigan recently: The DJ answered my call and asked what I wanted to hear. I requested IRON MAIDEN and the DJ said he will see what he can do... After the current song ended the next song was Iron Maiden "The Number of the Beast". I couldn't believe they were actually playing that song and so fast after the request. About half way through the song, there was silence for about ten seconds and they broke into a commercial. I'm thinking the station manager cut the song off, but at least they played it. My point is the Detroit stations are all about money and what's popular to sell products etc... the up north stations actually play deep cuts and mix up the variety quite well, like the old days. FYI

[@anthony.jesse.s2161]

I saw skynyrd this past summer. It was exactly like what you described. It's always so sad to see.

[@ledzeplover58]

Same thing I've been going through for years,trying to turn some of my friends on to new music through mix tapes and then CDs.Painstakingly compiling stuff only to have them tell me later "uhhh yeah,haven't gotten to listen to it" after asking them what they thought.One comment made to me after making a CD of Thin Lizzy for a younger guy who was wanting to explore the band."Yeah,I listened to it but it sounded so...seventies man". Speechless.

[@westnblu]

Its weird how some of the least known songs from classic rock bands have now become my favorite tunes.

[@josephdefilippis07]

A couple of years ago, I saw Foreigner and the song before their encore was Tooth and Nail about half of the audience left and then came back when I Wanna Know What Love Is was performed

[@georghagglund9338]

After being a real "internet-warrior" for many years despite being younger I can't agree more about this topic. As you, I love the hits.. But the rock world is so massive.. Why only listen to a couple of songs? The reason why I love bands like Genesis, Deep Purple, Aerosmith, Blue Öyster Cult, Rainbow, Pink Floyd is that there is so much to discover.. Both "Deep-tracks" and newer albums. No... Not everything is great and not everything is a good as their top ten songs but overall I enjoy it. I really don't get why so many people are so "against" giving the music a chance. If they can listen to one song thousands of times.. Why not give another song five tries? The guys at the Uriah Heep show.. Spends lots of time and Money to see the band. Why not even try to enjoy all of it? Is really those couple of tunes worth it all? I understand not everyone has the interest nor time to listen to every song by all their favorite bands.. But, come on!!

[@kenmario6284]

Wow I am so glad to come across this video. I was beginning to think I was alone. I work with a guy that I sometimes go to shows with. His attitude is “I paid $100 for this ticket, so they better give me my money’s worth”. To him, that consists of the artist playing their biggest hits, exactly as recorded. Anything new, anything obscure, any variations, forget it. Sadly, I don’t think he is all that unique. I’m the guy that buys the new releases and actually doesn’t go to the bathroom when they play the new stuff. Chances are I got into the band in the first place because they were more creative than other bands. So...duh....I would prefer that they be creative. Play the new stuff. Even if it sucks, I want to hear it. If it’s an artist that I love, I will take pride in knowing that they are not simply a nostalgia act. Play that song from side 2 that I’ll never hear on the radio. Radio and artists are so afraid of losing people’s attention in this age of cell phones and sensory overload. I get it with radio to a certain degree. But the artist needs to give some respect to those hardcore fans that don’t care if they hear the big hit single ever again.

[@farawayfettler]

When I got into music as a teenager, I had to buy albums on vinyl. Listening to an album was an experience, you had to make time to hear the whole thing. Agreed there was a break when you had to flip to the other side. The point being, listening to an album was an experience you invested your time into. As the eighties progressed the cd player came into fashion, these new cd players had skip buttons that could fast forward and rewind to tracks instantly ( no walking up to your turntable and raising the stylus and moving the tone arm to the appropriate track and carefully dropping the stylus back down again) This took the discipline out of sitting down and listening to both sides of an album. This problem has increased with the event of streaming. If you go on these sites they are filled with playlists, all the hits off all your favourite bands in one place. Easy, convenient almost effortless. But where are you going to discover an incredible song like Saxons Susie Hold On From their Wheels Of Steel album, as all the playlist or radio programmers would play Wheels Of Steel Or Strangers In The Night as these were the singles. The idea of a radio show that plays deep cuts is a great idea.

[@MLOVE1218]

First I'd like to say I'm fairly new to your site and I love it. We have a lot in common even though I'm 67. Vocalist and percussionist, few minor bands, anyway, from NYC, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess. Sirius XMU has given me a huge list of new younger bands in the last 10 years, and I buy a few cd's a month from the alt world. Thanks for your very cool topics. MLOVE

[@garyjskadra1180]

I wouldn't want to hear "The Grand Illusion" without Dennis DeYoung. I have a live album with the other guy singing "Come Sail Away" among others DeYoung sang. I had to turn it off within a minute, really awful!

[@vinnykster]

I'm with you Pete! I miss the old days when FM radio was COOL! For instance as a huuuge Rush fan. ( They're my #1 fave band always and forever) I remember anticipating what was the new Rush album in early 1984, Grace Under Pressure. A female dj on WBAB on Long Island announced the new Rush album and played for the first time ever, Between The Wheels! Fuckin blew me away! To this day it's my favorite tune on that record! Subsequently other DJ's from WBAB were playing The Enemy Within, Body Electric, Red Sector A. Nowadays, sadly even that station would NEVER do that. They hardly play Rush at all in fact. Not like they use to. On any given day they would play Passage to Bangkok, Entre Nou, A Farwell To Kings. Stuff like that. Not anymore! And when internet came around I attempted to email them about this. They just ignore me or make exuses.

[@laurasever3269]

Gotta agree with you 100%. I remember when Presto was new - the local classic rock station actually played the 4 cuts off that album, and I enjoyed hearing them along with the other songs they played. I even heard the releases off Roll the Bones, but when Counterparts dropped - nothing. That same station in '91 played the entire Styx Equinox album one Saturday night, I think, which made me want to hear more Styx, not just songs like Fooling Yourself and Renegade. You would never hear of a classic rock station doing such a thing now. But the late-90s is when all media became owned by just five companies. : ( I feel sorry for the DJs.

[@colmmoran485]

Amen Pete. My big bugbear. Its sad that bands dont feel its worth their while to release new stuff. Would love to hear a new Styx album for instance

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

Styx are releasing a new studio album in a few weeks!

[@allenellsworth5799]

Colm Moran Bands release new albums all the time people just don't keep track of it and then they ask whatever happened to X band. X band is still around.

[@michaelmfwayne]

They don't think it will draw. And honestly, just my opinion, some of these albums are hit or miss. For example, I thought the Mr. Big and Van Halen releases were disappointments. Big and Halen, I can listen to their old stuff back to front, and front to back. Kamelot was one where I've tried to get into the new singer and just can't. Yet, conversely, I like Floor with Nightwish doing new material.

[@rodsmolter5046]

Great video, spot on. At age 50, I've heard Freebird, Bohemian Rhapsody, Hotel California, Tom Sawyer ...etc., etc, etc, way more times than I ever care to. Only the college station plays any deep cuts on FM radio. I always had a vision of starting an FM radio station consisting only of deep cuts and forgotten hits.

[@lincbond442]

I'll always have a soft spot for "Nothing Ever Goes As Planned" by Styx off the Paradise Theater album. I first heard it on 8-Track tape.

[@thomaspallante9166]

Great rant Pete. I feel your pain. Concerts can be expensive and people pay alot to hear the hits only🙄. I would love to see some of my favorite bands go on a NO HITS TOUR.

[@samhite3653]

I used to love to drive across country. You could run into a great station that played different music than my local station. Now every station plays the same old shit.

[@johnjeczalik8960]

I fully understand where you’re coming from. It’s because of YOU that I have dug deep and found great deep cuts and artists. But it’s sad how people are just way too close-minded to dig deep and listen to other songs than just the same hundred songs on classic rock radio stations. Even Robert Plant once mentioned how CR radio stations have fallen into that trap.

[@diannacashion2047]

Dominance & Submission is my fave BOC song! Won't hear that on Classic Radio!

[@gopherindian]

Oh Yeah.!!!!!!...BOC (w/Aldo Nova)....My first concert Sept 1982. Remember when you actually would hear Dominance And Submission on rock radio? As well as ETI, Going Through The Motions, Take Me Away, Cities On Flame, and even Born To Be Wild & Roadhouse Blues from the live albums??? Now it's just Burning For You, Don't Fear The Reaper, and sometimes Godzilla. I almost fainted on the spot about 2 years ago when the local radio station up in here in NH played Joan Crawford on a Throwback Thursday segment

[@brentkrohn4731]

@@gopherindian revolution by night tour was my first rock concert.

[@carlr0gers417]

At age 57 for me radio is good for nuthin' but passing time.Thank goodness for guys such as yourself carrying on the tradition i grew up with " word of mouth".

[@PiercingMetal]

You tell 'em #SeaPete :) The few Rock radio stations that are left are afraid to take any chances.

[@cranstonsnord4334]

I am a bit late on this one, but I agree with everything you said. If a band has 20 albums and you just like 4 of their songs, you are not a fan of that band, at all. A lot of my friends will not listen to new music. If people felt that way back when a lot of these bands like you mention had hits, they never would have had the hits to begin with! I have found that the best cuts by most bands that I like were not even the ones they had as hits. The songs you mention by Styx are a great example. Back in the late 70's, one of my favorite bands were the Electric Light Orchestra. I like all of their stuff, but the deep cuts to me were always the best. I never understood why the instrumental "Fire On High" was never on any of their best of albums. Free was a great band, but all the radio stations would play is "All Right Now." Classic radio stations play the same fricking songs they used to play when I was in high school and most of these bands still make music to this day. Classic radio stations should play songs by what are considered classic rock bands, and also play their new music. Their old music did not become hits all by themselves. A lot of this is caused by old age! lol People as they get older do not like change and they think everything back in the day was better. Not me! I am 62 and still listen to new music, a lot of it because of your channel.

[@lincbond442]

None of these classic rock stations ever play Uriah Heep.

[@gregusmc2868]

“What song is it you (don’t) wanna hear?! FREE BIRD!” Here’s a 55 year old who couldn’t agree with you more. Our local station (WLVQ-QFM 96) came on around 1976 or so and they USED to play things like an entire side of Animals, now it’s ONLY gonna be Another Brick in the Wall, pt 2 or Comfortably Numb. They were our only source of concert information-Boston is coming!?! Here’s a cut off their new album Don’t Look Back! Then we would line up at Peaches Records and get tickets (my first concert was Boston. I remember getting yelled at for “blowing” 7 dollars for my ticket) Awesome show, money well spent DAD! But you’re spot on-you can’t hear ANYTHING but the biggest hits on the Q nowadays. What a bummer.

[@Grandizer8989]

Here in Boston, Classic Rock Radio only consist of 30 songs... kinda like when Radio stations play Christmas music.

[@ethancole4359]

Since you live in Boston does your classic rock station play all 8 songs off of Boston's debut album?

[@Grandizer8989]

@@ethancole4359 nope.. they barely play them at all

[@richarddrolet7746]

Pete.....you really know what your talking about .all respect sir.....i agree with you.....took the words out of my mouth.....salute my good man.thank you.

[@toddmaniatoddmania9844]

A local radio station in my area plays Sweet Emotion ten times a day. Ridiculous.

[@cinemathequerouge317]

Lots of great points. The reason no one has done the kind of internet radio station you suggest is because It's impossible to get someone to pay the bills while you build it. My cousin & I could start building it tomorrow, but who's paying our bills while we build it & how to monetize it once it's built. Great video Pete

[@patricksullivan9452]

I saw that same set list when I saw Boc recently. I guarantee you 75 percent of the people didn't know most of the songs that were played that night.

[@johnhunt5542]

I Agree with You 100 Percent ! My Local Classic Rock Station basically plays the same formatted songs every single day . No Variety , Nothing Fresh or anything different from a classic Artist. I hear the same 6 Led Zeppelin songs during my work day with the same tunes daily and Aerosmith on Repeat Over and Over . If I have to hear Hungry Heart by Springsteen one more time , I may jump off a Bridge . There are so many great songs out there , why would they want to consistently play the same stuff Over and Over until you get sick of it and change the channel ? I would love to see something new in Rock Radio today. I may have to go ahead and get XM Radio , because , I cannot keep listening to the same old tunes all the time !

[@seanmoloney7797]

No truer video has ever been posted!

[@derekroberts6654]

Now for the main topic: I remember as a teen and early 20s in the late 80s and early 90s I used to buy a box of blank cassettes and record from classic rock radio because sometimes and quite often they would play deep album cuts. That was my wonderful hobby back in those days, I never knew what was gonna end up on my cassettes. Sometimes I would even record comedy radio shows like “Johnboy & Billy Big Show” along with the music which were classic hits AND deep album cuts all mixed together. Now those days are like the fabled land of Atlantis now. It seemed to start ending in 1994 and dwindled off where you would not hear deep album cuts on classic rock radio anymore. I have a theory that it might have something to do with the record companies prohibiting radio play of deep album cuts. They started to figure it that a lot of people were doing what I was doing and not buying the albums because they already have the deep album cuts recorded on cassette-from the radio. They were losing money because people were recording deep album cuts off the radio eventually not needing to buy the actual album. I’m willing to bet a lot of DJs and radio stations were getting sued. It’s always somebody out there wanting $$$$. That’s the root of it all unfortunately. 😟

[@CB-xr1eg]

There used to be a slogan printed on inner album sleeves. HOME TAPING IS KILLING MUSIC. Nuff said!

[@laurieanngreenberg6812]

Deric I’m sure they weren’t worried about us that were recording off the radio into our cassettes, or when I was 10 8-tracks! We were even crazier than the Pete Pardo’s of our day!

[@derekroberts6654]

@@laurieanngreenberg6812 i know im 2 years late I’m sorry im just rediscovering this video reading the comments. My response to you would be if they weren’t too concerned about recording from the radio then why are they having a fit about downloading free music. To me its the exact same thing, recording and downloading are the same thing.

[@craigfazekas3923]

Taking Care of Business by BTO for the 46,249th time ? Yay !! The Carpet Crawlers even once ? Nah...🙄

[@lincbond442]

You gotta get in to get out.

[@mgourley1234]

Way late to comment about this, but had a similar experience on the Yes Masterworks tour. When they got to ISAGP, the people sitting next to me said "Finally, a song I know". I just rolled my eyes.

[@chrisferrara190]

Castle Walls! Man in the wilderness. Two of the best Styx songs ever! I always complain about classic Rock radio. They play Kansas Point, Carry and Dust. ...and ignore Masterpieces like Miracles out of Nowhere, Cheyenne Anthem and The Wall? Glad I found your channel. Digging your opinions.

[@geronimo9097]

It's "self serve (service)" if you want to satisfy your needs when you're listening to music. Best method is to use your phone/mp3 player and an aux cord in your car now. Hell, I still listen to CD's in my old truck.😄

[@ethancole4359]

I love Miracles out of Nowhere

[@markhunter8554]

I totally agree. One of the reasons that I embraced 90's rock is because by the 1990s I was sick and tired of these so-called classic rock radio stations playing the same 5 songs by this artist, same 10 songs by that artist. Any song by a classic artist should be fair game to be played on a classic radio station.

[@davoshaunessy3428]

Wow I consider that a pretty wide selection for most radio stations

[@markhunter8554]

@@davoshaunessy3428 That means that rock radio has gotten even worse since I've listened to it (I haven't listened to it in years).

[@Diabolik771]

One of my biggest peeves is classic rock stations. All still stuck on Led Zepplin, the same 1 Kiss song (Rock n Roll All Night) they got 25 + albums. Another sad thing is somehow the Black Crows are classic rock now? HA HA LAAAAAAAME!

[@RA-VEN8]

I love Zeppelin but they only play like a hand full of the known stuff. But yes 1 Kiss song and up here in Seattle The Black Crows music has been on for years and it's not my choice of tunes and maybe every year they'll play Iron Butterfly once? Lol

[@modeljetjuggernaut4864]

Or better yet U2???? I called my classic rawk station out on that one too. They said 'well the Joshua tree is over 30 years old so It qualifies as classic rock.' 'Oh really, what about Duran Duran, Devo, or Thomas Dolby. Theyve been around more than 30 years, How come they dont get played?" "Well, they're a different genre' 'no it's the same fucking 80s genre. You're just picking and choosing."

[@trdidion]

U2 and Devo actually are different genres. U2 isn't "new wave". The genre is called "new wave."

[@modeljetjuggernaut4864]

@@trdidion I know what new wave is. My point is that the classic rock station used the age of the group's album to classify it as classic rock.. which is dumb because there are "new wave" bands that are just as old. Besides the fact that U2 is clearly a pop group.

[@markhunter8554]

@@modeljetjuggernaut4864 As far as I'm concerned the classic rock period was from 1964 (the advent of the Beatles) to 1975 (the emergence of punk rock). That's not to say that I don't like post punk music (I love the Police, REM, grunge) but I would not consider it classic rock.

[@samkeepintherockalive]

Molly Hatchet, Deep Purple, Journey, Boston, Sammy Hagar, Santana, and Rush, they have all released albums within the last 8 years or so, and yet not a single classic rock station played any of the new songs. My perfect radio station? My playlist of killer rock-n-roll music that I have on my Sony, and Ruizu mp3 players. I just choose shuffle, and there you go. Excellent commentary by the way!👍

[@mikereiss4216]

Holy crap. Castle walls is a great song. What the hell is wrong with people. Lol.

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

Exactly Mike! LOL

[@mikereiss4216]

That would be like going to the bathroom during Gates of Delirium, Dogs(or echoes for that matter), cinema show, Xanadu or Song for America for those bands and I know I don't need to mention those bands to you by name. Lol. All I can say is maybe Styx don't have as many hardcore fans as Rush and Yes? When I saw Roger Waters last year he played dogs and I didn't get the feeling many people were going to the bathroom during it(at least not in droves). It's funny because for me the hits are the songs I use to go to the bathroom.

[@mikereiss4216]

I'm wondering how fans react when a band doesn't really have hits. For example do Dream Theater fans only go crazy for "pull me under?" I guess that's closest to a hit.

[@markhunter8554]

I saw Kansas in concert in 1981 (the last tour with the original line-up). You know what they encored with? Carry On. So disappointing. My opinion is that the encore should be for the true fans not the fair weather fan who only comes for the hits.

[@centralscrutinizer7398]

A little late to the discussion, but I'm a 100 percent with you Pete. I've refered to "classic rock radio" as top 40 rock radio for a while. When you get down to it, classic rock radio primarily plays the top 40 hits of artists from the past As far as concerts, I take beer or piss breaks during the big hits😉

[@63mckenzie]

Thankfully I first heard Frank Zappa when I was 10 so always look for music to challenge and interest me.

[@brentkrohn4731]

Ever grade school student should be required to listen to Apostrophe, overnight sensation and one size fits all.

[@cbciosubs]

We have a pretty good station out of Buffalo, 97 Rock. On evenings and weekends they expand the playlist and will hit some good deep cuts. Have never understood why stations don't support the new music of classic bands though.....

[@Camcolito]

You can check out any time you want, but you can never have new songs!

[@gildenstorf]

I listen to my local rock radio station very little. My 40 thousand tunes are loaded on my computer, which is then loaded onto my ipod and that's MY radio station now. In my opinion, the best radio station in the world! :)

[@sld67869801]

I just can't listen to radio anymore. Sick of hearing the same shit constantly. I take my tablet with me that has a ton of my favorite stuff on it.

[@villixeb]

You nailed it Pete. I'm at the point where all I put on ARE the deep cuts...because I've heard the "Greatest Hits" So many Godamm times! When I see a band LIVE...I'm hoping to hear the rare and unique songs never played on the air