A Classic (rock) Tragedy

Tune in to any classic rock station, whether in New England or New Mexico, and you'll hear very similar - almost identical, even - playlists.

Obviously, this is not a coincidence.

Classic rock seems to be proving its own adage that rock and roll will never die. It doesn't even show signs of fading away - contrary to what members of the pre-rock-n-roll generation preached.

The music of bands such as Led Zeppelin, The Who and The Rolling Stones gains new fans every year - and let's not forget an entire generation of children, whose parents were mere toddlers when The Beatles broke up, is now playing along with the Fab Four on their Wii consoles.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to the perpetual popularity of classic rock.

As time goes by and classic rock songs enjoy as much, if not more, airplay as when they were originally released, they lose some of their vitality. The more times a song is played, the more watered down it gets.

They become, in a sense, background noise.

Even though we love the song, we have a tendency to take its brilliance, the elements that gave it staying power to begin with, for granted.

This sad truth struck me one evening when, while listening to the radio on my evening commute, I heard Sympathy for the Devil. It was one of those cosmic moments where the song struck all the right chords within me. I cranked the radio to eleven and became one with the music.

Every nuance of the song resonated through me. I think my heart even jumped time to coincide with the beat.

When the song ended, I was ashamed to admit that I had forgotten just how truly great a song it was (IS).

It's a tragic irony...a song is so close to being perfect that it refuses to go away...and in so doing, becomes "just another classic rock song."

Sort of like the theory of kids being desensitized to violence by TV, movies and video games...we - the classic rock generation - can become desensitized to awesome songs.

With that in mind, I decided to compile a list of songs that (in my opinion) have fallen victim to this phenomenon.

This is not a "Top 10" list.

It is simply ten examples of songs fitting the criteria outlined above. I'm sure you can come up with ten (or more) songs I missed with ease.

Naturally, this is completely non-scientific and is nothing more than my opinion - but here is my list of...

Ten Taken-For-Granted Classic Rock Songs:

10. Dreams...from Rumours - Fleetwood Mac 1977;

Practically from the day it was released, Dreams was a smash. So immediately popular, it seemed to have been around for years the first time you heard it. By now we've heard it so many times it's easy to overlook the subtle beauty of it. Instrumentally, it may not be ground-breaking or earth-shattering, but it is none-the-less expertly layered by some fantastic musicians. As for the vocals, it would be nearly impossible to find a voice more suited to this particular lover's lament than Stevie Nicks.

9. Long Time...from Boston - Boston 1976;

Generally accepted as one of the greatest debut albums of all time, Boston made an immediate impact on A.O.R. thanks to Tom Scholz's melodic guitar style, Bradley Delp's powerful vocals and solid backing from the rest of the band. Even though the theme of "You broke my heart so I'm moving on without you" has been done to death, one line from this song sets it apart for me..."I've got to keep on chasing my dream, though I may never find it, I'm always just behind it."

8. Sympathy for the Devil...from Beggar's Banquet - The Rolling Stones, 1968;

As mentioned above, this song is so intricately crafted it is hard to think of it as "just a rock and roll song." The individual elements of this song are like the ingredients of a recipe from a master chef. You don't notice them individually, but the finished product is so pleasing to the senses they seem to be one. The lyrics are just as powerful. Few songs deal with such a unique topic (the arrogance of Satan) in such a unique way (told from his point of view).

7. Money...from Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd, 1973

Dark Side of the Moon was a staple in every album collection of the seventies. If there was one eight-track tape in every car, this was it. When it comes to this album there are only two kinds of people, those who have never heard it and those who know every note, sound and word. Money, the albums anchor song, is a brilliant mockery of greed and capitalism set to a hypnotic score, complete with cash register sound effects. In my opinion, and that of scores of Floyd fans, the only way to listen to this song is through headphones, thus minimizing the chances of missing a single note.

6. Imagine...from Imagine - John Lennon, 1971

John Lennon was a man ahead of his time. Revered by an entire generation, he dedicated his life to spreading the concepts of peace and love. In the minds of some, he was nothing more than a hippie who refused to grow up. Be that as it may, he had the right idea. While Imagine may be musically simple, it is the song's message that will resonate for years to come. The purity and genius lies in its simplicity...Just imagine how nice it would be if...

5. Won't get Fooled Again...from Who's Next - The Who,1971

I could be wrong, but this is probably one of the first rock songs to serve as an anthem to its audience. Rock is rebellious by nature and this song embraced that mind-set. Promoting revolution and the idea of change, it was a perfect transition from the "peace and love" culture of the sixties into the "we're not gonna take it" attitude of the seventies. The thing I like the most about it is the way it spends the first seven minutes preaching uprising and revolution...only to end with the stark realization that it was all for naught..."meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

4. Purple Haze...from Are You Experienced - The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1967

One of the problems with being a pioneer at anything, is that eventually, the feat you performed becomes the norm and future generations lose sight of the significance of your accomplishments. Jimi Hendrix set the bar for generations of guitarists - and made it look simple. Purple Haze is easily one of the best guitar songs of all time, but because of the hundreds of guitar virtuosos who emulated Hendrix, it is taken for granted. Nevertheless, the song is a true work of art that holds its own more than forty years after its release.

3. Layla...from Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek and the Dominos, 1970

Layla totally destroyed the concept of the formulaic love song-plain and simple. Musically and lyrically it is nothing short of a masterpiece. From the opening guitar lick to the final notes of the piano ending, it is a musical tapestry woven with an expertise unheard of at the time and seldom seen since. Even Eric Clapton himself has said that he can't imagine ever topping it (paraphrasing). Even after millions of plays, it refuses to get old.

2. Free Bird...from One More from the Road - Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1976

The live version of Free Bird is the epitome of an instant classic. It is a staple of every garage band in the country and despite the fact that it is fourteen minutes long, aspiring guitarists spend countless hours learning it note-for-note. Seldom in rock is an extended live version of a song done with such masterful technique (Crossroads and Whipping Post being two notable exceptions). Where I grew up in Rhode Island, Free Bird announced the arrival of southern rock with authority.

1. Stairway to Heaven...from the untitled fourth album - Led Zeppelin, 1971

I'm sure this pick comes as no surprise. I think Stairway is the poster-song for overplayed classic rock. Released in 1971, it was already overplayed by 1975. It's been a fixture on countdowns since its debut. It was the most requested radio song of the seventies and is probably one of the most-played songs of all time. We've all heard it a million times (literally) but when was the last time you actually listened to it? Nice and loud with no distractions, focusing on the beautifully melodic opening, the perfectly orchestrated crescendo, the absolutely amazing guitar solo and the finish that practically leaves you breathless. It is truly a shame that such a masterpiece is so taken for granted.

As I said in the introduction, this is not a "Top Ten" list - it is simply a sampling of great songs that have tragically slipped into a weird sort of musical limbo.

I know that none of these songs will ever be totally forgotten, not as long as rock and roll exists, the Music Gods won't allow it - but they will sadly continue to fade into the fabric of the world they were instrumental in creating.

So do yourself a favor...get yourself in the proper mind-set, drag your headphones out of storage, sit back and relive some musical magic. You won't regret it.

And by all means...feel free to let me know what songs you think belong on the list.