Monday, July 27, 2015

GREAT Songs Ruined by Radio

On July 6th of this year, I wrote a blog called A Stream Runs Through It. I created a sidebar called, Great Songs Ruined by Radio. I've now gotten feedback from several people, so I thought I'd feature it this week. (For me, several people = a go in this stage of my blog writing.) Anyway, If you didn't read that blog, I asked everyone, to think of great hit songs that you once loved that have been ruined for you by overplay, year after year on commercial radio.

So, from several people, Google searches and many years of being in a car, I started a bullet list with no rankings or general order of once great but overplayed songs. As the list emerged, it was clear that I was editing out songs that were definitely overplayed, but in my personal opinion, were not great and often just terrible. I'm talking about big 70's - 80's hits from groups like Boston, Foreigner and Journey that followed many of the 60's groups. Rock 'n roll has alway had its share of second tier acts, but let's just say, for a Boomer, my musical crap gauge was developed in the 70's. So please don't get hurt feelings, if you came up with, More Than A Feeling by Boston. In fact, it may be irritating that classic rock radio ruined, Stairway To Heaven for everyone, but it's a far greater crime to be in the supermarket and forced to listen to Journey's, Don't Stop Believin' for the billionth time. Anyway, this is why one writes a blog, to share their own opinion and this week, it's about greatness diminished by satiation.

So here's my current list (that I will periodically update) with the great songs and artists who recorded them. Note, I won't be creating a linked playlist this week because I (and possibly you) don't want to hear these songs anymore, okay maybe Satisfaction again in a few more years. My suggestion for the week is to listen to deeper cuts by these same wonderful people or musicians that are new to you. Also, start listening to community radio (see radiofreeamerica.com) and the sounds of fresh air.

GREAT Songs Ruined by Radio 
  • Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepplin
  • Hotel California, The Eagles  
  • Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones 
  • Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison
  • Moondance, Van Morrison
  • Our House, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
  • Light My Fire, The Doors 
  • Proud Mary, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Ike and Tina Turner
  • Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours, Stevie Wonder
  • Hey Jude, The Beatles 
  • For What It's Worth, Buffalo Springfield
  • Happy Together, The Turtles
  • Layla, Eric Clapton 
  • Respect, Aretha Franklin
  • Summer Breeze, Seals & Crofts 
  • Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen 
  • Heart of Gold, Neil Young 
  • Heard It Through The Grapevine, Marvin Gaye, and CCR
  • Magic Man, Heart 
  • I Love Rock 'n Roll, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
  • Sultans of Swing, Dire Straits 
  • Won't Get Fooled Again, The Who 
  • Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles (Submitted by my wife, Mary Kit. But here's the thing even though I've included several Beatles songs myself here; The Beatles are a rare exception in that, after all these years, many people still never tire of even their top hits.)
  • Take It Easy, The Eagles 
  • Oh, Pretty Woman, Roy Orbison
  • Southern Man, Neil Young (Sorry but the rebuttal, Sweet Home Alabama by Lynard Skynyrd was a hit and overplayed, but not great) 
  • Owner of a Lonely Heart, Yes
  • My Girl, The Temptations 
  • Your Song, Elton John
  • California Dreamin', The Mamas And The Papas 
  • What A Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
  • Ramblin' Man, The Allman Brothers Band
  • Let It Be, The Beatles 
  • Maybe I'm Amazed, Paul McCartney 
  • Imagine, John Lennon 
  • Money, Pink Floyd
  • Daniel, Elton John 
  • American Pie, Don McLean
  • Rhiannon, Fleetwood Mac 
  • Hungry Heart, Bruce Springsteen
  • Evil Woman, Electric Light Orchestra 
  • Reelin' In The Years, Steely Dan 
  • Doctor My Eyes, Jackson Browne 
  • Jump, Van Halen
  • Sara Smile, Hall and Oates
  • Billie Jean, Michael Jackson 
  • Rock This Town, The Stray Cats 
  • (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay, Otis Redding
  • Born in the USA, Bruce Springsteen 
  • My Guy, Mary Wells
  • Boys of Summer, Don Henley
  • Start Me Up, The Rolling Stones
  • Rock The Casbah, The Clash
  • Burning Down The House, Talking Heads 
  • I Melt With You, Modern English
  • Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel
  • Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Green Day
  • Losing My Religion, REM 
  • Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana 
  • Babylon, David Gray
  • Home, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (Submitted by my step-daughter, Abby. Now what's interesting about this song is that I had to look it up on YouTube and play it. Now once I heard it, I recognized it and yes, a good song overplayed to death. I just had to laugh at myself as I keyword searched "overplayed songs" from the last several years as I couldn't recognize one song from reading the titles. Maybe I've just saved myself a lot of frustration by drastically limiting my listening to commercial radio in the last five years. Thank you KPBS/NPR and Jazz88.3 in San Diego!)
  • Rolling In The Deep, Adele 
  • I Will Wait, Mumford & Sons
  • Let It Go, Idina Menzel (as a consumer, Disney hits you on so many fronts and as a grandparent, I can't take this song anymore!)