Rock and Roooooool!!!
The newest Rolling Stone magazine has a list that caught my attention - because it focuses on music that is (for the most part) right up my alley. You see, I'm musically stuck in the past. I find it perfectly acceptable to listen to my old 80's stuff over and over again, whereas the Lovely Mrs. G. finds my musical tastes to be...how shall we say...crap.
So it's nice to see a little re-affirmation for my preferred musical genre. And here it is:
Rolling Stone’s List of the 25 Undisputed Guilty Pleasure Bands
Full Disclosure: I actually like only 22 of the 25 acts. The other 3? I CAN'T STAND THEM. So I'm not a total sucker. Here they are, along with my totally biased, totally stuck in the 80's opinions.
25. Britney Spears. Poor Brit - known more these days for her Kojak look and her poor choice in men than her musical talent. I liked "Hit Me Baby One More Time" when it first came out, but I absolutely HATED HATED HATED "Toxic" and "I'm a Slaaaaaaave For You". So there is a mix of bad with...bad.
24. Hall & Oates. I still regularly play my copy of "Big Bam Boom" from 1984. Is that really so wrong? God, I hope not.
So it's nice to see a little re-affirmation for my preferred musical genre. And here it is:
Rolling Stone’s List of the 25 Undisputed Guilty Pleasure Bands
Full Disclosure: I actually like only 22 of the 25 acts. The other 3? I CAN'T STAND THEM. So I'm not a total sucker. Here they are, along with my totally biased, totally stuck in the 80's opinions.
25. Britney Spears. Poor Brit - known more these days for her Kojak look and her poor choice in men than her musical talent. I liked "Hit Me Baby One More Time" when it first came out, but I absolutely HATED HATED HATED "Toxic" and "I'm a Slaaaaaaave For You". So there is a mix of bad with...bad.
24. Hall & Oates. I still regularly play my copy of "Big Bam Boom" from 1984. Is that really so wrong? God, I hope not.
23. Air Supply. My hated act #1. I'm all out of love for these wimps.
22. Kansas. There's more than "Dust in the Wind" to this band - trust me. Plus, how many acts do you see on stage featuring a guitarist wearing an eye patch? It's like Rockin' Kansas Pirates!
21. Lionel Richie. He's okay, but I still say he was better in the Commodores than as Nicole's daddy.
20. Poison. What can you say about four guys who live the life of sex, drugs, and rock & roll? Well, now that they're all in their mid 40's, I guess you can say "pathetic". Proof that you can't bottle your youth, no matter how hard you try.
19. REO Speedwagon. I've actually seen Oreo Chuckwagon in concert three times, and every time I've noticed that lead singer Kevin Cronin likes to talk between songs. He talks a lot. Really - a lot. The guy must really dig the sound of his own voice. Still, they're a good live band, and they'd even be better if Kevin would just shut up and sing.
22. Kansas. There's more than "Dust in the Wind" to this band - trust me. Plus, how many acts do you see on stage featuring a guitarist wearing an eye patch? It's like Rockin' Kansas Pirates!
21. Lionel Richie. He's okay, but I still say he was better in the Commodores than as Nicole's daddy.
20. Poison. What can you say about four guys who live the life of sex, drugs, and rock & roll? Well, now that they're all in their mid 40's, I guess you can say "pathetic". Proof that you can't bottle your youth, no matter how hard you try.
19. REO Speedwagon. I've actually seen Oreo Chuckwagon in concert three times, and every time I've noticed that lead singer Kevin Cronin likes to talk between songs. He talks a lot. Really - a lot. The guy must really dig the sound of his own voice. Still, they're a good live band, and they'd even be better if Kevin would just shut up and sing.
18. Wham! This is probably the number one band that Mrs. G. and I disagree over. I personally LOVE my old Wham! UK (later known as Wham!) cassettes, while Mrs. G. makes gaggy faces at the mere thought. But you know what? I've simply adopted the philosophy of Mr. Michaels and Mr. Ridgely and have decided to "Give a wham, give a bam, but don't give a damn." You bet!
17. America. What the hell does it mean when you admit that you've been to the desert on a horse with no name? I'm not sure, but I still like their Ventura Highway song.
16. Kelly Clarkson. Mrs. G. teases me about my Kelly Clarkson obsession (it's really not an obsession - it's more of an "admiration of talent", but I'll never be able to convince Mrs. G. of that), but I'd much rather listen to Kelly's songs over and over again than Avril or Pink or any other Britney-wannabes. So there.
15. Simply Red. Weren't they just a one hit wonder? I don't think I can name anything other than that long drawn out song of theirs.
14. Eddie Money. The Money Man Rocks! He seems to play in the Sioux City area on a regular basis, usually at things such as street fairs or minor county fairs. He's not packing them into Giants Stadium anymore, but at least he's still got a career that doesn't involve selling insurance or opening grocery stores.
13. Styx. I'm not afraid to admit it. Styx is still my favorite band of all time. People mock them for Mr. Roboto, but think about it - there really was a lot of fantastic music generated in the 30 years that they were together. I've seen Styx 5 times live, and have listened to their albums hundreds of times. I know most of their lyrics by heart, and I've personally found deep meaning in their songs. So say what you want, but Styx still rules. Domo Arigato.
17. America. What the hell does it mean when you admit that you've been to the desert on a horse with no name? I'm not sure, but I still like their Ventura Highway song.
16. Kelly Clarkson. Mrs. G. teases me about my Kelly Clarkson obsession (it's really not an obsession - it's more of an "admiration of talent", but I'll never be able to convince Mrs. G. of that), but I'd much rather listen to Kelly's songs over and over again than Avril or Pink or any other Britney-wannabes. So there.
15. Simply Red. Weren't they just a one hit wonder? I don't think I can name anything other than that long drawn out song of theirs.
14. Eddie Money. The Money Man Rocks! He seems to play in the Sioux City area on a regular basis, usually at things such as street fairs or minor county fairs. He's not packing them into Giants Stadium anymore, but at least he's still got a career that doesn't involve selling insurance or opening grocery stores.
13. Styx. I'm not afraid to admit it. Styx is still my favorite band of all time. People mock them for Mr. Roboto, but think about it - there really was a lot of fantastic music generated in the 30 years that they were together. I've seen Styx 5 times live, and have listened to their albums hundreds of times. I know most of their lyrics by heart, and I've personally found deep meaning in their songs. So say what you want, but Styx still rules. Domo Arigato.
12. Motley Crue. The Crue is okay, but aren't you like me and really, really surprised that they're all still alive and/or out of jail?
11. The Monkees. When we were kids my sister and I used to have battles over the TV remote control every afternoon. I wanted to watch "Batman"; she wanted to watch "The Monkees". It usually de-evolved into a fistfight and one of us (usually me) in trouble. So I was somehow forced to watch Davey, Mickey, Peter, and Mike. I appreciate some of their music, but let's face it - it really hasn't held up to time in the same way that "Sargeant Pepper" did.
10. New Edition. Hated band #2. New Edition and Bobby Brown are the reason why I stopped listening to pop music in the late 80's. Icky, icky, icky.
9. Bon Jovi. I'm not the world's biggest Bon Jovi fan - I don't own nearly enough demin, spandex, and hair mousse to even come close - but I'll still listen to "Wanted Dead or Alive" if it comes on the radio.
8. Bread. Hated band #3. I have absolutely nothing nice to say about Bread. Okay, maybe this: If every single recording made by Bread ever produced was to suddenly burst into flames, that'd be nice.
7. Foreigner. I too am hot blooded. Check it and see!
6. Boston. They would've been better if they weren't overplayed so damn much. And I still say that "More Than a Feeling" is the same music as "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Can anyone disprove it?
5. Chicago. Aren't they up to Chicago DLXXVIII by this point? Chicago is one of those bands that I can take or I can leave, depending on the day. Maybe if they were play "All That Jazz" or "Mr. Cellophane", I'd listen to them more.
4. ABBA. I've never understood the massive love of ABBA. It's probably because they walked away before they had expired; something that most artists would never do. The biggest problem I have with ABBA is that they're associated forever with disco, and we all know what disco does. (It sucks, kids. It sucks.)
3. Journey. Journey (with opening act Bryan Adams) was the first rock concert I ever went to, way back in 1982. They were good, and I'm glad to see that they're still successful even after Steve Perry copped an attitude and bailed on them. Still, I really think that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ought to just take one year and admit Journey, Styx, Foreigner, and REO Speedwagon at once. That'd be cool.
2. ELO. I've always compared Electric Light Orchestra to Boston - loud, brash, and overplayed. But they were one of the first albums I ever bought as a kid, so I have to give them credit where it is due.
And at number one...
1. Rush. I quite honestly never knew who Rush was until Geddy Lee sang about taking off in the Great White North with Bob & Doug McKenzie. Nowadays I like Rush all right, although they're not the end-all, beat-all of power ballad trios. My buddy Dan though is a huge Rush Head, so I'm careful to not mock his favorite band in his presense. I'd rather not hear his anti-Styx retaliation, which would come to blows. Tom Sawyer vs. Mr. Roboto. It wouldn't be pretty.
11. The Monkees. When we were kids my sister and I used to have battles over the TV remote control every afternoon. I wanted to watch "Batman"; she wanted to watch "The Monkees". It usually de-evolved into a fistfight and one of us (usually me) in trouble. So I was somehow forced to watch Davey, Mickey, Peter, and Mike. I appreciate some of their music, but let's face it - it really hasn't held up to time in the same way that "Sargeant Pepper" did.
10. New Edition. Hated band #2. New Edition and Bobby Brown are the reason why I stopped listening to pop music in the late 80's. Icky, icky, icky.
9. Bon Jovi. I'm not the world's biggest Bon Jovi fan - I don't own nearly enough demin, spandex, and hair mousse to even come close - but I'll still listen to "Wanted Dead or Alive" if it comes on the radio.
8. Bread. Hated band #3. I have absolutely nothing nice to say about Bread. Okay, maybe this: If every single recording made by Bread ever produced was to suddenly burst into flames, that'd be nice.
7. Foreigner. I too am hot blooded. Check it and see!
6. Boston. They would've been better if they weren't overplayed so damn much. And I still say that "More Than a Feeling" is the same music as "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Can anyone disprove it?
5. Chicago. Aren't they up to Chicago DLXXVIII by this point? Chicago is one of those bands that I can take or I can leave, depending on the day. Maybe if they were play "All That Jazz" or "Mr. Cellophane", I'd listen to them more.
4. ABBA. I've never understood the massive love of ABBA. It's probably because they walked away before they had expired; something that most artists would never do. The biggest problem I have with ABBA is that they're associated forever with disco, and we all know what disco does. (It sucks, kids. It sucks.)
3. Journey. Journey (with opening act Bryan Adams) was the first rock concert I ever went to, way back in 1982. They were good, and I'm glad to see that they're still successful even after Steve Perry copped an attitude and bailed on them. Still, I really think that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ought to just take one year and admit Journey, Styx, Foreigner, and REO Speedwagon at once. That'd be cool.
2. ELO. I've always compared Electric Light Orchestra to Boston - loud, brash, and overplayed. But they were one of the first albums I ever bought as a kid, so I have to give them credit where it is due.
And at number one...
1. Rush. I quite honestly never knew who Rush was until Geddy Lee sang about taking off in the Great White North with Bob & Doug McKenzie. Nowadays I like Rush all right, although they're not the end-all, beat-all of power ballad trios. My buddy Dan though is a huge Rush Head, so I'm careful to not mock his favorite band in his presense. I'd rather not hear his anti-Styx retaliation, which would come to blows. Tom Sawyer vs. Mr. Roboto. It wouldn't be pretty.
So there you have it. Oh, and if I was to replace those 3 suck-ass bands with more deserving ones, I'd add...
Wang Chung
Men At Work
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Wang Chung
Men At Work
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
...but once again they never asked me.
posted by Tommy G at
5:46 PM
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