Ten Songs I Never Need to Hear Again

Rock and Roll radio in the Atlanta area has changed and morphed in strange ways over the past 30 years. I can rely on the major FM radio stations in the area to play the same sort of stuff, and in some cases, the same stuff--over...and over...and over and over again.

99X--Atlanta's "alternative" radio. I think they have three CD's, and two of them are Red Hot Chili Peppers records. 99X reliably plays at least 7 Red Hot Chili Peppers songs an hour, 24/7. The other CD is some crappy emo compilation. Reliably plays alterna-rock from the same albums that were popular when I was in college, in spite of 14 new releases from bands like, say, Pearl Jam since then. Stop...playing...Ten.

Dave FM--Ok, a bit better--but its a bit as if I took all the "Greatest Hits" albums from my personal collection and made them into a giant playlist.

96 Rock--Hm. The longest running radio station in its current format--blasting cock rock, metal, a lot of Southern rock and occasional songs from the list I intend to generate. I can go here when I need some good, reliable 3 chord rock for driving/reliving high school/ or for getting the catchy hook of the whiny Emo song I tried to listen on 99x as a means to "grow" in my appreciation for young artists out of my head, hopefully forever.

97.1. The River. Ok, before 92.9 changed formats and became Dave FM, they played the same 14 late 70's-early 90's songs--and the River was a great radio station, playing tuneful "oldies" (which brings me to the...what is an "oldie" anyway question?!?) from the 50's-70's. Need to hear "More than a Feeling" again? Give the River 10 minutes.

Yay for college radio. WREK out of Georgia Tech, the Georgia State radio station--both have good programming even if it proves a little noisy for my taste at times, it can be really fun.

and now...the list:


10. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by queen-play instead...well, anything really, except Boston, I want to continue to like listening to the best of queen so please stop playing it on the radio for ten, maybe 12 years--but if you have to play a Queen song, play "Fat Bottom Girls" 'cause it rocks.

9. "Fly Like an Eagle" Steve Miller--play instead "Take the Money and Run" clap clap clap clap clap.

8. "Hotel California" the Eagles-play instead "Ol' 55" at least they had enough taste to cover Tom Waits

7. "Cocaine" Eric Clapton--play instead "Spanish Castle Magic" Jimi Hendrix--a better guitarist that doesn't get nearly as much play.

6. "Another Brick in the Wall" Pink Floyd--play instead "Shine on you Crazy Diamond"

5. "Stairway to Heaven" Led Zeppelin--play instead the longest, most guitar dripping, drum solo laden live version of "I Can't Quit You Baby" possible.

4. "Money for Nothing" Dire Straits--play instead..."Romeo and Juliet-Live"

3. "Foreplay/Long Time" Boston--play instead "Watch the Sunrise" by Big Star--tuneful, poppy, but tough and well, it doesn't have that grinding prefab silicon "I'm an MIT student" sound.

2. "Peace of Mind" Boston--play instead "Let my Love Open the Door" by Pete Townsend--for some reason, they stopped playing that song.

1. "More than a Feeling" Boston--play instead "the Seeker" by the Who

I want classic rock to wear out the Who the way they have been wearing out Boston for what seems like an eternity. They were a much better, more rockin', more intelligent band. I'm quite sure that the Who could beat up Boston, and well, pretty much any other American band.

As far as American bands go, Creedence is arguably the greatest American band of the sixties. play more of their songs--"Bad Moon Rising" and "Proud Mary" are great songs, but how fantastic are "Midnight Special" and "Cotton Fields?"

Please Mr. Radio Clear Channel conservative guy, stop making them play the same ten songs from the same four records. Please?

Honorable mention:
Black Crowes-"She Talks to Angels"--play instead "Hard to Handle"

Bob Seger-"Turn the Page"--play instead "Nutbush City Limits (live)"

Aerosmith--"Dream On"--play instead "Big Ten Inch Record"

Deep Purple--"Smoke on the Water"--play instead "Cinnamon Girl" by Neil Young

Yes--"Roundabout"--play instead "When the Heart Rules the Mind" by, well, Yes, but, GTR

See, I don't even have to work in extreme obscurities to get some mix in the mix.

Ok, I'm stopping now.

Rant over. I could go on. and on. done.

fin.