POLL: the daddest song on the Now That's What I Call Dad Rock! compilation

(This might be the first time I've had cause to consider whether the '90s alt-rock staples in the US even made a dent overseas.)

This list makes every rock artist fall under the dad-rock umbrella. Which I suppose it’s technically true since any rock fan can have kids but what’s the point of the tag then? I’ve always assumed it was more as a baby boomer dig to classify music they love from the 60s/70s like Eagles, America or Elton John.

my dad likes ABBA and Blondie

― aloha darkness my old friend (katherine), Wednesday, 11 July 2018 00:09 (twelve hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Mine too! At a guess I'd say he also likes maybe half a dozen of these songs, I recently gave him my 45 of Don't Fear the Reaper after he mentioned hearing it on the radio, so I'm voting for that.

my dad likes exactly one of these songs:

2. The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up

It's hard for me to not vote for "Sweet Home Alabama" no matter what the poll.

turn it up!

My dad likes old folk music records. the Limelighters, the Weavers, etc. Everything on here would be a bit too much for him.

As a dad myself, I voted for Avril Lavigne. Probably the best thing on here other than Stooges and Motorhead, but I don't know what any of it is doing here.

I went to my daughter's friend's birthday party a few weeks ago and after the Moana soundtrack was done the dad-in-charge just played 3 straight hours of Dave Matthews Band, which no other dad there seemed to mind.

To those in the overnight crew taking the fun out of this thread —

“I’m very disappointed in you, son”

I am a dad. There are 23 songs on the list I would listen to all the way through on purpose. There are I think 15 that would make me change the channel. There are I think 11 I have literally never heard of.

To those in the overnight crew taking the fun out of this thread —

to be fair taking the fun out of things is classic dad

Puns are classic dad. Taking the puns out is classic bad.

Havent completed reading commentary but there are some weird momrock interpositions in here that dads would only allow to be played to keep mom happy or maybe get with mom.

Of course in 1988 "dads" to me meant "my dad, and the dads of my peers." Thirty years later, it's silly for "dads" to still mean "my dad, and the dads of my age-peers." The guys who might plausibly have avoided the brown acid at Woodstock are granddads and their rock is only "dad rock" if you're in Generation Dad yourself.

I'd love to see a US version of this comp (wilco, jack white related stuff, walkmen, vampire weekend). Ahhh, just the thought of it makes me want to put a record on my vintage turntable, slip off my casual brown loafers, kick back on the couch with a locally-sourced microbrew, and lecture the kids about how great the pixies used to be.

Havent completed reading commentary but there are some weird momrock interpositions in here that dads would only allow to be played to keep mom happy or maybe get with mom.

― Hunt3r, Wednesday, July 11, 2018 10:04 AM (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

at least with stacy's mom

maybe it's just me but a song about being a kid and lusting over someone's mom is immune to ever being dad rock just by nature

to be fair, she's got it going on.

^Dad joke.

The question implied by some of this discussion is does all music automatically becomes dad rock with the passage of time. I don't think that's true.

The papas of peak dadrock liked sentimental swing for slow dancing and country ballads. Skrillex will be dadEDM of the 2028.

i'm a dad, my recently played on spotify is
Genesis - Duke
Drake - Scorpion
Lungish - The Unanimous Hour
Ace - How Long (song radio)
Rap Caviar playlist
Gold School
John Coltrane - Both Directions at Once
Black Flag - My War

so anyway that's what dad rock is, please feel free to ask any questions.

Skrillex will be dadEDM of the 2028.

It may be already here. No bullshit, my 73-year old father is a big fan of "deep house" (his words) and exclusively listens to The Pulse, one of the electronic channels on Sirius XM satellite radio. He even has a favorite DJ, Armin van Buuren. In the 80s I remember him playing the proto techno stations on long car rides. I couldn't stand it but it was all he listened to.

may be a father but sure ain't a dad

has anyone brought up this whole concept as kinda racist? or at least very exclusionary

desus and mero were talking about outkast "the way you move" as "uncle music" so maybe that's what dad rap is

There is maybe something inherently “dad–ish” about techno — solitary dudes making functional music.

also, at least here in the midwest, I would say that at least like in the suburbs my sis and bro in law live in, dad rock is actually big country stuff like kenny chesney, luke bryan, garth brooks, miranda lambert, faith hill/tim mcgraw etc etc

ums what did u think my “white dads” post was referring to xp

That ain’t rock, dude! (xp)

Current country radio sounds more like 80s rock radio than it does 80s country radio

ums what did u think my “white dads” post was referring to xp

― Οὖτις, Wednesday, July 11, 2018 9:50 AM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

didn't see it!

That ain’t rock, dude! (xp)

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, July 11, 2018 9:50 AM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the difference between a lot of modern country and mid-80s heartland "dad rock" is like...hatwear basically....plus i know tons of dudes that went straight from 80s hard rock to loving country (word to xhuxk e.)

actually tho seems like new guys are even just wearing baseball hats like springsteen not even cowboy hats!

well yeah it's very apparent that country radio exists to present a version of pop radio with no rap influence

there's pretty big rap influence on a lot of country songs--rap from like 1987.

For the people I grew up with, those who didn't really explore music (or much culture at all, really) beyond their early 20s, dad rock would be Weller, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene etc. It's a moveable feast, isn't it?

A moveable feast of meat and potatoes.

For the people I grew up with, those who didn't really explore music (or much culture at all, really) beyond their early 20s, dad rock would be Weller, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene etc. It's a moveable feast, isn't it?

― The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums (Chinaski), Wednesday, July 11, 2018 10:06 AM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I think this is what really defines "dad rock": the (probably) popular music of the last section of your life before you had family responsibilities and the music is essentially enshrine in amber as the pinnacle of music ever and all other music is total garbage because it doesn't instantly transport you to a time when you could have a cig and a beer in the shower.

In this case the correct answer to this poll is of course, "Two Princes"

^^^ I think of it as part this, and part "Here's a newish band that I've heard on the radio and will pay for expensive tickets for a night out: i.e. Coldplay.

Or, "whoo hoo, let's go out and wear a silly hat and have too many beers" music: Jimmy Buffett.

Cant decide if buffet is dadrock or pathetic old bachelor/divorcedold rock. There’s an added level woo/sadparty/desperate need in that library. Im not even sure it’s in the music as much as the fanbase

currently listening to Thin Lizzy and wondering why they aren't on here (probably the grandad-rock factor)

Currently going over electrical stuff at work, and the 60ish project foreman noticed a bike in the office and made a quick quip about Disraeli Gears and glanced at me to see if I got it.

Cant decide if buffet is dadrock or pathetic old bachelor/divorcedold rock.

is there a difference

Genesis - Duke

hell yeah, dadprog

is there a difference

not taking the bait (that's the difference)

man! I'm a fairly new dad, presently sitting in the home of my own father for a family visit to Louisville KY for a week. And I cannot tell you how grateful I am that he, a 79 year old man, only listens to show tunes and John Philip Sousa and has very little to do with any popular culture whatsoever. makes enjoying every variety of music other than what he likes super easy, unconflicted etc etc…

There's this whole subset of I assume younger people rock that to me epitomizes dad rock. Like The Head and the Heart, Lumineers, The Revivalists, Mumford & Sons et al., these random bands I hear sometimes with names like the Record Company. Or, you know, the Black Keys, shit like that. Basically music for people so far removed from peak hipness that they just don't realize it's the least hip music in the world. Middle of the Dial.

Wilco would be in there, but I think like Pearl Jam they just pull in so many different types of (white) fans, from dads to white cap bros to jam band fans to hipsters to weirdos ("Woo, Nels Cline, yeah!") to NPR listeners.

War on Drugs

xp
I think Paul Rudd's character in This Is 40, and the boutique-y record label he runs, exemplifies what you're talking about. Or maybe even Apatow soundtracking in general.

Aging Gen X guy into rootsy realness, earnest ballads, etc.

My dad saw Charles Mingus' group (the lineup with Eric Dolphy) two nights running at the Five Spot in late 1963. He generally didn't/doesn't listen to "rock," and would likely find much on that list underwhelming.

(xp) Paul Rust (a young guy) jamming on McCartney's "Jet" with the guy from Eels, in a house party scene from the Apatow-produced series Love, is very dad-rock.