Are the Police really Classic Rock?

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Pete Townsend says 'No'...

― yoko0no, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:00 (eighteen years ago)

More info please.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:06 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/03/23/pete-townshend-inspires-classic-rock-debate/

I tend to think of U2 as the most recent band that's been canonized as classic rock, at least by most programmers in that radio format. The Police predate U2 by a few years, of course, but they seem a little less obvious part of the 'classic rock lineage,' both in terms of those radio stations and in a larger sense. I can definitely see where Pete's coming from, as a member of the real incontrovertible classic rock era, but it seems like kind of a silly debate to have.

― Alex in Baltimore, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:33 (eighteen years ago)

it's not pronography, it's research

― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:40 (eighteen years ago)

On one hand: Pete's designation as "punk" instead of "classic rock" will read as a compliment in today's context.

On the other hand: early Police reception in the US was totally of the classic-rock variety, I think, if slightly in a proggy "I also dig Rush" kind of way. And time-wise, most people aren't surprised by the designation of AC/DC as "classic rock," though their first records pre-date the Police's by only a couple years, and plenty of them didn't make it to the US until the 80s.

― nabisco, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:53 (eighteen years ago)

The police were basically reggae lite with a songs written by a guy with a fusion background.

rush--->police is otm if for nothing but guitar tones with heavy chorus. I cannot recall a police song that ever had heavy overdrive or distortion on the guitar.

― Display Name, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 19:06 (eighteen years ago)

In terms of genre (not quality), the Police don't come to mind when I think of classic rock. But I don't really think of punk or new wave, either. The first thought that pops into my head is the fact that I saw them ALL THE TIME on MTV when I was a kid. In fact, they really seem to mirror MTV's early years, which touched on classic rock, new wave, and punk -- but was something else.

― QuantumNoise, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 19:19 (eighteen years ago)

Stone Temple Pilots its classic rock now, guys.

We're old, deal.

― Whiney G. Weingarten, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 19:41 (eighteen years ago)

My god, there are 100s of posts on that page, I can't believe that many people care.

― Mark Rich@rdson, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 19:45 (eighteen years ago)

Well, since classic rock is a radio format and not an actual genre...

― Oilyrags, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 20:11 (eighteen years ago)

They definitely played the Police on classic rock stations when I was growing up. They also played a couple of Clash songs, a lot of older U2, and a ton of Rush. When I was in HS, classic rock stations played rock about as far back as 64 or 65 (Stones, Beatles, etc), and up to new released by classic rock approved guys like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dire Straights, Van Halen. This was late 80s, early 90s. The same stations now go back to late 60s (tho rarely), play Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, occasional Janes Addiction, though not listening enough to know what new stuff makes it.

― Dominique, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 20:23 (eighteen years ago)

yeah the 60s stuff is quickly vanishing from the format.

but what do I care I don't listen to the radio.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 20:34 (eighteen years ago)

one day the strokes will be classic rock. or maybe they already are. and green day. and my chemical romance. there is nothing wrong with this.

― fact checking cuz, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 22:28 (eighteen years ago)

Stevie Ray Vaughn is more likely to show up in a classic rock format than some '70s artists.

― Joseph Kallinger, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 22:33 (eighteen years ago)

our local classic rock station has really embraced 80s metal recently, putting like "flying high again" by ozzy in w/the usual 70s fare....

― M@tt He1ges0n, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 22:33 (eighteen years ago)

Well, since classic rock is a radio format and not an actual genre...

Of course the term 'classic rock' started out as a radio format, but it seems to me that it has evolved into an umbrella term for several genres...

― yoko0no, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 23:32 (eighteen years ago)

Only in Rolling Stone would PT be described as "extremely web-savy." And also spell savvy wrong.

― bendy, Thursday, 29 March 2007 00:50 (eighteen years ago)

from what I understand, he's keen on particular areas of research on the web

― Dominique, Thursday, 29 March 2007 01:25 (eighteen years ago)

Classic Rock, from my impression, has turned into whatever disappeared from mainstream American radio after grunge exploded in the early 90s. That is, basically an AOR format.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 29 March 2007 07:24 (eighteen years ago)

In my experience the radio stations that played Zepplin etc. couldn't get enough Police once Synchronicity came out; prior to Synchronicity the airplay was much more limited. But maybe that was just my home town. For some reason Ozzy was pretty much forbidden on the most popular rock station. I never quite understood that.

― professor ganson, Thursday, 29 March 2007 09:31 (eighteen years ago)

The Police were 'punk for people who don't like punk really'

Pete will no doubt claim The Clash as Classic Rock.

― Mark G, Thursday, 29 March 2007 09:33 (eighteen years ago)

Classic Rock, from my impression, has turned into whatever disappeared from mainstream American radio after grunge exploded in the early 90s. That is, basically an AOR format.

How did you arrive at this impression? There are very few bands that my local classic rock station will play who originated after 1981ish, and these bands like Georgia satelites, fabulous thunderbirds and the traveling wilburys.

― yoko0no, Thursday, 29 March 2007 16:48 (eighteen years ago)

There are very few bands that my local classic rock station will play who originated after 1981ish

There were very few huge AOR acts whose debut album was released in 1982 or later.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 29 March 2007 20:32 (eighteen years ago)

Really? Like who?

― yoko0no, Thursday, 29 March 2007 23:19 (eighteen years ago)

What I mean is that I cant even think of a single one...

― yoko0no, Friday, 30 March 2007 00:29 (eighteen years ago)

Bon Jovi. Georgia Satellites.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Friday, 30 March 2007 00:36 (eighteen years ago)

no, but they do suck.

― Cameron Octigan, Friday, 30 March 2007 01:15 (eighteen years ago)

I'll give you bon jovi, although I never NEVER hear them on the Classic Rock station I listen to. (was their debut album really after 1982?)...But G.Satelites werent really what I would call HUGE...

― yoko0no, Friday, 30 March 2007 01:19 (eighteen years ago)

Actually, Bon Jovi does make it onto classic rock radio these days, as I heard "Wanted Dead or Alive" there when I was home over xmas. Is that progress?

― Dominique, Friday, 30 March 2007 01:46 (eighteen years ago)

classic rock is a radio format and not an actual genre...

OTMFM. It all depends on whether we accept a changing definition of that format or not. If the stations play it now and they didn't then, does that make it classic rock? That's for people to decide for themselves. I happen to agree with the guy on the Rolling Stone thread who said "no, anything past '76-77 is not classic rock". I have no problem accepting this because that's what classic rock radio meant in my childhood and it seemed to me that even if it has changed quite a bit now as people have said (I'll have to take their word for it), it certainly didn't seem to change for many, many years.

― Bimble, Friday, 30 March 2007 05:01 (eighteen years ago)

I think the deal with Classic Rock is that at one time it ruled. What I mean is that if you were white and you wanted to get laid, you listened to classic rock--which was just called Rock at that point. Then came disco and punk and new wave and this was all around '77 to '79. I was only about 9 years old, but I remember it distinctly.

Anyway, here's something funny that tangentially pertains to the thread title:

[bold]Paul Weller gobs on The Police[/bold]
The Modfather spits on Sting

Paul Weller spat on a portrait of Sting on Wednesday (March 28) at the Teenage Cancer Trust gig.

As previously reported Weller joined Noel Gallagher at the charity event for a version of The Jam's 'The Butterfly Collector' and The Beatles' 'All You Need Is Love'.

According to The Mirror, during the interval of the event at London's Royal Albert Hall Weller saw a picture of Sting's gig from 2000 and decided to deliver his own style of music criticism.

According to the report, Weller "marched straight up to it [the photo], coughed-up as much phlegm as he could muster and planted it plum in the middle of The Police frontman's head... as he walked away, Weller then snarled: 'Fucking twat!'".

Weller has never shy of expressing his opinions of Sting, recently stating: "He's a fucking horrible man. Not my cup of tea at all. Fucking rubbish. No edge, no attitude, no nothing."

― yoko0no, Friday, 30 March 2007 17:45 (eighteen years ago)

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