If you’ve been on the Classic Rock highway over the past few years, you come to realize you’re going to encounter interesting sites and sounds not common to other music genres.  There are many stories along this musical path that impact wide varieties of consumers and music fans.

For me, it’s a familiar, well-travelled road, but one that’s always filled with a twist, a turn, and even a surprise or two. Today’s post will highlight some of the more interesting and eye-opening Classic Rock tales.

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Mt. Rushmore of Classic Rock revisited – Earlier this month on a Throwback Thursday, I reran a popular post from 2019 – “Who’s On Your Classic Mt. Rushmore.”

It was all about getting fans of the format and the genre to narrow down their all-time favorites to just four faces of Classic Rock influencers.  And I threw the challenge to our readers to commit to your foursome of incredible, seminal performers.

Most of you looked at the big picture – thinking about the most important musicians and artists that are part of the Classic Rock family.  Some picked your favorite artists, a reminder there’s no set way to cast your vote.  With the able assistance of Bill Jacobs and his charged-up calculator, we collected your picks on our “comments” page as well as my socials.   And we toted them up and put them in word cloud form:

So, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, and Robert Plant occupying the four heads of our Classic Rock Mt. Rushmore.

Here’s the order in linear form:

Jimi Hendrix 
John Lennon 
Mick Jagger 
Robert Plant 
Paul McCartney 
Bruce Springsteen
Tom Petty
Steven Tyler
Keith Richards
Jim Morrison 
David Bowie
Bob Dylan  

Note that if you add Lennon and McCartney together, you’ve got a new #1.  And same with Jagger + Richards = a new #2.

You might notice something missing from the list – women!  Public radio programmer Christine Dempsey had a little something to say about that.  An impact of Jann Wenner’s sexist coverage of the rock genre all those years at Rolling Stone?  Possibly.  But it’s notable that Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, and Nancy Wilson received only single votes.

Coincidentally(?), one week after this post appeared, Consequence published an article titled “Bruce Springsteen Names His Mount Rushmore of Bands.”  After much consternation (and hemming and hawing) on an E Street Radio podcast on SiriusXM, the Boss landed on the following picks:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Beatles
               2. Rolling Stones
               3. Animals
               4. Dave Clark 5

The bands and music makers that had an impact on our Classic Rock tastes sound like the making of a special weekend or benchmark feature to me.  But hey, what do I know?

The Return of “Guitar Hero?” – Analysts of the format – including yours truly – have long debated the origins of “next generation” Classic Rockers.  How do legions of Millennials and Gen Z’s discover the music?  Is it their parents playing it incessantly, the music embedded in TV commercials, or something else?

I have long believed one of those “something elses” was the development of the “Guitar Hero” and later “Rock Band” games in 2005 and 2007 respectively.  Considered an “essential game” by many critics, “Guitar Hero” sold more than 25 million units globally, generating $2 billion.

It also put Classic Rock on the map for millions of kids, thanks to the inclusion of artists like Van Halen, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Boston, Queen, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett – and the list goes on.

So Classic Rock programmers might be excused for getting a bit giddy over the possibility of a new edition of “Guitar Hero.”  According to Loudwire, Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard – “Guitar Hero’s developer” – could signal a new release.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick reportedly spawned the rumor at a recent all-hands meeting.

Thinking a bit down the road, AI could definitely play a new role in a rebooted version of “Guitar Hero,” as could Elon Musk’s Neuralink, allowing for more on-screen interaction with the game.

However it is designed and configured, a new model of “Guitar Hero” would almost certainly contain a plethora of Rock and Classic Rock anthems and lesser-played songs, perfect for the next generation of shredders.

More Classic Rock “tribute bands” – As readers of JacoBLOG know, I have long thought about symphony orchestras as analogous to “tribute bands” for long-dead composers like Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, and others.  They replicate the all-time greats’ masterworks in concert halls all over the world.

And so it is with Classic Rock.  Yes, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of impressive “tribute bands” who tour all over the world, providing in many cases a more than reasonable facsimile of the originals – classic acts like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and scores of others.

But it runs much deeper than that.  At a recent football game, after I heard the pep band doing yet another rendition of “Seven Nation Army,” the marching band did their version of “Kashmir,” the Led Zeppelin classic that I never thought I’d hear during timeouts at football games.  But there it was.

And then someone pointed me to this post on Twitter/X:

Kashmir (Led Zeppelin) performed by kids.
This is so damn cool! pic.twitter.com/mLjfUlI4bN

— Yvette☮️🦇❤️🐈‍⬛ (@YvetteABonnet) October 6, 2023

You’ve got to start them early.  But let’s not forget, 6 year-olds get meters, 12 year-olds get diaries.

Classic Rock Barbie – Lest you think America’s obsession with a 60 year-old doll stops with adolescents, think again.  The New York Times recently covered a custom-made version of the world’s favorite doll, crafted especially for none other than Stevie Nicks.

And she unveiled the Stevie/Barbie at her recent concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  It is garbed identically to how Stevie appeared on the iconic 1977 Fleetwood Mac album “Rumours.”  Here’s how she presented her doll on Twitter/X:

My Stevie @Barbie has been with me now for several months. When Mattel came to me asking if I would like to have a Barbie made in the “Rumours” cover style I was very overwhelmed. Of course I questioned “would she look like me? Would she have my spirit? Would she have my heart…”… pic.twitter.com/JQXjF7XSMK

— Stevie Nicks (@StevieNicks) October 2, 2023

And let’s not forget, artists like Stevie Nicks who are still viable concert touring acts have the same challenges as Classic Rock radio stations – attracting new generations of fans (while also appealing to their parents and grandparents).  Can you think of a better co-promotion this year, capturing the pop culture zeitgeist?

The Secretary of State Rocks – Just days before the tragedy in the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken grabbed an axe at a White House State Department event and ripped off a passable Muddy Waters classic – playing guitar and vocals.

I couldn’t pass up tonight’s opportunity to combine music and diplomacy. Was a pleasure to launch @StateDept’s new Global Music Diplomacy Initiative. pic.twitter.com/6MUfTXO9xK

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 28, 2023

Of course, he was criticized for this frivolous activity while the Ukraine/Russia War rages on.  No matter.  The Secretary grew up listening to the Beatles, and idolizes Eric Clapton (note the black Fender in the video).

World leaders respect Blinken’s propensity to pick, strum, and sing.  The Times reports that at least eight foreign diplomats have gifted him with guitars and other accessories, including a blue acoustic from Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen.

One of his early bands featuring other Washington, D.C. notables was named Cash Bar Wedding.  Mr. Secretary “gets” the spirit of Classic Rock.

Special thanks to Bill Jacobs and  Steve Goldstein. – FJ

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Fred Jacobs

President & Founder at Jacobs Media

Fred Jacobs founded Jacobs Media in 1983, and quickly became known for the creation of the Classic Rock radio format.

Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.

In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.

Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.

Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.

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