History Main / ClassicRock

->''"The short on top, long in back world of Classic Rock has long been America's least appreciated cultural touchstone. But what really makes this workhorse radio format deserving of a multiple-lighter salute is its interstate, multinational, pan-demographic dominion. Who doesn't know the chorus of 'All the Young Dudes' better than the preamble to the Constitution? Who hasn't driven over the speed limit to 'Radar Love'?"''

* Space rock: Rock music characterized by loose and lengthy song structures and centered on hypnotic, otherworldly-sounding instrumental textures

* {{Music/America}} -- Folk rock, soft rock, pop rock.

* Music/PaulAnka -- Pop rock, soft rock, soul rock, yacht rock (1970s to 1980s output).[[note]]While Paul Anka's music technically could be considered Rock, he's not usually described as Classic Rock, as his music is on the ''very'' soft end of soft rock, bordering more on middle-of-the-road, and he started out at a TeenIdol in the 1950s and early 1960s (his music then ''also'' would have fit into the Brill-Building-pop variety of 1950s Rock n'roll, which would be too old to be considered Classic rock).[[/note]]

* Music/MichaelBolton -- ArenaRock ('80s output). [[note]] His output outside of this time period mostly wasn't rock, so his music outside of this time frame probably couldn't be considered Classic Rock. [[/note]]

* Music/{{Bread}} -- Soft rock

* Music/CaptainAndTennille -- Soft rock, yacht rock.

* Music/PhilCollins -- Pop rock, soft rock, {{New Wave|Music}}, soul rock.

* Soft rock: Rock music on the softer, lighter, slower, quieter, or gentler side

* [[{{Music/Wings}} Paul McCartney and Wings]] -- Pop rock, soft rock.

* Music/JohnnyCash

* {{Music/Outlaws}} -- SouthernRock, country rock, HardRock.

* {{Music/Petra}} -- ChristianRock, ArenaRock.

* Music/ThePretenders -- HardRock, pop rock, PunkRock, {{New Wave|Music}}.
* {{Music/Prism}} -- HardRock, pop rock, ArenaRock.

* Music/PlanetPProject -- ProgressiveRock, ArenaRock.

* Music/{{Rush|Band}} -- ProgressiveRock, HardRock (with an ArenaRock period in the '80s).
* {{Music/Saga}} -- ProgressiveRock, ArenaRock.

* [[Music/TheRamones Ramones]] -- HardRock, PostPunk, PunkRock.

* {{Music/Rush}} -- ProgressiveRock, HardRock (with an ArenaRock period in the '80s).

* [[Music/StevieRayVaughan Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble]] -- BluesRock.

* Music/TheMove -- Pop rock, PsychedelicRock.

* Music/SkidRow -- ArenaRock, HairMetal, HeavyMetal (output from the '90s on).

* Music/TheAlanParsonsProject -- ProgressiveRock, soft rock, pop rock.

* [[Music/BobSeger Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band]] -- Heartland rock, roots rock, BluesRock, soft rock.

* [[Music/GeorgeThorogood George Thorogood & the Destroyers]] -- BluesRock, boogie rock, HardRock.

* Music/HueyLewisAndTheNews -- Pop rock, soul rock.

* Music/TheJGeilsBand -- BluesRock ('70s output), boogie rock ('70s output), {{New Wave|Music}} ('80s output).

* Music/MichaelStanleyBand -- ArenaRock, heartland rock.

* [[{{Music/Wings}} Paul McCartney and Wings]] -- Pop rock, soft rock.

* Music/SteveMillerBand -- Pop rock, PsychedelicRock, BluesRock.

* Music/TommyJamesAndTheShondells -- Pop rock, PsychedelicRock.
* [[Music/TomPetty Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers]] -- Heartland rock, BluesRock, HardRock.

* Paul Anka[[note]] Linked above, his ''later'' music from the 1970s and onward would fit into Classic Rock, just very loosely.[[/note]]

* Music/{{Metallica}} (90s era)

Classic rock is not, strictly speaking, a musical genre, but rather a {{radio}} format that features old-school rock songs. There is no set definition of "classic rock," with just about everybody having their own personal criteria. The unwritten definition used by the website ultimateclassicrock.com (and many people) generally seems to be any music created by a non-[[AlternativeRock alternative]] [[note]] excluding {{New Wave|Music}}, PunkRock, and PostPunk, if you even consider these genres to be alternative [[/note]] rock band/artist who was at the peak of their/his/her career sometime in between the {{Rockabilly}}/RockAndRoll (using the strictest definition of the latter term) and the {{Grunge}}[=/=]AlternativeRock eras (basically, rock from the middle-ish [[TheSixties 1960s]] to the very early [[TheNineties '90s]]). Although the earlier rock and roll artists of the [[TheFifties '50s]] and early [[TheSixties '60s]] are indeed both classic and rock, they're usually not considered to be "classic rock" from a programming standpoint, instead being relegated to oldies stations. Meanwhile, a number of classic rock stations, seeking to update their playlists as the Gen Xers and older Millenials have aged into their advertisers' target demographics, have begun to play more recent music, including grunge and alternative artists.

Classic rock is not, strictly speaking, a musical genre, but rather a {{radio}} format that features old-school rock songs. There is no set definition of "classic rock," with just about everybody having their own personal criteria. The unwritten definition used by the website ultimateclassicrock.com (and many people) generally seems to be any music created by a non-[[AlternativeRock alternative]] [[note]] excluding {{New Wave|Music}}, PunkRock, and PostPunk, if you even consider these genres to be alternative [[/note]] rock band/artist who was at the peak of their/his/her career sometime in between the {{Rockabilly}}/RockAndRoll (using the strictest definition of the latter term) and the {{Grunge}}[=/=]AlternativeRock eras (basically, rock from the middle-ish [[TheSixties 1960s]] to the very early [[TheNineties '90s]]). That being said, classic rock radio stations have started playing more recent music, including grunge and alternative artists, diversifying their playlists as Gen Xers and older Millenials have aged into the demographics that classic rock stations targeted. While the rock and roll/rockabilly artists of the [[TheFifties '50s]] and early [[TheSixties '60s]] are indeed both classic and rock, they tend to not be considered "classic rock," since they virtually never seem to get played on stations of that radio format.

Classic rock is not, strictly speaking, a musical genre, but rather a {{radio}} format that features old-school rock songs. There is no set definition of "classic rock," with just about everybody having their own personal criteria. The unwritten definition used by the website ultimateclassicrock.com (and many people) generally seems to be any music created by a non-[[AlternativeRock alternative]] [[note]] excluding {{New Wave|Music}}, PunkRock, and PostPunk, if you even consider these genres to be alternative [[/note]] rock band/artist who was at the peak of their/his/her career between the [[RockAndRoll rockabilly/rock and roll]] (using the strictest definition of the latter term) and the {{Grunge}}[=/=]AlternativeRock eras (basically, rock from the mid-ish-early-ish [[TheSixties 1960s]] to the very early [[TheNineties '90s]]). That being said, classic rock radio stations have started playing more recent music, including grunge and alternative artists, diversifying their playlists as Gen Xers and older Millenials aged into the demographics that classic rock stations targeted. While the rock and roll/rockabilly artists of the [[TheFifties '50s]] and early [[TheSixties '60s]] are indeed both classic and rock, they tend to not be considered "classic rock," since they virtually never seem to get played on stations of that radio format.

Classic rock radio stations are common in the United States and Sirius XM Radio features several classic rock-oriented stations, including: The Bridge (classic soft rock), Classic Rewind (late [[TheSeventies '70s]] and [[TheEighties '80s]] classic rock), Classic Vinyl ([[TheSixties '60s]] and early [[TheSeventies '70s]] classic rock), Deep Tracks (classic rock deep cuts), Classic Rock Party (upbeat/energetic classic rock), 1st Wave (classic {{New Wave|Music}}, PunkRock, PostPunk, and early AlternativeRock), Hair Nation (HairMetal), Ozzy's Boneyard (classic HardRock and HeavyMetal), and various single artist channels.

There are also several syndicated radio programs that play classic rock bands and artists, including ''The House of Hair with Dee Snider'', ''Nights with Alice Cooper'', ''Flashback with Matt Pinfield'', ''The Classics with Steve Downes'', and ''Off the Record with Joe Benson''.

Classic rock is not, strictly speaking, a musical genre, but rather a {{radio}} format that features old-school rock songs. There is no set definition of "classic rock," with just about everybody having their own personal criteria. The unwritten definition used by the website ultimateclassicrock.com (and many people) generally seems to be any music created by a non-[[AlternativeRock alternative]] [[note]] excluding {{New Wave|Music}}, PunkRock, and PostPunk, if you even consider these genres to be alternative [[/note]] rock band/artist who was at the peak of their/his/her career between the [[RockAndRoll rockabilly/rock and roll]] (using the strictest definition of the latter term) and the {{Grunge}}[=/=]AlternativeRock eras (basically, rock from the mid-ish-early-ish [[TheSixties '60s]] to the very early [[TheNineties '90s]]). That being said, classic rock radio stations have started playing more recent music, including grunge and alternative artists, diversifying their playlists as Gen Xers and older Millenials aged into the demographics that classic rock stations targeted. While the rock and roll/rockabilly artists of the [[TheFifties '50s]] and early [[TheSixties '60s]] are indeed both classic and rock, they tend to not be considered "classic rock," since they virtually never seem to get played on stations of that radio format.

-->-- '''''Suck'''''

Classic rock is not, strictly speaking, a musical genre, but rather a radio format that features old-school rock songs. There is no set definition of "classic rock," with just about everybody having their own personal criteria. The unwritten definition used by the website ultimateclassicrock.com (and many people) generally seems to be any music created by a non-[[AlternativeRock alternative]] [[note]] excluding {{New Wave|Music}}, PunkRock, and PostPunk, if you even consider these genres to be alternative [[/note]] rock band/artist who was at the peak of their/his/her career between the [[RockAndRoll rockabilly/rock and roll]] (using the strictest definition of the latter term) and the {{Grunge}}[=/=]AlternativeRock eras (basically, rock from the mid-ish-early-ish [[TheSixties '60s]] to the very early [[TheNineties '90s]]). That being said, classic rock radio stations have started playing more recent music, including grunge and alternative artists, diversifying their playlists as Gen Xers and older Millenials aged into the demographics that classic rock stations targeted. While the rock and roll/rockabilly artists of the [[TheFifties '50s]] and early [[TheSixties '60s]] are indeed both classic and rock, they tend to not be considered "classic rock," since they virtually never seem to get played on stations of that radio format.