Classic Rock - A Definition

What exactly is Classic Rock? As with any art form, an interpretation of music must be an entirely personal one. A better question would be….what is my definition of Classic Rock?

Let’s begin by defining rock music. In my case this means largely album based music written and performed by people who can play their own instruments and can generally recreate their music in a live environment. Rock music doesn’t have to complicated or difficult to play but there should be at least some form of integrity involved - musical, political or spiritual. Rock music should stimulate your mind or your primal instincts leaving either your head or your hormones reeling. In short, rock music should matter.

What qualities does a piece of music require to qualify as ‘a classic’? Let’s start by looking at the dictionary definition;

Classic - work of highest quality. Something created or made, especially a work of art, music, or literature that is generally considered to be of the highest quality and of enduring value.

That looks simple enough then. To be a classic, the work has to be generally considered to be of the highest quality and of enduring value. This is my blog so my personal taste will be the sole arbiter of quality and value. What constitutes enduring though? How long must music ‘matter’ for it to be considered enduring? Back to the dictionary;

Enduring - persisting or surviving in the face of difficulties.

What sort of difficulties can a piece of music face? Well, changing tastes for one. Growing older and drifting away from the environment, people and circumstances that influenced one’s tastes at the time.. To have endured a song must have persisted and survived in the face of everything life can throw at it and still sound fresh, recalling the time in your life when you first heard it, briefly rekindling long forgotten hopes and dreams. In my estimation that requires time for a man to leave behind his youth, to meet and marry the woman he loves and to have raise his first born to the age at which he is discovering music for himself. In my case this is 20 years.

So that’s it then…….the official Endlessly Rocking definition of Classic Rock; album based music of the highest quality that was written, performed and played live by people who could play their own instruments, and that is at least 20 years old.

Whatever you do though, don’t get the impression that I’m living in the past! Just as I also listen to music that falls outside my definition of rock music, I also listen to music recorded after 1988! As the bedrock of my musical tastes was formed by the rock music recorded between 1965 and 1988 it follows that I will look for at least some strand of it in newly released music. That’s what this bog is all about – an appreciation of the classic rock of the past, a critique of those who have endured for the past twenty years or so and are still making music today and my thoughts on the new kids on the block, those who may/or may not be creating the classic rock of the future – a vintage best savoured sometime around 2028!