Time to redo the XM presets

Shottie, you can still rock in America.

With or without your helmets!

 

Hmmm. Nothing like a good challenge. And I'm only going to take the Dead because I know Deadheads would be a formidable target audience.

1. Beatles
2. Dylan
3. The Who
4. The Rolling Stones
5. The Grateful Dead
6. Elvis Presley
7. James Brown
8. Tom Petty
9. Billy Joel
10. Melissa Etheridge
11. Elton John
12. Rush
13. Kiss
14. Madonna
15. Michael Jackson
16. Willie Nelson
17. The Band
18. Jimmy Buffett
19. ZZ Top
20. Styx (!)
21. James Taylor
22. Carole King
23. Chicago
24. David Bowie
25. Barbra Streisand
26. Chuck Berry
27. Eric Clapton
28. Pink Floyd
29. Queen
30. Bruce Springsteen
31. Lynyrd Skynyrd
32. Eagles
33. Nirvana
34. Jimi Hendrix
35. Janis Joplin
36. Aerosmith
37. U2
38. Yes
39. Simon & Garfunkel
40. Neil Young
41. Beach Boys
42. Ozzy Osbourne
43. Steppenwolf
44. Van Halen
45. Lou Reed
46. Prince
47. Credence Clearwater Revival
48. Three Dog Night
49. Doors
50. Todd Rundgren

All before Led Zeppelin.

And Piotr? I didn't work real hard at that.

 

Very impressive.

MOST Impressive.

But Steppenwolf had only two songs that were worth a hill of beans, for starters. Chuck Berry wrote two riffs. Etc.

And Springsteen should be much, much higher. Good placement of Rush.

And if the station includes live bootlegs, as this one says it will . . . . . Zeppelin is a clear choice over about 40 of those. And even if not . . . . Melissa Etheridge? Todd Rundgren? It started being amusing around No. 18 or so, and it was clear you scraped the bottom of the barrel by around No. 31. Zeppelin has enough material, counting bootlegs and studio outtakes, to sustain a solid all-day station. Most of those on your list cannot say the same.

Personal preference on your part should not replace impact or enduring popularity. Even if Zeppelin is already overplayed. People will listen to it, and respond positively to it.

 

OK. But mind you, they were in no particular order.

And I will stand by Todd Rundgren with my last dying breath.

 

I forget which edition of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader I saw this in, but a station in Florida went to an all-Zep format a few years ago, and they kicked it off with 24 hours of nothing but Stairway to Heaven (so we're talking eight, nine plays). Police had to come to the station because they were getting calls from people convinced the DJ had died or was being held hostage. About two weeks later they added Pink Floyd to the format.

 

And then changed their call letters to KRAP.

 

Random XM thought. I've been listening to a ton of The Verge lately, and I never realized that it was a station entirely devoted to Canadian indie rock. I just thought it was a deeper version of XMU. I've gotta say, the Canadians can put out some good music. Currently addicted to Stars and The Dears.

 

XM needs a southern rock channel before they need a Led Zep channel

 

excellent

 

A southern rock channel would rule. They also need to get the fucken White Stripes and Hives off Lucy, which should be a straight 90's alt channel (Lithium on Sirius). It's disconcerting to hear a string of grunge and post-grunge songs, then go into Last Night or Fell In Love With A Girl.

And a jazz/soul Christmas station would be cool, too.