Planet Rock - Top 500 - Interesting listeners votes

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

@rwillett - Don't want to mess with your numbers, but I just noticed #97 Paint It Black is shown as being released in 1996 😬

[NancyJohnson]

On 06/01/2026 at 11:31, NancyJohnson said:

The major problem with these Top <insert number here> things is that they're so subjective.  

 

Thing is, you're almost definitely going to get the same turgid 50-year old stuff because that's pretty much the listening demographic is of the station.  Add to this that the demographic in question are generally somewhat blinkered and unwilling to step out of their comfort zone, hence the same old song choices.  Believe me, I know plenty if people who would prefer to listen to Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple rather than even considering anything from this decade.

 

Mark my words.  The top 20 will be peppered with Stairway To Heaven.  Freebird.  Smoke on the Water, Whole Lotta Rosie, Sweet Child of Mine, Bohemian Rhapsody, Alright Now, Enter Sandman, Ace of Spades.

 

 

Stairway To Heaven (#2)
Freebird (#5)
Smoke on the Water (#13)
Whole Lotta Rosie (#10)
Sweet Child of Mine (#9)
Bohemian Rhapsody (#1)
Alright Now (#30)
Enter Sandman (#14)
Ace of Spades (#22)

 

Like shooting fish in a barrel.

 

Amazingly, only two songs from this effing century in the top 50.  Says a lot about Planet Rock and the listenership.

 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

19 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

Stairway To Heaven (#2)
Freebird (#5)
Smoke on the Water (#13)
Whole Lotta Rosie (#10)
Sweet Child of Mine (#9)
Bohemian Rhapsody (#1)
Alright Now (#30)
Enter Sandman (#14)
Ace of Spades (#22)

 

Like shooting fish in a barrel.

 

Amazingly, only two songs from this effing century in the top 50.  Says a lot about Planet Rock and the listenership.

 

Whilst I'll try not taking offence as I do listen to Planet Rock, what songs should replace them in your opinion?

[tauzero]

2 hours ago, ezbass said:

I often said you probably only need 1 AC/DC album  (dons tin hat).

 

PR play sooo much Queen, who, IMO, weren’t particularly ‘rock’ post Sheer Heart Attack. I do wonder if Sabbath would have finished so high, were it not for Ozzy’s demise; we’ll never know.

 

Finally, big thanks to @rwillett for doing the spreadsheet, donkey work on this, most appreciated.

 

An entire album? One single would do.

 

I thought Queen's last good album was Night at the Opera - of course that suffers from having Bo Rhap on it, not because Bo Rhap is a bad song but because it's been so overplayed. They moved from straightish rock with their first album to prog by NatO, then it started going very very commercial.

 

And thanks from me too.

[rwillett]

5 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

@rwillett - Don't want to mess with your numbers, but I just noticed #97 Paint It Black is shown as being released in 1996 😬

Yep. That's either the extended and remastered disco mix version collaboration with The Cheeky Girls OR Planet Rock cocked up. 

 

It doesn't really affect the numbers much as it should be in the 1960s stats and not the 1990s. 

 

I didn't check every year apart from checking the upper and lower bounds as I don't even know some of the bands. 

 

Rob