Planet Rock - Top 500 - Interesting listeners votes

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

Aah, the old tying me up in knots because of what I posted trick, eh?  Well played, old man!  Well played. 

 

Bravo!

 

😂

Aah, condescension 😂

I just don't buy the 'my taste is better than your taste' schtick, which is very much how you've come across.

By your own admission, it's all subjective. You can't force people to like what you like and they're not wrong to like things you don't.

I'd still be interested in hearing a Top 10 from you (or 20 - go as far as you want).

Not because I want to knock it, but because it might lead me to listen to things I haven't heard.

I wonder how many people commenting negatively actually voted.

I know the P word is forbidden, but it is a bit like moaning about whichever party is in power when you haven't even voted.

It's not going to change.

[NancyJohnson]

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Aah, condescension 😂

I just don't buy the 'my taste is better than your taste' schtick, which is very much how you've come across.

By your own admission, it's all subjective. You can't force people to like what you like and they're not wrong to like things you don't.

I'd still be interested in hearing a Top 10 from you (or 20 - go as far as you want).

Not because I want to knock it, but because it might lead me to listen to things I haven't heard.

I wonder how many people commenting negatively actually voted.

I know the P word is forbidden, but it is a bit like moaning about whichever party is in power when you haven't even voted.

It's not going to change.

 

So you want a top 20 songs from me?  Ok, wilco.  I'll create a Spotify playlist and pop up a link here in a day or two.

 

[steantval]

5 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I do find that a bit odd, but as has been highlighted already, no Living Colour or no Fishbone either 🤷‍♂️

I’m very surprised Living Colour were not featured with The Cult of Personality.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

44 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

So you want a top 20 songs from me?  Ok, wilco.  I'll create a Spotify playlist and pop up a link here in a day or two.

I will attempt to do the same. Although I’ll have to type them out.

[NancyJohnson]

4 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I will attempt to do the same. Although I’ll have to type them out.

 

Quick and nasty:

 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1NuAZjvTulcfGkLBk4bDiO?si=RX92utr6R0OlnDZJHpee9A&pt=67c4a8cd33fb51cc3f8963d165bd0322&pi=EH9du6j9SOuVH

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

41 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

Quick and nasty:

 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1NuAZjvTulcfGkLBk4bDiO?si=RX92utr6R0OlnDZJHpee9A&pt=67c4a8cd33fb51cc3f8963d165bd0322&pi=EH9du6j9SOuVH

Great stuff mate. I'm not going to look at it until I've finished mine.

I have to be honest, I'm finding it really tough.

There's some old classics in mine and some contemporary.

I keep looking at the list thinking I cannot put that in the same list as that.

Driving me a bit nuts to be honest.

[ezbass]

8 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I keep looking at the list thinking I cannot put that in the same list as that.

You like what you like, being eclectic makes it interesting.

[steantval]

I would guess a fair few of the players on here are probably in rock orientated cover bands, out of interest I checked our current set list of 32 songs against this top 500 list, 16 of our set songs (50%) are included.

 

It would be interesting to see what your results were.

[tauzero]

7 hours ago, steantval said:

I would guess a fair few of the players on here are probably in rock orientated cover bands, out of interest I checked our current set list of 32 songs against this top 500 list, 16 of our set songs (50%) are included.

 

It would be interesting to see what your results were.

 

Two of the three new songs that we rehearsed today are in the list.

 

35 songs, of which 10 were in the list, set to rise to 38/12.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not in a position to laud songs for being ‘greater’ than any other.

I’ve just ended up with a random list of tunes that I really like with no conviction that any are ‘better’ than anything else. Whatever that means.

[ezbass]

37 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not in a position to laud songs for being ‘greater’ than any other.

No one is, it’s a personal opinion. Some may share your POV but plenty won’t too.

 

39 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I’ve just ended up with a random list of tunes that I really like

Perfect, that’s the point, you’re not supposed to be trying to please anyone else but you.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

On 11/01/2026 at 16:05, steantval said:

I would guess a fair few of the players on here are probably in rock orientated cover bands, out of interest I checked our current set list of 32 songs against this top 500 list, 16 of our set songs (50%) are included.

 

It would be interesting to see what your results were.

Now this I can do! (rolls up sleeves)

I shall be back forthwith.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

On 11/01/2026 at 16:05, steantval said:

I would guess a fair few of the players on here are probably in rock orientated cover bands, out of interest I checked our current set list of 32 songs against this top 500 list, 16 of our set songs (50%) are included.

It would be interesting to see what your results were.

 

494) Queen - Another One Bites the Dust (1980)

492) Foo Fighters - Learn to Fly (1999)

487) The Undertones - Teenage Kicks (1978)

482) Thin Lizzy - Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight) (1977)

443) Queen - I Want to Break Free (1984)

442) Gun - Word Up! (1994)

424) Focus – Sylvia (1972)

418) Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode (1958)

390) Joan Jett - I Love Rock N’ Roll (1981)

381) Foo Fighters - Times Like These (2002)

343) The Stranglers - No More Heroes (1977)

328) T. Rex - 20th Century Boy (1973)

326) Whitesnake - Fool for Your Lovin' (1980)

276) Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak (1976)

271) Don Henley - Boys of Summer (1984)

269) Electric Light Orchestra - Mr Blue Sky (1977)

244) Queen - Seven Seas of Rhye (1973)

231) Velvet Revolver – Slither (2004)

226) Status Quo - Down Down (1974)

166) Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall (1979)

158) Queen - Tie Your Mother Down (1976)

143) Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion (1975)

112) Queen - We Will Rock You (1977)

66) Rush - Tom Sawyer (1981)

24) The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (1971)

 

A total of 25 songs are in our repertoire, mostly at the back end of the list.

[steantval]

I was also really surprised Billy Idol was not featured in the Top 500, Rebel Yell or White Wedding at least.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

57 minutes ago, steantval said:

I was also really surprised Billy Idol was not featured in the Top 500, Rebel Yell or White Wedding at least.

Yes, good shout.

That would have put me to 26 (for Rebel Yell).

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

I've fallen down a very deep hole with this on iTunes.

I have over 50 on the list so far.

I was going to weed out the ones that already appear on the PR 500 list, but I think I'll just leave them in there so it's complete when I listen to it.

 

Edited 21 hours ago by hiram.k.hackenbacker

[Stub Mandrel]

I cheated and used AI to save typing but this is the 'real' rock top ten (in layer years the first side of 2112 became a staple):

 

The "Friday Rock Show" top 10s from the classic Tommy Vance era on BBC Radio 1, consistently featured epic rock anthems like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" (often #1), Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird," Deep Purple's "Child in Time," Rush's "Xanadu," Rainbow's "Stargazer," Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," Genesis's "Supper's Ready," Yes's "Starship Trooper," and Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water", with slight variations depending on the specific listener poll or broadcast date in the late '70s and early '80s, highlighting progressive and heavy rock.

 

The year that sticks in my mind (because I listened with my first serious girlfriend) was 1982:

    Led Zeppelin - "Stairway to Heaven"
    Genesis - "Supper's Ready"
    Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Free Bird"
    Rainbow - "Stargazer"
    Rush - "Xanadu"
    Deep Purple - "Child in Time"
    Yes - "Awaken"
    Deep Purple - "Smoke on the Water"
    Pink Floyd - "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
    Rush - "2112" 

[mike257]

If I've counted right, only 8 songs out of 500 featuring female artists. 

 

Still an old white bloke's game, this rock music lark!

[Bassybert]

1 hour ago, mike257 said:

If I've counted right, only 8 songs out of 500 featuring female artists. 

 

Still an old white bloke's game, this rock music lark!

That's a crazy percentage, just 1.6%!!!
 

It’s always been a fairly male heavy genre but I’m shocked at how low that number is.

 

I can think of loads of tracks that would beat half the dross on that list. 

Edited 14 minutes ago by Bassybert