Classic Hard Rock

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Let's start by taking a look at a couple of not so mainstream Classic Greats.

The Alan Parsons Project was a compilation of many different great artists over the years. Several of these artists you will recognize from other great bands.

During the summer of 1974, Alan Parsons met Eric Woolfson in the canteen of Abbey Road Studios. Parsons had recently engineered Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and had already produced a number of acts for EMI Records.

Woolfson came up with the idea of making an album based on developments in the film business, where directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick were the focal point of the film's promotion, rather than individual film stars. If the film business was becoming a director's medium, Woolfson felt the music business might well become a producer's medium.

Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, the group's popularity continued to grow, with singles such as "Games People Play," "Time" (Woolfson's first lead vocal), and "Eye in the Sky" making an impact on the pop charts.

Chris is an exceptional musician with his own style. He is able to tell "Great Stories" with his music. Definitely one of the best "Musical Story Tellers"

Chris de Burgh was born in Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina to Charles Davison, a British diplomat, and Maeve Emily de Burgh, an Irish secretary.

Chris de Burgh had an across-the-board success with the languid ballad "The Lady in Red" in late 1986; the single became a number one hit in England (number three in America) and its accompanying album, Into the Light, reached number two in the U.K. (number 25 in the U.S.). That Christmas season, a re-release of de Burgh's 1976 holiday song "A Spaceman Came Travelling" became a Top 40 hit in the U.K.

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station programming format which evolved from the album oriented rock (AOR) format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large but limited playlist of songs ranging from the mid-1960s through the late 1980s with more emphasis on the earlier hits by artists associated with the loosely-defined "classic rock era".

Classic rock is similar to oldies radio in that the format is based upon music of the past, hence the playlist and artists featured are relatively stable in comparison to Top 40 or other contemporary formats which are based primarily on current releases. However, various bands and songs will come in and out of style on classic rock radio, and regional favorites may be featured in a particular market. Additionally, in the process of jockeying for position and listener share in competitive markets, stations will often add songs and artists only marginally associated with the classic rock era, and some stations combine the classic rock format with other formats, including modern rock in an attempt to increase popularity. The hybrid of classic rock and modern rock is also referred to as active rock.

Now for the "Heart" of the matter.

Classic Rock greats include "one hit wonders" all the way up to multi album phenoms. They all have one thing in common... the music was great, the lyrics ment something and the subject of the song fit in with current life.

Guitar and drum solo's were the mainstay of great Classic Rock tunes and we loved every second of it. These "solo's" spawned a great activity that we are all very familiar with... "Air Guitar" and "Air Drums"

Lets start with some great Hard Rock Classics to get the blood flowing, head banging and arms flailing.

"Are you ready Steve....Lets Go-o-o-o!!"

Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. Queen rose to prominence during the 1970s and are one of Britain's most successful bands of the past three decades.

The band is noted for its musical diversity, multi-layered arrangements, vocal harmonies and incorporation of audience participation into their live performances. Their 1985 Live Aid performance was voted the best live music performance of all time in a BBC poll.

On 23 November 1991, in a prepared statement made on his deathbed, Mercury finally confirmed that he had AIDS. Within twenty-four hours of the announcement, Mercury died. His funeral services were private, held in accordance with the Zoroastrian religious faith of his family. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was re-released shortly after Mercury's death, along with "These Are the Days of Our Lives". Initial proceeds from the single - approximately £1,000,000 - were donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust.

On 20 April 1992, the public shared in the mourning of Mercury's passing at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, held at London's Wembley Stadium. Performers included Lisa Stansfield, Elton John, David Bowie, Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin), Tony Iommi, Annie Lennox, Guns N' Roses, Extreme, Roger Daltrey, Def Leppard, George Michael, Mick Ronson, Zucchero, Metallica and Liza Minnelli. Spinal Tap, along with the three remaining members of Queen, performed many of Queen's major hits. It was a successful concert that was televised to over 1 billion viewers worldwide. The concert is listed in The Guinness Book of Records as "The largest rock star benefit concert." It raised over £20,000,000 for AIDS charities.

Wolfgang's Vault Christmas Special!

Everyday we are going to feature an item from our Vault at a deeply discounted price. We will feature photography, apparel, posters and much more. Once revealed, all the items will stay up at a discount for the rest of the month. Check back daily to get a rare piece of rock'n'roll memorabilia at a once-a-year price.

Countdown to Christmas at Wolfgang's Vault.