9. Boston: More Than A Feeling
Few debut albums become as titanic sellers as Boston, from 1976. In the late 70's, it was a rare teenager who didn't have this album; nearly every cut on it is familiar even to non-fans because of their constant radio presence that continues to this day. Boston never really was a band in the conventional sense; the demo for their debut album was recorded on a sophisticated 12-track home studio owned by guitar whiz and M.I.T. grad Tom Scholz. While a touring band of local musicians was assembled, consisting of fellow guitarist Barry Goudreau, vocalist Brad Delp, bassist Fran Sheehan, and drummer John "Sib" Hashian, much of the debut album consists of Scholz' demos. "More Than A Feeling" remains Boston's greatest moment, a heavy rock number lightened by its upbeat chorus and dense, meaty guitar pyrotechnics. Scholz was rushed into releasing the follow up, Don't Look Back in 1978 by impatient Epic records, and the album didn't fare as well; by the time he got around to releasing the third Boston album Third Stage, in 1986, the arena rock era had passed by; when the fourth album, Walk On finally appeared in 1994, most of Boston's fans had long since vanished. Scholz kept his one album every 8 years schedule in 2002 when Boston's fifth album, minus all of the other members, Corporate Rock was released.
10. Pat Benatar: Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Unlike many of the other arena-rock bands on this list, who usually paid their dues in one musical genre or another before conquering the world as arena rock stars, Pat Benatar's career gave the impression of being designed specifically as an arena-rock attraction, and her 1979 debut album, In The Heat Of The Night, proved to be an enormous seller that propelled her to stardom quickly, containing the top-40 hits, "Heartbreaker" and "We Live For Love" and a version of Johnny Cougar's "I Need A Lover". Born in Brooklyn as Patricia Andrzejewski, Benatar's image was one of streetwise tough sexuality, and her sound was largely due to the pumping arena-friendly guitarwork of her husband Neil Giraldo. Her best album was her sophomore album, Crimes Of Passion, which contained the hard rock "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" which was her first top-10. She began courting the mainstream pop audience next, and hit #1 with Precious Time in 1982 and #4 with Get Nervous in 1983, before seeing her sales begin to erode quickly.
11. Cheap Trick: I Want You To Want Me [live at Budokan]
Power-pop legends Cheap Trick are somewhat miscast on this list, although their most influential album was probably At Budokan, which was a quintessential arena-rock artifact, recorded mainly at Tokyo's Budokan arena, although there was significant studio work done to it as well. Cheap Trick's roots date all the way back to 1969 and Fuse, a Rockford, IL band formed by guitarist Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson, who released an unsuccessful album. In 1975 the classic Cheap Trick lineup of Nielsson-Peterssen-Carlos-Zander was established, and the band pursued a direction that combined the punchiness of the Beatles' harmonic pop with high adrenaline hard-rock. The result is textbook power pop, and Cheap Trick became the most successful power-pop band on the planet. "Surrender" was their first radio hit in 1978, but it is the live version of "I Want You To Want Me" from Budokan, released in 1979, that captures their true essence, and remains one of their most beloved songs; the audience shrieks throughout. Petersson left the group in 1980 but rejoined in 1988; the classic lineup endures to this day, one of the longest-lived in rock history.
Article comments
1 - The Proprietor
Frampton's signature effect is called a talkbox, not a squack box. Frampton and most 70s guitarists enamored of the effect used the Heil Sound talkbox, although there were other models from Electro-Harmonix and Kustom that enjoyed some popularity at the time.
An interesting trivia bit about "More Than A Feeling" is that Tom Scholz has said that he was very influenced by the Left Banke classic "Walk Away Renee" when writing it.
2 - uao
Thanks for the correction and bit of trivia, Proprietor. I wasn't sure what to call that darned thing. I'll fixt it in the text.
Walk Away Renee? Somehow I can't hear it, although "More Than A Feeling" does contain the line "I See my Marianne walking away..."
3 - Guppusmaximus
Nice review of some great bands... Me personally, I would've listed ASIA instead of Loverboy because Loverboy were one hit wonders(my opinion).With tracks like "only time will tell" and "Heat of the moment"... ASIA was definately Arena Rock!!
4 - uao
Asia would have been an excellent inclusion. I'm not sure I'd bump Loverboy for them, since Loverboy represents something of a road-not-taken by arena rock. Maybe I'd toss the Tubes, who only made the list at the very last moment when my mind was drawing a blank.
5 - cathi
I love your list!!!!! these are songs that I would play as well on a lazy day. thanks
6 - Uncle Fiscus
Where's AC/DC?? These hacks stink!! Or Zepplin??
7 - uao
Uncle Fiscus: Led Zeppelin and AC/DC were left off because the term "arena rock" diminishes them; they both are primarily known as heavy metal or hard rock. As for the rest being hacks, isn't that what arena rock is all about? Read the article, and you'll understand.
8 - Bruiser
Three of the bands listed - Blue Oyster Cult, REO Speedwagon, and Heart - played at the first concert I ever attended: the 1981 Texxas Jamm at the Houston Astrodome. For the record, the other two bands that played were Foghat and the long-forgotten Rockets.
The last two studio records that Cheap Trick have released are among their finest.
9 - Sister Ray
Maybe you could substitute Bob Seger for the Tubes. He would be more familiar to fans of arena rock, and you hear him a lot on classic-rock radio.
Punk just didn't catch on in the Midwest as much as the critics hoped it would. MTV really knocked off the arena bands.
Drifting a bit, remember when early MTV played "closet classics" from the 60s? There was a clip of the Doors doing "Touch Me" and videos by Blue Cheer, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and Donovan. Lots of swirling lights, etc.
10 - Paul Roy
Damn, I've seen nearly every one of these bands in concert. That must make me an arena rock lover. I guess there's worst things to love.
11 - uao
I did consider Bob Seger, but he already turned up in my 'Detroit Rock' playlist, and I'm saving him for a 'Heartland/Midwestern Rock' list as well.
However, his late 70's work definitely could qualify as 'arena rock' too.
12 - Linda
Enjoyed your reviews. However, you left out a very important chapter in Nuge Tune History. In 1990, Ted's band THE DAMN YANKEES, and self-titled CD,
spawned four smash AOR hits ("Runaway," "Coming Of Age," "High Enough" and "Come Again"); High Enough reached #3 on the Billboard Charts.
Additionally, in 2000, the Ted Nugent/KISS Tour made the Top 10 Grossing Tours of the year.
13 - uao
Thanks Linda, I should have said something about Damn Yankees (and added a bit after seeing your comment). It slipped my mind completely, but yes, that was a major chapter in his bio.
14 - godoggo
A defining characteristic of what I think of as arena rock is that it would seem absurdly incongruous if played in a small club, thus disqualifying not only Cheap Trick but also Aerosmith, but of which, not coincidentally, I like.
I also think that a lot of the characteristic mannerisms of arena rock were innovated by The Who, around the time they commenced sucking (I'm sure you all agree). For me the ultimate arena rock moment is "They're all wasted" which was obviously calculated to elicit the ultimate arena rock response: "Whoooooooo!"
15 - NashTrick
Cheap Trick remains a force today. A lot of "new" bands in rock point to them as a major influence....STP,Foo Fighters,etc...all recognize Cheap Trick as their roots. Quite a compliment by todays standards.
Give Cheap Trick's 2003 release "Special One" a whirl...great as ever!!! PEACE.
16 - Christine Foster
I agree with your listing of arena rock artists but I would have left off the Tubes and put Nazareth.Also as a Canadian I loved "Loverboy" but our greatest arena rock band here is the hard workin band "Trooper".
17 - Benatarlvr
Great review of Pat Benatar. However, she hit number #1 in 1981 with Precious Time. Not 1982. And Get Nervous was #4 in 1982 not 1983. Overall a great countdown.
18 - Trigaba
Why is everyone so reluctant to classify Rush as an Arena Rock band? Are they too progressive and conceptual to break the pop seal? Geddy Lee's high-pitched voice and abundance of keyboards makes me thing they definitely belong in this countdown.
19 - guppusmaximus
Ya know... Looking back on this review, I don't believe Pink Floyd could ever be classified as Arena rock along with RUSH. They were way too progressive and pioneering for their time to be lumped in with the comercially appealing rock of the 70's. I mean if you're going to overlook those qaulities, you may as well add ELO or YES to this list. But I do feel it was a great article and I do love alot of those bands....
20 - Ray Violette
Loverboy were hardly a one hit wonder as mentioned in the comments section, with a bunch of Top 40 hits. I saw them in 1981, and they were definitely arena rock then. I saw them in 2006, and they're still arena rock, although playing smaller venues, with all original members (save their bassist who passed away). Their latest album is actually quite good and is getting some surprising airplay.
21 - Kirt
Exactly. You hit the nail on the head with this one. I would only add these bands for consideration. April Wine, Cars, ZZ Top, Van Halen, Sammy Hagar, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Joe Walsh, Black Sabbath, Molly Hatchet, Fleetwood Mac. All huge arena bands when I graduated from HS back in 1982.
22 - Eye-roller
I don't even like .38 Special, but even I know ('84? Dallas Texxas Jam, watching MTV) that the dark-haired bearded guy (Don Barnes) sang "Hold On Loosely", and nearly all of their other hits. Always seemed like Donnie Van Zandt was just there to sprinkle on some of Skynyrd's "cachet", if one can call it that...
Also, according to the latest re-writing of the Boston foundation myth (in some schwag mag I picked up at '06 Austin NAMM), Scholz actually did go back to Boston and re-record everything with the ostensible band while the label-appointed "producer" stayed back in LA and ran interference.
23 - toocrass
Loverboy were not a one-hit wonder as mentioned, but if you want the epitome of a pre-packaged arena rock band that was a one-hit wonder look no further than Survivor. Saw 'em open for REO back in the day and they were beyond boring live. Unacceptable sin in the world of arena rock.
24 - PanurgeATL
Hmmm...
1. With all due respect, most pop music genres are "notoriously adverse to change". Indie-rock is actually a prime example. And bands that change a lot, like (say) Rush and Yes, tend to get blame rather than credit, because when they do it it seems like standing down or Accepting The Inevitable, or else selling out for the sake of continued commercial success. Meanwhile, bands from AC/DC to the Foo Fighters keep writing the same song over and over and no one complains.
2. Classic rock radio seems like a "mausoleum" because the playlists aren't broad enough. There's little effort to bring arena rock into a larger lineage, which is what the old AOR format provided. A good arena-rock station today ought to be playing everything from Hendrix to Zeppelin to ELP to Boston to Van Halen to Ozzy to Ratt to Dream Theater to echolyn (who you don't know, but you should) to Porcupine Tree. Beyond that, the stations won't play those old bands' new music. Is it not as good? Is it on small labels and thereby unofficially blacklisted? If major labels knew that radio would play new music by Band X, would they be more likely to sign Band X to a new contract?
3. I guess the truly amazing thing is that this stuff still has a decent audience after all this time, even though most of the bands who made it appear to be shells of themselves by now. I think the arena experience (and let's not forget the '80s hair bands here) is an essential part of rock; it's just not the whole story, and beyond that the whole enterprise as it actually went down always seemed to have a bit of an air of compromise and artistic decline about it from the beginning, which is a shame. What would an uncompromising, "ascendant" arena-rock sound like?