Classic Rock Album Olympics

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez turn their attention to the self-titled album by The Band and award their gold, silver and bronze medals accordingly. Medal Winners Jemima Surrender Whispering Pines The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down Rockin’ Chair Across The Great Divide   Released in the fall of 1969, the album arrived roughly a y...

In episode #26 of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez award their gold, silver and bronze medals for songs from David Bowie’s Station To Station. Released in January 1976, Station to Station represented Bowie’s transition away from American soul influences toward the avant-garde European sensibilities that would define his late-1970s work with Brian Eno....

In episode #25 of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez sail with Reggatta de Blanc by The Police and award their gold, silver and bronze medals for their favorite songs. Released October 1979, Reggatta de Blanc was the second album by The Police and the record that transformed the trio from promising new-wave outsiders into stars. Produced by Nigel Gray a...

In episode # 24 of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez dig into Silk Degrees by Boz Scaggs and award their gold, silver and bronze medals accordingly. Medal Winners Georgia Harbor Lights Lido Shuffle We’re All Alone Bonus Tracks We Were Always Sweethearts – Boz Finding Her – Boz Dinah Flo – Boz Near You - Boz Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) – Looking Glass L...

In episode #23 of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez discuss London Calling by The Clash and award their gold, silver and bronze medals accordingly. Medal Winners Lost In The Supermarket Spanish Bombs The Right Profile Rudie Can’t Fail Clampdown Train In Vain    London Calling by The Clash was released in the U.S. in January 1980, marking a turning poin...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez discuss and award their gold, silver and bronze medals for Tapestry by Carole King. Tapestry released February 1971 is widely regarded as a landmark album of the singer/songwriter era, blending introspective lyrics with rich, melodic piano-driven pop and soft rock.  It spent 4 months (!) at #1 and st...

Pet Sounds, released on May 16, 1966, stands as The Beach Boys’ most ambitious and influential album—a deeply personal statement from Brian Wilson that reshaped the possibilities of pop music. The album reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, a respectable showing at the time, though far below the group’s earlier surf-era dominance. In the United Kingdom, however, it soared to No...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez smoothly assess Rough Mix by Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane and share which songs from the album earn their gold, silver and bronze medals. Medal Winners Keep Me Turning Annie April Fool My Baby Gives It Away Heart To Hand Onto Bonus Tracks Something In The Air – Thunderclap Newman Rough Mix Misunder...

Welcome to episode #19 of Classic Rock Album Olympics.  In this episode music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez turn the light on the Eagles’ One Of These Nights and select their gold, silver and bronze medal winning songs. Medal Winners Visions Take It To The Limit One Of These Nights After The Thrill Is Gone Lyin’ Eyes Bonus Tracks If You Don’t Know Me By Now – Harold Melvin & The Bl...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez discuss the songs that win their gold, silver and bronze medals from Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced. Medal Winners The Wind Cries Mary Are You Experienced? Fire Hey Joe Purple Haze   Bonus Tracks Incense & Peppermints – Strawberry Alarm Clock Ruby Tuesday – Rolling Stones The Real Me – Who Hey Jo...

Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, released October 1973, is widely considered the pinnacle of his early career and one of the greatest albums in rock history. By this point, Elton John had already achieved significant fame with albums like Honky Château (1972) and Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (1973).  He was establishing a signature sound: a blend of piano-driven rock with pop ac...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez take a sip of Tea For The Tillerman by Cat Stevens and award their gold, silver and bronze medals accordingly. Medal Winners On The Road To Find Out Father And Son Tea For The Tillerman Miles From Nowhere Hard Headed Woman Tea For The Tillerman is a warm, philosophical, beautifully crafted album that...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez order up Supertramp’s Breakfast in America and select their gold, silver and bronze medal winners.  Released in March 1979, it’s the album that transformed the band from a respected British art-rock group into an international pop phenomenon. Medal Winners The Logical Song Child Of Vision Just Anothe...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez enter The Byrds’ Fifth Dimension.  Released in July 1966 the album captures the moment when the band stepped into new territory and helped invent what would soon be called psychedelic rock. Medal Winners ⁠John Riley⁠ ⁠5D (Fifth Dimension)⁠ ⁠Eight Miles High⁠ ⁠What’s Happening?!?! The Byrds were alrea...

Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez go to Joni Mitchell’s 1974 album Court and Spark and determine which songs earn their gold, silver and bronze medals. Medal Winners ⁠Raised On Robbery⁠ ⁠Just Like This Train⁠ ⁠Free Man In Paris⁠ ⁠Twisted⁠  By the release of Court and Spark, Joni was already widely reg...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez enter Led Zeppelin’s 1973 album Houses of the Holy and award their gold, silver and bronze medals.  Medal Winners ⁠The Rain Song⁠ ⁠Dancing Days⁠ ⁠Over The Hills And Far Away⁠ ⁠D’yer Mak’er⁠ ⁠The Ocean⁠ This is the group’s fifth studio album, and notably, the first Zeppelin record to actually have a t...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez dig into Paul Simon’s 1983 album Hearts and Bones. The album was written and recorded following Simon and Garfunkel’s Concert In The Park in 1981 and their world tour of 1982–1983.  Some of the songs intended for Hearts and Bones were performed on the tour.  Paul and Art began recording and intended...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez discuss The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and award their gold, silver and bronze medals accordingly.  Often considered the most important rock album ever made, it saw The Beatles abandon touring to focus on studio recordings.  Adopting the alter-ego of a fictional Edwardian-style ba...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez go deep on Badfinger’s Straight Up.  Badfinger’s story is one of great songs and huge heartbreak.  Formed in the mid-1960s in Wales, the group began as The Iveys, playing a mix of British rock and pop. In 1968 they became the first band signed to The Beatles’ Apple Records. Paul McCartney gave them “...

The Who by Numbers is the seventh studio album by The Who, released in October 1975.  It follows an impressive run of deep, successful, and respected work by the band: Tommy, Who’s Next and Quadrophenia.  Understandably, Pete Townsend and company might have felt spent.  That said, the album contains great performances by Pete, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon with straight-forward prod...

Highway 61 Revisited is Bob Dylan’s sixth studio album and a defining moment in rock history. Released in 1965, it marked Dylan’s full embrace of electric instrumentation after his transitional album Bringing It All Back Home. With its biting lyrics, surreal imagery, and raw rock-and-roll energy, the album reshaped popular music’s sense of what a song could be.  The album reached #3 on the U.S. Bi...

In this episode of CLASSIC ROCK ALBUM OLYMPICS, music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez pull Steely Dan’s Can’t Buy A Thrill off the shelf and discuss which songs earn their gold, silver and bronze medals.  Can’t Buy A Thrill was the band’s 1972 debut.   It reached #17 on the album charts and placed two songs in the Top Twenty: Do It Again and Reelin’ in the Years.  Songwriters Walter...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez tackle one of the most iconic albums of the 1980s—Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A.. Packed with 7 (!) Top Ten hits and stadium-shaking anthems, this summer of 1984 release cemented “The Boss” as a global superstar. The album hit #1 and it stayed there for almost 2 months.  Besides its popularit...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics, music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez dive deep into the legendary Rolling Stones' 1971 masterpiece, Sticky Fingers. With its raw energy, soulful ballads, and iconic riffs, this album is packed with timeless gems. But which three tracks will earn their gold, silver annd bronze medals?  Join in as they debate, dissect, and ultimately cro...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez return to the mic for a deep dive into Stevie Wonder’s 1974 classic Fulfillingness’ First Finale. As part of Stevie’s “classic period,” this 4x Grammy-winning album blends soulful introspection with social consciousness and studio innovation. Gary and Robert unpack the album’s cultural context and la...