Classic Rock Album Olympics

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez toy with The Pretenders' 1984 release Learning to Crawl and select the three tracks that earn their gold, silver and bronze medals.
After a turbulent period that included the deaths of two original band members, guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon, Chrissie Hynde rebuilt the group and delivered one of the stronger albums of the 1980s.
The album's title was particularly appropriate. Learning to Crawl suggested starting over, finding one's footing and moving forward after personal tragedy. Musically, it combined the band's original mix of punk attitude, rock energy and pop craftsmanship with a more mature and emotionally revealing sound.
Medal Winners
Show Me
Thin Line Between Love And Hate
Time The Avenger
My City Was Gone
Middle Of The Road
2000 Miles
Bonus Tracks
Talk Of The Town (single)
Talk Of The Town (album)
Stop Your Sobbing
Kid
Brass In Pocket
Back On The Chain Gang
Lovers Of Today
Cuban Slide
Time Won't Let Me – Outsiders
Spiders & Snakes – Jim Stafford
Wildwood Weed – Jim Stafford
Thin Line Between Love And Hate – Persuaders
Some Guys Have All The Luck – Persuaders
Some Guys have All The Luck – Rod Stewart
Betcha By Golly Wow – The Stylistics
Betcha By Golly Wow – Prince
Oh Girl – Chi-Lites
Oh Girl – Paul Young
Room Full Of Mirrors – Jimi Hendrix
Thousand Miles Away – Otis Redding
Oh! Darling – Paul McCartney & Chrissie Hynde
Call Me Back Again – Wings
The album was produced by Chris Thomas, whose credits included work with the Sex Pistols, the Beatles and Roxy Music. The newly assembled Pretenders lineup featured:
Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, guitar
Martin Chambers – drums, backing vocals
Robbie McIntosh – guitar
Malcolm Foster – bass, backing vocals
Additional musicians included Billy Bremner and Tony Butler on guitar and bass, Andrew Bodnar on bass, and Paul Carrack on keyboards and vocals. Some tracks also feature contributions from former members James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon from earlier recording sessions.
Learning to Crawl was a major commercial success reaching #5 on U.S. Billboard 200 and produced several important singles, although two of its biggest songs had actually appeared before the album's release.
"Back on the Chain Gang" – Released September 1982. Reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
"2000 Miles" – Released November 1983 in the UK. Reached No. 15 in the UK.
"Middle of the Road" – Released November 1983 in the U.S. Reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Learning to Crawl is widely regarded as one of The Pretenders' finest albums and one of the standout rock records of 1984.  Its importance goes beyond its commercial success. The deaths of Honeyman-Scott in 1982 and Farndon in 1983 had threatened the band's very existence. Hynde's decision to continue was both a personal and artistic statement. Rather than attempting to recreate the original lineup, she assembled a new group and produced an album that retained the band's toughness while demonstrating greater emotional depth.
Ultimately, Learning to Crawl demonstrated that The Pretenders could survive devastating losses and emerge creatively stronger. It reaffirmed Chrissie Hynde's position as one of rock's most distinctive songwriters and performers.
Hashtags
#ThePretenders #LearningToCrawl #ChrissieHynde #ClassicRock #1984Music #NewWave #BackOnTheChainGang #MiddleOfTheRoad #2000Miles #MyCityWasGone #ShowMe #BritishRock #RockHistory #AlbumHistory #ClassicRockAlbumOlympics
 
Contact Info
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Gary Wenstrup⁠⁠⁠⁠
Podcast Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Home - Classic Rock Album Olympics⁠⁠⁠⁠
YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(556) Classic Rock Album Olympics - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(7) Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠
Podcast Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(17) Gary Wenstrup | LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠
Intro & Outro Music by Flwers ⁠⁠⁠Flwers⁠⁠⁠ Something About The Beatles Podcast
⁠⁠⁠somethingaboutthebeatles.com⁠

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez examine Joe Jackson's Look Sharp! and award gold, silver and bronze medals to their favorite tracks.
Medal Winners
One More Time
Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Fools In Love
Got The Time
Look Sharp!
Bonus Tracks
Tell It To Carrie – Romantics
Sunday Papers
Is She Really Going Out With Him? (Live)
Memphis
Laundromat Monday
Tilt
The Harder They Come
Battleground
Got The Time – Anthrax
Praying Mantis – Don Dixon
Pretty Girls
(Do The) Instant Mash
 
Joe Jackson released his debut album, Look Sharp! in early 1979.  The album introduced Jackson as one of the most exciting new voices in British new wave, combining punk's energy with sharp pop melodies, angular guitar work and clever, often cynical lyrics.
Produced by David Kershenbaum, the album features Jackson on vocals, piano and harmonica, Gary Sanford on guitar, Graham Maby on bass and David Houghton on drums. The band's tight, energetic playing gives the record its distinctive sound.
The album's best-known song, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?," was released as a single reaching #21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.  "Sunday Papers" and "One More Time" were also released as singles, but did not chart. 
Look Sharp! reached #20 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. 
The album's significance lies in how it helped define British new wave at the end of the 1970s. Jackson combined the rebellious attitude of punk with a sophisticated sense of melody and a sharp eye for human behavior. "Sunday Papers" satirizes sensationalist journalism, while "Happy Loving Couples" and "Fools in Love" examine romantic relationships with wit and skepticism.
The black-and-white cover, featuring Jackson's white shoes against a dark background, became an iconic image of the period.
Look Sharp! launched a career that would soon take Jackson into reggae, jazz, swing and sophisticated pop, but this debut remains one of his most immediate and influential records.
Side 1
One More Time
Sunday Papers
Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Happy Loving Couples
Throw It Away
Side 2
Baby Stick Around
Look Sharp!
Fools In Love
(Do The) Instant Mash
Pretty Girls
Got The Time
Hashtags: #JoeJackson #LookSharp #ClassicRock #NewWave #1979Music #PowerPop #BritishRock #IsSheReallyGoingOutWithHim #SundayPapers #FoolsInLove #MusicHistory #ClassicRockAlbumOlympics
Contact Info
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Gary Wenstrup⁠⁠⁠⁠
Podcast Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Home - Classic Rock Album Olympics⁠⁠⁠⁠
YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(556) Classic Rock Album Olympics - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(7) Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠
Podcast Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(17) Gary Wenstrup | LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠
Intro & Outro Music by Flwers ⁠⁠⁠Flwers⁠⁠⁠ Something About The Beatles Podcast
⁠⁠⁠somethingaboutthebeatles.com⁠

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez open The Doors' L. A. Woman, select their favorite tracks and award their gold, silver and bronze medals accordingly.
Medal Winners
The Changeling
Riders On The Storm
Love Her Madly
Hyacinth House
L. A. Woman
Bonus Tracks
Til The End Of Time – Perry Como
Cheek To Cheek – Fred Astaire
Riders In The Sky – Vaughn Moore
Roadhouse Blues (Live) – Doors
Light My Fire – Doors
Been Down So Long - Doors
Crawling King Snake – John Lee Hooker
 
Released in 1971, L.A. Woman is the sixth studio album by the Doors and the last album recorded with Jim Morrison before his death on July 3, 1971. It stands as one of the band's finest achievements, a gritty, blues-based return to the sound of their early years after the more elaborate production of albums such as The Soft Parade.
The album emerged during a difficult period for the band. Morrison's legal troubles following the infamous 1969 Miami concert had damaged the Doors' reputation and concert prospects, while his increasingly unpredictable behavior created tension within the group. Yet musically, the band was reconnecting with its roots, drawing heavily on Chicago blues, boogie, and the loose, spontaneous feel of a live performance.
A key change was the departure of longtime producer Paul A. Rothchild, who had worked on the band's previous studio albums. Rothchild reportedly became dissatisfied with the sessions and the band's performances, leading him to leave the project. The Doors then produced the album themselves with their longtime engineer, Bruce Botnick, recording much of the music in a relaxed, informal atmosphere at their own Workshop studio in Los Angeles.
The resulting album is rawer and more direct than much of the Doors' earlier work. Morrison sounds particularly comfortable singing the blues, while Robby Krieger's guitar and Ray Manzarek's keyboards weave around John Densmore's flexible, jazz-influenced drumming.  Two additional musicians helped shape the sound. Jerry Scheff, best known for his work with Elvis Presley, played bass throughout the album, providing a remarkably strong foundation that gave the Doors' music a more conventional blues-rock groove. Marc Benno added rhythm guitar on a handful of tracks.
The album reached No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200.  The first single, "Love Her Madly," was released in March 1971, ahead of the album, and peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, "Riders on the Storm," was released in June 1971 and reached No. 14.  It was the last song Morrison recorded with the band before his death.
L.A. Woman is significant because it captured the Doors at a moment of artistic renewal. The band had stripped away much of the elaborate studio polish of earlier records and rediscovered the blues-based chemistry that had made them compelling in the first place.
Side 1
The Changeling
Love Her Madly
Been Down So Long
Cars Hiss By My Window
L. A. Woman
Side 2
L'America
Hyacinth House
Crawling King Snake
The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)
Riders On The Storm
Contact Info
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Gary Wenstrup⁠⁠⁠⁠
Podcast Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Home - Classic Rock Album Olympics⁠⁠⁠⁠
YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(556) Classic Rock Album Olympics - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(7) Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠
Podcast Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(17) Gary Wenstrup | LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠
Intro & Outro Music by Flwers ⁠⁠⁠Flwers⁠⁠⁠ Something About The Beatles Podcast
⁠⁠⁠somethingaboutthebeatles.com⁠

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez roll Linda Ronstadt's Heart Like A Wheel to select their favorite tracks and award their gold, silver and bronze medals accordingly.
Medal Winners
Faithless Love
Heart Like A Wheel
You're No Good
Keep Me From Blowing Away
When Will I Be Loved
Bonus Tracks
Different Drum – Stone Ponys
Different Drum- Mike Nesmith
Long Long Time – Linda Ronstadt
Dark End Of The Street – Flying Burrito Brothers
The Dark End Of The Street – James Carr
Making Love (At The Dark End Of The Street) – Clarence Carter
It's So Easy – Linda Ronstadt
That'll Be The Day – Linda Ronstadt
Blue Bayou – Linda Ronstadt
Heart Of Gold – Neil Young
You're So Vain – Carly Simon
Lonely Boy – Andrew Gold
Thank you For Being A Friend – Andrew Gold
You're No Good – Betty Everett
The Game Of Love – Mindbenderrs
The Thrill Is Gone – B.B. King
Heart Like A Wheel – Anna McGarrigle
Drop Kick Me, Jesus - Paul Craft/Bobby Bare
I Will Never Marry – Linda Ronstadt
You Can Close Your Eyes – Jame Taylor
You Can Close Your Eyes – Linda Ronstadt
You're No Good – Van Halen
Cathy's Clown – Everly Brothers
Willin' – Little Feat
Willin' – Linda Ronstadt
I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) – Hank Williams
It Doesn't Matter Anymore – Linda Ronstadt
It Doesn't Matter Anymore – Buddy Holly
You're Having My Baby – Paul Anka
One Man Woman/One Woman Man – Paul Anka
 
Released in November 1974, Heart Like a Wheel was Linda Ronstadt's fifth solo studio album and the record that made her into a major pop superstar. The album was produced by Peter Asher, who had also become Ronstadt's manager and was instrumental in establishing the polished yet emotionally powerful sound that would define her great albums of the 1970s. 
The musicians were an extraordinary collection of Los Angeles studio players and Ronstadt associates. Andrew Gold played guitar, piano, electric piano, drums and percussion and became one of the album's most important musical architects, while Kenny Edwards, Ronstadt's former Stone Poneys bandmate, played bass. 
The singles were particularly successful. "You're No Good" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Ronstadt her first No. 1 pop single and "When Will I Be Loved" reached No. 2 on the Hot 100.  The album itself was an even bigger success. Heart Like a Wheel became Ronstadt's first No. 1 album on the Billboard.
Its impact went far beyond sales. Heart Like a Wheel helped establish the template for the sophisticated country-rock/pop crossover that would dominate much of Ronstadt's career and influence artists who followed. She demonstrated that an album could move effortlessly between rock, country, R&B, folk and pop without sounding stylistically confused. Just as importantly, Ronstadt became a major interpreter of songs by emerging writers such as J.D. Souther, Lowell George and Anna McGarrigle, often bringing their work to audiences far larger than those they could reach themselves. 
Ultimately, Heart Like a Wheel was the album that established the Linda Ronstadt formula: an extraordinary singer, first-rate musicians, carefully chosen songs, country roots and rock muscle, all held together by Peter Asher's elegant production. It was both a commercial breakthrough and an artistic statement—and the beginning of one of the most successful recording careers by an American female artist of the 1970s.
Track Listing
Side 1
You're No Good
It Doesn't Matter Anymore
Faithless Love
The Dark End Of The Street
Heart Like A Wheel
Side 2
When Will I Be Loved
Willin'
I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
Keep Me From Blowing Away
You Can Close Your Eyes
 
#LindaRonstadt #HeartLikeAWheel #PeterAsher #AndrewGold #CountryRock #ClassicRock #RockHistory #1970sMusic #YoureNoGood #WhenWillIBeLoved #MusicHistory #AlbumHistory #Grammy #ClassicAlbums
Contact Info
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Gary Wenstrup⁠⁠⁠⁠
Podcast Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Home - Classic Rock Album Olympics⁠⁠⁠⁠
YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(556) Classic Rock Album Olympics - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(7) Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠
Podcast Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(17) Gary Wenstrup | LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠
Intro & Outro Music by Flwers ⁠⁠⁠Flwers⁠⁠⁠ Something About The Beatles Podcast
⁠⁠⁠somethingaboutthebeatles.com⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We know "the people" liked it. Did you?
In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez analyze R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People add award their gold, silver and bronze medals to the album's strongest tracks.
Medal Winners
Ignoreland
Everybody Hurts
Monty Got A Raw Deal
Drive
Find The River
 Released in October 1992, Automatic For The People is widely regarded as one of the defining albums of the 1990s and a peak artistic statement in R.E.M.'s career. Following the massive success of Out of Time, the band moved away from jangly college rock toward a more introspective and melancholic sound. The album's themes revolve around mortality, aging, loss and memory, giving it a reflective tone that feels both intimate and cinematic.
The album was produced by Scott Litt alongside R.E.M.  A defining feature of the record is its use of orchestral instrumentation arranged by John Paul Jones (of Led Zeppelin).  The production emphasizes acoustic guitars, piano, mellotron, strings, and restrained percussion, marking a stark contrast from the more energetic sound of their earlier work.
R.E.M. at this time consisted of Michael Stipe, whose abstract, emotionally direct lyrics and distinctive vocal delivery anchor the album; Peter Buck, whose guitar work shifted toward mandolin, acoustic textures, and subtle melodic layering; Mike Mills, whose bass lines and harmony vocals provide emotional depth; and Bill Berry, whose understated drumming supports the album's slower, more contemplative pacing. Together, the band created a unified sound that prioritizes mood and atmosphere over traditional rock dynamics.
Commercially, Automatic for the People was a major worldwide success. It reached #2 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and charted highly across Europe, including #1 in the UK Albums Chart. The album produced several major singles. "Drive" became a top 30 hit in the United States and a standout track on alternative radio. "Man on the Moon" became one of the band's signature songs, reaching #30 on the Billboard Hot 100.  "Everybody Hurts" became one of R.E.M.'s most emotionally powerful and enduring songs, receiving extensive airplay worldwide and becoming an anthem for empathy and resilience.
The cultural significance of Automatic for the People lies in its ability to bring introspective, even somber themes into mainstream rock at a massive commercial scale. At a time when alternative rock was becoming dominant in popular culture, R.E.M. demonstrated that vulnerability and emotional honesty could coexist with chart success.
Bonus Tracks
Radio Free Europe – R.E.M.
Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye
The Right Profile – The Clash
Rock On – David Essex
This Is The Day – The The
Fall On Me – R.E.M.
Harbor Town - R.E.M.
Nightswimming - R.E.M.
New Orleans Instrumental #1 - R.E.M.
Man On The Moon - R.E.M.
Rockin' In The Free World – Neil Young
Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young
Track Listing
Drive Side
Drive
Try Not To Breathe
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
Everybody Hurts
New Orleans Instrumental No. 1
Sweetness Follows
Ride Side
Monty Got A Raw Deal
Ignoreland
Star Me Kitten
Man On The Moon
Nightswimming
Find The River
 
Hashtags: #AutomaticForThePeople #REM #AlternativeRock #IndieRock #1992Music #ManOnTheMoon #EverybodyHurts #Drive #Nightswimming #ClassicAlbums #MusicHistory #AlbumHistory #90sMusic #WarnerBros #ScottLitt
Info
Website: ⁠⁠⁠Gary Wenstrup⁠⁠⁠
Podcast Website: ⁠⁠⁠Home - Classic Rock Album Olympics⁠⁠⁠
YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠(556) Classic Rock Album Olympics - YouTube⁠⁠⁠
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠(7) Facebook⁠⁠⁠
Podcast Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠(17) Gary Wenstrup | LinkedIn⁠⁠
Intro & Outro Music by Flwers ⁠⁠Flwers⁠⁠ Something About The Beatles Podcast
⁠⁠somethingaboutthebeatles.com⁠




Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices