Classic Rock Album Olympics

In this episode (#28) of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez turn their attention to Moondance by Van Morrison and award their gold, silver and bronze medals for the strongest tracks. 

Released in January 1970, it was Morrison’s third solo album and transformed him from a critically admired cult artist into a major commercial success. While his previous album, Astral Weeks, had been celebrated for its poetic ambition and jazz-influenced experimentation, Moondance struck a perfect balance between artistic sophistication and accessibility. Blending rock, soul, jazz, folk, blues, rhythm and blues, and Celtic influences, the...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez turn on Remain In Light by Talking Heads and award gold, silver and bronze medals to their favorite songs.

Medal Winners

Crosseyed And Painless

Once In A Lifetime

The Overload

Listening Wind

 Remain In Light, released in the fall of 1980, was the band’s fourth studio album and was an artistic leap as they blended new wave, funk, African polyrhythms, electronic music, and experimental rock into a new sonic texture. 

Buil...

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez take Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On for a spin and award gold, silver and bronze medals for their favorite tracks.

Medal Winners

What’s Going On

Flyin’ High (In The Friendly Sky)

Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

What’s Happening Brother

Inner City Blues (Makes Me Want To Holler)

The album was released in the summer of 1971 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums ever made.  It...

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 year after the group’s acclaimed debut, Music From Big Pink.  At a time when psychedelic rock and hard rock domina...

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.

Station To Station introduced Bowie’s mysterious “Thin White Duke” persona — elegant, detached, and emotionally fractured. Recorded in Los Angeles during a turbulent period of Bowie’s life, the album blended art rock, funk, krautrock influences, an...

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 along with the band, the album expanded the reggae-rock and post-punk sound introduced on Outlandos d’Amour.

The title – Reggatta de Blanc - loosely translates to “white reggae,” reflecting the group’s fusion of...

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

Look What You’ve Done To Me – Boz

Harbor Lights...

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 point not just for the band but for late-1970s rock. Expanding far beyond their early punk sound, the doub...

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 stayed on the album charts for 6 ½ years.

The album marked King’s breakthrough as a solo artist after years of writing hits for others, showcasing her distinctive voice and emotionally resonant songwriting. With understated production by L...

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. 2 and was embraced immediately as a masterpiece.

Over time, its stature eclipsed its initial commercial performance, and it is now routinely ranked among the greatest albums ever recorded.

Medal Winner...

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

Misunderstood

Street In The City

Till The Rivers All Ru...

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 Blue Notes

The Thrill is Gone – B. B. King

Hearts – Ma...

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 Joe – Tim Rose

Down By The River – Neil Young

Oh Woman, O...

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 accessibility and theatrical flair.  With Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, John and lyricist Bernie Taupin reached a new level of ambition and artistry, delivering a sprawling, double album that combined rock, balladry, soul, and cabar...

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 marked the creative peak of Cat coming fully into his voice. By the time...

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 Another Nervous Wreck

Casual Conversations

Goodbye Stranger

Take The Long Way Home

After years of crafting long, introspective, and sometimes progressive recor...

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 already riding high on the success of their folk-rock hits “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” But the departure of their musical anchor, Gene Clark, left the group at a crossro...

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 regarded as one of the most important voices of her generation. As a solo artist, she had released a remarkable run of a...

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 title instead of a number. Coming off the monumental success of Led Zeppelin IV, the band used Houses of the Holy to pu...

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 that the finished product would be an all-new Simon & Garfunkel studio album.  However, tensions during recording led to the project being released as a Paul Simon solo album.

Hearts and Bones pea...

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 band, they experimented with new sounds, orchestration, and studio techniques, pushing rock into the realm of art.

Released during the “Summer of Love,” it became a cultural touchstone of 1967 and stayed atop the US Billboard...

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 “Come and Get It” to record which became a worldwide hit in 1969 and they changed their name to Badfinger.

Under Apple, Badfinger released — Magic Christian Music (1970...

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 production by Glynn Johns. 

On Who By Numbers principal songwriter Pete Townsend grapples with disillusionment, midlife anxiety, and questions about The Who’s future.  Though not as thematically grand as Tommy or Quadrophenia, The Who b...

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. Billboard 200 and #4 on the UK Albums Chart.  Its lead single, “Like a Rolling Stone,” became Dylan’s biggest hit, peaking at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.  

The opening track “Like a Ro...

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 Becker and Donald Fagen delivered a gender-bending album with jazz and Latin rhythm tones, pop/rock hooks and cryptic lyrics.  Steely Dan made pop music for people who did not thi...

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 popularity, the album had social commentary too as evidenced by the tension of the patriotic perception and political reality in the title track. 

But which tracks stand tallest in this bl...

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 crown the top songs that define this rock 'n' roll classic.

From the swaggering groove of "Brown Sugar" to the electrifying energy of "Bitch," the bluesy brilliance of "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," and t...

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 lasting influence—then award gold, silver, and bronze medals to its three greatest tracks.  Released in the summer of 1974 the album peaked at #1 on Billboard and both “Boogie On Reggae Woman” and “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” hit #1 on the...

This week on Classic Rock Album Olympics we dust off a cornerstone of classic rock: Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush (1970).

Blending folk, country, and a whisper of psychedelic surrealism, the album captures Young at his most introspective and influential. The album peaked at #8 on Billboard. Two singles were released from the album: “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” peaked at #33 and “When You Dance I Can Really Love” peaked at #93. 

Take a listen and see which songs music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez awarded their gold, silver and bronze medals.

In this episode, music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez dive deep into Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled 1975 album — the one that launched the band into a new era with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joining the lineup.

It marked a major turning point for the band. Founding members Mick Fleetwood (drums) and John McVie (bass) remained the rhythmic heart of the group, while Christine McVie (keyboards and vocals) continued to shine as a songwriter.

The addition of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks in 1974 transformed the band’s sound, blending their California folk-rock style...

Trailer

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