Just How Well Are Classic Rock Stations Represented in Video Games
I've made a blog posting last year on how classic rock radio is evolving. As of late, I have gotten to thinking if video games such as the Grand Theft Auto series represent classic rock stations at par or subpar.
What's this all about?
Let's take a look at three fictional radio stations from three of the most popular GTA games: San Andreas, Iv, and V:
San Andreas (KDST)
Foghat - "Slow Ride" (1975)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Green River" (1969)
Heart - "Barracuda" (1977)
Kiss - "Strutter" (1974)
Toto - "Hold the Line" (1978)
Rod Stewart - "Young Turks" (1981)
Tom Petty - "Runnin' Down a Dream" (1989) *
Joe Cocker - "Woman to Woman" (1972) *
Humble Pie - "Get Down to It" (1973)
Grand Funk Railroad - "Some Kind of Wonderful" (1974)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Free Bird" (1973)
America - "A Horse with No Name" (1971)
The Who - "Eminence Front" (1982)
Boston - "Smokin'" (1976)
David Bowie - "Somebody Up There Likes Me" (1975)
Eddie Money - "Two Tickets to Paradise" (1977)
Billy Idol - "White Wedding" (1982)
For many years now, many of these songs have played on classic rock stations. Looking at this list, it seems that Toto, Joe Cocker, Humble Pie, and maybe even Boston are some of the overrated acts played. In my recounting, my local classic rock station usually only played Maggie May or Every Picture Tells a Story by Rod Steward. I don't remember ever hearing Two Tickets to Paradiseon a classic rock station; however, I have heard some Humble Pie many moons ago, and did I mention the full-length version of Slow Ride? Bowie also doesn't get that much attention nowadays on classic rock radio. Modern Love is perhaps his most played hit on classic rock radio. We also have to take into consideration that this game is set in the early 90s - a time when classic rock was relatively new, so what was "classic" then isn't quite as "classic" (popular?) as it is now.
Grand Theft Auto IV: Liberty Rock Radio
The Smashing Pumpkins - "1979" (1995)**
Steve Marriott - "Cocaine" (1996)
Godley & Creme - "Cry" (1985)
The Sisters of Mercy - "Dominion" (1987)
Stevie Nicks - "Edge of Seventeen" (1981)**
Electric Light Orchestra - "Evil Woman" (1975)**
David Bowie - "Fascination" (1975)**
Q Lazzarus - "Goodbye Horses" (1988)
Black Sabbath - "Heaven and Hell" (1980)**
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - "Her Strut" (1980)
The Stooges - "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (1969)
Thin Lizzy - "Jailbreak" (1976)
Genesis - "Mama" (1983)
Hello - "New York Groove" (1975)
Queen - "One Vision" (1985)
The Black Crowes - "Remedy" (1992)
Joe Walsh - "Rocky Mountain Way" (1973)
The Who - "The Seeker" (1970)
Elton John - "Street Kids" (1975)
Heart - "Straight On" (1978)
ZZ Top - "Thug" (1983)
R.E.M. - "Turn You Inside-Out" (1988)
While I have heard hits from Heart, Sabbath, Elton John, and even Genesis in the past on classic rock radio, most of these songs on this playlist (such as Q Lazzarus or the Sisters of Mercy) really never get played. I have listened to real stations in the past that (surprise!) played Smashing Pumpkins, and I have also heard ZZ Top (albeit when it comes to Eliminator, Legs and Sharp Dressed Man are the two popular choices and let's not mention their 1970s blusey numbers. R.E.M. also almost never gets spun on classic rock (at least not in my area), but I have heard Thin Lizzy and the Black Crowes in the past (albeit Hard to Handle as far as the latter). Also, there are more hits by Fleetwood Mac on the air than there are by Stevie Nicks as a solo act; though the song that appearas in this game is perhaps the most noteworthy exception.
Grand Theft Auto V: Los Santos Rock Radio
Billy Squier - Lonely Is the Night (1981)
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band - Hollywood Nights (1978)
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band - Night Moves (1976)
Chicago - If You Leave Me Now (1976)
Def Leppard - Photograph (1983)
Don Johnson - Heartbeat (1986)
Elton John - Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting (1973)
Foreigner - Dirty White Boy (1979)
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street (1978)
The Greg Kihn Band - The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) (1981)
Julian Lennon - Too Late for Goodbyes (1984)
Kenny Loggins - I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man) (1984)
Phil Collins - I Don't Care Anymore (1982)
Queen - Radio Ga Ga (1984)
Robert Plant - Big Log (1983)
Simple Minds - All the Things She Said (1985)
Small Faces - Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (1968)
Steve Winwood - Higher Love (1986)
Stevie Nicks - I Can't Wait (1985)
The Alan Parsons Project - I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You (1977)
The Doobie Brothers - What a Fool Believes (1978)
The Cult - Rain (1985)
Steve Miller Band - Rock'n Me (1976)
Like above, some of these acts get more attention than others. In certain areas, Bill Squire, Foreigner, Elton John, and Def Leppard are heavily played. Bands like The Small Faces or The Alan Parsons Project, don't get that much attention. Chicago can be a hit and miss, but stations that DO play them, tend to play their horn-driven hits as opposed to slwer ballads. Robert Plant's Big Log is also a hit-and-miss rotation as is Steve Winwood's Higher Love. As for Simple Minds, forget about it! Even Don't You Forget About Me doesn't receive classic ROCK airplay, but it is played (and overplayed) on classic HITS stations nowadays.
So what do I think of all this?
In-game classic rock tends to be a hit-and-miss when it comes to representing the typical playlists. There are many acts whose other hits (if not the hits in the games) get played quite frequently (a la Foreigner or Def Leppard). It gives me a great feeling to know that Rockstar Games, at some point or another, thought to show respect to some of the lesser-paid-attention-to acts like Joe Cocker or Th Cult. It also seems that (at least partially) they represent the average classic rock station of the time of setting (Sa being set in 1992, IV in 2008, and V in 2013).
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