Pop Shots – 3 Bands You Won’t Believe Are Nearing Classic Rock Status

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is going to make you feel old … really old, because I’m taking a look at three bands you won’t believe are nearing classic rock status.

We like to think of classic rock as bands from the late ‘60s, and early ‘70s, like Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Queen, and the first version of Heart. The thing is – we’ve thought about classic rock in this way for over 25 years.

For those of us of a certain age, the math I’m about to do is gonna hurt, because if 25 years ago we thought of bands who had a musical prime in the ‘70s as classic rock, it means that bands from {gulp} the early 2000s are nearing classic rock status.

Heck, Nirvana, and Alice in Chains are from the ‘90s, and they’re getting played on classic rock stations, so it’s really only a matter of time before bands from the ‘00s are there.

With that in mind, here are three bands you won’t believe are nearing classic rock status.

Of course, since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

 

Paramore
Founded: 2004

As a band, Paramore is now of legal drinking age, having turned 21 this year. That would put them on the precipice of classic rock status, however they didn’t blow up until their sophomore album, Riot!, which was released in 2007.

2007 was 18 years ago, so while we aren’t quite at the point where “Misery Business,” “crushcrushcrush,” and “That’s What You Get” follow Led Zeppelin’s “D’yer Mak’er” on a classic rock radio stations’ playlist, we’re much closer to that reality than you might have thought!

Personally, this makes me feel especially ancient, because when I interviewed Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams around the time Riot! started making noise she was so young I asked her if any fans had asked her to prom.

 

 

Fall Out Boy
Founded: 2001

The other day I had MTV Classic on in the background, and a Fall Out Boy song from their sophomore album, From Under the Cork Tree, came on. Everyone in the band looked so freakin’ young, and it’s because they were so freakin’ young. From Under the Cork Tree turned 20 this year, and Fall Out Boy is just one year shy of celebrating their 25th anniversary as a band.

Just imagine hearing “Sugar, We’re Going Down” sandwiched between Heart’s “Barracuda,” and Foghat’s “Slow Ride.” That could happen any day now!

 

 

Evanescence
Founded: 1994

I can already hear my buddy Rey crushing me for this one, but it’s true.

Evanescence has been a band for over 30 years, although they didn’t blow up until their debut studio album Fallen, which was released in 2003, and has reached legendary status.

Fallen is currently the sixth best-selling album of the 21st century despite never hitting #1. You don’t have to hit #1 when you spend a whopping 58 weeks in the Top 20!

So yes, 22 years after Fallen’s release it’s almost time to hear “Going Under,” “Bring Me To Life,” or “Everybody’s Fool” bumped up against Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird,” and The Doors’ “Light My Fire.”

Anyone else suddenly want to book an early bird dinner?

That’s all for this edition of Pop Shots, but come back next Monday for more shots on all things pop.