No matter how good an album is, there is always one or two “skips” in the tracklist. There’s no album that is completely faultless to every listener. I have a set of classic rock songs that I routinely skip. I decided to give these tracks a second chance recently, to see what I was missing. As it turns out, quite a lot.
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“Round And Round” — Aerosmith
Aerosmith’s Toys In The Attic is rife with top-selling hits. Streaming stats will quickly tell you that “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way” are fan-favorites from this record. They will also tell you that “Round And Round” is the exact opposite of a fan-favorite. If the data is correct, this song is the most skipped song on this record. Even I have been known to skip this classic rock song on this legendary album from time to time. But why do I and so many others count this song out? I wasn’t sure, so I gave it another listen.
What I found was a song that stood in the face of the pop success of this album. It’s dark and twisted, with no shortage of sex appeal. It’s everything Aerosmith is known for, delivered to perfection. It’s not splashy or hit-worthy to be sure, but it’s not a perpetual skip either.
“Doesn’t Anybody Stay Together Anymore” — Phil Collins
Phil Collins’ “Doesn’t Anybody Stay Together Anymore” doesn’t have the same instant recognition as many other songs in his discography. For many, that’s enough to skip right over this masterclass of percussion and melody-making.
As with most Collins songs, this track is very drum-heavy. But, despite the rhythm being so forward, this song isn’t dance-y. It’s more contemplative, highlighting the drums’ diversity. Collins has always given the instrument a cool factor that it lacked prior to his career, but this classic rock song that I’ve been guilty of skipping doubles down on that idea.
“Pretty Maids All In A Row” — The Eagles
The Eagles’ Hotel California is cover-to-cover a masterpiece. It’s an album that’s better heard straight through. But, if there is one song that often gets looked over on this otherwise attention-grabbing record, it’s “Pretty Maids All In A Row.”
Joe Walsh takes on lead vocals for this song, departing from the typical lineup on the rest of the record. This is enough of a jarring difference to have many listeners running for the skip button. But what isn’t different about this song and the rest of the tracklist is how visceral the songwriting is. This track is as good as any other on the record, and it’s time it’s recognized for that.
(Photo by Doug Griffin/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
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