Genre of Rock?
 

This has been bugging me, seeing as how i'm a newbie i gotta ask. What genre of rock is the Mac? Cause when i think of rock I keep thinking of newer bands, or The Doors, or something when it comes to older bands. Cause I like the song Thrown Down from Say You Will but it strikes me as more of a pop song. Sames with TISL i like the CD but isn't that actually pop music not rock?

I guess it depends on the song. A lot of their stuff is a sort of Folk Rock but then take most of TITN and they're pretty much just pop songs. Then take Come from SYW and you've got something that is almost an Industrial Metal song. If I had to go with the broadest category for them I would probably go for Pop Rock. That's assuming we're only talking about the Rumours line up. If you go back to the earlier stuff then you have to try add Blues into the mix as well.

They are definitely a "pop" band. Some people label them "lite" rock... or "soft" rock. Suffice to say they also fit into the category of "mystical" rock (thanks, Stevie) ;)

LOL! Maybe they should just be labled mystical rock?

Def "Pop Rock"...then under sub-heading of "Mystic Rock"

I think Heart would also fit into that category. ;)

why not Classic Rock?

Mystic rock???

DIdn't know there was such a thing! :laugh:

But yeah, definitely pop rock!

D'Oh! I forgot about classic rock....

I think a proper term to describe them would be Pop Rock.

Classic pop rock. There we go!

In 1975 Keith Olsen described it to John McVie as "pop rock" when the two were discussing the band's move even further away from blues. A good characterization I think.

i've often thought of this too...my thinking is that they are def. a pop-rock band in the studio...however live is another story altogether...even their most pop songs have always had more of a rock edge when played live...i've always thought there is such a duality with the macs music when compared to record and being played on stage...i prefer the live mac...but the studio mac is a pop masterpiece

Well said Andy man. "Gypsy" is one of those songs for me. It's such a perfect "studio" pop song...and I dont think they've ever been able to quite pull off, live, that "magical" feel that the studio cut did.

An interesting and accurate observation. This goes a long way to explain my love of Fleetwood Mac, when I really don't like "soft rock." For instance, I have no use for the Eagles. But the Mac just have something they didn't have ... they have a punch in the gut that other bands of the "soft rock" genre didn't have.

By the way, I don't think "classic rock" is a musical genre. It's a marketing term to pigeonhole radio stations.

And I've always thought Fleetwood Mac are a musical genre unto themselves.

you could say the same thing when it comes to "pop" and "soft rock", even "indie"
genres in and of themselves pigeonhole artists and radio stations.

Gotta love Heart! Great songs and similar dynamics to the Mac in terms of in band relationships at points too, with the added complication that they're sisters! No, I don't mean that they were "sisters"...let's not go down that horrible rumour strewn path!

mylittledemon...I seem to constantly find myself agreeing with you! :thumbsup:

The correct term is: miniaturist pop with idiosyncrasy sauce.

All of you lumping Mac in with all that "classic rock" garbage like Eagles, Aerosmith, Foreigner, & Heart must have cauliflowers for ears.

When I think of the term Classic Rock...

I think of the same Led Zep, RStones, Aerosmith tunes.. play over and over again..

nah...I've never even wrestled before.

One shoe does not fit all
 

Depends on the era. Under Peter Green originally, they were a blues rock band. After Danny Kirwan came aboard, they morphed into more of a rock jam band, with a unique three guitar front. After Green quit the game and Jeremy Spencer went MIA, they became a straight forward rock n roll band under Kirwan, and then Bob Welch. With the arrival of Buckingham-Nicks, they mellowed even more into a pop rock band, with a distinct and sunny "west coast sound".

They eventually found their way to MOR (middle of the road) status as time went on. MOR in many ways is just another way of saying POP (popular) though often times it is derisively referred to as elevator music (or Muzak) or even LCD (lowest common denominator), and Pop can cover anything from Soft Rock to Easy Listening to Traditional Pop (aka Standards). There are differences in each term, but in the end they're relatively minor with plenty of room for blurring and overlapping.

It should be noted that musical genres are often confused with commercial radio formats. Technically MOR is akin to "classic rock" or "adult contemporary" in that the term actually finds its roots in radio terminology more than anything else. This further accounts for the gamut of responses seen so far.

Have I confused you sufficiently? :rolleyes:

I like.. Classic Mystical Pop Rock :thumbsup:

Well if you insist on a customized label for the Buckingham-Nicks era, you might do no better than West Coast Power Pop. :D

If you think about the late 70's early 80's i would call bands like fleetwood mac, the eagles, foreigner, tom petty and the heartbreakers etc...

Coke Rock....

It's pretty true:nod:

:lol:

Try not to let it happen too often, as you may find yourself knee deep in trouble around these parts ;)