A Classic Rock Dad is a man who was born sometime between the 1950s and 60s, who grew up listening to post-Elvis rock bands and artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, CSNY, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc. Between the 1990s and 2000s, that man was blessed with a child (boy or girl) whom he would be able pass his musical wisdom down to with great care. It is because of this phenomenon (and the Internet) that Millennials and Generation-Z children possess such mature and extensive musical interests. It because of our Classic Rock Dads that great taste in music has not yet disappeared with the past.
1. You have/ had a Beatles poster hanging in your bedroom.
Whether it’s a black-and-white picture from their early years or a multi-colored photo collage from the inside of a vinyl sleeve, your bedroom was designed around that poster and you love(d) when people point(ed) it out.
2. You’ve been to multiple “tribute” concerts.
And you’re always the youngest person in the crowd.
3. You love when you ask your dad, “Do you know (song title or artist)?” and he replies with, “Oh man!”
“That is my favorite song.”
4. Your friends understand.
You know when your friends have classic rock dads, too, because you all bond over James Taylor and Bob Dylan. Even though you all have the luxury of loving today’s music, too, classic rock will always have a special place in your hearts. This is why people refer to you as "old souls." It is always comforting to have friends who will play the song you want to hear before you know you want to hear it.
5. You own a thrifted band t-shirt.
Who owned it before you? Where did they wear it? Who will own it after you? Nobody knows! That’s the magic of a thrifted band tee.
6. You tried to teach yourself how to play guitar after hearing Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child” for the first time.
Some succeeded; others play a mean air guitar.
7. You’ve read a lot biographies and watched a lot of documentaries about rock stars and music festivals.
Which is why you know random facts about so many musically gifted people: Jimi Hendrix’s first “guitar” was a broken broom stick with one string; Neil Young had epilepsy; Jimmy Page brought his guitar to school every day, and every day, it was confiscated; Buffalo Springfield only formed because Stephen Stills and Neil Young spotted each other from their cars in the middle of traffic on Sunset Boulevard and hugged it out in the middle of the highway after being on separate paths for a few years.
8. You understand the references made on That 70’s Show.
This talent won’t get you anywhere in life, but it will definitely help your ego.
9. Your dad went to Woodstock, but won’t tell you any of the details.
And he doesn’t want you going to any music festivals, ever. The flashbacks are too real.
10. You have a vinyl collection not because it’s trendy but because that’s how you’re supposed to listen to classic rock.
Your iPhone is convenient for listening to music on-the-go, and CD’s are great for the car on the way to a concert, but nothing will ever compare to the gritty sound of an original vinyl record and the way its music fills a quiet room. Classic rock vinyls are as close as you can get to what the artist(s)’s original intent was at the time it was recorded. Vinyls are authentic and tangible. Not to mention the feeling of opening a record for the first time and seeing the beautiful artwork your favorite band chose to represent their music.
11. You dressed up as a “hippie” for Halloween in seventh grade.
You had everything except the unkempt hair, tattoos, overgrown armpits, strong political opinions and distant smell of...drugs.
12. You never argue with your dad about which station to put on in the car.
Deep pre-recorded radio voice: “99.1 PLR: Connecticut's number one rock-and-roll station!”
13. Not only does every song have a story of your own, but a story of your dad’s, as well.
Maybe your dad heard “Stairway to Heaven” for the first time coming from the record player in his brother’s room; you heard it for the first time on your dad’s car radio while driving to Aunt Mary’s house one Saturday when you were 14. You asked him about it and he told you about the conspiracy theories that people came up with by listening to the song play backwards, which leads into a discussion about other classic rock conspiracies like “Paul is dead.” These are the conversations you live for.
