Guest Low Roller Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Easy question. What pop songs* do you bust out on the guitar, either ironically or seriously, when your audience doesn't particularly appreciate a Grateful Dead jam? * My broad definition of a 'pop song' is a song that is recognizable due to frequent radio play and typically of a 3 minute length A quick list of mine off the top of my head: - Save Tonight by Eagle Eye Cherry- Good Riddance by Green Day- Free Fallin' by Tom Petty- Don't Be Cruel by Elvis Presley- Titanium by David Guetta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau. Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 * My broad definition of a 'pop song' is a song that is recognizable due to frequent radio play and typically of a 3 minute length First, I guess it would depend on what type of radio you listen to, but using your definition, there isn't very many for me to be honest. I typically only play in basements or around fires with like minded people or alone, but I'll try to post a few. Bob Dylan - long list, but I imagine you can figure out which songs meet the 3 minute criteria. (hint: not many) Squeeze - Up The JunctionJohn Lennon - Working Class HeroJohn Prine - Paradise/Please Don't Bury MeDavid Gilmour - There's no way out of hereWoody Guthrie - Pretty Boy Floyd/ Pastures of Plenty/Plane Wreck At Los GatosGuy Clark - Dublin BluesTim Hardin - Reason to Believe Anyway, thats a few off hand I can think of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 count me in on your next fire jam there bud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Let me apply some context to the question as it might help open the conversation, or simply ostracise me completely from this message board. I was in Dubai recently for a wedding. The crowd was pretty international as you would imagine. The day after the wedding there was a huge backyard party at the bride's house, with a huge catered buffet, and a large group of guests, of varying age and background. At some point a guitar emerged and my eyes opened pretty wide. My wife knew that look on my face, and instantly said "don't you dare". I dared. The first guy to grab the guitar decided to play "No Diggity" by Blackstreet using some pretty basic power chords. The crowd roared when he finished a fairly simple rendition. Next the father and uncle of the bride collaborated on a pretty nice rendition of an Elvis Presley song. I stepped up and played a couple of tunes, including Rodeo Clowns by Jack Johnson, and Shady Grove by Garcia/Grisman. I was well received and met with applause after what I believed to be a good couple tunes under the circumstances, but yet felt that if I could play a song that the crowd recognized, and played it well (which I trust I can), then it would have been that much more impactful and memorable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouche Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 I'll drop Purple Rain but only know so many words. It's got a very familiar chord prog to open. It just gets everyone going "Purple Rain....Purple Rain" and can do that over and over and people can start screaming like prince. Of course, (nearly) ANY beatles song works in those situations. Kick things up with Twist and Shout, or mellow things out with Here Comes the Sun. So many tunes to choose from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Nothing like a middle aged man doing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 I've been in similar situations, Roller. More specifically, since I've moved to rural NS. The songs people respond to are usually songs I've grown to detest, like any number of top classic rock songs from the past 50 years you might name. Thing is, I get it. When your sitting around drinking and having fun everyone just wants to hear what they know and can sing a long to. I just can't bring myself to devote time to learning those songs!!! So anyway, I'd love to see a list of fun to play, not so obvious, "appease the drunks" songs for moments as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 I've been in similar situations, Roller. More specifically, since I've moved to rural NS. The songs people respond to are usually songs I've grown to detest, like any number of top classic rock songs from the past 50 years you might name. Thing is, I get it. When your sitting around drinking and having fun everyone just wants to hear what they know and can sing a long to. I just can't bring myself to devote time to learning those songs!!! So anyway, I'd love to see a list of fun to play, not so obvious, "appease the drunks" songs for moments as such. Challenge accepted! I'll start 1. Copperhead Road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Excellent point that people respond to stuff that they can sing along to. Case in point is Viva La Vida by Coldplay. That chorus has the wordless "Whoa-o-o-OOOOO-ooo-o! Whoa-o-o-OOOO-ooo-o!" that the crowds eat up. Any other such examples? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 2. Wheat Kings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Bouche always pulled out "Better be Home Soon" back in the day (to wow the ladies, naturellement) Booche on the other hand always had "She Belongs to Me" at the ready for those camping ground hooker scenarios (Deer Creek?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau. Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Me & JulioTake me home country roads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 4. Hello Darlin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Oh! Darling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 1. Copperhead Road2. Wheat Kings3. Me & Julio4. Take me home country roads 5. Hello Darlin6. Oh! Darling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 1. Copperhead Road2. Wheat Kings3. Me & Julio4. Take me home country roads 5. Hello Darlin6. Oh! Darling7. Dildo Dawn (What's the Mechanism You've Got On?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boiler Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 good thread! What's Goin On - 4 Non Blondes Sloop John B - Beach Boys Paranoid - Sabbath Cynthia - Blue Rodeo Downbound Train - Springsteen Gimme Three Steps - Skynard Dead Flowers - Stones I don't want to leave you on the farm - Ween Don't Worry, Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin Just to name a few. If it has a G C D and maybe an A, I'll play it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Wish Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 And It Stoned MeHandle with CareThe WeightHarvest MoonMe and Bobby McGeeWhat I GotBetter ManBorn to Run and thought it pains me to say, but the mainstream fans have just recently found this one and they fucking love it: Wagon Wheel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwa. Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 What i Got - SublimeChange - Blind melonNorweigian Wood - BeatlesEvery Rose Has It Thorn (Huge Singalong song BTW) - Poison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Norweigian Wood - Beatles Ugghhh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Keep On Rockin' In The Free World Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hartamophone Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 and thought it pains me to say, but the mainstream fans have just recently found this one and they fuÇking love it:Wagon WheelI was going to say this. People love this around a camp fire, although you'll quickly learn that most people can only sing along to the chorus and the bridge. Still fun, though.Most well known Blue Rodeo songs work in the same context, with the same caveat as Wagon Wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 Wagon Wheel is by far the most popular song on the East Coast. To the point that you will hear it twice in the same night if you go out for live music. It's horrible, and it's really too bad, because it's such an awesome song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 In high school, as a joke to torment a friend / band-mate I learned Don't Speak by No Doubt. I still remember it and it goes over well in the company of 30-something-old drunk people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Things I have learned but havent completely put into practice Rule Number One Have a Beatles song in your arsenal Rule Number Two Have a Stones song in your repertoire Rule Number Three (and I am serious here) Have a Steve Miller song in your repertoire - everyone goes crazy for his songs because they inherently know the words, thank Steve Miller's Greatest Hits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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