Looking through classic rock radio station logs in my town of Chicago, it’s hard to find many songs in heavy rotation that were written by someone over 40. For this I'll define a classic rock song as one that will get radio play at least 10 years after release.

Is it even reasonable to expect any more than they’ve done from Jagger/Richards?
What are songs you hear in heavy rotation written by someone over 40?
Does creativity wane after 40?

For Jagger/Richards that would roughly mean anything written after 1983
Paul McCartney after 1982
Neil Young after 1985
Jimmy Page after 1984 Robert Plant after 1988
Pete Townshend after 1985
Roger Waters after 1983
Phil Collins after 1991
Elton John after 1987
Bob Dylan after 1981
Stevie Wonder after 1990
Bruce Springsteen after 1989
Aerosmith after 1989 (They have had songwriting help from outsiders since then)

(Trying to mix up the tastes a little)

A couple instances I found were:

Tom Petty 42: Mary Jane's Last Dance; 44 You Don’t Know How It Feels
John Mellencamp 45: Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)
U2 -Bono turned 40 in 2000 but has hits since
The guys from Red Hot Chili Peppers are over 40 and making hits, maybe some classics

If ya put in authors, it will be the other way around.


I think its a matter of life cycle: after 40 you most often
have a parent's responsility & many of us are happy if we get to play the guitar on the whole.

If I was either Jagger or Richards, I would have created "even" less after 83.

Rockin' In The Free World - 1989.

[thepowergoats.com]

Lou Reed, being 46/47 at the time (1988/89) wrote one of the CLASSIC Rock albums of all time. I don't mention the title. I am too tired and too sad about the fact that US-radio stations don't know about their own heritage....

And what about Chuck Berry (my ding a ling 1972? which was his greatest his, but a lousy song), what about Muddy Waters and our black (blues)boys? US radio don't give a shit because they are black guys propably.... rather a 40 year old Bono pussy then a 40 year old 'mean'negro.

Havent thought about but I'm sure Bo Diddley, BB King, John Lee Hooker,
Howlin' Wolf & Muddy did some good things after 40...
Not to mention Miles.. But Trane.. Did he pass 40?

I would say Bob Dylan has written some very profilic stuff since 1981.

Just from a quick memory:

"Blind Willie McTell"
"Joker Man"
"Licence to Kill"
"Most of the Time"
"Man in A Long Black Coat"
"Under The Red Sky"
"Sick Love"
"Not Dark Yet"
"Things Have Changed"
"Po' Boy"
"Working Man's Blues 2"

- Doxa

I am not sure about Trane (if he did reach 40). But then,that ain't classic ROCK. But he's one of the best (any rockfan should listen to him and to the other great jazz and bluesmen)

Great work post 40 is not as rare as you might think. To wit:

Tom Waits (1949) (certainly not classic rock), has given us several great albums after he turned 40; nevermind songs:

Black Rider
Mule Variations
Alice
Blood Money

If you believe James Brown was Born in 1933, the great man gave us all of this after he was 40:

The Payback
Coldblooded
My Thang
Funky President
If You Don't Give A Doggone About It
For Goodness' Sakes, Look AT Those Cakes
Problems
Turn On The Heat And Build Some Fire
Escapism
Papa Don't Take No Mess
Get Up Offa That Thang


Plus great Albums like:
Hell
The Black Caesar Soundtrack
The Payback

If you believe the man was born in 1928 or 29 (as is claimed in some quarters), there's a whole lot more.

Lou Reed (1942)
Made The Blue Mask (which I think is overrated, but still OK); but also made the brilliant New York; the uneven, but touching Magic and Loss & Songs For Drella.

Muddy didn't even start recording until he was almost 40, so everything after 1953 falls into the category of "post-40".

The Wolf never recorded before he turned 40, so basically everything he ever recorded falls into the "post-40" set.


EDIT:
Lee "Scratch" Perry (1936)

Recorded classics like My Little Sandra (Leo Graham), Rainy Night In Portland (Watty Burnett), Cross Over (Junior Murvin) plus landmark albums like: War In A Babylon (Max Romeo) & Police & Thieves (Junior Murvin)

PLUS (as if that wasn't enough) his own Super Ape, Roast Fish COllie Weed and Cornbread (my personal favorite) & Return Of The Super Ape.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2008-04-03 23:41 by cosmoprim.

Thank you cosmoprim!

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keeffriffhard
Thank you cosmoprim!

Always glad to help.

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Doxa
I would say Bob Dylan has written some very profilic stuff since 1981.

Just from a quick memory:

"Blind Willie McTell"
"Joker Man"
"Licence to Kill"
"Most of the Time"
"Man in A Long Black Coat"
"Under The Red Sky"
"Sick Love"
"Not Dark Yet"
"Things Have Changed"
"Po' Boy"
"Working Man's Blues 2"

- Doxa

Can't forget "Dignity" - I think Bob's best work of the past 30+ years.

EDIT:
...and "Spirit On The Water"



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2008-04-04 23:52 by cosmoprim.

BTW, IMO The Stones never released a classic rock song after 1982/1983? Or am I mistaken? What is their classic rocksong after 1982? I really can't not recall.

Define classic. Critically/fan adored? Hits? Both?

If both... mine's a doozy!

KEEP ON ROCKIN' IN THE FREE WORLD!
How that was missed...

[thepowergoats.com]

Truly talented, dedicated writers often have both up and down decades. Life experience matters a great deal in giving writers restored interest, energy and new topics or attitudes in their writing.

Fer sure, stonerule. Jagger-Richards might have their best years ahead of them!

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stonesrule
Truly talented, dedicated writers often have both up and down decades. Life experience matters a great deal in giving writers restored interest, energy and new topics or attitudes in their writing.

Dedicated is the operative word here.

Talent doesn't dissipate nor wane - dedication does. The hunger abates, the need to create goes away.

My optimistic simian brother, if only what you wrote had the faintest chance of coming true...

Next studio album will steamroll anythin done before.

Van Morrison's Avalon Sunset album from 1989 (44 yo) contains several classic songs IMO. After that you can say he has done the same album again and again, most of them "pretty good".
Morrissey released "First of the gang to die" when he was 45. (Who can resist that song? I can't)
Nick Cave, Daniel Lanois, Frank Zappa made a lot (I guess "Bobby Brown" is a classic (43 yo).

But I really don't know how narrow the limits should be for a song to be called a rock song.

The man who wrote 'Rock Around The Clock' was 65 at the time. Perhaps the most important rock and roll song ever!

Hate to be picky, Thommie, but Frank Z was born Dec 21, 1940
& Bobby B came in March 1979 He was 38.. .. But I agree mainly with your points!

iggy pop was 40 around 1987 so anything he's done since then that people like

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iamwaiting

Does creativity wane after 40?

By the time a rock musician turns 35 they've said what they had to say, and they've said it as well as they're ever going to say it. After 35, it's all just professionalism and craftsmanship.

Don't confuse a "classic rock" song with a "good" song or an "innovative" song or whatever. Many songs you've mentioned may be good, but they're not mainstream or played much on the radio.

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jamesfdouglas
Define classic. Critically/fan adored? Hits? Both?
If both... mine's a doozy!

KEEP ON ROCKIN' IN THE FREE WORLD!
How that was missed...

In my original post I had written: "For this I'll define a classic rock song as one that will get radio play at least 10 years after release." (And I love Neil Young! He's probably got a few over 40.)