With an oversaturation of budget-line compilations and titles purporting to be the "definitive" or "ultimate" collection of classic
rock available, it's easy to approach
Classic Rock Gold with a heavy hand of skepticism. However, one look at the track listing should wipe that notion right away, as this two-disc set is packed with some of the biggest hits of the
rock genre from the late '60s, '70s, and early '80s.
Classic Rock covers the breadth and evolution of
rock & roll: from the
arena rock of
Santana,
Ted Nugent,
Blue Oeyster Cult, and
Grand Funk Railroad to the
power pop-influenced
Cars and
Cheap Trick to the emergence of
hair metal, courtesy of
Whitesnake and
Scorpions. It's a quality two-disc set that acts as a guide map to some of the most important movements in the history of
rock & roll, and listeners looking for a solid
rock compilation would be well served here. ~ Rob Theakston