Ode to Classic Rock

As a runner and an avid music fan I do not tend to lean toward classic rock for inspiration and/or motivation when I hit the road.  The Allman Brothers, though incredible musicians, do not tend to get me going during a speed workout.  That said, I do realize we all have our own taste and what works for me might not work for someone else.  Last week I was surprised to realize that, in some cases, the unexpected can happen when it comes to music.  Sunday morning I was working a 9:00 shift at a lift up at Cannon Mountain in NH.  The lift attendants were blasting tunes from their Bose speaker that was held together with duck tape and getting its power with the help of multiple extension chords.  Clearly, music plays a vital role in their job. These guys work all day, usually in the bitter cold and often dealing with a plethora of interesting situations with skiers, some good, some not so good.  As you can imagine, they were not rocking out to alternative music.  No, blaring from their speaker was good old classic rock.  The Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd and Traffic, to name a few.  As the lines of skiers started flowing in I looked around and noticed that everyone was LOVING it.  "Turn it up" one guy yelled from the back.  Heads were shaking, lips were synching and, for those who were a wee bit older, there was some heavy duty reminiscing going on.  People were not afraid to get the "Led" out.  It was incredible to watch.  What I quickly realized that morning was in some situations music, any type, is appreciated by all.  And though the classic rock genre is not my "go to" for listening or running, I can see why it works for so many others.  When I got home, I found myself loading a couple of these classic gems onto my latest running playlist.  I write not only with a new respect for classic rock but with a new understanding of the effect that music has on all of us.  And to the lift attendants, well, I think I owe them a 'thank you', don't you?

Listen to this:

Paint It Black - Rolling Stones   

One Way Out - The Allman Brothers Band 

Pinball Wizard - The Who