If you’ve ever driven across the country without any means of curating your own playlist, you’ve undoubtedly turned on the radio to stifle the monotony of the wheels-on-asphalt roar. In between the static and proselytizing evangelists of every religious and political stripe, you’ll discover a burst of musical relief. Sometimes you’re lucky and find an oasis of choice in classical, country western, and heavy metal, but chances are good, there’s always a classic rock station.

Big C, Big R, or all lowercase, classic rock is the comfort food of sound that satisfies most of us—from Windsor, Vermont, to Bone Gap, Illinois; Slapout, Alabama; and all the way to Axehandle, Oregon.

Writ large, the “classic rock” moniker claims musicians and groups from the 60s and 70s …  and even early 80s if you want to stretch it a bit, with a particular set of musical qualities. Originally the tag for a format known to DJs, radio manager, and record producers as “Album-Oriented Radio” (or “AOR”), classic rock came to identify a musical sound characterized by simple chord progressions, an irresistibly repetitive hook with a rhythm-and-blues sensibility, and swollen with guitars. Lots of guitars. And lots of guitar heroes with hips to twitch to the beat. George Harrison, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Pete Townshend are some of the names whose guitar swagger defines the era. Think also of Jimi Hendrix, of course, and Keith Richards. But also Yes, Santana, and Queen.

These aren’t rigid categories anyway, and even experts in the field don’t completely agree on where the lines should be drawn of who’s “in” and who’s “out.” Bob Dylan is said to be a little on the edge due to his folky roots, David Bowie is a tricky case because he’s the seminal early figure in glam rock. It’s easy to get lost down rabbit holes of definitions, and let’s be careful to limit our hair-splitting to the long locks of some of these musical greats. There are later bands like Metallica and Pearl Jam, and superstars like Springsteen, who are musical heirs to classic rock but, because they’re from later years, don’t really fit most definitions.

Bottom line: defining Classic Rock isn’t a precise science. It’s got more of an “I’ll know it when I hear it” kind of vibe. The best way to experience the breadth of classic rock? Catch one of the Summer Rocks 2023 concerts with a Sounds Good Choir. The exuberant choral group’s joyous arrangements will have you reaching for the radio and taking the long way home.