UBC October - Rocktober

Welcome back to another UBC post!

Today, we’re diving into the concept of "Rocktober."

Are you familiar with it? I just learned about it myself! For me, October has always symbolized breast cancer awareness.

Recently, while driving, I tuned into a radio station that played two songs by the same artist back-to-back, calling it a "Double Shot." Coming from the world of coffee, I initially thought of two shots of espresso! ☕

Photo by Kaique Rocha on Pexels

After some research, I found that "Rocktober" is commonly celebrated by radio stations and music promoters to honor rock music throughout the month of October.

This tradition began in the 1970s when some radio stations transformed October into a month-long “rock festival,” featuring more rock music, competitions, and special concerts. While the exact origin is unclear, it's believed that radio presenters or advertising teams coined the term as a catchy marketing gimmick, merging "rock" and "October" to draw in listeners.

Today, many U.S. radio stations embrace "Rocktober" by playing iconic rock hits and hosting special shows featuring legendary bands. It’s become a popular marketing tool, even if it’s not a formal tradition.

In our local area, the radio station celebrates by playing two songs from the same artist back-to-back every Tuesday. In addition, they let listeners vote for their favorite rock hit for the whole month of October. The 500 top picks are then played at the end of the month. If I had to make a prediction today, I would say that “Bohemian Rhapsody” will win. Let's not get ahead of ourselves though.

Curious about other Rocktober activities, I did some digging and found:

• Theme weeks: Stations may focus on specific rock genres or artists, like classic rock or hard rock.
• Concerts and festivals: Many cities host rock concerts and festivals in October, with some bands going on special "Rocktober" tours.
• Competitions: Radio stations often run contests where fans can win concert tickets, signed albums, or exclusive merchandise.
• Top 100 countdowns: A popular feature is playing the “Top 100” or “Top 500” greatest rock hits, based on listener votes.
• Special radio shows: Some stations highlight interviews and stories behind legendary rock songs.
• Theme days: Special days like “Metal Monday” or “Classic Rock Friday” focus solely on those sub-genres.

I found random articles suggesting popular rock music duos, but I disagreed with them. Instead I went ahead and created my own list:

Guns N' Roses

• Sweet Child O' Mine
• Paradise City

AC/DC

• Thunderstruck
• Highway to Hell

Status Quo

• Rocking All Over the World
• Whatever You Want

Queen

• Bohemian Rhapsody
• The Show Must Go On

Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)

• Hold On Tight
• Don't Bring Me Down

Van Halen

• Jump
• Ain't Talkin' Bout Love

Boston

• More Than a Feeling
• Amanda

Metallica

• Enter Sandman
• Nothing Else Matters

Eagles

• Hotel California
• There's a Hole in the World

Def Leppard

• Hysteria
• Animal

Photo by Wolfgang on Pexels

Honorable mention to Foreigner, who didn’t make the list since my favorite songs, "I Wanna Know What Love Is" and "Oxygen," lean more toward soft rock. That makes me think I’ll create a separate list for soft rock that includes Journey, REO Speedwagon, Chicago, Toto, Dire Straits, The Jets and Richard Marx!

Are there any Rocktober activities happening where you live? If you had to choose a few favorite rock back-to-backs, what would they be? Any guesses on who may win the top 500?