# In 1976, Jeff Lynne wrote a track to make fun of his critics. It became his best rock song

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1976-jeff-lynne-wrote-a-track-to-make-fun-of-his-critics-it-became-his-best-rock-song/
- Published: 2026-11-15T15:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-15T15:22:04+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1976-jeff-lynne-wrote-a-song-to-make-fun-of-his-critics/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- “Rockaria!” poked fun at classical-rock labels.
- Jeff Lynne called it ELO’s best rock-style song.
- The 1976 track paired operatic strings with a rock arrangement.

## Summary

Jeff Lynne wrote Electric Light Orchestra’s “Rockaria!” as a playful send-up of critics who labelled the band’s music classical rock. The 1976 track combined operatic flourishes and strings with a direct rock sound, and Lynne regarded it as one of ELO’s strongest rock songs.

Lynne said the song was tongue-in-cheek but still a rocker, calling it “a new-style rocker”. Its arrangement blends the strings into the band’s sound, while slide guitar introduces the main guitar line. The article presents the song as an example of Lynne’s experimentation working best when he let himself have fun.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.