The Skynyrd jam may be an addictive, overpowering epic, but do people really want to hear it at every concert ever? Seems it all started when Lynyrd Skynyrd repeatedly saved the song for te SECOND encore, forcing fans to chant loudly if they had any desire to hear it. Needless to say, they did. The band captured this audience interaction on its live album, One More For The Road, inspiring popular Chicago DJ Kevin Matthews to demand his fans yell for “Freebird!” at an 80’s Florence Henderson concert, and any other suckfest they happen to experience. While the ironic gesutre was already a growing staple before Matthews’ joke, his efforts were definitely responsible for its victory over “Whipping Post” as The Phrase Most Likely To Come Out Of A Knucklehead’s Mouth During The Tuning Of A Guitar. Bands will either respond with mild annoyance or an ironic gesture of their own. For instance, Phish liked to do it a capella. Woo?

Wall Street Journal: Rock’s Oldest Joke: Yelling ‘Free Bird!’ In a Crowded Theater