In the 70s we had rock gods...

[Deleted member 165050]

Inspired by the Freddie Mercury thread, I am inspired to say this:

In the 70s (and 60s and 50s) we had rock gods. And goddesses. Now there are just pale, derivative imitations. The people of today are not the people their forbears were.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Gods are made by worshipers. Go to a Phish show. You’ll see the worship. The difference now is that there is sooooo many more entertainment options. It’s increasingly difficult for rock musicians to reach that level because of the saturation of entertainment options outside of live music.

 

[Skeezix]

Yawn.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Yawn.

Are you tired? You should go to bed.

 

[saabfender]

I agree. Younger people are unlikely to buy into to the legends of previous generations. They have their own heroes and legends to create. Why do they need their dad's record collection?

 

[bass12]

 

[Killed_by_Death]

There were greats, but none were really gods. Of course not, but folks worshipped them as such.
I remember when Jimmy Page came to functions in Pattaya & guys would be acting like he should be walking on a red carpet everywhere he went.

After drinking shoulder to shoulder with rock stars in Hollyweird, I just walked right up & said hello, even got a photo of my friend with J.P..
Anyway, they're just regular people who inspired oodles of people to appreciate good music, or even go out & make music.

 

[AaronVonRock]

I would argue that the rock gods from the 60s and 70s that are still alive are just pale, derivative imitations of their former selves (What is passing for Queen these days instantly comes to mind). It would be a challenge to show today's young people current footage of classic rock acts and convince them these bands were once rock gods.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

I would argue that the rock gods from the 60s and 70s that are still alive are just pale imitations and derivative imitations of their former selves (What is passing for Queen these days comes instantly to mind). It would be a challenge to show today's young people current footage of classic rock acts and convince them these bands were once rock gods.

You most definitely had to be there. A different world.

 

[AaronVonRock]

You most definitely had to be there. A different world.

Agree. I also think instant access to information via social media, Youtube, etc. has killed a lot of the mystique that surrounded rock stars of the past. Today, I can find out anything about anybody just by clicking on a few websites.

 

[saabfender]

You most definitely had to be there. A different world.

So this is really about your longing for world since-past rather than a commentary on today's youth?

 

[GregC]

Oh boy, "rock-used-to-be-so-much-better" thread #87,563. OK, I'll play.

In the '60s and '70s, rock bands had a huge ready-made audience (thanks to the Baby Boom--birth rates have been much lower for a long time now) to buy their albums and tickets to their concerts.
In the '60s and '70s, people had far fewer entertainment choices--no internet, no online games, no movies you could watch at home, no shows could be recorded, only three channels plus some snowy UHF instead of 500+.
In the 60s and '70s, concert tickets were cheap!
In the '60s and '70s, record companies served as gatekeepers, so only a limited number of artists could really have their music distributed--so not only did you have a far bigger audience, you had far less competition.
In the '60s and '70s, record companies lavishly supported their artists with massive promotions and huge recording budgets. If Steely Dan started today, no way could they afford to hire five full bands worth of the best studio musicians in the world to record a single track.
In the '60s and '70s, people had to pay for your recordings, so you made a lot more money.
In the '60s and '70s, there was no social media to track every single move a musician made--far fewer "sins" were exposed, and pictures and video were far more rare. Thus rock stars seemed more mystical and bigger-than-life. Today, if a famous musician goes out to the grocery store in sweats and a ballcap, 10 people are going to snap a picture on their phones before the person is 5 steps from their car.

The people haven't changed, just their circumstances.

 

[fhm555]

Yeppers, no doubt the so called rock gods of the past were a very carefully crafted product of the record industry.
If you were to dig into the legends you will find that a lot of the crazy exploits attributed to those so called gods are nothing more than tall tales generated from the imagination of PR types.
I’ve often wondered about the chicken and egg situation as it would apply to the rock god mythology. Did the enhanced or totally fabricated stories emerge after observing the real thing, or did the performers begin to imitate the tall tales as a way to legitimize and authenticate the fabrications.
And then there is the fact that promoters encouraged outlandish behavior based on the notion that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
I have no doubt that the rock god legend, like so many other god myths and legends throughout history, is as much a product of careful design as it is actual truth.
But that’s just one guy’s opinion.

 

[charlie monroe]

Rock music was not divided into 5,000 sub genres all those decades ago.

Today we have so many splinter factions it would be a tremendous feat for a band or solo performer to unite them all and crown themselves Rock God.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

So this is really about your longing for world since-past rather than a commentary on today's youth?

Maybe...

Well partly that, but largely a comment on how little real musical development there has been in the last 30 years and how everything has become so safe and bland. Everything is derivative, or is the past "rediscovered". And the stars of today just aren't like they were in the old days

I suppose with so many more people and so much music being created everything just gets diluted.

 

[Ghook]

Looking back, fondly I might add, I found the evolution of rock a really exciting time. I was R&B ..then the Beatles hit...then Hendrix etc. Wow. Lot's of firsts. But I agree it was still industry hype. How many thought the Monkees played their music. Or that some of your favorite recorded music was the Wrecking Crew. Yeah, great times in music for sure

 

[mellowinman]

I find when I speak in generalities about a number of subjects, I am frequently right.

 

[AdamR]

We had them in the 80s and 90s also. Bands like Metallica and Guns and Rose's were bigger than life. Hard for bands to get that big now a days when the make little money. Record companies dont bother to support rock bands like they do pop music.

 

[gregmon79]

Maybe...

Well partly that, but largely a comment on how little real musical development there has been in the last 30 years and how everything has become so safe and bland. Everything is derivative, or is the past "rediscovered". And the stars of today just aren't like they were in the old days

I suppose with so many more people and so much music being created everything just gets diluted.

That's what people buy/stream. There is a TON of talent out there. But it doesn't matter these days. It's like @GregC stated, the times have changed. A lot. People have and haven't. We have seen more technological change, especially in the digital world which bled all over the music industry, in the history of mankind just over the last 30 years. Of course people are going to change a little. A lot of good points brought up in this thread about why there is no rock gods today. It's just the way of the world today. Doesn't mean that there isn't talented bands out there. They simply aren't in demand these days.

 

[knumbskull]

posted 3:16am

how's the head this morning?