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rock is dying ??

#121
Rock and Roll is not dead nor dying. I'm 17, and in a Christian (Prog) Rock band. I happen to own an ever expanding collection of records from Aerosmith to Yes (and I mean Tales from Topographic Oceans/Close to the Edge era Yes. Not just 90125 or any of the other commonplace 80's songs/albums). But beyond my own admittedly rare enthusiasm for the good stuff, new bands like Mumford and Sons, Muse (like one guy said, Muse alone proves that rock isn't dead), and Coldplay retain plenty of the elements of truly good rock, all are a bit different than, say, Zeppelin but still make fresh, creative, and interesting music. Besides, I know plenty of people who are throwing off all the crappy garbage-pop music of our generation and looking back in time for inspiration, like myself, trying to get music (especially rock) back on the right track. So no, my friend, Rock is not dead, done, lost, or any of those things, it is very much alive and well, and it always will be so long as those who believe in it don't lose hope, and people know where to look.

In other words,

I like to think of good rock music as a monk, hiding in some obscure mountain range, waiting for some bold hero to seek it out and carry out an epic quest to set things right and make the world safe for it again.
 
#122
A lot of good points are being made, but the fact that rock radio doesn't really play new music very often has made rock a weaker scene. Radiohead, Wilco, and Gov't Mule, to name just three quality rock bands, aren't on radio playlists. At the same time, Spinal Tap tribute band Nickleback is one of the few newer bands that gets major airplay. In my opinion rock radio has played a key role in the demise of rock.
 
#123
I dont think it's dead. I'm 39, and my kids get bombarded with old (pre '90's) Iron Maiden, KISS, Crue, Sweet, Leppard, Faith No More, Journey, Boston etc. and some notable exceptions i.e Extreme. They love the stuff and sing along in the back of the car. They are all under 10.
I'm still active in our local music scene and there is a generation of mid-teens that are in original bands that get around with the long teased hair, tight jeans, big shirts and cowboy boots. They stand out a mile but I love seeing it. Reminds me of me 25 years ago.
Not dead - just hiding!
 
#127
jcburn said:
I dont think it's dead. I'm 39, and my kids get bombarded with old (pre '90's) Iron Maiden, KISS, Crue, Sweet, Leppard, Faith No More, Journey, Boston etc. and some notable exceptions i.e Extreme. They love the stuff and sing along in the back of the car. They are all under 10.
I'm still active in our local music scene and there is a generation of mid-teens that are in original bands that get around with the long teased hair, tight jeans, big shirts and cowboy boots. They stand out a mile but I love seeing it. Reminds me of me 25 years ago.
Not dead - just hiding!
Click to expand...

but see, this is why I say Rock is dead.

You are bombarding your kids with OLD music that old people like. (No offense, I like it too, and I'm no longer a young kid.) Why aren't you bombarding your kids with current, new, fresh, up-and-coming, cutting edge rock music?

Because there is little or none to be found. Because Rock is dead. You have to pull out 30 year old songs in order to find it. It's vintage. Retro. Throwback. Antique.

And this plays into the challenge of reviving a rock scene. Every time you play an Iron Maiden CD, you're NOT playing a CD from a current, struggling, underground indie rock band. When see Maiden live (they're still awesome live) you're spending money that does NOT go to support fresh rock music.

Fans of rock music are happy to relive the glory days of 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago. Any new artists trying to build a new scene STILL have to compete against the Rolling Stones, 30 years after they were relevant. The same rock station in DC that plays MUSE will turn around and play Don't Fear the Reaper AGAIN for the 99 millionth time instead of playing current, new, fresh rock music.

This is why rock is dead. (I'm don't mean any particular "you" - I'm guilty of everything I describe above.)

In hip hop music, it is the exact opposite. Sure, they all cannibalize each other with sampling and remixes, but compared to rock, there is a GIGANTIC market for new music. And they do NOT want anything older than last summer.
 
#128
I have one last thing to say. Whether you believe Rock is dying or not, I think we all owe it to ourselves and to the future of music to fight to keep it alive. What matters is not whether rock IS or ISN'T dying, but rather how we can keep it FROM dying. We are the carriers of the torch. Rock and Roll may skip a generation, but its up to everyone who loves it to KEEP IT ALIVE for the next one. So can we stop the talk and debating and try to do something? Let's go out and just play the stuff for crying out loud, and stop trying to decide whether to go to the coroner yet.

Just my 2 cents.
 
#131
wilberthenry said:
A lot of good points are being made, but the fact that rock radio doesn't really play new music very often has made rock a weaker scene. Radiohead, Wilco, and Gov't Mule, to name just three quality rock bands, aren't on radio playlists. At the same time, Spinal Tap tribute band Nickleback is one of the few newer bands that gets major airplay. In my opinion rock radio has played a key role in the demise of rock.
Click to expand...

I would agree, but then I also wonder if the current generation of young people even listen to terrestrial radio? I'm 49 and I don't even listen to it; I listen to satellite radio and on the internet. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have a 16, 19 and 22 year old. They are pretty much the same...internet and satellite.

Given the many classic rock stations and if what you are saying is true, then I would suspect that terrestrial radio is catering to folks of my generation and older and that's why you are not hearing a bunch of new music these days. All the new stuff is on the internet and satellite apparently as there is plenty of it out there.

My 19 year is a Radio and TV broadcasting major in college. From what she tells me, terrestrial radio may not have much life left according to her professors. This gives further support to my thought that young people don't listen to it anyway, so using that as evidence of rock's death might be a little misleading...not intentionally of course.
 
#133
No it's not dying, if anything it's expanding thanks to the internet making the concept of mainstream mostly irrelevant compared to what it once was. Everyone has their own thing, and everyone is free to explore everything with ease now that they don't have to depend on tv and radio to spoon-feed it to them.

Your kids are probably going through a musical phase, and they'll likely go through many more in the coming years. I wouldn't worry. Whatever you do, don't try to make them actively listen to 'Dad Rock' in a misguided attempt to 'fix' their tastes.

Edit: Not trying to sound condescending there, but my Dad did that ("That's terrible! Now here's some real music!") when I was in my nu-metal phase in high school, and it set me back a few years on being able to appreciate some good music because I dug my heels in. Also, some of that stuff actually was lame dad rock.
 
#134
OPBASSMAN1994 said:
Whether you believe Rock is dying or not, I think we all owe it to ourselves and to the future of music to fight to keep it alive.
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No. We don't. I don't particularly like rock. I mean, the first two Shakira albums might count as rock, and I do like those, and some modern power pop is cool, but I don't really care about the rest, and those are both really pop with some guitars, not "real rock". Why would I want to keep rock alive?
 
#135
pklima said:
No. We don't. I don't particularly like rock. I mean, the first two Shakira albums might count as rock, and I do like those, and some modern power pop is cool, but I don't really care about the rest, and those are both really pop with some guitars, not "real rock". Why would I want to keep rock alive?
Click to expand...

I think thing OPBASSMAN meant it's up to us as rock fans. Since your not a rock fan, you may be excused from trying to keep rock alive.
 
#136
pklima said:
No. We don't. I don't particularly like rock. I mean, the first two Shakira albums might count as rock, and I do like those, and some modern power pop is cool, but I don't really care about the rest, and those are both really pop with some guitars, not "real rock". Why would I want to keep rock alive?
Click to expand...


A very similar thing was said about hair metal. Guilty of saying it myself back in the day.


SBsoundguy said:
Sounds like a southern rock band from the 70s.
Click to expand...

I'm hearing a Billy Gibbons influence to it.
 
#137
Good on you BassOfSpades. Gives me hope for your generation, musically.

Rock & Roll has always had offshoots, such as disco, techno, etc.. but it's always there running in the background until someone comes along and somehow revives it.

My band consists of guys who are from 25 to 50 years old. Seems like every time I suggest a classic for us to play, the younger guys know a well known band who has covered it. It actually bothers me sometimes, but then, they're keeping it alive, and that's alright by me.
 
#138
How about evolving?

Classic rock is called classic for a reason.

Seems like blues led to jazz and to rock. Then rock led to metal and what we now call alternative.

Disco came from hell I guess and thankfully was sent back there I guess.

I only know of alternative because of my 16 yr old son.

At our house, I buy the classic rock music and we both listen to it. He buys the Alternative and I like quite a lot of it.

Not sure what you call the Black Keys, but junior turned me on to them - sorta like blues/rock/alternative all at the same time. As a bonus, much of their material is sans bass so I can do "kareoke bass" to their music without competing with another bass line.
 
#139
Saw a great video called "It Could Get Loud." It was Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White getting together playing and talking about music. Three different eras all a little different, showing how music evolves. When we say that "rock is dead" do we mean that it is no longer mainstream as many have already said here. Or, do we mean that rock has come to a creative dead end. If that is what you mean, I disagree. If rock is no longer mainstream I don't care, I've always listened to what I like.
 

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