Is Rock 'N' Roll Dead

It has often been claimed that Rock music is dead, that there is no future for the genre. It has been claimed time and again that rock, and all derivative sub-genres, is being destroyed by over saturation in popular media and generic modern music. Is this true, however? What makes Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Rolling Stones different to Nickleback, Muse and Royal Blood?

Firstly, it can be argued that classic rock, back when it was first introduced in the late 1950’s, became so popular because there was nothing else like it. At the time, it was a new, exciting, high-energy genre unlike anything anyone had ever heard. Chuck Berry’s album “Rockin’ at The Hops” is considered the start of rock music and, from then on, every new band to emerge brought something different to the table whether it was distortion (via Jimi Hendrix), Pace (via AC/DC), or attitude (via The Rolling Stones). Even when rock music led to the birth of Heavy Metal in 1970 with the release of Black Sabbath’s debut album, people jumped on board and Heavy Metal became the most popular genre of the decade because it was different to everything that was already on the market. These days, most new rock bands don’t offer anything new. Rock music has been around for over 5 decades now and people are getting less and less interested in it because it is becoming more and more generic to the point where it is difficult to distinguish one band from another. The are, of course, exceptions to this. Bands like Alter Bridge, Shinedown and Black Stone Cherry are all example of modern bands that are very unique in their sound.

It could also be argued that another reason rock popularity is dying is because of the loss of depth in the music. Back in the 50’s-80’s, rock was made by people with a true and burning passion for the music they create. Bands wrote songs with deep emotional meaning and personal connection. Even when Punk Rock bands wrote songs about anarchy and political rebellion, people understood the deeper meaning behind the music and related to the story behind it all. In the early 80’s bands like Slayer and Death Angel were writing songs about all manner of dark subjects ranging from nuclear warfare to the holocaust. Even though the lyrics were shocking and “evil” people still saw that the bands had not glorified the acts and had just told the facts with their songs. However, the shock factor did keep a lot of people interested in rock music in the same way people are interested in “edgy” comedy. In these modern times, on the other hand, lyrical integrity is a thing of the past and all songs made by modern bands are about sex, violence or drugs and alcohol. All of these, naturally, have been addressed by older bands. However, older bands that covered these subjects (Black Sabbath, Motley Crue and Def Leppard to name but a few) did so in a poetic and imaginative way. This loss of lyrical depth and emotional relatability are, i think, a major factor in the decline of rock music.

Another thing that separate the generations of rock music is how the bands and their fans connect. Bands in the 60’s would drive themselves to concerts, play the show then hang around with fans, signing autographs and drinking. This made the fans feel like the musicians were just like them. It made artists more relatable and gave off a good message to never forget who you really are. Modern bands, in comparison, expect to be treated like royalty just by virtue of the fact that they are in a band. Most musicians these days are arrogant and self-absorbed which takes away the entire connection with the fan base.

Overall, i’d say that rock isn’t “dead” but it is in a serious state of decline. Modern bands and their generic approach to one of the richest genres on the planet have taken away the magic of rock. However, people like me can still look forward to the day when rock regains it’s former glory and takes over the world all over again.