As time goes by, it seems to be said more and more, ‘Rock is dead.’ And while that’s very far from the truth, rock is very slowly taking a downward spiral. You can see it as each year passes. The omission of rock from mainstream media outlets: Pop radio, The Grammys, Music magazines that aren’t genre specific, as well as other media forms. The Grammys have actually omitted ‘best rock album’ from their broadcast. And like I said, rock isn’t dead. But if the rock community doesn’t do some serious organizing and work, we may see the end of an entire genre of music. One of the final forms of music that requires classical music levels of study, skill and discipline.
One of the elements that’s damaging rock music is that there’s a lot of recent groups and acts out there that are being labeled rock that aren’t. Twenty-One Pilots and Imagine Dragons are the first two groups that come to mind. They’re simply just not rock. It’s electronic pop music with minor odes to rock music. And honestly, they’re not bad groups. It’s just not rock music. Rock is guitar, bass, drums, vocals, and depending on the groups, keyboards. And I feel like we’re losing the purity in rock. Along with the authenticity and passion that comes along with the genre.
Which leads into my next point, which is the consequences of technology on music. Technology is important; after all we wouldn’t have the electric guitar without it. And I love my electric drum set that allows me to practice in home quarters. But where’s the line where technology becomes so intrusive that we begin to lose our humanity and discipline? I don’t feel like we think about that as a species. And really, not just with music, but other facets of life. And I fear that technology is getting out of control in some instances. Particularly with music. I mean, you don’t even need to know anything about music to break into the industry these days. And I know most pop artists in the past also had limited musical knowledge. But at least they knew enough to sing in tune without an auto-tuning machine. And nowadays you can literally just press some buttons and sample someone else’s hard work from 40 years ago. Then put the same lyric over and over again to the sample and you’ve got a hit. It’s fucking ridiculous. Simply sounds and samples thrown together, and the record company jams it down everyone’s throat. And people eat it up.
The other question is — is this just a natural evolution of music with technology? Is this simply the way it’s going? Or is there a systemic destruction of rock in order to save money? There’s no question that record companies are trying to save as much money as possible due to streaming and downloading. And that’s been a huge component in the gradual down slide in rock’s popularity. It costs much less to produce a trap artist than a full group of musicians. I don’t think that the record companies are maliciously trying to systematically ruin rock. Greta Van Fleet is a thing after all. But it feels like through the companies saving money, they promote the cheapest music possible. And that’s definitely not rock music.
Which leads to the last point. I think rock bands need to take more initiative. Everything from practicing more to being more of a ‘rock’ star. One of the reasons there’s a down turn of rock music is because rockers aren’t being rockers. Instead of shots of Jack, it’s shots of wheat grass. Meanwhile all the hip hop artists are partying and having a good time and are creating that otherworldly rock star aura that bands had during the 80’s. People like that kind of carefree, wild, raunchy ‘rock star’ life. It draws folks to the music. It’s the energy and aura that creates fans, then the music keeps them. And personally I like it when my rock stars are rock stars. It’s part of the entertainment experience.
But it also has to be backed up with practice, discipline and a drive to create strong material. And there’s been a lot of rock bands that have not come through on those caveats in the past 20 years. Give or take a few exceptions. The return of the virtuoso rock band that’s still accessible and fun is imperative to the mainstream return of rock. The insane guitar player that’s playing with immense technical prowess. The epic frontman that never sings out of tune. The headbanging bassist that holds the fort. And the fun as all hell drummer that shreds his kit apart. While also creating groovy and sleazy beats. And it all comes with an unforgettable stage show. That’s how rock gets back to its former prominence. That formula for a talented band is timeless. And the proof is in the longevity of success in bands like Aerosmith, Queen, Journey, Whitesnake, Motley Crue, Van Halen, Guns N Roses, Metallica and so on and so forth. The problem is that these guys are all getting on in life. They’re aren’t going to be around forever. So it becomes a matter of who’s going to fly the flag when the veterans are gone? That’s what I think younger bands need to think about. Not so much about pushing music forward. But more into pushing yourself forward to become as skilled as possible. That’s the true future of rock ‘n roll.
