Can Mainstream Rock Music Survive
- Thread starter EmoBorg
- Start date
Speaking as a life-long musician, I never understood the appeal of the chugga-chugga death metal cookie monster vocals thing. My guitar playing 22 year old nephew loves it. Real rock music is melodic and has a structure, preferably with real singers.
We need more like Van Halen, ZZ Top, The Guess Who, The Grass Roots, and solo artists like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. All these have transcended their industry-imposed genres and are timeless.
Add Hall & Oates to the list and you have crossed several genre lines from R&B/Soul to Hard Rock to Bubblegum Pop. Those guys were/are amazing in their scope.
There are many more examples, but you get the idea.
We need more like Van Halen, ZZ Top, The Guess Who, The Grass Roots, and solo artists like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. All these have transcended their industry-imposed genres and are timeless.
Add Hall & Oates to the list and you have crossed several genre lines from R&B/Soul to Hard Rock to Bubblegum Pop. Those guys were/are amazing in their scope.
There are many more examples, but you get the idea.
Yeah, the line between Pop and Rock has always been nebulous. Many of the seminal Rock bands were also Pop acts. Pop Rock and Soft Rock were pretty popular sub-genres back in the day and some of the current Pop acts aren't too far removed from them. Of course Rock and Roll's DNA includes Blues, Country, R&B and even some pre-Rock Pop. Maybe there's more "Rock" on the charts than we know.
Come on, you have a Gene Simmons avatar. I'm a Kiss-maniac too, their debut album is one of my most listened to albums, as is Creatures of the Night. I even love Music From the Elder for crying out loud.
Gene is not a very good singer
. Goin' Blind is still a kick-ass song though.
Come on, you have a Gene Simmons avatar. I'm a Kiss-maniac too, their debut album is one of my most listened to albums, as is Creatures of the Night. I even love Music From the Elder for crying out loud.
Gene is not a very good singer
Gene Simmons the Klingon, you mean.
Even Kiss songs have a melodic structure. And though they aren't great singers, they did carve a signature sound out of what they had to work with. And don't forget the marketing. That's pure genius.
But do forget Kiss Meets The Phantom of the Park. That's just horrendous.
I can't agree with this more. Although I can't listen to The Grass Roots without thinking of Creed from The Office.
Over time, more and more labels have been put on music to further subdivide styles, types, genres, etc. Mainstream anything doesn't really exist anymore.
Kiss songs are very melodic, and I do love Paul Stanley's voice. Black metal and death metal still has its place though, and is equally as valid. Sometimes I want the singer to sound as pissed as I feel. I like growly singers and crooning singers.
Out of this list, I only ever heard of Nickelback, Creed, and Foo Fighters. I have never heard of the other bands listed.
I suppose a definition of "mainstream rock" is very subjective. My definition would probably be out of date. What comes to mind when I hear the term "mainstream rock", are bands like Poison, Bon Jovi, Duran Duran, The Bangles, Aerosmith, Samantha Fox, etc ...
(I more or less stopped following current music trends around the time when bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, etc ... first became popular in the early 1990's and the movie "Singles").
It will always be around, just like blues, bluegrass, jazz, classical, swing and other genres are always around.
But, like the other genres, it won't be the dominant genre. In fact, the only reason it lasted as long as it did on top was because the primary market for it was the single largest population bubble in our history (the baby boom).
Yes, like some of the other genres I named (remember the "swing fad" with Brian Setzer, etc., or the "bluegrass revival" after the release of "O Brother where art though"?) it may have brief periods of resurgence at the top of the charts. And it will always have fans. And like classics of other genres, certain albums and artists will remain popular (Beatles being an obvious example) even if the genre isn't as a whole.
However, the demographics are all wrong for it to stay on top forever. It was the pop music of a particular age group (the boomers mostly) and that age group is now middle aged or even senior citizens. They aren't buying records anymore and eventually they'll all be dead.
And as a result, rock will be just one more "niche" musical product with some other genre as the best seller.
But, like the other genres, it won't be the dominant genre. In fact, the only reason it lasted as long as it did on top was because the primary market for it was the single largest population bubble in our history (the baby boom).
Yes, like some of the other genres I named (remember the "swing fad" with Brian Setzer, etc., or the "bluegrass revival" after the release of "O Brother where art though"?) it may have brief periods of resurgence at the top of the charts. And it will always have fans. And like classics of other genres, certain albums and artists will remain popular (Beatles being an obvious example) even if the genre isn't as a whole.
However, the demographics are all wrong for it to stay on top forever. It was the pop music of a particular age group (the boomers mostly) and that age group is now middle aged or even senior citizens. They aren't buying records anymore and eventually they'll all be dead.
And as a result, rock will be just one more "niche" musical product with some other genre as the best seller.
Aerosmith had a big run in the late 70s, and made an amazing comeback in the 90s. I was floored at the number of great songs on the Pump album that were commercially viable. There wasn't a dud on the thing, and every song could have been released as a single. They became a virtual hit machine.
Let's not forget Eric Clapton. That man (one of my personal heroes) has done everything you can do with a guitar in your hands and has managed to continually create great music for 50 years. And he's still going strong.
Let's not forget Eric Clapton. That man (one of my personal heroes) has done everything you can do with a guitar in your hands and has managed to continually create great music for 50 years. And he's still going strong.
I think there's a perception bias here. To put it in perspective, Nirvana never had a single that made number one in the Billboard Top 100. Instead of Smells Like Teen Spirit, it was Paula Abdul, Color Me Badd, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch (yes Mark Wahlberg had a number one hit before Kurt Cobain), and Mariah Carey.
In the 2000s, Korn, Saliva, Slipknot, Fuel, and Puddle of Mudd never got a hit close (Puddle of Mudd got closest). They're also all terrible (OK, I like Puddle of Mudd because they're damn catchy, but they're still a terrible band). Besides, if we're only going by subjective opinions of good bands, Muse, Of Monsters and Men, Cage the Elephant, Mumford and Sons, Rise Against are all quite good.
The popularity of music styles all come in waves, so the definition of mainstream will always be evolving to present what's most popular in a current generation, often tied to new techniques and equipment available. After awhile, some styles make a major comeback, like the bluegrass revival already mentioned, the celtic music of the 90's, and so on. But yes, as someone already mentioned, it's heavily dependent on demographics. Where someone lives will definitely have a different view of what's more popular.
The fact that you consider Slipknot to be good rock music is telling
Who cares about charts these days? Music has become fast food.. easily obtained, quickly consumed and forgotten even faster.
What is popular today will be forgotten in a year. Good rockers still fill stadiums easily and the top acts are still widely popular.
As with all music genres there is a huge variety in styles and as someone else said here your view is a bit US centric because the rest of the world is not so focused exclusively on R&B/Rap/Hip Hop music.
The fact that you consider Slipknot to be good rock music is telling
I admit i like Slipknot. I don't understand the hate. They wear scary masks and sing metal songs. So what. I like them in the same way that i like Rammstein.
Never heard of them.
This, because of the following...
I've heard of 6 of those band, maybe heard 2.
This, very this.
This is pretty much what I think.
Slipnot aren't my speed at all, or Rammstein, but I do recognise they're pretty good musicians.The fact that you consider Slipknot to be good rock music is telling
I admit i like Slipknot. I don't understand the hate. They wear scary masks and sing metal songs. So what. I like them in the same way that i like Rammstein.
Where is Deep Purple, Sabs, The Who and Led Zep in all this? Deep Purple is probably my favourite, I mean, have you listened to Ian Gillan sing? OR jon Losd's roar from his keyboard? Or guitar god Ritchie Blackmore? And this year, even though they've changed a significant number of members, the new album is pretty damn good.
Admittedly I sound like an old fogey, no surprises there, but you should try 'Classic Rock' magazine, because it has the old stuff, but also brand new bands who play in a recognisable rock style, and they usually give away a CD each month with new bands included.
So, for what it's worth, I'd go with classic rock rather than mainstream rock, because that's not just dependant on the year, but where you live in the world.
Jiangnan Freak
Lieutenant
When isl classical music going to invade MTV?