“Rock and Roll will survive!” AC/ DC lead singer Brian Johnson screamed in their 1980 hit song “Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution”, a concept that remained true till the new millennium.
Over the last few generations, rock music has been the voice of rebellion in pop culture.
Whether it be protesting the Vietnam War or the shrill lullabies of late night substance abuse, the genre has inspired those who wish to stray away from the norm.
Today, rock music is struggling to stay relevant among modern youth. Presenting the question, is rock and roll dead?
Since it’s expansion in the late 80’s, Hip-Hop has found its way of stealing the rebellious voice away from the rock and rollers. It appears today’s counter culture is heavily rooted within the Hip-Hop and Indie-Pop genres due to the fact that the cost of mass producing music electronically is much cheaper.
However, it is hard to tell whether rock and roll is dead, because the genre has branched off into many different sub genres including punk, ska, metal and grunge. With so many sub genres, it is hard to distinguish what is considered organic rock music.
Many old rock stars, such as Gene Simmons from the band Kiss, feel that there are very few
honest rock bands in the modern era.
“Rock is nally dead, It’s very sad for new bands. My heart goes out to them. They just don’t have a chance. You’re better off not even learning songs on the guitar and just auditioning for ‘The X Factor’,” Simmons said during an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine.
While I agree with Simmons that there are fewer people playing actual instruments in today’s world, there are still a few modern bands that have stayed true to the rock and roll roots.
The Black Keys were originally an alternative blues band from Ohio, and have recently progressed their music into the more traditional rock and roll style.
Jack White has been considered one of the best guitar players of all time for his work
with The White Stripes and The Raconteurs as well as his solo work.
Highly Suspect, a band that made their fame covering Jimi Hendrix and Sublime songs in the Cape Cod bar scene, has adopted the old school blues- rock sound.
They broke ground by gaining the interest of 300 Entertainment, a record label that usually signs hip-hop artists such as Fetty Wap and Young Thug.
I feel the struggle that many fans of rock music experience. There are very few true rock bands anymore, but I wouldn’t say the genre is dead just yet.
Looking for a good band in 2016 is like mining for gold.
It takes time and effort but when you finally find one, it brings a sense of euphoria.
Leave a Reply