Is Rock dead/dying?

[plasmawisp6633]

*the creation of this thread was inspired by this article*

I truly value my music, especially that which is on the radio. There used to be a time when I would wait for the new songs to come on the radio because the songs were good. But as I've matured both physically and musically, I've become ever more critical of the songs that are currently on the radio.

Now, I instead wait for the classics to come on the radio, as opposed to the new songs. Whenever a new song comes on the radio I find myself saying 90% of the time "GOD, I hate this f*****g song."

Can someone tell me why the themes of blatant sex, drugs, rock and roll and corny love songs became the norm for mainstream rock? The lyrics in songs have a complete disregard for subtlety, and are characteristic of a horny middle schooler's secret poetry.

Examples:
Addicted - Saving Abel (sex)
Through Glass - Stone Sour (corny love song)
Bad Girlfriend - Theory of a Dead Man (sex)
Rock and Roll Train - AC/DC (rock and roll)
Any Saliva song (rock and roll)
Any Buckcherry song (sex/drugs)
Something in your mouth - Nickelback (sex)
Animals - Nickelback (sex)
Rockstar - Nickelback (sex/drugs/rock & roll)
Use Me - Hinder (sex)
Papa Roach - Forever (corny love song)

...yes, the list goes on.

Don't get me wrong, there are good bands out there still, such as Seether, Disturbed, Shinedown, Submersed, Tool is still around too!! (thank god)

What I'm saying is that I'm not seeing any bands/songs that are making an impact. Where's the "Stairway to Heaven" of the 2000's? There's no legends here, it's just rock bands looking to get songs on the radio. There's hardly any effort put into these songs; put in a nice/heavy riff, a solid drum beat, and lyrics that are shallow and on the surface with a melody that's fun to sing along with. If this is what rock is tending towards, then I don't want a part of it.

My defense mechanism as a result of this infestation of terrible, amateur music is to dig progressively deeper and deeper into the past. My musical tastes just keep getting older and older (a small side note: I just bought In the Court of the Crimson King and I LOVE IT, it's the oldest album I own). I gatta wash my ears in some Led Zeppelin before they dry up and fall off.

My question to you is this: Is rock dying; or are things looking up?

 

[MBreeto]

In my opinion, the 90's is what sealed the deal. While you can still find good rock out there, nothing can match the oldies. Today, most of what you'll hear is technical, sound effect mash-ups.

 

[Peek~]

Good music will not come to you
You have to search for it

 

[Sad Panda323]

Even though there are a lot of crappy generic sounding bands out there, there will always be some diamonds in the rough that have a good unique sound.

 

[GoldShadow]

Music just isn't made like it used to be. Rock peaked in the 80s, and was still pretty good in the 90s, but all (read: 98%) of today's rock sucks. The only modern band I've found that recreates that sound is The Darkness, but I haven't listened to much of their stuff, so I can't pass too much judgment.

But don't diss the sex/drugs themes, a lot of awesome older rock/hard rock/metal is based off of those. Although I guess the lyrics were a lot better than too.

 

[plasmawisp6633]

Good music will not come to you
You have to search for it

Even though there are a lot of crappy generic sounding bands out there, there will always be some diamonds in the rough that have a good unique sound.

Come'on people...I need examples. At least try to make your posts a little more lengthy.

 

[Autydragoon]

Well one reason it has started a down turned is because the majority of the nation are now fans of hiphop or Disney sponsored "musicians" or what I call "Sheltered mouse music". Back in the 70's, rock is what defined the generation, Steve Miller Band, Eagles, Wings, CCR, Doobie Brothers, ELO, and so forth. now though our generation is defined by crap like Jonas, Hannah Montana and Demi Lovato. It angers me when those three are considered rock. Now a days it can be shown that even good bands today are sounding more and more like each other overtime.

 

[Red the Ghost]

Of course mainstream/modern rock is dying. As everybody said before, rock is only living on to sell albums. Most of the masses listen to pop and hip hop now. Rock doesn't matter any more.
If you want to find good rock, you definitely need to look past the mainstream. The radio doesn't play good music in this generation, it plays popular music.

 

[Firus]

Come'on people...I need examples. At least try to make your posts a little more lengthy.

Since everyone has their own tastes in music, it's hard to give examples. There are some currently running bands that I enjoy and think they have deep and awesome lyrics, but I have a feeling that if I shared a few of them people would probably stare at me like I have eight heads.

Considering I don't even particularly like classic rock (sue me), I'm not sure I'll be any help. But I can tell you that at least 95% of the music I listen to is not played on the radio. Not everything that isn't played on the radio is good, but most everything played on the radio is bad. I stopped bothering listening to the radio years ago.

 

[User_Maat_Re]

You can't listen to the radio and expect good music to pop on. It's rare when that happens these days. Just ****ty talentless pop and rap artists. Get a Last.fm or something.

 

[ExCeL 52]

Rock is dying. And Hip Hop is DEAD.

 

[SaxDude93]

A. AC/DC's whole career has been "Rock and Roll." I think it's kind of pointless to start ragging on them now.

B. The radio plays whats popular. Popular, IMO, is how many 12 year old girls listen to said song.

C. If you want to find more stuff, you have to dig deeper than the surface. As a recommendation from me is Morphine, a great 90's band.

http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=28210&page=36

 

[Livvers]

The masses love mediocrity and music that's easy to get into. I find that a lot of my favourite music wasn't something I found omfg awesome right away, but something I listened to a couple times and then it really clicked. It takes a couple listens to notice more of its intricacies and the work that went into the song. Of course, not all great music is like that, but songs like that are less likely to fall into the poppy rock vibe that exists now-a-days just to get you to listen, bop along, and not have to use any brain matter.

For my own examples of ****ty main stream rock is that new girl, don't know her name, the one about kissing a girl and liking it. She has at least two other songs based on literal gay ****, and I just know deep down it's to grab the audience by means of sex and a catchy tune. The songs aren't deep at all. And ALL her songs seemed to be based on relationships(I only know this because a guy was playing an iPod with her music on it on one of my shoots).

And I approve of you citing Nickleback multiple times. God I hate that band.

 

[Majini]

All music comes to an end eventually. I mean, it's not like you see any new Jazz Fusion artists coming out anymore.

 

[Luigitoilet]

You realize that the most well-known classic bands and artists were the absolute cream of the crop. As such, it's just that we hear all about them, rather than the ocean of horrible music artists that- yes, have always been the most generally popular music during their time.

Like others have said, and this is especially in the Internet age, you have to stop listening to the radio and look for music. There are musicians in many genres pushing boundaries. And yes, rock music is alive as it's always been.

 

[Symphony X]

If you want good rock, stop looking towards the mainstream. Now that Rap, and pop are where people want to be right now, the mainstream rock is just there to collect a paycheck.

Try Monster Magnet, they just released a new CD, 4-Way Diablo.

 

[Fat NISMO]

If you want good rock, stop looking towards the mainstream. Now that Rap, and pop are where people want to be right now, the mainstream rock is just there to collect a paycheck.

Try Monster Magnet, they just released a new CD, 4-Way Diablo.

Are you saying that Rock is senseless because bands just make music just to collect the kaching???
If you are then i highly disagree with you dude.
Well im not really clear what you mean so yeah.

I have my own taste of music.
80's was just pure valuable music that time. But I still love the bands of today. Not much mainstream except Avenged Sevenfold which is mainstream. But mainstream...count that out for me
\ , , / Heavy metal of todays and 80's rock are my ****

 

[Livvers]

He's saying that's true of most mainstream bands. He says it right there, in the sentence. Mainstream rock is there to collect a paycheck.

 

[Spike6sic6]

Mainstream rock is crap for the most part. I have yet to hear a good rock band on TV/radio. If you're looking for generic rock, you have better chances listening to old music. The metal scene is much more appealing in general, if you look at the not mainstream bands at least. But a lot of people just don't like it.

 

[kr3wman]

Good music that is mainstream and the social influence behind it is dying, not rock.

I still find good songs listening randomly on the radio/internet/internet radio.

 

[Thrillhouse-vh.]

Don't get me wrong, there are good bands out there still, such as Seether, Disturbed, Shinedown, Submersed, Tool is still around too!! (thank god)

And you're complaining about rock being dead?

You say this like this is a recent phenomenon. Rock Radio in the 90's sucked just as big as Rock Radio today. In fact, I can go back and look at "classic" (read: mainstream) bands from the classic eras in the 60's-70's that sucked and were seeping all the fun out of Rock Music and ripped off better bands, played generic boring droll, just as much as much as the radio today. I could go off and name them, but I'll never hear the end of it from all the people who can't take a hint, so I won't, but I'll just say that one is that bad glam band who ripped off the Sparks with faux-opera ambitions and made some of the most annoying songs to ever be played at sports games ever (you know the one I mean). Rock has been under attack way before Chad and the other boys from Nickelback were even born.

Oh, and the radio plays more than Rock/Pop Stations. Change the dial sometime.

 

[Rici]

If you wait a few years, you'll be hearing from me as the resurrector of true Rock music!

Remember my name!


...Fame!

 

[GoldShadow]

If you wait a few years, you'll be hearing from me as the resurrector of true Rock music!

Remember my name!


...Fame!

I believe in you Ric! Could you send me your autograph or something, so that I have it before you're famous? That would be awesome.

 

[GreenKirby]

Please tell me the ones who think Rock is dying are NOT just listening to mainstream rock?

Most mainstream music is crap. Rap, rock, pop, R&B. If it's mainstream, most likely it's crap.

I'm not even a Rock fan and I enjoyed Crush 40 more than mainstream rock.

 

[cheap_josh]

Mainstream everything is crap, it's not limited to rock. Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne, Jonas Brother, Avril Lavigne, Brittany Spears, Kanye's new album... all garbage.

People are lazy and just put out garbage that tweens will eat up because they saw it on an MTV music video countdown.




Now if you can't find any good new releases from a whole particular genre, it might be dying.

 

[smashbot226]

This thread makes me wish this was still the 60's, when meth could solve anything and John Lennon was still alive.

 

[Fat NISMO]

Mainstream everything is crap, it's not limited to rock. Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne, Jonas Brother, Avril Lavigne, Brittany Spears, Kanye's new album... all garbage.

People are lazy and just put out garbage that tweens will eat up because they saw it on an MTV music video countdown.




Now if you can't find any good new releases from a whole particular genre, it might be dying.

I highly agree with that man.
Almost every rap/hip hop/r&b crap...is phail
You hear a hit song at tv/radio/ or ppls car. then it dies out with another new song like its dead and another and just repeats.

Mainstream rock is not bad But there are more way better bands out there that you can listen

 

[Sad Panda323]

I am sick of hot topic scene kids that think any band that's popular/mainstream is bad.

Oh I guess we shouldn't be listening to the Beatles, they're the most popular band of all time, they must suck. And Metallica? Pssh **** them, they must suck too. Can't listen to Guns N' Roses either, they're pretty popular as well.

I'm not saying that all mainstream is good, but it doesn't all suck either.

 

[Clone Z]

You could say the same thing about all music genres.

 

[trueganon]

Rock will never die. It only morphs with the times into a new genre, thus forever leading our 'Rock' into a new category as we pushed back the original into "Classic Rock" and "Geezer Metal". If you look hard enough, you shall recieve the hardcore.

 

[RyuReiatsu]

How about Linkin Park?

 

[hectichobo]

Linkin Park is punk-pop. Not rock.

 

[RyuReiatsu]

Oh really o_o?
Well I guess I'll have to re-learn the genres, ****.

 

[Fat NISMO]

Linkin Park is punk-pop. Not rock.

THANK YOU!!! finally its the first time some one said Linkin Park is punk-pop not rock.
its annoying how everyone thinks that Linkin Park is "hardcore rock" in my school which is just... pathetic when they think they know about music

 

[Thrillhouse-vh.]

Linkin Park is punk-pop. Not rock.

THANK YOU!!! finally its the first time some one said Linkin Park is punk-pop not rock.
its annoying how everyone thinks that Linkin Park is "hardcore rock" in my school which is just... pathetic when they think they know about music

Linkin Park is closer to being Rock than they will ever be Punk.

 

[Peek~]

Linkin Park is punk-pop. Not rock.

Wait a minute

what

 

[User_Maat_Re]

Linkin Park is ****ty rap rock

 

[Thrillhouse-vh.]

Oh I guess we shouldn't be listening to the Beatles, they're the most popular band of all time, they must suck. And Metallica? Pssh **** them, they must suck too. Can't listen to Guns N' Roses either, they're pretty popular as well.

YES! Thank you! We need more people like you here.


Oh wait, you were being sarcastic.

 

[Mugquomp]

This thread is hilarious. Music is doing just fine these days, especially rock (whatever that means...). Like everyone said, you just need to expand your horizons, and stop listening to terrestrial radio.

Here's some suggestions: Open up a new tab in your browser, and point your compuzoid at http://woxy.com/ ; listen in to their broadcast. You might find something you like (as well as some stuff you don't like).

If you'd prefer concrete band names, let me expound upon a few who I (and most of my friends) consider to be pretty darn good. Broken Social Scene is incredible. Arcade Fire is good. Titus Andronicus is nice and punky, Animal Collective (if you're ready for a mindfụck), Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (great singer-songwriter), Max Tundra is a electro-pop, of Montreal is pretty cool, and Fụcked Up is a really cool outgrowth of hardcore punk (the 80's kind, not the recent rebranding)

But maybe you won't like them. Those are all kind of bands from the "indie scene," if you will. I encourage you to go out and find bands that fit your own interests. They're there. You just have to find their Myspace page.

 

[smashbot226]

This thread is hilarious. Music is doing just fine these days

There is Jonas Brothers and Guyley Cyrus/Hannah Mantanna.

Linkin Park, all those emo bands, Death Metal, etc.

I want my iPod so I can listen to my G&R and Freebird!