Note: This is not my personal opinion, for the purpose of the exercise it is the opposite of what I believe in
“Rock is finally dead,” Kiss bassist Gene Simmons famously said in an interview with Esquire in September 2014.
“The death of rock was not a natural death. Rock did not die of old age. It was murdered.”
At the time, The Demon of rock and roll was referring to file sharing and the fact no one cares enough to pay for rock music.
I for one am old-fashioned – I still pay for physical copies of CDs and like most rock ‘n’ roll musos, have amassed a fair collection of albums and memorabilia. When I was a child, I used to buy singles (yes, they used to be hard copies and actually come with two or three songs!) with the money I’d earned through various chores done around the house. I did it to support the bands I loved. I still do it to support the bands I love. Love here, being the operative word.
I am by no means an angel in the eyes of the rock gods, and, almost unashamedly, illegally download songs to avoid paying $2.19 from music outlets such as iTunes. Why use up my hard-earned money on a full album or single track, when I can just pluck it from the web without consequence? Who doesn’t do that?
But is this the sole contributor as to the genre’s death?
The evolution of technology and focus on commercialism has been a key reason for rock’s decline and subsequent death. Production software such as ProTools and AutoTune have allowed for music manipulation to be distorted to grotesque amounts, removing any originality and creating endless generic music cycles which rarely differ in material or sound.
Purists will say music should be made for communal enjoyment, but now it is produced purely for fame and monetary purposes.
I believe it to be a result of the times.
As with anything, things come and go as the years go by. Flared pants and mullets have shined in the spotlight, but with time have disappeared.
The same goes for rock music and how it is now a relic of the past.
Heck, I even have a Led Zeppelin tattoo. But it’s sort of like a premiership tattoo now – a fond memory, and a symbol of a time gone by. Still, there are those who try and keep these trends and memories from another era alive.
This year, the two big remaining rock bands – Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age – have released albums to generally positive critical response.
The reason for success? Well, in a desperate bid to say afloat and to stay relevant, each band have worked alongside huge pop producers Greg Kurstin and Mark Ronson, who have produced albums for some of the biggest pop stars in the world, including Adele, Sia, Beyonce and Bruno Mars. Coincidence?
While Foo Fighters’ latest release, Concrete and Gold, has reached number 1 in the Billboard charts, the use of a pop producer evidently speaks of this turn to commercialism.
Unfortunately, in order to stay relevant in today’s music scene, you need to sell records and churn out constant hits. Rock music in general cannot accommodate this scene. Yes, you have your anthemic rockers and the beautiful ballads, but when was the last time you heard one of those hit number one and be a critical success?
Rock musicians themselves are a dying breed.
Bands who were previously considered to be rock or punk bands have moved on in order to keep any air of relevancy. Bands such as Fall Out Boy have reverted to electronic dance music to cling on, while punk bands such as All Time Low have shifted to a “pop punk” style of music to appeal to a broader market.
The only rock bands nowadays are nostalgic tributes to days gone by. Bands like Queen continue without the great Freddie Mercury, and try to bask in the glory of the 70s and 80s. Paul McCartney is beginning on his One on One tour, and although a new album is on the way (intriguingly produced by Greg Kurstin…) it serves more so as a Beatles tribute and a nostalgic glimpse back to the 60s. Even Foo Fighters are from a time gone by, formed from the ashes of Nirvana following Kurt Cobain’s suicide. The list goes on.
Those who are still circulating, such as the Foo Fighters are now referred to as “dad bands” (courtesy of a recent Channel NewsAsia interview) – again a sign of outdatedness. If rock music were still relevant and alive today, we wouldn’t see these bands working with huge pop producers in attempts to keep their heads above water.
Where is the next Sgt. Pepper's? Who is the next big front man to follow Freddie Mercury? They aren’t coming. We’re in the era of commercialism where music is not valued as an art, but as a sellable product. And rock just won’t sell.
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