Rock fans; when did Rock and Roll start to decline for you?

Muddy
USA
You always hear all kinds of answers to that question. I mean you look around the music landscape now, rock is pretty much completely gone from the limelight. There might be some good music being put out there but I haven’t really been hearing it.

I think I gotta put it sometime around the 90’s for me. A lot of that post grunge stuff I just cringe at. 2000’s there was still some good stuff going on but you could see it didn’t dominate the music landscape like it used to. But the past decade, Rock and Pop divorced completely. Maybe Rock as a genre really does go the way of jazz. Just think how many new Rock and roll bands/songs do you know? I got nothing.

48 comments

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Warrior15
2 years ago
You know, you are right. I mostly listen to a "Modern Rock" station on the radio. The other day I realized that hardly ever play a recent hit song. I have satellite XM radio in all my cars. They don't even have a modern rock option. The sugar babies I go out with ask me what kind of music I like. When I say Rock, they look at me like " old people music ".
shailynn
2 years ago
A lot of people didn’t like the 80s rock which incorporated a lot of synths. Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Rush, the Police, Van Halen, The Who all were guilty of it, a lot of people hated it but I mostly loved it. Some went way too far (think Robert Plant Shaken n Stirred). Then the 90s came and most of those musicians reset and dumped the synths, and you also had grunge. Not a huge fan of grunge but I listened to it. During this time in middle school and early high school, EVERYONE was into grunge while I discovered rap for myself. I started to stray from rock then, and once nu-metal (or whatever it was called) at the turn of the century - groups like Limp Bizkit and Korn replaced Sound Garden and Nirvana I had no interest at all. After all I’d take Gang Starr, Nas, EMPD etc over any my-metal band.

Since then the few rock groups I have listened to are Jack White, Greta Van Fleet (both from Michigan), Deftones and Chevelle.

Today, I find myself listening to mostly late 70s to 80s rock, some pop from that era too and not much new stuff.
mike710
2 years ago
It's mostly dead but there are still a few bands that come around once in a while. Greta Van Fleet sure reminds me a lot of Led Zepelin, but I think that was their aim.

https://youtu.be/aJg4OJxp-co

Most of the rock that is good anymore tends to be more on the heavier side that you hear on Sirius XM Turbo
nicespice
2 years ago
I nominate this as the thread theme song:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W1LsRShUPt…
Muddy
2 years ago
Yeah modern rock is like 20 years old stuff lol.


And you know what I do like Nu Metal POD, Saliva, Disturbed, Korn I can’t say I don’t listen.

Hell at this point I’ll take any kind of movement at all.
Jascoi
2 years ago
Some rap trap crap is ok. edm is fine. old rock and motown is ok. but I also like the Latino music… especially Reggaeton. shit i even like some jazz, country, pop, classical and gospel. but basically i prefer stuff that is older.
Jascoi
2 years ago
I still find some music I like on the AM and FM radio in my car and at home. my car has satellite radio but I don’t subscribe to it. I can’t see paying money for what is free. So I’ll listen to the radio, free internet radio, my cds. in addition to not subscribing to satellite radio for my car I don’t even subscribe to cable or satellite for my TV or computer. I got other priorities for that money. I just use the data on my cell phone.
twentyfive
2 years ago
February 3 1959
nicespice
2 years ago
I retract my earlier comment in here, THIS will be the theme song for this thread. After all, tuscl loves it when people are singing Billy Joel 😎
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XEm3Kx7bAx…
Muddy
2 years ago
And yeah it used to be way more ingrained in the culture. Commercials, movies, tv intros, now it ain’t there. Teenage girls used to love Nirvana and Kurt Cobain. Now I’m not even sure teenage boys listen to any rock at all generally.

And just to relate it back to strip clubs, those rocker chicks you see are like unicorns now a days. If you come across one and she’s hot I would jump on that.
nicespice
2 years ago
“You get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers” omg he’s even giving mongering advice. This is great
rattdog
2 years ago
for me personally the gradual decline started after the releases of appetite for destruction & and justice for all. once both were released i felt that the bar was set up to the highest peak. after that the downward spiral began.
datinman
2 years ago
Rock is still out there but not as popular. I listen to The Japandriods, Cloud Nothings, Yuck, War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, The Foals, and others. Weird that basic rock is now considered alternative music.
datinman
2 years ago
If you’re fond of punk or power pop, check out the Fontaines DC. A great Irish band.
bang69
2 years ago
When Brian Johnson left AC/DC.
Muddy
2 years ago
@nice fun fact I actually grew up a few blocks from where Billy Joel grew up. And Uhh no pun/innuendo intended.
Icee Loco (asshole)
2 years ago
I think rock has taken a lot of dives.

The 50s and 60s are great. The 1970s are unbearable. Can't listen to that shit. The 80s are too pop. The 90s had early grunge and real alternative rock. Then nothing til emo groups came around. Haven't heard anything I like since then
Icee Loco (asshole)
2 years ago
I go to some punk and goth bars. Even joined an anarchist drinking group lulz. But it's not music for the strip club.
docsavage
2 years ago
There's actually something of a resurgence of pop punk among female artists like Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Willow Smith.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/pop-punk…

Influences for this go back to groups like Green Day or even further back to groups like Blondie. This won't become the musical mainstream, though. Because of technological advances and easier access to a wide variety of music, there is no longer a musical mainstream. It's been replaced by numerous musical subcultures.
motorhead
2 years ago
Signs of decline already was already beginning when i was in high school in the late 70’s

Topping the charts was soft shit like “Afternoon Delight” - Starland Vocal Band, “You Light Up My Life - Debbie Boone” and artists like Hall & Oates and Olivia Newton-John (RIP)

There was still some good music being made until sometime in the 90’s but this soft pop opened the door for Disco and it was down hill after that.

twentyfive
2 years ago
Rock and Roll will live forever
nicespice
2 years ago
If it makes people on here feel better, I saw a TikTok once where somebody argued that rap has consistently followed whatever rock was doing two decades after. And that it’s about due to be dying out as well. Couldn’t find the video, but I found a Reddit post where somebody else made the same argument.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/…

Has rap music been following the same path as rock music?

I know the knee jerk reaction to the title question would probably be "no" from both rap and rock fans. Which is understandable, since the two genres have many differences. But I think they have been following similar paths throughout the decades, just at different times. This might be a little hard to explain, but here goes.

Rock music came about in the 50's. Rock was new and raw at that time, pretty basic. In the 60's the genre came into its own, laid the foundation for what was to come. The 70's saw rock branching out more, creating more diverse subgenres and experimenting. The 80's was where rock was at its most ubiquitous, and most superficial, with lots of songs about sex and drugs and parties. This continued a little in the early 90's, but transitioned into grunge. The rest of the 90's saw rock becoming more homogenized and safe. You still had angsty post grunge and alternative rock, but with some lighter stuff as well. The 2000's saw Nu-Metal (actually another subgenre of rock) become big for a while. It combined multiple genres, particularly post grunge and rap. Then, in the 2010's indie rock came along, which is softer and safer than ever. Also, rock is less relevant than ever and has been getting less so for at least the past twenty years.

Then there is rap. The genesis of rap was the 70's, where it was raw and pretty simple. Just like rock in the 50's. Then the 80's saw rap come into its own and set the standard, like 60's rock. The 90's saw rap become more diverse and experimental, like 70's rock. Then in the 2000's rap was more popular than ever, with emphasis on songs about drinking, partying, and having sex. Just like 80's rock. Now in the 2010's we've seen rap become more downbeat and less glamorous, like grunge/post grunge in the 90's.

These are generalizations of course, and obviously don't reflect everything about either genre. But in terms of the big picture, there does seem to be a parallel. Rap seems to be going along the same path, just with a twenty year difference. So does that mean rap will become less relevant in the near future like rock did? Will there be an equivalent to indie rock?

Does anyone agree with this? Disagree? Any alternate opinions?
Jascoi
2 years ago
Nicespice. good job on explaining it.
Jascoi
2 years ago
right now Boston is playing in the background….
Icee Loco (asshole)
2 years ago
Rap basically started as punk for minorities. Itnhad the same dyi aesthetics.

The 90s was the golden age of rap. But like rock that meant it became commercial and that killed a lot of innovation.

Then came mumble rap . Trap. Drill. You'd get a few rappers getting mainstream and everyone would imitate their sound. But what this does is make regional sounds more popular. For example the southern and east coast shit isn't relatable to most on the west coast. So it fueled a lit of underground artists with a very west coast sound and vibe. I think we'll see a lot of it going underground and becoming more diversified regionally. But I think the current Drill artists are just a fad. Mainstream rap is going to go more melodic.

In the 2000s beats became more important than lyrics and Mc skills. It turned into pop.
Icee Loco (asshole)
2 years ago
Also 70s and early 80s rap wasn't as Rae as the 1990s. It was heavily influenced by discovery and was party music. It was about the rhythm and the Mc as a guide for yhe night kinda. The golden Era stemmed from LA Gangster rap. While the bay areas hyphy sound took it back to its roots.

But with a very west coast style. Like if rap was from California instead of NYC.
Huntsman
2 years ago
Nicespice, that’s an interesting take on the 20 years comparisons. I think music has always been evolving and wonder if that evolution might be speeding up due to new technology. I don’t know.

Muddy, as far as rock dying, I still love listening to it, if that’s your question. Mostly older stuff. But as far as the popularity of the genre, I think it was largely running on fumes by the 1980s. There is still plenty of good stuff from that decade but that’s also when so much sounded overproduced and commercialized.
Mate27
2 years ago
Hey hey my my
Rock n roll can never die.
There’s more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey my my

The king is gone but he’s not forgotten
Is this the tale of Johnny rotten?
It’s better to burn out than fade away
The king is gone but he’s not forgotten
psycho_trick
2 years ago
my rock/metal decline was when it stopped being mainstream in the stripclubs. coincidentally when the 2am-ers started, leading to a dozen clubs in my area being shut down.
MackTruck
2 years ago
Rockin hard I'd not a good idea unless I am dumping loads. If I am rockin too hard going down the road other cars are in danger of sloppy sewage
misterorange
2 years ago
Fuck Neil Young. And Fuck Joe Biden.
ATACdawg
2 years ago
Rock music ended with the Rolling Stones.

(Terrible pun intended)😜
motorhead
2 years ago
Neil Young is a despicable prick of a human being. Just ask his ex band mates and ex wives and girlfriends
misterorange
2 years ago
Probably ended when the useless Rock and Roll Hall of Fame started admitting garbage like Madonna and Whitney Houston.
ilbbaicnl
2 years ago
Rap and Country can be categorized together as being more poetry and narrative set to music, rather than relying on the music itself to entertain the listener. I'm not big on poetry or simple narratives, so not big on either of those genres. Public Enemy are the only rappers I can think of who laid tracks that seemed very interesting to me musically.

Jimi Hendrix was a purple squirrel. It wasn't some complicated transition from 60s music to 70s music, the dude just died. Chuck Berry, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Aretha Franklin and Neil Young didn't die at their artistic peak, But even outstanding artists are limited in the stylistic range where they are outstanding. As time goes by, the challenge to do innovative work within one's range increases.

The Stones had a burst of freshness around 1980, when they inhaled Ron Wood from the Faces. But somehow these recombinations of good musicians don't happen that much.

The Dead Milkmen and the Butthole Surfers were a couple of small oases in the desert of 80s music.

For whatever reason, new music, or at least new mass market music, primarily targets people in their late teens and twenties. So, unlikely that a whole new genre of music is going to be invented, that speaks to the psyches of us Boomers. And within Classic Rock, or probably any genre to a greater or lesser degree, it gets harder and harder to produce new stuff that sounds fresh/innovative.
LapHunt
2 years ago
The decline of rock and roll music is directly linked to America's changing demographics. As the nation diversifies at a breakneck pace each year, the core all-American genre of rock and roll, as well as the artists that produced so many incredible classics through the '50s to the '80s, fades away.

Whether it's Bill Haley and his Comets, The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Van Halen, Starship, Chicago (notice how this runs the gamut from soft rock to hard rock) the genre of rock and roll does not appeal to the majority of America's current demographic composition. Urban/hip hop music started to become the predominant form of music in North America and England in the 1990s, and this process was completed during the 2010s.

If one needs a picture that conveys the modern reality of the American musical landscape, one only needs to look at the last Super Bowl Halftime Show in Los Angeles, which featured exclusively hip hop music and a grand total of one white performer (Eminem).

The wonderful music of rock and roll - and all that it represented for those that loved what America and the West used to stand for - will nonetheless live on in the memories and hearts of traditional Americans, as the nation itself continues to be consumed by globalism.
Longball300
2 years ago
XM37 Octane, listen and learn.
drewcareypnw
2 years ago
There is always lots of new rock music, more now than at any time in the past. This is down to the easy access to inexpensive recording tools, online distribution, and I bet the low cost of relatively high quality instruments as well. Check out the discover section of Bandcamp.com, there are a ton of new releases across a dozen sub genres of rock daily. If you think "theres nothing new" or "there's nothing good anymore" thats probably more down to you than the state of rock. Most people stop giving new music after their mid 20's. Fwiw I hate nu-metal too.
drewcareypnw
2 years ago
Sorry should have said... "most people stop giving new music a chance after their mid 20's".
Longball300
2 years ago
What Drew said; If your not listening to great new rock your not looking.... slowly remove the AC/DC and/or Metallica cassette from your stereo and tune in to the bands making music today.
ilbbaicnl
2 years ago
Jeez Lap what planet are you talking about, it's not this one. At lease until the 70s, the movers and shakers of "The West" regarded Rock-n-Roll as "jungle music", because it was deeply rooted in genres of Black American music. Black Americans would always have dominated popular music, were it not for racism. White musicians like The Beatles and The Stones often quietly admitted this. Nothing surprising about it, West African culture has always prioritized music, seeing it as the bedrock of spiritually. No more surprising than the French and the Italians kicking everyone else's ass in the culinary arts.
LapHunt
2 years ago
Oh ilbbaicnl. Ye who says race and gender are "social constructs." Alas, with you and Icee, the lefties here are much more vocal, and - your voices being the loudest - I don't think my viewpoint would get through all the noise and vitriol. I am but a moderate after all, shocked to see what has happened in the West since 2015.

America will soon be home to no more than 25% of its founding Christian stock. In no other country would such a development be seen as acceptable, but the globalists have very carefully planned what lies ahead for the West. It can be seen every time one ventures out of their home and looks around at the drastic changes taking place. Been to Minneapolis lately? Demographics is destiny.

I have a set-in disadvantage in such discussions in that I do not take ad hominem personal shots. I merely stick to the arguments at hand. I will say only that the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show is representative of America's future.
ilbbaicnl
2 years ago
Planet LapHunt is a strange and exotic world. Hostility to people of the "wrong" demographic is not vitriol there.
drewcareypnw
2 years ago
@laphunt: by "founding Christian stock" you must mean the Spanish? 1492 Tío!
twentyfive
2 years ago
^ I thought the Vikings worshipped Odin and the Norse gods and burned and sacked the Christian towns and settlements
I mean it’s common knowledge that North America was settled by the Norse
drewcareypnw
2 years ago
^LOL!! Hagar the Horrible for the OG American! I wonder if they were listening to black metal by AD 1000? Zheng He was probably already into K-POP by 1421, the dirty little no-dick fucker.
san_jose_guy
2 years ago
Rock has never declined for me. But if you mean the new music of any given decade, some is better than others. But there is still really good new stuff coming along.

SJG
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