Music Is Rock-n-Roll Dead? Urban Music Trends & My Reaction

[Ivan Seeking]

The funny thing about this question is that Rap, New-Age, Metal, or whatever, are all just variations of Rock to me. I consider Rock to be anything that my parents would not listen to. So this would include anything produced after about 1954.

Still, tonight on the Lehrer News Hour, on PBS, Clarence Page [not Jimmy] did a story about the death Rock. Concert and other sales are down, and the new thing is called Urban. The story's review was mixed but it did make Rock sound like a thing of the past.

Am I old?

 

[Moonbear]

Yes.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Hey, hey, my, my
Rock and Roll will never die

Now I think I'm gonna
start to cry
Hey, hey, my, my

 

[Moonbear]

Hey, hey, my, my
Rock and Roll will never die

Now I think I'm gonna
start to cry
Hey, hey, my, my

I wasn't answering the question about Rock 'n' Roll.

Rock 'n' Roll ain't going to die!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I wasn't answering the question about Rock 'n' Roll.

Now I know I'm gonna
start to cry
Hey, hey, my, my

 

[Moonbear]

Now I know I'm gonna
start to cry
Hey, hey, my, my

Sorry. :shy:

 

[Huckleberry]

The funny thing about this question is that Rap, New-Age, Metal, or whatever, are all just variations of Rock to me. I consider Rock to be anything that my parents would not listen to. So this would include anything produced after about 1954.

Still, tonight on the Lehrer News Hour, on PBS, Clarence Page [not Jimmy] did a story about the death Rock. Concert and other sales are down, and the new thing is called Urban. The story's review was mixed but it did make Rock sound like a thing of the past.

Am I old?

Well, we are atleast a generation apart and I would agree with you. I don't think your age is the most important factor here. What kind of music did your parents listen to?

Huck Mom

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Well, we are atleast a generation apart and I would agree with you. I don't think your age is the most important factor here. What kind of music did your parents listen to?

Huck Mom

I was joking a little bit but they were fans of the crooners, the Rat Pack et al, and even, gulp, Lawrence Welk; and even, gulp...gulp, polkas.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Sorry. :shy:

What were we talking about...? Hi, my name is Ivan, and I'm old.

 

[Moonbear]

I was joking a little bit but they were fans of the crooners, the Rat Pack et al, and even, gulp, Lawrence Welk; and even, gulp...gulp, polkas.

Hey, I learned to dance to Lawrence Welk! Well, okay, I learned to stand on my grandfather's toes while he danced to Lawrence Welk. And I still like polkas! I don't know how to properly dance a polka, but they sure were fun to jump around to in my grandparents' basement.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I don't want her you can have her she's too fat for me.

Now there's a law suit!

Okay, I have to admit that as a kid, I liked polkas as well. But I don't think I have ever admitted this in public.

 

[SOS2008]

Dear Ivan,

I must go my own way, but I hope you will remember the good times we had together,

Rock N Roll

There, there -- Rock is alive and well, just under new names such as alternative, etc. Rock use to be the blues, jazz, etc. It's just evolving, and sometimes it takes forms that don't last long (disco, punk) thank goodness, really. There WAS a generation gap with our parents (ooops, I'm old too! ) and the music they listened to. Our music WAS revolutionary. Don't let these kiddies try to make you think they've thought of something new...yet... In fact, many are retro listeners (Led Zepplin, etc.) and recently I purchased a CD called Tony C & The Truth -- Back to the roots of rock, baby.

 

[juvenal]

The top 40 radio station and the hip-hop/R&B station (at least the ones I listen to) in Los Angeles have a tremendous amount of overlap, so yes, popular music is pretty urban now. The only real rock song I've heard on top-40 radio recently is Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Apart from that, Linkin Park's Numb, and Hoobastank's The Reason also made it onto popular radio, though it might be stretching it to call them rock.

I spent quite a few years not listening to very much rock, but now I found myself drawn back to it, mostly stuff from the 90's, probably because it captures my mood the best these days. The alternative rock station in LA, KROQ, does a pretty good job of playing 90's and 00's rock. None of the new stuff is amazingly good, though I do enjoy tracks from The Killers.

Is rock dead? I don't think so. I'm willing to bet there will be at least another great rock band, a la Nirvana, sometime in the future.

Also - even if no new music of any sort were produced starting today, I would still not have enough time during the rest of my life to fully listen to and enjoy what has already been produced.

 

[Evo]

I don't want her you can have her she's too fat for me.

Now there's a law suit!

I remember that!

Okay, I have to admit that as a kid, I liked polkas as well. But I don't think I have ever admitted this in public.

Nothing gets your toe to tapping more than an accordian.

My grandmother always watched Lawrence Welk. The younger generation has really missed out.

 

[Huckleberry]

When I think of what groups would epitomize the heart of rock and roll (Hewey Luis?) groups/artists like Huey Luis, Pink Floyd, Jimmy Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, and maybe some Steve Miller, Bob Seger, Jefferson Starship (wait.. not Jefferson Starship), and hell, why not Bob Marley, Jim Croce, Grateful Dead, Joe Cocker, Jimmy Buffet (yay parrot heads)

The first karaoke song I ever sang was Frosty the Snowman. It was October at the time and someone put me up to it. But the second one was Margaritaville. It's a perverse pleasure I admit.

There are dozens that I've left out, but those are the ones that immediately come to my mind. Many of them were around before I was even born. I don't recall my parents listening to them. I'm not sure how I cam to be interested in these artists. It's a mystery.

What was the question?
Huck Mom

 

[Evo]

I spent quite a few years not listening to very much rock, but now I found myself drawn back to it, mostly stuff from the 90's, probably because it captures my mood the best these days. The alternative rock station in LA, KROQ, does a pretty good job of playing 90's and 00's rock. None of the new stuff is amazingly good, though I do enjoy tracks from The Killers.

He's referring to music from the 90's as old.

Hi, my name is Evo, and I'm older than Ivan.

 

[Huckleberry]

Hey, I learned to dance to Lawrence Welk! Well, okay, I learned to stand on my grandfather's toes while he danced to Lawrence Welk. And I still like polkas! I don't know how to properly dance a polka, but they sure were fun to jump around to in my grandparents' basement.

Is there a way to properly dance a polka?

 

[Moonbear]

He's referring to music from the 90's as old.

That even makes me old! I still remember my dismay when the radio stations started calling 80's music "oldies."

 

[Moonbear]

Is there a way to properly dance a polka?

There is...you jump up and down in circles...or something like that.

Seriously, there is, but I don't know how to do it.

 

[Evo]

That even makes me old! I still remember my dismay when the radio stations started calling 80's music "oldies."

Just what are they going to call music between 2000 & 2010? You've got the 50's 60's, 70's, etc... Or even 2011 & 2012? the 0's & the ten's just isn't catchy.

 

[Moonbear]

Just what are they going to call music between 2000 & 2010? You've got the 50's 60's, 70's, etc... Or even 2011 & 2012? the 0's & the ten's just isn't catchy.

Meh, it's all the same as the stuff they've been playing since the 90s anyway. They better start working on some new sounds. I'll be sorely disappointed if I have kids and they're still listening to music I like. You can't deprive me of my god-given right to shout at teenage children, "Turn down that racket!"

I guess they could call it "music from the turn of the millenium." That's catchier than 0s and 10s.

 

[gnome]

Holy crap! Two pages of lamentations about the demise of Rock 'n Roll, and not one mention of the doowop era?

It seems not even you "old" folks remember the music I grew up with.

 

[hypnagogue]

I don't think rock can be proclaimed dead just because it's no longer the dominant style that gets played on all the radio stations. I mean, that might even be a good sign-- I really can't recall listening to any 'popular' radio station that wasn't mostly garbage. I think there are a number of good rock artists out nowadays, though most of them are to varying degrees 'underground' kind of bands, I guess.

 

[Mariko]

Well my Parents were hippies and I really love the rock n roll their generation represented, but like all things rock has evolved. I not only love that old rock but I love the harder stuff of my generation and in a sense no rock will never die but be there for future generations to explore and enjoy. I think sometimes its a bit harder to accept new music and its rare i see someone my fathers age rocking out to like Metallica or TOOL yet you will see many of the younger generation listening to older stuff like Floyd Hendrix ect so is it possible that its the older generation that needs to open their mind some?

 

[Evo]

I don't think rock can be proclaimed dead just because it's no longer the dominant style that gets played on all the radio stations. I mean, that might even be a good sign-- I really can't recall listening to any 'popular' radio station that wasn't mostly garbage. I think there are a number of good rock artists out nowadays, though most of them are to varying degrees 'underground' kind of bands, I guess.

I agree, rock isn't dead, it's evolving. I love the new bands and music that my kids listen to, it's great. I can't see my self trapped into a certain "style" of rock, I have found things I've liked with each new wave. I currently listen to "underground" and alternative" which is so funny because that's what we called it in the 60's and early 70's.

I cannot listen to "Pop" music. Watching a show like American Idol would probably make me want to puncture my eardrums.

 

[Kerrie]

I think there are a number of good rock artists out nowadays, though most of them are to varying degrees 'underground' kind of bands, I guess.

Most definitely! Mars Volta is currently one of my favorite underground rock bands with a sounds of Led Zeppelin, Rush and Yes. Someone mentioned Tool in here, definitely a legendary band in the making. U2 is a band that has been rockin' for over 20 years now, and has been able to progress with the times. It seems today that the music market is saturated with so many bands/musicians, it's easy for those who are talented to get lost in the wave. It also seems that music goes through its "stages" of being good, mediocre, and just plain bad. Music in 1987 was absolutely horrible (I'm talkin' of the hair bands), but then in 1995 there seemed to be some sort of awakening in music that caught my attention.

Truly good music that rocks just becomes classic rock, stuff you never grow tired of and always appreciate

 

[gnome]

Well my Parents were hippies and I really love the rock n roll their generation represented, but like all things rock has evolved. I not only love that old rock but I love the harder stuff of my generation and in a sense no rock will never die but be there for future generations to explore and enjoy. I think sometimes its a bit harder to accept new music and its rare i see someone my fathers age rocking out to like Metallica or TOOL yet you will see many of the younger generation listening to older stuff like Floyd Hendrix ect so is it possible that its the older generation that needs to open their mind some?

Well, I started out listening to the likes of Dion & the Belmonts and The Kingston Trio. These days I'm more likely to be listening to Metallica (S&M is THE BEST) or J.S. Bach (heard of him?), or Korn, or Aghora, or Cold Play (you kids probably think they're "oldies" too, right?) so I think my mind is pretty open when it comes to music.

But look at Billboard or the Grammys & it's all about Usher, 50 cent, Alicia Keys. That seems to be where all the attention is these days, except when the emphasis is on nostalgia. Hip-hop, rap & that whiney stuff they call R&B.

R&B! R&B used to mean Chuck Berry or Jerry Lee Lewis.

 

[hypnagogue]

I just got introduced to The Mars Volta the other day-- interesting band, the lead singer sounds like the prototypical modern rock singer to me, but the instrumentation is very intricate and, in some places, downright weird (in a good way!).

There are some modern rock bands that seem to have fallen out of the spotlight after being 'big' in the mid-to-late 90s, but still go on making excellent music: Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Beck, and Weezer come to mind. A couple have even had huge commercial success in recent years, like U2 and Coldplay. Some others have risen from obscurity to occupy fringe portions of the public consciousness, like The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, Franz Ferdinand, and Interpol. And there's always the outstanding ones that stay under the radar for whatever reason; some I like from this group include Blonde Redhead, My Morning Jacket, The Comas, The Beta Band, The Black Heart Procession, Muse, Calla, and Elbow.

Rock is dead? Hardly!

 

[Moonbear]

R&B! R&B used to mean Chuck Berry or Jerry Lee Lewis.

Oh, I love that. Chuck Berry is great!

 

[Astronuc]

Jerry Lee Lewis was definitely NOT R&B - try rockabilly. Chuck Berry did some hard blues, not R&B, but he is definitely one of the pioneers in Rock and Roll.

R&B

Evolving out of jump blues in the late '40s, R&B laid the groundwork for rock & roll. R&B kept the tempo and the drive of jump blues, but its instrumentation was sparer and the emphasis was on the song, not improvisation. It was blues chord changes played with an insistent backbeat. During the '50s, R&B was dominated by vocalists like Ray Charles and Ruth Brown, as well as vocal groups like the Drifters and the Coasters. Eventually, R&B metamorphosed into soul, which was funkier and looser than the pile-driving rhythms of R&B.

and the Motown sound.

The 60's and 70's were peak for great rock, and since then the field has thinned out.

 

[Huckleberry]

It seems today that the music market is saturated with so many bands/musicians, it's easy for those who are talented to get lost in the wave.

Definitely! When I lived in the Phoenix area there were so many talented artists playing in local clubs and bars, microbreweries and such. Somehow they get skipped over and never make it to a wider public audience. I think its partly because of saturation and because record labels don't go for artists that don't fit their formula. While I was grateful that I could see these bands in my neighborhood on a regular basis it is a shame that people from other places will probably never have that opportunity.

Huck

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Nothing gets your toe to tapping more than an accordian.

You just made my list of the all time best quotes. Also, I will never let you forget this.

You will receive your golden peanut by mail.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

It's just evolving, and sometimes it takes forms that don't last long (disco, punk) thank goodness, really.

Hey! Punk is still around. It's just that nowadays most punk bands actually try to sound good, thank goodness. Bad Religion were one of the progenitors of the genre and they're still making music and very popular.
I love rock n roll. I like bubblegum style rock, hard rock, punk, metal... my preferance leans towards the punk and blues styles mostly. Most of the new rock music out I don't care for because they tend to sound like they are a product more than music. It all seems to be much too similar. The good contemporary rock bands are mostly small time gigs on independant labels who aren't having caniptions about profit margins and people downloading their music. I generally hear them referred to as Indie as opposed to underground.

 

[loseyourname]

Heck, even some of the better artists from the 60's and 70's never get recognized. Everyone mentions Pink Floyd, the Beatles, and others that were influential, but you can easily argue that artists like The Velvet Underground, Nick Drake, Love, Big Star, Television, and the Stooges were just as good, if not better. They've received critical recognition, but they still never get played on the radio, even on the 'oldies' and 'classic rock' stations.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

...and don't forget the greats like Bobby Sherman.

Edit:

 

[Mariko]

Well, I started out listening to the likes of Dion & the Belmonts and The Kingston Trio. These days I'm more likely to be listening to Metallica (S&M is THE BEST) or J.S. Bach (heard of him?), or Korn, or Aghora, or Cold Play (you kids probably think they're "oldies" too, right?) so I think my mind is pretty open when it comes to music.

But look at Billboard or the Grammys & it's all about Usher, 50 cent, Alicia Keys. That seems to be where all the attention is these days, except when the emphasis is on nostalgia. Hip-hop, rap & that whiney stuff they call R&B.

R&B! R&B used to mean Chuck Berry or Jerry Lee Lewis.

Well i think you are indeed open minded and its great you leave your ears open to experience and enjoy new music, that's IMO great-I know also that this "bubble gum pop" or anything really commercialized has always been around and while its artists come and go its the true originals that seem to sway the listeners of today and tomorrow.

 

[Danger]

I have 45's of Dave Clark Five, Crispian St. Peter, the Honeycombs, etc. (I still think of Aerosmith as a 'new' band.)
My mother was in her sixties, not to mention a preacher's wife, when I was in high school. She's never been good with machines, either using them or liking them. The radio and vacuum and whatnot were about the limit of her ability, and she definitely never went near the stereo. She also professed to hate 'bang bang on a dishpan' music, as she referred to rock. Imagine my surprise at coming home one day and finding her truckin' around the house with 'Smoke on the Water' just cranked. It must have taken her half an hour to figure out how to get the thing going.
Not so surprisingly, around half of my favourite bands are Canuk. I wonder how many of you know about any of them down there. I mean the really good ones that are national heroes to us. Trooper, Doug and the Slugs, Rush, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Barenaked Ladies, The Trajically Hip, Helix, Quarterflash, The Killer Dwarves, Headpins, Reostatics, Men Without Hats, Ducette, Great Big Sea, Susan Aglukark, Diana Krall, Steppenwolf (I know you've heard of them and Shania Twain), Ducette, Soul Decision, Loverboy, Lighthouse, Edward Bear, Mahogany Rush... cripes, I'm not even half-through the list. You non-Canuks like any of them, or have even heard of them?

 

[loseyourname]

I know that you'll never make up for Celine Dion and Bryan Adams.

 

[Danger]

I know that you'll never make up for Celine Dion and Bryan Adams.

I like Adams okay; her highness is getting a bit much. Thanks for the reminder, though. I didn't mention Corey Hartk, Kim Mitchell or Tom Cochrane & Red Rider.

 

[Smurf]

Not so surprisingly, around half of my favourite bands are Canuk. I wonder how many of you know about any of them down there. I mean the really good ones that are national heroes to us. Trooper, Doug and the Slugs, Rush, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Barenaked Ladies, The Trajically Hip, Helix, Quarterflash, The Killer Dwarves, Headpins, Reostatics, Men Without Hats, Ducette, Great Big Sea, Susan Aglukark, Diana Krall, Steppenwolf (I know you've heard of them and Shania Twain), Ducette, Soul Decision, Loverboy, Lighthouse, Edward Bear, Mahogany Rush... cripes, I'm not even half-through the list. You non-Canuks like any of them, or have even heard of them?

I havn't even heard of most of those.

 

[Danger]

I havn't even heard of most of those.

You are kidding, right?

 

[Smurf]

Trooper, Barenaked Ladies and the Guess who. Everyone else is lost to me.

I think we have a shortage of national heros if that's the best you can come up with.

 

[Moonbear]

Not so surprisingly, around half of my favourite bands are Canuk. I wonder how many of you know about any of them down there. I mean the really good ones that are national heroes to us. Trooper, Doug and the Slugs, Rush, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Barenaked Ladies, The Trajically Hip, Helix, Quarterflash, The Killer Dwarves, Headpins, Reostatics, Men Without Hats, Ducette, Great Big Sea, Susan Aglukark, Diana Krall, Steppenwolf (I know you've heard of them and Shania Twain), Ducette, Soul Decision, Loverboy, Lighthouse, Edward Bear, Mahogany Rush... cripes, I'm not even half-through the list. You non-Canuks like any of them, or have even heard of them?

Of the ones I recognize (I bolded them), I like them, or seem to recall liking them. Haven't heard any of their music in a while, so can't quite remember what they sound like. Well, Barenaked Ladies is more recent, so I'm sure I like them. There are a few others in that list that sound vaguely familiar, but I can't say for certain I know them.

 

[gnome]

While you're on the subject of great Canadian musicians, don't forget about Guy Lombardo.

Oh, and take Paul Schaffer. Please!

 

[gnome]

All kidding aside, of course The Guess Who, BTO and Steppenwolf were big here "back in the day". I've heard Rush, but I don't think they ever got much attention down here. Barenaked Ladies were getting a lot of play a couple of years ago. They're good, but I haven't heard them lately. Shania Twain, sure, but I can do without country most of the time.

As for the rest of your list, I don't think I've ever even heard the names.

 

[hypatia]

ummm Danger we are older then dirt.

 

[Danger]

There are a few others in that list that sound vaguely familiar, but I can't say for certain I know them.

Here's a list of some of the songs from each. Maybe you've heard some of them and just didn't know who they were by.

Trooper–Raise a Little Hell; The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car; Santa Maria; Two For the Show
Doug and the Slugs–Too Bad; Chinatown Calculation; Makin' It Work; Real Enough
Rush–Tom Sawyer; Spirit of the Radio; Closer to the Heart; Xanadu
The Guess Who–American Woman; Star Baby; Laughing; Stand Tall; Clap for the Wolfman; Hand Me Down World; Glamour Boy
BTO (that's Randy Bachman from Guess Who)–Takin' Care of Business; Let It Roll (Down the Highway); You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet; Blue Collar
Barenaked Ladies-Another Postcard With Chimpanzees; If I Had a Million Dollars; Lovers in a Dangerous( ) Time; It's All Been Done Before
The Tragically Hip–Blow at High Dough; At The Hundredth Meridian; Ahead By a Century; New Orleans Is Sinking

Helix–Make Me Do Anything You Want; Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'
Quarterflash– I screwed up here; they're not one of ours. I got mixed up because they sound very much like Tokan
The Killer Dwarves–Dirty Weapons; I'm Alive; Hardluck Town

Okay, this has taken me a couple of hours. I'll just post as is, then add later.

 

[Danger]

ummm Danger we are older then dirt.

And dirtier...

 

[hypatia]

come to think of it, yea, you do make dirt seem clean.

 

[Astronuc]

I've heard Rush, but I don't think they ever got much attention down here.

They received plenty of attention in the 70's and 80's, and their songs still get air time today.

Velvet Underground (formed in 1964) and Lou Reed were quite popular in the underground rock scene. By 1965, the Velvet Underground was a quartet: Reed, John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison (an old friend of Reed's), and drummer Angus MacLise. Cale, a Welshman, was classically trained and played bass, viola, and organ.

Lighthouse (1968-1974) had a popular tune, "One Fine Morning", which sounded a lot like Blood, Sweat and Tears (with English-born Canadian, David Clayton-Thomas).

Re: Rush - don't forget "Limelight" and "Subdivisions" from their Signals album.

Triumph (formed 1975) is another great Canadian rock trio. Just A Game

Mahogany Rush (formed 1969) is another power trio from Canada (Montreal) comprised guitarist Frank Marino, bassist Paul Harwood and drummer Jim Ayoub. Marino was heavily influenced by Hendrix.

Steppenwolf was formed in LA in 1967, so they are not Canadian (sorry), but John Kay (born Joachim Krauledat, Germany) did start out in a Toronto band, Sparrow.

Diana Krall is an excellent jazz pianist.