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Rock n' Roll has run its course


nobody_home

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Does anybody else agree that rock music has pretty much run its course, that nothing new is really being done with it, or that at least any new experimentation with styles or variation will last a few years at most and achieve only a mild degree of popularity at best? Actually the whole genre has more or less been steadily going downhill around the time punk music emerged. If you tried to name the top five bands out right now you'll probably get a list of throwback bands or a bunch of guys in their late 30s to mid 40s ... not exactly what you had in the '60s and '70s. And it's safe to say that its fan base is becoming increasingly older with rap and hip-hop becoming more popular and profitable with younger audiences (I won't get into country music since I have no understanding as to why anybody still listens to that crap). So should rock n' roll just fade away? I'm ready for something else.

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You take some music, music

Sweet flowin' music

Some movin' and groovin'

Rock and Roll Will Stand

Take some heart beats drum beats

Finger poppin' and stompin' feet

Little dances that look so neat

Rock and Roll Forever Will Stand

Some folks don't understand it

That's why they don't demand it

Still others are tryin' to ruin it

Forgive them for they know not what they're doin'

Don't you nickname it

You might as well claim it

It will be here forever and ever

Ain't gonna leave us

Never no never

Hear those sax blowin'

Sharp as lightnin'

Hear those drums beat

Loud as thunder

It swept this whole wide land

Sinking deep in the heart of man

Come on boy join our clan

Come on boy take my hand

Come on boy be a man

Rock and Roll Will Stand

Let's do it all over again

I feel good let's do it again

It'll be here forever and ever

Ain't gonna fade

Never, no never ~ The Showmen, It Will Stand

The group only had one hit, It Will Stand, which charted both in 1961 and in 1964, but their lead singer, General Johnson, went on to greater success as the leader of the 70s soul group Chairmen of the Board, whose first hit, Give Me Just a Little More Time, reached No. 3 in 1970. (from various sources)

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Long Live Rock

Down at the Astoria the scene was changing,

Bingo and rock were pushing out X-rating,

We were the first band to vomit in the bar,

And find the distance to the stage too far,

Meanwhile it's getting late at ten o'clock,

Rock is dead they say,

Long live rock.

Long live rock, I need it every night,

Long live rock, come on and join the line,

Long live rock, be it dead or alive.

People walk in sideways pretending that they're leaving,

We put on our makeup and work out all the lead-ins,

Jack is in the alley selling tickets made in Hong Kong,

Promoter's in the pay box wondering where the band's gone,

Back in the pub the governor stops the clock,

Rock is dead, they say,

Long live rock.

Long live rock, I need it every night,

Long live rock, come on and join the line,

Long live rock, be it dead or alive.

Landslide, rocks are falling,

Falling down 'round our very heads,

We tried but you were yawning,

Look again, rock is dead, rock is dead, rock is dead.

The place is really jumping to the high-watt amps,

'Til a 20-inch cymbal fell and cut the lamps,

In the blackout they dance right into the aisle,

And as the doors fly open even the promoter smiles,

Someone takes his pants off and the rafters knock,

Rock is dead, they say,

Long live rock, long live rock, long live rock.

Long live rock, long live rock, long live rock,

Long live rock, long live rock, long live rock.

Long live rock, I need it every night,

Long live rock, come on and join the line,

Long live rock, be it dead or alive.

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I can't even imagine that rock and roll will fade away! I am a child of the 70's and there are still artists from the 60's & 70's making great music. The Stones...on tour selling out!! Granted most of the groups coming about lately don't make great rock and roll but don't discount the rockers that are still rockin'! And yes they may be over 40, but who says you need to be a certain age to rock?? I guess I get passionate about rock and roll since it has always been in my life and I hope to make it a part of my little girl's life.

"It's only Rock and Roll but we like it!"

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My my, hey hey

Rock and roll is here to stay

Its better to burn out

Than to fade away

My my, hey hey.

Out of the blue and into the black

They give you this, but you pay for that

And once youre gone, you can never come back

When youre out of the blue and into the black.

The king is gone but hes not forgotten

This is the story of a johnny rotten

Its better to burn out than it is to rust

The king is gone but hes not forgotten.

Hey hey, my my

Rock and roll can never die

Theres more to the picture

Than meets the eye.

Hey hey, my my.

Mr. Neil Young :bow:

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What they ^^^^^ said. :guitar:

I just saw the Stones in concert. Am I ready for something else? No!!! I've seen them before, and they were every bit as good this time. Of course i am getting older as are they. Maybe that's why. And my musical tastes have changed over the years expanding to encompass different genres, but these can mostly be called "Roots of Rock" types of music. I actually think I have better taste in music now, since I have learned a few things, than I did way back when.

So no, I'm not ready to move on, just move some things over to make room for more! ;)

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As long as nobody stops me from listening to those dinosaurs...I wouldn't miss the new stuff. My kids on the other hand are major rock fans, so some of the spark is still there.

If I tell you that there is a 16 year old kid and his friends, in my garage, trying to play as good as they can...then there are another 10 million doing the same thing. Rock isn't going anywhere.

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As long as nobody stops me from listening to those dinosaurs...I wouldn't miss the new stuff.

Amen, RonJon. I just bought a cd, "Sticky Fingers"... I might have had one dozen of vinyl copies since 1971 and I still have the original and the one which sounds the less scratched... so I decided I´d get me a cd copy as it was just 5 Euros (more or less 5 dollars)

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ROCK AND ROLL IS HERE TO STAY

Danny & The Juniors

Rock 'n roll is here to stay,

it will never die

It was meant to be that way,

though I don't know why

I don't care what people say,

rock 'n roll is here to stay

(We don't care what people say,

rock 'n roll is here to stay)

Rock 'n roll will always be

our ticket to the end

It will go down in history,

just you wait, my friend

Rock 'n roll will always be,

it'll go down in history

(Rock 'n roll will always be,

it'll go down in history)

So come on, everybody rock,

everybody rock,

Everybody rock, everybody rock

Everybody rock

Now everybody rock 'n roll,

everybody rock 'n roll,

Everybody rock 'n roll

Everybody rock 'n roll,

Everybody rock 'n roll

Rock 'n roll will always be

our ticket to the end

It will go down in history,

just you wait, my friend

Rock 'n roll will always be,

it'll go down in history

If you don't like rock 'n roll,

think what you've been missin'

But if you like to bop and stroll,

come on down and listen

Let's all start to have a ball,

everybody rock 'n roll

Ah, oh baby, ah, oh baby, ah, oh baby,

ah, oh baby, rock!

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}:( OK, it seems nobody agrees with me. Don't get me wrong ... I love listening to rock more than anyone I know. But all the songs about "rock is here to stay" listed above are at least 25 years old - most of them much older - back when "new" rock music WAS worth appreciating, back when those words were believable, back when rock was being rejected by an older, more conservative population based on its immoral nature and sheer rebelliousness, not on its lack of craftmanship and inability to push the boundaries of the music (similar to rap music today). I don't doubt musicians will ever altogether stop playing rock music, but we've already heard it fused with practically every style of music known to man, and everything else done with it today just doesn't seem very impressive, noteworthy, or lasting compared to what's been done before. So really I'm arguing that nothing significantly groundbreaking can really come of rock music - at least not anymore - and that it needs to be laid to rest, appreciated for what it's musically, socially, and culturally accomplished ... enjoyed but ultimately moved aside for what's next to come (the same argument could have been made for jazz 30 years ago, or blues 40 years ago).

Oh, and old farts like the Stones and Clapton can't be rockin' forever (say it ain't so :( ). Plus, I get the feeling most of you may actually agree with me, in some sense, since you don't really keep up or can care less with the "new" rock scene. Except if something new did come along, I'm not so sure you'd care about that, either. :D:D

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People have been saying "rock is dead" since the 60's. It really isn't, it's just changed a lot. I think one problem with today's rock is that the nature of rock is rebelliousness. Rock music was rebellious from the start. If everyone kept playing the same thing they were playing in the 60's and 70's, it would no longer be rebellious, since all the adults would like it. That's a problem though, in my opinion. Rock is now trying to stay rebellious, and in doing so, a lot of new (popular) rock isn't very good. There's a ton of garbage such as Korn who's main goal is to sound bad to 40-somethings. Unfortanately, Korn just sounds bad, period. I think that the thing rock needs most now is an attitude change. Stop focusing on the image, start focusing on the music.

But you can't say new and creative things aren't happening these days. Have you ever heard the Mars Volta? I recently picked up their latest album, "Frances the Mute" and it is absolutely incredible. It is very intense, but remains very melodical. It is like a more concise version of prog rock. And you say that rock has been mixed with every genre. Mixing genres isn't necessary for a band to be creative. A band can make creative music without mixing genres. It's hard, but it's possible.

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... first you have to define rock music and that is impossible and actually oxymoronic - it's like the rules of anarchy - just wouldn't be right. There has been great and mediocre and crappy music since people have been around I imagine - it's really disrepectful to artists who are trying to tell us something about themselves to say there hasn't been anything new or great in 20 or 30 years...there will always be rock - just like there will always be classical music - there are still kids in conservatories studying composition and one of them could write something today to rival Bach and Beethoven. If you think blues has died you need to listen to Joe Bonamassa or Jonny lang, if you think nothing is new you should listen to A Perfect Circle or Interpol or Tool or Kings of Leon and if you think country music doesn't rock you have to listen to Cowboy Junkies, or WIlco or even Willie Nelson or Patsy CLine and Hank Sr. If you limit yourself to one time or one genre and tell yourself the rest is crap you are missing out on a whole lot of incredible sound. I grew up listening to the Beatles, the Stones and the Doors but I love Outkast, Blackeyed Peas and the Roots too. oh and the Foo Fighters, the White Stripes, Greenday and Los Lonely Boys. Rock is not over - it never will be.

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I don’t think early rock bands considered themselves rebellious, nor did early jazz musicians or rap artists. They were just doing their thing, while unknowingly teaching and inspiring admirers. It’s the older, more conservative generations that labeled them rebels…there was really nothing rebellious about it. Making music for the pure, outright sake of rebelling didn’t happen until the Sex Pistols hit the scene. As for bands today, I don’t think Korn’s, and similar bands’, main purpose is to sound bad to 40-somethings. They’re just doing their thing (but not a very good job at that). And who from the ‘60s said that rock was dead? Who’s says it’s dead now? That’s not what I’m saying.

I also never said, or implied, that nothing new or great has been done in the past 20 or 30 years. However, I will say that nothing relatively new or great has been done in the past 10 years with ROCK music (this is the whole reason I’ve bothered to write all this). In fact, I don’t think I’ve said anything disrespectful or inconsiderate about today’s musicians in general (unless you’re a contemporary country fan). I listen to (and play, or try to play) many styles of music – rock (classic and modern), blues, jazz, classical, folk – and am a big fan of many new rock bands, like Muse, Interpol, and Queens of the Stone Age, as well as groups/artists in many different genres who have been around for 10-20 years, or longer. I agree that someone today is capable of writing or composing something comparable to Bach or Beethoven; we’ve seen it happen several times in the past century, and there’s no reason not to believe it’ll happen again. However, I’m arguing that we’ll never again hear anything as innovative (i.e. ahead of its time) as Beethoven or Bach within the genre of rock music, or anywhere close for that matter. Again, I’m not saying that rock, or blues, or country music is dead; they’re obviously still alive, but just over the hill, through the woods, and back again. I also don’t consider groups like Outkast, the Blackeyed Peas and the Roots to be rock bands.

I guess I’m just bitter because I’m expecting my generation to come up with something completely original – something like you’ve never seen or heard before – like Elvis (visually), or the Beatles (musically), or Dylan (lyrically), or Hendrix (guitarly), or punk or rap or grunge whatever, when people say, “Wow! I’ve never seen/heard anything like that before!†(Saying it in a good way, not like referring to Marilyn Manson). And if anybody is still reading this up to here, :cool:

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I guess I’m just bitter because I’m expecting my generation to come up with something completely original – something like you’ve never seen or heard before – like Elvis (visually), or the Beatles (musically), or Dylan (lyrically), or Hendrix (guitarly), or punk or rap or grunge whatever, when people say, “Wow! I’ve never seen/heard anything like that before!†(Saying it in a good way, not like referring to Marilyn Manson). And if anybody is still reading this up to here, :cool:

I´m also waiting for someone to impress me so much that I would start to write about nowadays music again... you said it very clear, nobodyhome...

:)

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I think alot has come along in the last 10 years. Maybe not breakthrough like it was back in the day, but then really- what is new that has been invented that is not technologically driven in the last 10/20/30 years? Is there anything left to discover or invent anyway?

In a time when manufactured pop boy and girl bands reign supreme for their 5 minutes of fame, garage bands are trying so hard to be the antithesis of what's currently popular, that they have somewhat lost sight of creating and focused more on 'protesting'.

Foo Fighters, Audioslave, Kings of Leon, White Stripes etc have all done well to hold the flag of rock n roll high, not groundbreaking, no, but certainly most impressive in terms of a kiss of life to a popped-put comatose nation. They reminded us of how it used to be, bringing in new sounds and elements from present day.

Radiohead was too wierd and obtuse for most, Marilyn Manson too shocking and a sellout, Rage Against the Machine too political...we grumble about everything that is new and different.

But then you also have to consider our generation. Born in the colourful 80's, into the grungey 90's and popmuzik 00's. Where is the common demand for rock music? I don't hear it, not at all.

Revolutions bring change, most people are satisfied with whatever is on the radio at the minute or digging through their collection of oldies.

Come on though, what are you really expecting from 2005? Kids are too occupied with their PSP's, MP3 players, photo camera's and internet mentality. They're too busy to be creative!

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Speaking as a kid (I'm 20), who listens to Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Eric Clapton:

I take offense to the idea that you think that kids are too busy with technology to be creative. I go to college and I find the time to play guitar or bass about three hours a day. For those who it's important to, there is always time to be creative.

Rock is not dead, I think that is not giving new artists enough credit. But here's the thing, music that has survived for 40+ years and is still in regular rotation on classic rock stations would be the cream of the crop, less popular stuff has faded away over time. When you listen to new rock, it is all of it, including the songs/ artists that will fade with time. So, take a look back in 2025 and see what artists will make it over time.

My picks for new rock: White Stripes, Rage Against the Machine (too political? when has that ever been a problem?), and Nine Inch Nails.

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It's called "tongue in cheek". Perhaps I should clarify by posting an appropriate graemlin :P

Oh, and in that case, I am a "kid" too. If you read my post in the light in which it was written, you would not see the need for taking offence.

I also did not say that I found a problem with RATM being too political.

Perhaps you should re-read and re-assess, my opinion is that rock is not dead :)

But hey, what did I expect for voicing my opinion just once? :doh:

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The Stones said "It's only rock and roll, but I like it".

AC/DC said "Rock N Roll ain't noise pollution".

The anthem from my generation has always been quite simple...

You show us everything you've got

You keep on dancin' and the room gets hot

You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy

You say you wanna go for a spin

The party's just begun, we'll let you in

You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy

You keep on shoutin', you keep on shoutin'

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

You keep on saying you'll be mine for a while

You're lookin' fancy and I like your style

You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy

You show us everything you've got

Baby, baby that's quite a lot

And you drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy

You keep on shoutin', you keep on shoutin'

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll all nite and party every day

I wanna rock and roll...

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If you're saying that new rock being produced doesn't stand up to the classic rock perhaps you're right. But perhaps that is just a lull. There is some good music being created...though not as prolifically as in the past. But, that's why the great stuff is called called classic.

Who today is writing music to be compared to Mozart or Beethoven? No one! But classic music isn't dead. It's listened to by far more people today than at any time in history. The same can be said for Rock.

Wait for the next new thing or enjoy what we already have. There's enough to last a lifetime.

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If you're saying that new rock being produced doesn't stand up to the classic rock perhaps you're right. But perhaps that is just a lull. There is some good music being created...though not as prolifically as in the past. But, that's why the great stuff is called called classic.

Who today is writing music to be compared to Mozart or Beethoven? No one! But classic music isn't dead. It's listened to by far more people today than at any time in history. The same can be said for Rock.

Wait for the next new thing or enjoy what we already have. There's enough to last a lifetime.

I'm not saying that.

I like some new rock. Porcupine Tree is one that comes quick to mind, but there are others.

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