You know rock music has gotten soft when Disney Channel rock from the 2000s are head bangable in comparison. When Hillary Duff is heavy by comparison you need to reevaluate things.
Honestly, today’s popular music just doesn’t cater to rock anymore. People complain that rock music today isn’t “cool” or popular anymore, but when a band tries to make something more accessible to today’s music market, fans shit on it for being to radio-friendly. I hate when people say “rock is dead” just because it’s not topping the charts anymore like Grunge did in the 90s. There’s definitely good rock music around today, you just gotta look a little harder for it. Mainstream pop culture just doesn’t care about guitar-dominated music anymore, which sucks but doesn’t mean the genre is dead. Too many rock fans are stuck in the past, being nostalgic for whatever was cool back in their heyday. Oh, and when i say “rock” I at least mean something heavier than Indy rock or alternative pop rock.
I always feel when I comment, I go way off subject and just start ranting about other things slightly related to the question. Oh well, just getting things off my chest and hope someone gets how I feel.
OffLeatherWings I don't even think it's really dead. It's just a lot of bands are trying way too hard to incorporate dubstep to a point where you can barely hear the instruments. It can be a bit hamfisted and lazy. First thing that comes to mind is that Korn and Skrillix collaboration.
I love when you can tell that what you're listening to is real. I don't care if it's alternative or pop or heavy metal, if it's made with passion, no bullshit, not over produced, human, then I'd appreciate it. I think Rock in general has been losing a bit of that.
MegaCrasherMusic I really like Hybrid Theory and Meteora, Chester was extremely talented and it's a terrible loss, but yes, music nowadays tries to be flawless production wise, and that really bothers me.
Migue Ugartechea I've never been a rock fan but I think that these bands trying to making everything perfect is killing rawness and human error in rock music.
Just because a song has guitar doesn’t make it rock or alternative? An instrument is just a tool and not what makes a songs certain genre? That boils down to the timbre and expression of a song that makes the genre..I also get the joke..but yeah..that’s how you can have rap and hip hop songs with live guitar, bass, and drums for instance
Man, in the 2000s, everything was so diverse, there was like rap, rock, dance ALL at the top of the charts. Now, it's just...THIS thing.....now THAT thing.....back to THIS thing again, it's boring.
I just feel that there’s such a lack of diversity in mainstream music now. In previous decades each genre seemed to have its own unique identity, but now that’s gone. Like he said in the video, even rock bands are going for that EDM/Pop sound and it all seems so uninspired. It is super frustrating.
To me the biggest issue with modern rock is the inability to move on. The older fans are so stuck on what was popular when they were teens/young adults that they won't even give newer, innovative rock bands the time of day. In my experience if you listen to many alternative/rock stations you'll find that most of the songs that they play are from the early 2000's or earlier. I know that 'Around the World' is a good song, but you don't need to play it 6 times in an hour, same with the other 8 classic rock songs that stations like to cycle through. How are rock fans suppose to embrace new or innovative rock when they're not exposed to it?
Completely agree! It blows my mind that good modern rock bands (Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon, Waterparks, Neck Deep, Pierce the Veil, Pvris, the 1975, etc.), that are popular with the next generation, are not being played and promoted on rock radio? Like that's how you get more people to listen to it. The 'scene' kids are quite a big market; look at how hot topic is thriving. What young people are going to hear the same decades old songs on rock radio that all the sound the same and be like 'hey, I need to listen to rock more often!'. Promote the innovative rocks bands of today you stubborn, pretentious fools or stop complaining that rock is dying.
I'm just not certain how much sway most radio stations have on their playlists. Playing a new rock song can be risky and may alienate listeners. I'm certainly fond of 70's and 80's rock, but was fortunate that I had some friends at least push me into 90's & 00's rock. Like Jasmine mentions Paramore & Pierce the Veil, but even their most popular songs are rarely played on my local rock stations. The recent Grammy awards featured rock bands that have been around 40 years. As a popular genre I think rock and roll is struggling, though as a niche genre there is some hope. The future of popular music to me seems more homogenized and programmed, cheaper to produce but with no soul or humanity left.
Current radio stations are terrible. Where I live, the " rock" stations here play old, cheesy rock like Bon Jovi, and almost never play any NEW rock bands.
Jennifer Dally no I believe it’s the opposite. The main pulse and heart of rock music is in the traditional American genres like blues and early rock n roll like chuck berry. Modern rock bands do not have any of that influence which really makes it lack the genuineness and heart of the older stuff. Also the instrumentation is very boring, hell I almost never even hear the guitar anymore, much less even hearing a guitar solo, which is perhaps the most iconic thing about rock music. Modern bands need to return to the roots while being able to adopt modern influences while remaining real(meaning no synths or artificial drums)
What is the last most popular song considered Rock? Thunder. Tenacious D, you are proven wrong, you absolutely don't know what Rock is! School of Rock, someone's got indie!. Metallica, you are softer than Lithium compared to this! MegaDeth, if it's your deth... System of a Down, being Armenian is not enough! Thunder, more rocky than a granite!
So I just realized something. What if not only MCR broke up because of the general "healing" that the members needed after being worn down, but what if they also broke up because Warner was trying to make MCR do what P!ATD and FOB and many more did? What if MCR was going to be the first of many but said "fuck no"?. I mean Gerard has said they were running out of ideas and he didn't see the band going on after The Black Parade. Man you deserve WAY more subscribers. You're so genuine with your reviews and you don't pander. That's totally respectable too!
Ashton Way that's actually a great theory. Jon has said that if MCR reunited, or never broke up, their music may have been more pop influenced. If this is true, than I fully support MCR breaking up because of a new pop direction that Warner was forcing
I've thought about this so many times, and that's one of the main reasons I don't want a full reunion (though a reunion tour someday would be great). I worry that if they came back, it would end up like a post-hiatus FOB kind of a deal, and that would just be depressing. If label pressure to go pop was a main factor in their breakup, then I have mad respect for them (I mean, I already do, but even more so) for calling it quits, rather than turning into some watered-down version of themselves.
Ashton Way that's what I believed since the break up and each year that passes it gets confirmed. Warner Bros. selling overpriced "limited edition" merch, pushing MCRX and the release of The Black Parade/Living With Ghosts, uploading on their TH-cam channel etc. This is one of the most reasonable explanations to me.
NonCreative Amateur Yeah I remember. I was 16 when the band broke up. It's crazy how the internet pretty much exploded after the breakup. I still do think that Gerard's relapsing on alcohol and Mikey's severe addiction problem played a huge part in it too.
The mentality of rock fans definitely plays a huge role in it. Not only are the majority of them pretentious as hell, but a lot are also just so close-minded in terms of what rock music can be. All bands on major labels pander to a certain demographic to some degree (duh), so they either continue making the same old boring thing they always have to please the already-established fanbase, or switch to pop music in order to stay relevant. If they were to take any risks or switch it up at all, fans would (and do) cry sellout and practically crucify the band for it, regardless of whether it was a sellout move or not. Rock fans are what keep individual artists from branching out and trying something new, as well as the genre as a whole from progressing.
10000% true. Pretentious and exclusionary rock fans are OBSESSED with the ideal of authenticity and anti commercialism because its “cool”? i dont really know or care anymore. it sucks and its kinda spergy and wierd.
Ace of Glades It's always possible to make something new and refreshing. It seems that nothing new could happen because there's no definite zeitgeist to this generation besides maybe social media. Give me a mind as powerful as carl jung and put it towards creativity in music and the possibilities are endless. We're not done evolving.
Ace of Glades No offense but I believe you might be stuck with limited beliefs on this subject. Sometimes this kind of thinking is intertwined with other beliefs you may have in life. At least you're almost at a level of consideration for my answer, which may help you believe the contrary one day. This might be a hard idea to grasp but why would someone spend years trying to find love when they don't realize they've always had it; inside them. I believe the answer to true creativity lies deep inside us; underneath the subconscious. Some go incredibly far to reveal this treasure in themselves, but because we live in a society that conditions us to conform, the task of truly knowing ourselves while using pure creativity AT WILL, will sound like an impossibility. Which I believe I where your thoughts may come from. I could be wrong, but that's how I see it. Anything is possible, my dude.
Next up on bbc radio 1: a Pop song with a trap beat Grime song with a trap beat Hip hop song with a trap beat Indie song with a trap beat Same pop song with a trap beat Same grime song with a trap beat So on and so on...
World War T: After the trap beats invaded the music, Ayreon and Spock's Beard are trying to make the music good again... Will they do it? I don't know...
I feel like when rock artists “change” they usually just incorporate pop (not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, just saying) and I don’t really think it’s that innovative anymore.
Audrey Horne it's because they go too far into pop that it can't even be considered rock. Kelly Clarkson is a great example of pop rock. Technically she's way more pop now, but with her first few albums she was pretty much the definition of pop rock...so there's nothing wrong with incorporating pop into rock, but most that do so end up completely abandoning rock all together.
MegaCrasherMusic there is a problem with artists ego though. You have artists like Halsey who got offended because no one considers her alternative. It's happening with country music big time. You have these pop bands like Florida Georgia Line that want you to believe so bad that they're country....then they go and do a feature with Nelly trying to rap.
Relying on processing and effects instead of talent. I 100% agree. When I see some of these studio bands live after months of hearing their digitized work, it really proves that some bands never had it.
Love how you say it’s becoming pop, which I agree with. But you say that the lyrics become repetitive which strikes me as funny... you are wearing a nirvana shirt and Kurt contain labeled nirvana as a pop band, based off of music structure.
There's a few bands that are doing cool things, but rock as a whole seems to be stuck in a rut. The genre has been in its "post grunge" era since the late 1990s. It's become diluted and rock fans are sick of hearing the same sound over and over again, but most bands are afraid to do something different from those who came before them. I think that in order for the genre to truly thrive, there has to be movement of bands exploring a new sound to begin a new era in rock music. Again, there are bands that are exploring new sounds and aesthetics, but there's not enough to start a new movement or era in rock music. I don't think rock is dead, it will never die as long as there's people listening. It's just afraid to evolve.
The only post-grunge bands really successful were Nickelback, Lifehouse and 3 Doors Down. They were actual chart toppers. And the only nu-metal bands that really were commercially big were Linkin Park, Evanescence and Limp Bizkit. The old Maroon 5 and Coldplay were also big in a good way. RHCP and Green Day were still relevant in the 2000's.
I just miss the post-punk revival of the early 2000’s. Man, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Arctic Monkeys really had some good shit going. Hopefully the new Arctic Monkeys album will pick some momentum up for rock again
90's-end of 00's was truly the last great era of music, theres so much variety and overlap between genres and not afraid to push boundaries, i wish that spirit come back again in the sea of overcommercialized mess of 2010 electropop/mumble rap
TheAstronomyFloyd yea youre 100% 2010-2018 probably till 20 fucking suckkkk. its probably a transitional period tho because the internet created such a travesty for the music industry
Metal Head 24 That’d be sick! We need another band like Metallica to come into the spotlight. Obviously not a band that sounds just like them, but a band with the same mindset. We need a group that puts out good raw music with energy. While Metallica is still around making quality music and selling out arenas, we need new blood to carry that torch.
FBproductions7 I 100% agree with you we need a band that has great songwriting chemistry and talent. That can make an album that will touch the masses and also be a good metal album
My Chemical Republican that would be good but idk of system will be able to get a big mainstream audience and be played on pop station just to maybe bring back a rock resurgence
Metal Head 24 exactly man! When Metallica put out the black album it made its way to mainstream radio, but still kept the same raw energy that they had before. Sure it was a bit dumbed down from their previous work, but it proves you don’t need to jump on the bandwagon in order to sell. Good bands just need more exposure
Oh yeah Jon, most of the singers in the rock and alternative scene are suffering a severe case of Pop Syndrome. They try too hard that they all sound the same, they have the same lyrics, they have the same stories, and they all lack that feeling. The true spirit of rock, where you're all grimy and badass has lost it's touch and had turned mental illness into a project, making out the bands as a sell-outs to me.
MegaCrasherMusic I feel you, it hurts to see how Alternative is having the biggest identity crisis in history. It's much worser than Fall Out Boy's identity crisis. I think alternative is struggling to mix as many genres as they can. Another problem is when they see how good one band's idea goes and everyone else begins to copy the same formula making all the songs sound almost exactly the same, even with vocals! I'm positive that there are distinct voices out there, but we really are just struggling to find those 'different' voices that embrace flaws. The true purpose of rock, alte, punk, and even metal is to be able to prove to everyone that it's okay to sound different, be different, because you'll always find a home to be accepted and comforted in when others can't, which is this community that is dying for all the worst possible reasons. Most bands nowadays are just sticking to an easy cash-grab by playing the mainstream way.
Oh if I can I'd love to add the fact that when a band says they are innovating and switching up their music does not always have to be going in more of a pop direction!! STOP DOING THIS!! Only a few acts have pulled it off in my opinion.. Bands do you realize that you can go heavier than maybe what you were originally!! Ugh I'm tired of rock bands going pop!!
I will always listen to rock. It's what I grew up with and the only kind of music I really love. I work to seek out new rock bands since they don't play them on the radio. I try to support rock bands I like by buying their albums, not just streaming. We need another band like Nirvana or Green Day to come along and shake things up!
That's why I love Avenged Sevenfold's 2016 album The Stage. They somehow managed to evolve their sound without alienating longtime fans such as myself and they're able to have complex themes in the lyrics without sounding pretentious.
The only change of style of a rock band I liked was paramore and kinda p!atd. I’m not saying they’re like “rock rock” they’re pop punk/ pop rock bands. But they have the rock background in them. They still sorta have their sounds and actually have the classic instruments in their songs
Comment on point #6 - prime example? Well, I hate to say it, but Linkin Park. The Hunting Party was such a nice album that I hoped that would be LP's sound for at least one nore album, but no... I mean, I wouldn't have held that record against them in the long run, but then tragedy struck. And LP will *literally* never be the same again.
I have a theory that Linkin Park actually planned to make another heavy record, but Chester's voice was getting worse and he could have fucked up his vocals even more by singing heavier stuff, so they went the Pop road to give Chester's vocals a rest, they actually promised to do a heavier record after *One More Light,* but sadly he died. Linkin Park was never the same anyway, but Chester's death made it more obvious than it already was.
MegaCrasherMusic The problem is Linkin Park never seemed to be as obsessed with money and fame as Maroon 5 or 30STM. The fact that Chester always took the "sellouts" claim to a personal level is a proof of that. I think the title track " One More Light" proved that there's at least some sort of sincerity to this album. Maybe I'm just biased because I have been a fan most of my life anyway, but I feel like it wasn't a complete cash grab like some people said..
You can see in Say Amen and Silver Linings that Urie doesn’t use the vocabulary that Panic! is known for. As you pointed out that he has dumbed down the lyrics.
Cole Freer but it's essential to remember that the lyrics panic are known for were written by Ryan Ross, who left the band almost a decade ago. Brendon has never been a significant lyricist, he's always been more talented musically
I agree with both of you completely. Recently, panic! Has become a dumbed down version of themselves; sure, their songs are catchy but they're also lazy. Yeah Ryan Ross did write the lyrics that are staples of the panic! image, but Brendon Urie has proven that he's at least a decent writer, look at songs on albums like Pretty.Odd and (at least some of) Vices and Virtues. I just think that Brendon is more concerned with making danceable/easy-to-make/money making music (at least for the time being, though I doubt that it will change) it's honestly sad to see a band like panic! Turn in to pretty generic. At least their pop music is more musically interesting than most, I gotta give em that
I Stole Your Waffles i agree, because I don't really prefer this super poppy direction Panic is taking, but I've gotta admit that it's not necessarily bad pop just because it's pop. Say Amen (Saturday Night) is very pop but it doesn't fit into the mold that so many of the 2000s bands are now trying to squeeze their music into to get radio play where they completely sell out. And when looking at the direction the music took after the band split, I honestly think that Brendon really does just prefer making that kind of music, I don't think he's trying to be something he's not, which is something you can't say about the other bands like Fall Out Boy and such.
The point of the fans who go “😤😤 I only listen to REAL music 😩😩” is incredibly true it really can turn people away from the genre or band in the genre and I cringe when I hear people say it cuz why do you think your so superior because of your music as if that’s a good attitude to make more people listen to it
I want to add to number two. There really is too much hate for other types of rock like one person might be into emo and then someone else likes metal and the metal person puts the person who is into emo down by saying "that shit isn't rock try listening to a real band. I'm sorry but it needs to stop rock needs to come together and stop fighting if it wants to survive.
Also I think that Indie Rock is also insulted by obnoxious Rock fans who think that Rock Music is just about guitar riffs and rebellion. I like Metal and Punk, but Indie rock is not as bad as many rock fans say it to be. I like Arcade Fire as much as I like Sonic Youth.
Number 1 problem: it's pop.. Rock used to be a bunch of dudes with long hair who wanted to be in this biz to push the roadblocks placed in front of them and for their love of music, Kurt Cobain is a rockstar, Halsey is a pop star who wants to appeal to a wider audience for money
Conor M. You're right. Kurt was, in literal terms, a rockstar, but he lacked the image his predecessors had. He didn't have the stereotypical hedonistic lifestyle associated with rock artists. 90s "rockstars", Kurt included, marked a decline in the excesses that word once had, and I'd argue it's never really changed since. That's another reason: the party life once tied to rock now lies with hip hop
If a "rockstar" is a cult of personality-like figure that people are fanatical about, Kurt Cobain definitely fits the bill. If you look at all the popular fashion trends going on now, a lot of it can be traced down to Kurt Cobain. In a lot of ways, he's also a fashion icon.
"Pop used to just mean "popular" Ummmm......yeah! but is its own genre. some people have just mistaken for meaning popular. "Pop" music is its own thing. When most people think of "Pop" music.....they usually just referred towards bubblegum girl/boy bands. Case, and point: J-Pop girl bands.
I love rock, but many of the releases from my favorite rock artist have missed the mark for me. I have become completely pushed away from seeking new rock music. I just have been listening to the old stuff. I'm okay with shifts in sound, but the push to pop music is driving me insane.
I like the fact that you wore a nirvana shirt in this vid as it represents your point of bands trying to over polish things and therefore making it worse in turn. Nirvana was one of the greatest bands ever yet their music was never over-produced, it was always raw with energy and passion and that’s why we love it. Another fantastic and informative video
TheZooropaBaby interesting, I’ve never heard that opinion before. I understand where you’re coming from though, but if you were to compare that album to modern mainstream rock albums then you can definitely still point out some of the rough edges of production to the record that make it what it is.
This is a hot take but I actually think that Nevermind's production undersold the music. Great songs, just would have wanted it to sound a little more like In Utero or Incesticide.
TheZooropaBaby In what way are you using the word "overproduced"? In this video's context, it means something super clean and compressed. In Siamese Dream's case, it was overproduced in the sense that a lot of work was put into it. Corgan had overdubs everywhere in that record, but that contributed to the massive sound of the guitars in that record.
Most bands now don't try to find the middle ground between making catchy songs and keeping grit in their sound. They either sound too poppy or they sound to heavy. Rock can't make a comeback in the mainstream unless its poppy and edgy at the same time.
the whole idea about punk in the first place was that you didn't have to be a musical genius to make good music, it was do it yourself and unpolished, so good point with #3
as a fan of modern and alternative rock, i have to unfortunately agree with these problems. something is needed to reviatlize the genre as it is becoming more watered down as time goes on and bands that are doing things right aren't getting the mainstream success.
I think you hit the nail on the head with the problem regarding fanbases. While it may not be one of the bigger reasons of the genre's decline, I have first hand experience with it and gatekeeping in general. It wasn't with rock generally but metal in particular. You will not believe the amount of metalheads back in the day(while an annoying minority) who would act like the genre was the end all be all of how music is done and that anything else is derivative garbage. As an electronic and hip hop head just getting into metal, the rabid fans were a genuine turnoff. Thanfully I learnt how to enjoy the genre while ignoring them. Gatekeepers and problematic fandoms are a huge problem whichever the genre. Take oldheads in hip hop constantly going on about how the current gen of rappers is garbage. In regards to EDM, members of the "trance family" were some of the most obnoxious people to interact with online. tl;dr: Gatekeepers and shitty fans are a cancer not to rock alone but also any other genre.
Gotta agree with you. Gatekeepers are cancer. Take Nickelback for example, they made great songs, and amazing heavy Rock songs, but people will always put them as the bud of the joke, and say that "X is the Nickelback of Z"
It's the strangest thing, I feel like there are more people than ever who love rock music now. It's very seldom seen as "devil music" or whatever the fuck these days. Even just 5 years ago I saw people still saying stuff like that still. It's just normal to listen to rock now, while it was socially looked down upon in the past, and yet in this time of acceptance there are NO good mainstream rock bands out. It's fuckin weird. Honestly I think part of the issue is that people stopped taking rock music seriously after emo. It was the last huge subculture and honestly, as much as I love it, I think not everyone can take it seriously and rightfully so. Emo was so different from rock in the past, I think since emo died no one else has known where to go from there. Like really, where else is there to go? There's a bit of an increase in indie rock and even surf/psych type of rock but, alas, there is no new subculture or "thing that is needed" quite yet.
Nah, I have to disagree. I think people have taken rock music WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. Like, look at all the pretentious art Rock/indie Rock taking up the airwaves. It's all obnoxious and boring. Rock needs to be exciting, hard, sexy, and fun.
At least Queens of the Stone Age, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Foo Fighters, Jack White, Arcade Fire, Mastodon, Baroness, Marilyn Manson, Avenged Sevenfold, Billy Talent, Radiohead, MGMT, Muse, Korn, Slipknot and Metallica are still doing great music!
Julien Ouellette I love so many of those bands, but muse in my opinion is drifting away now, ever since dig down, they’ve started to shy away from guitars and drums
@@benkazel wow i was just looking for someone who will complain with me about Muse's new album i mean they're my favorite band for like year and i can't describe how much i love them i want to cry cuz i can't change anything and if i got into them earlier i would have seen their live show without this simulation theory crap why am i always late
Haven't watched the video but here's something I've definitely observed in the rock community copiously growing up: I've also noticed this within some new rap music coming out. There seems to be a LOT of gatekeeping within the rock community and I think it's gone on for so long that it's finally ground the genre to a halt. It happened with Linkin Park not being "real metal," Green Day not being "real punk," bands like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, etc not being "real rock" and all that other bullshit. We've been writing off new rock artists for quite some time and it seems like it's finally caught up to us. Now we can't have anything new and interesting come out without people calling it shit, unoriginal, etc. That's another reason the only "successful" rock bands nowadays are the ones who have had their heyday already, and even then they see a dramatic decline in the charts pretty immediately after new material gets released. I also feel like rock music hasn't caught up in the music streaming game. The charts are dominated with rap music and pop music, because a lot of rock bands, old and new, haven't embraced the new way of marketing. Sure, bands like Metallica and Bon Jovi were able to make it back with those concert bundles, but it's not quite the same. You can see the vast difference when you compare the pure sales to streaming numbers in most bands (Jack White selling 120K/124K pure copies his first week, for example). Rock definitely needs a revolution somehow but I'm not quite sure how it can be saved at this point. There's only so much you can do to keep it viable and interesting.
I think Modern rock bands go with trends too much, going along with poppy, electro, dancey tunes which water down their sound, you get the more authentic bands like Royal Blood, Marmozets that do their thing but dont get that much exposure which is a shame. There's nothing wrong with experimenting but someone looking for rock hearing a dancey electro tune from a band we'll be like wtf, wheres the rock.
Royal Blood are on the radio all the time dude, plus their music is in advertisements on television all the time too, I think they're the biggest contemporary rock band with commercial success.
I liked them when they first started, but after listening a few times, all their songs started to sound the same, and I don't feel they bring all that much new to the table (though they're still a pretty decent band) A better example of a band that's both rough, authentic and breaks new ground you should listen a few songs of Show Me The Body. They do sometimes use electronic and Hip hop/trap elements, but do it in a very diy-punk way. I don't see them making any mainstream succes tho.
8:57 You make me remember My Chemical Romance. One part of "Thank you for the venom" is like "Give me a reason to believe so give me all your poison and give me all your pills and give me all your hopeless hearts that will make me ill". They have a lot of lyrics that make me think about the things that you say on this video.
I remember the rise of emo and how people that were adults at the time (like myself) saying that "rock is dead". I think that what's happening now is just a consequence of that time. I agree with you that we almost can't separate the genres anymore, and I also think that most of the bands that are still making rock music in the mainstream are remaining from the 80s and 90s.
What I think rock bands really need is more natural versatility. Every rock band consists of such a limited instrument palate, consisting of guitars, bass guitars, vocals and drums. Maybe some piano too like on the black parade or boarding house reach. When it comes to instruments, there's so little the genre tends to go off of. Maybe if people with talents other than the main 4 of rock would get into the genre, they could bring new sounds to it and fix up that hatchet a bit. Even the main instruments themselves have many more forms than what's actually used in rock music. Drums come in hundreds of forms at least, yet, we only get that regular rock drumset in a thicc fraction of rock. There's even many forms string instruments to go fuck with, yet, we only get those electric and acoustic guitars, and bass. Now, the one thing rock does have going for it somewhat, is something most genres have: a good array of vocal styles. Even those get limited. However, there are distinct vocalists in bands like patd, fall out boy, mcr, radiohead; you could pick those out of a line most likely, and many many more. Vocal styles like that of Brendon's and Gerard's brought voices well suited for the musical theatre style; not to say that it never existed before. Sometimes, Judas Priest, who are metal, make songs that sound like they could be a villain song in a Disney movie. Then you got toilets taking over in the harder metal.
I think the real problem here is the fact that all of the kids of this generation think pop artists are rock artists. I hate most pop music with a burning passion, but I will still admit that bands like Imagine Dragon, who I have been a fan of for 6 years, are pop, not rock. As for bands like panic! at the disco, fall out boy, etc, etc, their problem is that they used to be more in the alt rock category is that even after the whole big transition with their sound and complete change in style of music, teens still consider them to be alternative bands. Just looking at Fall Out Boy's post-haitus albums, they've gone completely mainstream. They were popular before, dont get me wrong, but they really changed their style, not even really considering what their original fans want. Yes, I know an artist should do what they want with their sound, but I think completely changing what youre doing just to provide for the recent crave for loads if pop music is stupid. They should focus on the people who actually want your music, rather than trying to convince the ones who don't care about you or your work to listen to your music. You shouldn't change yourself for other people, and everyone knows that. So it's kind of sad seeing all of these great artists plummet and lose dedicated fans because they want to impress people who probably never liked them anyway.
MW trust me, as a 17 year old, most kids would call imagine dragons pop, along with fob and patd. All that’s left for us to listen to are indie rock bands like Florence and the Machine, car seat headrest, etc
I think that David Bowie put it the best when he said that his work was the strongest when he wasn't trying to please the audience. A big problem with a lot of artists these days is that they're not artists at all - they're just people walking into a studio, following directions and a very specific formula, and pandering to an audience. What comes out of that process is generic crap designed for mass consumption and maximum profit. It's consumed and then promptly disposed of. It's like the McNuggets of music.
This is the 7 on Sunday video I have been dying to see you make!! I love a lot of pop, alternative, r/b, metal and some rap/hip-hop but Rock is in my blood and it's my favorite!!
What can bring rock back is lo-fi culture, when everything is glossy and processed, things that are more raw bring the revolution, like in the 70's when punk rose against bloated corporate arena rock.
I think that a lot of these issues have happened to Imagine Dragons. Their new album Evolve has been following too much trends and has lost their emotional motivation and all the great guitar solos and having more meaning behind their lyrics. They have really shifted from Indie to pop which while have given them more popularity puts their songs with great lyrics and instrumentals in the shadows
I think Nothing More is doing a really fantastic job at the moment and they need more attention. In my opinion they’re the best rock band right now. They talk about politics as well as personal issues and it all has substance. Again this is all my opinion so please don’t tell me that I am wrong and you are right.
Rock is dying in the mainstream because of one reason and one reason only: gatekeeping. All over the country there is a thriving punk and hardcore and DIY scene that fills basements, small clubs and even traditional rock venues in some cases, but these bands get no radio and no mainstream coverage.
All the new intuitive rock music is happening in the heavier worlds. Code orange and turnstile are smashing it in their respective worlds. Modern rock has become watered down due to bands like Imagine Dragons and Coldplay who have now pandered to the mainstream pop audience
As a european I would love it if you could do a seven on sunday video on the Eurovision. I know you probably have never seen it before but i could give you links to some songs from it if you want. would love to hear your opinion on it.
4:20 EIGHTY PERCENT of the fans? Where did you get that? Most of us love the 30STM new album. Stevie is quite capable of covering for Tomo. Their monolith tour is amazing.
6:14 "America says we love a chorus, but don't get complicated and bore us. Though meaning might be missing we need to know the words after just one listen so repeat stuff." -Bo Burnham
He's talking about the mainstream and I understand the impulse to do that since rock has been in the mainstream since the 60s and because it's gone from the charts, people will proclaim that the genre is dead. It's not, I think Jon knows that, he reviews a lot of rock bands. But will we see another band breakthrough like The Killers did in the early 00s or Kings of Leon did in the late 00s that can fill arenas, I'm not entirely sure.
My biggest problems are 1. A lot of musicians won’t try and experiment, repeating the same bland trashy music that has made rock seemed dumb down in the first place 2. Too many artists rely on other genres so much to the point where it shouldn’t even be considered rock
Today, they play garbage rock by white rappers as well as too many artists that comes and go every year. What ever happened to One Direction, featuring Harry Styles, Maroon 5, and Katy Perry, the rock artists of the 2010. Today even former singer of the Maroon 5, Adam Levine now do rap music. That’s sickening.
One thing I've noticed after the Red Sun Rising album came out is that when someone releases something that would've without a doubt been a big hit in the 90's or the early 2000's, it doesn't matter whether or not they even deserve the success. It will go flat-out unnoticed by most people because the genre isn't relevant anymore. All the pop and rap addicts will be lucky if they hear an unimpressive Breaking Benjamin or Three Days Grace single. You go to a store or restaurant etc. and they'll have a pop station on. Rarely do you get something like Octane on Sirius XM from them.
Needs. I'm gonna talk a bit about My Chemical Romance. Gerard Way had said after the break up amongst the reasons they split was that they didn't feel like the world needed them anymore and we were able to cary on without their shoulder to lean on. It kinda ties in with what you said about people needing the music to go though tough times.
I wish that Linkin Park would have continued to use the innovative sound of A Thousand Suns in some of their other albums. I mean sure, Living Things had some of the cool electronic elements, but A Thousand Suns genuinely stands out as being a unique, innovative rock album to me. It was creative, but still had some tracks for radio play (Waiting For The End).
I think that there are some bands that are quite good at fusing rock and pop, but not leaning too heavily one way or the other. A great example is Poets of the Fall. Tracks like Daze, Lift, Roses, and Carnival of Rust all feel like rock songs, but they’ve all got these insanely catchy melodies and instrumental arrangements. They’re songs that can be appreciated for their mainstream compatibility, but can also be appreciated musically, since they’re not afraid to throw in guitar solos or odd rhythms. I just think we need more bands like that.
There is no “Smells like teen spirit” no “Bohemian Rhapsody” no “Starway to heaven” All modern rock are generic. I like some of the new bands but there is not that one song that alienate fans. Is that simple. You can blame fans, culture, pop industry or rap whatever but reality is there is not a single hit in rock today that get the attention of the mainstream.
2013 was a good year for popular rock music. We used to have a radio station that would play Bad Suns, Young the Giant and a lot of other “alternative” or “indie” rock singles but... it’s gone now. Now there’s just an oldies/dad rock station left. I cry.
I think that the second point, about bands not being able to branch out without alienating fans, is the fault of the fans. There is a big reason why AC/DC made the same album 13 times. And when you go see a band in concert, nobody wants to hear the new songs. They want classics. The fans do not want something new. I'm almost convinced that people don't like music at all, and instead like the memories, thoughts, and ideas that the song inspires to return.
A modern rock band I absolutely adore is greta van fleet, they sound a lot like led zeppelin and just have that amazing classic hard rock vibe (they're also really good considering how young they all are)
I think thats also a problem, is that people are so drenched in nostalgia and doesn't accept newer and more cutting edge band. also Greta isn't as good as Led Zeppelin, especially their rhythm section is worse compared to Led Zeppelin.
TheZooropaBaby Well obviously they'll never reach the level of zep (or at least not soon) but I'm just happy that this kind of rock hasn't died out. I mean I like almost every kind of rock music but I feel like the classic rock n roll sound had been missing lately
well rock is truly dead if we just embrace nostalgia. sure, LCD Soundsytem already cashed in nostalgia but at least they amalgamate so many bands that they didnt sound like pure nostalgia. if we want to keep this alive, we have to support actually good bands, instead of some comfort food.
TheZooropaBaby Well I don't think that liking the classic hard rock sound is exactly embracing nostalgia. To me and many other young people i know 70s and 80s rock isn't really nostalgic, we just like the sound of it. Sure for some people it's nostalgia for others it's just liking that kind of rock. Also, there are rock bands that go into completely new directions out there. They just need some support and recognition
Just gonna say everyone, australia, britain, america and many european countries have thriving rock undergrounds. Australia has a grunge revival, and a new wave of fantastic artists such as spacey jane, skegss, dune rats, king gizzard etc etc. The rock side of music is bursting at the seems, and i reckon within the next 10 years that there will be a major explosion of quality new artists. What i would say would help the scene, is to bring the global community together to help push the up and coming and super exciting acts to the top and pushing out the old samey bands u hear on the radio sm. I believe this could be achieved through social media or an app that can help catalog and promote new bands.
Rock is broad church, from folk rock to new wave, psychedelic rock to grunge, prog rock to heavy metal... There has always been snobbery from some in rock (or at least for the 30+ years that I've been actively listening). Trouble is the fanatics / extremists seem to have become louder than ever about what is "the one true rock" or "the one type music my favourite band should always make". I feel sorry for them, but that sort douche-baggery can potentially drive people away.
Yes is one of the best architects of rock imo... they paved the way for bands like Rush and Tool!!! Speaking of, they should create a super group, and go away from the Yes name while still playing half of their concerts as Yes stuff! My favorite combination would be: Geddy Lee- bass guitar Rick Wakeman- keyboards Steve Howe- guitar Danny Carey- drums Jon Anderson- vocals
It think other genres such as Pop are repetitive too. If you put on a top 40 radio station, you're going to here the same formulas over and over. It's very hard to pinpoint why Pop is still, well, pop. It is arguable that rock is very hard to switch up. It's very restricted to certain instruments and it takes a lot of talent to fuse genres. Muse, for example have experimented with other genres such as classical in the Exogenesis Symphony and even Dubstep and electronic in The 2nd law. I enjoy music at most when these genre fusions occur personally. I definitely feel like a well- written chorus is hard to come by in general. We can see that bands such as All Time Low and Muse are being lazy with their songwriting- yes I am referring to the Millennial Whoop. At the moment, I feel like rock is being pushed back and is being peppered into music really well in some cases. For example, the punchy guitar in Childish Gambino's Bonfire. I feel like in the future however, audiences will seek for a less overproduced style and a lot more personality which is why I think rock and its many subgenres will make a return. I for one are very tired of overproduced and crisp sound. Consequently, I am seeking out smaller bands who have more characterful sounding rock music, for example King and Queen of the Losers, who Nate and I enjoy greatly. With more mainstream music, the barrier between fans and artists is too big and can be improved.
im a huge fan of all time low (my favorite modern artist), and that includes their old stuff (nothing personal) and my favorite album of theirs (Last young renegade) - I know its more pop and not punk but I think its excellent 80s inspired pop rock with good use of synth, great lyrics, diverse melodies, and good instrumentation when they do use guitar
The rock band Stone Temple Pilots have subverted a majority of the points you present. If you listen to their 2018 album, it's like an updated No 4, and while the lyrics are a little less psychedelic, they're still written with sincerity, and the DeLeo brothers have never truly changed their sound in the sense that they'll always be Jazz meets Rock meets RnB.
9:17 I have a friend who makes metalcore (not that I like it as is, but that's not my point here) and his tracks always use the DAW (Fruity Loops) drums, and I have to say, NEVER use DAW drums unless there's a prominent electronic presence. Even in that case, an analog drum machine works better in non-edm electronic music. It just sounds so echoey and fixed.
Modern rock music is healthy and alive. The problem is that the bands that are refered to in your video happen to be the ones that represent today's rock music for some reason, even though they're pretty much garbage and not representative of what's going on in the underground. If you really dig, you'll find what you're looking for. Check out bands like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, or Peach Pit for example. Right now, the mainstream doesn't talk about this audience, but in the meantime something's building up and I wouldn't be surprise if another band like Nirvana for instance, would come out in a few years, when the fucking trap trend's going to end. The same thing happened in the 90s when people were tired of the 80s hair metal bullshit.
"The same thing happened in the 90s when people were tired of the 80s hair metal bullshit.". So true. I grew up on Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, REM, Counting Crows, etc. I was a teen back then. Even my father would agree with you. He secretly liked the stuff I was listening to because, as he said, the 1990s were a return to real music and real guitars.
The garden are two twin brothers who play bass and drums they sound a little like primus and the minutemen and they both have side projects enjoy and puzzle but there main focus is the garden. and king gizzard and the lizard wizzard is another example of serious musicians or car seat headrest these all are emerging artist and it’s a lot different but it’s new.
It’s really sad with the direction that most of the bands are trying to go with the trend....it’s all synth and effects that is being the main instrument rather than the drums,guitars and bass being the voice of the songs these days.... there’s so many points that I can agree with you,Jon..
I miss the diversity of music on the radio where I’m working right now they’re constantly playing the same songs over and over again especially around 5 o’clock I’m constantly hearing “Havana” and as much as I love Twenty One Pilots I’m SICK TO DEATH of STRESSED OUT. You would not believe how much of breath of fresh air when I heard Nine In The Afternoon play in the store.
9:00 I totally agree with you there, Jon, and that's really where I see most modern 'rock' bands (PATD/FOB/ATL) failing, as they have trap/pop beats and a pop tone to their music, without any real ROCK in the formula; they really just sound like everything else on the radio. For people to care about rock, there have to be bands that: appeal to the mainstream AND have that rock vibe very much present. That's why I like acts like Royal Blood, who seem to have a VERY emphasized rock sound whilst also having (for the most part) catchy choruses. There's also acts like Grandson (he's a somewhat new musician) who use a trap 'beat' along with REALLY loud guitars to create a rock song that not only has Intensity, but also appeals to the mainstream pop or hip hop fans due to it's trap influences (his music is also VERY political and energetic). Bands like the ones I've mentioned above are going to really define how popular rock will be over the next decade or so. Good video!
Panic! Hasn't been rock for a very long time now, I think it's safe to assume that Brendon won't be going back to the sound of the first three albums any time soon
You know rock music has gotten soft when Disney Channel rock from the 2000s are head bangable in comparison. When Hillary Duff is heavy by comparison you need to reevaluate things.
Rock music hasn't gotten soft, if anything it's the opposite. Everything has to be high gain and screaming.
Give a listen to Knocked Loose and get back with me.
Honestly, today’s popular music just doesn’t cater to rock anymore. People complain that rock music today isn’t “cool” or popular anymore, but when a band tries to make something more accessible to today’s music market, fans shit on it for being to radio-friendly. I hate when people say “rock is dead” just because it’s not topping the charts anymore like Grunge did in the 90s. There’s definitely good rock music around today, you just gotta look a little harder for it. Mainstream pop culture just doesn’t care about guitar-dominated music anymore, which sucks but doesn’t mean the genre is dead. Too many rock fans are stuck in the past, being nostalgic for whatever was cool back in their heyday.
Oh, and when i say “rock” I at least mean something heavier than Indy rock or alternative pop rock.
I always feel when I comment, I go way off subject and just start ranting about other things slightly related to the question. Oh well, just getting things off my chest and hope someone gets how I feel.
OffLeatherWings I feel you dude. I sometimes go on for way too long when I comment, and forget what point I wanted to make in the first place.
OffLeatherWings I don't even think it's really dead. It's just a lot of bands are trying way too hard to incorporate dubstep to a point where you can barely hear the instruments. It can be a bit hamfisted and lazy. First thing that comes to mind is that Korn and Skrillix collaboration.
CrypticVacancies Trivium, dead by April, Sevendust, Silverstein.
Kaura Price Silverstein 👌
I love when you can tell that what you're listening to is real. I don't care if it's alternative or pop or heavy metal, if it's made with passion, no bullshit, not over produced, human, then I'd appreciate it. I think Rock in general has been losing a bit of that.
yeah Keiji Haino screaming random poem is the real shit
Migue Ugartechea after Chester Bennington died rock is not the same as before :'(
MegaCrasherMusic I really like Hybrid Theory and Meteora, Chester was extremely talented and it's a terrible loss, but yes, music nowadays tries to be flawless production wise, and that really bothers me.
Migue Ugartechea I've never been a rock fan but I think that these bands trying to making everything perfect is killing rawness and human error in rock music.
One question I have though what music do you think is gaining that?
Halsey : *puts a guitar in one of her songs*
" OMG! WHY DON'T PEOPLE CONSIDER ME AN ALTERNATIVE ARTIST!??"
Kim yugyeom Stan Halsey has had mainstream success but considers herself an alternative artist.
ADP1998 what they said was sarcasm lol.
LOL! XD
Just because a song has guitar doesn’t make it rock or alternative? An instrument is just a tool and not what makes a songs certain genre? That boils down to the timbre and expression of a song that makes the genre..I also get the joke..but yeah..that’s how you can have rap and hip hop songs with live guitar, bass, and drums for instance
I Either consider her electronica or some kinda reinventing of Nuwave.
Not necessarily pop but more along the lines of the 1’st 2
Man, in the 2000s, everything was so diverse, there was like rap, rock, dance ALL at the top of the charts. Now, it's just...THIS thing.....now THAT thing.....back to THIS thing again, it's boring.
I miss it so much you don’t even know I think about it daily
Me and you both, man. Me and you both.
McGeeK02 count me in as well 😂😂
make that 4
I just feel that there’s such a lack of diversity in mainstream music now. In previous decades each genre seemed to have its own unique identity, but now that’s gone. Like he said in the video, even rock bands are going for that EDM/Pop sound and it all seems so uninspired. It is super frustrating.
Modern rock IS the problem. it's not even rock anymore it's just pop music with guitar.
We know this has been coming for 25 years tho. Even the good classic rock bands were pop. It was gonna be pretty boys with a guitar
To me the biggest issue with modern rock is the inability to move on. The older fans are so stuck on what was popular when they were teens/young adults that they won't even give newer, innovative rock bands the time of day. In my experience if you listen to many alternative/rock stations you'll find that most of the songs that they play are from the early 2000's or earlier. I know that 'Around the World' is a good song, but you don't need to play it 6 times in an hour, same with the other 8 classic rock songs that stations like to cycle through. How are rock fans suppose to embrace new or innovative rock when they're not exposed to it?
Completely agree! It blows my mind that good modern rock bands (Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon, Waterparks, Neck Deep, Pierce the Veil, Pvris, the 1975, etc.), that are popular with the next generation, are not being played and promoted on rock radio? Like that's how you get more people to listen to it. The 'scene' kids are quite a big market; look at how hot topic is thriving. What young people are going to hear the same decades old songs on rock radio that all the sound the same and be like 'hey, I need to listen to rock more often!'. Promote the innovative rocks bands of today you stubborn, pretentious fools or stop complaining that rock is dying.
I'm just not certain how much sway most radio stations have on their playlists. Playing a new rock song can be risky and may alienate listeners. I'm certainly fond of 70's and 80's rock, but was fortunate that I had some friends at least push me into 90's & 00's rock. Like Jasmine mentions Paramore & Pierce the Veil, but even their most popular songs are rarely played on my local rock stations. The recent Grammy awards featured rock bands that have been around 40 years. As a popular genre I think rock and roll is struggling, though as a niche genre there is some hope. The future of popular music to me seems more homogenized and programmed, cheaper to produce but with no soul or humanity left.
Current radio stations are terrible. Where I live, the " rock" stations here play old, cheesy rock like Bon Jovi, and almost never play any NEW rock bands.
Jennifer Dally we don't even have a rock station anymore.
Jennifer Dally no I believe it’s the opposite. The main pulse and heart of rock music is in the traditional American genres like blues and early rock n roll like chuck berry. Modern rock bands do not have any of that influence which really makes it lack the genuineness and heart of the older stuff. Also the instrumentation is very boring, hell I almost never even hear the guitar anymore, much less even hearing a guitar solo, which is perhaps the most iconic thing about rock music. Modern bands need to return to the roots while being able to adopt modern influences while remaining real(meaning no synths or artificial drums)
Most of the modern “rock” bands don’t even sound like rock
oh yeah Godspeed You! Black Emperor doesn't sound like rock at all
wait Godspeed is old? sorry my definition of old is not that specific. early 90s doesn't seem that old
Clarisa Pasini Agreed
godspeed is post-rock...
What is the last most popular song considered Rock? Thunder. Tenacious D, you are proven wrong, you absolutely don't know what Rock is! School of Rock, someone's got indie!. Metallica, you are softer than Lithium compared to this! MegaDeth, if it's your deth... System of a Down, being Armenian is not enough! Thunder, more rocky than a granite!
So I just realized something. What if not only MCR broke up because of the general "healing" that the members needed after being worn down, but what if they also broke up because Warner was trying to make MCR do what P!ATD and FOB and many more did? What if MCR was going to be the first of many but said "fuck no"?. I mean Gerard has said they were running out of ideas and he didn't see the band going on after The Black Parade.
Man you deserve WAY more subscribers. You're so genuine with your reviews and you don't pander. That's totally respectable too!
Ashton Way that's actually a great theory. Jon has said that if MCR reunited, or never broke up, their music may have been more pop influenced. If this is true, than I fully support MCR breaking up because of a new pop direction that Warner was forcing
I've thought about this so many times, and that's one of the main reasons I don't want a full reunion (though a reunion tour someday would be great). I worry that if they came back, it would end up like a post-hiatus FOB kind of a deal, and that would just be depressing. If label pressure to go pop was a main factor in their breakup, then I have mad respect for them (I mean, I already do, but even more so) for calling it quits, rather than turning into some watered-down version of themselves.
After the band broke up in 2013, that was what the rumor was. Trust me, I was there, sadly.
Ashton Way that's what I believed since the break up and each year that passes it gets confirmed. Warner Bros. selling overpriced "limited edition" merch, pushing MCRX and the release of The Black Parade/Living With Ghosts, uploading on their TH-cam channel etc. This is one of the most reasonable explanations to me.
NonCreative Amateur Yeah I remember. I was 16 when the band broke up. It's crazy how the internet pretty much exploded after the breakup. I still do think that Gerard's relapsing on alcohol and Mikey's severe addiction problem played a huge part in it too.
lmao the first thing my dad said when we listened to last young renegade for the first time was "did they kick the guitarist out?"
The mentality of rock fans definitely plays a huge role in it. Not only are the majority of them pretentious as hell, but a lot are also just so close-minded in terms of what rock music can be. All bands on major labels pander to a certain demographic to some degree (duh), so they either continue making the same old boring thing they always have to please the already-established fanbase, or switch to pop music in order to stay relevant. If they were to take any risks or switch it up at all, fans would (and do) cry sellout and practically crucify the band for it, regardless of whether it was a sellout move or not. Rock fans are what keep individual artists from branching out and trying something new, as well as the genre as a whole from progressing.
I have no idea what to make my username Bingo. Like yeah, Led Zeppelin is awesome, but we need something new man.
I have no idea what to make my username agreed
10000% true. Pretentious and exclusionary rock fans are OBSESSED with the ideal of authenticity and anti commercialism because its “cool”? i dont really know or care anymore. it sucks and its kinda spergy and wierd.
Ace of Glades It's always possible to make something new and refreshing. It seems that nothing new could happen because there's no definite zeitgeist to this generation besides maybe social media. Give me a mind as powerful as carl jung and put it towards creativity in music and the possibilities are endless. We're not done evolving.
Ace of Glades No offense but I believe you might be stuck with limited beliefs on this subject. Sometimes this kind of thinking is intertwined with other beliefs you may have in life. At least you're almost at a level of consideration for my answer, which may help you believe the contrary one day.
This might be a hard idea to grasp but why would someone spend years trying to find love when they don't realize they've always had it; inside them. I believe the answer to true creativity lies deep inside us; underneath the subconscious.
Some go incredibly far to reveal this treasure in themselves, but because we live in a society that conditions us to conform, the task of truly knowing ourselves while using pure creativity AT WILL, will sound like an impossibility. Which I believe I where your thoughts may come from. I could be wrong, but that's how I see it.
Anything is possible, my dude.
Next up on bbc radio 1:
a Pop song with a trap beat
Grime song with a trap beat
Hip hop song with a trap beat
Indie song with a trap beat
Same pop song with a trap beat
Same grime song with a trap beat
So on and so on...
World War T:
After the trap beats invaded the music, Ayreon and Spock's Beard are trying to make the music good again...
Will they do it? I don't know...
I feel like when rock artists “change” they usually just incorporate pop (not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, just saying) and I don’t really think it’s that innovative anymore.
don't make fun of Preoccupations like that dude
Audrey Horne it's because they go too far into pop that it can't even be considered rock. Kelly Clarkson is a great example of pop rock. Technically she's way more pop now, but with her first few albums she was pretty much the definition of pop rock...so there's nothing wrong with incorporating pop into rock, but most that do so end up completely abandoning rock all together.
MegaCrasherMusic there is a problem with artists ego though. You have artists like Halsey who got offended because no one considers her alternative. It's happening with country music big time. You have these pop bands like Florida Georgia Line that want you to believe so bad that they're country....then they go and do a feature with Nelly trying to rap.
Lmao why the hell is HALSEY in the thumbnail? 😂
She's just a problem to music in general
typhlosion
You aren’t wrong there 😂
GoldNinja Vlogspot Disagree. Dua Lipa is actually pretty decent while Halsey is meh.
I don't know what this 'Halsey' looks like and I'm happy about it.
Relying on processing and effects instead of talent.
I 100% agree. When I see some of these studio bands live after months of hearing their digitized work, it really proves that some bands never had it.
Love how you say it’s becoming pop, which I agree with. But you say that the lyrics become repetitive which strikes me as funny... you are wearing a nirvana shirt and Kurt contain labeled nirvana as a pop band, based off of music structure.
Rocked fancy seeing you here!
Rocked it’s not a talent show
Halsey being there is the first problem.
There's a few bands that are doing cool things, but rock as a whole seems to be stuck in a rut. The genre has been in its "post grunge" era since the late 1990s. It's become diluted and rock fans are sick of hearing the same sound over and over again, but most bands are afraid to do something different from those who came before them. I think that in order for the genre to truly thrive, there has to be movement of bands exploring a new sound to begin a new era in rock music. Again, there are bands that are exploring new sounds and aesthetics, but there's not enough to start a new movement or era in rock music.
I don't think rock is dead, it will never die as long as there's people listening. It's just afraid to evolve.
The only post-grunge bands really successful were Nickelback, Lifehouse and 3 Doors Down. They were actual chart toppers. And the only nu-metal bands that really were commercially big were Linkin Park, Evanescence and Limp Bizkit. The old Maroon 5 and Coldplay were also big in a good way. RHCP and Green Day were still relevant in the 2000's.
I just miss the post-punk revival of the early 2000’s. Man, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Arctic Monkeys really had some good shit going. Hopefully the new Arctic Monkeys album will pick some momentum up for rock again
Hassan Kamal I miss the nu metal era more.
The new AM album isnt really rock. Still great though
90's-end of 00's was truly the last great era of music, theres so much variety and overlap between genres and not afraid to push boundaries, i wish that spirit come back again in the sea of overcommercialized mess of 2010 electropop/mumble rap
TheAstronomyFloyd yea youre 100% 2010-2018 probably till 20 fucking suckkkk. its probably a transitional period tho because the internet created such a travesty for the music industry
Ace of Glades you sound bitter- i and many people love 2000’s. Its dated now but this is a sociological issue about hegemonic theory and postmodernism
Imagine a band making an album like master of puppets or rust in peace in 2018 it would probably blow up. Someone just need a heavy album with meaning
Metal Head 24 That’d be sick! We need another band like Metallica to come into the spotlight. Obviously not a band that sounds just like them, but a band with the same mindset. We need a group that puts out good raw music with energy. While Metallica is still around making quality music and selling out arenas, we need new blood to carry that torch.
If System of a Down put out a new album.
FBproductions7 I 100% agree with you we need a band that has great songwriting chemistry and talent. That can make an album that will touch the masses and also be a good metal album
My Chemical Republican that would be good but idk of system will be able to get a big mainstream audience and be played on pop station just to maybe bring back a rock resurgence
Metal Head 24 exactly man! When Metallica put out the black album it made its way to mainstream radio, but still kept the same raw energy that they had before. Sure it was a bit dumbed down from their previous work, but it proves you don’t need to jump on the bandwagon in order to sell. Good bands just need more exposure
Oh yeah Jon, most of the singers in the rock and alternative scene are suffering a severe case of Pop Syndrome. They try too hard that they all sound the same, they have the same lyrics, they have the same stories, and they all lack that feeling. The true spirit of rock, where you're all grimy and badass has lost it's touch and had turned mental illness into a project, making out the bands as a sell-outs to me.
MegaCrasherMusic
I feel you, it hurts to see how Alternative is having the biggest identity crisis in history. It's much worser than Fall Out Boy's identity crisis. I think alternative is struggling to mix as many genres as they can. Another problem is when they see how good one band's idea goes and everyone else begins to copy the same formula making all the songs sound almost exactly the same, even with vocals! I'm positive that there are distinct voices out there, but we really are just struggling to find those 'different' voices that embrace flaws. The true purpose of rock, alte, punk, and even metal is to be able to prove to everyone that it's okay to sound different, be different, because you'll always find a home to be accepted and comforted in when others can't, which is this community that is dying for all the worst possible reasons. Most bands nowadays are just sticking to an easy cash-grab by playing the mainstream way.
Probably need a judas priest like band to come in and kick everyones asses
Oh if I can I'd love to add the fact that when a band says they are innovating and switching up their music does not always have to be going in more of a pop direction!! STOP DOING THIS!! Only a few acts have pulled it off in my opinion.. Bands do you realize that you can go heavier than maybe what you were originally!! Ugh I'm tired of rock bands going pop!!
Like how Sum 41 moved from a pop-punk sound to more of an alt-metal sound with their newer albums? They went the opposite of pop.
MegaCrasherMusic yeah or even moreso... the Beatles.
MegaCrasherMusic true that
Well, Panic! at the Disco swore to shake it up, if we swore to listen.
Well, we're still so young, desperate for attention.
I will always listen to rock. It's what I grew up with and the only kind of music I really love. I work to seek out new rock bands since they don't play them on the radio. I try to support rock bands I like by buying their albums, not just streaming.
We need another band like Nirvana or Green Day to come along and shake things up!
TokyoBlue Killjoy, you are really making noise!
Lol let's just make sure they aren't rip offs. I'm not gonna name bands.
Here you have one to support if you like. open.spotify.com/artist/0zbnwVOwrGzQh2wM4jBfnu?si=Q8eGEH0gRCyfDCypXb5z8Q
Are you going to be doing a video on the "7 Biggest Problems with Mainstream Music"? I see tons when I imagine it.
That's why I love Avenged Sevenfold's 2016 album The Stage. They somehow managed to evolve their sound without alienating longtime fans such as myself and they're able to have complex themes in the lyrics without sounding pretentious.
Any band needs more Dream Theater influence in their music
The only change of style of a rock band I liked was paramore and kinda p!atd. I’m not saying they’re like “rock rock” they’re pop punk/ pop rock bands. But they have the rock background in them. They still sorta have their sounds and actually have the classic instruments in their songs
mackvnzie Yeah. Paramore you can hear the great instrumentation and lyricism. P!AtD suits Brendon's image and style so it works
P!atd has always had pop elements, but I thins they’re leaning towards it even more now
I love After Laughter because it is so unapologetically Paramore, AND you can actually here the music. More bands need to follow their lead!
Comment on point #6 - prime example? Well, I hate to say it, but Linkin Park. The Hunting Party was such a nice album that I hoped that would be LP's sound for at least one nore album, but no... I mean, I wouldn't have held that record against them in the long run, but then tragedy struck. And LP will *literally* never be the same again.
I have a theory that Linkin Park actually planned to make another heavy record, but Chester's voice was getting worse and he could have fucked up his vocals even more by singing heavier stuff, so they went the Pop road to give Chester's vocals a rest, they actually promised to do a heavier record after *One More Light,* but sadly he died.
Linkin Park was never the same anyway, but Chester's death made it more obvious than it already was.
MegaCrasherMusic The problem is Linkin Park never seemed to be as obsessed with money and fame as Maroon 5 or 30STM. The fact that Chester always took the "sellouts" claim to a personal level is a proof of that. I think the title track " One More Light" proved that there's at least some sort of sincerity to this album. Maybe I'm just biased because I have been a fan most of my life anyway, but I feel like it wasn't a complete cash grab like some people said..
You can see in Say Amen and Silver Linings that Urie doesn’t use the vocabulary that Panic! is known for. As you pointed out that he has dumbed down the lyrics.
Cole Freer but it's essential to remember that the lyrics panic are known for were written by Ryan Ross, who left the band almost a decade ago. Brendon has never been a significant lyricist, he's always been more talented musically
I agree with both of you completely. Recently, panic! Has become a dumbed down version of themselves; sure, their songs are catchy but they're also lazy. Yeah Ryan Ross did write the lyrics that are staples of the panic! image, but Brendon Urie has proven that he's at least a decent writer, look at songs on albums like Pretty.Odd and (at least some of) Vices and Virtues. I just think that Brendon is more concerned with making danceable/easy-to-make/money making music (at least for the time being, though I doubt that it will change) it's honestly sad to see a band like panic! Turn in to pretty generic. At least their pop music is more musically interesting than most, I gotta give em that
I Stole Your Waffles i agree, because I don't really prefer this super poppy direction Panic is taking, but I've gotta admit that it's not necessarily bad pop just because it's pop. Say Amen (Saturday Night) is very pop but it doesn't fit into the mold that so many of the 2000s bands are now trying to squeeze their music into to get radio play where they completely sell out. And when looking at the direction the music took after the band split, I honestly think that Brendon really does just prefer making that kind of music, I don't think he's trying to be something he's not, which is something you can't say about the other bands like Fall Out Boy and such.
Cole Freer
I don't even know what those two songs are about tbh
almond milk so true do
The point of the fans who go “😤😤 I only listen to REAL music 😩😩” is incredibly true it really can turn people away from the genre or band in the genre and I cringe when I hear people say it cuz why do you think your so superior because of your music as if that’s a good attitude to make more people listen to it
I agree with you bro👍
WAIT , Lorde is considered alternative ? Oh my god in what world do we live in ...
Yeah I love Lorde to death but the only alternative I could give her is “alt pop”
Νίκος Σ. A terrible world
you sound super silly rn. What is alternative really? are people who play “alternative” music suppose to shun money and popularity for what exactly?
Beyond ARTV Yay Lorde.... so proud of our Kiwi girl
The WatchMan Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking
I want to add to number two. There really is too much hate for other types of rock like one person might be into emo and then someone else likes metal and the metal person puts the person who is into emo down by saying "that shit isn't rock try listening to a real band. I'm sorry but it needs to stop rock needs to come together and stop fighting if it wants to survive.
Also I think that Indie Rock is also insulted by obnoxious Rock fans who think that Rock Music is just about guitar riffs and rebellion. I like Metal and Punk, but Indie rock is not as bad as many rock fans say it to be. I like Arcade Fire as much as I like Sonic Youth.
Number 1 problem: it's pop.. Rock used to be a bunch of dudes with long hair who wanted to be in this biz to push the roadblocks placed in front of them and for their love of music, Kurt Cobain is a rockstar, Halsey is a pop star who wants to appeal to a wider audience for money
TheUrbanSoldier Kurt Cobain was never a rockstar.
Kurt defiantly wasn’t a rock star in terms of aesthetic
Conor M. You're right. Kurt was, in literal terms, a rockstar, but he lacked the image his predecessors had. He didn't have the stereotypical hedonistic lifestyle associated with rock artists. 90s "rockstars", Kurt included, marked a decline in the excesses that word once had, and I'd argue it's never really changed since. That's another reason: the party life once tied to rock now lies with hip hop
If a "rockstar" is a cult of personality-like figure that people are fanatical about, Kurt Cobain definitely fits the bill. If you look at all the popular fashion trends going on now, a lot of it can be traced down to Kurt Cobain. In a lot of ways, he's also a fashion icon.
"Pop used to just mean "popular"
Ummmm......yeah! but is its own genre. some people have just mistaken for meaning popular.
"Pop" music is its own thing. When most people think of "Pop" music.....they usually just referred towards bubblegum girl/boy bands.
Case, and point: J-Pop girl bands.
I love rock, but many of the releases from my favorite rock artist have missed the mark for me. I have become completely pushed away from seeking new rock music. I just have been listening to the old stuff. I'm okay with shifts in sound, but the push to pop music is driving me insane.
Twenty One Pilots is considered alternative. I honestly have no idea what to categorize them as. I've listened to all their albums, & I love it.
I like the fact that you wore a nirvana shirt in this vid as it represents your point of bands trying to over polish things and therefore making it worse in turn. Nirvana was one of the greatest bands ever yet their music was never over-produced, it was always raw with energy and passion and that’s why we love it. Another fantastic and informative video
Bradley Allen Eh, Nirvana was OK.
(Siamese Dream was overproduced as fuck tho, and it was produced by a same guy who produced Nevermind)
TheZooropaBaby interesting, I’ve never heard that opinion before. I understand where you’re coming from though, but if you were to compare that album to modern mainstream rock albums then you can definitely still point out some of the rough edges of production to the record that make it what it is.
This is a hot take but I actually think that Nevermind's production undersold the music. Great songs, just would have wanted it to sound a little more like In Utero or Incesticide.
TheZooropaBaby In what way are you using the word "overproduced"? In this video's context, it means something super clean and compressed. In Siamese Dream's case, it was overproduced in the sense that a lot of work was put into it. Corgan had overdubs everywhere in that record, but that contributed to the massive sound of the guitars in that record.
He called out the fans....PRAISE THE LORD I WAS WAITING FOR THIS!!!!
Most bands now don't try to find the middle ground between making catchy songs and keeping grit in their sound. They either sound too poppy or they sound to heavy. Rock can't make a comeback in the mainstream unless its poppy and edgy at the same time.
the whole idea about punk in the first place was that you didn't have to be a musical genius to make good music, it was do it yourself and unpolished, so good point with #3
as a fan of modern and alternative rock, i have to unfortunately agree with these problems. something is needed to reviatlize the genre as it is becoming more watered down as time goes on and bands that are doing things right aren't getting the mainstream success.
I think you hit the nail on the head with the problem regarding fanbases. While it may not be one of the bigger reasons of the genre's decline, I have first hand experience with it and gatekeeping in general. It wasn't with rock generally but metal in particular. You will not believe the amount of metalheads back in the day(while an annoying minority) who would act like the genre was the end all be all of how music is done and that anything else is derivative garbage. As an electronic and hip hop head just getting into metal, the rabid fans were a genuine turnoff. Thanfully I learnt how to enjoy the genre while ignoring them. Gatekeepers and problematic fandoms are a huge problem whichever the genre. Take oldheads in hip hop constantly going on about how the current gen of rappers is garbage. In regards to EDM, members of the "trance family" were some of the most obnoxious people to interact with online.
tl;dr: Gatekeepers and shitty fans are a cancer not to rock alone but also any other genre.
Gotta agree with you. Gatekeepers are cancer. Take Nickelback for example, they made great songs, and amazing heavy Rock songs, but people will always put them as the bud of the joke, and say that "X is the Nickelback of Z"
@@sandromnator Ok but Nickelback was trash. It took all the greatness of Grunge to dumb it down into this formulaic pop rock.
It's the strangest thing, I feel like there are more people than ever who love rock music now. It's very seldom seen as "devil music" or whatever the fuck these days. Even just 5 years ago I saw people still saying stuff like that still. It's just normal to listen to rock now, while it was socially looked down upon in the past, and yet in this time of acceptance there are NO good mainstream rock bands out. It's fuckin weird.
Honestly I think part of the issue is that people stopped taking rock music seriously after emo. It was the last huge subculture and honestly, as much as I love it, I think not everyone can take it seriously and rightfully so. Emo was so different from rock in the past, I think since emo died no one else has known where to go from there. Like really, where else is there to go? There's a bit of an increase in indie rock and even surf/psych type of rock but, alas, there is no new subculture or "thing that is needed" quite yet.
taryn w grunge and alternative will merge with hip hop and it will spread like wildfire.
taryn w Highly Suspect is good
Nah, I have to disagree. I think people have taken rock music WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. Like, look at all the pretentious art Rock/indie Rock taking up the airwaves. It's all obnoxious and boring. Rock needs to be exciting, hard, sexy, and fun.
Why is halsey on the thumbnail if u talk about rock? 🤔🤔🤔
Colonel_Xo
That’s what I was wondering
because she is just a problem in music in general
DragoWeedACorpse 😂😂😂
Because lots of teenagers consider her a rock artist, even though she’s not
well Madonna is in RNR Hall of Fame
At least Queens of the Stone Age, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Foo Fighters, Jack White, Arcade Fire, Mastodon, Baroness, Marilyn Manson, Avenged Sevenfold, Billy Talent, Radiohead, MGMT, Muse, Korn, Slipknot and Metallica are still doing great music!
Julien Ouellette I love so many of those bands, but muse in my opinion is drifting away now, ever since dig down, they’ve started to shy away from guitars and drums
Royal Blood
Greta Van Fleet
Highly Suspect
Nothing But Thieves
Nickelback are also making a killing. Great live band.
Breaking benjamin?
@@benkazel wow i was just looking for someone who will complain with me about Muse's new album i mean they're my favorite band for like year and i can't describe how much i love them i want to cry cuz i can't change anything and if i got into them earlier i would have seen their live show without this simulation theory crap why am i always late
Haven't watched the video but here's something I've definitely observed in the rock community copiously growing up:
I've also noticed this within some new rap music coming out. There seems to be a LOT of gatekeeping within the rock community and I think it's gone on for so long that it's finally ground the genre to a halt. It happened with Linkin Park not being "real metal," Green Day not being "real punk," bands like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, etc not being "real rock" and all that other bullshit.
We've been writing off new rock artists for quite some time and it seems like it's finally caught up to us. Now we can't have anything new and interesting come out without people calling it shit, unoriginal, etc. That's another reason the only "successful" rock bands nowadays are the ones who have had their heyday already, and even then they see a dramatic decline in the charts pretty immediately after new material gets released.
I also feel like rock music hasn't caught up in the music streaming game. The charts are dominated with rap music and pop music, because a lot of rock bands, old and new, haven't embraced the new way of marketing. Sure, bands like Metallica and Bon Jovi were able to make it back with those concert bundles, but it's not quite the same. You can see the vast difference when you compare the pure sales to streaming numbers in most bands (Jack White selling 120K/124K pure copies his first week, for example).
Rock definitely needs a revolution somehow but I'm not quite sure how it can be saved at this point. There's only so much you can do to keep it viable and interesting.
I think Modern rock bands go with trends too much, going along with poppy, electro, dancey tunes which water down their sound, you get the more authentic bands like Royal Blood, Marmozets that do their thing but dont get that much exposure which is a shame. There's nothing wrong with experimenting but someone looking for rock hearing a dancey electro tune from a band we'll be like wtf, wheres the rock.
Royal Blood are on the radio all the time dude, plus their music is in advertisements on television all the time too, I think they're the biggest contemporary rock band with commercial success.
I liked them when they first started, but after listening a few times, all their songs started to sound the same, and I don't feel they bring all that much new to the table (though they're still a pretty decent band)
A better example of a band that's both rough, authentic and breaks new ground you should listen a few songs of Show Me The Body. They do sometimes use electronic and Hip hop/trap elements, but do it in a very diy-punk way. I don't see them making any mainstream succes tho.
Nothing more is a good example of a band with something to say. Their lyrics are very deep, and they often tell a story.
Like Beth Hart with songs such as Immortal, Face Forward, Today Came Home, Isolation, Burn Chile, Sister Heroine and Setting Me Free.
8:57 You make me remember My Chemical Romance. One part of "Thank you for the venom" is like "Give me a reason to believe so give me all your poison and give me all your pills and give me all your hopeless hearts that will make me ill". They have a lot of lyrics that make me think about the things that you say on this video.
I remember the rise of emo and how people that were adults at the time (like myself) saying that "rock is dead". I think that what's happening now is just a consequence of that time. I agree with you that we almost can't separate the genres anymore, and I also think that most of the bands that are still making rock music in the mainstream are remaining from the 80s and 90s.
What I think rock bands really need is more natural versatility. Every rock band consists of such a limited instrument palate, consisting of guitars, bass guitars, vocals and drums. Maybe some piano too like on the black parade or boarding house reach. When it comes to instruments, there's so little the genre tends to go off of. Maybe if people with talents other than the main 4 of rock would get into the genre, they could bring new sounds to it and fix up that hatchet a bit. Even the main instruments themselves have many more forms than what's actually used in rock music. Drums come in hundreds of forms at least, yet, we only get that regular rock drumset in a thicc fraction of rock. There's even many forms string instruments to go fuck with, yet, we only get those electric and acoustic guitars, and bass. Now, the one thing rock does have going for it somewhat, is something most genres have: a good array of vocal styles. Even those get limited. However, there are distinct vocalists in bands like patd, fall out boy, mcr, radiohead; you could pick those out of a line most likely, and many many more. Vocal styles like that of Brendon's and Gerard's brought voices well suited for the musical theatre style; not to say that it never existed before. Sometimes, Judas Priest, who are metal, make songs that sound like they could be a villain song in a Disney movie. Then you got toilets taking over in the harder metal.
You hit the nail on the head with these 7 points!
I think the real problem here is the fact that all of the kids of this generation think pop artists are rock artists. I hate most pop music with a burning passion, but I will still admit that bands like Imagine Dragon, who I have been a fan of for 6 years, are pop, not rock. As for bands like panic! at the disco, fall out boy, etc, etc, their problem is that they used to be more in the alt rock category is that even after the whole big transition with their sound and complete change in style of music, teens still consider them to be alternative bands. Just looking at Fall Out Boy's post-haitus albums, they've gone completely mainstream. They were popular before, dont get me wrong, but they really changed their style, not even really considering what their original fans want. Yes, I know an artist should do what they want with their sound, but I think completely changing what youre doing just to provide for the recent crave for loads if pop music is stupid. They should focus on the people who actually want your music, rather than trying to convince the ones who don't care about you or your work to listen to your music. You shouldn't change yourself for other people, and everyone knows that. So it's kind of sad seeing all of these great artists plummet and lose dedicated fans because they want to impress people who probably never liked them anyway.
MW trust me, as a 17 year old, most kids would call imagine dragons pop, along with fob and patd. All that’s left for us to listen to are indie rock bands like Florence and the Machine, car seat headrest, etc
That's why low-ground/alternative-ish rock like Car Seat Headrest is currently thriving.
*thriving
Terminus Hex lol thanks, i dunno english
MegaCrasherMusic but so is Perfume Genius. I'd like to think they're up to a good future.
PERE UBU!
CheesecakeLasagna you are now listening to....
i'm actually so sick of when rock bands "change" to pop music, 80% of the time the pop music sucks (30STM, All Time Low mainly at the moment)
I noticed all the emo-rock bands of the 00s lost their core identity and catered to the popaholics young and old.
just.....go to Bandcamp, guys
TheZooropaBaby Yes.
That's the best answer ever
@Ace of Glades Bandcamp is awesome and I hate you
I think that David Bowie put it the best when he said that his work was the strongest when he wasn't trying to please the audience. A big problem with a lot of artists these days is that they're not artists at all - they're just people walking into a studio, following directions and a very specific formula, and pandering to an audience. What comes out of that process is generic crap designed for mass consumption and maximum profit. It's consumed and then promptly disposed of. It's like the McNuggets of music.
Vi Haze nah it's the McDonald's or gmo's of music
I feel like Avenged Sevenfold is probaby the only band sticking to themselves.
Dynamic Doduo Also, Ghost.
The Who, Ayreon, Spock's Beard
This is the 7 on Sunday video I have been dying to see you make!! I love a lot of pop, alternative, r/b, metal and some rap/hip-hop but Rock is in my blood and it's my favorite!!
What can bring rock back is lo-fi culture, when everything is glossy and processed, things that are more raw bring the revolution, like in the 70's when punk rose against bloated corporate arena rock.
Modern blues. Beth Hart can do more with her voice, a piano and or an acoustic guitar than most bands. Her band is tight
@Wydozv ExYeest I guess that Punk will never die then.
I think that a lot of these issues have happened to Imagine Dragons. Their new album Evolve has been following too much trends and has lost their emotional motivation and all the great guitar solos and having more meaning behind their lyrics. They have really shifted from Indie to pop which while have given them more popularity puts their songs with great lyrics and instrumentals in the shadows
I think Nothing More is doing a really fantastic job at the moment and they need more attention. In my opinion they’re the best rock band right now. They talk about politics as well as personal issues and it all has substance. Again this is all my opinion so please don’t tell me that I am wrong and you are right.
I love them
Rock is dying in the mainstream because of one reason and one reason only: gatekeeping. All over the country there is a thriving punk and hardcore and DIY scene that fills basements, small clubs and even traditional rock venues in some cases, but these bands get no radio and no mainstream coverage.
All the new intuitive rock music is happening in the heavier worlds. Code orange and turnstile are smashing it in their respective worlds. Modern rock has become watered down due to bands like Imagine Dragons and Coldplay who have now pandered to the mainstream pop audience
Cameron Sheppard I disagree on Imagine Dragons, though I didn't knew that people disliked Coldplay's recent songs
As a european I would love it if you could do a seven on sunday video on the Eurovision. I know you probably have never seen it before but i could give you links to some songs from it if you want. would love to hear your opinion on it.
4:20 EIGHTY PERCENT of the fans? Where did you get that? Most of us love the 30STM new album. Stevie is quite capable of covering for Tomo. Their monolith tour is amazing.
6:14
"America says we love a chorus, but don't get complicated and bore us. Though meaning might be missing we need to know the words after just one listen so repeat stuff."
-Bo Burnham
*that moment when Jon says rock is dead but he only looks at shitty bands*
im merely paraphrasing it. but it seems like this echo chamber, I mean comment section is saying very similar thing
I think it goes without saying that he is referring to primarily mainstream rock in this video, a lot of which has serious issues.
He's talking about the mainstream and I understand the impulse to do that since rock has been in the mainstream since the 60s and because it's gone from the charts, people will proclaim that the genre is dead. It's not, I think Jon knows that, he reviews a lot of rock bands. But will we see another band breakthrough like The Killers did in the early 00s or Kings of Leon did in the late 00s that can fill arenas, I'm not entirely sure.
TheZooropaBaby when people say rock is dead they're referring to rock's mainstream influence.
My biggest problems are
1. A lot of musicians won’t try and experiment, repeating the same bland trashy music that has made rock seemed dumb down in the first place
2. Too many artists rely on other genres so much to the point where it shouldn’t even be considered rock
Today, they play garbage rock by white rappers as well as too many artists that comes and go every year. What ever happened to One Direction, featuring Harry Styles, Maroon 5, and Katy Perry, the rock artists of the 2010. Today even former singer of the Maroon 5, Adam Levine now do rap music. That’s sickening.
One thing I've noticed after the Red Sun Rising album came out is that when someone releases something that would've without a doubt been a big hit in the 90's or the early 2000's, it doesn't matter whether or not they even deserve the success. It will go flat-out unnoticed by most people because the genre isn't relevant anymore. All the pop and rap addicts will be lucky if they hear an unimpressive Breaking Benjamin or Three Days Grace single. You go to a store or restaurant etc. and they'll have a pop station on. Rarely do you get something like Octane on Sirius XM from them.
Needs. I'm gonna talk a bit about My Chemical Romance. Gerard Way had said after the break up amongst the reasons they split was that they didn't feel like the world needed them anymore and we were able to cary on without their shoulder to lean on. It kinda ties in with what you said about people needing the music to go though tough times.
I wish that Linkin Park would have continued to use the innovative sound of A Thousand Suns in some of their other albums. I mean sure, Living Things had some of the cool electronic elements, but A Thousand Suns genuinely stands out as being a unique, innovative rock album to me. It was creative, but still had some tracks for radio play (Waiting For The End).
Olivia Tornes Living Things is great
I think that there are some bands that are quite good at fusing rock and pop, but not leaning too heavily one way or the other. A great example is Poets of the Fall. Tracks like Daze, Lift, Roses, and Carnival of Rust all feel like rock songs, but they’ve all got these insanely catchy melodies and instrumental arrangements. They’re songs that can be appreciated for their mainstream compatibility, but can also be appreciated musically, since they’re not afraid to throw in guitar solos or odd rhythms.
I just think we need more bands like that.
Have you heard :
Royal Blood
Black Keys
Nothing but Thieves
Wolfmother
Kaleo
..?
I love all of these,so glad to see a fellow fan
A decent amount of 80's pop rock had guitar solos. Something unfathomable today.
If 30 seconds to mars and halsey are rock bands... Then haha I'm in mcr!
It doesn't have balls anymore. We need more bands pushing boundaries like The Stooges, MC5, The Kinks, etc..
We have that. It’s just that instead of bands they’re rappers.
There is no “Smells like teen spirit” no “Bohemian Rhapsody” no “Starway to heaven”
All modern rock are generic. I like some of the new bands but there is not that one song that alienate fans. Is that simple. You can blame fans, culture, pop industry or rap whatever but reality is there is not a single hit in rock today that get the attention of the mainstream.
Yeah, rock is totally uncreative now days
2013 was a good year for popular rock music. We used to have a radio station that would play Bad Suns, Young the Giant and a lot of other “alternative” or “indie” rock singles but... it’s gone now. Now there’s just an oldies/dad rock station left. I cry.
Highly Suspect, Royal Blood, Don Broco, Biffy Clyro, post-semphiternal's BMTH... modern rock has tons of good songs
i only know of Highly Suspect, but dear god ... it was wonderful hearing a thought out lyrics ... a guitar .... and holy hell real drums!
spotify's related artists has been a blessing for me lately
I think that the second point, about bands not being able to branch out without alienating fans, is the fault of the fans. There is a big reason why AC/DC made the same album 13 times. And when you go see a band in concert, nobody wants to hear the new songs. They want classics.
The fans do not want something new. I'm almost convinced that people don't like music at all, and instead like the memories, thoughts, and ideas that the song inspires to return.
A modern rock band I absolutely adore is greta van fleet, they sound a lot like led zeppelin and just have that amazing classic hard rock vibe (they're also really good considering how young they all are)
I think thats also a problem, is that people are so drenched in nostalgia and doesn't accept newer and more cutting edge band. also Greta isn't as good as Led Zeppelin, especially their rhythm section is worse compared to Led Zeppelin.
For me it's so similar to Led Zeppelin that starts to bother me a little bit. Sounds great but I can't get my head around it.
TheZooropaBaby Well obviously they'll never reach the level of zep (or at least not soon) but I'm just happy that this kind of rock hasn't died out. I mean I like almost every kind of rock music but I feel like the classic rock n roll sound had been missing lately
well rock is truly dead if we just embrace nostalgia. sure, LCD Soundsytem already cashed in nostalgia but at least they amalgamate so many bands that they didnt sound like pure nostalgia. if we want to keep this alive, we have to support actually good bands, instead of some comfort food.
TheZooropaBaby Well I don't think that liking the classic hard rock sound is exactly embracing nostalgia. To me and many other young people i know 70s and 80s rock isn't really nostalgic, we just like the sound of it. Sure for some people it's nostalgia for others it's just liking that kind of rock. Also, there are rock bands that go into completely new directions out there. They just need some support and recognition
Just gonna say everyone, australia, britain, america and many european countries have thriving rock undergrounds. Australia has a grunge revival, and a new wave of fantastic artists such as spacey jane, skegss, dune rats, king gizzard etc etc. The rock side of music is bursting at the seems, and i reckon within the next 10 years that there will be a major explosion of quality new artists.
What i would say would help the scene, is to bring the global community together to help push the up and coming and super exciting acts to the top and pushing out the old samey bands u hear on the radio sm. I believe this could be achieved through social media or an app that can help catalog and promote new bands.
Rock is broad church, from folk rock to new wave, psychedelic rock to grunge, prog rock to heavy metal... There has always been snobbery from some in rock (or at least for the 30+ years that I've been actively listening). Trouble is the fanatics / extremists seem to have become louder than ever about what is "the one true rock" or "the one type music my favourite band should always make". I feel sorry for them, but that sort douche-baggery can potentially drive people away.
Yes is one of the best architects of rock imo... they paved the way for bands like Rush and Tool!!! Speaking of, they should create a super group, and go away from the Yes name while still playing half of their concerts as Yes stuff! My favorite combination would be:
Geddy Lee- bass guitar
Rick Wakeman- keyboards
Steve Howe- guitar
Danny Carey- drums
Jon Anderson- vocals
It think other genres such as Pop are repetitive too. If you put on a top 40 radio station, you're going to here the same formulas over and over. It's very hard to pinpoint why Pop is still, well, pop. It is arguable that rock is very hard to switch up. It's very restricted to certain instruments and it takes a lot of talent to fuse genres. Muse, for example have experimented with other genres such as classical in the Exogenesis Symphony and even Dubstep and electronic in The 2nd law. I enjoy music at most when these genre fusions occur personally. I definitely feel like a well- written chorus is hard to come by in general. We can see that bands such as All Time Low and Muse are being lazy with their songwriting- yes I am referring to the Millennial Whoop. At the moment, I feel like rock is being pushed back and is being peppered into music really well in some cases. For example, the punchy guitar in Childish Gambino's Bonfire. I feel like in the future however, audiences will seek for a less overproduced style and a lot more personality which is why I think rock and its many subgenres will make a return. I for one are very tired of overproduced and crisp sound. Consequently, I am seeking out smaller bands who have more characterful sounding rock music, for example King and Queen of the Losers, who Nate and I enjoy greatly. With more mainstream music, the barrier between fans and artists is too big and can be improved.
HINT: It's not rock
im a huge fan of all time low (my favorite modern artist), and that includes their old stuff (nothing personal) and my favorite album of theirs (Last young renegade) - I know its more pop and not punk but I think its excellent 80s inspired pop rock with good use of synth, great lyrics, diverse melodies, and good instrumentation when they do use guitar
this is why I stick to metal
because mainstream is ruining everything.
The rock band Stone Temple Pilots have subverted a majority of the points you present. If you listen to their 2018 album, it's like an updated No 4, and while the lyrics are a little less psychedelic, they're still written with sincerity, and the DeLeo brothers have never truly changed their sound in the sense that they'll always be Jazz meets Rock meets RnB.
I don't know any modern rock songs and it's my favorite genre
9:17 I have a friend who makes metalcore (not that I like it as is, but that's not my point here) and his tracks always use the DAW (Fruity Loops) drums, and I have to say, NEVER use DAW drums unless there's a prominent electronic presence. Even in that case, an analog drum machine works better in non-edm electronic music. It just sounds so echoey and fixed.
Modern rock music is healthy and alive. The problem is that the bands that are refered to in your video happen to be the ones that represent today's rock music for some reason, even though they're pretty much garbage and not representative of what's going on in the underground. If you really dig, you'll find what you're looking for. Check out bands like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, or Peach Pit for example. Right now, the mainstream doesn't talk about this audience, but in the meantime something's building up and I wouldn't be surprise if another band like Nirvana for instance, would come out in a few years, when the fucking trap trend's going to end. The same thing happened in the 90s when people were tired of the 80s hair metal bullshit.
"The same thing happened in the 90s when people were tired of the 80s hair metal bullshit.".
So true. I grew up on Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, REM, Counting Crows, etc. I was a teen back then. Even my father would agree with you. He secretly liked the stuff I was listening to because, as he said, the 1990s were a return to real music and real guitars.
The garden enjoy and puzzle are also examples of modern rock music
The garden are two twin brothers who play bass and drums they sound a little like primus and the minutemen and they both have side projects enjoy and puzzle but there main focus is the garden. and king gizzard and the lizard wizzard is another example of serious musicians or car seat headrest these all are emerging artist and it’s a lot different but it’s new.
It’s really sad with the direction that most of the bands are trying to go with the trend....it’s all synth and effects that is being the main instrument rather than the drums,guitars and bass being the voice of the songs these days.... there’s so many points that I can agree with you,Jon..
#1: Chester Bennington is gone
Koenigsegg Fanboy #2: Chris Cornell is gone
*#1: Rock singers are dying(David Bowie, Chester Bennington, Chris Cornell, Tom Patty, Doloris O’Riordan, etc...)
Expansion Pack Deluxe ok then, ALL of them are gone.
yo Little Richard is alive
Not to disrespect the dead but to be fair, the last Linkin Park album was guilty of like everything he mentions in this video.
I miss the diversity of music on the radio where I’m working right now they’re constantly playing the same songs over and over again especially around 5 o’clock I’m constantly hearing “Havana” and as much as I love Twenty One Pilots I’m SICK TO DEATH of STRESSED OUT. You would not believe how much of breath of fresh air when I heard Nine In The Afternoon play in the store.
#1 courtney love isn't dead yet
9:00 I totally agree with you there, Jon, and that's really where I see most modern 'rock' bands (PATD/FOB/ATL) failing, as they have trap/pop beats and a pop tone to their music, without any real ROCK in the formula; they really just sound like everything else on the radio. For people to care about rock, there have to be bands that: appeal to the mainstream AND have that rock vibe very much present. That's why I like acts like Royal Blood, who seem to have a VERY emphasized rock sound whilst also having (for the most part) catchy choruses. There's also acts like Grandson (he's a somewhat new musician) who use a trap 'beat' along with REALLY loud guitars to create a rock song that not only has Intensity, but also appeals to the mainstream pop or hip hop fans due to it's trap influences (his music is also VERY political and energetic). Bands like the ones I've mentioned above are going to really define how popular rock will be over the next decade or so. Good video!
Paramore was actually successful in their sound change.
Also, why is it more expensive to pay four members of a band vs. ten writers and producers?
Panic! Hasn't been rock for a very long time now, I think it's safe to assume that Brendon won't be going back to the sound of the first three albums any time soon
We need a Band like MCR right now!
The ABacross we do! And we need MCR back together again!
And re join panic while we're at it!
The ABacross We need bands today like Sunny Day Real Estate or older heavy metal bands.
Yeah, but you now Gerard is making new music let’s see what he does
The ABacross no we need something brand new and innovative