What The F**K Happened To Rock And Roll? (VIDEO)

This is a good question. When did rock become the douchiest genre of music? When did Nickelback, Parachute, The Fray, Chris Daughtry, and Linkin Park become acceptable to listen to? Did that one band just give up on writing lyrics and repeat "love" over and over again and no one noticed?


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[chroma601]

The corporate takeover of music resulted in bands having to go for the profitable over the vital. Back in my youth, bands regularly challenged the establishment, from CSNY's "Four Dead in Ohio" to Jefferson Airplane's entire catalog. Our generation's musicians were very much a social force, while today it is rare to find a mainstream band pointing out say, the failures of the Bush administration's policies. This has pretty much made music much less relevant.

[jimmy19]

Rock has been given estrogen pills; its over. Thanks a lot bands out there for nothing.

[fryguy541]

It's all so BAD. There is no true conflict or elation in American music anymore. The stations on the radio dial are all dribble. I had one good classic rock station in town but it has since been replaced with a station that plays nothing but R-wing talk :=(. It's all Beck, Hannity, Ingram and Miller:==(

The only remaining modern auditory art with honesty and insight into human nature is stand up comedy. Thank you satellite radio!

[Nicholas Jones]

After the 1, 2, 3 shot to the nads by Parachute, The Fray, and Daughtry, Linkin Park sounds halfway decent.

Rock's been on the ropes as of late. I like listening to Slipknot, Metallica, Otep, Godsmack, Alice In Chains, among others, and the only radio station in the area that played those bands converted to an all sports talk radio format. Well, that pissed off a lot of listeners since the only rock station left plays those "rock" songs mentioned on the list above.

*sigh* That sucks...:P

[Chilblain]

itunes should really not be the arbiter of music genre

[Chilblain]

Hell, even what is now considered "Country" fits in to this MUSIC INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX "Product" category. Its about quarterly profits not creative and beautiful art.

[Kenji]

One word: Wilco.

[Chilblain]

Wilco is excellent but you really can't call them "Rock", and they are an exception in themodern commercial music industry.
Honestly "Rock" died in the late 70's/early 80's. It might as well be considered a traditional musical genre like Jazz or Blues or Bluegrass. Most contemporary music is so crosspollinated from multiple genres and the music currently pushed commercially is mostly Bubblegum Pop or slick Commercial Hip Hop aimed at teens and tweens that is genetically engineered in some MUSIC INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX laboratory to sell merchandise. Sad. I'm so thankful I grew up in the 80's when the underground music scene was NOT about selling out. Now its not only the status quo, it is the goal.

[carb]

= "edgy" adult contemporary

[RazeTemple]

There's no rock& roll, its only pop, and metal. For some reason the genre in between is lost to history.

[sense11]

I hate what popular rock has become. The five "rock" bands mentioned in this video are so bad, most of them sound like they belong on the country music network.

[Chilblain]

Modern Country music should really be called "SUBURBAN music"

[Phoenixfire089]

For anyone who doubts the validity of Sergio's opinions: play one nickleback song on one speaker and another through another speaker. Flip the fade back and forth...an­d voile!...y­ou can hear the exact same music in both songs, just with slightly different lyrics. I f you want to hear some songs played against each other, here are a couple links:

Linkin Park: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUDtIJCPi_k&feature=related

NIckleback: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs4tNeGyTyI&feature=related

[Jr Bob Jr]

Trying to find great music on the radio is like trying to find a music video on MTV... you won't have a whole lotta luck.

Face it... music for the masses appeals to the lowest common denominator, and most people are content with crap.

Plenty of incredible bands out there if you just look past the 23 cds that are available at Sprawl-Mart at any given time... and guess what? Rarely do they get radio play. With the exception, of course, of college radio and internet radio stations (tons of great web stations, right there on itunes.)

It would be pointless to name names... if you are choosing between 14 future-has-beens from American Idol for your music, then that's what you deserve to be listening to and you have no right to complain.

[sense11]

Well put sir. completely agree.

[Genius]

Jr. Bob Jr.

You are so correct. It's all about "Corporate Program Directors" and the bottom line. Try calling a local station and request a song, even one that they used to play, and they will flat out tell you; NOPE, Ain't gonna happen, it's been pulled from rotation. They will throw you a bone every now and then, just like MTV & VH1.
They will find a new favorite song and play it to DEATH and then suddenly it just disappears. I call it the plane dropping off the radar screen scenario (syndrome)!
The CD player in my car broke and I can't afford to have it fixed right now. I'll tell ya, it's torture to have to listen to these crappy stations.

[Madmac]

I'll tell you what's happened to music and why it sucks. Music companies, Posse's, hangers on, Doctor Feelgood's, Corporate ownership, the RIAA, Clear Channel and "synergy". I have a question for all of you. With the exception of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, can you name one act that's been active since 1990 that is a cinch to reach the Rock Hall of Fame?

[Jr Bob Jr]

Wilco, Flaming Lips, Black Keys, White Stripes, My Morning Jacket, Phish, Tool, Conor Oberst, etc, etc, etc

[sja11]

pretty sure Phish is the only one of that group that is getting in.

[twoopeneyes]

MGMT has got some cool sounds, very creative in my opinion, can't wait for record number 2. You'd never hear them on radio.

[ECBA88]

I'll second you on most of those, Conor Oberst especially, but I'm ambivalent on Tool...

[Madmac]

Please. Give me something to argue with. None of those bands are iconic. None of them can even hold a candle to groups like The Who, The Doors, Aerosmith or U2 or The Police. Try again.

[groot]

the rolling stones... oh wait, they're already there

[Madmac]

I'm not being a snob here. When you compare the cream of the crop of the 60's - early 90's to the "cream" of the crop today, there is no comparison. "Rock" today is dead

[thebirdstheword]

radiohead

[Jr Bob Jr]

Absolutely Radiohead.

[mule66]

try some brother ali

[Sergio Cilli]

hi, i'm sergio. i think that with every genre of music. the original version of it is awesome and eventually it gets ruined.

[RevBookburn]

In the corporate entertainment industry, only rock's version of easy listening survives. Simple, unoriginal formulas are the demands of their masters. Independent music is the only hope. Rev. Bookburn - Radio Volta

[Cea80]

Absolutely. The state of mainstream music - to me - is comparable to the state of Hollywood movies. They just keep rolling out the same noise/plot. Nickelback? Linkin Park? sigh.