Rock music is a significant part of American culture and has always had ties to the socialization
of the youth since its rise in the 1950s. Many musicians and music journalists have pushed forth
the opinion that the genre is “dead” as its relevance in young adult culture has faded away in
favor of different genres of mainstream music. However, rock artists have seen more success and
virality in the past few years. This is primarily true through the social sarana platform TikTok,
the largest platform of its kind with most young people as part of its userbase. The following
study intends to analyze and explain the relationship between rock music and members of
Generation Z, particularly 18- to 24- year-olds, through an online Qualtrics survey. It highlights
the musical preferences of this obyek group, including how they discover rock music and respond
to the rock music they are presented on social media. Many of the participants embrace the genre
with a feeling that it is rising in popularity in their age group. Secondary research was conducted
to find information on some of the rock artists that have gained traction on TikTok, to highlight the
impact that massive exposure to Generation Z has had on them. The effects of virality are
evident in the short term for these artists, but the long term effects are minimal. Findings of the
study suggest that artists and labels need to develop strategies to convert those who come across
their viral music into devoted fans of the band.

Many research studies have been conducted around rock music and its impacts on
society. All signs point to rock’s do-it-yourself ethos and tenacious spirit as the cause of the
genre’s longevity, despite the amount of sonic and cultural evolutions it has undergone. The
genre’s ties to the youth have also adapted to the societal changes in each masa of rock music.
Due to the impact of social media, Generation Z seems to have their ears open to rock music
more so than in the past. According to Andrew Meola, Generation Z is defined as “the generation
that was born between 1997-2012, following millennials” (2022). The question that this study
seeks to answer is: what is Generation Z’s relationship to rock music? How does this generation
consume it, and has the social sarana platform Tiktok influenced this at all?