As an avid rock music lover and musician for the past 30 years, it’s hard for me to hear people talk about rock music as if it stopped being good once a certain era ended.
At age 41, I look back fondly on every era of rock music, and I appreciate the bands, the technical innovations, the music theory that grew from them, and all the great personalities that brought the music to life on and off the stage.
My passion is the past, present and future of rock music.
I still say that Pink Floyd is my favorite band of all time, and that their album The Wall is the best rock album of all time as well. Of course, that’s my personal opinion. I am sure you have your own preferences.
Here’s the thing though, that album was released almost exactly 2 years to the day before I was even born, and the band was introduced to me through my dad who was a big fan of their music. Though, he would say his 3 favorite bands are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Nazareth depending on the day he’s asked.
Now I may never hear a band that has staying power, foresight and vision like that of Pink Floyd, but that doesn’t mean bands should even be compared to them in the first place.
I still listen to new music, go to live local rock shows where bands far younger than I play their own original music, I photograph and attend larger concerts, I write album reviews on my own blog, and I celebrate and promote music that comes out each year.
I love hearing new bands and artists add their own unique perspective formed from their completely personal experiences with their own musical upbringings.
I have heard bands that have members that are all under 25 years old bang out rock music that is better than a lot of the music that the 80’s ever pumped out.
I hear punk influences. I hear prog rock nuances. I hear post hardcore as well. There are even elements of soft rock and various other musical genres that are blending together to create something new.
It’s all making a comeback through these young bands that don’t care what mainstream music sounds like right now, because they aren’t as influenced by those musical acts.
The past has finally come to the present, and it’s the future of rock music.
This is what leads me to the main point of my editorial today.
Rock music is better than ever, but most rock pecinta stopped listening to new bands at some point not long after high school most likely.
I have an e mail that goes out to people who sign up to our e mail list that asks them one very simple question: “Who’s your favorite rock band of all time?”
In the year or so that I have had that e mail active, and the hundreds of responses I have gotten (no idea how many actually as I never counted them), here were some of the most popular responses: The Beatles, Rush, Van Halen, Guns N’ Roses, Yes, King Crimson, and Queen.
Not one single person mentioned a rock act that has come out past 2004 (except those who mentioned their own indie rock bands).
The newest band listed as a favorite was As Cities Burned.
I am sure that many of these people love new bands too, and maybe my audience skews towards people my age (our demographic is 34-50 mostly), but we do have a decent amount of people under 35 on the list.
Now, do I like all new rock music?
Hell no.
I doubt anyone will like every musical act that comes through a particular genre.