Rock and Roll Might Be Dead, But That's Okay

It's no secret that music today is in a different state than it was in the 70’s, when there were artists like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd topping the charts, and many followers of the rock genre. People believe that rock and roll is dead and music created today does not have the same worth. Although there are no longer rock artists dominating the charts any longer the same way they did in the 70’s and 80’s, with wailing guitar solos and sweet melodies, it can be understood that no matter how much draw these artists had and still do have, there is a new era of music now. 

So many classic rock bands expertly innovated their style and created music that no one was hearing before that. Although what they did for music changed the shape of music history, there is more in music that can happen. Music should continue to evolve to play to what the world wants to hear and artists should continue to push boundaries in their fields instead of playing what others have played before. Let’s take Greta Van Fleet for example, a new band I believe to be stuck in the past. Their music aligns with classic rock bands, most notably Led Zeppelin, Greta Van Fleet takes what has already been created and makes a near replica, with virtually nothing more to offer than their musical predecessors, with their singer nearly duplicates Robert Plant’s singing style. Although they have gained traction in the community of classic rock lovers, I believe that the main reason they have gained a following is due to the people who want to hear what they already have. 

But it's not all bad. There are plenty of rock artists from the past 20 years doing incredible work to make rock music more innovative and interesting, you might just have to look for them. In the late ‘90’s to the early 2000’s, Jack White’s work with the simplistic but powerful garage rock duo The White Stripes along with bands like The Strokes helped to bring back the garage rock genre in a new way. In addition to his work with The White Stripes, Jack White has also led a solo career ranging from blues to rock to country. His work on his most recent project, Boarding House Reach, causes the listener to think through experimental layers of percussion, synths, guitars, and more to hear rock music like it's never been played before. Another notable group in music today is King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, a band that does nothing but create music in ways you're unlikely to hear anywhere else. Each of their albums plays with different ideas and sounds to make their discography incredibly versatile. Some projects follow narratives while others have musical ideas that stretch out over multiple tracks without pause. 

Although I am a fan of rock music myself, I don't believe it is the genre that should define this generation, as these have not been the most exciting years for the genre. The genre that has been the most exciting in recent years has been rap. Rappers such as Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West have created completely unique music, along with opening up widespread dialogues about the world we live in and how our society runs. In addition to the messages of some artists, the way rap artists utilize features and beats from a wide array of people allows for music to be created more efficiently, using all the resources available to create music. Although some rappers are able to do the minimal amount of work while being able to make lots of money off this, this system allows for many others to create truly impressive music. Take Travis Scott, one of the biggest players in the rap game today. The way he has worked with producers from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker to Kanye West to create a psychedelic sound unlike others in his genre makes me optimistic for the future of music. Artists like this make me think that music might not have to be made only in the genres we are used to, and instead they can incorporate sounds that work from across the music spectrum to create new and improved music.

If artists continue to push boundaries and create music with new ideas building off ideas of those before them, music will remain interesting. I, for one, don't want to hear the same thing I’ve heard a million times be created again. The future of music is impossible to predict, but as long as the mainstream continues to evolve to what the masses want to hear, and the underground scene experiments with new sounds, music will stay interesting.

For more information on this, check out Jaden’s article, Jack White and the Vinyl Renaissance