40 years ago, you turned on your Walkman and put your headphones on. The first thing you heard was the banging of a drum followed by the screeching of a guitar. You thought, “This is going to be an amazing song.” You got hyped up and started nodding your head to the rhythm. Your mood switched instantly. Nowadays, you put in your AirPods and hit play, and all you hear are swear words and a beat made online. Where did rock music go?
Rock music was a staple genre in the 80s and 90s, with hit bands such as Metallica, AC/DC, and Guns and Roses topping the billboard charts many times. As time has gone on, newer bands haven’t been able to reach the same level of popularity as the legendary rock bands from the 80s and 90s. That raises the question: do people still listen to rock? A 2018 study by Statista found that only 28% of people aged 16-19 consider rock to be their favorite genre of music, compared to 48% of people aged 45-54. Rock is less popular for kids nowadays than it was for kids in the 70’s and 80’s. Are new rock bands not as good? Is it the cycle of music? Mrs. Barlow thinks there will always be a resurgence of genres having their main spotlight in the music industry.
As rock tries to regain popularity, many new talented bands have shaped modern rock using synths and other noises to enhance the creativity of music. Korn was among the first modern rock bands to gain a large following. After Korn, many new bands followed suit, starting a new rock era. The new rock era contains genres such as Metalcore, Nu Metal, and Punk. With this style of rock music and the talent in the industry, will rock make a comeback? Blake Simpson thinks rock has had its moment in the mainstream, but it will never be present like it was in the 90’s.
If you want to check out modern rock, here are some suggestions. Mrs. Barlow likes the band Motionless in White, formed in 2004; their hit songs include Another Life, Masterpiece, and Voices. Blake Simpson likes the band Bring Me The Horizon, formed in 2004, with hit songs Can You Feel My Heart, Throne, and Kingslayer. My favorite modern rock bands are Shinedown, Nothing More, and Halestorm. The song Jenny by Nothing More is a personal favorite.
Rock music is far from returning to the spotlight, but the talent and creativity in the modern rock era could be the sole reason for its return. If the cycle of music does its job, we could see rock return to the forefront in the next 20 years.