4 of 26

Write now Article Tools

Ever since the early 80s the music genre simply known as "Rock" has diminished more and more leaving some of us that would just love kick back listening to our Boston, AC/DC, and Van Halen albums wondering what on earth happened? This genre used to be one of three major players in the industry (along with R&B and Country). After giving it some thought, I think I might have figured it out:

MTv
Thanks to the advent of music videos the average band had to be something that was new, different, and most importantly good looking. Older more established bands didn't have the "image" that sold as well and they became more of something you'd hear on the radio and not on Tv. As MTv's influence grew, these less visual Rock bands would lose popularity to more "visually stimulating" pop groups. Until 1987 I had no idea what the members of Pink Floyd even LOOKED like.

Sub-Genres
Due to the fact that record stores liked to keep music in handy categories they had to develop sub-genres of music. Soon, you had a Rock section, Heavy Metal section, Punk section, and the wonderful all-inclusive "Alternative" section. The generic Rock section would shrink down as the albums were getting pigeonholed into other genres. Soon the concept of a simple Rock band became passe.

The Rise of Hip Hop (and others)
Along with pop music, the 80s started to give us other genres that would "muscle in" on Rock's dominance. Soon we had successful rap groups like Run DMC (who would gain notoriety by performing with rock band, Aerosmith), female R&B sensations like Whitney Houston, and Hip Hop groups like Bel Biv Devoe. With MTv playing their videos unceasingly and rock bands hardly making videos (see next category) Rock quickly became all but forgotten.

Fear of "Selling Out"
A lot of serious rock bands didn't want to give into the "machine" that was the producer-driven music industry. One of the first signs of selling out was making a music video. Legendary rock band Metallica refused to make any music videos for years believing that the power of their music alone was all they needed to make money. In the late 80s they were convinced to make a visual representation of their song "One". The song turned into their best song ever and even was allowed to be performed at the Grammys that year. As a result, the band decided to keep making videos and their album sales went through the roof. Unfortunately, more "serious" bands flagged them as money-grubbing sell-outs and preferred to live in unknown squalor than to be like them (keep in mind that this was years before Napster).

They Got Old
With the possible exception of The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, most rock bands don't put out news music anymore. They'll occasionally do a reunion concert or an ill-fated comeback tour, but usually their age and lack of a younger fan-base doom them to the obscurity of flashback radio shows and the occasional video on MTv2 at 3 in the morning.

It's a shame that Rock is a dying genre. It helped to set the groundwork for virtually all genres that are popular today. Most modern rockers will be able to tell you countless names of artists from the 60s and 70s that inspired them but when you ask them when the last time they heard some of their music on the radio they'll just stare at you blankly.

Learn more about this author, David Furritus.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about The demise of rock: What happened?
We want to hear your view. Write now!