Earlier today, in another thread, Scrotum Scissor wrote this about the death of rock music:
" Rock music was by-and-large a cross-generational phenomenon (approx. 1955-2005) defined by its overall cultural resonance. As such, its staying power as social-aesthetic force was equal to its generational ownership as trope of consistent development, and thus faced the obvious dilemma of "evolving away from itself". This was one of the main reasons why progressive rock was shunned and scorned in the first place; it was perceived as rushing on this process by deliberately destroying traits and virtues seen as foundational to the very intent of the initial form, and it did so through the "wrong" means and with the "wrong" aims and ends - whereas the Velvets and Faust and Can (etc.) were harbingers of nihilist coolness (although in reality they were merely a different take on the "progressive" impulse).
Rock music of today is entertainment through reminiscence, very little else. And the same goes for the "progressive" rendition of it, arguably with the exception of the most intensely cutting-edge exponents. The death of rock in general is also the clue as to why radically and successfully experimental contemporary progressive acts make little wave. We're better off with the past. Things were exciting then, seeing as the cultural reception was in place."
I find these 2 paragraphs very well articulated and containing a lot of interesting issues to discuss. For starters, if rock music is dead this also answers the frightening question of whether progressive-rock music is dead too. :-)
I tend to agree with the above. The crucial concept is the "overall cultural resonance". But I have reservations, mainly because of my age: what if I am just cut-off from the youth of today and do not see the way the teenagers connect with rock music, or with music in general? Thirty years ago my parents also shook their heads when I was bringing in the house LPs with dispeakable heavy metal covers, and they did consider rock music as some sort of aesthetic decadence.
But is it just rock music that is dying? Or music in general? Because a certain decline in all more sophisticated genres, like jazz or contemporary/classical music cannot really be disputed in my opinion. And if this is true, what is coming in its place?
Anyone caring to comment is most welcome.
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