The demise of Rock

[Freya]

a lot of them wish they could scream like chino or sing like chester bennington. none of them want to sing like axl rose or bon scott. could be different in america i dont know.

Kids today.  I hate them.

There are many reasons rock went on a big downturn.  The early nineties brought in "rock star is uncool" as many have mentioned and the influence of urban rap music really made a difference.  There are probably a lot of surburban, white kids that would rather be Eminem than pick up a guitar these days. 

Plus, MTV in the eighties was more a young company with young people working for it, they were more supportive of all kinds of music, more idealistic.  Now, MTV has become the very thing it was against in the first place.  That last award show sealed it.  There is also less money to be made off of rock bands and easy money to be made off hack song writers and T&A showcases, so there is less patience for guiding a band, I  mean if your first album fails that's pretty much it for you, and that's if the record company doesn't interfere with your songwriting and image. 

It's pretty dire, but I agree it's cyclical, you would think that people would start to hunger for that kind of musical ethic again, it really only takes one trendsetter to set it off.  I can't wait, because if I ever have to hear another pop/punk band with whiney vocals it will be too soon. 

[Mattman]

There are many reasons rock went on a big downturn.  The early nineties brought in "rock star is uncool" as many have mentioned and the influence of urban rap music really made a difference.  There are probably a lot of surburban, white kids that would rather be Eminem than pick up a guitar these days. 

Yeah, but here's the clincher: it's a lot easier to buy a guitar and make your own music than it is to hire a producer to put really good beats behind your rhymes.  I know lots of kids who play guitar and are in bands, but only one who writes raps.  I think it's because rock 'n' roll has such a do-it-yourself attitude and spirit about it that kids will always be able to find refuge in that proverbial six-string.

Plus, MTV in the eighties was more a young company with young people working for it, they were more supportive of all kinds of music, more idealistic.  Now, MTV has become the very thing it was against in the first place.  That last award show sealed it.   

It wasn't all roses in the early 80s; early on, MTV almost never played clips by black artists.  It took Michael Jackson and Thriller for that to happen.  I think if you contrast MTV now to MTV in its very early stages, it's actually MORE supportive of different kinds of music.  Now the quality of the music they play...that's another story.

[Chris Misfit]

If you did booking and gigging and all the hard work you deserve your fair pay. If the band doesnt respect you like that, take what you can from this tour and dont do them any favors in the future.

You're under the impression that promoters make money. It has nothing to do with money, it was a lack of respect on their part, I made a huge mistake.

[MadmanDan]

Wht are you talking about.? Anyone can play smoke on the water for instance but does that mean it's a shit song?? Anyone who's played the guitar for about 3 months could play sex pistols songs or nirvana but that doesn't mean they suck.

You're talking rubbish.

Anyone can play Smoke on the water,but noone can write it. ANYONE,talented or not,can sing Beatles songs,but noone can write a Beatles song.Do you get my point?

But,at the same time,anyone can write,sing and perform a Blink182 song.But nobody should

[mr_yoshimaroka]

Rock died thanks to the big 5 and MTV. When "alternative" music started gaining ground, the record companies branded as many bands as "alternative". They diluted the rock scene with sub par bands and there was never any huge bands that installed themselves in the new generation. After Jane's Addiction, Soundgarden, Pear Jam, Alice n' Chains and Nirvana made a splash, there was nothing. I think Smashing Pumpkins were the last mainstream rock band that capped the alternative era with Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. Electronic music started gaining ground, but wasn't really pushed by labels in America(Chem Bros had a few great albums). The last gasp for alt-rock was probably Radiohead's OK Computer. Then nothing. Here we are in 2005 with caca. Sure there are the White Stripes and a select few pretty cool bands that have entered the mainstream, but none sell more than platinum. After that nice burst of big bangs, there were just so many phony bands; I guess that's one of the reasons hip-hop got a foot-hole. To this day, I don't see any genuine mainstream bands. At least concert-goers in Portugal recognized this and pelted rocks at Nickelback 

[Miz]

a lot of them wish they could scream like chino or sing like chester bennington. none of them want to sing like axl rose or bon scott. could be different in america i dont know.

What are you talking about?  Chester Bennington, for all his shitty lyrics, is an incredible singer.  This is the problem with "rock".  People just hate Linkin Park because it's cool to hate Linkin Park.  Then they just say stupid things.  Chester would be an excellent rock or metal vocalist, in fact he is an excellent vocalist, but he can't write lyrics.  You critisize him for not wanting to be Axl, yet if he sounded like Axl (in the way the the Chad Kroeger and Scott Stapp sound like a certain grunge singer)  you hate him even more than you do.  Why?  Because you're all hypocrites.  Ever heard of Nazareth? I've never heard a single person complain that Axl ripped off Dan McCafferty.

Wht are you talking about.  Anyone can play smoke on the water for instance but does that mean it's a shit song?  Anyone who's played the guitar for about 3 months could play sex pistols songs or nirvana but that doesn't mean they suck.

You're talking rubbish.

Anyone can play Smoke on the water,but noone can write it. ANYONE,talented or not,can sing Beatles songs,but noone can write a Beatles song.Do you get my point?

But,at the same time,anyone can write,sing and perform a Blink182 song.But nobody should

What the hell are you talking about?  Did you read my post?  Can you read my post?  Incase you're incapable, I'll tell you what's going on.  I was replying to someone who said that if songs are easy to play they're shit.  I was saying that you don't have to be a great musician to write a great song.

And as it happens, Oasis are pretty damn good at writing Beatles songs...

[Oddy]

a lot of them wish they could scream like chino or sing like chester bennington. none of them want to sing like axl rose or bon scott. could be different in america i dont know.

What are you talking about?  Chester Bennington, for all his shitty lyrics, is an incredible singer.  This is the problem with "rock".  People just hate Linkin Park because it's cool to hate Linkin Park.  Then they just say stupid things.  Chester would be an excellent rock or metal vocalist, in fact he is an excellent vocalist, but he can't write lyrics.  You critisize him for not wanting to be Axl, yet if he sounded like Axl (in the way the the Chad Kroeger and Scott Stapp sound like a certain grunge singer)  you hate him even more than you do.  Why?  Because you're all hypocrites.  Ever heard of Nazareth? I've never heard a single person complain that Axl ripped off Dan McCafferty.

when did i say chester bennington couldn't sing, fuck you.  I don't hate linkin park because its cool to hate linkin park. I hate(hate maybe to harsh, more like dislike) them because i dont like the music, i still respect that they're making music lots of people love, but im not one of them. In my opinion chester would make only a good metal vocalist, he doesnt have the roar or huskiness for a rock voice ala bon scott or brian johnson.

fuck you just assumed a lot of stuff, stuff that i didn't say.  I never criticized chester for not being axl, i was just explaining why kids don't wanna sing like axl rose or bon scott, they'd much rather like to sing like chester bennington these days.  You automatically assumed that i thought chester can't sing and that any musicians who dont sing like axl are crap.

I don't criticize chester bennington, well i dont think i have. if he sounded like axl or steve tyler or robert plant or any fucking rock n roll vocalist for that matter i wouldn't say "oh that fucker sounds like axl what a dickhead". I'd think "he's got a good rock n roll voice".

[kj_jive]

Hell i think Chester can't sing! He has two voices...that's it.  He sings in his hush hush emotional voice.  And then immediately goes into his full blown scream.  Quiet, scream, quiet, scream.  Thats how he sings every song.  and his scream sounds just like...a scream...its not even good like an axl or Halford scream

[LionGoddess]

I don't like how people try and blame Nirvana for the death of rock. Granted I am not the biggest Nirvana fan, for the most part I think they're extremely overrated. But I don't think its fair to nor it is accurate to blame Nirvana for the death of a scene. The scene in the late 80s early 90s was played out. Every band looked the same, every band sounded the same, people were tired of it. The scene killed itself. If anyone would be to blame it would be the fans that jumped on the bandwagon or MTV for spitting in the face of rock and basically saying that grunge is cool and everything else sucks. I fully believe that if Kurt Cobain hadn't killed himself, nobody would have given him the savior of rock title. If Eddie Vedder had killed himself in 94 people would say the same about him. As for the Linkin Park thing, yes Chester can sing, but most of their lyrics aren't very good, and everything sounds the same. I don't understand the love for this band.

[Walk]

Chester won't even have a voice in 5 years; his screaming (not singing, screaming) will ruin his vocal cords. Nu-metal is full of losers who can't sing. Real heavy metal requires real singing abilities. Even death and black metal vocals require technique and skill. Chester's screaming is just stupid. Anyone can do it.

[kj_jive]

Chester won't even have a voice in 5 years; his screaming (not singing, screaming) will ruin his vocal cords. Nu-metal is full of losers who can't sing. Real heavy metal requires real singing abilities. Even death and black metal vocals require technique and skill. Chester's screaming is just stupid. Anyone can do it.

Thank you!

[Mattman]

Even death and black metal vocals require technique and skill.

Have you heard bands like Cannibal Corpse?  The vocalist sounds like the Cookie Monster.  At least Chester has his two voices.  But the Cookie Monster death metal vocalists only have one voice - loud throaty growl.  Just another reason why that genre is pure shit.

[MadmanDan]

I don't like how people try and blame Nirvana for the death of rock. Granted I am not the biggest Nirvana fan, for the most part I think they're extremely overrated. But I don't think its fair to nor it is accurate to blame Nirvana for the death of a scene. The scene in the late 80s early 90s was played out. Every band looked the same, every band sounded the same, people were tired of it. The scene killed itself. If anyone would be to blame it would be the fans that jumped on the bandwagon or MTV for spitting in the face of rock and basically saying that grunge is cool and everything else sucks. I fully believe that if Kurt Cobain hadn't killed himself, nobody would have given him the savior of rock title. If Eddie Vedder had killed himself in 94 people would say the same about him.

Only hair metal bands looked and sounded the same. Real rock groups like GNR,Bon Jovi,Alice Cooper,Metallica,U2,RHCP,AC\DC,Aerosmith,etc. had great albums in the late 80s/early 90s.But MTV and the record companies realized that society rejects that hate their lives had money to buy albums too