article from rollingstone.com

[dangnr]

No this isint in article about Axl or Guns n Roses but i seen it as a reason why now more than ever Axl gottta deliver. He needs to recapture this thrown that he walked away from 12 years ago.
 BE the saviour of ROCK   
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/7092231/beck?pageid=rs.Home&pageregion=single1

[Saul]

I started to seriously listen to rap music back in 91 or so .. NWA was king but broken up .. eazy e was "fueding" with Dre and Snoop .. it all seemed funny at the time. Never did I think it would "kill" rock music as I knew it. I watched grunge pretty much kill "glam/hair" metal .. but I always figured there would always be enough room for rap and rock. Was I wrong? Could rock really be this close to death?

I dont think axl rose can change this all by himself with democracy but I guess it couldnt hurt. 

[killingvector]

Rock will find life again on satelite radio; at least until CC falls apart from its own tyranny.

[mr_yoshimaroka]

I think it's a good thing. Rock going underground would spur some serious kick ass new musicians; it'll revitalize the whole genre. Rock will never be as big as it was, because society culturally diverse, but I don't really care for what other people are listening to.

Oh yeah...

Axl can't 'save' rock. What is there to save anyway?

[Loaded NightraiN]

Just before midnight on February 24th, Y100, the last modern-rock station in Philadelphia, played the final notes of Pearl Jam's 1992 breakthrough hit "Alive" and faded to silence. When the music resumed a few minutes later, Y100 had become the Beat -- Philly's newest hip-hop station


Thats sad stuff right there... what would i do if my local stations turneed out like this?!?!
btw is that the station that refused to play new gnr until axl aplogizied??

[dboyd13]

It is true.  97.1 THE Eagle here in Dallas went away.  It was a CC station.  We have a 2 hour metal show on sat nights from one station now.  They play classic rock most of the time. 93.3 the Bone.  102.1 the edge plays alternative stuff, but I agree, the glory days of rock are gone!!!!  102.1 has Jager from the old show "Lovelines" on as a morning dj.  You now it is a weak station.  Jager likes the company of men, I guess he is a Rob Halford fan!

[Kujo]

I'm definitely not attempting to defend the leaches at Clear Channel but they are just doing what any good business does, they are going where the money is. There isnt a single show on the radio there thats main goal isnt to make money for the station it is on. If the ratings for a show are bad, the station cant sell commercial time and that show will be gone.

I would tend to blame the unimaginative program directors who dont seem to think that its actually possible to go more than an hour and a half without repeating a song, or multiple songs for that matter. Right now here in the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami market there is no station playing new rock n roll, there is still a classic rock station but that is it everything else is Latin music, R&B, or AM Talk stations.

There is plenty good new music out but, down here at least, I would never know about it without the internet because the station programmers are too busy programming the bubble gum pop flavor that MTV is pushing down our throat this week. Black Label Soceity just released a great CD yesterday, I imagine not too many people will be hearing a single track off of it in the airwaves in this country

[EET_FUK]

There could be a rebirth this year as there are a TON of new rock albums out or gonna comeout this year. ?QOTSA, COC, NIN, SOAD(2 albums), Judas Priest, Audioslave, AC/DC, new GNR?, new Metallica?, Black Label Society, Disturbed, new Velvet Revolver?, Tool. ?That should be enough to get ANY rock fan exctied...there's something in there for EVERYONE!!!!

[Kujo]

You gave some great examples but again in my market, thats all I can speak for, no one will be hearing any of that on the radio. I was just informed by a coworker that there is a new rock station here after Zeta was taken off the air, but they are following the same programming. If it didnt work before why would they think its going to work the same exact way only 3 weeks later. There is obviously a market for Rock n Roll just unfortunately it doesnt appear many of them get ratings books to fill out.

Just as we as fans are waiting for someone to come along and shake up the music world again, music radio as far as rock n roll is concerned needs the same shake up. I'm sure there are some areas where it does just fine but it is dead as a doornail down here in south florida.

[chadj76]

As the man said, "Rock is deader then dead.  Shock is all in your head"

[Buddha_Master]

Rock will find life again on satelite radio; at least until CC falls apart from its own tyranny.

Cool, a Howard Stern fan. I'm right with you brother. Fuck the FCC.

[Scabbie]

I remember reading an article recently (don't ask me for sources) that rock was on the increase in the total % of album sales in the UK and has remained consistently high for years.

If this is the case, and Axl is focussing on 'the album' in its entirety as opposed to 'the hits' or even worse an album with some hits and fillers, then I think it is a smart strategy. 

[2NaFish]

swings and roundabouts. when you're down you think you're never gonna be up, and when you're up it's never as good as you though it would be.

[Buddha_Master]

Wait. You mean its a smart strategy for Chinese Democracy to not have any fillers and be chock full of hits?! That's brilliant!

[Eva GnRAxlRosette]

here in south florida about a month ago they killed the only modern rock station (the only other is classic rock)
clear channel replace it with a spanish station...
Well, already they have changed formats AGAIN and now its a r&b/hip-hop station

another modern rock station began to broadcast here a couple days after the initial switch
loved it the first week but now everytime i turn on the station its the same songs over and over again
some cool stuff - incluing WTTJ, SCOM, PC, and Don't Cry from GN'R - but they don't switch it up enough...
and the DJ is not live - its prerecorded intros and outros to the songs.

so yeah - rock on the radio badly needs to be revived.  *sigh*

[ppbebe]

I think it's a good thing. Rock going underground would spur some serious kick ass new musicians; it'll revitalize the whole genre. Rock will never be as big as it was, because society culturally diverse, but I don't really care for what other people are listening to.

Oh yeah...

What is there to save anyway?

Partly Agreed.
When it hits the bottom, it can only go up. But Same difference.
At the high point, the idol wannabes and the idleindustry would take Rock just because it is in. Just instead of off rappers We'd hear cheap din dins off the band wagon hoppers. Many would be caught with Chaff and believe it as grain.
Besides, we are always easy to get bored and thirsty for something new.
It turns around again.
Regardless, Good music remains the same.

I rarely listen to the radio.

[ShotgunBlues1978]

The reason rock radio is dying is because most of the mainstream rock today sucks.  It's a bunch of boring bands with dull riffs and no solos fronted by singers with the same wannabe dramatic voice.  The reason rap appeals to the youth market is the same reason rock used to, the rappers are viewed as rebels of society and symbols of counterculture.  Eminem is the Axl Rose of today's youth from a cultural standpoint, a symbol of rebellion.  His music may be shit but youth buy into his image.  There are no more "dangerous" rock bands, just a bunch of pussies whining about nothing. 

[PeterCoffin]

There are several reasons rock radio is dying:

1. No stars

2. Program Directors not looking for stars

3. Old, inflexible formats

4. An unwillingness to do even simple things like take requests

5. Inflexability in business models

And I know, I work as a DJ at a rock station that, surprise surprise, isn't getting the listenership it wants to be. However, if you bring this stuff up to them, they look at you like a fucking idiot.

[ShotgunBlues1978]

The problem lies with the record labels as much as anything.  The rock bands they promote are shit.  Ever since the grunge movement made the rock star concept uncool the labels haven't pushed good bands.  They've pushed shitty bands with dull music and no charisma or personality.  The only bands that get any push at all with a hard image are heavy metal bands such as Slipknot, and they have very little mainstream appeal.  There aren't bands like Guns or Motley Crue that make music that rocks hard and is catchy at the same time.  It's all or nothing, pussy bands or too hardcore for mainstream consumption. 

[Twisted Nerve 85]

I started to seriously listen to rap music back in 91 or so .. NWA was king but broken up .. eazy e was "fueding" with Dre and Snoop .. it all seemed funny at the time. Never did I think it would "kill" rock music as I knew it. I watched grunge pretty much kill "glam/hair" metal .. but I always figured there would always be enough room for rap and rock. Was I wrong? Could rock really be this close to death?

I dont think axl rose can change this all by himself with democracy but I guess it couldnt hurt.?

With artists like Nelly,Lil Bow Wow, and P Diddy still running around the death or Rap music isnt too far behind dude. And No Im not insulting rap because Ive been a huge hip hop fan for yrs as well as rock. Im js saying I see rock dying out and thats not the only genre thats suffering from mediocre talent taking the spot at the top