After talking to my daughter and niece on the way to the airport last week, it's become apparent to me that "rock music", however defined, is being seen by a good chunk of their generation as "uncool". Rap is cool. Rock is heading towards the Boone Family territory.
Is there any point for anyone trying to do something to change that, and if so, what would that "something" be?
In many ways, I can't blame their generation. I try to listen to radio - to the stations that play "classic rock", and for a great portion of that experience, I feel the overwhelming urge to change the station too. It sucks. How is it possible to convince a generation that rock music is great by playing the biggest hits of Journey and Boston? It can't be done.
No, there is something going on with "classic rock radio" - and that something is a generational suicide of the music format. Yes, there is a generation or two that will still listen to most of that big hit crap, that time travel back to their days of yore and are so mesmerized by their memories associated with the music that they aren't cognizant of the major suckitude of the actual music. But why should any child of 12 or 14 or young adult of 20 listen to a music style represented so often on radio with the warbling banalities of Steve Perry? Who believes they should still have to listen to "We Built This City" 20 years after it first attacked the airwaves?
I cannot blame the upcoming generations.
So... the first thing that should be done is - kill classic rock radio to save rock music. If you really love rock music, quit listening to it on the radio. Buy it, borrow it, whatever, but don't support the local schmucks that think that playing the same three Bon Jovi songs every day is the golden goose. Slay their goose, for it is actually a big fat flightless pigeon infected with avian flu and West Nile Virus. Run away. Go elsewhere. Save rock music for a generation that hasn't had it poisoned with broadcast mediocrity yet. There's still hope, but we won't find it on radio call letters.
There is plenty of great rock out there these days, but you won't find it on traditional outlets. I got an XM Radio for Christmas a few years back and I can't tell you how much great music I've found. Their XMU channel has opened my eyes to so much stuff that I never would have heard anywhere else.
Good new rock, good old rock, there's a vast ocean of little-access quality music out there for kids to hear, but what is pumped into their brains are the same songs by Journey and Foreigner and whoever else. No Wonder they are rebelling against "their parents' music" when the examples allowed made many gag when it was originally released.
I don't listen to classical music radio much, but do they really play the same artist's version of Beethoven's Fifth four times a day? If not, maybe there's a lesson to be learned.
If all a kid hears is old corporate radio, that's the impression they'll get of rock music. What XM offers is a whole world of choices that terrestrial radio doesn't. So you don't have to hear the same Journey song over and over unless that's what you want. You have the ability to explore any genre you'd like.
There's no room to be adventurous in terrestrial radio. Unless surfing each of the 4 classic rock stations in this market is an adventure to you!
Clear Channel is not going to suddenly have an epiphany and decide that music is king. Satellite or internet radio are your only hope of hearing something that you might actually like.
But I'm not sure you're catching the point - this is about generations of kids that don't know what they like yet, but accessibility plays a big part of shaping their interests. Free radio is a big part of that, it's everywhere - the mall, the swimming pool, the skating rink, the car - and if the only rock available to kids on radio is teh suck, then who can blame them for moving on to something else that isn't rock?
If they're selling the new Ne-Yo album, then that is what is going to be shoved down your throat. If they want you to check out the Foreigner reunion tour, they will play "Hot Blooded" until you are just that :)
It's the same thing as Rupert Murdoch buying up every media outlet he can find. They have a point of view, and they want you to have that point of view. So they repeat it until the robots obey, lol.
As we move on from generation to generation, there may very well be lots of people growing up without ever getting the chance to explore great music, art, film, etc. You can see it happening by looking at the TV ratings. Kids go more for the karaoke contest than something with any creative value.
The marketing geniuses are getting to them before they even know how to think for themselves. Man, I'm on a roll today...Thanks for getting me started ;)
This is the perfect post to put that in perspective.