Is Rock Music Dead? 

I remember MTV in the early 90s. Constant rock music on repeat 24/7 - Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains etc, etc. Good times.

What was really weird in the mid 2000s/early 2010s was that there were tons of indie rock bands that tons of people I knew liked and listened to, that sold lots of concert tickets... but rock radio never played any of them. Ever. You would have thought there were like 10 new rock bands in existence if you only listened to rock radio. My local modern rock station was still playing 90s stuff more than anything. No idea what was going on behind the scenes. Here in Canada a lot of bands still got exposure through Much Music at the time, but rock radio would only pick up the bands if they actually started to get huge based on their success elsewhere. Arcade Fire finally showed up on the radio with their third album, despite having been critical darlings and touring extensively, and getting played on Much Music, for like 5+ years before that. For a lot of bands, it was basically all word of mouth and file sharing. And throughout this whole period certain rock listeners kept saying all new music sucked, despite lots of GREAT indie and punk stuff (and probably metal/prog/etc., but I was less tuned in) coming out of the underground and finding moderate success with 0 support from rock radio. You just had to do a bit of digging, because rock radio had no interest in promoting anything that wasn't already successful. Top 40, you could basically forget the idea of ever hearing a decent rock song. Even now, most of the best new bands I listen to are basically juuuuust successful enough to tour and release albums and make enough money to live.

I'll never forget watching Tom Petty on Late Night with David Letterman in the late 90's. The first thing Dave asked him was "Is Rock Music Dead?", to which Tom immediately replied, "Oh, it's alive over at my house!"

Thank you, Rick. I'm mostly a home body, so I don't get to have many conversations about rock music with actual musicians. Listening to you is really a treat.

I think that rock music is not a popular as it once was, but I also think that people are hungry for this type of music to make a comeback. Modern rock (if you can call it that) doesn't have the same driving beat and energy that classic rock does. Hopefully a new form of rock music will emerge that will satisfy people of all ages.

Rick truly loves rock. I wish I could afford to have him produce our music. love your passion

We rock fans in 2017 are learning how Big Band fans must have felt in 1967.

It was an era we were lucky to experience. I never realized how wonderful it was but listening to you brings back memories of how it was. I think life was a bit slower and information more valued. We talked a lot more, there were no distractions, we listened and shared more together. Looking back, it was truly special. And I was piss-poor too.

This video was very insightful and really put things in perspective for me, growing up in the last era of rock. My favorite band, King's X is exceptional and as soon as you dropped the name i knew you would say something positive about them. Thank you, man. Cheers

Interesting points. I remember back in the early 00s waiting for another Grunge to happen and thinking for a brief moment that the Garage Rock revival (white stripes, strokes, hives) might be it, and then seeing it get watered down into pop music like The Killers. Rock may not be the dominant genre anymore but I think it's improved the overall quality of the rock music being made, now that nobody is worried about making money. Niche micro-genres like Black Metal, shoegazing, emo-revival, Hardcore/power violence, prog metal, tech/death and garage punk are healthy, vibrant underground scenes in the US and Europe, and while they don't fill stadiums right now, neither did grunge and alternative music in the late 80s. All it takes is one authentic rock band to break and expose how homogenized EDM and trap-rap has become. But until then I'm going to enjoy seeing bands like NAILS and Code Orange at smaller venues destroying the audience with amps and guitars.

As long as you and people like you are breaking down songs it won’t be dead. Maybe less popular but man I play I’m an indie artist and have more of a footing in Europe than USA but idc. I make the best music I can and use stuff I learn on your channel and you absolutely inspire me. Love it. Even if it is more localized it’s not dead.

Fantastic channel, Rick. These video lectures and discussions are inspiring and smart, as is the analysis in the episodes of "What Makes This Song Great?" Please keep up the good work--this kind of analysis and discussion will help rock survive.

To me, this video is Rick subconsciously challenging those of us who rock to take back music and make it what it once was... amazing music! Rick, challenge accepted!

Recently subscribed to your channel, Rick and am enjoying your videos very much. Keep up the great job!

No discussion of the death of rock can be complete without examining how the the internet has changed the distribution, consumption and marketing of music in general. To me, the music forms that have had the most durable presence (like country) on ota radio will be with us the longest.

I'm recalling in the post September 11th wave of paranoia it became difficult for big-name bands from overseas to get visas. That seemed to almost immediately put a hit on large scale concerts, the effects of which trickled down to dampen the rock music scene in general.

Do we need rock music to come back? We have a huge catalogue of great rock music to keep us going - so maybe we don't. I'm always searching for interesting new music that is not generic autotuned rubbish. Strangely enough, there is some great music out there but it isn't promoted due to the fact that the bands are recording their own music and publishing it on the net themselves as the record companies aren't interested in them.

The rock sound is so iconic now, I think anyone who tries to make rock today can only make a copy or an homage to it

What a great rock music history lesson over the past 40 years. It's amazing the encyclopedia of knowledge that you have in so many areas of music. Is Rock Music dead? No, it's just gone the way of the Indie Rock bands, promoting themselves. Also, it's become so splintered (classic / progressive / metal / etc.) that there's not one sound to dominate the mainstream. That's also because, as you stated Rick, the labels (therefore, the world) have moved more towards EDM, hip-hop, and Pop. As a giant worldwide movement, rock is not the dominant force, as many people have stated. But it's definitely not dead.

Very interesting to hear how things are in the US because here in Canada rock is still relatively popular. We have 2 modern rock stations where I live and one classic. I think rock music has just changed names. A lot of these bands fall under Alternative now having Integrated more electronic stuff into their work. In canada we have a large number of up and coming alternate/rock bands that are often on the radio. Bands like July Talk, Mother Mother, Sam Roberts Band, The Flatliners, Hollorado, etc. These bands are also very popular in europe but yes, edm and hiphop are more popular but rock, in Canada at least, is not dead, just modernized. Even in the US the Black Keys, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys are also still massive in tye US.

This is why "Lost Aesthetic" formed. We're still struggling to find a purely new sound but, we've seemed to do an ok job mashing together much of what's come before us in the hard rock genre and spitting it back out with an edge and genuinely emotive. We've had a little insider industry success early on but it really came too soon. Catching the ear of local rockers Genya Raven, Zach Alford Tony Levin, Michael Bernier. Which lead to us recording with producer Danny Blume but that was a horror show ended up being a waste of time and money. We only did because he had a Grammy. He was out of his comfort zone with a rock band and the fact that he was in the process of moving his studio didn't when we were there didn't help much either. Anyways 3 years later we're still at, the shows are getting bigger and better but we don't have our online presence in order. 3/5 of the band compromises of millennials lead vocals, lead guitar and drummer. Whilst the bassist and I on rythym guitar are young Gen Xers. The millennials in the band cannot comprehend rock bands being super stars, they've never experienced it. It's a foreign concept to them. We did get to play Woodstock 50/50 in Woodstock NY this year that was kinda cool, totally out of place but, kinda cool.

Great historical overview. One rock pop band who sells out arenas worldwide but ignored throughout this piece is The Killers.

Great video Rick. Love your channel. Long love rock and grunge.

"Bands like Nickelback did a pretty good job of killing rock music" - Rick Beato.

I've been listening to a lot more Japanese rock bands because they seem to garner that spirit of rock and roll that we here in the states have forgotten. If anyone is curious I've been listening to a lot of Art School, Supercar, and Bloodthirsty Butchers.

I really liked this video! You have epic taste in music! I enjoyed your thoughts and perspective on rock. I was super impressed how you were able to recognize bands from the comments and just give out little facts about them. I agree, we haven't heard of a new rock band being signed lately so maybe rock is dead? There hasn't been a huge new genre phenomenon since grunge. I mean grunge shifted the entire culture of the 90s. Grunge was the last big "movement." It is interesting that it seems music today has evolved into more of a mixture of past genres rather than trying to make a new genre. Bands are experimenting with putting different sounds and genres together like imagine dragons, twenty one pilots, and panic at the disco. But as for pure rock, I think the foos are the last band still pushing for that rock sound. Pop/Hip Hop/EDM are on the mainstage of the music industry today while rock has been on the sidelines, still around but used as an aid to other genres like Alt/Indie/Pop Punk rather than released on its own. Anyways, yeah those are my thoughts after watching this. Again, awesome video hope you do more videos about music history!

I'm landing here about 17 months after you recorded it, so I'll just say that I like Shinedown (especially the newest album), so I'll give you a thumbs-up for helping them along. 😊 I also think your description of what caused a backlash against Nickelback is spot-on. I kinda like some of their songs, but if I play an album's-worth of them then I hate them by the end of the album.

Rockmusic changed over the last 60 years, allways in a musical way. But now it‘s allways faster, harder and louder. It becomes to technical. What we need is new simple rockmusic which grows out of the 70s rock.

Rick, it would be nice if you could make a chart with all of this band/genre info on it.

The media also has distorted the definition of Rock and Roll. I remember Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus being introduced as rock stars. Once the definition gets changed, it (ROCK) will have to come back as something else.

A lot of the commenters on here seem to be missing the point. You could name good rock bands all you want, but Rick was pretty clear about this. Rock being dead has nothing to do with the quality of music made by new bands, it's about sales and airplay. A&R guys depended on local scenes for a long time as a source to find new bands to sign. Seattle was a hot bed in the late 80's/early 90's, just as LA was in the early 80's and New York was in the mid-late 70's and San Francisco was in the late 60's and London was in the early 60's and New York was (for jazz) in the 40's and New Orleans was (for jazz) in the 20's and Mississippi was (for blues) in the 30's and Chicago was (for blues) in the 50's, etc... One of the things that was an unintended consequence of these locals scenes was that bands came up around each other, rivaled with each other, befriended each other, and tended to share some stylistic similarities. Thats how's a local scene can become a national trend, e.g. Seattle and grunge or LA and hair metal. The internet destroyed that. Record sales went down the tubes forcing companies to stop signing bands. The world became a smaller place at this time. Bands could be signed from anywhere. Local scenes were no longer important. The need to move to a cultural hub no longer existed as long as you had a microphone and an internet connection. This also led to a more eclectic musical landscape. Formerly underground sub-genre's were able to grow in popularity which of course evens the playing field a little bit. OF COURSE there is still great rock music being made today, but there is also more competition for the consumers attention than ever before. The days of an organically grown scene which then sweeps the nation and the world and captures all music lovers attention are over. Rock IS dead. But who cares, if you like it, it's out there. Go listen to it.

I am interested in what do you think it would take for some new band to change it... what do you think are the elements that the band should have? What are the new factors they should introduce? Video on thy subject would be fantastic!

Born in 1995, loving Rock, Metal and Grunge as a teen and still doing, I realize that Rock was actually dying, when I was growing up? That's kinda sad. :(

When I was a teen in the late 70's I could look in a magazine called Illinois entertainer and see live bands at big bars and small venues any night of the week and have hundreds of choices on the weekends. It is a struggle to find live bands playing today. bars and small venues went from bands to djs and the public was still packing into the bars. The death of rock starts with the loss of interest to see live music period.

I don't know if rock will ever have multiple worldwide bands again, but as long as Queens of the Stone Age and Mastodon are making music, rock isn't dead

Hey Rick, being binge watching your channel since I stumbled upon it about a few weeks ago. I'm curious to see your thoughts on Greta Van Fleet as a band and where are they going to bring rock music. Thanks again for the awesome channel! Draydon

I never understood why Faith No More weren't bigger in the US. They have a massive following in Europe, and I was lucky to see them here in Serbia five years ago. It was a great concert!

Listening to this again, and you mentioned Nirvana. That reminded me of an interview with Mike Reno of Loverboy, where he said something like "We were doing great, and then Nirvana hit the scene and made us irrelevant". So think about that: Has there been any recent cases where some new group comes out, and it does so well that all the existing groups suddenly become uncool?

Plastic hearts by Miley Cyrus is a great album with lots of rock elements. I don’t think rock is dead it’s just not popular at the moment.

It hasn't gotten any un-deader since you posted the vid, so I'd say yeah. Maybe rock as an art form simply has nothing left to say.There was no decade crueler to the one before it than the 90's... it also lulled us into thinking that rock would adapt... fast forward to 2018.. the media landscape simply changes too fast for any sound to gain a foothold.

It grieves me to think about where the future of music is going, totally electronic without soul,without feeling without humanity, and creativity.

In rock there was even room for jazz on the radio thanks to Steely Dan. Rock is such a wide open genre.

So many variables that it's hard to settle on what the definitive answer is. Two things are top of mind for me. One: The idea that rock as we know it was a construct of a certain form of commerce in a certain range of time. It needed the gatekeepers, the kinds of mass media, and the barriers to entry that allowed a big business with the right amount of detached celebrity to form around it. It drew from a culturally rich upbringing in music that became intensely commercial at the right time and with the right audience. All of those variables have now fragmented or changed. Rock of the past seemed like a natural outcome of its environment; rock of the present seems like an imitation of something. Second is what I call "shortcuts". There are shortcuts in every part of the process now that dilute it and undermine the ability of substantial artistic statements and cultural impacts to be made. Anyone with a little money and a computer can make almost any kind of music now, and it shows. You rarely get the sense any more that you're really hearing an artist; you're hearing them run through a pile of software, which now extends to the stage. Pop music has never sounded more like a factory spewing out the same formulaic stuff; production is immaculate but all sounds the same. Radio has retreated into a few commercially safe formats. No one needs to buy music any more; you can listen to and watch whatever you want now, for free, any time. All of this together dilutes music from its creation to its consumption. Everything is watered down and it matters. We can't have every part of the process get cheapened and expect the result to have the same resonance.

Nickelbacks first few albums were iconical for the genre, post grunge. They really dont get enough credit for their origin work. Granted their more recent work is "popularized" but such is the case for most rock bands these days

No type of music dies it just goes underground. Honestly that's where it should be any way, the best Rock, like it's brothers Metal and Punk, isn't mainstream. The truly great Rock music of the past was never mainstream to begin with.

I am SO LUCKY to have grown up with Keith Richards a man who's interviews are as GREAT as his music.

Hi Rick I am a subscriber and own the "Beato Book" thanks for your great work. I am a former rock radio program director with my last stop at 97.9 The Loop in Chicago. I actually have been thinking about this lately, the way I look at it is great songs win, we no longer have young guitar heroes or guitar bands with rock star lead singers who can write mass appeal hit songs with catchy hooks and memorable lyrics wrapped around incredible musicianship. You’re right “grunge” was the last time all of these factors came together to form a “movement.” Plus, guitar-driven music isn’t the sound of today’s generation as a mass-appeal genre (outside of country) or even a viable rock radio format. For Boomers and Gen Xers, guitar music was the foundation or an important complementary part in many hit songs, and that’s not the case today with computer-driven music. So much more to say about this, but will rock music ever define the sound of a generation again? Sadly, in my opinion, I don’t think so.

Rock isn't dead at all. It just doesn't get attention from mainstream media. It's all to do with money and the big recording companies controling what we get to hear. They pay and influence radio airplay, which influences downloads and sales, which again influences the charts. The recording companies created a self enforcing virtual loop. Rock, in all it's variations, is still well alive and going strong. Bands like Halestorm, Idles, Monster Truck, Chelsea Wolfe, Inglorious and many more make great music with hit potential. Update 3 years later october 2021. Been checking out a lot of new music through the charts through metacritic, a website collecting reviews, radio and Spotify. Here rock and metal is doing really well. Gojira and Trivium got amazing reviews, there's a lot of (alternative and indie)rock and The Pretty Reckless and Mammoth WVH are doing well. Listening to the radio, at least here in The Netherlands, the most listened to stations play rock. Festivals still need rock bands to sell tickets. The thing is that the whole music market has become so fragmented and every genre its own little planet. And a lot of kids (aka the non record buyers generation) just listen and stream Pop/EDM/r'n'b/hip-hop hybrid stuff. And with their streaming they dominate the charts, although it doesn't proof anything in the amount of unique listeners. Rock music and all other sorts of music, I believe, have just a lot listeners. But because they do, still, true cd, vinyl and radio they don't get valued and won't ever chart and so will not get in to the focus of the mainstream listener.

Metal is still a worldwide phenomenon. Metal festivals still sell out all over the world, but there is definitely a change...the crowds are now all ages, even family events. Take out the 40 and older set and the crowds would be half the size they are. And that's a HUGE change from what metal shows always were. The music is alive, but the teeth have been removed.

47:13 Rick may be thinking of Nothing is Sound. One of two Switchfoot albums I still revisit sometimes. The thick, distorted guitar tones (along with the entire production) are immaculate.

Garage Rock Revival was the last worldwide rock movement. It was all across Europe and North America in the 2000s. The Killers, The Strokes, the White Stripes, Kings of Leon and Vampire Weekend were selling stadiums. You couldn't escape them on the radio. Nothing in rock is that big anymore

Time after time, the Rolling Stones have had to come along and miraculously save the music industry, I've noticed this throughout the past fifty years, not only that, they've almost single handedly injected energy into the rock world, that has nearly died on the operating table. They're going to release a new album soon, and I believe it will once again save rock. Stay tuned. No other rock band has done so much for the entire rock industry than the Rolling Stones, no matter how much heavy metal has been thrown their way.

I've been in rock bands since 1965 (as rhythm, lead and bass) and am still playing music from the 50's to 70's. Occasional 80's, but for me that says it all I guess. Thanks Rick - great shows.

I think Rock music is becoming a niche genre like jazz or blues.

I've been listening to rock since the early 60s and I love the fact that it started going off into tangents starting around '65. Now, I don't necessarily like each and every tangent. When punk and grunge, and a lot of the loud metal that had no rhyme or reason came out in the late 70s, and continued for decades, I tuned out and listened to 60s and 70s stuff almost exclusively. Every once in awhile I'd hear some good songs (thanks to having kids), but sporadic at best. I now regret though tuning out as some of the so-called "one hit wonders" actually had some decent songs that weren't top hits. For example, I find some of Evanescence's songs good to listen to (not just the overplayed "Bring Me to Life"). They don't do solos, or tons of elite musicianship, but the melodies and lyrics are nicely done. Now, if I hadn't just stumbled on them (and others) I'd never know what else was out there. So no--rock isn't dead. The air time has been hijacked by music that you don't have to think about.

I've noticed a good song works in any genre. It's just right now it's easier to produce a pop song rather than a group of physical players and instruments etc. Instant gratification is good for people who don't want to learn how to play drums but more importantly it's cheaper for the record companies.

Hey Rick. I'm new to your channel. Keep up the good content! Rock isn't dead, it is overlooked since the popularity of electronic music. Now that anyone can buy software to produce sounds like instruments, kids are interested in the easy road. Unfortunately, interest in playing instruments seems to be dwindling. I've been playing bass for over 25 years, and I believe rock can come back IF the new generation picks up guitars and takes the difficult path of learning the craft. Love from NC.

Most of the bands you mention I have never heard of, I am still listening to Led Zep and Free and finding new nuances, But I have purposely kept myself away from listening to popular music so that I don't become unconsciously influenced by it, being original is the most important part for me, being original and also something that is appealing to people is ideal. I always look for people saying that my song sounds familiar but they just can't place it, that is the sweet spot, People only really want what is already familiar to them, it is the same with Hypnotism, gaining 'rapore'

Love all your BRvid posts! Extremely informative, enlightening and enjoyable! Keep them coming. Using the BRvid platform to its full potential as a teaching medium.

I agree that Grunge was the last huge rock movement that was global. But I would also throw Britpop in there as the little brother to Americas Grunge.

You really know your stuff Rick. I think rock will make a big comeback after the A.I. take over pop music (since it’s already so mechanical it won’t be hard) and the people want to fight back with a more “human” form of music. And yes I WAS just watch Black Mirror. Hehe!

I recently met a 10-yr-old who was into Led Zeppelin. He’s started guitar lessons, so there is hope that people will continue creating. There are still bands out there playing excellent rock, played by millennials & younger. I see quality local or regional bands all the time, either here in Phoenix or in San Diego. The scene, in general is pretty anemic when compared to the 90s, however. I don’t know what it will take to bring these bands & their music to a wider audience, but it’s clear that there are younger musicians still into playing what we call “rock & roll,” advancing the genre in their own way. I’ve seen too many incredible acts that no one has ever heard of. I’m getting pretty tired of having to hunt down obscure acts within my geographic sphere for any new music. This “democratizing force” of digital streaming media is not serving this segment well, by any means. I just don’t know what else we can do but keep supporting these local efforts wherever we find them & keep hoping that somebody will see value in promoting them. Maybe someone will find something that will catch fire, like grunge, punk, & rock once did. We can’t rely on Foo Fighter & whatever Tom Morello project that happens to be ongoing to keep rock alive in the public sphere forever. For the record, Phantogram & Cage the Elephant have both played recently to arenas on at least four continents. They are both formed 2006 or later, & so far as I know both owe their success to playing at SXSW. I don’t know if you consider Phantogram to be “rock” per se, but Cage certainly fits the mold. There is still a thirst for the music, & there are still bands doing it. Why aren’t there more like these examples? I just don’t have the foggiest idea. How do you create a movement around any genre of art without something else significant going on socially? Music was an integral part of most of the movements in the 60s, & we had several massive social movements along the way since then that have often been supported by music. Now, we have significant social movements happening with teacher strikes & protesting students & women, but if you look at the music that surrounds these movements, if there really is any, you’ll not find any Dylans nor any punks nor anything else that isn’t formulaic twaddle. So far as I can tell, paint-by-numbers music isn’t art anymore than a kid’s coloring book is art. How do you convince the money people that there is still room for the art, that there is plenty of room for authenticity, feeling? Does “art as expression, not as market campaigns” still capture our imagination? I think people can tell something genuine from something synthetic, & I’d like to think that there is still a broad audience for what’s real, regardless of whether it’s played on a vintage Strat or on a kid’s computer.

Wish you would devote a show just about the bands you were in and do --What makes this song great --with your own music.

This is what i love most about music is how it is in the eye of the beholder... and speaks to everyone differently... Now i know in my heart rock will be back... i mean it may be in diff. Form ...i think there will be more hybridization of ECM and metal.. kinda like KMFDM ... But personally i maybe in denial an i know this vid is a bit behind us now .. rick if you do read this you ARE part of what keeps the heart beat alive in rock so dont ever stop you are amazing... great work... Personally ... i gotta say look at a few bands like metallica still going.. but i know they arent the same but still... i think death magnetic should of come right after the black album or even justice.. i mean that 10 tracks kicks ass an that came out in 2008 ..... GNR working on an album ... We got disturbed still going strong since 01'.... Godsmack i mean my god theres so much blues in there and sullys vocals man i wish youd cut some tracks with just his vocals... they are still big and got their start on the streets of boston the old school way.. Volbeat is killer... lots of sounds in them.. i hear some social distortion.. johnny cash... life of agony .... metallica .... We got Five finger death punch i know people love to hate on em but they have stuck true to their roots since 07 damn near 13 years going ?? I mean where was metallica 13 years in or GnR ... i mean that band we could go on an on but if you think how big they got from only 3 real legit albums .. it was a shame they fell apart so fast.... imagine the possibilities I digress and if you wanna talk real metal theres InFlames ... Shadows fall... Amorphis ?? Like those 3 are still going hard since early 2000... Manson came out in like 95 ish hes still rockin with zombie...listen i know all this is debatable and probably gonna be some hate on this but i think true rock, from what we learned and loved ... is there its just underground and when it surfaces it will be big... Gavin rosedale from bush just had this interview where he says its coming back and they just put out a new album with a track from John wick III... You have all valid points about bands that follow in footsteps by inspiration ...such as volbeat and those bands i commented on like a metallica... social distortion.... johnny cash And look at ACDC ... from there we got Airborne ... i mean they are ACDC personified.... I have kids myself and the problem is the radio and the promotion or hype for these ECM is saturating all of the music and theres no room for anything else and the youth of today really is a big part of the process... they need to be taught not to be tunnel vision so much... 30 years ago i had the benefits of having a guitar teacher and he always said a good guitar player will listen to everything.... and how all the best players always listened to classical music to be inspired and learn and you never stop learning... anyways im into a short novel know... and thats my .2 cents \m/ Best show going on youtube!!!!!

In rock's golden era there were very few paths, for bands and listeners alike to take. Nowadays, there are so many channels to get into music, and even small niche bands and genres can be big and mildly successful, but relatively, practically, no one knows who they are. Given all the choice and options and personalization in this world, it is hard to imagine the majority of consumers will coalesce around a single genre like rock again.

Helmet and Live, two of the 90's greatest bands. "Lakinis Juice" is still one of my all time favorite songs, juxtaposed with "Ants Marching" from DMB....AND "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" from Tears For Fears was one of the best records in the mid 90's. My God, so much AWESOME stuff in the 90's After 2000, "In the wake of Determination" from Story of the Year was a standout record that no-one knows.

I feel like everyone has forgotten about The Black Keys. They were massive!

Rick, a late 80s-early 90s Seattle-Area band that had great songwriting, hooks, and vocal harmonies for days was The Posies, led by dual singer-songwriter-guitarists Jonathan Auer and Ken Stringfellow. They put out a few very good albums on Geffen, but their label did not promote them well, and the band never hit it big. For me, The Posies top my list of Bands That Should Have Been Huge But Were Not. Other bands I'd mention in that list would be Arc Angels, and King's X.

Rock Music will never die!

Fugazi proved that you do not need mega-label recognition to become worldwide famous. I'm from the D.C. area, and Fugazi was just "Ian's next band" in 1988, when we were buying 13 Songs and Margin Walker. By 2000, they were everywhere, enormous. And the Fugazi guys were all self-taught. So, I hope rock is not dead--I think the appeal is still there to create on organic instruments like electric guitar and drums and bass guitars. St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) is an incredible guitar player who comes up with amazing, unusual riffs, for example, and as long as players can do that there will be others inspired to learn the instruments and not just rely on the lazier side of the EDM/hip-hop/laptop "movement."

The band Velvet Revolver is a great illustration of the issue. This was Slash's first serious project after G&R, and despite being a mixed success, were touring stadiums worldwide in 2005. Slash's later band with Myles Kennedy fronting is just worlds better. I'd put Anastasia up against anything Slash has ever done, including G&R, and I could rattle off 5 more tracks nearly that good. But I had to go see them at a casino when they came to town in 2018. Slash had to put it on the shelf to go tour with G&R playing old stuff to make some $. There's just no justice there.

Thank you for this video. I am creating a new album of music and Im trying to find out whats the best vibe. This helped me understand the frequency of market. Not something I love but I have to learn if I want to succeed in this biz. So thanks again and I look forward to learning more from you bro.

"Nickelback killed rock." 🤣 So true. I was laughing at someone's hilarious comedic timing during Rick's live session.

I do think The White Stripes and the Strokes were part of a movement. It may not have been as big as grunge, but there were a ton of bands that followed like The Hives, The Libertines, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Mooney Suzuki, The Datsuns, D4... Each of these bands came from different pockets of the world. Then there was the angular movement with some dance rock in there... Leaders: The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, Arctic Monkeys, Futureheads, etc. But even I, an avid 70s rock and AC/DC fan, have moved towards the alt country movement... Now I listen to Jenny Lewis, Nikki Lane, Jason Isbell, My Morning Jacket, Blitzen Trapper, etc.

Thank you so much Rick. Absolutely agree with your hair band statement. I have been Saying the sane thing since the late 80’s. From Pasadena CA and saw the whole thing transpire 👍👍👍

I'd describe the 90s as the alternative era. Alternative not being specific, meaning people had lots of options and not just one or two kinda genres. It was a smorgasbord.

Like disco, rap or funk, it's not dead.it's time has passed. Now there are other things going on.

It's always funny to me how one thing I can bet with tons of confidence is that any classical musician I meet listens to some form of rock lol Literally the bass trombonist in my Orchestra compulsively pats metal drum fills while we tacet every other movement of whatever piece is on the stand

You missed the Black Crowes. Awesome 90's rock band. They just were classic rock in grunge era. That's why they didn't get so big later on.

For the record, I absolutely love music. The No name bands, The faceless bands (nickelback, firehose, ceed, live and the rest) Most of Hair Metal .... were all in the same bracket as a disposable lighter you get from Circle k. Aside from that hiccup in the industry, music as a whole is something that should be cherished and clutched onto with both hands

Took me a while to watch this but what about Mumford & Sons? Could they be a modern success story that could sell an arena out worldwide? (I know they aren't technically rock but its close enough)

Rock Music will never die it will live forever 🤘🏽🎸🎸🎸

I know I'm late but you sincerely have a valuable opinion on our rock world , Im improving as a industrial rock musician because of this channel 🤘😎🤘

I believe possibly a band may come, and may not stick to traditional rock, but will be more inclined to modern society and relevant, and will still have the rock sound and instruments that we all know and love , but the lyrics may be more relevant ? Just an idea I had

WOW this is the rock history video I did not know I needed... until now. so good. *practices guitar diligently while watching intently* if I said everything I wanted here, this comment would last infinity

Watched this last night. As far as country music is concerned there is an important distinction to be made between pop country vs traditional or alt country. What Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton are doing is worlds apart from the pop styles of Luke Bryan etc

Great Video like always, but I'm missing a little bit the answer of your initial question: IS rock music dead? Or is it just sleeping, and if so - how comes? Is there a reason to regret the death of rock? Questions over questions...

Mother's Milk was the game-changer album for RHCP, which paved way for Blood Sugar Sex Magic.

Rock will never die! At least not 'till my heart still beats and my lungs breathe in the smog from the polluted air, even if it would be outlawed for whatever reason you can have my word I'll keep playing it 'till my demise, after all nowadays it's the last thing that I have left that still keeps me alive while everything around my life crumbles to pieces.

My statement stays the same : we need another Nirvana Not in the sense pure rock or whatever, but I mean an artist or artits who launch something big and new around the world

There's A lot of great bands out there that have riffs and some new punk rock stuff , hard rock , metal , for example , Knuckle Puck , Of mice and men , Angels and Airwaves , some new foo fighter songs , there's A lot to choose from still but it is hard to find though , Deffinitly not too mainstream these days.

Holy crap, Rick! I love your stuff. Me and two of my closest friends have been discussing this exact subject and I brought forward many of your ideas. I am a huge grunge fan and classic rock, but the new stuff🤢. I’m in Charleston, SC. We have one contemporary rock station and it’s all trash. Imagine Dragons are the pinnacle example that popular rock is dead. Anywho, keep on rocking and I’ll do the same.

When I think rock is dead I just put on a Cheap Trick album.....My God the first album is a masterpiece! The first 5 are amazing! Later on ......Rockford is a great album! They don't quit. Best live band I've even seen back in 79. Hardest working band. Yes, I know Bun E. is out, problems with Robin, etc. I can still live in the past hahaha!

How many bands that had broken up, came back to touring during this period, like Journey" and many others I cant put a finger on" because there was a longing for good music.

Rick! Love your analysis. Especially concerning the rise of EDM. Appreciate your restraint when it comes to NOT disrespecting the mix masters that create this genre...people love it and in the end that's all that matters. There's much that can be said about it from a personal POV, but opinions mean little in the end. The dismantling of the business has a lot of components that all happened in concert...unwittingly, AND intentionally. I subscribed because of your historical breakdown. When I became a dad, I stopped "following" music (1983). Most of my interaction was purely passive radio listening....so I missed much of the parade. This type of interaction was likely not too uncommon and part of the demise mix. As you stated, bands became too homogeneous without the identifiable front man or notable shredder. Will rock "come back"? It will take a different mindset by listeners..."indy" is where I think it will stay for some time. "It's old" is the current mindset. From arenas..... to coffee shops.

Yes it is RIP Rock Music long life 80's Music

The Internet, file sharing, Spotify, etc. killed radio. Radio used to decided what we heard and how often. Labels pushed new artists to radio stations (all are now owned by 4 companies), and everyone is listening to what they want on their phones, with stuff they pulled down from various apps. Rock may come back a little, but not like what was spoon fed to us in the past.

I'd like to add the pressure from major labels for bands to perform like seasoned pop stars after their first single never let a band grow and develop. They wanted instant gold.

I make electronic music but I began getting serious with music with guitar as a high school kid in the 2000s. I got into music production because I had no luck with bands and I thought that with a computer I could make music and the only way something could fall through in terms of making music was that if I just didn't do it. I'm not the greatest guitar player by any means but I try and pay homage to my roots by including it in my electronic music and even do guitar solos on it. I don't use the guitar like how its used in rock music (it doesn't drive the song) but thats okay, it still gets included

The beginning of the end was when we had POD, Finger 11, Hoobastank, and Stained in heavy rotation with Youth of the Nation, One Thing, The Reason, and Its Been A While respectively. Those were dark times.