I'll apologize in advance to The Who for cribbing the lyric from their 1972 single "Long Live Rock" as the title of this post, but I couldn't think of anything more appropriate to headline what I'm about to write. I'll also acknowledge upfront, as a disclaimer of sorts, that the following is going to be made up mainly of my own opinions and observations and as such, will contain a lot of generalizations; however, based on my experiences and deep knowledge of the subject, I'm confident that most of them are, on the whole, accurate enough that I'm not going to make any apologies for them, either now or later.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let me get to the thesis of this entire post: that music, and rock music in particular, as an important and central force in peoples lives is for all intents and purposes dead and buried. Much of this is down to technological advances and economic factors, but in my opinion the most significant reason is cultural; however, there is a symbiotic relationship between the cultural, technological, and economic factors that is at play. They're all interlocked and have combined into a feedback-type loop that seems to perpetuate and expand this effect. You see, up until, let's say the year 2000 or so (for sake of a nice, round number), the lives of countless youth and adults had at their center a deep and almost reverential place for music, popular or otherwise. Let me clarify upfront that I realize I'm writing in somewhat hyperbolic terms and I don't mean to imply that music should in any way be the central or only force in anybody's life at the expense of family, friends, religion, etc. However, I'm not exaggerating when I say that music used to hold a spot alongside all of those guiding forces in the lives of millions of people.
It's beyond my intention or the scope of this piece to delve into the changes in society wrought during the 1960s; that information can be found elsewhere, and from a variety of differing perspectives, including from many who actually lived through it (unlike me). However, as a student of the era and of rock music from the 1960s to the present, I make the following arguments with the utmost conviction. In my opinion, starting with the first rock n' roll boom in the 1950s and continuing unabated until 2000, music was a central force in the lives of millions of people. Now, they started off as fans like we all do, but for so many of us, the music became more than just a diversion or background music. Instead, it became a vital part of our lives and something that couldn't be lived without. Every single and b-side, every EP and album became an event, something to look forward to. The thrill of the hunt in seeking out a rare record (or tape or CD, whatever your format happened to be), or of finally getting your hands on a new release after waiting so long for it to be released...that was a feeling of joy only eclipsed by the ecstasy of listening to it for the first time and immersing yourself in the entirety of the sounds emanating from your speakers. It was also more than that...there was always more to it than just the music. The songs (mostly) said something, the artwork was (usually) interesting, and even in the cases where it happened to be little more than aural fluff, it was an escape that had the power to transport you wherever you wanted to go for as long as it took the track time to go from 00:00:00 until it ended. The great thing, too, was that as the bands matured, grew, and changed so too did we fans, most of whom stuck with them for the ride. As the artists grew into adulthood and their focus and experiences (which were subsequently expressed in their music) changed, the fans who were still with them could relate because we'd gone through the same changes. I can obviously only speak for myself, but I know it to be true for countless others as well myself: music became a part of our lives that was as essential as anything else, and there was no doubt about it. It doesn't take an effort for me to listen to music, think about it, read about it, write about, create it, whenever I can...it just is and has been for as long as I can remember. I hesitate to call it a religion because it isn't, and as a Christian myself I think it's disrespectful to equate the two. However, they are awfully similar in terms of the space they occupy within my very being and, I suspect, that of anyone reading this who feels the same way.
All of this brings me to the main thrust of this entire article...somewhere within the past 10-15 years or so, a confluence of technological advances caught up to the economics of young music fans and this centrality of music withered away to the point that in 2014 I feel like it's all but dead. Now, before you accuse me of writing the diatribe of a cranky 34 year old man heaping scorn on the young Millennial whippersnappers all around him, please hear me out (and I'll concede upfront that my being a cranky young/old man does color this piece just a bit). In addition, please keep in mind that by admitting upfront that I am including a lot of generalizations, I also realize that they're not 100% applicable to everyone I'm painting with my broad brush. As you read this, I'm sure you'll come to the conclusion that I don't think there are any true music fans anymore, and you'd be wrong. I realize that there still are devoted young people for whom music means as much to them as it does to me and others. My overarching point is that we are part of a dwindling breed that is now simply not as common in 2014 as we were in 1994, 1975, or 1968. Perhaps the overriding theme of this article is that while there are still passionate music fans under 30, very few of them LIVE for the music the way many of us older fans did and continue to. I fully expect the slagging off I'm sure to get for this piece, as well as the accusations of being an ageist musically pretentious snob (it wouldn't be the first time I've been accused as such). What I'm trying to articulate is quite difficult to get across within the limitations of the written word; thus, I welcome any feedback and discussions, whether you agree or not, in the comments section at the end of this post.
Let me take you back to an ancient time before the internet was ubiquitous and various advances such as downloading music (whether legally or illegally) and streaming music (ie Spotify, Pandora, etc) became the norm. Back in these mythical times, if you wanted to own recorded music you had to buy a physical copy. This entailed actually traveling to wherever you were going to buy it (typically a local record store, department store, or in their earlier days, one of the big box retailers back when they actually had legitimately good music sections). Not only that, but you had to wait until it was released. There was no way an album was going to leak in its entirety weeks or months before its release date. Once you got there, you had to first hope there was a copy of whatever it was you wanted to buy and you had to actually pay money for it. Of course, for many music fans, including the ones whom I've described above, this part of the process became almost ritualistic in nature and something to look forward to...record stores became places to meet, hang out, listen to and discuss music, and discover new things to listen to while you browsed and shopped for what you were looking for. Clearly this was the norm in the earlier decades, but even as a kid in the 1980s and as a high school and college student in the 1990s, this was how it was done and I spent many fond hours (and still do!) partaking in the whole experience as I amassed a huge collection of cassettes and (mainly) CDs. However, with the advent of downloading music, purchasing individual songs via iTunes and Amazon, and now streaming, there is no need for most younger music fans to physically purchase their music. Also, because this new method of music consumption places emphasis on individual songs and playlists rather than albums (and let's face it, most of today's here-today-gone-tomorrow stars that have hit songs and zero staying power wouldn't be able to fill an album with quality material if their lives depended on it) and on non-physical formats, there is a de-emphasis put on albums. Just try to find an average twenty year old who cares about cover art and whatever statement a particular album makes. Go ahead, I'll wait...back so soon?
Compounding all of this, the elevation of the individual song, which is now available a mere mouse click away for $0.99, combined with CDs continuing to be overpriced at $12-20 a pop has led to a near collapse of physical music sales. Today's young music fan doesn't care about the statement an album makes, or if any of the songs besides the radio single are any good, or what the album art looks like. They want the song downloaded cheaply and quickly in order to add it to their digital playlist. Unlike in years past, where music was something that required an actual outlay of hard-earned money and the listening experience of which was an event to be savored and enjoyed either alone and/or with friends, in 2014 music is just another disposable commodity that's cheap, convenient, and little more than background music for driving, partying, or filling the silence in the background wherever you may be.
Another aspect impacting the lack of importance of music in the lives of younger people is the fact that there are so many other distractions available to them now, such as video games, smartphones and tablets, movies, endless TV channels with on-demand programming, and so on. With so much to choose from to fill in every bit of spare time they have, today's young people don't need music as something central in their lives. I realize this sounds like a case of "in my day, we had to watch grass grow for our entertainment" but I'm simply pointing out irrefutable fact. It's the same reason why kids today barely play outside anymore, whereas in my youth I spent more time outside than in. Add in the fact that the last truly great decade for both music and a true music scene was the 1990s and that there hasn't been an album or band that has really shaken the industry out of whatever doldrums it's been stuck in, and it's a recipe for complacency and music no longer being an art form of expression, but instead embracing its current nature as disposable commodity. The fact that instrument-based music (apart from country music, but that's a whole other can of worms I don't intend on opening here) is no longer the dominantly popular genre and it all makes sense. The vast majority of top-selling acts are those that don't write their own music and don't perform it themselves, and many of them can't even sing it without the help of autotune or pre-recorded vocal tracks. How else can they be note perfect when running and jumping non-stop during their concerts, which these days are more performance-as-spectacle as opposed to actual live performance? Perhaps the biggest factor of all is that video games have replaced stereos as the electronic device of choice for young people and their friends; instead of listening to music and/or trying to learn instruments and form garage bands, it's now all about playing multiplayer online video games for hours on end and interacting with your friends, whether they're sitting on the couch next to you or you're talking to them hundreds of miles away via headset. I'm not saying one is better than the other...it's all down to personal preference, but it can't be denied that the times they have a-changed.
It also seems as though there are few, if any, modern icons and leaders in today's music, at least those who are admired for both their creativity as well as their image/personality. There are scant modern examples currently producing quality music, with only Jack White and Alex Turner immediately springing to mind, whereas when one looks from 2000 backward, names like Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan, Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn, Michael Stipe, Morrissey, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Keith Richards, and more are legion. Part of it is because rock music isn't as relevant and all-consuming in the popular culture of 2014 as it was even twenty years ago, let alone in the 1960s and 1970s; another factor is that as mentioned above, since most of the biggest mainstream acts in recent years are not writing and performing their own music, there is less of a premium on creativity and the entire creative process and thus, the figures who are held up as icons are feted more for their fashion and outrageous behavior than their musical talent. I leave you with this final question before opening myself up to accusations of "ageist!" "rockist!" "old crank!" "snob!" and the like: Is everything I've detailed as it pertains to music a symptom or a signpost of a problem with 21st century society? I leave that for the reader to decide, but personally, my answer to the question is "yes."
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| As a devout Christian, I mean no disrespect with this picture, but it fits the theme of this post perfectly |
It's beyond my intention or the scope of this piece to delve into the changes in society wrought during the 1960s; that information can be found elsewhere, and from a variety of differing perspectives, including from many who actually lived through it (unlike me). However, as a student of the era and of rock music from the 1960s to the present, I make the following arguments with the utmost conviction. In my opinion, starting with the first rock n' roll boom in the 1950s and continuing unabated until 2000, music was a central force in the lives of millions of people. Now, they started off as fans like we all do, but for so many of us, the music became more than just a diversion or background music. Instead, it became a vital part of our lives and something that couldn't be lived without. Every single and b-side, every EP and album became an event, something to look forward to. The thrill of the hunt in seeking out a rare record (or tape or CD, whatever your format happened to be), or of finally getting your hands on a new release after waiting so long for it to be released...that was a feeling of joy only eclipsed by the ecstasy of listening to it for the first time and immersing yourself in the entirety of the sounds emanating from your speakers. It was also more than that...there was always more to it than just the music. The songs (mostly) said something, the artwork was (usually) interesting, and even in the cases where it happened to be little more than aural fluff, it was an escape that had the power to transport you wherever you wanted to go for as long as it took the track time to go from 00:00:00 until it ended. The great thing, too, was that as the bands matured, grew, and changed so too did we fans, most of whom stuck with them for the ride. As the artists grew into adulthood and their focus and experiences (which were subsequently expressed in their music) changed, the fans who were still with them could relate because we'd gone through the same changes. I can obviously only speak for myself, but I know it to be true for countless others as well myself: music became a part of our lives that was as essential as anything else, and there was no doubt about it. It doesn't take an effort for me to listen to music, think about it, read about it, write about, create it, whenever I can...it just is and has been for as long as I can remember. I hesitate to call it a religion because it isn't, and as a Christian myself I think it's disrespectful to equate the two. However, they are awfully similar in terms of the space they occupy within my very being and, I suspect, that of anyone reading this who feels the same way.
All of this brings me to the main thrust of this entire article...somewhere within the past 10-15 years or so, a confluence of technological advances caught up to the economics of young music fans and this centrality of music withered away to the point that in 2014 I feel like it's all but dead. Now, before you accuse me of writing the diatribe of a cranky 34 year old man heaping scorn on the young Millennial whippersnappers all around him, please hear me out (and I'll concede upfront that my being a cranky young/old man does color this piece just a bit). In addition, please keep in mind that by admitting upfront that I am including a lot of generalizations, I also realize that they're not 100% applicable to everyone I'm painting with my broad brush. As you read this, I'm sure you'll come to the conclusion that I don't think there are any true music fans anymore, and you'd be wrong. I realize that there still are devoted young people for whom music means as much to them as it does to me and others. My overarching point is that we are part of a dwindling breed that is now simply not as common in 2014 as we were in 1994, 1975, or 1968. Perhaps the overriding theme of this article is that while there are still passionate music fans under 30, very few of them LIVE for the music the way many of us older fans did and continue to. I fully expect the slagging off I'm sure to get for this piece, as well as the accusations of being an ageist musically pretentious snob (it wouldn't be the first time I've been accused as such). What I'm trying to articulate is quite difficult to get across within the limitations of the written word; thus, I welcome any feedback and discussions, whether you agree or not, in the comments section at the end of this post.
Let me take you back to an ancient time before the internet was ubiquitous and various advances such as downloading music (whether legally or illegally) and streaming music (ie Spotify, Pandora, etc) became the norm. Back in these mythical times, if you wanted to own recorded music you had to buy a physical copy. This entailed actually traveling to wherever you were going to buy it (typically a local record store, department store, or in their earlier days, one of the big box retailers back when they actually had legitimately good music sections). Not only that, but you had to wait until it was released. There was no way an album was going to leak in its entirety weeks or months before its release date. Once you got there, you had to first hope there was a copy of whatever it was you wanted to buy and you had to actually pay money for it. Of course, for many music fans, including the ones whom I've described above, this part of the process became almost ritualistic in nature and something to look forward to...record stores became places to meet, hang out, listen to and discuss music, and discover new things to listen to while you browsed and shopped for what you were looking for. Clearly this was the norm in the earlier decades, but even as a kid in the 1980s and as a high school and college student in the 1990s, this was how it was done and I spent many fond hours (and still do!) partaking in the whole experience as I amassed a huge collection of cassettes and (mainly) CDs. However, with the advent of downloading music, purchasing individual songs via iTunes and Amazon, and now streaming, there is no need for most younger music fans to physically purchase their music. Also, because this new method of music consumption places emphasis on individual songs and playlists rather than albums (and let's face it, most of today's here-today-gone-tomorrow stars that have hit songs and zero staying power wouldn't be able to fill an album with quality material if their lives depended on it) and on non-physical formats, there is a de-emphasis put on albums. Just try to find an average twenty year old who cares about cover art and whatever statement a particular album makes. Go ahead, I'll wait...back so soon?
Compounding all of this, the elevation of the individual song, which is now available a mere mouse click away for $0.99, combined with CDs continuing to be overpriced at $12-20 a pop has led to a near collapse of physical music sales. Today's young music fan doesn't care about the statement an album makes, or if any of the songs besides the radio single are any good, or what the album art looks like. They want the song downloaded cheaply and quickly in order to add it to their digital playlist. Unlike in years past, where music was something that required an actual outlay of hard-earned money and the listening experience of which was an event to be savored and enjoyed either alone and/or with friends, in 2014 music is just another disposable commodity that's cheap, convenient, and little more than background music for driving, partying, or filling the silence in the background wherever you may be.
Another aspect impacting the lack of importance of music in the lives of younger people is the fact that there are so many other distractions available to them now, such as video games, smartphones and tablets, movies, endless TV channels with on-demand programming, and so on. With so much to choose from to fill in every bit of spare time they have, today's young people don't need music as something central in their lives. I realize this sounds like a case of "in my day, we had to watch grass grow for our entertainment" but I'm simply pointing out irrefutable fact. It's the same reason why kids today barely play outside anymore, whereas in my youth I spent more time outside than in. Add in the fact that the last truly great decade for both music and a true music scene was the 1990s and that there hasn't been an album or band that has really shaken the industry out of whatever doldrums it's been stuck in, and it's a recipe for complacency and music no longer being an art form of expression, but instead embracing its current nature as disposable commodity. The fact that instrument-based music (apart from country music, but that's a whole other can of worms I don't intend on opening here) is no longer the dominantly popular genre and it all makes sense. The vast majority of top-selling acts are those that don't write their own music and don't perform it themselves, and many of them can't even sing it without the help of autotune or pre-recorded vocal tracks. How else can they be note perfect when running and jumping non-stop during their concerts, which these days are more performance-as-spectacle as opposed to actual live performance? Perhaps the biggest factor of all is that video games have replaced stereos as the electronic device of choice for young people and their friends; instead of listening to music and/or trying to learn instruments and form garage bands, it's now all about playing multiplayer online video games for hours on end and interacting with your friends, whether they're sitting on the couch next to you or you're talking to them hundreds of miles away via headset. I'm not saying one is better than the other...it's all down to personal preference, but it can't be denied that the times they have a-changed.
No, these are not pictures of me, but I agree with the statements!
It also seems as though there are few, if any, modern icons and leaders in today's music, at least those who are admired for both their creativity as well as their image/personality. There are scant modern examples currently producing quality music, with only Jack White and Alex Turner immediately springing to mind, whereas when one looks from 2000 backward, names like Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan, Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn, Michael Stipe, Morrissey, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Keith Richards, and more are legion. Part of it is because rock music isn't as relevant and all-consuming in the popular culture of 2014 as it was even twenty years ago, let alone in the 1960s and 1970s; another factor is that as mentioned above, since most of the biggest mainstream acts in recent years are not writing and performing their own music, there is less of a premium on creativity and the entire creative process and thus, the figures who are held up as icons are feted more for their fashion and outrageous behavior than their musical talent. I leave you with this final question before opening myself up to accusations of "ageist!" "rockist!" "old crank!" "snob!" and the like: Is everything I've detailed as it pertains to music a symptom or a signpost of a problem with 21st century society? I leave that for the reader to decide, but personally, my answer to the question is "yes."
"Rock is dead they say, long live rock!"
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