Posted on 05/04/2025 7:01:31 PM PDT by DoodleBob
… By its peak in 1983, rock music dominated radio play and accounted for over 60% of the Billboard Top 100.
… In many ways, the rise of pop, rap, and hip-hop can be seen as a market correction to mainstream rock's lack of cultural innovation, aesthetic appeal, and musical experimentation.
In the years leading up to the stylistic shifts of the 1980s, there was a significant disconnect between critical acclaim and consumer music preferences. However, when rock began its descent from the mainstream in the mid-1980s, the association between critic and consumer music preference rebounded and stayed aligned for the next 30 years.
Researchers attribute the critical-commercial disconnect of the late 1970s and early 1980s to widespread "rockism," an era of rock hubris that assumed perpetual relevance and dismissed other genres. During this period, critics maligned the stale output of hair metal bands and the shallow theatrics of acts like Def Leppard, Twisted Sister, and Kiss. The rise of pop, hip-hop, and rap realigned critical and commercial preferences, infusing mainstream music with new-fangled stylings and technical innovation.
The grunge movement of the 1990s, characterized by its low-fi production and anti-capitalist sentiments, is often seen as rock's last gasp at mainstream relevance. Yet there was an inherent contradiction to grunge's ascension. Artists like Nirvana's Kurt Cobain and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder struggled with their newfound success, which directly conflicted with their rejection of commercialism and rock stardom. The grunge movement effectively ended with Kurt Cobain's 1994 suicide, marking the decline of this ascendent subgenre and rock's best chance at a mainstream comeback.
(Excerpt) Read more at statsignificant.com ...
Early rap songs would include, It’s alright Ma (I’m only bleeding), Ringo, Big Bad John, The revolution Will not be televised..good rap was corrupted by gangsta rap
With the plethora of music styles and access to all music types...there cannot be a “dominant” form. Just measuring what grouping is listening to what, means nothing.
The reality now is that music doesn’t carry much life enhancing meaning in an ultimate way.
You probably should just sit this one out
Rock ain’t dead it’s just buried under 90 tons of crap thanks to the record companies.
Further proof the nation declined markedly during the reign of the two corrupt families, the Bushes and Clinton.
Lots of dumb, suburban white kids listen to (c)rap/hip hop, which is what keeps it alive. Metal isn't much better, even though there is some good musicianship in that genre. It's very much a musical wasteland right now.
At least Kraftwerk did use instruments.
Motley Crue and hair bands were a symptom, not a cause. The wigs, makeup, clothing, actress girlfriends, etc. were all for television, not music. The producers found ways to cash in, listeners be damned.
Their fourth album in 1985 called it out as theater.
It’s telling that the only bands that can sellout stadiums are geezers in their 70s, like AC/DC.
50s were the initials
60s were the first mega stars
70s were the druggies
80s were the most upbeat and optimistic
90s went grunge and depressed
Oughts and 10s went mass marketing
20s now like the 80s sound again
Rock isn’t dead, it just smells funny.
She wasnt rapping. Plus the lyrics were just awful, terrible word choices just to make the rhyming fit.
Loved the song up to that point.
And now with Spotify and YouTube, you can discover all kinds of great bands from the 70s that pretty much went unknown back then, and as they say, if you haven’t heard it before, it’s new to you.
Tales of Mystery and Imagination - The Alan Parsons Project.
I would go with “Pyramid” or “Turn Of A Friendly Card”.
I can pretty much go to YouTube type in any song I want from any era, and there it is.
And my ears are so bad now, I really don’t care about the audio quality, it doesn’t matter.
You are correct. Though the speed metal scene was good, and no metal popped up later.
Starship was the deathblow
I know quite a few parents who take their kids to see bands like that. The kids are wishing for real rock and roll.
You used to listen to heavy metal to annoy your parents.
Now you listen to heavy metal to annoy your kids.
Spotify is good if you want to hear music, but horrible if you want to make money playing music.
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