Rock & Roll as a performance art is primarily a young man’s game. Older people can do it, of course, but the basic themes of rebellion against authority, or the tantalizing intrigue of love, romance and break ups seems linked to a learning process. By the time most of us are say, 40, we have learned a great deal about these parts of adult life.
As a contrast, picture Alice Cooper today singing “18” and without acknowledging the disconnect.
Then there is the aspect of peer identification, meaning, most teens and twentysomethings are more apt to listen to the complaints, preludes, seranades, laments and soliloquies of other teen or twentysomethings. They find this easier to identify with than via older performers.
As I recall, many of my generation used to say ‘Don’t trust anyone over 30!”.
When I was teaching HS (public) from 1978-2008, I would play music on a nice stereo (XM) to fill the time and the silence while they worked on exams, or memorizing maps or on other projects, and the only thing the whole room could ever agree on hearing was either a) classical, or b) classic rock.