Rock and Roll fading out?

Published on April 29, 2005 By foreverserenity In Music

This was brought to my attention recently by my teenager who came to me and said, “Mom do you know that the last Rock station in our city just got phased out?” I looked at her and went, “uh?” Mind you I’m just coming in from work when I was greeted with this excited news. She said, “Yea, I was just turning to the station and all I heard was Rap and R&B music” (I’m sorry but I don’t even remember the station’s moniker). I told her I had no idea. She listens to various types of music, like I do, not a lover of all Rock music, but she likes a few of the groups that are still out there.
Then after that, I saw an article about rock music fading out in Rolling Stones magazine. That was a couple of months ago. The dire state of this musical genre was mentioned again in yesterday’s (April 28) New York Times. An article written by Jeff Leeds, “Fade-Out New Rock is Passé on Radio”. So it is absolutely official folks, a lot of radio companies are fading out rock music. They do it so quickly and quietly that even their own staff don’t know until they find out…by accident! No official notification, no pink slip, it’s just done!
Recently a radio station in Miami, WZTA did this very thing to its employees, changed the format and genre of the station from rock to talk-radio. How did the program director find out? When he turned on his radio at home to listen to the station. He heard talking, nothing but talking and no music. Apparently fans of rock music are not tuning in the way they used to. Radio stations that are geared towards rock music don’t have the large mass audience of rap, hip-hop and R& B. These are the popular music that is taking over.

Another reason for the lack of interest of rock fans is because there no longer seems to be any, and I quote, “true stars”, out there. It seems that because Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock (I never considered him a Rock and Roll star?) have gone into the background, for whatever reasons, whether it’s taking a hiatus or just a refusal to be in the limelight anymore, rock music is no longer exciting.

So to sum up, there is no one out there, no true group are individual, who is considered a star, to ignite the interests of rock fans and listeners so that they will stay tune to the rock genre.

Rock as lost its roll. Say it ain’t so, say it ain’t so!

Comments

Ionolast

on Apr 29, 2005

Maybe there are no exciting NEW rock stars, but some older bands are still touring and recording.
I can't stand rap and hip hop. Just because something is new doesn't necessarily mean it's good.
R&B used to be the same as Rock and Roll.
Because of all the B.S. commercials, I hardly ever listen to radio anymore.
There are still the rock stations on digital cable, satellite radio and the computer radio receivers such as Netscape Radio.

Ionolast

on Apr 29, 2005

Jeez. Sorry about that. Feel free to delete this one and three others.

BlueDev

on Apr 29, 2005

Rock will never die.

It may get pushed back to the underground for a while. That is okay. It will survive, it will thrive. The mass media is just so fickle that nothing is going to stay constant. I'm not concerned or worried. But maybe that is because none of the rock I listen to makes it to the radio regularly anyway, and seems to be doing quite well.

Toblerone

on Apr 29, 2005

This is one of the signs of the apocalypse.

Hooray for melodrama.

thatoneguyinslc

on Apr 29, 2005

A lot of the rock programming has moved to the internet. Mainly because of the recent decision by the FCC to start tightening up broadcast standards. But Rock music will never completely dissappear from the radio.

aeryck

on Apr 29, 2005

ROCK 'N ROLL WILL NEVER DIE, JUST HIBERNATE WITH THE BLUES AND JAZZ..... I agree and about time too. Let me explain. When about 5 years ago, CNA...began to do a whole series on old Blues Masters, I was to say the least freaked. When one has found something intensely enjoyable as both Blues and Jazz are and suddenly the Market begins to prostitute the sacred truths for a popsicle toe or two, you shake your head and wonder how on earth, but you know it will do some good and hopefully some young believers will be inspired and go off to become massive blues guitarists. That has happened. Just a peep into any Blues Forum and you will be amazed at the amount of people world wide that can slide and not fret, with the best and talk about Johnny Winter and John Lee Hooker in the same breathe. The same thing happened with Jazz shortly afterwards.

What make Rock so incredibly great, is that it came from exactly the same root as Blues and Jazz did, it came out of the Church. Good old Elvis, was a good church boy, and loved Jesus. This is not about Jesus, but like Country music and Hank Williams, rock has to die to be reborn as an eternal feature, though I would l like to add that Rock has died many times and surfaced in many forms within the existing genres of rap and hip hop. It was all about the beat, remember the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Dire Straits, good music has the habit of going into the underground status to be cherished by the true believers and will from it's position of power, rise again and again like Phoenix to shine along with all the great forms of music. The only question that should be asked is whether as the roots are thining by choice whether strong strains of musical power will be discarded or go to hibernation like the Great Rock has. It is upon this Rock, that the Blues did come and the Jazz to come....Oh, Rock our foundation......Generation will still hail, The Doors, Rodriquez and Pink Floyd along with the Beatles, good Rock does not die, it just burns out., to be reignited later on. [Rock 'n Roll will never die...it is too danceable...and as long as people like to boogie woogie and do the mashed potato, rock will always be there..tribal and part of a million suns....]

foreverserenity

on Apr 29, 2005

Maybe there are no exciting NEW rock stars, but some older bands are still touring and recording. I can't stand rap and hip hop. Just because something is new doesn't necessarily mean it's good.R&B used to be the same as Rock and Roll.Because of all the B.S. commercials, I hardly ever listen to radio anymore. There are still the rock stations on digital cable, satellite radio and the computer radio receivers such as Netscape Radio.

I think that's it. There are no new exciting rock and roll stars. There are a few rap and hip hop songs that I do enjoy listening to. R&B might fall into the fading out category but I really don't think it will because of the new artists that come on the scene regularly.

I like listening to computer radio too, less interuption. That are just playing my CD's. I do still listen to one particular radio staion that doesn't have too much commercial interruption.

Jeez. Sorry about that. Feel free to delete this one and three others.

No sweat Icono, I already did!

The mass media is just so fickle that nothing is going to stay constant

You can say that again! Fickle, fickle, fickle! Just like some fans, unfortunately. But you're right, the genre is just underground at the moment.

Hooray for melodrama.

And how! It seems I guess when something is talked about by one, it gets played and played and played and played.....over and over and over....until someone blogs about it! : )

Mainly because of the recent decision by the FCC to start tightening up broadcast standards.

This apparently is the big fight, the FCC. But really, if that's the case then Rap music is next. Because some of those lyrics leaves bad taste in my mouth. But I'm not knocking rap or hip hop. There are some really good artistes out there who are a part of this genre.

The thing is, why are the radio stations shutting down this kind of programing? I know they're loosing listenership, but why get rid of the program totally?

foreverserenity

on Apr 29, 2005

Good old Elvis, was a good church boy, and loved Jesus.

This is true, he did.

good music has the habit of going into the underground status to be cherished by the true believers and will from it's position of power, rise again and again like Phoenix to shine along with all the great forms of music

I like the visual you paint here!

Oh, Rock our foundation......Generation will still hail, The Doors, Rodriquez and Pink Floyd along with the Beatles, good Rock does not die, it just burns out., to be reignited later on. [Rock 'n Roll will never die...it is too danceable...and as long as people like to boogie woogie and do the mashed potato, rock will always be there..tribal and part of a million suns....]

You're right Aeryck, as long as people love the music, like Jazz, like all the other types that don't get the popular airplay, it will never die.

Gideon MacLeish

on Apr 29, 2005

Personally, I'm kind of pleased to see rock fade into the background. With options such as the internet we can always access our faves, and, frankly, rock was becoming too pop!

foreverserenity

on Apr 29, 2005

rock was becoming too pop!

I think this is one of the reasons why this is happening. It's loosing it's core fan base.

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