When I think Rock, I imagine the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, or The Sex Pistols sweating on stage as they perform in front of an audience that's hungry for dynamic guitar riffs and vocal magic.
What I don't imagine are images of some, clearly Pop music artists, doing their things on stage.
But it seems that somehow, countless Pop musicians have been labeled under the genre of Rock - much to the disgrace of those who realize that they're as close to being Rock as a lemon is to being an apple.
True Rock originated in the United States at the tail-end of the 40's and beginning of the 50's.
It was in the 50's that it was labeled as Rock 'n' Roll and it has its origins in Blues, Country, Jazz, Folk, and Gospel.
It's a dynamic creature that's evolved over the years...
in much the same way that red wine just becomes better and better with age.
However, it's not evolved to the point that it can (or should) be used to describe the likes of any Pop band or song that becomes the flavor of the month.
So...
this begs the question...
is Rock dead or are people simply using the term incorrectly to refer to any music that catches their fancy? Well, to answer the first question - the percentage of Rock songs in the charts dropped (from an already low) 13% in 2009 to only 3% in 2010.
And dominating the charts at that point were Hip-hop/R'n'B at 47%, Dance at 10%, and Pop 40%.
A sad state of affairs...
But the bigger problem these days isn't whether or not Rock is dead, but rather, whether it's a term that's being slapped onto any sort of music.
The term is no longer rightfully reserved for music built on the foundations of heavy guitar artistry, brain-banging drum beats and soul-searching lyrics.
Instead, any old Jims with slightly OK voices, who can't actually play the guitar, are given the honor of being labeled as Rock artists - merely because their hair is styled in the correct way and their fashion sense suits the masses, and they have some sort of stage presence.
This has lead to Pop, Hip Hop/R'n'B, Dance and countless other music genres incorrectly being referred to as Rock.
The latter no longer commands its rightful place as a style set apart from the others because of its sheer awesomeness.
No...
these days it's just thought of as a description for anything that somehow gets your feet tapping and your head nodding.
So...
would the real Rock please stand up.
What I don't imagine are images of some, clearly Pop music artists, doing their things on stage.
But it seems that somehow, countless Pop musicians have been labeled under the genre of Rock - much to the disgrace of those who realize that they're as close to being Rock as a lemon is to being an apple.
True Rock originated in the United States at the tail-end of the 40's and beginning of the 50's.
It was in the 50's that it was labeled as Rock 'n' Roll and it has its origins in Blues, Country, Jazz, Folk, and Gospel.
It's a dynamic creature that's evolved over the years...
in much the same way that red wine just becomes better and better with age.
However, it's not evolved to the point that it can (or should) be used to describe the likes of any Pop band or song that becomes the flavor of the month.
So...
this begs the question...
is Rock dead or are people simply using the term incorrectly to refer to any music that catches their fancy? Well, to answer the first question - the percentage of Rock songs in the charts dropped (from an already low) 13% in 2009 to only 3% in 2010.
And dominating the charts at that point were Hip-hop/R'n'B at 47%, Dance at 10%, and Pop 40%.
A sad state of affairs...
But the bigger problem these days isn't whether or not Rock is dead, but rather, whether it's a term that's being slapped onto any sort of music.
The term is no longer rightfully reserved for music built on the foundations of heavy guitar artistry, brain-banging drum beats and soul-searching lyrics.
Instead, any old Jims with slightly OK voices, who can't actually play the guitar, are given the honor of being labeled as Rock artists - merely because their hair is styled in the correct way and their fashion sense suits the masses, and they have some sort of stage presence.
This has lead to Pop, Hip Hop/R'n'B, Dance and countless other music genres incorrectly being referred to as Rock.
The latter no longer commands its rightful place as a style set apart from the others because of its sheer awesomeness.
No...
these days it's just thought of as a description for anything that somehow gets your feet tapping and your head nodding.
So...
would the real Rock please stand up.