The seeming decline of rock radio can be attributed to a combination of factors. High-paid DJs have largely disappeared; in fact, The Drive rarely has its DJs talk on air. Technology has played a major role in the radio landscape, as more people listen to their MP3 players as well as internet, digital, and satellite radio. All of these formats allow users to create their own playlists, either from their individual libraries or through streaming media like Last FM or Pandora. In addition, tastes have changed, as R&B, hip hop, rap, and pop dominate today's charts. A glance at Billboard's Hot 100 provides an instant snapshot of current popular music: artists Pitbull, Adele, LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, and Lil Wayne inhabit the top ten spots, none of which could be classified as pure rock. At first glimpse, it seems as though rock has become an endangered species. However, we have heard this song before.
Flash back to July 12, 1979. Back then, disco was king; numerous stations around the country had switched to an all-dance format, and disco groups such as the Bee Gees, Chic, the Village People, and Sister Sledge ruled the charts. Even rock and pop artists such as Rod Stewart, Blondie, Barbara Streisand, Paul McCartney and Wings, and Cliff Richard flirted with the genre, earning them major hits. Admittedly, disco was quickly becoming overexposed, with grandmas and grandpas taking disco dancing lessons, and Studio 54 promoting their own brand of jeans. Some rock fans began feeling disenfranchised, although in retrospect other, more sensitive issues (namely racism and homophobia) may have intensified the backlash. Capitalizing on this growing feeling, then-WLUP DJ Steve Dahl staged the infamous "Disco Demolition" event at the former Comiskey Park, urging fans to bring disco records for destruction. With great drama, Dahl blew up the albums in a crate, inciting attendees to rush the field, resulting in a riot. Supposedly this even was pivotal in "killing" disco, returning rock to its rightful place on the charts. However, dance artists such as Donna Summer, Shalamar, Linda Clifford, and Stephanie Mills continued releasing successful singles in 1980. The claim that Disco Demolition "killed" disco and restored rock and roll remains dubious.
Did disco ultimately destroy rock? Hardly. Among the massively popular artists that emerged from the 1980s include U2, REM, Guns 'n Roses, Bon Jovi, Living Colour, Metallica, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard, among many others. Alternative rock and grunge ruled half of the nineties, with Nirvana and Pearl Jam leading the way. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, Weezer, and Green day also emerged, and still influence today's bands. Bruce Springsteen and John Cougar Mellencamp continued racking up hits, and women became major forces in rock (Sinead O'Connor, the Breeders, 10,000 Maniacs, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Bonnie Raitt, Pat Benatar, and Chrissie Hynde, just to name a few).
Article comments
1 - Jim D.
Norm Winer left out the punchline of his discussion of the Loop die-hards at Chicagofest: those people still control *everything*. Chicago radio has never, ever stopped doing cartwheels to try to please them, and apparently it never will.
The major fallacy of these radio stations is in identifying themselves as "rock" stations at all. They obviously do not care about that music, so why bother identifying with it? They purposely eliminate giant swaths of the music in favor of what they think will appeal to the Chicagofest dudes. Hence no Television, Wire, early X, non-Roxy-or-Byrne Eno, 13th Floor Elevators, Stooges, My Bloody Valentine, Husker Du, etc., etc. I'm not listing those bands because they're hipster-approved and I'm so cool and blah blah; I'm not snooty about it and I would be excited to hear all that fantastic and foundational music on the radio. I know that's no guarantee that everybody would just love it and there'd be no more war and it would rain butter cream frosting, but a definition of "rock" that excludes that stuff is purposely stunted and totally lame. Or think of the bands they do play: the Clash, for example. Do the 7-8 (at best) Clash songs you hear in regular rotation really represent that band's body of work?
Yes, that's what it comes down to: complaining that a major-label, internationally successful and influential band is *underrepresented* on the radio. Bizarre. Sorry to go on & on and I feel quite silly in suggesting (by implication) that there's anything to be saved. I've effectively made myself my own radio station, after all. But not everybody has the resources to do that, and it stinks that the people who do have power and resources squander them on mindless, boring filler instead of helping people enrich their artistic lives.
2 - Kit O'Toole
Jim, you're not going "on and on" at all--you're absolutely right. You also mentioned some other artists that you almost never hear on radio anymore, and as you said, legends like the Clash are underrepresented (except for a few "approved" songs like "Should I Stay or Should I Go"). I also agree that not everyone has the resources like you and I do to essentially create our own stations, and that stinks for all music fans. Thanks for commenting!
3 - Susan Ryan
I think that the idea that rock is a dying genre is more indicative of the state of terrestrial radio than the state of music, actually. I have satellite radio in the car, and while it can be very "compartmentalized" because the stations tend to have very narrow focus and specializations, the fact is, there is plenty of rock being played on satellite. Some stations on Sirius/XM indeed go the "classic rock" route and only play "hits," but there are others ("Deep Tracks" springs to mind) that play more than the few hits you'd find on terrestrial stations.
I think it is unfortunate that in order to hear certain music on the radio, one must actually pay for a subscription to a satellite service -- but I do feel that rock is alive and well in places other than "conventional" radio.
4 - Maureen Morgan
Kit, I read the newspaper article you provided and your commentary with great interest. I relate to those stations, and favor the rock genre as I remember it. However, I think you are a bit optimistic to think that there is a future in rock on commercial radio. The generation that appreciates it is not the generation that radio stations target. We must find our music on satellite. My favorite is Classic Vinyl on Sirius/XM.
5 - Christine
As someone in the NYC area who is affected by the demise of WRXP (today is the last day), I can say that the demand for rock is still alive and well. It's too bad that the powers that be don't understand this. I'm not in the industry but feel that pop and R&B stations are "popular" because more money is thrown in that direction for marketing and "artists" are promoted by their label to no end. In rock, many bands are on indie labels and don't have that luxury. Also, station owners would rather push the more "lucrative" stations rather than the rock stations. It's sad that true fans of rock are being forced to choose satellite over FM radio, because their choice for rock on FM is ripped away. It's less about the music and always about the money.
6 - G Mrzl
yo
7 - G Mrzl
Lissen, U Crackaz be hatin cuz we own dis shit now!! We own dis shit! We stack mad bills and get da white pussy cuz Yo Music SUCKZZZ!!! Need proof?!! Who owns da bizzznazzzzz now vanila fuckaz?! Who??? We do!!! We get paid mad bills cuz "rock" dead. Peace
8 - Christopher Rose
I love the way some people come along, write a load of aggressive, ignorant nonsense and then end their contribution with "peace"!