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elchoopanebre's avatar

Do you think that modern rock is not as good as classic rock?

Asked by elchoopanebre (3079points) May 14th, 2008

I think that in general classic rock has a better feel and melody to it than the majority of modern bands I hear today. Anything death metal-esque or with screaming and double bass drums in it generally seems to have nothing to it to me. I lament the fact that musicality and original feel and flavor to music are taking the back seat to how loud you can scream and whether or not the drummer can play 16th notes on a double bass drum.

Anyone with me?
Discuss.

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18 Answers

psyla's avatar

Classic Rock was not adjusted on modern computers where every note is perfected. Classic Rock has wild musical notes, sometimes warbly, harsh, & uncontrolled, you hear what comes out of the instrument. Modern Rock is computer-controlled, every note & sound has been tamed and housebroken by computer.

b's avatar

Classic rock is much better than modern rock. I don’t follow any current main stream rock bands. Metal, on the other hand, is completely different genre and should not be compared to classic or modern rock. It has its own sense of beauty and complexity that many people often over look.

psyla's avatar

Music is evolving into a future where listening to someone talking will be considered “listening to music”. iTunes music downloads will consist of a narrative with no musical instruments nor rhyme. Currently, civilization is at a stage where a drumset can be the only musical instrument & the lead singer “sings” in a conversational tone of voice. As long as the words rhyme, it is considered music. In the future, the drumset & rhyme will be outdated and music will simply be the sound of a person talking.

reed's avatar

While good points have been made, just note that today’s modern rock will be classic rock in 20’s years. It’s not entirely about the sound.

judochop's avatar

Dispite your feelings on Death Metal it really is hard to scream properly and play 16th and 32nd notes on a double bass for a little over an hour each night for shows….With all that said I do agree that music has not all taken a change for the best. Classic rock may be great but it was only great for about 2 decades and the industry was fresh and not out to stab everyone in the back. There was no such thing as a 3.5 minute time limit on the radio and bands were not getting sponsored by Hot Topic. The digital age has changed things drastically and will continue to change it and still nothing sounds as good as it did when it rolled off the board on 2 inch tape. Now everything rolls right into a computer. This still does not mean that I lack love for the new music, everything from opera to drum and bass to punk to modern radio rock and everything between that. Good music is still being made some so good that it instantly becomes classic but it is just so much harder to find.

soundedfury's avatar

Wow, way to predict a depressing future with such conviction, psyla. You obviously have no faith in the human spirit.

Over the past few millennia, music has evolved from a single person incanting a story to chants to song to orchestras and bands. What makes you think that it’s going to take a sudden turn just because of iTunes? I suggest that if you want to contribute, you can at least try to back your opinion with some sort of objective fact.

Back to the question:

Classic rock isn’t even a genre. It’s a general term that encompasses many, many genres of rock music from the 60s and 70s. I think that, in many ways, modern rock (starting with punk in the 70s) is far superior to classic rock. It has much more sophisticated and subtle rhythms and chord progressions and a wider range of influences. But in many ways the pioneers of rock (those artists who are most influential in the 60s and 70s) are far superior in their originality and genius.

You simply can’t judge modern rock with the same yardstick as you judge classic rock. They are different beasts in different times. Modern rock wouldn’t be possible without classic rock, the same as classic rock wasn’t possible without blues. You wouldn’t judge classic rock based on the same criteria as blues, would you?

And don’t get me started on how we seldom hear rock anymore. Pop has dominated since the late 90s – most of what radio and the labels call rock is really pop with rock chord progressions.

wildflower's avatar

I’m sure I had this exact debate with my older brother a decade or two ago.
There were some groundbreaking bands ‘back in the day’ but I think it’s unfair to say there are none now. It’s just become so easy to get in to the limelight today and it makes it harder to spot the island of gold in a sea of shyte.
As for it all being computer engineered and perfected, I disagree. There are some really good bands out there that make pure, raw rock music. One of my personal favorites are TYR – admittedly because they’re from back home and I know some of them, but I do enjoy their music.

judochop's avatar

@psyla:
Before I try and hope to change your mind on what you do not consider music could you please tell me what you listened to this week?

psyla's avatar

Most modern bands put out one good first album & then go downhill from there. Look at Linkin Park, their first album was genius, now they’ve sunk to “singing” in a narrative tone of voice. Mudvayne’s first album was classic, now it’s devolved into hammering sounds with minimal melody. When musicians nowadays become rich & famous, they become lazy & put no effort into their music. When music in the future becomes a simple narrative with no melody, instruments, nor rhyme, a great new musical style will arise from the pablum.

scamp's avatar

I enjoy elements of both. I think there are some very talented bands today, and I still love to listen to the “old stuff.’ As I get older, I am less tolerant of the screaming that was referred to earlier in the thread. I prefer something I can sing along with, and understand the words without a cheat sheet.
Definition of music

psyla's avatar

This week? Apocalyptica!

judochop's avatar

@psyla:
I think it would be safe to say that you dislike the industry. Don’t blame the bands so much, they are just doing what they are told to do by the people who are responsible for marketing them.
I am neither a fan of Apocalyptical or Linkin Park, I have respect for them but honestly it is not for me. If I had to form an opinion on those bands I would have said that they gave up long before they even tried.
Most of everything that comes out of the mainstream pretty much for a lack of better words, sucks. It is over produced, over tonalized, compressed and gated. It lacks feeling and gets mundane after the third of fourth listen. Art tends to get discolored once money is involved. It takes a very special kind of person to not be clouded by that and never risk losing thier integrity.

psyla's avatar

Agreed. Money changes everything.

psyla's avatar

What have you been listening to, judochop?

elchoopanebre's avatar

@soundedfury

Indeed.

judochop's avatar

@psyla: rodrigo y gabrillo, gaslamp killer, 31knots, sword, battles, always a ton of jazz, clutch, ledzep as of late, some cool remixes of bob Marley, dirtbombs, supersuckers. This is just some. Oh & air has been a fave lately.

Bri_L's avatar

It all comes down to mood with me. I can be totally up for one thing one minute then the other another minute

psyla's avatar

judochop! Thanks for the music suggestions! I’m taking notes! Your musical taste is expansive, I’m going to “give a listen” as Jimmy Page would say. Surprised to find Latin, give a listen to Federico Aubele “Gran Hotel Buenos Aires”, I don’t understand Spanish, but the music is incredible. I want to add that the band Apocalyptica is a classic rock group in modern times. They achieve the classic rock style by using Cellos! Go to YouTube for a minute & watch their music video…

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