Rock artists do exist - that's a fact. But it feels like there are far fewer of them, or maybe it's just that whoever they are just aren't getting attention and hitting the mainstream. Unfortunately, if the rock artists out there are going the indie route, then they will never become "stars" in the true sense. They may earn respect and loyalty of their fans, but their DIY, pay-yer-dues approach put them in a different sphere.
I noticed that among the leaders on Billboard's separate Top Rock Artists chart are veterans Metallica and U2. But do they count? I mean let's face it, Metallica and U2 are no longer rock gods, and are barely even rock stars anymore... just oldsters spinning out their final days. We've seen the former metal gods spill their guts and cry on film. Bono of U2, through all of his commendable humanitarian work, has gone from an untouchable status in the 80's to a face and voice you see and hear in the news on a near-weekly basis. It gets ho-hum after a while. These guys are too down-to-earth and average now to be rock stars.
To quote a thoughtful Forbes article (here), "There are certainly no rock stars that command the cover of magazines the way Robert Plant did. There are no bands that demand attention from the media the way the super bands of the late 70s did". Yeah, so can you name a single current rocker who captivates the cameras and writers as much as Plant, Bowie, Elton, and Jagger once did? The Forbes writer poses some interesting ideas, such as that we may be nearing a "big shift" similar to that of the early 70's (emergence of giants such as Zeppelin, Floyd and so on) and the early 90's (when Pearl Jam and Nirvana ruled). I'm hopeful, but I won't place any bets.
Ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach expressed his thoughts on what a rock star is... and isn't... in a hilarious interview I listened to recently. In a nutshell, he said that in the "old days" like the 60's or 70's (even the 80's), music fans didn't have access to their idols. Kids looked up to and worshiped - from afar - rock stars of that time, and considered them to be gods. Famous musicians, given this god-like status, were beyond the reach of their adoring fans. Maybe some TV or magazine interviews, but not always. There was no internet, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and all that to relay the minutia of the musicians' lives to the world. And that lack of information and access was what often created an air of mystery surrounding the rock stars. But today everyone - including your favourite music artist, is online tweeting about what they have for lunch. Not so cool. Nor rock star-ish.
The best example would be Led Zeppelin. Their album artwork rarely showed pictures of the band and gave only the bare minimum of facts about them. In fact, look at Zep's fourth record: it was untitled (and bore nothing but an unusual image on the cover - no band name or album title), leaving it to the listeners to dub the album things like IV, Zoso, Old Man With Sticks, and so on. The cryptic imagery on all their album covers contributed to the mystique that served the band so well. Today, there is no equivalent, in that sense, to Led Zeppelin.
Pink Floyd operated in much the same way, preferring anonymity and letting their music (and unusual album cover art) do the talking. Perhaps less mystical but still god-like in the eyes of fans of the day were The Who, Queen, the Rolling Stones (and the Beatles... why not?). The 1970's boasted the greatest output of durable, still legendary bands. They weren't all at the Zeppelin level, but nobody could debate the rock star status of Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Aerosmith, Elton John, and Bowie (just to name a few).
I guess the closest thing to a modern day rock star would be Dave Grohl, whose band Foo Fighters has been championing the cause since the 90's. Grohl and the boys carry the torch, with few others keeping pace.
Jack White of the White Stripes appears to share that same work and rock ethic, though I must confess I don't know much of his stuff. I do like the few tunes I've heard (Hardest Button, Sixteen Saltines, to name a couple). Based on what little I've heard, I can say I respect what White is doing for the current state of affairs in music. Rock star material? Not to me... but what do the kids think?
A much younger band called Torche rivals Foo Fighters with their distorted punch and driving drums. They're too green - and indie - to be stars yet, but it's nice to know there's some young blood out there keeping the faith. Check out their song Kicking and tell me that doesn't sound a bit like the Foos. There's potential for an act like this to achieve something special.
Another youthful group, Japandroids, displays an energy and sound that's refreshing. Again, these guys are relatively new to the game, so no star or god status yet. Try out Fire's Highway for a bright, rockin' kick in the pants reminiscent of Canada's Northern Pikes. Not a bad thing at all.
I just a couple of days ago discovered the music of Tame Impala. Wow! Their song Mind Mischief sounds like something the Beatles might do if they were all together (now) today. The tune The Less I Know The Better has an 80's pop vibe (the good kind), yet it sounds fresh and modern. Expectation feels like early Yes, high praise, I'd say. The band seems to channel the sounds of the 60's, with influences like Cream, Beatles, Hendrix, and Beach Boys... a lot of psychedelic rock. I'm impressed with every song I've heard by Tame Impala. Evidence that rock is not dead... it's just not everywhere you look. So keep looking!
As the Forbes article went on to say, (young) people today seem to worship the technology that delivers the music, rather than worshiping the musicians. People are more focused on the tech than the music itself. The tunes are wallpaper. So why would anyone care to delve into the details of the artist? It's an attitude shift on the part of the listening population.
To quote Youtube user Jazz Guitar Scrapbook, "Rock ain't dead, it just smells funny". I couldn't have said it better myself.
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