"Dad Rock". I hate that label for a sort of subgenre of what people now call "Classic Rock" (I hate that one, too). Classic Rock, as people think of it today, was simply the music that came before them. And it was all the music that I grew up with, from The Beatles and Pink Floyd to Rush and Van Halen, and everything in between... and even a bit beyond. Hell, even 90's grunge has now been lumped into the Classic Rock category, just because enough time has elapsed to make it really, really old. Bah!
But this is life. As uncomfortable as I am with this new-ish music category, I will accept that there is some truth to its definition:
Dad-rock (n.): 1. music played by dads; 2. music made by old white dudes that somehow always ends up on the car stereo and/or being played on the hi-fi at various school friends' houses.
- as written by Tom Hawking at Flavorwire.com
The first part, about it being music played by dads, is accurate enough. Some moms may like it, but the majority of listeners seem to be guys. So that and the second part of the definition make this music sound like something to be avoided. That it's bad. But hold on a minute...
If youngsters today (even "kids" well into their 20's) gave artists like Pink Floyd, Eagles, Steely Dan, and Led Zeppelin a real chance, I'd bet dollars to donuts that they'd find something they like. And whether they like it all or not, I'm sure most would recognize that these were/are very talented musicians. So Dad Rock needn't be equated with something awful - or uncool - that the kids must roll their eyes at and hate. And if it's a matter of coolness, then consider that the music of the 60's and 70's wasn't made based on what was cool or not; there was a level of confidence in the musicians so that they didn't care if they fit in with what was trendy. An admirable and freeing thing for a creative person. Unlike the way most music these days is made.
Sure, there may be some "bad" stuff in there, just like there's bad in every genre and era of music. Of course, it's all subjective, so what one person thinks is bad may be loved by someone else. Hey, even I and others my age kind of smirk when certain April Wine, Kiss, and Loverboy songs play on the radio. We dads know it's sort of corny or goofy, yet we may have a soft spot for some of it for old time's sake. Nostalgia plays a big role in this. The music takes us back to our youthful glory days.
And I may be overthinking this, but does the term Dad Rock imply that we dads are stuck in the past, only listening to the oldies? If so, then it is very wrong... about me, anyway. I love music of many genres and eras, some even from the past few years. And if Dad Rock also means boring, there might be a grain of truth to that for some dads, but I don't listen to boring music. I gravitate toward exciting stuff like Voivod and Megadeth, or the more modern hard rock of Ghost.
Dad Rock as a label isn't outright offensive, but it seems dismissive, like don't even waste your time on this stuff. And that's not a fair and open-minded approach at all. If you want your kids to learn to appreciate new things, expose them to it a bit at a time, not overkill, which would only turn them off right away.
So if I'm going to be that dad in Dad Rock, then I'll accept the charge. Yes, I do like Cream, Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons Project, Yes, Black Sabbath, ZZ Top, AC/DC and the other artists mentioned above, to varying degrees. Other big Dad Rock artists Bruce Springsteen and Eric Clapton (solo) not so much for me, maybe a bit of Dire Straits, Neil Young, Van Morrison, and Billy Joel (but not too much).
If liking Dad Rock simply means you're old enough to be a dad, then so be it. I am a dad, and damned proud of it. The term may mildly deride music nerds who have entered middle age, but if the shoe fits, I'll wear it. I still buy physical media, especially records (gasp!) and CDs to feed my inner (and outer) rock fan.
Now you kids, get off my lawn, and while you're at it, go listen to some CCR and Thin Lizzy!
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