Mainstream Survivors

12Jun08

In observance of the 2002 surge of new artists lined up to take their Grammy’s, it’s amazing how few have remained. Papa Roach, Stone Sour, Green Day, Breaking Benjamin, and too many others do not make releases as often as rap and R&B artists. Where has rock music gone, and how will its survivors live up to the next three years of explosive talent?

Apparently, Lifehouse, Finger Eleven, Coldplay, and 3 Doors Down are some of the only rock groups pulling their weight in the game. Although the arrests of various rap artists (T.I., Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Dem Franchise Boyz, etc.) coupled with the controversy of pop stars such as Kanye West, Britney Spears, and Lindsay Lohan can put a stint in music production, album release is what makes gains and gets music artists popularity.

Questions music listeners have about the permanence of their favorite artists, and questions regarding their presence in the music industry, are answered by feedback and ratings. Musical content, tastes, and images will determine how labels and radio stations respond in critiques and commentaries, stepping up the tone for new styles.

 Bands such as Gym Class Heroes, Panic at the Disco!, and Something Corporateas a mysterious element to music by defining modern terms such as ”emo” that have become widely understood relatively recently. These bands seem to have enough force to propel themselves, but are they still looking for a niche that will respect their pop, rock, and punk elements or simply trying to stay alive?

So for the moment, rhythm and blues music is dominating the musical tastes of fans, but with all the variables of music genres still developing, anything is possible.

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