What Rock/Rock-Metal Band was the Last one to even Matter?

[ricksdisconnected]

In the general "rock" or blues rock category Joe Bonamassa will keep things alive for at least another few decades

same thing folks thought about SRV.

 

[Ken Ops]

Rock and rock-metal are alive and well.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

radio is whats dead. rock was nothing before radio pick it up.
air play is almost everything.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

same thing folks thought about SRV.

rock deaths have a way of changing history, in future sense...

Some people wonder, if Randy hadn't died, if Ozzy would have headlined the US Festival '83, instead of VH. Also, would Yngwie have had quite the neo-classical impact.

Would the whole Metal Blade/Shrapnel Records shred-a-thon have followed?

SRV died too young.

He made a significant impact in the day. I remember a lot of my shredder friends, all the sudden playing that Texas Blues of SRV.

It's like Jimi too. He died too young. What would have happened if he didn't die?

In some ways, he became mythical. In other ways, he might have been more revered - maybe less?

Would he have stood w/ the likes of Zeppelin, Sabbath, Floyd, Purple, etc.? Or would they have had the impact competing w/ him?

 

[Dogs of Doom]

radio is whats dead. rock was nothing before radio pick it up.
air play is almost everything.

there's a lot to it...

The industry is dead. Back in the day of record labels signing bands, they'd give your band a contract. That contract would include a loan, of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This would give you a budget to record, produce & market your album & set up for a tour, to make some more money, to pay back the loan.

They'd give you a front loan. They front your musical endeavor. They front the marketing, advertisement & distribution.

At this point, you haven't made any money, but, the world thinks a million of you.

It's a business & hard work, but there's no fronting going on anymore & so, bands are self recording, producing & trying to find a distributor, or doing their own product lines.

It's a different world.

 

[Sapient]

I'd have to say the very last substantial rock band was probably G&R, I'll add.

Rock-n-Roll was also music of rebellion against the parenting generations. It was a living attitude in and towards a given timeframe. Things never last forever, but I'll say a lot of its death was due to the coming parental generations to be. Mostly us, or at least starting there. How are kids going to rebel musically against parents that grew up on Celtic Frost, Slayer, and NWA? They can't. There was nothing they could throw at us that we couldn't throw back. We'd just laugh or join in, but a point of rebellion would be moot.

These days kids stay inside playing with their cell phones. They live in a bubble and are not rebellious.

Once the fresh snow has all been trampled on, there is just ...none left to trample on.

 

[StingRay85]

rock deaths have a way of changing history, in future sense...

Some people wonder, if Randy hadn't died, if Ozzy would have headlined the US Festival '83, instead of VH. Also, would Yngwie have had quite the neo-classical impact.

Would the whole Metal Blade/Shrapnel Records shred-a-thon have followed?

SRV died too young.

He made a significant impact in the day. I remember a lot of my shredder friends, all the sudden playing that Texas Blues of SRV.

It's like Jimi too. He died too young. What would have happened if he didn't die?

In some ways, he became mythical. In other ways, he might have been more revered - maybe less?

Would he have stood w/ the likes of Zeppelin, Sabbath, Floyd, Purple, etc.? Or would they have had the impact competing w/ him?

More than a decade ago I have read an interesting article mentioning that Led Zeppelin jumped in the gap/void that Hendrix left when he died. It probably makes sense to some degree, that's why I still remember reading it.

We wouldn't be alive if the dinosaurs wouldn't have gotten extinct by a meteor strike

 

[Ray Baker]

I'd have to say the very last substantial rock band was probably G&R, I'll add.

Rock-n-Roll was also music of rebellion against the parenting generations. It was a living attitude in and towards a given timeframe. Things never last forever, but I'll say a lot of its death was due to the coming parental generations to be. Mostly us, or at least starting there. How are kids going to rebel musically against parents that grew up on Celtic Frost, Slayer, and NWA? They can't. There was nothing they could throw at us that we couldn't throw back. We'd just laugh or join in, but a point of rebellion would be moot.

These days kids stay inside playing with their cell phones. They live in a bubble and are not rebellious.

Once the fresh snow has all been trampled on, there is just ...none left to trample on.

Yea, We don't need no "Parental Guidance". I knew a kid once who's dad asked him..."What do you wanna do with you're life....kid responded.. "I wanna Rock". Couple years later he met "Mr. Brownstone" and landed on the "Crazy Train". One night while tripping he saw "Mr. Scary" and He fired his six shots in the wind and got "18 and Life". "I don't know" I think modern kids are on the "Highway to Hell" no morals today, the world has become one big "Sin City". I can remember when a girl that had "Looks that kill" would "Talk dirty to me" and could "Rock you like a Hurricane" but not these days that would be "Breaking the Law". Now days I just want some "Cold Gin" listen to "Rock n Roll" because "I love it loud". "Peace Sells" but who's buying I say "Let There Be Rock" and with that I am going to "Ride On".

 

[johnny q]

I saw them in 2K, post Bach...

They were alright. They were sorely missing Bach. The new guy didn't have the range, at all. Some of the hits weren't hardly recognizable. Not that I was a fan, but, I saw them at a concert, that was:

I saw them once with Johnny Solinger. I heckled them

As far as the OPs question, I see the replies have gravitated towards mainly metal bands. How about The Black Crowes? Like them or not, they were the real deal in a Stones, Humble Pie and Faces kinda way in an era when that style was not exactly popular.

Those that rocked harder - how about Badlands or Blue Murder?

Of course if "last one to even matter" is contingent on chart performance, then all bets are off. Who sold the most amount in the late 80s/early 90s? In that context, the Skid Row consensus makes sense.

 

[Derek S]

I know there's plenty of rock acts still keeping things alive, but "alive" and "actually relevant/mattered" are different. Like most things with music this is more or less subjective, and for me, the last rock band that I paid attention to was probably Mr. Big, Dream Theater and even Van Hagar (yes, liked that version too). Another last "artist" that really mattered was Tom Petty (I know, he's not heavy, but that type of music is also sorely missed on the airways).

 

[Dogs of Doom]

TSO have broken records for touring income, in the last few years, & they typically donate $1 from every ticket to children's hospitals (local to the venues) &/or veterans causes.

I do think that one big problem is that people aren't awake to new music. For instance, Sons of Apollo, are basically a supergroup, on par w/ any of the big groups back in the '70s, but, because the industry has died, they do not get the fronting/backing that a band of the '70s/'80s would have had.

That's the uphill battle bands have these days...

The only reason the Disney have the backing of old days, is because they are multi-media. Kids watch Disney. Disney promotes their music on their TV. It's incestuous. So, they have the means to do all that labels used to do back then, because they have the media & the audience.

 

[DaDoc]

My fine MF brothers: Rock is dead. Quit trying to play the devil's advocate and split all these hairs into it somehow still being culturally relevant. It's not.



I'll stand by my claims.
https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/mu...-doubles-down-on-rock-is-dead-remarks-2847735




It's still a blast from the past. They are not culturally relevant and their shows are mostly old f's like us trying to get a glimps of a young Zeppelin.




Thank God you get it. Exactly what I'm vibing on.

No, rock ain't dead, except maybe for people who would like for it to be, like music biz executives, pop divas, rappers, and the cancel culture crowd.

Rock music has never been about being "culturally relevant", it's the music of rebels and outsiders.

"Cultural relevance", what nonsense.. Sounds like a phrase somebody like a reporter for CNN would come up with!

I will add that the big arena-rock shows are the most part dead IMO. I used to pay $5-10 bucks for a multiple act concert of world-class bands..I remember paying $35.00 to see The fabulous Thunderbirds, ZZ Top, and The Rolling Stones at Dallas, Texas, in 1981 and thought that was overpriced. Nowadays you'll pay more than that for parking at a venue!

 

[ricksdisconnected]

to TOM.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

No, rock ain't dead, except maybe for people who would like for it to be, like music biz executives, pop divas, rappers, and the cancel culture crowd.

Rock music has never been about being "culturally relevant", it's the music of rebels and outsiders.

"Cultural relevance", what nonsense.. Sounds like a phrase somebody like a reporter for CNN would come up with!

I will add that the big arena-rock shows are the most part dead IMO. I used to pay $5-10 bucks for a multiple act concert of world-class bands..I remember paying $35.00 to see The fabulous Thunderbirds, ZZ Top, and The Rolling Stones at Dallas, Texas, in 1981 and thought that was overpriced. Nowadays you'll pay more than that for parking at a venue!

although... in a lot of places, they have those open air festivals. Depending on who's putting it on & how big, that kind of spoils the touring act thing. A lot of bands will simply play a festival in Germany, rather than do a tour. Even, back in the day, Zeppelin toured clubs in Germany.

Same throughout the EU, in other countries. They have their open-air festivals, so people go to them.

In the states, we have them, but, they seem more aimed at a certain demographic. For instance, they have Mayhemfest, which has that sort of thing. Ozzfest did metal stuff. There are a lot of Rock Cruises, where you go on a cruise in the Bahamas & they have band after band, more similar to the EU Open-Airs, but, you have to be into cruising & not worry about getting seasick...

During the '90s, people couldn't fill arenas, so they pretended to like to tour clubs across the states. It set a trend, an unfortunate one. While clubs are more intimate, usually the sound system sucks, the lighting sucks & they're more apt to have issues, rather than a big venue, that has fine tuned lighting & sound, & the road crew are on the ball...

 

[tallcoolone]

My fine MF brothers: Rock is dead. Quit trying to play the devil's advocate and split all these hairs into it somehow still being culturally relevant. It's not.



I'll stand by my claims.
https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/mu...-doubles-down-on-rock-is-dead-remarks-2847735

Hey you are welcome to your opinions man, and we are welcome to disagree that Skid Row is a genre defining band. Personally, while I respect Gene Simmons’ accomplishments I see Kiss as a parody of rock—his take is wrought with agenda and ego. I agree that guitar music in general has taken a back seat in modern pop culture but I blame most of that on the fact that JayZ runs the entire music industry at this point.

Lots of killer bands brought up in this thread—I flew to London last year to catch some jazz and see Rival Sons and the Sheepdogs. Killer show. Kadavar another crazy cool band. Put down the Hair Metal Pandora station and check some of it out!

Acts like Greta Van Fleet make a blip in the radar but as mentioned before, their fan base is mostly an older demographic missing the old days... Thats their niche ya know? I personally wanted to get into them but find their lyrics lack substance and the singer sounds like he is trying too hard to sound like Plant. I can dig the influence but he could just sing in q Zepp coverband. If he tried to take his Plant influence and hone it into something unique and his own then he could really have something.

Funny, I hear this a lot by their critics about the GVF fan base but I went to a Greta show in Boston when they came through and the crowd was 90% twenty something’s. All singing along with the words. It was a great show. And as far as them really having something...they are already there. I get that they are polarizing to older folks—esp musicians—but you can’t deny their success. And it’s great to see guitar music get some widespread exposure.

 

[Lo-Tek]

Genres are funny and kind of meaningless. I can remember when AC/DC was considered hard rock and some people even considered them a metal band. Somehow they (like The Stones) are a band that never went out of style. Maybe because both bands have so much Chuck Berry DNA. The irresistible groove.

 

[Ray Baker]

Not my cup of tea, but these cats are still going strong. This video has nearly 3 million hits in less than 6 months.

Shew @Iron1 gotta agree not my cup of tea either, I didn't make one whole minute and had to bail but if they turn todays youth onto Led Zep.... Linda Perry has a lot of influence too she does Zeppelin covers I'd much rather listen to her.

 

[BftGibson]

In my weird world .. COC & Down,

seemed to have checked out in the late 90's

Always been in original bands & made more music than listened to..so most things are still fresh that i didn't burn out from 70's-80's FM radio, play heavier but listen to Miles Davis & Steely Dan & like to play motown.R&B on bass .. makes no sense..just like a variety of music..guess its all good to me..

 

[saxon68]

What one, when they passed by and away, gave full validity to: Rock is Dead

To me, my defining moment was always on Skid Row. I see them (even being not that great and with only about 2 hits) as the final curtain of real rock with the real attitude to boot.

Yous?

No "Alternative" welcome.

I was going to say Skid Row also.

have you seen the Snake Sabo Kramer that’s coming in April?

 

[Sapient]

Shew @Iron1 gotta agree not my cup of tea either, I didn't make one whole minute and had to bail but if they turn todays youth onto Led Zep.... Linda Perry has a lot of influence too she does Zeppelin covers I'd much rather listen to her.

They do well for the times for sure. Of course, they are essentially a young Zeppelin, and honestly I don't think they'd even expect too much credit for who they are. I mean who are they?? They do Zeppelin in every way so well that us old dudes eat it up. Forget The Song Remains the Same ...go see Gretta!

I think they are a great throwback act that sounds excellent because they do it so well.

I was going to say Skid Row also.

have you seen the Snake Sabo Kramer that’s coming in April?

No ...didn't. ??

I'm really not a big fan, and what was then, was then. I just think they were the last relevant hard rock/metal band to be successful and relevant to the genre, indiscriminately.

I do remember Snake was an awesome lyricist. He wrote all the words to their songs.