Last year saw the number of rock songs in the singles chart fall to its lowest level in half a century, with only three tracks appearing in the top 100 best selling hits in the UK. The percentage of rock songs plummeted from a sickly 13% in 2009 to a terminal 3%– far behind hip-hop/R'n'B at 47%, pop at 40% and dance 10%, according to figures from MusicWeek. Veteran DJ and "professor of pop" Paul Gambaccini said:
"It is the end of the rock era. It's over, in the same way the jazz era is over. That doesn't mean there will be no more good rock musicians, but rock as a prevailing style is part of music history.
The problem lays, in part, with short-sighted record labels investing less in the talent of the future and more in instantly profitable acts such as former X Factor stars. I feel sorry for rock artists today, because record labels have started chasing the quarter-term profit rather than long-term development."
How utterly depressing, to think that all we can look forward to is choreographed Ken & Barbies lip syncing to elevator music with as much musical talent as a cucumber. :-(
More on this interesting article at the Independent.
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