Rock n’ roll legend, Gene Simmons, has expressed that the genre of true rock n’ roll has died. Simmons said in a feature with Esquire magazine,

“The point is, yeah, rock is dead because if we play the game from 1958 until 1988, which is 30 years, you had Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones, Pink Floyd, and you can go to the heavy part of it, which is Metallica, Maiden…It’s like sugar: you taste it, it gives you that little energy boost, and then it’s gone forever and you don’t care, but don’t kid yourself, it ain’t The Beatles, they (modern bands) don’t write songs, they don’t play instruments, it ain’t that.”

Simmons went on to express how the creation of boy bands, like NSYNC and One Direction, create a short-term fan base that eventually dissipates as fans age. He said that newer artists don’t write their songs, instrumentals, or use instruments anymore in today’s music scene.

By the start of the 1990s, a new sub-genre of rock was birthed into what we know as grunge today. Bands like Nirvana, Sound Garden, and Pearl Jam skyrocketed up the charts with their unique brand of music.

What garnered their fanbase was how relatable their songs were, creating a one-of-a-kind relationship with fans. Many Nirvana songs catered to themes like substance abuse and mental health as their lead singer, Kurt Cobain, used songwriting as a poetic outlet to tell his personal story.

In the 90s, talking about your mental health or even going against societal norms in any way were seen as taboo. Rock did not change in that period but evolved into something that fit in with the norms of the younger generation of the 90s.

During the height of bands like KISS, their music described the classic mantra of rock, “sex, drugs and rock n’ roll.” Simmons seems to have wanted the party imagery of rock to have lasted, but because it didn’t, he has a distaste for what it has come to be.

Connecting the statement of how current rock artists are utilizing computers in their music during the production process, that is correct except they are using it to enhance the experience when listening to their music. By smashing the sounds of live instruments with a DJ, it does just that.

Nü Metal bands like Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, incorporated elements of hip-hop into their music, creating a sound that was quite wild for the early 2000s. Linkin Park’s album Hybrid Theory did just that when it became the best-selling debut album, defeating Guns N Roses’s Appetite For Destruction, selling 32 million copies worldwide. The album also became a certified 12x Platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America.

In more recent times, the sound of classic rock from the 60s and 70s has begun a resurgence with bands like Greta van Fleet and Canadian duo, Crown Lands, channeling the sounds of Rush and Led Zeppelin for a modern audience.

With their two most recent albums Battle at Gardens Gate and Anthem of the Peaceful Army, Greta van Fleet has brought a new light to progressive rock.  Many of their songs incorporate Shakespearian lyrics, telling enthralling storylines with strong messages behind them as well.

Crown Lands continues the Canadian legacy of Rush by featuring songs that are around 18 minutes long with different melodic progressions ranging from fast to slow. They also have infused similar sci-fi concepts, like Rush’s 2112 album, by taking listeners on a space odyssey adventure. 

Lastly, emerging artist Scarlet House has been doing the same as Greta van Fleet and Crown Lands, by incorporating the sounds of alternative and grunge sounds of the 90s.

Scarlet House’s Slowing Down has an ominous aura to it with the reverb on the vocals giving it a hauntingly beautiful sound. The instrumentals of the guitar, with the added distortion give it that same classical grunge feel, the same way the Foo Fighters’ Everlong did when it was released.

That statement by Simmons disregards the effort and work current rock bands have put into establishing and creating a name for themselves and also younger fans who appreciate the music for what it means to them in a modern setting.

Rock n’ roll in the 21st century has never been more alive. Many have received countless accolades and awards for producing amazing music and even breaking industry records with album sales.

So, no rock n’ roll is definitely not dead.