The lack of representation in rock music.

[Blue Is the Opposite of Blue]

This is something I've always been aware of but never actually been well-versed in to raise a discussion.

Where is the representation in rock music?

Looking at the past in a vacuum it seems the classic rock bands were all male and all white (Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Velvet Underground (minus Nico), The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd) but for a couple of exceptions (Talking Heads, Pixies, My Bloody Valentine).

Now that I can sort of forgive: they were different times at major industries (as we're all very much aware of thanks to Yewtree), society hadn't come that far from the 1950s and few things we're educated in now were relatively new concepts.

But now it's 2014. In society we recognise racism, sexism and homophobia as the abhorrent things they are, and yet the mainstream rock industry still screams of all three. When I say "mainstream" I do just mean the top 100 singles.

Rock music today is the closest to sanitized pop it's ever been. Arctic Monkeys are the biggest rock band in the world right now, arguably, and I'd argue that they're not even making rock music. Alex Turner himself said 90's R&B was a huge influence on the record. I mean, that's fine, it's great when rock bands recognise their influences. But it's just too safe.

You look a little deeper and you find Jake Bugg, Kasabian and Mumford & Sons. All male, all white. So my question is, where the fuck is the representation in rock music? Where are the all-female rock bands on the charts who aren't referred to as "gimmicks"? HAIM are doing pretty well for themselves, but isn't that just sanitized pop as well? Where are the black lead singers in rock bands? Or are they just being shuffled into a "UK Bass and hip hop" corner designed by Radio 1Xtra, only to be shit on by Ed Sheeran?

There's plenty going on in the underground to make me calm enough, but on top of the pile there's too much of the same going on. There's a lack of variety all over the shop. Am I wrong? I've not listened to the radio in years, so I very well could be. But I dunno, I reckon there's a problem.

 

[-dabz-]

In a business that values style over content and promotes utter shit based purely on looks and image it's no surprise.
The music biz is as corrupt and bent as it gets.
It's nothing more than a sausage machine of shit. If you don't fit into some sort of pigeon hole you've got no chance.

 

[Challenger1978]

This is something I've always been aware of but never actually been well-versed in to raise a discussion.

Where is the representation in rock music?

Looking at the past in a vacuum it seems the classic rock bands were all male and all white (Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Velvet Underground (minus Nico), The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd) but for a couple of exceptions (Talking Heads, Pixies, My Bloody Valentine).

Now that I can sort of forgive: they were different times at major industries (as we're all very much aware of thanks to Yewtree), society hadn't come that far from the 1950s and few things we're educated in now were relatively new concepts.

But now it's 2014. In society we recognise racism, sexism and homophobia as the abhorrent things they are, and yet the mainstream rock industry still screams of all three. When I say "mainstream" I do just mean the top 100 singles.

Rock music today is the closest to sanitized pop it's ever been. Arctic Monkeys are the biggest rock band in the world right now, arguably, and I'd argue that they're not even making rock music. Alex Turner himself said 90's R&B was a huge influence on the record. I mean, that's fine, it's great when rock bands recognise their influences. But it's just too safe.

You look a little deeper and you find Jake Bugg, Kasabian and Mumford & Sons. All male, all white. So my question is, where the fuck is the representation in rock music? Where are the all-female rock bands on the charts who aren't referred to as "gimmicks"? HAIM are doing pretty well for themselves, but isn't that just sanitized pop as well? Where are the black lead singers in rock bands? Or are they just being shuffled into a "UK Bass and hip hop" corner designed by Radio 1Xtra, only to be shit on by Ed Sheeran?

There's plenty going on in the underground to make me calm enough, but on top of the pile there's too much of the same going on. There's a lack of variety all over the shop. Am I wrong? I've not listened to the radio in years, so I very well could be. But I dunno, I reckon there's a problem.

Your not going to get much variety in a genera that died on its arse badly over a decade ago.

I blame Simon Cowell for that btw.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

I suspect the vast majority of the public buying 'rock music' records are male and white.
The public get what the public wants.....

 

[dazdon]

The public have been sold the X factor genre and they will (In general) have nothing other than what's given to them.

Apart from a few free thinkers most of todays teens are Susan Boyle loving youtube addicted mimics who spend more time liking what everyone else likes to even notice.

Rap is mainly black and rock is mainly white but rap is now mainstream whilst rock is deemed to be old hat ....many people don't think so.

The one problem i have with people who love the heavy rock scene is that they are so entrenched in the love for old groups who started the genre off and are unwilling to let go of the god like status given to them.

But personally I like Lenny Kravitz so go figure :-)

 

[Ancient Citizen]

In a business that values style over content and promotes utter shit based purely on looks and image it's no surprise.
The music biz is as corrupt and bent as it gets.
It's nothing more than a sausage machine of shit. If you don't fit into some sort of pigeon hole you've got no chance.

Then again, if you are shit and nobody wants to buy your music, it won't matter what colour/sex you are.

 

[Why Always Ste]

Yea, I dislike the tailor made music for me based on my age. How I'm told I should like this band because they are white, they support a Footy team (soccer am appearance) from a working class area, and they wear similar clothes to me.

I respect many forms of music but a lot of it is just too image concerned rather than message/politically driven

 

[nijinsky's fetlocks]

Women and minority groups have always been under represented in rock music, but as others have alluded to that's hardly a surprise when the majority of record label bosses are white males, and the record-buying demographic has traditionally been white kids fed a diet of boybands and photogenic but talentless gimmicky dross.
That said, I've seen Courtney Barnett, Anna Calvi, PJ Harvey, Savages and The Joy Formidable this year, so there are some women breaking through the glass ceiling, albeit not near enough.

 

[tidyman]

The public have been sold the X factor genre and they will (In general) have nothing other than what's given to them.

Apart from a few free thinkers most of todays teens are Susan Boyle loving youtube addicted mimics who spend more time liking what everyone else likes to even notice.

I think you underestimate a lot of young people. My 15 year old went through the Bieber/ 1D faze a couple of years ago but now she actually listens to the music rather than just looking at who's singing it, she and her mates are into a whole wide range of different stuff.

She hates the X Factor and all that shit. She listens to stuff as varied as Marilyn Manson and The 1975. I've seen her listening to Public Image and Elvis Presley in the last couple of months.

When we were young, if you wanted to listen to anything but the charts on the radio, you had to buy the records.

Now in this digital age where you can listen to virtually any song that's ever been recorded at a press of a button, young people can take advantage. And a lot of them do just that. They aren't all brainwashed into listening to what Simon Cowell tells them to.

 

[dazdon]

The public have been sold the X factor genre and they will (In general) have nothing other than what's given to them.

Apart from a few free thinkers most of todays teens are Susan Boyle loving youtube addicted mimics who spend more time liking what everyone else likes to even notice.

I think you underestimate a lot of young people. My 15 year old went through the Bieber/ 1D faze a couple of years ago but now she actually listens to the music rather than just looking at who's singing it, she and her mates are into a whole wide range of different stuff.

She hates the X Factor and all that shit. She listens to stuff as varied as Marilyn Manson and The 1975. I've seen her listening to Public Image and Elvis Presley in the last couple of months.

When we were young, if you wanted to listen to anything but the charts on the radio, you had to buy the records.

Now in this digital age where you can listen to virtually any song that's ever been recorded at a press of a button, young people can take advantage. And a lot of them do just that. They aren't all brainwashed into listening to what Simon Cowell tells them to.

She might be one of the aforementioned free thinkers m8

It's not a coincidence that pap rules in the world of pop right now.