classic rock hasn’t been on top but rocks been in the top charts up until the mid 2010s or so. imo it’s an angst driven phenomenon that coincides with generations so especially with the recent climate it’ll be back in the top mainstream charts again.

This was more popular than most early rock and roll.
This charted higher than Hendrix.
This charted higher than the Sex Pistols.
This charted higher than Nirvana.
Even a rock heavy year like 1994, this was still the highest selling, most played song.

Rock is almost never as popular as pop, never has been. Might get a couple of singles up there, but more years than not, the top of the charts are usually dominated by pop or easy listening.

Difference between rock and pop is pop does better at the time, but good rock stays forever. Rock is just as important now as it ever was.

I believe that ROCK is making a comeback - My music show is gaining traction here in SW Florida and we just launched a streaming channel that showcases unsigned bands and indie artists that has been going gangbusters - currently on ROKU - search streaming channels for Sunset Island Cafe - we will be migrating over the next year to the other services like Firestick, APPLETV

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I think it's better off not being on top. The thing is, when you're super-popular, every record label will try to control you and milk you for as much money as possible before they throw you in the trash. All the good things in rock happened despite its popularity, not because of it, by artists fighting for the right to experiment against record labels who cared only for the bottom line.

By not being as popular, there's less pressure on rock. There's more space to experiment and try things, more room to manoeuvre that it didn't have when it was a cash cow. Record labels want a guaranteed money-making formula. When grunge hit it big, they just rushed to sign post-grunge bands that could duplicate the sound in the idea that it would just continue being big forever.

There's a reason for the old saying "Rock n roll will never die"

50 years? Lol

Rock is second in streaming behind Hip Hop and that has held constantly for many years. Rock never dies. It’s just media who talk about it being dead.

https://musicalpursuits.com/music-streaming/

People seem under the misconception that at one time you could turn on the radio and hear nothing but rock on every station.

That world never existed.

Yeah. I like to remind people Sha Na Na also played Woodstock. 😂

No. A basis of rock is blues. These folks drove the blues music into the ground to the point where it has restricted them. Even us guitar players make fun of it now. The new rock will shed it's blues roots I think and be more unrecognizable. I see a great shift in poplarity and influence in stuff that is clearly very rock based but has shedded its blues basis, bands like Infected Mushroom, Meshuggah. Sorry but I am under the impression Greta Van Fleet and Ghost are just boomer bait and not meaningful contributions to movement at all. The existence of Jack Black and that popularity is a sign it the old ways of "classic rock" became a parody of itself. You will also be able to see a huge growth in more creative means to this end since now entire studios can fit on your lap.

The early days of rock are clear and they were blues based they beat it into the ground and now the direction is being taken many different places.

I am not a historian but am a huge music fan and musician who plays music from before written history to now. People do a thing, then someone else comes along and does it extremely well so everyone likes that, then everyone does that, over saturation occurs then people use those same methods but to meet a different end as a rejection of what was done before. Those people who do it as a rejection do it extremely well and the cycle repeats. Like the spirit of classical music rock won't die but it may become unrecognizable to its former self

That means it dies though. These are just cycles though so I am just saying when oversaturation occurs to its own detriment. You go too mainstream and it runs the risk of becoming a joke like blues guitarists or glam metal along with at the same time obscuring creative artists who will be influencing the next wave

This is on point

If you listen to electronic you can find ROCK out there - open your mind

There's a reason why pop music is called pop music, but in all honesty, here in NZ, rock is hugely popular. The Rock 93fm is massive, and I don't know any people who don't listen to rock. Just like fashion; while all the attention is on bizarre garments being worn on runways, blue jeans are still the go-to for most.