Introduction
Nowadays, people are heavily exposed to pop, rap, and electronic music. In the past, the genre that dominated the world was classic rock. Classic rock is still played today, as exemplified by the radio station called 94.9 FM. Classic rock began in the mid-1960s and continued until the late 1980s. The musicians that ruled the charts were The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Queen.
The Influence of Classic Rock
Although classic rock isn't the biggest music genre around anymore, it still influences a lot of today's music. Many people say that classic rock's "time of fame" is the best musical period in history. Of course, these people are huge fans of this genre, and there are other opinions about it. A lot of people think that rock music glorifies violence and drugs, but this is only a misconception. What I am getting at is that there are different opinions about the genre that changed the music industry, whether positively or negatively. In this essay, I will discuss the evolution of classic rock, a very popular music genre.
The Criticism of Classic Rock
There are many people who believe that classic rock is a bad genre to listen to. The reason why people say that is that it has mature themes, such as violence, sex, and drugs. In the article entitled "Rock 'n' roll as a bad influence: Can music be responsible for driving many people toward life in the fast lane?", Victoria Jaffe explores how rock music is a bad influence on people. She argues that there are innuendos in the titles of rock songs and albums. According to Victoria Jaffe, sex is not simply sung about, it is advocated. Rock songs, like "Let's Spend the Night Together" by the Rolling Stones and "Ten Seconds to Ecstasy" by Motley Crue, talk about sex and drugs. This is why rock music is labeled as a bad influence. Furthermore, rock bands practice what they sing about. For example, Ozzy Osbourne was addicted to sex and drugs. He ruined his life and disappointed his fans. I say this because people look up to their idols and want to do whatever their idols do.
Drug Use in Rock Music
A music festival where drug use was rampant was Woodstock. This was where the prominent names of rock 'n' roll would meet up and play music. Woodstock was a festival in the state of New York. The venue was one of the largest areas where drugs were used, and the performers were rock artists who promoted the crazy life caused by drug use. According to Fox News, the drugs that were used by the audience were LSD, amphetamines, heroin, and marijuana. The drugs weren't only used at the concert but also in other places.
Sex Addiction in Rock Music
Another bad thing about rock music is that it makes people think that it is okay to be addicted to sex. Like stated above, rock bands would praise sex, singing about sex and including it in the titles of songs. Not only did rock stars just sing about sex, some were actually addicted to it. According to Blabbermouth, Ozzy Osbourne talked about how his sex addiction was his worst addiction that he'd ever had. In an interview, Ozzy said, "My first wife divorced me because of my playing around. It's by far the worst addiction that I have. When I was drinking or doing drugs, I was affecting myself physically, but with the sex addiction, it affects everybody. It made me realize what a complete idiot I was." I think that sex and drug addiction is a problem that needs to be solved immediately.
The Authenticity of Rock Music
I believe that rock music is a good genre of music to listen to. This is because of the fact that the music is actually authentic. When I say this, I mean that there isn't anything else besides the instruments and singers. In today's music, there's a huge amount of computers doing the work; auto-tune is being used, and some genres, like electronic dance music, are entirely made by computers.
The Focus on Talent in Rock Music
Another reason why I like rock music is that rock artists are famous for the music that they write and sing, not their appearance. Other musicians need to have good looks in order to be successful, but the beautiful thing is that rock artists don't care about their appearance.
The Emotional Impact of Rock Music
Moreover, rock is a good genre to listen to because it has benefits that can truly help someone's life. According to Michael Collins of Odyssey, rock music evoke more emotions than pop songs. Rock music is more than about being happy, and actually it deals a lot with sadness. When rock artists sing about sadness, it actually can help people going through a tough time; these people can listen to rock music and overcome their depression. In other words, rock music can sometimes save lives.
The Diversity of Rock Music
The last thing that I like about rock music is that it has multiple sub-categories: metal, emo, pop punk, rock, jazz rock, and even rock rap.
Conclusion
Overall, many people dislike rock music. I get why people may not like it, but I don't think that this genre necessarily glorifies drugs, sex, and violence. That's not what rock is about. Every genre has flaws, just like how rap has too much auto-tune and how pop sounds repetitive. Like stated above, rock music also has its own benefits. It can be an escape for many people who are suffering. Once they look past its flaws, most people will realize that rock music is actually interesting.
Works Cited
Blabbermouth. “OZZY OSBOURNE Opens Up About His Sex Addiction: 'It's By Far The Worst Addiction That I Have'.” BLABBERMOUTH.NET, 17 June 2017, www.blabbermouth.net/news/ozzy-osbourne-opens-up-about-his-sex-addiction-its-by-far-the-worst-addiction-that-i-have/.
Collins, Michael. “The Benefits Of Listening To Rock Music.” The Odyssey Online, 27 Aug. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/benefits-listening-rock-music.
Jaffe, Victoria. “Rock 'n' Roll as a Bad Influence: Can Music Be Responsible for Driving Many People toward Life in the Fast Lane?” The Daily Collegian, 18 Mar. 1985, www.collegian.psu.edu/arts_and_entertainment/article_fbeabbd3-f1b7-544f-b270-db415242ffc0.html.
“1969 Fast Facts: Woodstock.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 19 July 2009, www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2009/07/19/fast-facts-woodstock.html.
