As I embark on being the weekly Rock/Alternative writer for Barrett Media, I’ll start on a positive note by saying Rock is Back. “Rock & Roll” originated in the late ‘40s. While it has never been “gone,” there’s no denying the past 25 years weren’t exactly bursting at the seams with backstage parties and sheer mania like the world witnessed in the psychedelic ‘60s, super ‘70s, hairy ‘80s, or grungy ‘90s.
For simplicity’s sake, let’s use “Rock” as a blanket reference for common music or radio terminology that includes Rock, Alternative, Classic Rock, and other variations. It’s true that the Rock genre has many personalities: Plain Rock, Alternative, Classic, Emo, Grunge, Hard, Soft, Acoustic, Metal, Nu Metal, Doom, Glam/Hair, Corporate, Yacht, Punk, Psychedelic, Indie, Southern, Country, Folk, Pop, Progressive, Blues, Beach, Jazz, Garage, Acid, Pop, Rap, Deep Fried. Okay, I made that last one up, but there are more; I could have used up my allotted word count just trying to itemize them all, but they are all some form of Rock.
And. It’s. Back.
This is not a prediction that we’ll see Kendrick or Taylor shrink in popularity, nor guarantee that Marshall Stacks and Les Pauls will line the stage at next year’s Super Bowl. Although the big game will be held in Santa Clara, home to the 49ers, I’m hoping for (and betting on) Metallica, Green Day, or Journey (and the Broncos). It’s also not rhetoric to justify a weekly Rock/Alt column at Barrett Media. It’s just a matter of fact.
A few things to note:
The 2024 Luminate year-end report shows Rock ranked second in U.S. streaming (234 billion streams), only behind Rap and R&B (342 billion). Pop ranked third (165 billion), followed by Country (118 billion) and Latin (113 billion).
There are (or have been recently) huge tours selling out stadiums and arenas:
AC/DC, Linkin Park, Metallica, GNR, Radiohead, Disturbed, D’Mode, Coldplay, U2, Stones, Green Day, Blink, the Boss, and even ticket demand for nostalgic shows with acts like Creed, Nickelback, and Limp Bizkit are through the roof.
The Zeppelin doc (Becoming Led Zeppelin) and Dylan biopic (A Complete Unknown) both slayed expectations at the box office.
Rock remains a dominant genre in physical album sales, trailing only Jazz and World Music on the ranker.
Last month, Imagine Dragons – call them Rock, Alt, Pop Rock, Pop Alt, or whatever you choose – were the first band to ever be broadcast on the Moon.
Mega-bands like Linkin Park, Shinedown, Disturbed, Green Day, and Weezer continue to stay relevant and crank out great new music that is heavily consumed by diehard and new fans.
New-ish U.S. bands like Greta Van Fleet and Rival Sons are legit rock stars overseas, a reliable, historical barometer for what’s to come stateside.
There is a new Minecraft movie featuring lots of rock in the soundtrack, including LA’s own Dirty Honey and an all-star collab with Jack Black, Grohl, and others.
Bands relatively unknown by the masses, like Sleep Token and Ghost, are selling out arenas despite only minimal airplay.
A Technavio report says by 2028, the Guitar market will grow by 1.84 Billion. This trend started during the pandemic when an avalanche of guitar teens started showing up and blowing up by shredding solos on TikTok and IG.
Say what you will about our 47th President, but even his team, sensing what is happening, has jumped into the fray and is selling limited-edition MAGA Guitars.
At radio, we see many Rock, Classic and Alt brands moving tickets, units, driving streams, and standing tall with great ratings.
Rock continues to be a force in advertising and on soundtracks: “Master of Puppets’ rocketed to #1 after its appearance in Stranger Things, and “Whole Lotta Love” entered the digital songs chart after being in a Super Bowl ad this year.
It’s not just me saying “Rock is Back” at Pollstar Live later this month in Los Angeles; I’ll be repping radio on an industry-wide panel with the same theme.
And possibly the most important, but totally not important, date ahead for Rock this year is September 12th, the day Spinal Tap II is released. (I CAN’T believe Rob Reiner and Castle Rock didn’t choose 11.11. (IYKYK).
I could go on, but the KPIs for Rock are solid, and the collective genre is healthier than it’s been since Hip Hop stole its bling back when cell phones were the size of bricks.
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Keith Cunningham is a Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media, and the Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over 10 years. He’s been voted one of America’s Top 5 Program Directors in two formats by Barrett Media and one of America’s Best PDs by Radio Ink. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first, and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners. A self-described audience data and research nerd and advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, Keith is a fantasy football champion and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him here at LinkedIn and X. For non-KLOS questions or comments, reach him at Keith90405@gmail.com.
BOOM. Great piece Keith.
Thanks, Chuck. Hope you and the WMMR team are good.