Is Rock Dead?

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The line "Is Rock Dead?" is one that has been repeated over and over since early 2010. Dumb articles use it to get outraged rock fans to click and read further. But everyone has noticed hip hop's take over of the charts. The current Hot 100 charts have The Weekend's "Blinding Lights" (R&B) at number 1 then Drake's "Toosie Slide" (Hip-Hop) at number 2 followed by Roddy Rich's "The Box" (Hip-Hop) at number 3. While the top 3 is a pretty exclusive club, there isn't a song considered rock by Billboard charting until #23 which is "Level Of Concern" by Twenty One Pilots.
While rock no longer dominates the charts, does that mean it's dead? Of course not. A genre doesn't have to be charting and performing at the highest level for it to be alive. Alternative and indie music by definition is not well performing on the charts but it's not a dead genre by any means. There are many new indie and alternative releases every week. The same goes for rock. Rock music has seen a number of big releases including The New Abnormal (2020) by The Strokes just two weeks ago. This album debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200 which is not bad by any means but isn't exactly chart topping.
However, it is proof that great rock releases are still coming out in 2020. I believe rock going away from the charts and further into the underground and indie scene is good for fans of the genre. We are seeing more bands making more artistic, boundary-pushing albums now that they're not in the spotlight. 

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