Since the late 1980s, classic rock seems to have come and went. In the ‘80s, the music style was still going strong with groups like Queen, The Eagles, AC/DC and Van Halen dominating the music scene so heavily that it seemed like rock would live forever in the music world.
It’s 2018, and where the heck is that old-time rock ‘n’ roll? The older acts are still here continuing to draw crowds to stadiums, but it seems like there’s nothing that truly succeeds the rockers of yesteryear.
The truth? Classic rock style is still here; it’s just been spread out. It’s spread thin, but it’s here.
Now, it’s true that there are not many widely accessible bands that have the “sound” of the old days in their material, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. In fact, if any group could claim to be the illegitimate child of Led Zeppelin, it would be without a doubt, Greta van Fleet. It’s frankly terrifying how much Greta Van Fleet sounds like Led Zeppelin, and I often catch myself confusing their songs. Although they wear their influence on their sleeve, it’s a sleeve that fits perfectly.
While a band like Greta van Fleet won’t shy away from parading their inspirations around like a party float, other groups and even entire genres try subtly to infuse classic rock sounds into their acts. Country music has definitely not shied away from this, with singers like Chris Stapleton moving away from the “twang” of traditional country and opting closer to something that sounds like if Eric Clapton grew up in Tennessee. In the same vein as country, folk artists like Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats bring an energy and rock sound that sounds strangely familiar but hard to pin down.
What about modern rock, you say? Has it affected at all? Well, yes, but the truth is, rock has divided into God knows how many different subgenres since the early 90s that it would be nearly impossible to group them all together. Heavy metal and hard rock took the power and strength of old rock and formed a genre in and of themselves, while other styles like punk and pop rock try to balance the power of instruments with meaningful lyrics. No matter how you look at it, the world of modern rock has permanently splintered.
I’m not saying rock is dead; it’s far from it in fact. I just think we should accept that the old style of rock is all but gone. But while we may not ever have another Queen or Led Zeppelin, we can relish in the idea that those groups paved the way for the music we have now. Perhaps we don’t need another group like them. We just need to acknowledge the excellent bands we have now, and appreciate what the geezers from the glory days did for us then.
Jack Gleckler is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jack by tweeting him at @thejackgleckler.
