Is the lack of new, catchy guitar riffs to blame for the gradual death of rock?

rock is dead

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It's seldom that I hear a worthwhile guitar riff anymore these days

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where are you listening?

Rock is dead for two reasons:
1. because it doesn't "rock" hard enough for the meatheads to listen to it. Most of it now is indi pop that sounds like 80s underground techno or 70s singer/songwriter folk rock. The meatheads are now listening to older metal, nickelback, or bro country. Most rock these days feels very subdued, rather than raucus and out of control. A great example of what I mean would be comparing a good live Soul Rebels brass band show to a recording of the Preservation Hall Jazz band performing "Dinah". Both are great, but each have different appeals. Rock these days is either recycled garbage, or beautiful, but unexciting Dinah. It rarely makes you feel like a bullet proof badass anymore (Think rolling down the street in a 69 Camero blaring "Hair of the Dog"). Gangsta rap and hip/hop now is the primary musical manufacturer of that feeling for most teens and young adults.

2. because hot white girls can't/won't dance to it. In the bar and entertainment industry, the number one demographic is attractive white women between 18-35. Get them to come and the others will follow. That demographic loves music they can dance to. Rock in the 21st century rarely provides that, red dirt country, pop, and hip/hop does. Bars book bands based on who they can draw. Men go where the women are. Women go where they can dance. Bring in the women and the rest will follow. Rock doesn't bring in the women, country and pop does. Original music is thus stifled and stymied at the local level because it has trouble drawing patrons for bars. Knowing this, major record labels and radio stations play it safe with tried and true, unoffensive music, which isn't original, isn't cool, and surely doesn't "rock".

Phantom Limb - Alice In Chains

Withered Delilah

In Due Time - Killswitch

Beyond the Down - BLS

The entire new Sabbath album

Check out "Loner". You'll be tapping your foot. Guitar solo is perfect example of less is more.

I agree with you. Guitar riffage is less accessible now than it ever has been. The blues groove bands of the 70's like Zep, Skynyrd, Allman Bros, Aerosmith, ZZ Top and AC/DC up through the 80's hair metal and shredders were all very mainstream. There are great riffs out there all over the place, it's just not getting played anymore. The "rock" stations dont play rock music and the only way to get hard rock/metal consistently is through satellite radio. Well, someone that would have satellite radio would more than likely know exactly what they like and would be more musically inclined than the average music listener that's getting spoonfed crap everyday. The mainstream people that would have dug mainstream rock bands in the 80's are now getting fed bro country which suprisingly has alot of guitar riffage pushing into the pop-rock genre with hee-haw chickenshit lyrics.

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It's seldom that I hear a worthwhile guitar riff

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Wo Fat, Orange Goblin, Lo Pan, Truckfighters, The Atomic Bitchwax, Fu Manchu, Spiritual Beggars, Vista Chino, Texas Hippie Coalition, Weedpecker, Sasquatch, Monster Magnet, Kadaver, & Cluch all say "Hey There, Big Fella".....and that's just a smattering of all the current great 'riff rock' out there to be heard.

quote:

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It's seldom that I hear a worthwhile guitar riff anymore

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Black Keys
Muse
Jack White
Modest Mouse
QOTSA
Avenged Sevenfold

have all put out fantastic guitar riffs in the past couple years

rock isn't dead, nor will it be. however, it's become a smaller helping on the average person's plate. more than ever, there are so many entertainment options to choose from. yet, music execs still seem baffled that people are apathetic about paying $10-15 for a digital download, despite the physical product having cost that same amount for years....until the biz comes up with a better business model for the here & now, it's no wonder people are spreading their money around on other things.