Gene Simmons thinks rock ‘n’ roll is “still dead” because “who are the new Beatles?”
Gene Simmons has declared that rock ‘n’ roll is “still dead,” citing the absence of new icons today who can rival the legendary status of The Beatles.
In a recent appearance on The Zak Kuhn Show, the Kiss bassist discusses rock music’s apparent decline, asking the tough question: “Who are the new Beatles?”
Simmons’ comments arrive as part of a broader conversation about the shifting tides of popular music. He points to the period from 1958 to 1988 where iconic figures like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Prince and more dominated the airwaves.
During this era, rock was the undisputed king of the music world. But, according to Simmons, that golden era came to an end in the late ’80s, and the genre has yet to produce a new generation-defining act on the level of The Beatles.
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“It is [still dead]. And people don’t understand how I can say that,” he says [via Blabbermouth]. “What I mean is… from 1958 until 1988, that’s 30 years… It was a very, very rich musical menu. It could go up and down,” the bassist explains. “[But] from 1988 until today, it’s something like almost 40 years, certainly 35 years. Who are the new Beatles?”
When host Zak Kuhn suggests Nirvana, Simmons dismisses the idea, arguing that while he is a “major fan”, the younger generation doesn’t have the same level of recognition for the band.
“If you walked down the street and asked a 20-year-old ‘Who’s the bass player in Nirvana?’, they wouldn’t know what you’re talking about,” he says. “Everybody knew The Beatles. Even if you hated rock music, you knew about them.”
Simmons goes on to tell a story about his son, Nick, encountering a young woman wearing a Rolling Stones T-shirt but not knowing anything about the band, even when he mentioned their most famous hits. He used this as an example of the growing generational gap in music knowledge.
“He said, ‘You’ve never heard of Mick Jagger?’ And she said, ‘Mick Jagger? Oh yeah, yeah. I heard…’ What I’m about to tell you, my hand to God, is true. No exaggeration. She goes, ‘Mick Jagger. Oh, yeah, the serial killer.’ Anything you think is commonplace that the masses know, they don’t. Very few things everybody knows.”
“My point is if you randomly walk down the street and you ask the first young person you meet and you say, ‘Name me anybody in Pearl Jam,’ good luck with that,” Simmons continues. “You and I are blinded because we’re very close to it.”
He adds that “fame itself is the ultimate reward”, noting how “not everybody loves Jesus either” but “that’s not the point”: “Everybody’s not gonna like you, but they know you,” he says.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
