Gene Simmons Nonetheless Spewing Outdated Theories on Why Rock Is Useless

Right here we go… once more! KISS‘ Gene Simmons has dug his 7-inch platform heels into the filth some extra and reiterated to Metallic Hammer in a brand new interview that rock is useless as a result of the followers killed it. It has been virtually a decade of slagging off rock’s success, mistaking it for useless, and sufficient is sufficient — let’s debunk Simmons’ ridiculous and outdated theories.

“I stand by my phrases: rock is useless,” Simmons instructed the long-running heavy metallic outlet and once more assigned blame to the followers.

“The folks that killed it are followers. Followers killed the factor they cherished by downloading and file sharing free of charge. How do you anticipate anyone who loves the guitar to return into this inventive course of? You’ve bought to invent your self. And so rock is useless,” the KISS bassist and co-vocalist expressed.

Why That Declare Is Bogus

Simmons gave this interview prematurely of a headlining look on the Obtain Competition within the U.Ok. in June, the place over 100,000 FANS are anticipated to point out as much as watch… who? A bunch of rock and metallic bands, that is who.

And if they don’t seem to be shopping for music the way in which they used to (20-plus years in the past — is something the identical because it was 20 years in the past?), then the one reasonable manner for an artist to generate severe income could be via dwell efficiency.

The followers are the rationale rock continues to be thriving as quite a few stadium excursions have launched lately, one thing that felt unimaginable since Simmons first proclaimed that rock was useless eight years in the past. Followers are even shelling out exorbitant quantities of money for one live performance ticket now as Stay Nation comes beneath rising scrutiny for unsavory enterprise practices which have primarily held followers financially hostage, compelled to pay upwards of $1,000 for a single live performance ticket or left with the choice of staying residence.

DISCLAIMER: Later within the interview, Simmons did acknowledge the significance of shopping for a live performance ticket with the intention to assist artists and their highway crew members survive and feed their households. He instantly adopted it up by once more focusing on followers for killing rock, nevertheless.

Additionally, music followers shifted away from unlawful music downloading fairly a very long time in the past and that has largely transitioned towards on-demand companies, corresponding to YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, Amazon Prime Music, Bandcamp… you get the purpose. Music is obtainable at subscription charges in numerous locations, although it’s value acknowledging the royalty charges artists are paid for streams are fairly piddly.

Positive, pirating music cratered album gross sales, however what is commonly omitted of this dialogue is that CD costs had soared to absurdly grasping totals of practically $20 per album within the early 2000s.

Complaining about unlawful music downloading in 2022 is excruciatingly outdated and, if something, indicators that Simmons has merely did not adapt to adjustments within the business or simply stubbornly refuses to. It is a tad befuddling as a result of KISS, musically, at all times made certain to maintain up with the instances. That is how we bought a success disco tune in 1979, in any case. Even the return-to-their-roots sound of late profession albums have been completely in step with developments for bands who have been in comparable levels of their careers.

For such savvy businessmen, why have not KISS been in a position to weaponize the fashionable music local weather for optimum profit? Positive, blame it on the followers, that is the straightforward manner out…

Again to Gene Simmons for Extra…

“Level to a brand new look. I performed this recreation earlier than and it bears noting, rock continues to be useless. From 1958 till 1988, 30 years, proper? You bought Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and on and on. Motown. You’ve got the surf factor and the Seashore Boys, the British invasion – tons of of bands. The Hollies are hardly talked about, they’re an excellent band. Disco stuff, Madonna, Prince, [David] Bowie, all that nice stuff. You had the heavy bands Metallica and Iron Maiden, all that stuff in these 30 years. Everlasting music and bands,” Simmons went on.

Once more, remaining wholly blind to the final three many years of profitable rock music and working beneath the false presumption that rock music had a finite finish within the late ’80s, he defined, “However from 1988 till at this time, who’s the brand new Beatles? BTS? There isn’t any denying BTS are world well-known. However am I going to kind a storage band to do these songs? No. I believe they’re well-crafted {and professional}, however One Route and NSYNC and all of the boy bands don’t change the world. It simply makes little women hearts flutter after which they’re gone. That does not have gravitas. Influential bands, that make anyone need to decide up a guitar, discover ways to play songs and be in a band do not exist, as a result of you possibly can’t make a residing.”

Why That Declare Is Additionally Bogus

Appearing like the one good music that ever existed solely got here from the period whenever you have been younger is likely to be the stupidest argument in rock and metallic.

Soungarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Software, Religion No Extra, Purple Scorching Chili Peppers, Inexperienced Day, Foo Fighters, Disturbed, Nickelback, Linkin Park and, as of extra just lately, Ghost and Machine Gun Kelly have all risen to famous person ranges of success in rock music, every having an incredible affect and affect on new artists. Not the whole lot has to sound like “Hoochie Coochie Man” to be influential, Gene.

Many of those bands have loved large Billboard 200 chart success during the last couple of years as properly, which proves that rock nonetheless harnesses the facility to dominate the charts. Rock bands might not have a gold album inside every week anymore, however if you happen to’re within the High 5 and even No. 1, it means you’re among the many better of everybody on the market. What extra do you want? Hell, the Chili Peppers notched practically 100,000 album equal gross sales within the first week after the discharge of their new Limitless Love album to say the highest spot on the Billboard 200.

After demanding that bands “invent themselves,” it is a contradictory and silly factor to then ask the place the following Beatles are. There’ll by no means be one other Beatles and that’s advantageous — all of us have to cease residing with the expectation of getting one other Beatles or one other Metallica or one other Led Zeppelin. It is all rearview mirror ambitions and the refusal to acknowledge that this music can transfer ahead and alter and evolve is a part of what’s “killing” rock compared to different genres who do not shun new artists in favor of listening to “Rock and Roll All Nite” for the 8,000th time.

The Beatles arose throughout a time the place there wasn’t a wealthy historical past of recorded music to attract from and recording know-how was nonetheless in a developmental state. That band broke floor through the use of new recording methods and the identical sentiment may be held for artists at this time who’ve change into adept at residence recording via using plug-ins and patches.

Artists must also drop the entitled expectation that making music is meant to be an absurdly profitable profession. Maybe these so-called golden many years of being in a band have been the exception and never the rule. Anybody who was lucky sufficient to catch that wave ought to be grateful it ever occurred in any respect as an alternative of being bitter that it is not the usual anymore.

Conclusion

Simmons’ conceited refusal to just accept simply how properly various issues are going for rock artists at this time is perhaps indicative that his personal model of rock ‘n’ roll has seen higher days, and never that rock on the entire is useless.

Quite a lot of rock’s elders are doing simply advantageous with album gross sales and chart success, so why hasn’t the supposed “hottest band on the earth” put out a brand new album since 2012?

Put up or shut up.