Rock is dead and young people don’t even know Pearl Jam, according to Gene Simmons

According to the Kiss musician, nothing revolutionary has emerged in music since 1988 and not even younger audiences know who Nirvana were

The rock gravedigger strikes again. Gene Simmons strengthened his old thesis that the musical style to which he himself belongs, with Kiss“is dead”. This time he also included big bands in the discussion.

In an interview with The Zak Kuhn show (go Chatty), the singer and bassist of the now defunct masked band was asked whether rock is “still dead” — in reference to the argument presented on several other occasions. The chatterbox (literally) assured yes and highlighted how the period between 1958 and 1988 brought with it many more musical icons than subsequent decades.

“People don’t understand how I can say this when we all have our favorite songs and bands. But let’s play a game. From 1958 to 1988, that’s 30 years. We had Elvis Presleywe had Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, David Bowie…in the world of ‘disco’, there was Madonna. On heavier guitars, AC/DC, Aerosmith and so on. And the artists of Motown at the same time. He had done it Prince. In the program, YES, Genesis, Gentle giant. And heavy groups like Led Zeppelin and so on. From 1988 to today is almost 40 years. Who are the new ones Beatles?”

The presenter of the channel mentioned the Nirvana. Simmons reiterated that he likes the band, but said younger people don’t even know them. And there was also a name mentioned in the previous answer.

“Stop. We’re blind. I’m a huge fan, but if I walked down the street and asked a 20-year-old ‘who’s the bassist for Nirvana?’, he wouldn’t know what you’re talking about.” Or ask, “Can you sing a Nirvana song?” Everyone knew the Beatles and, to a lesser extent, the Stones and Elvis. […] But years ago, my son saw a beautiful girl and tried to start a conversation. He was wearing the Rolling Stones T-shirt, the one with the tab. To start a conversation, he said, ‘Ah, so you’re a fan, huh?’. She asked what, he replied ‘the Sassi’ and she asked: ‘what is that?’. Even with him humming the riff of ‘Satisfaction’ and other songs he had never heard.”

How about Pearl Jam, Gene Simmons?

Wanting to disprove any other artists or groups that could be considered “the new Beatles”, Gene Simmons asked for two more names. The interviewer mentioned Pearl Jam AND Foo Fighters. The answer? “There’s no way”. He continues:

“I love Foo Fighters, I love those bands. Mike McCready [guitarrista do Pearl Jam] He told me he grew up listening to Kiss. One of his solos [‘Alive’] it was captured note for note Ace Frehley [guitarrista do Kiss, em ‘She’]. But the point is: if you randomly walk down the street and ask the first 20-year-old, “name someone or a Pearl Jam song or sing a song”… good luck. They can’t.”

According to the Kiss musician, both he and the author of the interview are “too close” to rock, which makes it difficult to judge. At the same time, he pointed out a piece of information that neither of them would know: who the prime ministers of England, France or Canada are.

Again from his point of view, Dave Grohl became “much more popular” than Pearl Jam and Nirvana themselves, the group he was part of before Foo Fighters. The reason? The artist has transcended the rock bubble.

“Younger people might know Dave because he’s done TV commercials and hung out with people outside of the guitar and concert world. That’s how you become an icon. Everyone knows who you are Snoop Doggbut other rap stars, not necessarily. Snoop is in the media, who he had an agenda with Martha Stewart. The fact is that the masses have no idea who is inside Phishone of my favorite bands, Pearl Jam.”

+++ READ MORE: Why fans killed the music industry, according to Gene Simmons

+++ READ MORE: The detail that made Gene Simmons feel excluded from rock circles

+++ READ MORE: The great Kiss hit that Gene Simmons always hated

Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.