Real Talk
Let’s get one thing straight, “pop” isn’t all garbage. It has its moments too. But too often, we hear a bunch of earworms that radio stations keep shoving into our faces almost every hour then after a few months, they’re never heard of again. Nevertheless, we can still come up with a list of pop tunes which fall under the category of “pretty good and not trashy.”
But let’s be real, rock will always be superior. And even the greatest pop songs cannot hold a candle to it. That’s a fact – everyone should just deal with it.
10. Band members play real instruments
Kind of stating the obvious, but look at Led Zeppelin and The Beatles, they were the best in what they do and each member was a master of his own musical instrument. Most of them are multi-instrumentalists too. If Katy Perry can match at least one of them, then we can talk.
9. The artists write their own songs, sometimes without help from anyone outside the band
Here’s an example – Beyoncé’s “Run the World” where she sings “Who run the world? Girls!” for over 25 times was written by six people while the epic masterpiece “Bohemian Rhapsody” was created by only one man – Freddie Mercury.
8. There’s no place for auto-tune in rock
Because most rock singers actually have stellar voices, adding some touch-ups would be an insult.
7. More about music, less about money
The most ardent classic rock fans frown upon sellouts – sure, breaking into mainstream is an accomplishment but at the very core, it’s still about what kind of music they want to make and not which ones sell.
6. People remember rock legends
Even today’s kids wear shirts with Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath logos. Decades from now, we doubt if anyone will still remember Nicki Minaj let alone her songs.
5. Rockstars take every performance seriously and push themselves harder
Get this – Justin Bieber cancelled a series of concerts because of “spiritual awakening”. Meanwhile, Mick Jagger at 74 can still out-perform anyone on stage.
4. Rockstars achieve fame through their music and not how they look like
It goes without saying that Robert Plant looking like a god sent to earth is a bonus but when it comes to rock, appearances don’t even matter. We can’t say the same for popstars who like to show off practically everything.
3. Rock album covers are definite works of art
Some even deserve to be displayed in the museum.
2. Rockstars sound way better live
Popstars rely more on theatrics and special effects (even mascots) during their concerts to compensate for their sub-par performance. Rockstars know how to put on a great show with nothing but pure talent and showmanship. Most fans always leave in awe.
1. Rock ‘n roll will live on
Sure, rock may not be as popular nowadays but with mediocre songs both on the radio and on TV, it will surely experience resurgence. Twenty or fifty years from now, people will still be singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” or playing “Stairway to Heaven” and some kids will still blast “Highway to Hell” on their speakers. We lost many rockstars already but at the end of the day, their music will live on.