what bands will truly stand the test of time?

Non-Phish General
#1

Is all music just a ‘fad’, and only pertinent to it’s place in time?

People always say that bands and their music will remain immortal and live on through eternity through the music they created. They will ‘live’ forever. But do you really believe that? I’d like to think I do… but really…I don’t. I mean, does anybody truly believe that bands and their music will last in longevity and truly remain relevant and popular to music lovers, even way down the timeline? Will we be able to pass on our musical favorites to our children, and they pass it down to their children and so on? Or will music that we currently love and listen to slowly fade away as the current trend of whatever is ‘hot’ takes over the limelight and push the former greats to the backburner and slowly to be forgotten?

I listen to lots of music that was created by bands long before I was even born. By doing that, I keep these bands ‘alive’ and ‘immortal’ to this point in time. However, if you look at today’s scene, most people prefer the bands that are new, and fresh, and cutting edge. Statistically speaking, very few people listen to the Grateful Dead as compared to Linkin Park. And this trend is nothing new. Even if you try to push your personnel favorite’s to the future generations, it is common practice for kids to naturally despise their parents music, and to be independent and pick their own music and bands. Look at how many kids know nothing about Led Zeppelin, but could name band after band that they love, according to whatever MTV is showing at the current time. Doesn’t this kind of evolution slowly push legendary older bands and their music one step closer to dormant and irrelevancy? (is that even a word?)

Take Elvis for example. How many of you actually own a Elvis album? I know I don’t. I know who he is, and have heard many of his songs, I even like and can really appreciate his music, but do i drive down the road and rock out to some Elvis? -no! And Elvis is known as the king of rock-n-roll, but how many 20 year olds do you think could name more than 3 Elvis songs? Elvis music is what, about a half a generation old in existence, and already the king is slowly fading away. Will he be remembered in another generation or two, perhaps he will for ‘inventing’ rock-n-roll, but I seriously doubt 200 years from now that hardly anyone will own a Elvis album and religiously listen to the king’s music.

What about the Beatles? Perhaps the biggest band in the history of music. Will the Beatles music truly last forever? I own a Beatles album, the white album. I listen to it on occasion, but not to the extent that I would if I thought they truly were ‘the biggest band in the history of music.’ Will the Beatles maintain their aura and respectable status 100, 200, 500 years from now? I don’t think they will.

What about bands like the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, and the great Bob Marley. Do you think some kid in the future year 3008 will be jammin’ out to some Bob? I sure hope so, but I’m not sure that I believe so? Is music only revolutionary and inspirational to those who hear it within a certain timeline of it’s existence, or will some legendary bands truly remain immortal and live on forever?

#2

Once Wyld Stallions starts up, there will be no need for anyone else.

#3

Meh…I don’t see your point. I own every Beatles album and a whole heap of Elvis. You can’t question that music’s ability to stick around. I don’t know what music from today is going to stand the test of time, but you can’t argue that the Beatles aren’t.

#4

#5

ah, c’mon goldenroad! -you don’t see my point? I wrote like a whole bunch of paragraphs trying to explain it! lol, but i might stand corrected. I completely forgot about Bill & ted! Doesn’t Marty mcFly play guitar too?

#6

^ Yeah, but that was like back in the 50s or something.

#7

^^^exactly my point. When he busted out Johnny B Goode at the prom, those people were astonished at wtf they were listening too. Not only can music not go forward in time, it can’t go backwards either!

#8

^Well, initially Marty never amounted to anything musically because he hit that Rolls Royce while drag racing with Needles. But he changed that, and left the future open, so perhaps. Maybe he joined the Wild Stallyns later on in the mix.

#9

yeah, but I bet you that Biff shows up at the Wild Stallyn’s 1st concert while Marty’s playing guitar and says,

“McFly! MCFLY!! your shoe’s untied MCFLY!”

Marty falls for it and looks down and…BAM!!! -Biff knocks him unconscious with a vicious bitch-slap

CONCERT OVER!!!

#10

i see your point, and i think that except for the relatively few true future-appreciators of old-ass music, most will have little to no idea who the legends of our times were. and that’s natural. it’s the nature of change. i mean, how much 19th century stuff do you listen to now? the stuff that preceded the blues, which preceded rock and roll and on down the line?

i’m currently in a “folk band”. i never thought i would be in such a band because music that i would define as “folk” was completely irrelevant to me. but through being in this band i’ve discoered some really great music that i wouldn’t have given the time of day a year ago. music that’s been largely forgotten by the masses, but is yet still “alive” among the few. so maybe the Grateful Dead or Elvis won’t be a houshold name in 100 years, but there will be the few keeping the flame going and that music might just hit the right set of ears and spawn a whole new future/past genre. in fact i’d bet on it. music is not only revolutionary, but evolutionary and nothing stays the same. it’s the name of the game to change. phish understood this better than anyone i think.

/opinion

#11

Okay, I guess I see your point, KR, but your point is based on a few assumptions that I disagree with…mainly that no one even listens to the Beatles or Elvis anymore. I listen to Vivaldi, Bach and Handle still and that music is around 400 years old. Many people do too; people that appreciate music.

There will always be people around who appreciate good music for being good music and not because it is the most recent “fad” in music. These people have never made up the majority of the population, and I’m quite certain they never will, but if there is just one person who is listening to Elvis in another 1000 years, I’ll consider that music to have survived. I’m sure 500 years ago, when people were actually listening to Bach perform his own concertos, there were many people saying “It’s good, but will it stand the test of time?”. I’m not saying that Bach’s music is going to still be played all over the world in another 500 years, but to write it off as a fad and say that the only reason that Symphony’s performing the works of Bach are still around is because this Baroque music thing is just a recent trend in popular music, is pretty dismissive.

Also, you can argue that the Dead are bigger now than when Jerry was alive. Look at all these different bands that have careers based on the Dead’s success, like Phil, Ratdog, Mickey, Donna and the Tricksters, and Dark Star Orchestra, not to mention the countless other Dead cover bands. Same could be said for Elvis, just look at the Elvis impersonator industry in Vegas, and hell, every town in North America probably has one guy that makes it big just as an Elvis impersonator. Does that really speak volumes about Elvis’ music? Maybe not, but so long as there are people listening, I don’t think that the music can die.

Also, keep in mind that recorded music has only been around since the beginning of the 20th century, and only in a mass produced type way since probably 50-60 years ago. I don’t find it hard to believe that music from the last 50 years has the potential to live on longer than any music created at any other point in time, for this very reason.

Man, I should probably do some work.

#12

I dont think that the fact that bands fade in and out of the public’s interest is as much a testament to the band’s skill as it is to consumerist culture. It’s the popular culture of these days, to get what’s new. It doesn’t matter if it’s better or not, just has to be new.

#13

That’s true w/ technology and such, but I don’t think it’s entirely accurate w/ music.

#14

I think it’s true for pop music (basically anything that MTV plays), outside of that it’s not as true.

#15

I think what you said is true for all music fluffy. Everyone gets tired of a certain song or album or band eventually. If you listen to the same thing long enough you get tired of it–it’s that simple. That said, the band that will stand the test of time is not necessarily making ‘the best music’ (how could you decide something like that in the first place?) but is able to change their sound enough to keep you listening. For my own listening, I am the one who chooses how long I am into a certain band. If I overplay their stuff they won’t last long. If I show restraint and treat myself to lots of different stuff and don’t burn out on one sound I can hold on to a band for much longer.

#16

once the apocalypse comes, there will be no music.

#17

^haha

DISCUSSION ENDED!!

Classical and Jazz will/are enduring and assimilating with modern musics.

#18

These guys will be legends forever!

[flash=350,287]http://www.youtube.com/v/m_jWJPcryEk&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]

#19

Midget Kiss.

Epic.

#20

^ Now that’s pretty kickass.