Gatekeeping From The Older Generations

It's so misguided and stupid.

Genres changing is how they can stick around. They have to change, otherwise it dies out, being seen as a product of it's time.

Rock music, I think, is a good example. It's certainly not dead, but it's morphed into something that is far removed from the stereotypes that were created in the 60s, 70s, and certainly the 80s. A lot of modern rock is squished into the Emo category, and that is something very much looked down upon.

But the style has to change. Younger kids aren't going to relate to things sung about in rock music of the past. We're worried about different things, and that often reflects in the music that people choose to listen to.

If a genre wants to continue then they can't be talking about the same thing gs they did 20 years ago, because people can't relate to it.

Teenagers don't look up to this "rockstar" stereotype. We've seen first hand what it can do to people. It would be easier to list the drugs Ozzy Ousbourne didn't take, and we didn't see the high from his drug use. We just see a person who should be grateful he's even alive. And the casual misogyny present in quite a few rock songs is something that younger generations, by and large, harshly look down upon.

If the genre kept these two things as part of the culture, then it would die out. People now see this behavior for the problematic culture it is. Young generations, at least I've found within my peers, expect our rock idols to be good people, and support the ones who we believe are kind and genuine.

If older generations expect rock music to be the same as it was in the 60s, 70s, and 80s-well, it isn't that anymore. It's something different. A lot of 21st Century rock music is more introspective and emotional, which is why a lot of it gets dismissed as "Emo" music. 

But the genre has to change to appeal to younger audiences, otherwise it is going to die out. Older generations might not recognize it, but that doesn't mean it's dead.