The Rolling Stones play NRG Stadium on Sunday night. If you haven’t seen them, you should, if only because seeing arguably the greatest band in rock history is something any music fan should witness. Plus, as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and crew enter their 80s, you never know how many more chances to see the Stones will arise. Of course, given Keith may outlive us all, it might be a somewhat moot point.
Point being, see the Stones; they’re awesome, and the show will be great.
But what comes next as it pertains to classic rock on a major stage? As artists like the Stones, the Eagles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Guns n’ Roses and others continue to age – and as the current state of mainstream rock music continues to wane, to put it kindly – is classic rock going the way of the bands that made it a thing in the first place?
It's hard to argue otherwise.
In taking a look at the most recent Billboard Top 200 Album chart, only two of the top 30 spots – The Black Keys’ Ohio Players at No. 26, Vampire Weekend’s Only God Was Above Us one spot below – are occupied by traditional, mainstream rock bands. That’s troubling enough. Even more troubling? The Black Keys’ new album is their lowest charting release in almost 20 years; for Vampire Weekend, after three-straight chart-toppers, Only God Was Above Us marks the band’s lowest charting debut ever.
Taking a spin through the most recent Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, not one (not one!) mainstream rock band charts at all. Hell, Beyonce has one more cover song on the chart – a rendition of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” which is awesome, by the way – than an entire cadre of rock bands. So that’s where we’re at.
Mainstream rock music – in an era where hip-hop and pop dominate, and one in which country is decidedly back – has seen better days. Perhaps it’s the dying days of terrestrial radio, a lack of star power, the ascendance of other genres, maybe even some plain ol’ bad luck. Whatever the reason, the future looks bleak for arena rockers selling out those venues well into their AARP years.
Sure, the genre will continue to fare well enough in the coming years, as aforementioned artists like the Stones and Springsteen not only continue to release new music, but to tour on it. And a list of the highest-grossing rock tours of 2023 is somewhat promising. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are still a major draw; Phish still jamming to thousands of adoring fans; Metallica still giving fans their money’s worth. Even a Blink-182 reunion tour with the original trio of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker was a smashing hit that continues into this year.
Of the top 10 rock tours of last year, only two bands – Muse (No. 8) and Coldplay (No. 1) – are anywhere near their commercial primes. Muse is massive overseas and a solid draw stateside, but it’s hard to fathom Muse as a band that will ever be considered “classic” rock. Coldplay? Please.
With regard to younger bands, the Led Zeppelin-inspired Greta Van Fleet never quite popped in the mainstream like some anticipated. Haim is a great band in a more “under the radar” type of way whose members are more famous for their friendship with Taylor Swift than their music, which, again, is quite good. Twenty One Pilots. They had it for a spell in the mid-2010s, but not entirely sure they still want it.
Point being, how many mainstream rock acts, currently in their musical prime, could sell out Toyota Center? The number is few, if any, and that’s troubling.
So enjoy the Stones while you’ve got ‘em. Savor people like James Hetfield, Billie Joe Armstrong and Dave Grohl for as long as they care to tour. The past is glorious, the present in a good place and the immediate future of classic rock is secure enough.
Beyond that? For rock diehards, it might simply be a case of, “you can’t always get what you want.”
The Rolling Stones on Sunday, April 28 at NRG Stadium, 8825 Kirby. 8 p.m. For more information, visit axs.com. $69.50-$650 plus fees.
