Gone are the days when kids just want to look after their favorite rock stars and buy all of their albums and hang posters of them on their bedroom walls. These days kids are listening to stuff like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Kanye, Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, etc.
Gone are the days when kids want to pick up a guitar, learn a few chords and jam on pentatonic scales — then try to start their own band and play in their garages to try to score a record deal with a major label. These days kids are desperately trying to get fame by getting on garbage competition shows like: “The Voice”, “American Idol”, “America’s Got Talent”, “X-Factor”, etc.
Gone are the days when you want to see your favorite rock bands in large arenas so you can mosh to them, bang your head and raise some hell. These days large arena concerts are for teenagers and young girls so they can scream their heads off to their favorite boy bands or rap stars.
Okay, I think you get my point now. I’ve been saying for years on my blogs that “rock n’ roll” is dead. Rock tries to make a comeback in the mainstream but it is always dominated by pop, rap, and country. Today’s mainstream of music is shit.
I don’t buy new albums much anymore. It’s getting harder and harder to find good music these days. That’s why on my Ipod, you’ll find mostly older music like in the 60’s and 70’s. Sometimes 80’s and early 90’s. I don’t listen to new music too much. I only listen to new music if it’s good and something catches my attention. While I’m not a big fan of pop, rap and country… I can take a little bit of it.
I listen to all sorts of music. A little bit of everything but my no 1. preferred genre is rock n’ roll. I’ve listened to rock n’ roll my entire life so I know it’s a dying industry. It really is sad where the music industry has come to today. Thank you for telling it like is, Gene! \m/
http://loudwire.com/gene-simmons-rock-finally-dead/
Kev
K'Brocking 
He’s just pissing and moaning because he’s not relevant anymore. Rock isn’t dead. You know this: you’re a fan of The Sword and the like. In fact, I think metal in particular has the strongest, mostly diverse showing it has in decades. Is it on top forty? No. Was it ever? No. Pop music has been playing on top forty style stations forever, with a smattering of rock acts thrown in. Go out and find a show and support touring bands you like and quit focusing on what you think sucks.
I approved this one ’cause I felt I had something to say to it. You aren’t understanding what Gene is saying at all. There are rock bands still. Plenty of ’em. I know this. Gene knows this… it’s just that these bands aren’t getting the mainstream success that they deserve. Back in the 70’s rock was strong. In the 80’s rock was strong with the hair metal movement. In the early 90’s, grunge took over. In the 2000’s years and up… pop, rap and country became a dominating force.
All he’s saying that it’s getting harder for rock bands to make a living for what they do. Record labels are shit these days. Which is why a lot of legendary rock bands from the past have dropped major labels and releasing records independently. It used to be easy to get record deals but these days it’s almost impossible.
All he’s simply saying that he wants musicians with real talent who writes their own music to get more mainstream success. These days it always have to be artists with no talent. The industry have to rely on lip syncing and auto-tune and all that stuff to make people famous. When he says where’s the next Bob Dylan and where’s the next Beatles, he’s saying he wants “real” talent to have success. Not those fake pop stars.
Of course, idiots will always rip everything Gene Simmons says ’cause well, he’s Gene Simmons. I think his points are 100% valid and he speaks truth. Sorry.
Kev
As you can see here, Gene is a big supporter of other bands, he just said, “his heart goes to them” so he’s definitely not talking about himself and Kiss at all. He just wants “rock n’ roll” to be successful again. He’s not really the egomaniac like some people think he is.
Kev
He’s just looking for attention.
He’s just another one of the guys who’s never afraid to tell it like it is. I’ve been reading his interviews in magazines for years… mostly Guitar World magazine. He’s just very honest and brutal at that. I do agree with an extent that he’s a bit of an attention whore but he means well.
I do like Kiss but I only liked them in the old days when Ace was in the band.
Kev