saverocknroll

2008-11-11   12:34:57 

Paul Simon sang “Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts” and perhaps if you examined the history of Rock n Roll this statement would make sense, but whom today is that hero? Have we as a society reached a point where it is truly incapable of catapulting this type of figure. If you look back at the history of the Top 40 its littered with such musical heroes as Elvis, Johnny Cash, the Beatles, Dylan, Bob Marley, Springsteen, U2, Kurt Cobain and a number of others I’m leaving out. But has there been anyone to reach the pinnacle since Cobain of being both rock star and hero of the people. You can look at Radiohead in terms of originality, but Thome Yorke and company have done everything in their power to avoid the Top 40 and have been able to stay in the shadows of pop superstardom despite being at the forefront of music for over a decade. It may have died when the Nirvana front man killed himself.

All of these artists were reflections of the vainness in the music that surrounded them. Today that emptiness is ever presence in the music on the radio and the modern musicians that do not enter anywhere near into the realm of hero. Their not that today’s stars do not have talent. Look at Coldplay, The Killers, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, John Mayer they all have talent, but what are they writing about? For example look at Kanye. He might be the most innovative rapper of his time, but his own self obsession and endless ambition keeps him from really being fully adored by the public or respected. John Mayer has become more of a celebrity douche bag than a songwriter. Coldplay and The Killers have made good records in years past, but they get torn apart in the press for wearing their influences on their sleeves.

Most songs today are about the singer or rapper telling you how cool they are or how hot they are. Turn on your radio you will be amazed of the ceaseless worshiping of the self. I mean how popular is Nickelback? They’re fucking huge and they suck ass. But because their songs are catchy and meaningless today’s culture gravitates to them. It seems vulnerability has no place in music today. True artists can still slip through the cracks occasionally like M.I.A.’s track “Paper Planes” is in the top 20 as we speak because of being featured in the stoner movie “Pineapple Express”. Still, the hopes of a hero rising out of the shiter that is today’s pop music may have passed us by. And perhaps we need one more than ever.