Uncharted Waters

There's been a mini-furore going on in the UK music press over the last couple of days after the publication of an article in The Guardian which 'officially' declared that "ROCK MUSIC IS DEAD".

Time of death? 2010.

Cause of death? The article cited that the finishing blow administered to rock's allegedly pale, flacid corpse with only 3 guitar based tracks appearing in the UK Top 100 Best Selling Tracks of the Year - one being "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey, Hey Soul Sister by Train (haha) and Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine. And the latter two are hardly the personifications of what rock music is all about.

Now there's a lot to be said on both sides of the fence. I agree with a lot of what BBC Radio 1's Fraser McAlpine says here on his tumblr post and there's also been a nifty response posted on The Quietus. But I'm (largely) not here to argue either way as to whether guitar music dead (because it patently isn't).

The thing that The Guardian article seems to say is that the reason rock/indie/general guitar based music is dead is because it isn't making millions of pounds clogging up the singles charts. Now, if you know me well or read this blog in any detail then you'll doubtless have heard me spitting various kinds of venom about the X Factor, deriding almost every "pop star" who somehow worms into the Top 10 - Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, The Black Eyed Peas, continue ad infinitum - and generally getting infuriated when they manage to become so successful with so little talent, selling themselves to a heartless record label that only cares about making money from a population whose creative taste buds have been numbed by over exposure to recycled, repetitive and repulsive pop/R&B/whatever. I felt incredibly pissed off when Matt Cardle reached #1 with his ATROCIOUS Biffy Clyro cover. I've steamed at the ears when I look at the charts and every name is unfamiliar to me, because pretty much any sponger willing to do whatever they're told by a record label can get into the charts.

But thinking about that fact, something occurred to me. Something that was quite a revelation.

The charts used to mean something. No they weren't a pure and blameless land of musical excellence or a continuous jam session between Beck, Damon Albarn and Paul McCartney riding musical unicorns, but still. There were times where brilliant artists, like The Beatles (overly classic example, but roll with me here), were recognised with chart success as well as musical success. But now, in an age where any scrounging bozo who can carry a tune can get a Number 1 single- Olly Murs, I'm looking,at you - the charts are just meaningless. They are devalued. Devalued by a flood of musically, lyrically bankrupt acts who are put there by labels to make money.

Rock's not dead.

The charts are.

The general public have become totally brainwashed to accept music that fits the mould that record companies have laid out. It amounts to a robbing of free will. When the general music buying public are cajoled and led into believing something is what it isn't, then the charts become meaningless. They don't represent what's beloved or inspiring. They represent what's backed up by the men in suits. Which makes them utterly redundant, and any figures in relation to them meaningless. The last time anything really inspiring and organic took the charts by storm was when Arctic Monkeys debuted at #1 with "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" in 2005. Since then, it appears that the grip has been tightened and the asphyxiating plastic bag held over our nation's cultural head has been tightened.

Rock, indie, guitar music, whatever - GOOD, honest music, whatever the genre("guitars aren't a genre" liek Fraser McAlpine said in the post I link to above) - may not be doing well in the charts at the moment. But that really doesn't matter. Because the charts are meaningless. They're as controlled and orchestrated as a cattle herd. So I think I'll just stop caring about it. I will probably still get frustrated at times at the injustice of it all, but I think I'll adjust. It's sad that a lot of the British people seem so subject to whatever is advertised or publicised to them when they gather round their TV screens. I just wish that more people could strike out on their own musical course, finding music for themselves that they love, that's special to them. Not stuff designed for the masses. I know all this all sound a bit Sixth Form, sub-V for Vendetta, pseudo-political, but it's true folks.

I'll leave you with one of my favourite quotes. Made by Tommy Lee Jones. In Men in Black:

Tommy Lee Jones: "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals - and you know it."