Rock music was born loud â defined by its snarling electric guitars, thunderous basslines and driving 4/4 drumbeat, it was often nicknamed âblues-on-steroidsâ. Somewhere around the late 2000s, this sound died out in favour of nightclub music like synth and dance pop, with artists such as Ke$ha and Lady Gaga rising to fame. The late 2010s saw the birth of the modern, emotional indie pop weâre used to hearing on the radio, with music producer and singer/songwriter Jack Antonoff becoming a dominating force. Being the genius behind huge albums such as Lordeâs Melodrama and Taylor Swiftâs Reputation, he helped mould pop as a genre into something new. However, rock was the pop of its time; artists such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles dominated the charts with a much more traditional, romantic sound. Arguably, todayâs music is seeing modern artists follow in their footsteps, turning to guitars as an emotional outlet again.
Rock ânâ rollâs first emergence onto the music scene caused outrage amongst the older generation, who viewed it as debauched and veered towards more conservative types of music. The younger generation refused to comply, though, making a stand for the rightful progression of music and letting time shape its inevitable evolution. In 1965, Bob Dylanâs famous transition from folk music to rock at the Newport Folk Festival was one of the most notable instances of this. He came onstage with The Hawks and their electric instruments and debuted his hit single ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, which was booed by the majority of the audience who idolised him for his traditional nature. The incident possesses its own Wikipedia page, titled âElectric Dylan controversyâ, and was immortalised as the defining moment in his career in the 2024 biopic A Complete Unknown. Some sixty years later, music is finding itself at a crossroads again. We seem to be slowly waving goodbye to both the diaristic lyrics of modern pop and the stomp-and-clap pop-folk music of artists such as Mumford & Sons, and in its place, welcoming a growing appetite for something grittier. Olivia Rodrigoâs 2023 album Guts was a major turning point in this. A pop-rock record with an edge of punk, Rodrigo channelled an unfiltered, Paramore-esque rage into her music and toured the world with her custom purple Music Man St Vincent Goldie guitar, a classic model used by rock icons like Tom Morello. Bringing on artists such as The Cure and Weezer throughout her tour, she has always promoted her image as honouring those who ruled the world of alternative music before her.
Evidently, punk is on the rise again. A subgenre of rock music that emerged in the 1970s, punk is categorised by its fast-paced songs and strong, political, anti-establishment lyricism. Dublinâs politically active Fontaines D.C. are perhaps the most exciting band in modern rock, embodying this ethos perfectly to their 5.4 million Spotify listeners and bringing post-punk back into the charts. At the Rolling Stone UK Awards, the bandâs guitarist made headlines for condemning Zionism and expressing their solidarity with Palestine. They continuously use their platform to raise political awareness and have cancelled their own shows in support of Palestine, echoing rock musicâs long-standing tradition of acting as protest music.
This is exactly why guitars are getting loud again, because they must. In a world of increasing political unrest, genocide, climate crisis, Trumpism and rising misogyny, itâs an extremely significant time for rock music to make a comeback and fight back against passive silence. Rock was made for moments such as this, from Neil Youngâs ‘Ohio‘ written in response to the Kent State shootings, to U2âs address of political violence in Northern Ireland in ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, and Rage Against the Machineâs consistent use of musical politics throughout their discography. Rock has always served as a mouthpiece for outrage.Â
In my opinion, it was inevitable that audiences would always be drawn back to rock. Though catchy, popâs obsession with polished perfection and algorithmic production will always feel alienating. Rock, on the other hand, thrives on imperfection with the squeal of feedback, the scrape of strings and the crack in a voice; it feels unmistakably human and makes us feel like a part of the song itself. Europeâs relationship with rock never really ended, with artists like Arctic Monkeys, Sam Fender and Sleep Token carrying the torch with their heavier, emotionally charged sounds. Oasis even reunited this summer to the excitement of their fans across the generations, proving that audiences still crave an element of distortion and effect pedals. Meanwhile, new acts such as Sombr and The Marias are merging alternative backing tracks with modern pop production, creating a fresh kind of rock that doesnât simply collapse into nostalgia. Ultimately, rock has always been about more than just background music. It emerged to give a voice to young people, bridge racial gaps and provide a catchy, powerful platform for politics. Rock has always been the sound of defiance, and itâs getting loud again.
Editor: Samara Adhyaru