The Rise and Fall of Rock music (and MCR’s stance in a Pop world)

By Sophia Kwak-Fang

“Please don’t put your life in the hands of a Rock and Roll band” - Oasis

Music is everywhere. It’s the soundtrack of our lives. On a bus ride home, in the shower, whilst you’re studying- the connection between people and music is something I’ve wondered for so long. How can a mixture of instruments and vocals capture the complex tree branch of human emotions? Not to mention the complexity of music itself- the thousands of genres and subgenres, popular bands to “underground” “niche” bands and everything in between. There always seems to be a song out there that perfectly sums you up as a person.

However, when it comes to music genres, the popularity spread has not been completely abstract. I personally have gotten into many arguments over who gets aux on a five hour car ride. As easy as “sharing” sounds in these scenarios, the pain of listening to an overplayed Pop song for three minutes is undeniably frustrating.

But that’s what makes music as interesting and beautiful as it is today- not everyone likes the same songs as you (and sometimes your aux privileges will get taken away). But, there’s a reason certain songs are popular. Ever wonder why the ultimately popular genre of “Rock” has become less preferred as decades move on? What makes Pop music addictive? Is Rock music dead? Welcome to the fast moving river called MAINSTREAM. It’s changing every moment and reinventing itself to hit commercial success- all whilst staying trendy to the ears of our generation.

Historical debrief:

Beginning in the 1980’s (the decade ALL of our parents think is the “best”)

The 80’s goth movement popularised bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, yet still had classic “Rock” bands such as The Smiths, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Fleetwood Mac. In my opinion, the 80’s had such a wide range of music genres flooding record stores and cassette players (old, I know). Pop and rock stood hand in hand with each other, as both Madonna and AC/DC (polar opposites) were considered the most influential artists within the same ten years. Behold, the most diverse and culturally significant era of music- yet in my opinion, still not the best.

Moving onto the 1990’s-early 2000’s.

This time period explores many genres of music, and was a time where the best Alternative Rock bands rose. These included Nirvana, Weezer, Green Day and My Chemical Romance. Albums like “Nevermind” (1991) and “Pinkerton” (1996) were taking the music industry by storm. Alternative Rock was at its peak, and Kurt Cobain was alive! But Rock wasn’t the only genre that was popular. Britney Spears, Jay-Z and NSYNC, artists within the pop/rap genre, were populating amongst Ipods. However, one of my favourite albums of all time, “The Downward Spiral” by The Nine Inch Nails, a mind-blowing sensation that carried the 90’s entirely- makes most people agree that this era belonged to the grunge, eyeliner infested teenage dirtbags.

Fast forward to the current era of music, 2020’s.

Technology has sharpened and music has an electronic rush to it. Hyperpop has appealed to mainstream listeners, such as Charli XCX, with her album “brat”, a phenomenon that has made the shade of neon green an unforgettable reference to “club classics” and “brat summer.” Women have dominated the Pop field- Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour”, Sabrina Carpenter’s “disney glow-up” and Chappell Roan’s rise. 59% of Australian adults say they regularly listen to pop music, while 20% claim it is their favourite genre. While this doesn’t seem like a groundbreaking number, pop music has made itself well known in the idea of “mainstream.” Mainstream is what society views as “normal” and “conventional.” It is the genre of music that is most likely playing in shopping centres, on the radio and on the speakers during Wednesday “dancing in the quad.” It is the most liked genre by over 50 percent of girls ages between 16-19 years old, the age range most of our school occupies. It’s all over social media, your spotify playlists, and is most likely the tune you are humming when out of focus during a math test. Today, pop music is the earworm for teenagers.

Though this article is about Rock music, I wanted to know why and how pop music has spoken to the majority of teenage girls my age. For me, rock bands have always been my favourite source of therapy and comfort- but during an era of time that categorises distorted guitar as “emo” or “too loud”, I needed to know why Pop music is so loved. What makes Pop music seen as “the norm”- whilst rock, is well, falling behind in the mainstream river. So here’s what I found out, (To warn; brutal opinions formed from facts):

Timbre- (The quality of sound created by musical instruments or voice) Modern day music has become less harmonically complex- meaning there has been less layers in music, but the same list of instruments- a keyboard, a drum machine, a sampler and computer software. To make up for this, producers have been intentionally making layers of songs “louder” to create the illusion of a more complex song.

Song writing- The lyrical quality of songs has gotten worse over the past 10 years – lyrics have become more simple and boring. With the advancement of technology, lyrics are solely written to create a hook to lure listeners in.

Overplayed, overused- Our brain releases dopamine when we hear a song that we’ve heard a few times before- and a “few times” could mean the mornings before school on the radio, at a restaurant, or six times a day at the end of each period!

As much as research has shown that pop music is degrading, it doesn’t shape my opinion on it entirely. Music doesn’t need to be a complicated phenomenon with a never-before used chord progression to be good. As I had mentioned before, songs speak to people in a personal way that not everyone will understand, and Pop music has proven to make people feel better- which in reality is all that matters. I adore Pop music and its ability to uplift me after a science test, but disagree with the fact that it is considered the “main” genre of music to do so.

SO, time has proven (throughout the decades) that rock is becoming less popular, the majority of teenage girls prefer Pop music, and stereotypes and jokes have been used to insult Rock bands and songs- does this mean Rock music is in its fall?

Not necessarily. Your favourite song by Weezer may not be the one playing at the food court, and your favourite band might raise a few eyebrows when played in the car- but that doesn’t mean Rock music is dead. It’s simply- not as mainstream as other genres. In my opinion, Rock may have peaked in the 90’s but its overall impact on listeners outshines Pop music greatly.

It’s the genre that quite frankly, saves lives.

Rock! The protest:

There are thousands of Rock bands that have influenced the world to how it is today. This includes The Beatles, who revolutionized music with their innovative lyricism and music. Queen, a band who mixed genres together and experimented with creating new sounds- I could go on forever. However, as I am writing this article, I wanted to focus on one particular alternative rock band- and its impact on not only me- but an entire generation. Welcome to the Black Parade- of My Chemical Romance.

I don’t want to bore you with a band that is stereotyped as “emo” - but I do want to write about what the band has achieved. For many, discovering MCR's music and its fandom has been a lifeline during difficult times. Statistics show that around 40 percent of teenagers aged 16-24 experience a mental illness. The lead singer himself, Gerard Way, had personally struggled with mental health issues during the early 2000’s. He wrote about his journey battling depression and anxiety- a popular song that depicts this is “Welcome to the Black Parade”. The bridge writes about overcoming hardships, celebrating being “broken,” and standing proud against stereotypes and jokes about mental health. This message has spoken to millions of teenagers. The song recognises the struggles of anxiety, emotions and vulnerability of people- by unashamedly addressing the issue of mental health as not a taboo subject, but something we share and face together.

Another song that I truly love, “The Kids from Yesterday” sings about the changes and nostalgia of childhood. What I take from the song is that- growing up and discovering yourself can feel like a world-war-crisis. It encapsulates what it’s like being a teenager and feeling nostalgic about a moment you are currently living in. The lyrics urge listeners to appreciate the forever moving journey of life, whilst accepting the inevitability of change. So many people live with the anxiety and toxic mindset of “change is bad and terrible and scary and all of the above” but after understanding what this song truly conveys, its lyricism has become a beacon of hope and comfort for those struggling in fear.

When I first listened to the song at max volume on the drive home from school, it felt like MCR had written each lyric perfectly for the situation and dilemmas I was facing. Through all the “deafening guitars”, “chaotic drums” and singing that sounds like “yelling”- the song became my constant reminder- that even as we grow and evolve, the experiences of our past remain an integral part of who we are.

Besides impacting the world through their music, the band members themselves have advocated for self acceptance, and empowering “misfits.” In an interview with Gerard Way, the singer discusses his own experiences with gender identity and sexuality by expressing that he doesn’t feel bordered by “traditional gender norms.” This includes the idea of “only women being able to wear makeup”- however Gerard contradicts this conservative idea by wearing eyeliner and white face paint as a way to express his creativity, regardless of gender.

Way has also openly supported the LGBTQ+ community through this simple yet powerful quote- “You should love who you want to love. Period.”

However, the band isn’t the only thing that has made an impact. The fandom itself has built a space for people to open up about their struggles and feel heard. It has sparked the devoted fandom (MCRmy) to create social groups, fan pages and tribute bands- and of course, their music and lyrics inspiring fans to create songs of their own. For me, being a part of the MCR fandom, has led me to friendships that grew from the question, “have you heard of My Chemical Romance?” (It’s my favourite icebreaker).

Metro UK interviewed fanatic MCR fans, after seeing them perform live in 2022:

“They got me through being a teenager, through some really hard times. I know most of my friend groups through MCR. I became part of this insane online community, I met my boyfriend, met so many amazing people through it.”

“They taught me it’s OK to be you and embrace yourself, it’s OK to be emotional and embrace everything you’re given in life, good or bad.”

‘They really helped me become a more confident person and embrace the fact that I like different things.”

(Gerard Way with a fan, 2010)

The MCR fandom has always been a safe space for people to be who they are- as weird, and “different” as it seems. They promote this message to listeners through songs like “I’m not okay, (I promise)” and overall creating music that was made to heal.

Unfortunately, this message has become distorted and misinterpreted by conservative viewers. Like most ideas of Rock music, people can find the works of punk, metal, alternative and grunge bands vulgar and overly explicit. Welcome to the protest of March 31st, 2008.

In London, The Daily Mail, a critically acclaimed Newspaper published a series of articles that criticized “emo” subculture. This included, using My Chemical Romance as the reason for teenage depression, misbehaviour, and self-destruction. One particular article, referred to “emo” as a “cult” and associated the band as the cause for the tragic death of a young fan, Hannah Bond. One piece in particular claimed that "no child is safe from the sinister cult of emo". So, in response to the nonsensical claims, MCR fans gathered around the Daily Mail offices in Derry Street, holding signs that displayed MCR’s true message.

The protest truly showed what MCR has done for people- and how harmful false information can be. The stereotypes of “emo” and “anti-religious themes” were made to diminish what the band truly stand for- which is quite upsetting considering the paragraphs I alone have written about what MCR has done for me. Nevertheless, the media will always have opinions far-fetched from the truth- and the best we can do is not believe them.

Rock music has had its rise and falls, it’s too loud and too messy, it’s too political and too opinionated- it’s everything and everywhere all at once. But it will never be over. The tremendous impact of only one of the thousands of bands I have detailed in this article proves that- Rock music changes lives. As much as it is far from mainstream, it will always be the genre of music that has shaped generations, decade by decade. It may not amount to the average teenage girl the way Pop music does, but it still exists and its legacy is everlasting.

So, as long as YOU and society continues to appreciate such a vast genre of music, dismissing harmful stereotypes, and staying true to yourself- music is really up to you!- as it is the soundtrack of your own life. Whether this be whatever’s mainstream, or an underrated band- it’s solely tailored to you. And to wrap up this incredibly long, draining article, I’d like to circle back to my very first line said by Oasis- “Please don’t put your life in the hands of a Rock and Roll band” Unfortunately, for so many of us, it may just be too late.

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