You can find a selection of Beatles t-shirts at any given clothing store aimed mostly at teens and tweens. Most of these chain stores make a fair profit off sales of "vintage" band tees, which is not surprising given that classic rock bands have been used more as a fashion statement than anything else. This seems insignificant until you look further into the implications of the matter. In the eyes of most people, the original rock bands from the 60s and 70s hold a monopoly over any other artist of the rock genre. Despite being a classic rock junkie myself, I see a growing problem with this trend.
The clear argument is that bands like the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, are the bands that shaped rock music in its beginning, therefore making them the most influential. The problem posed here is that no modern band of the rock or alternative world of music can ever escape dreaded comparisons to these legends. Without ever taking in account the quality of the music or the talent of a band, many people still hold some bias against smaller modern bands, ending in the pigeon-holing of many groups that have nothing to do with their early predecessors.
In general, the larger fan-base a band has, the more likely people are to respect them, therefore giving the music a chance. The reality is that most small alternative bands today are not looking to copy or ride the coattails of a previous rock legend, and the comparisons made are often stretched. Because people are less willing to truly appreciate the work of a less known band, they close off the possibility of finding music that is groundbreaking and original with the potential to influence future bands. Some of the most amazing and unique sounds in the genre today will probably never receive any airplay, simply because people presume that the large band are the only ones deserving of attention.
Some of my current favorites are Glass Animals, Mini Mansions, The Last Shadow Puppets and The Arcs. Given the chance to break some sort of comparison or bias placed upon them, I truly believe they would make waves in the industry. In fact, there are an unlimited number of bands that could break the mold and push the barriers of current rock music. It is left to the audience to go in with an open mind and separate the current rock world from the classic rock world.
When we started attributing popularity to quality of music, we ultimately set ourselves back in terms of what the future of music may hold, and if anything, I encourage you to simply try to find one new band and advocate for them. I promise you won't regret it when you fall in love with a band you never would've heard otherwise, and perhaps you'll understand why new music is just as important as the foundations it evolved from.
