I think it’s less that the Beatles would use 7th, 9th, and 11th chords, than it is a lot of their music wasn’t strictly diatonic. In modern pop music today, you might get the occasional key change here and there, but i hear a LOT less music that’s really rising to the harmonic complexity of even simple jazz-pop standards.
Another reason is that’s where all the money comes from now, not from selling records or CDs.
Possibly simple chord progressions and lyrics that are easily relatable (whether it be a Viking conquest or driving down the highway). I miss the old days of Zeppelin, AC/DC, Van Halen, Judas Priest, and others. Easy listening with a groove, and a solo break that serves the purpose.
Watching the Crossroads Diminished 7ths lesson in CtC, it hit me. We need a Crossroads 2: Cutting Heads!
Maybe something along the lines of a boy from the upper east coast, sends in a demo tape to numerous record executives in the Los Angeles area. The Devil listens to it and is curious whether this newfound prodigy is worthy of replacing his current head cutter.
Imagine several of the 80s shredders having roles. Those who have passed, providing guidance.
Remember the phrase “sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll” ?
Maybe when marijuana is legalized nationally, live music may resurge.
Beau Hill interview – Warrant production
$125k-150k (late 80’s dollars – $300k now) budget first album, $200k budget second album.
Interviewer: “Was that a pretty standard budget for a debut release at that time?”
Beau Hill: “I think kind of yes. I think there were exceptions to that” [mentions album with a substantially bigger budget].
–
If it’s where the action is, ALL the players come to the table.
More guys who innovate and play with tons of energy and speed the whole time.
More bands like Haiduk with extreme non stop riff attacks.
Negative Old Man Warning
Guitar music will never, ever again be as popular as it was in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Not even close and not even a question. The world has long since moved on.
Think about it for a minute.
Everything from how music is created to how it is shared and viewed is different. With perhaps the exception of the instrument itself (a Strat is a Strat, and tube amps prevail…sort of) - everything else is different. From the cord you use to plug in, all the way to how people listen. It’s ALL different.
In the late 50s and through 60s, 70s and 80s the guitar was new. Young people love new. Hendrix, EVH…and then the 80s excess.
At that time, guitar was something that wasn’t part of their parents’ generation. It helped that it also pissed parents off. Now, your parents can sing the lyrics to every retro tune in the local froyo joint.
For kids? That’s…ewe.
I am a child of the 80s. I love guitar, and graduated high school in '89. The 80s ruined Rock guitar for the masses.
SRV was well on his way to reigniting a love of guitar when fate stepped in. He wasn’t a Rock player - but for a time everyone was buying a Strat and a Tube Screamer (me included - still have both).
Sorry to be a downer - but it ain’t gonna happen. No Rock band is going to fill arenas or occupy the mainstream like that ever again.
That’s not good or bad. It just is.
…and who cares? Electric guitar is still the coolest thing ever.
1 Like
Unless people can have a career at it it isn’t going to happen, and I mean beyond playing live all the time. Records aren’t selling any more so where is the drive to write songs? One could play in a good tribute band and make a paycheck on a regular touring schedule. I went to see George Lynch recently and hes still good but he’s 68 and there are young guys who grew up learning his riffs and can play just like him…it isn’t that t young guys arent as good, its just they had someone else write the riffs they mimick…there is no room for the music to evolve if no one is writing anything new.
2 Likes
Great answer. My view is unless there is incentives (million dollar contracts - fame etc) then I can’t see how it would happen. In the 80’s even though virtually no-one achieved that relatively speaking, there was at least the hope for that. Kind of like winning the lottery - now the lottery is not even being run!
3 Likes
Still feel NFTs are part of the answer with fractional ownership, backer royalties etc. Basically an extension of kickstarter. Something like www.fandefi.com
Disclaimer: I was hired to write that code for fandefi. But it’s still a good model, the the free lunch speculators of course have destroyed the crypto scene, sigh, we cannot have nice things, passive income vultures never cease to exploit 
Yep, completely agree!
As much as I have loved all the music available at my fingertips with the power of streaming, can it be argued that anything has been more damaging to the music industry?
Honestly, I think artists are going to have to fight back against it and stop being taken for a ride. It would be nice if it was actually financially worth putting time and money into your music again 
Fight back with what, though? The distribution model has irrevocably changed and won’t go back. Sure, they can battle for a bigger piece of the streaming fees. But the idea of an arena-tour rock band (or most any band/artist) is dead and buried.
And so what?
It’s never been financially worth putting time and money into original music. Ever. Those that ‘make it’ essentially hit the lottery - or would be playing music even if they had to live in a box, or sleep on bar room tables (as SRV did when he was a teenager).
1 Like
In this video (which is a sort of promo for one of her courses), Mary Spender gives a nice discussion of what are the typical opportunities for the “modern” musician (I guess the main focus here is on musicians who want to make a living via social media).
TLDR: making it as a “stadium filler” band has always been extremely hard (and it perhaps is harder now). However, nowadays there’s infinitely more opportunities for “middle income” musicians, who won’t get stinky rich, but could still make a decent living out of their craft.
I’m not trying to advertise her course, I just like the way she discusses the topic.
1 Like
Personally, I think artists should group together and remove all their content from streaming services.
Even in the early 2000s when I was starting to get into music as a kid there was more of a goal to get a record deal. I remember a Rick Beato video where he talked about all through the 90s, young bands he would work with had record deals, shortly after this period this almost completely stopped. (Not that record deals are the be-all and end-all but they can certainly make a difference)
That’s probably true but it’s okay if artists want to be paid for their work 
I feel like this miscategorises lots of passionate musicians who just don’t see the value in creating records anymore i.e. Blues Saraceno moving to mainly sync work
Blues Saraceno is 51. His Rock Icon opportunities left decades ago.
I think he’s an example of someone who figured out how to make a living in music besides trying to be the Next Big Thing. Pete Thorn, Tim Pierce, Tommy Tedesco, Steve Lukather (beyond Toto) etc.
What about from the other end of the spectrum, people who are Rock Icon’s who showcase having some financial incentive? Here’s a famous Ritchie Blackmore quote about Jeff Beck:
“I don’t put myself on Jeff Beck’s level, but I can relate to him when he says he’d rather be working on his car collection than playing the guitar.”
2 Likes
I’ve thought a lot about this and I think the only way to get a next “Van Halen” type guitar icon would be for someone who’s decently talented, a best of the best personality and for some company or group to finance marketing that person beyond all hell. We already see tons of elite talented guitar players all over, so it’s not that you have to be soooooo talented. Some flashy talent and then a very big, catchy personality that gets financially backed somehow. Sort of how that guy Liver King exploded out of nowhere. If I understood correctly, he was basically used as marketing tool for higher ups for profit until he got caught. He still made a killing and makes his own living.
EVH was far more than just talented. He changed music.
No amount of marketing budget can do that.
I agree that he was very talented and creative and a pioneer of such. My point is he wasn’t the most talented in terms of just pure skill. He also was part of a different era where there was still plenty of guitar discovery, album selling, and sold out tours. I was making a hypothesis for our current times. My point (to further clarify) is that now there are plenty of ppl talented enough or even more so to play Van Halen stuff and more. So it would need to be a very good personality along with tremendous marketing to reach that level. Or eventually someone will just discover something new in rock and roll or guitar