Is rock dead? No – and Live Nation has the numbers to prove it
The next time someone says “rock is dead”, ask them to explain the 14% surge in heavy rock shows this year, or why Metallica is still outselling most popstars in stadiums across the globe.
The “rock is dead” chorus is far from abating, but new stats from Live Nation suggest the reality on the ground – and in the pits – tell a very different story: Heavy rock and metal aren’t just alive, they’re thriving.
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In a new Instagram post, Live Nation declared that “heavy rock and metal are bigger than ever in live music” and they’ve got the receipts to back it up.
According to the live music giant, heavy rock shows are up 14% this year, while metal now accounts for 13% of all stadium and arena shows.
Bands like Bring Me The Horizon, Bad Omens, Pierce The Veil, Sleep Token, Ghost and Turnstile are leading the charge, “blowing up in streams, tickets sales and fans snapping up arena tickets”.
Legacy acts like Korn, Deftones, Linkin Park, Evanescence and Iron Maiden continue to ‘anchor festival line ups’, while System Of a Down have added stadium dates, “after instant sellouts in New Jersey, Chicago and Toronto.” Metallica, on the other hand, continues to “dominate global stadium touring”.
Even in the festival circuit, the scene is expanding.
Live Nation notes that metal festivals such as Rockville, Aftershock and Inkarceration are “bigger every year”, “fuelled by diverse line ups catering to even more fans.”
And 5 July marked what may be the genre’s most emotional moment in recent memory – Black Sabbath legend Ozzy Osbourne’s final public farewell at Birmingham’s Villa Park.
“Ozzy Osbourne – The Prince of Darkness – didn’t just front Black Sabbath,” Live Nation writes. “He changed music forever. His legacy will live on in every riff.”
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Earlier this year, Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French claimed that the lack of young rockstars is a clear sign that the genre has lost its grip on the mainstream.
“The body of what we constitute as the standard rock act… is by and large, over,” French said.
He explained that while rock bands still exist, their impact on mainstream culture has waned significantly: “The collective psyche that dictates current music trends and sociological impact of music, it’s not showing up in the rock world in terms of mass acceptance”.
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