In a recent interview with Mexico’s Rock111, original AC/DC frontman Dave Evans shared his thoughts on why rock music has lost ground to mainstream pop and rap, particularly in the U.S.
Evans pointed to the lack of industry support as a core reason for rock’s decline:
“The last rock band signed by a major label was about 20 years ago… I’m not talking about metal; I’m talking about rock and roll, rock music. There hasn’t been a rock act signed for 25 years. So if people are not hearing it, how can they like it?”
He emphasized that the issue isn’t with the audience’s taste, but with the platforms that no longer give rock exposure:
“You play it to them, they love it. But in Latin America, they’re still playing rock on the radio. So the people still love it.”
Evans also made a clear distinction between rock and metal, calling the latter “a pretend attitude”:
“Rock and roll is an attitude — a real attitude, not a pretend one. Metal is a pretend attitude… They get up there with painted faces and go, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ And they go home to their mamas: ‘Mama, what’s for dinner?’ But rock and roll is real.”
Research from Can’t Get Much Higher revealed rock music’s steady decline since its 1980s peak. Pop and hip-hop have gradually dominated the charts during this period.
The shift extends beyond musical preferences. Studies by Skoove highlighted the traditional band format’s diminishing presence. Streaming platforms and modern production methods have accelerated the rise of solo artists.
Data from The BV Newspaper suggested a significant transformation in music creation and consumption. The decline of bands doesn’t signal rock music’s death but rather its evolution in the digital age.
These industry changes have reduced rock music’s mainstream media presence. The trend supports Evans’s assessment of the genre’s current position in the music industry.
