By Steven H., Teen Portal Staff Writer
A glance at the Top 100 Song list on iTunes will quickly reveal today’s most popular music – the list is dominated by Pop (which is, of course, always “pop”ular), Hip Hop and Country music. Under-represented on the list, however, is the Rock genre, which holds only 11 of the spots on the Top 100 list. This is a dramatic change from the 70s when rock hits topped the charts.
This change might lead one to believe that the songs of our parent’s generation have faded from prominence as newer music is created. However, many teens still listen to rock music and many old rock legends are still around and playing for large crowds– Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and of course, The Who.
Although some teens may not recognize the band’s name, most would recognize the classic Who songs that are still played on the radio – titles like “The Seeker,” “Who Are You” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” are played on a wide variety of radio stations. And teen participation is not just passively listening to the radio either.
Last Monday, The Who performed a concert at Verizon Center, attracting nearly 20,000 people – a huge audience considering the dearth of rock songs or albums on the iTunes charts. Indeed, this audience was of surprisingly mixed ages – I spotted people of all age groups, from the solidly middle aged to the barely in high school, and I’d say the average age was about 30, which is far younger than would be expected of a band that started in 1964. Teens made up probably a third of the audience, a larger group than I had expected.
When the band started playing (after a two-hour wait), the audience lit up almost immediately. The Who played a set list that featured many of their classics, including the songs listed above, and about 15 others. The oldest songs were the best received by the audience, and the crowd was standing up and singing along for some of the Who’s original hits, including their 1978 hit “Who Are You,” probably the best song they’ve ever played.
Seeing The Who or any rock group in person provides a new perspective on their music and, as in this case, a deeper appreciation. The live music opens up a new dimension that can’t be realized on an iPod.
During the epic, two-hour concert, I was able to look around and see that the rest of the audience was enjoying the music as much as I was, and that the difference in ages didn’t have any affect on anyone’s enjoyment. The middle-age parents were on their feet and singing as much as the teens. What could be a better sign of classic rocks’ timelessness than that?
But some things have changed for the better from the early days of rock. The concert was certainly a far cry from Who concerts of the 70’s, which were infamous for overly boisterous crowds. In 1979, 11 people were crushed to death at an overcrowded Who concert in Ohio. Thankfully, fans at Verizon Center seemed calm and controlled enough not to crush other concert goers. Maybe some things do change with age.
