I honestly have no single opinion on this, as at this point it seems both are very plausible. The genre itself has been popular for decades, and has been the epicenter of pop culture from roughly 2002 until just recently (now it shares its throne with emo-pop and R&B); however, album sales are down 33% from 2006, which is a staggering blow, and after seeing other genre's declines in comparison, I think its fair to conclude that the decrease in sales has little to do with file sharing (though, obviously, that's part of it). Rock was the epicenter of pop music from 1955 until 1975, when disco hit, and then from 1980 until 1998, when teen pop hit and then hip hop took over a few years later. So, is this just a recession in rock - one of those rare dips where its mainstream gets so boring that fun, escapist music is not only embraced, but becomes dominant - or will hip hop truly be the successor to the throne of pop music? It seems very uncertain right now, so let me hear your thoughts on the matter.

I don't know how that's possible...

^ I think the OP is asking if hip hop will become permanent as the biggest music choice of youth or just faddish whenever rock takes a backseat.

That's a good question, and you're right about how it dipped a little in the late '70s. I even heard some people at the time, thought it was dying and viewed disco as a real threat. Well for better or worse, I do think rap is here to stay, it's just too big not to. I think rock also has a big enough audience (alot of it is viewed as "eternally cool", especially since there's more old-school kids now), but it probably will be secondary.

There hasn't been any HUGE rock movements since grunge was big in 1991-94, and that post-post grugne sound (crappy bands like Nickelback) are still hanging on. Most of the better rock has been either indie or less popular.

Sales are probably down due to file-transfers as you mention but perhaps because the newer hip hop music is just plain bad.  Hip Hop is rock n' roll for African Americans as rock n' roll is rock n' roll for caucasian americans.

^Hip hop has a big white audience too (all the Vanilla Ice and Eminem clones ;D ), so I don't think it's fair to say that. On the other hand, I'm sure there's blacks who listen to rock and pop music.

  I think just to ask the question means hip hop won't become anything more than it already is, whatever it is.  When cultural phenomena of the mass appeal variety emerges we're usually not overnighted a memo announcing it's arrival...

  go ;) ...

   I think just to ask the question means hip hop won't become anything more than it already is, whatever it is.  When cultural phenomena of the mass appeal variety emerges we're usually not overnighted a memo announcing it's arrival...

   go ;) ...
I think Hip-Hop just became too commercial for its own good, got greedy when it was on top(2003-early 2006) and it is now paying the price in that it is dying or facing a decline in popularity.  I mean Rap music the past 3 years has been pretty bad.

^ I think the OP is asking if hip hop will become permanent as the biggest music choice of youth or just faddish whenever rock takes a backseat.

That's a good question, and you're right about how it dipped a little in the late '70s. I even heard some people at the time, thought it was dying and viewed disco as a real threat. Well for better or worse, I do think rap is here to stay, it's just too big not to. I think rock also has a big enough audience (alot of it is viewed as "eternally cool", especially since there's more old-school kids now), but it probably will be secondary.

There hasn't been any HUGE rock movements since grunge was big in 1991-94, and that post-post grugne sound (crappy bands like Nickelback) are still hanging on. Most of the better rock has been either indie or less popular.


Oh, okay. Gotcha. O0

I don't see hip hop dying out or anything(which it shouldn't), so you're right about that.