While browsing, I found this cool flow chart that describes numerous stages in the life cycle of a particular genre. While most associated with music, it can also happen in other forms of entertainment. But this is the main life cycle of a given genre of music.
1. A new genre is created, usually from an influence of a dying/dead genre.
2. Spreads underground.
3. Has a huge underground following with crossover potential.
4. A big hit, radio show, or concert breaks it to the mainstream.
5. More and more mainstream followers jump on the bandwagon.
6. Genre becomes saturated and starts to lose it's quality, basically the moment such genre "jumps the shark".
7. Purists don't like the genre, and start to form a backlash.
8. The genre sound splinters, reverts back to phase 1.

To take an example, I'll use Hair Metal. Stage 1 happened around 1980 somewhere in Southern California, borrowing elements from fading/dead genres such as glam rock. Stage 2 happened over the course of the early '80s, centering on the Sunset Strip. There were some bands that would become popular later on, but no Hair Bands were receiving MTV play or radio play on pop stations at that point. Stage 3 was mostly from 1983-85, as some videos started to appear on MTV and a few hits were in the lower portion of the charts. Quiet Riot's "Cum on Feel the Noize" showed the crossover potential of this genre. Stage 4 was represented by Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet album and the hit "You Give Love a Bad Name", the first chart and album-topping song of that genre. Stage 5 happened over the course of 1987 into 1988, as Hair Metal's mainstream popularity continued to grow. Stage 6 was mostly in later 1988 and 1989 with the saturation of hair bands over the established ones, and the musical quality of Hair Bands started to decline. Stage 7 occured through 1990 into 1991 as purists started leaving Hair Metal for rising genres such as grunge, along with the poor quality of late genre bands such as Winger. Stage 8 happened with Grunge's arrival into the mainstream with Nirvana's Nevermind album, and shortly afterwards Stage 1 happened with Nu Metal deep in the underground.

Feel free to apply the process to other genres, even as simply listing the Stage number and the year/album/song associated with it. Keep in mind many recent, especially "alternative" genres can go right from stage 2 or 3 to 7 without a mainstream presence.

That sounds about right, I'd say Hip Hop is currently in stage 7. Where did you find that?

Rock and roll has been around for 55 years.

Those 8 phases are so silly  ;D  I can't believe a person would spend time analyzing it.
Don't any of you have a life?
Get a job!
Get involved in something tangible!
Discuss real issues for Christ's sake!

"Let's do the Time Warp again!"

"Let's do the Time Warp again!"



It's just a jump to the left.



Cat

Doesn't quite work with polka music (unless Lawrence Welk counts!)