As I've been saying, the mid 2000s seem like the last time quite a bit of guitar rock (including older bands) was culturally relevant and that's a huge change in attitude to now.

Admittedly this was super early on in the decade (2000 and early 2001), but Bon Jovi, U2 and Aerosmith had gigantic hits (It's My Life, Beautiful Day, Jaded) that were just as big as anything they'd done in their prime. U2's material especially sounded cutting edge and modern. In fact, they're what prompted me to post this, because they have a new CD coming out and I'm sure it'll sell because they're so well known but it won't be on pop radio or have many (non retro) people under 25 playing it.

Or in 2006 when Red Hot Chili Peppers had that double album Stadium Arcadium with "Dani California" it was played on pop/modern radio and is just about as big as their 90s hits. Yet flash forward just a few short years, and their next CD in 2011 with "Rain Dance Maggie"...although it was a minor hit, didn't catch on. It was probably perceived as "another old rock band who happens to have a new single".

Shoot, even some actual 2000s bands are kinda lumped into that now. Whenever The Killers have new CDs nobody seems to really care anymore; or the indie bands like Arctic Monkeys have practically no guitar or edge in their newest songs.

As I've been saying, the mid 2000s seem like the last time quite a bit of guitar rock (including older bands) was culturally relevant and that's a huge change in attitude to now.

Admittedly this was super early on in the decade (2000 and early 2001), but Bon Jovi, U2 and Aerosmith had gigantic hits (It's My Life, Beautiful Day, Jaded) that were just as big as anything they'd done in their prime. U2's material especially sounded cutting edge and modern. In fact, they're what prompted me to post this, because they have a new CD coming out and I'm sure it'll sell because they're so well known but it won't be on pop radio or have many (non retro) people under 25 playing it.

Or in 2006 when Red Hot Chili Peppers had that double album Stadium Arcadium with "Dani California" it was played on pop/modern radio and is just about as big as their 90s hits. Yet flash forward just a few short years, and their next CD in 2011 with "Rain Dance Maggie"...although it was a minor hit, didn't catch on. It was probably perceived as "another old rock band who happens to have a new single".

Shoot, even some actual 2000s bands are kinda lumped into that now. Whenever The Killers have new CDs nobody seems to really care anymore; or the indie bands like Arctic Monkeys have practically no guitar or edge in their newest songs.


That tends to happen when a band breaks up or takes a long hiatus and the comes back into a completely changed cultural environment.  One of the biggest flops I can think of is when New Kids On The Block attempted to come back in 2008.  Aerosmith on the other hand had hits throughout the 90s leading up to the 2001 single Jaded.  Its kind of like Eminem is still popular and relevant despite being an older artist.  He has had off years from time to time but has mostly been relevant since he started in 1999.

I'm hearing Chevelle songs and Seether songs these days, and both were in their heyday last decade. If they're still making music that people still like and it's getting played, it's still relevant in my book. They haven't flopped, they changed with the times. For some bands however it's not in their best interest to do so.

Musicians over 35 have a really tough time getting on the radio now.

Musicians over 35 have a really tough time getting on the radio now.


Nowadays you have to be young to get on the radio.

That tends to happen when a band breaks up or takes a long hiatus and the comes back into a completely changed cultural environment.  One of the biggest flops I can think of is when New Kids On The Block attempted to come back in 2008.  Aerosmith on the other hand had hits throughout the 90s leading up to the 2001 single Jaded.  Its kind of like Eminem is still popular and relevant despite being an older artist.  He has had off years from time to time but has mostly been relevant since he started in 1999.


Yeah, Em is one of those guys who will probably always sell just because he's a huge name, although he's past his heyday (1999-2006, especially around 01-03) too.

2001, 2002 and early 03 are actually pretty darn old school come to think of it...Santana, Aerosmith and Phil Collins were still charting. That honestly seems like the last era of "the comeback artist".

Musicians over 35 have a really tough time getting on the radio now.


This is very true. I was thinking how Pink and Adam Levine (1979) are both just turning 35 this year, I wonder if they're so big that they'll continue having hits or if they're kinda nearing the end of their heyday in mainstream pop culture?

I was also kinda surprised the dudes from the band MAGIC! ("Rude") are my age, 33 (1981). That's probably about the oldest a newcomer could be too.

2001, 2002 and early 03 are actually pretty darn old school come to think of it...Santana, Aerosmith and Phil Collins were still charting. That honestly seems like the last era of "the comeback artist".

some of them want to come out with new albums and stay relevant.

This is very true. I was thinking how Pink and Adam Levine (1979) are both just turning 35 this year, I wonder if they're so big that they'll continue having hits or if they're kinda nearing the end of their heyday in mainstream pop culture?

I was also kinda surprised the dudes from the band MAGIC! ("Rude") are my age, 33 (1981). That's probably about the oldest a newcomer could be too.
Yeah but Pink doesn't look 35. She still looks the same now as when she first debut on the music scene in 2000. Adam Levine could pass for 27 years old in my opinion.

Yeah but Pink doesn't look 35. She still looks the same now as when she first debut on the music scene in 2000. Adam Levine could pass for 27 years old in my opinion.


Yeah this is true, they both still look pretty young. I almost forgot but Kanye is 37 and Pharrell is 40..I guess its actually okay as long as they don't look it.

As I've been saying, the mid 2000s seem like the last time quite a bit of guitar rock (including older bands) was culturally relevant and that's a huge change in attitude to now.

Admittedly this was super early on in the decade (2000 and early 2001), but Bon Jovi, U2 and Aerosmith had gigantic hits (It's My Life, Beautiful Day, Jaded) that were just as big as anything they'd done in their prime. U2's material especially sounded cutting edge and modern. In fact, they're what prompted me to post this, because they have a new CD coming out and I'm sure it'll sell because they're so well known but it won't be on pop radio or have many (non retro) people under 25 playing it.

Or in 2006 when Red Hot Chili Peppers had that double album Stadium Arcadium with "Dani California" it was played on pop/modern radio and is just about as big as their 90s hits. Yet flash forward just a few short years, and their next CD in 2011 with "Rain Dance Maggie"...although it was a minor hit, didn't catch on. It was probably perceived as "another old rock band who happens to have a new single".

Shoot, even some actual 2000s bands are kinda lumped into that now. Whenever The Killers have new CDs nobody seems to really care anymore; or the indie bands like Arctic Monkeys have practically no guitar or edge in their newest songs.


That's very true about U2. I was in 8th grade when "Beautiful Day" came out. Suddenly kids in my class were going out and buying the CD of a band that was at the peak of it's popularity when we were barely old enough to talk, and listening to it right alongside Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. I also remember that Aerosmith song "Jaded" being played every day on MTV in the spring of '01.

As to the larger point, perhaps the decline of the relevancy of older rock bands can also be attributed to the decline of music sales as a whole over last five to ten years? Even as late as '06 with "Stadium Arcadium" YouTube was still in it's infancy, and enough people still purchased albums/listened to the radio that a song like "Dani California" could become ubiquitous to the point where even my dad knew all the words to it. Really, these days, the only songs that reach that level of saturation are the ones that become viral on YouTube, and those do tend to be, for whatever reason, softer and more popish songs. You mentioned that it's likely that fewer younger people will buy U2's new album, and I think that's certainly true. In fact, the band is going to release the album for free online mostly, in my opinion, as an attempt to attract a younger audience.

Yeah but Pink doesn't look 35. She still looks the same now as when she first debut on the music scene in 2000. Adam Levine could pass for 27 years old in my opinion.


She does not look the same.

That's very true about U2. I was in 8th grade when "Beautiful Day" came out. Suddenly kids in my class were going out and buying the CD of a band that was at the peak of it's popularity when we were barely old enough to talk, and listening to it right alongside Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. I also remember that Aerosmith song "Jaded" being played every day on MTV in the spring of '01.

As to the larger point, perhaps the decline of the relevancy of older rock bands can also be attributed to the decline of music sales as a whole over last five to ten years? Even as late as '06 with "Stadium Arcadium" YouTube was still in it's infancy, and enough people still purchased albums/listened to the radio that a song like "Dani California" could become ubiquitous to the point where even my dad knew all the words to it. Really, these days, the only songs that reach that level of saturation are the ones that become viral on YouTube, and those do tend to be, for whatever reason, softer and more popish songs. You mentioned that it's likely that fewer younger people will buy U2's new album, and I think that's certainly true. In fact, the band is going to release the album for free online mostly, in my opinion, as an attempt to attract a younger audience.


I haven't been on in a couple weeks but I wanted to get back to this...I think that's all absolutely accurate, and even the 00s had more variety than now probably because of that. I actually wonder if the music industry doesn't put as much effort into promoting older rock bands (or anything that isn't proven to be profitable) because of the combination of YouTube and dwindling album sales.

Yeah, even 2006 was still kind of the tail end of the old days since YT was a "hot new thing" and not quite the monster it has been since, say 2009. I wonder how much of the Stadium Arcadium sales were driven by teens in 06 versus their 90s fans who were just keeping up with a band they liked? I'm guessing a bit of both.

Honeymoon Suite made a comeback in 07 when they performed New Girl Now at the Niagara Falls New Years Eve festivities in 07 with all original band members present.
I am still hearing their old material on the Oldies station.

And Matt Hayes asked a very smart question? "What would Niagara Falls, The Honeymoon Capital of the World, be without a little Honeymoon Suite?"?

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