Grammys 2024: Why ‘Best Rock Album’ is killing rock music
Rock and roll is far from dead. For all of the discourse that has surrounded the topic of the genre’s demise in recent years, rock has seemed to fall by the wayside rather than having been etched in stone, with many fans clamouring for when the next big thing is going to kick the industry in the ass. Although many artists have the potential to make a dent in music history and make a genuine comment on where the genre could be going, The Grammys seemed to be content with reading rock’s death sentence.
Then again, The Grammys has never claimed to get it right all the time when picking the title for ‘Best Rock Album’. Before they even started venturing into other subgenres like metal, the Recording Arts were more than happy to stray away from anything they saw as potentially tasteless, including giving massive snubs to artists like Metallica in their prime.
While anyone can point to these fallacies in hindsight, the hallowed music award show has seen rock and roll take a back seat since the 2010s. Although there have been exceptions now and again, the biggest names in the music industry have felt content in celebrating the music from artists of old rather than heap praise on anyone who may be gathering momentum in the here and now.
This brings us to the latest Grammys nominations for ‘Best Rock Album’, which may be one of the easiest lists the selection committee has ever pulled together. Instead of looking at whether a record belongs, let’s start by reviewing the highlights; this is far from a bad selection, after all.
Looking at a handful of the nominees like Paramore and Queens of the Stone Age, the selection at least has its ear to the ground regarding relevant artists. QOTSA’s In Times New Roman saw Josh Homme flexing his muscles as one of the most reliable songwriters in the genre, and Paramore’s This is Why is a brilliant piece of post-punk influenced pop rock that suggests that we can expect big things in the future.
Even Foo Fighters (always a Grammy darling) have been given consideration for But Here We Are, which stands as a stunning tribute to late drummer Taylor Hawkins and one of the sturdiest collections of songs the band have made in years. While there’s nothing wrong with these selections, did you happen to notice that all these artists debuted over 20 years ago?
Rounding out the lineup with a fairly decent Metallica record and Greta Van Fleet, the mentality behind these picks seems to be celebrating the status quo of rock and roll, as if to say that the only artists worth caring about are the ones that don’t need to try anymore. While it’s nice when the genre’s veterans go above and beyond, many of the greatest artists with rock-leaning records were left by the wayside.
While some of the biggest names in rock might cater to the sounds of alternative and indie music these days, the fact that no innovative artists are reflected in the ‘Best Rock Album’ speaks to the sad state that higher-ups want the genre to be kept in. Instead of rebelling against authority like the genre did in the past, the mentality behind these picks falls more in line with pleasing listeners who didn’t bother listening to trends past 2005.
Even when rewarding Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher with a nod, the Grammys still feel out of touch, practically rewarding a glorified Led Zeppelin cover band that happens to play original material. Considering how many people have been looking to make rock sound meaningful again, it’s a sad state of affairs when the best they have to offer in new blood is a husk of one of the greatest bands in history.
In the future, it might be easier to broaden the playing for what constitutes a rock single. Rather than relying on name recognition, perhaps the most innovative thing the Grammys could do would be to expand what constitutes rock. While Lil Yachty’s progressive rock experiment Let’s Start Here may not have resonated with everyone, it’s far more exciting seeing an artist take a risk like that than hearing Greta Van Fleet try to rewrite ‘When the Levee Breaks’ for the thousandth time.
Granted, there are a few ways that the Recording Academy is turning a corner, especially with the ‘Best Rock Song’ category. Although there are still more than a few names earning the nod off of seniority, like The Rolling Stones’ ‘Angry’, seeing Boygenius being nominated along with Olivia Rodrigo in the rock category at least shows that some are willing to push the genre in a new direction.
While The Grammys have shown signs of growth in some respects throughout the years, this year’s ‘Best Rock Album’ should be seen as a cautionary tale for the category’s future. Because if fans keep rewarding artists for sounding the same from one album to the next, we are sure to see rock wither on the vine and die in the next few years.
