changed. 30 years ago, the “rebels” were punk rockers and rock stars in general, especially more hard rockers and the musical “movers.” Think of “Queen.”
But now most of those folks are servile suck-ups. Billy Idol is charging per sneer, selling out to the highest bidder. Queen is now elevator music. Maybe Black Sabbath is the music of graham cracker commercials.
Virtually all pop “stars” now put out pure pablum, meant to offend no one–and is therefore so bland and insipid that a lot of younger people are into 80s music now–because modern pop sucks.
(As an aside, my son was a sophomore in college and called me saying, “I just found an awesome 80s group I had never heard of–have you ever heard of ‘Pink Floyd?'”)
But Pink Floyd is no more. There is just the googley-eyed anti-Semitism of Roger Waters.
Now I will admit–virtually all rap leaves me cold. And much of rap is unbelievably vulgar. I really don’t (generally) like it.
But let’s be honest, there is no “rebel” group of performers today like rap artists. They are the spiritual descendants of the original punkers.
And for THAT I tip my hat to them…