Songs About Rockism

Those Pet Shop Boys are like ILM's friendly godfathers of reasonable antirockism, aren't they?

Indeed. There's also their b-side "How I learned to hate rock and roll," and "I get along" mocks Richard Ashcroft's proclamation about there being a "rock and roll royalty" via the lines "Now I know you'd much rather be with rock royalty/Instead of someone like me/The big boys are back and we need them, you said/Think it was something you'd read and it stuck in your head." Also, naming an album Disco in the 1980s was definitely an anti-rockist gesture.

On a non-PSB tip, Baxendale's "Music for Girls" is anti-rockist.

An ironic smackdown of Britpop rockism!

"This is a song for all you bigheads out there who think disco music is lower than the irrelevant musical gibberish and tired platitudes that you try to impress your parents with. We're the Human League, we're much cleverer than you, and this is called ‘Dance Like A Star’"

the debate is nearly 30 years old, people

A pop classicist, AC is challenging the current anti-rockist vogue. "Listening too long to one song," mouths the anti-rockist allegation against the rockist. The response: to challenge the naysayer about his or her own catholic tastes: "Sing me Spanish techno," asshole.

Golden Oldies, Rolling Stones, we don't want them back.
I'd rather jack, than Fleetwood Mac.
No Heavy Metal, Rock 'n' Roll, music from the past,
I'd rather Jack, to Fleetwood Mac.

Can't they see that every generation, has music for its own identity ?
So why's the DJ on the radio station, always more than twice the age of me ?
Who needs Pink Floyd or Dire Straits, it's not our music that's out of date
?
Demographic stereo, they never play the songs we know

Brucie dreams life's a highway / too many roads bypass my way /
Or they never begin. Innocence coming to grief /
At the hands of life - Stinkin' car thief / that's my concept of sin /
Does heaven wait all heavenly over the next horizon ? /
But look at us now, quit driving, some things hurt more much more than cars and girls.

With Brucie of course being Brucie "Brooooooce" Springsteen and cars and girls of course referring to favorite rock and roll topoi nrs. 1 and 2.

By the way, Mr. Snrub, which New York Times article are you referring to?

Irk the purists
Irk the purists
Irk the purists it's a right good laugh
Irk the purists
Irk the purists
Irk the purists in the bath

Hall and Oates, (something), Miles Davis
Patti Smith, Simply Red, Sly Stone
Be they false or 4Real, I don't care and nor does Neal
So long as we can hear their songs

Irk the purists
Irk the purists
It could well be an Olympic sport
Irk the purists
Irk the purists
If you've never then you ought

Husker... Du-Du-Du
Captain Beefheart, ELO
Chris DeBurgh, Sun Ra, Del Amitri, John Coltrane

Irk the purists
Irk the purists
Come on boy, you know it feels so right
Irk the purists
Irk the purists
Irk the purists tonight

Hang the DJ
Hang the DJ
Hang the DJ

Hang the DJ

They took the credit for your second symphony
Rewritten by machine and new technology

I guess these would be "countryist" more than rockist, but the basic principle/aeshetic stance is the same.

but didn't the Buggles use all kind of machines and synths/production trickery? I've always heard it as a "dawning of a new age" kinda song...out with the old....maybe that's partially cuz it was the first song on MTV, etc etc....of course, I've never and don't plan to read any Buggles interviews, so I have no idea what the intent was....

Wouldn't it be the opposite? The pop listener, not the rockist, tends to play the same song over and over, most notably with the case of hit (or not) singles. The rockist will play albums more and thus, have a lesser tendency to repeat the same song.

In Cleveland.

Turned on the radio
Sounded like a disco
Musta turned the dial for a couple of miles
But I couldn’t find no rock ’n roll

This computerized crap ain’t gettin’ me off
Everywhere I go the kids wanna rock

It's the same old tune, fiddle and guitar
Where do we take it from here

We've been the same way for years
We need to change

Somebody told me when I got to Nashville
Son you finally got it made
Old Hank made it here, we’re all sure that you will
But I don't think Hank done it this way
I don't think Hank done it this way

Ten years down the road, making one night stands
Speeding my young life away
Tell me one more time just so I understand
Are you sure Hank done it this way
Did Ol' Hank really do it this way?

I've seen the world with a five piece band
Looking at the back side of me
Singing my songs and one of his now and then
But I don't think Hank done 'em this a'way
No I don't think Hank done 'em this a'way

Nashville wanted to draw a line around the country music tradition (including Hank) (but not including Waylon). Waylon's not only saying that he and Hank have a lot more in common than Hank and (I don't know, say) Chet Atkins (Nashville embodied), but that maybe he's had it even harder than Hank or Chet or anybody. But I stand to be corrected.

Sorry to drift off topic...

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Proudly Presents
The First Annual
ROCK AGAINST ROCKISM
Saturday, September 24th, 2005,
Central Park Stage
New York City
Doors at 9, the rock starts promptly at 10.
All proceeds will be donated to the Toss Out Your Guitars, Kids Fund. ("T.O.Y. Guitars, Kids")

I think the vogue of the term 'rockism' is due to 'popism' finding a significant constituency among critics, which I think is due to the rise of hip-hop. By being popular, and also being macho and authentic (rockist traits), hip-hop has managed to win respectability for those that 'don't write their own music' (popist trait).

U def. k-missed the pt. Lstn. 2 tha lyrx!:

"Just give me my Joni, My Nick, Neil, and Bob/
You can keep your Tsunami, your Slant 6 and Smog"

ie: old, authentic, tried and true artists = good; new artists = bad.

kthxbye

By the way, Mr. Snrub, which New York Times article are you referring to?

Here's the New York Times article, and here's an ILM thread about it.

Wouldn't it be anti-rockist because writing about love is considered a totally rock thing to write about?

Love crops up quite a lot as something to sing about, cos most groups make most of their songs about falling in love or how happy they are to be in love, you occasionally wonder why these groups do sing about it all the time. It's because these groups think there's something very special about it. Either that or else it's because everybody else sings about it and always has, you know to burst into song you have to be inspired and nothing inspires quite like love.

These groups and singers think that they appeal to everyone by singing about love because apparently everyone has or can love or so they would have you believe anyway but these groups seem to go along with what, the belief that love is deep in everyone's personality. I don't think we're saying there's anything wrong with love, we just don't think that what goes on between two people should be shrouded with mystery.

right, pop singers never sing about love.

I want to sing that rock and roll.
I want to 'lectrify my soul,
'Cause everybody been making a shout
So big and loud, been drowning me out.
I want to sing that rock and roll.

I want to reach that glory land.
I want to shake my savior's hand,
And I want to sing that rock and roll.
I want to 'lectrify my soul,
'Cause everybody been making a shout
So big and loud, been drowning me out.
I want to sing that rock and roll.

I been a-traveling near and far,
But I want to lay down my old guitar,
And I want to sing that rock and roll.
I want to 'lectrify my soul,
'Cause everybody been making a shout
So big and loud, been drowning me out.
I want to sing that rock and roll.

The lyrics go like this:

We are not a rock band
But we rock the house.
We are not a rock band
But we rock the house.
We don't play the guitar
Nor play the bass,
Throw TVs out of windows
Or get high on drugs.

I have a feeling that I may have written a song about rockism (as against just a song about pop). If I have and anyone remembers it, please remind me.

First and foremost they are Bruce Springsteen's favourite topoi nrs. 1 and 2. Nevermind about the rest of rock'n'roll - this song is about Bruce Springsteen, an act most "rockists" distanced themselves from by the time "Born In The USA" became a massive world hit btw.

"It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" is it swingism or popism/danceism?

More like fundamentalism. Clever anti-rockism long since turned into militant fundamentalist swingism.