Alice Cooper Reacts To Gene Simmons Claim 'Rock Is Dead'

[@RockFeed]

This Inkcarceration lineup looks amazing: bit.ly/inkrockfeed

[@paddytheirishguy334]

Gene Simmons doesn't mean Jack shit to Rock Music these days. He's just trying to keep another tour going for one last cash grab. He should just hang it up already..... Alice Cooper tho, he's still got it

[@masterpiececonspiracy636]

Motley Def Leppard In Philly . Right Now .

[@michelleper5065]

Lol. 1 is a no body, the other one is a has been. OFC I refer to gene simons as the no body, Alice at least had "poison" but yes music as a whole is done, and they should NEVER EVER be cataloged with the likes of the great george michael, roland orzabal, david bowie, elton john, sting, freddie, prince, stevie wonder, cyndi lauper, kate bush and the likes those 2 were always the lowest of the bunch, but as i said Alice actually had some good material and somewhat a musician, the other one.. just lol.

[@alessandrodelpierojuventus8156]

@@michelleper5065 The point îs The companies doesnt give a lots of money to new bands ...The net downloading îs destroying musicians money ! Plus .name one big band like Beatles,or Queen borned after 2000 year ...I CANNOT BELIEVE SO MANY PEOPLE DIDNT UNDERSTOOD OR DIDNT WANTED TO HEAR THE WHOLE VERSION LOOOL

[@timturk1899]

@@paddytheirishguy334 Both had some good tunes, but they were entertainers first and foremost. Gene has always had a good eye for bands coming up, at least if he could make some money off them. Simmons isn't his original last name. He's Jewish and I believe his last name was a popular Jewish last name..? Didn't sound cool. Whatever Gene isn't making money from, he considers Dead.👍💯✌️

[@thedogfromraditude5449]

He got it spot on. Rock bands aren’t on the radio anymore, but do they need to be? Rock isn’t about being the most popular, it’s about leaving a legacy. Bands are still doing well making rock music. They might not be selling out arenas, but if you think that’s all that matters, then maybe pop would suit you better.

[@danwilliams4270]

People still listen to the radio for music? lol But seriously, only thing on the radio is corporate crap. You'll have someone do something new, and here come the clones.

[@The6977]

@@danwilliams4270 Of course- people listen underground radios ,Rock& Metal radios , online and independent. No politics no advertisements etc.. It does exist. ONLY MUSIC , underground bands and talks about. There is just one fm radio that I like to listen and it comes from your country : GIMME RADIO/GIMME METAL ..

[@zarkruzam3090]

Are you referring to established bands, or new acts? NOBODY goes out to see local rock bands anymore, and that's where it all starts. Maybe that's why there aren't any local rock bands around, thus, making Gene's case

[@tylercarman2010]

Well said

[@geoffreyholliday1971]

Iron Maiden has had very little radio play. Look how huge they are. But they are the exception

[@brightbite]

Alice is spot on. Why on earth should rock be mainstream when it is made for trail-blazing individuals?

[@truthhurts79]

Cuz mainstream gave Alice those beautiful mansions and multiple sport cars

[@zachary_attackery]

why should people in rock bands make any money? Just sleep in your van and pay for your tours out of your own pocket!

[@lDreadl]

Mainstream for rock n roll is good too, because more people tune into mainstream stations, so it makes a bigger audience for rock n roll bringing in more people

[@joshjacobs3906]

Alice knows his shit. You can trust what he says. Gene is old and way past his prime....his rockstar life is a mere shell of what it once was, no girls trying to jump his bones anymore, hes just not that guy anymore. Rock isn't dead....its moved on and he, as well as KISS, are not the force they once were. I'm not bashing, I love KISS....my first concert at 15. But its time to go sit on the porch and take it easy.

[@wclaurence]

Alice is older than Gene.

[@bobbyg433]

@@wclaurence but Alice is still.on top of his game.

[@alessandrodelpierojuventus8156]

The point îs The companies doesnt give a lots of money to new bands ...The net downloading îs destroying musicians money ! Plus .name one big band like Beatles,or Queen borned after 2000 year ...I CANNOT BELIEVE SO MANY PEOPLE DIDNT UNDERSTOOD OR DIDNT WANTED TO HEAR THE WHOLE VERSION LOOOL

[@wclaurence]

@@bobbyg433 I believe Alice and Gene are both still on top of their game.

[@baron_von_brunk]

"Rock is dead, kids - but be sure to come see us at our 34th farewell tour!"

[@RDnAC]

😂

[@MW-3002]

Guitar Music is thriving and here’s some reasons why • The Internet has provided Bands to gain a relatively large platform and it has become easier to find • Bands like Wolf Alice, Royal Blood, The Pretty Reckless, Nothing But Thieves etc. have been selling out arenas and winning awards which makes the ecosystem healthy • Rock Festivals provide bands to make a name for themselves (Download, Rock Am Ring) • Some have also headlined festivals such as Glastonbury and Reading.

[@samhain4399]

You pretty much nailed it...

[@michaelkeudel8770]

Check out Mystery, the band DavidcBenoit came from to take over for Jon Anderson in Yes, they are awesome.

[@nightshadespectre409]

I always knew I vibed with Alice Cooper more than Kiss in general. Gene Simmons’ opinions on rock’s lack thereof mainstream status being overshadowed by Rap and Hip-Hop simply furthers Alice’s point on that it has not been completely eradicated, just momentarily absent from the public eye. Ie. Folk, Motown, Disco, Synth Pop, EDM, etc… The movement is simply in a resting state, more underground, which would henceforth eventually amplify it’s future notoriety like the grunge explosion taking over Hair Metal in the early 90s.

[@VictoriaKempPhotos]

@SkyNet General as someone who has followed Alice Cooper since the early 70s, I can say you are most mistaken. He still puts out new music and tours almost constantly and I bet if you go to an Alice Cooper show, you will know a lot of songs and have a blast too. That band rocks their asses off every night they take the stage.

[@alessandrodelpierojuventus8156]

@SkyNet General Kiss didnt promoted a lot of songs as videos,but they have so many good songs unkown and different from their videos

[@alessandrodelpierojuventus8156]

The point îs The companies doesnt give a lots of money to new bands ...The net downloading îs destroying musicians money ! Plus .name one big band like Beatles,or Queen borned after 2000 year ...I CANNOT BELIEVE SO MANY PEOPLE DIDNT UNDERSTOOD OR DIDNT WANTED TO HEAR THE WHOLE VERSION LOOOL

[@andypostema4269]

@SkyNet General Take half an hour or so out of your life and listen to the album Killer by Alice Cooper. You'll find that his early work completely eclipses the few hits that still play on the radio.

[@marybethunger624]

Kiss no longer knowing How to Rock....does not mean rock is dead. LONG LIVE ROCk (I think that was a Pete Townshend line)

[@alessandrodelpierojuventus8156]

The point îs The companies doesnt give a lots of money to new bands ...The net downloading îs destroying musicians money ! Plus .name one big band like Beatles,or Queen borned after 2000 year ...I CANNOT BELIEVE SO MANY PEOPLE DIDNT UNDERSTOOD OR DIDNT WANTED TO HEAR THE WHOLE VERSION LOOOL

[@unperson5713]

Nobody in Rock n Roll works harder than Alice Cooper. Your entertainment is his priority.

[@kathypiazza4567]

I miss his radio show, but he is still touring & there’s only so much time. I loved his guests, heard great music, great stories& got a form of education as well.

[@richardjanssen98]

@@kathypiazza4567 His radio show is still going strong, if there's no radio near you (like for me as I live in Europe) that plays it you can listen to it online.

[@valentinsantiago277]

Rock is not dead. The best is always yet to come. Rock 4 ever!

[@maxbritain1380]

Kiss is dead.

[@valentinsantiago277]

@@maxbritain1380 yep

[@alessandrodelpierojuventus8156]

The point îs The companies doesnt give a lots of money to new bands ...The net downloading îs destroying musicians money ! Plus .name one big band like Beatles,or Queen borned after 2000 year ...I CANNOT BELIEVE SO MANY PEOPLE DIDNT UNDERSTOOD OR DIDNT WANTED TO HEAR THE WHOLE VERSION LOOOL

[@alessandrodelpierojuventus8156]

@@maxbritain1380 Kiss îs The most influential band since the last 50 years,from Metallica to Lady Gaga,Kiss dna îs everywhere

[@maxbritain1380]

@@alessandrodelpierojuventus8156 RIP Kiss!

[@BuddyRitt]

Rock hasn't died. Gene just fell off😂

[@noahbrennan5849]

Exactly, he’s mad but actively doing nothing about it himself , just a way to be bitter and hate the younger generation, even tho I can see where he comes from it’s just like cmon man quit complaining, actions speak louder than words

[@JuanMendoza-qd5lm]

Shits dead AF man... Weakened, diluted, pussified. Call it whatever you want but the sound making it today is straight up "Happy". I cant even say the word in a negative context without being censored.

[@JuanMendoza-qd5lm]

Dont get me wrong, theres still a few good bands out there getting picked up, but Im talking about the overall mainstream perception of "What modern Rock even is" from a 2022 perspective... its pathetic bud. Once Emo hit around 2007 it was a progressively accelerating spiral down to an anus.

[@caseyrunyon9777]

Yes I agree he could of evolve back in the 1990s and became a death metal band hell motley crew even got out of the hair band genre and became a modern rock band there abulms from the 2000s helped them evolved.

[@818Kira]

@@JuanMendoza-qd5lm weakened and pussified?? Did you see the shit in the 1980’s? Lol Mainstream rock in the 80’s was pretty shit

[@kroek259]

wait, so Simmons is saying that rock died after '88, if so then how come that metallica made one of the best selling albums ever in '91?

[@thedogfromraditude5449]

Yeah lol, same with Nirvana

[@JUGGALOMADNESS]

Rock and roll music heavy metal music was really big in the 1980s I remember watching Headbangers the ball in 1987 I was only 7 years old and there was rock and roll everywhere in the '80s Gene Simmons is a moron he talks too much crap sometimes

[@arejaycee5484]

Glad you said best selling and not best album. 😁

[@mayzilla1174]

Because Metallica ain't rock

[@JUGGALOMADNESS]

@@mayzilla1174 Metallica is heavy metal so basically it's rock

[@Assimilator702]

There’s a big difference in a music form being dead and simply not being promoted by the music industry. Other forms of music are what are pushed to the general public. Rock stopped being pushed in the 2010 to 2012 era. There were still a shitload of those Emo Metal bands and after that wave died the momentum for the next Rock or Metal genre died out. Imagine Dragons and a few of their contemporaries are the latest wave of Rock bands but there isn’t the usual wave of similar bands that are being financially backed by the bid players in the industry.

[@JuanMendoza-qd5lm]

Emo almost singlehandedly killed it thats why... Nobody wants to go from jamming to Slipknot into Taking Back Sunday.

[@BonShula]

Declining is the right word

[@countmackular4108]

Right...it's not "Dead"...But a perfect storm of things that happened in the 1950's birthed Rock n' Roll Aka "Rock"...And a perfect storm of things..MTV, Radio, and Record Company promotion decline...Diminished Rock out of the music forefront...It's the circle of life of a genre so to speak...The perfect storm of events births genre's and dismantles genre's.

[@ryanshinermusic]

Rock is still wildly popular and Nielsen has it listed as the second-most listened genre. MGK, Ghost, Chevelle, etc. had some big albums recently and fans complaining about the genre being “dead” decided to attack those albums. Also pop punk is really popular right now

[@thejusticeization]

@@ryanshinermusic MGK does not belong in the same sentence as the other two. not rock

[@theindigoboogeyman243]

Alice Cooper always has the most balanced responses to tough, complicated questions. I guess it just comes from being in the industry for most of his life, but there are plenty of rockstars who’ve had as much experience as Alice and they fly off the handle very quickly when asked stuff like this.🤔

[@theyakkoman]

Reminds me of an old quote someone once told me; "Mistakes are mandatory, learning from them is optional." Yeah, wisdom comes with age and experience. But only if you are actually willing and active to learn something from it. Goodness knows there are many old people out there who thinks that their seniority gives them some insight in how things should be when they're the ones who are simply stuck in their ways. "Kids these days. Get off my lawn!" type of people. It's like, yeah, you went to school every day but you weren't paying attention in class. Alice, and folks like the late Lemmy and David Bowie, did pay attention and therefore were often very wise in their interviews.

[@butchbrady5674]

paying good money to go see a legend rock band to only find that they are lip syncing kills rock music, Gene

[@gerolfvanoudshoorn4359]

Really, he should be happy with where he is, not so many musicians in his age and long past their prime can still be interesting to modern audience.

[@DemonhunterPaul]

Bingo!

[@iNsTaNtpUdDiNhEaD]

A few years ago there were young kids in their basement learning Metallica, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Foo Fighters and more. Now they are The Warning band and have just released their third full-length album of originally-crafted music. Rock is very much alive!

[@dukemantee2978]

I don't see any "hit" songs by new bands that people will still be listening to or that musicians will be covering in 10 or 20 years. Rock may not be dead but it's been on life support for some time.

[@thesentinel5523]

Rock isn’t dead… but making a living off of playing rock music is. If you’re a new rock band trying to make a living playing your music, good luck.

[@JuanMendoza-qd5lm]

Straight up truest comment in this section👍

[@shepdgc.og.soldier7732]

@@JuanMendoza-qd5lm Yeah I agree. Long live rock.

[@ghost_to_a_ghost]

I've seen Alice Cooper shows multiple times and they were packed! my ex wife was homies with some of the crew and I even got to chill in the green room once after one of the shows and had some beers with his crew that still kick a few back. Fun time and all his shows were a blast. that dude can still rock with the best of em. Gene is the definition of a grumpy old man these days. Rock honestly seems to be making a comeback these days. Good vid from Rockfeed, as always! 👍

[@itsmezed]

I've seen Alice 4 times now, and I think I can say that there isn't a more entertaining rock act in the business. Rock is doing just fine.

[@Dannysapphire]

Cooper is absolutely right. Rock will always be around even if it's not in the spotlight. Probably good it didn't stay in the limelight longee or it would have been used as cash grab even further by the end of it being mainstream.

[@sir__howard]

I love how rock is returning back to the underground but I would like to see it as the top dog like how it was in the mid to late 60’s to 70’s. long live rock ‘n’ roll

[@ll7868]

Rock was underground in the 70s. Back then disco ruled the airwaves. KISS was disco rock in the beginning, they were played alongside the Bee Gees and The Village People. When disco started dying in the 80s when Van Halen and Scorpions started getting popular KISS turned into rock and jumped on that bandwagon. When hair/glam became popular in the later 80s KISS took off the makeup and went glam. When glam died they couldn't go grunge so went back to the early 80s and stayed there for the rest of their careers. They've been out of touch with reality ever since. Trendhoppers, not trendsetters, KISS are and always have been posers.

[@ll7868]

There was "rock" in the 70s but not what you think, it was CCR, Bob Seger, The Rolling Stones, maybe a bit of AC/DC due to their heavy blues sound at the time. Bands like Sabbath, Motorhead, Led Zeppelin, they were relegated to after 9pm.

[@fullmetalpatr10t]

Considering all of the studio musicians Gene uses to play his bass lines, rock may be dead in his agenda, but it's alive and well among all the other rockers still actually putting in the work. Alice is absolutely right!

[@williamthomas2063]

Iron Maiden is touring right now. KISS hasn't even been 20% of the ROCK Maiden is, even when they were at their top game.

[@mayzilla1174]

Maiden isn't rock

[@williamthomas2063]

@@mayzilla1174 You're completely clueless. Go troll somewhere else.

[@thegoldenpanther6986]

@@mayzilla1174 What is it then? Metal?

[@mayzilla1174]

@@thegoldenpanther6986 we called it Heavy Metal back in the 80's but today it's called Rock music obviously

[@MollyZelko2.0]

Rock will never die. Saw KISS last summer at a 28k seat sold out Arena and saw Stevie Nicks a couple nights ago play to another sold out show of 24k.

[@TheDude0fLife]

It's Gene Simmons though so yeah, he means you can't create an image and make millions so easily marketing rock music with blacklight posters, trading cards, dolls, lunchboxes, comic books, even coffins, and any other merch you can come up with like he was able to do in the 1970's. It was a different time.

[@jmodified]

Oh man, I remember that weird, horrible TV movie they did.

[@kathypiazza4567]

Kiss took marking merchandise to a level no one had ever thought about.

[@theindigoboogeyman243]

@@jmodified Scooby Doo and KISS?

[@theindigoboogeyman243]

I wonder who these days is unironically buying KISS Kondoms and KISS toilet lids and asking to be buried in a KISS casket.😂

[@jmodified]

@@theindigoboogeyman243 "Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park"

[@nochops1781]

KISS died 40 years ago. The lip sinking to a backing track during 'live' shows Gene Simmons has only ever been interested in money. not the music.

[@backinblack1982]

Rock and roll ain't gonna die! Rock and roll is my religion and my law! Long live rock and roll

[@RDnAC]

You can’t kill rock n roll It’s here to stay. Ozzy

[@jimtaylor9631]

I'm 70 yrs. old & I've seen 'em all. I've also seen the best 3 rock bands I've seen in the last 40 yrs. at a bar in Des Moines, Iowa...all in 1 week. All original songs & 2 of the bands were trios! Rock isn't dead...you just need to do a little research & find it!

[@ramccall]

I’ve been thinking of this exact same thing. Personally, I think that music moves in cycles and rock/metal is already starting to make a comeback (thank god). At a certain point, being “the highest in the room” get pretty damn old.

[@devanshepard9118]

whats ironic is i am seeing more rappers of the gen z age say they love rock music and want to make that then rap

[@carelhaasbroek1575]

Like jack black once sang. You cant kill the metal.

[@robthetimekeeper2423]

He also sang Rock is Dead.

[@OdinAesthetic]

Just saw crue last night in NYC. The number of very young people there was stunning. Rock ain't dead.

[@tillman40]

It’s summer time, and my teenagers haven’t gone to one rock concert. Back in the day I saw 8 at least a summer

[@johnallen9149]

Rock and Metal music isn't dead, bands are just a little harder to find. The genre isn't in the forefront for the time being, music popularity comes in waves. I truly do believe, in the next 5 yrs. Rock and Metal will have a huge resurgence!

[@angelalinderman9985]

Me too! I think it's already starting to come back 😃👍🤘🖤🎛️🎤

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

I'm going to more rock shows in 2022 than any year ever.

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

@Ace Courage The Mars Volta, for one.

[@Devilsblood]

To me Rock is gonna go the way of Jazz music. Jazz hasn't been popular for years but there are still people playing it. The video game "Guitar hero" proved people still love the music. I made friends with some people from Korea trying to bring back the punk scene. I'll keep loving rock until I'm dead, that's the only guarantee from me.

[@billwofford2256]

rock is not dead its just not being promoted like back in the 60s and beyond there are some awesome hard rock bands out there the struts rival sons dirty honey are just a few of the newer awesome rock bands out there on the road tearing it up just cause they dont have a top 10 song on the charts that doesnt mean they are awful and it dont mean rock is dead i agree with alice the rockers and headbangers of the world are back to being the rebels of the world

[@chrisoakley5830]

I think Gene is right. We are 22 years into the new century and I can't name one new hard rock or metal band of importance during that time. The only thing that exist are classic rock bands from the previous century. I'd like to see RNR come back but I seriously have my doubts that it will.

[@nesii9599]

Gene simmons lives in the dark ages, the old fool.🤦‍♂️

[@starr_love6196]

ROCK WILL NEVER DIE ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ He’s right to an extent but there are still people that love it and love to play it . We are the Rebels we’ll never die .

[@jacklynland3109]

Alice Cooper my rock vocal hero will always be right when it comes to music! Rock will never die as long as there is a rebellious spirit among enough people, and right now thee is much rebellion among the masses in the political climate.

[@gjr72]

Good observation from Alice pointing out that Gene is talking from the business point of view. The business of rock is just an aspect of the whole thing. Rock has many tentacles covering cultural, social, moral, musical, and many other aspects; moreover, I have seen a revitalization of rock in the recent years.

[@Michael_JL93]

Gene is 100% right! He just needs to reword what he’s trying to say. Rock in general isn’t dead but “Mainstream rock” definitely is. There’s no rock scenes anymore

[@picklefish74]

In my town friends of mine who play in bands around town volunteer their time every summer to train the next generation. The volunteer to work at a summer cam] called First Gig Rock Camp for kids. It's a summer camp for teens, if they don't play an instrument yet, they are taught to. They finish camp by playing one gig at a local bar that has live music. So later in the summer every year I will be out at a bar to see a band and after I see the band that I came to see, a bunch of teens will come out on stage and play a set before the end of the night. Since I know so many people who are instructors, every year , I get to hear incredible stories that com from camp that year.

[@RacerX888]

Gene is just pissed that nobody wants Kiss merchandise anymore and he can't get groupies as an old man. Kiss killed their own image as soon as Simmons started appearing on TV.

[@jeffwerth2707]

Both are right - look at the groups that put out "rock" in 2022. I listen to what they term "Classic Rock" - watch retro reviews from 1990+ born people on youtube and they are blown away with the performances. Not sure about "dead" - just like the music from the '50s changed into the '60s sound...and so on - rock as we know it is changing. Granted members are aging but when Alice or Kiss or the Stones tour, they sell a lot of tickets.

[@ericnortan9012]

I could name countless bands that inspired other musicians since 1988. Part of the reason it is "less popular" is there are so many options for people today. Music is so much more diverse now compared to 1978 when most people only heard what the radio played and everybody was into the same stuff. Or at least a way smaller section.

[@lennon1482]

as frank zappa said "rock isn't dead, it just smells funny"

[@rofyle]

1. Who the hell is on the radio anymore? Who still listens to the radio? The garage kids aren't playing Guns, Alice, ACDC or Kiss. They're playing Slipknot, Korn, Lorna Shore, Jinjer, Spiritbox. I mean, just look at how many videos girls are posting of themselves singing/growling like Tatiana and Courtney. There was just a ten year old girl on America's Got Talent who growled Holy Roller from Spiritbox. The video got almost 2 million views. If Gene would turn off his FM box and turn on his computer, then maybe he would learn where rock went.

[@victorblack6995]

Alice was performing Rock, and wearing Make Up way before KISS. He was the innovator who broke all the ground for bands like KISS to waltz in later and enjoy all the success. I'm not sure there would even be a KISS at all if not for Alice Cooper. If KISS are saying Rock Is Dead, maybe they never really knew what it was all about in the first place, and it's time to say goodbye....the old school is out, it's been blown to pieces. Long Live Rock!

[@aurorafarris1100]

I agree with Alice Cooper im sure there are a tons of boy even girls out there trying to get out of the garage and even get signed up on Summon Records or something

[@albertmoyer3857]

They are both right. It's a struggle for touring bands. People will always play music. I read guitar instrument sales are down like 500,000 units worldwide. I am around school bands and it's harder and harder to find students interested in playing. Classical music still exists but not the way it once existed. The same is happening to rock. It will exist but never at the 70's or 80's level.

[@gladiator22666]

When I got into Rock / Metal many ,many years ago it really wasn't a mainstream thing . Metal was frowned on and it was rare to see it in the charts . If a band got into the mainstream charts it was classed as selling out .....we didn't do pop . Alice got it right ....being into rock / metal was like being an outlaw .......who wants to be mainstream. Gene is moaning because of file sharing but I think most music fans still purchase CDs and with the resurgence of vinyl I don't see what his problem is .

[@VictoriaKempPhotos]

I still buy cds. We have 500 albums and more cds, music going back to the early 70s.

[@gladiator22666]

@@VictoriaKempPhotos I think real music lovers will always purchase their favourite music 👍

[@simonkormendy849]

Well, after the loss of two original members, AC/DC are still going strong, their latest album Power Up, proves it, so, I don't necessarily think Rock is dead, I think it has just taken a back seat, on the other hand I think it is about time that the corrupt music industry as we currently know it, should definitely die so that talented artists don't get constantly ripped-off by the record labels, it's the corrupt music industry that's killing Rock.

[@VinE83656]

I think Alice is probably right that Gene was talking financially. I see Alice actively touring and he does festivals with young bands opening for him. A couple of my current young favorites hard rockers The Warning and classic rockers Dea Matrona have shared stages with him. He sees the young hard rock bands still with passion and love for rock. Bravo Alice.

[@rtgredtruck3059]

Why didn’t anyone react when Jack Black said that Rock is dead?

[@jamjarr8808]

Because he's a comedian and was joking. Gene Simmons has come across many times as a bit of a prat

[@rtgredtruck3059]

@@jamjarr8808 I meant it as a joke. I of course know Jack Black was joking.

[@ggriffaw]

The legendary bands are still doing well, but I am concerned about the lack of rock bands building popularity. Great bands may exist, but if only a small following know about them they will not have much of a lasting impact. When I was in school there would be arguments about who the best guitarist was. I really doubt that happens much in schools any more. Young people don't appear to be interested in that kind of music like they used to. Even back in the old days when rock was on the fringe, some rock bands were very popular with young people (Elvis, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin). I don't think that is the case any more.

[@gerolfvanoudshoorn4359]

To be popular you need to be innovative and bring something new and unheard of, also we have plenty of classic rock music and no modern band will beat it unless inventing something new.

[@KolossusB]

It's not dead. But it's certainly heavily overshadowed by pop and edm type stuff these days. I however am still keeping rock and roll alive and loving it. Listen to it every day.

[@BlindGordie]

If rock is dead, Gene Simmons killed it by making Kiss a rock brand, instead of a rock band. Rock is supposed to be about being rebels and Kiss is a business and a brand first and a rock band last

[@agustinmanyari]

Listen to THE WARNING and you got the answer: Rock is more 🔥🔥alive🔥🔥than ever! 🤘🏻

[@markjames8664]

Maybe Gene is annoyed that Ale has already surpassed him and is only 17.

[@liegelord135]

@Agustin Manyari You got that right brother 🤘

[@liegelord135]

@Mark James Hilariously true!

[@djjustice4059]

Well said, Gene, but I beg to differ. Rock is alive and well. Just look around! And to be clear, I love the original KISS, but just because you're in the Over the Hill Gang now doesn't mean Rock is dead. Not. Even. Close. 🔥🎶🤘

[@angelalinderman9985]

Gene is freaking getting senile... maybe jealous of other bands success??? Rock n Roll isn't dead! I absolutely LOVE Alice 🤘🖤😂🎸🎧🎛️🎤

[@MikeSmith-ns6py]

F THAT! Music isn't about the money it's about the love and the passion. Who says you need to make millions of dollars. Why can't you just play in your bedroom or jam hall or local gigs. Just for the love of playing??

[@1TakoyakiStore]

Tbh people have been saying this since the 50's.

[@Metalviking18]

Rock music stoped being pushed somewhere around 2013 cause I remember that in 2012 it was still on the radio and on the tv. By that time came it wasn't pushed like how it should be pushed. But now it's coming back slowly but it's coming back.

[@daycare62]

and Greed Simmons is partly responsible for what he thinks is the death of Rock.....seriously , what working class person can go and spend 100s of dollars for a KISS concert?...band Tshirts and other merch....take money from the family to see the final tour thats been happening for years, ...Gene sucking the life outta that one...Rock is not dead I find new bands almost daily that I have never heard...I'm 60 and rock is not dead Gene, just because KISS is, doesn't mean the whole genre is....

[@gerakx]

I absolutely agree with Alice. I think Gene is looking at rock being dead from a financial perspective. His band can no longer make the same kind of money the same way as it did in the 70's & early 80's, so to him the rock music business is dead. The music industry didn't adapt to technology in the late 90's so it just threw its hands up and blamed the kids. Later, his record label signed horrible one-sided deals with the streaming services, and once again Gene threw his hands up and blamed the kids.

[@gerolfvanoudshoorn4359]

To be fair, KISS and Gene are not is same condition to make the same money as in their prime times.

[@dyslexiaoverload2131]

It’s not that rock is dead it’s just not new because I know a lot of people who are big rock fans but they listen to old bands like Led Zeppelin, Matalica, or AC/DC and not new bands

[@Thebald1]

I turn my local radio station on last night, XL 102 Richmond Virginia and they were playing a Rap song.. That station at one time only played rock music.. And they even had Dee Snyder on there as an announcer at one time. Now they've changed big time.. Now they mix it up with everything like Rap, Pop and little Rock.. I mostly just play 96.5 classic rock radio station..

[@wanderergrim]

I love that its that semi outlaw image Alice cooper was referring too. When you do see guitarists in mainstream nowadays music its always sessions musicians who are not allowed to express themselves fully. Though I have nothing against session musicians themselves as they are clearly skilled musicians who make quite decent money.

[@quackodemon9822]

"Rock" is dead? That's a funny way to spell "KISS," Gene.

[@patrickquinn270]

I think it’s a combination of things. Ultimately, I think it’s a passing of the torch issue. You got bands like kiss, ozzy, Alice, hell even the guys in slipknot now are around 50 years old. There’s not many up and coming bands to where fans would feel comfortable, not letting go of the great old music from the bands above, but accepting something new and exciting that has the same caliber of gravitas and allowing some of the older guys to retire if that’s what they choose to do. We’re hanging on to the old stuff so hard and that’s because no one has come in and really taken the world but storm, so these guys have been carrying us for generations. There’s a lot more that goes into it sure like how we get music today, current culture inside the entertainment industry as well as outside. So many factors involving the state of rock music and even music in general. For pop music, there’s no legion of fans for these artists, only for big stars like Beyoncé or someone or that level, but pop doesn’t have the same sort of loyalty that rock fans have.

[@Celeste-in-Oz]

As I see it, nothing is dying - art moves thru cycles - industry changes (income streams change) some lose out - others win & the meaning & boundaries of genres changes.

[@mariannekopec6982]

Ya still in Hamburg NJ ? IM off 206 just past Stokes State Forest.

[@brosch91]

Blaming file sharing...really? Gene...is your mind still stuck in the 2000s limewire era? Everybody I know uses Apple Music, Spotify, KZbin Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, and yes...even Sirius XM satellite radio. In short, everybody I know who used to download music, now stream their music. It is much more convenient than the old ways of getting music for free. Times are changing, you either change with the times or you will continue to long for the "good ol' days" for the rest of your life. And no, rock is not dead, it's just not in the spotlight like modern pop or rap music is...

[@The_Based_Batman]

Tonetta is by far one of my favorite artists and he's SUPER underground. Rock, Metal, Etc. are about connecting on a personal level with the lyrics and the true rock artists don't care about the money. They care about legacy and art. In the case of Tonetta, he leaves behind a legacy of having a mix of joke songs but songs that are undeniably melancholic with a very unique aesthetic, twangy guitar and nostalgic theme/tone. Yummy Yummy Pizza starts out about just that but when you look at the lyrics it gets darker. It's about a break up and coping with it through something as simple as pizza. Then he'll do a song about sticking things up his butt with Pressure Zone.

[@infiniteuniverse9528]

Cooper is right, Rock is Dead. Just like it has been many, many times before in the past, but it has always risen from the dead like a Vampire-Zombie hungry for brains. The music world's switch from musical instrument (Guitar) to electronic music has been the main cause of Rock's current demise, as the top 40 is all shallow dance music now. Unlike Dance music, Rock Stars do enjoy near immortality, being able to tour well into their 70's, while dance and hip-hop acts usually become irrelevant after only 2 short albums.

[@jessebaughman3636]

Gene has always been about the money and fame, if you don’t have it you’re irrelevant to him.

[@davidisrael9799]

Sure Gene, *now* Rock is dead. Not when they said the same thing after Nu Metal got big. Not when they said the same thing after grunge got big. Not when they said the same thing after hair Metal got big. Not when they said the same thing after Disco got big. Hm....I'm sensing a pattern here.

[@ctrockstar7168]

Kiss may be barely breathing but Alice is alive and kickin.

[@Morticia1313]

Rock is alive & well. I can attest to this since I go to a lot of concerts & I'm seeing the same bands I saw back in the 70s/80s & they are still awesome selling out large venues!

[@dracula2156]

Volbeat Falling in reverse and Iron Maiden prove rock is alive and well¥

[@anti7928]

Kiss has been dead since 1979...

[@toocrazee]

Gene Simmons and KISS have made a 50-year career mostly on two songs, Detroit Rock City (47 years) and Rock And Roll All Nite (48 years ago)

[@dantenapoles5951]

I'm 48, my drummer and frontman/guitarist are 69 and our bassist is 24. Were a rock, hard rock, soul, Motown, r&b, blues and back to rock...we're a rock band playing originals and covers, we're called Storyteller our 6 song demo will be free on our website. We're an American band, playing straight up raw rock and roll, in Mexico. We don't give a f#$% about the money. We do it to rebel against the hotel hotel California, mustang Sally, sweet home Alabama jukebox soulless bands droning "what the people want to hear" not us! We are (well played of course) doing what we want. Rebel! Don't do what you think you should, feel what ever the F you want and ROCK! To quote VH "we came here to entertain you in the end we aggravate you, don't you know it means the same to me"!

[@aleksandarradovanovic8496]

Every little there's an old fart like Gene Simmons who can not stand that the genre lives AND IMPROVES without them.

[@nateweter4012]

Yeah, pretty much this.

[@BNatoAk]

Kiss is my favorite band and I play bass, but if Rock was dead, why is Gene charging an arm n leg for their concert tickets and selling out🤔

[@MustBeMatt]

Kiss is a waste of time and a band, their stuff is generic and Gene is over his head.

[@JonBoy00GT]

If Simmons says rock is dead, then why is he still touring? They just headlined (abysmally) at Rockville 2022. If it's dead, they should have stayed home and let a more relevant band play. Alice ❤

[@katjordan3733]

I think Simmons has milked his old band for all he could get out of it, so for him, it's dead. So I agree with Cooper, financially, Rock is dead. The big bucks have all been sucked out of Rock. It was all bought out before it was written. We've all heard about the draconian contracts, greedy Managers and, of course, the drugs. The music is still around, people still listen to it. Some of it sounds even better after all these years.

[@sheldoncooper8199]

Gene Simmons is stuck in the year 1999. i am amazed he even knows BTS. I bet he doesnt even know Jinjer and Polyphia.

[@247liveazskies6]

Gene needs to widen his view. I am "old" by standards and yet find new exciting bands almost daily. Putting boy bands in with rock and roll is just ignorant.

[@pamtoney8950]

Rock is not DEAD. Vampires are awesome

[@MGM261]

Those who are killing rock are those who lip sync! Like themselves last weekend! 😂 Alice Cooper should've just said: "clearly you haven't seen No Cover" 😂

[@kathypiazza4567]

It is sad that because the publishing companies, the Sony’s , EMI’s, former giant Capital Records - the record companies - took/take such a giant share & always has, over time their need for increasing profits have contributed towards the rising cost of recordings - the purchase price of an album, for each buyer. We (the dreaded Baby boomers) used to buy everything, now people are sorta pushed into making limited choices, at the expense of not hearing a lot of great stuff unless they see/hear it on social media. The format changes, over my lifetime; vinyl to cassette to CD to blue ray, to blue tooth, to digital streaming & whatever I am missing here, played a role, most of us couldn’t afford to replace every beloved album on every format, we had to limit our choices, limit our range of genres we want in our collections. The streaming services replacing radio, for a good size of audiences. All of these factors, I think, have contributed to how harder it is now for young musicians to make great $$. Sure there’s break through acts, or individuals, but not the high numbers of “groups” or successful individuals, like we enjoyed in the 60’s -90’s. Now to make a living musicians need to constantly tour. Touring was always fairly important, but rarely did anyone tour most of the year. The breaks in between touring have traditionally allowed for greater freedom to write new stuff & experiment in the studio. The price for a ticket has been getting outta hand over the past couple of decades. Some acts actually refused to tour unless prices were affordable for all their fans, which was very helpful but not done without a fight. With greater demands for our discretionary spending (inflation & wage stagnation) often moving our discretionary spending to pure living expenses. Thankfully social media sites exist to give the “up & comers” exposure & revenue streams. All my “boomer” friends still wanna hear new music, we are not all stuck in the rut of only listening to the favourites from the past, from our teenage years. I am gonna end my rant with: Greed in general & Corporate Greed in particular has been a major factor in too many pleasures fading & every single ailment of society.

[@davidstull6867]

Wise but true comment by Gene......you don't get paid any money to play instruments anymore like we used too......

[@crazyralph6386]

Alice made a really great point years ago, that kind of stuck with me since, in which he stated that the way todays music business is run, no way could a Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band, Darkside of the Moon or Ziggy Stardust, album be made. Sure, todays bands could go out and make such a concept album, but they wouldn’t get the same support or promotion from the record label like they did in the old days, due to a lot of the songs, band or album not meeting the bean counter’s criteria ie hooks, looks, auto tune, special guest singers, and 12 effing producers etc. Heck, most labels want even their own people writing or playing the songs!!! Music, film and tv studios, were much better when they were run by old cigar chomping men, who didn’t know an instrument or movie projector from their a55, but rolled the dice on perceived talent, which they were experts on detecting.

[@meganivanyos3232]

“Rock and roll can never die” Gene has the worst attitude ever always. Can’t stand him

[@nbrown5907]

Rock is not dead, we have been opened up to all types of music many never heard before the internet. My latest surprise was Dua Lipa. Rock is sharing a much larger space now.

[@prideofthewicked6913]

as a musician, i was inspired by early Kiss records and in particular, Gene. we used to spend our time talking about great Kiss music, now we talk about their political views, personal opinions or who's lip syncing.... i think that says it all

[@CUPCAKESUGARPIE]

As long as there’s still rockers who love RockNRoll there will always be the spark that is RockNRoll 🎼🤟♥️♥️♥️🤟🎼

[@DemonhunterPaul]

Lol. Iron Maiden says your wrong Gene.

[@gabagool_ovahere]

At school in the mid 90s there were two of us metal heads in our whole year, couple of years later everyone was "suddenly" a metal head. I hated it and I'm glad its not popular now so just the genuine alternative people are left. Its better this way.