Whether it be journalism, cinema or good old rock ‘n’ roll, public opinion tends to memorialize key tenets of human enjoyment long before they go anywhere. The truth is that rock music can’t die – it’s immortal. Beyond the drum solos and electric guitar, rock runs deep in the bones of popular culture.
Rock ‘n’ roll is a genre categorized by recurring themes of rebellion and freedom, but it has evolved greatly over the last 70 years. Rock is not just one type of music; it is everything from classic rock, glam and metal, to ska and alternative.
It is true that music consumption has changed in recent years. While pop has flown to the top of the charts with country music trailing closely behind, the all-time most popular albums in the U.S. are almost entirely rock.
Music is an ever-changing industry, and the power of evolution is not to be underestimated. Rock didn’t die, it just changed to fit not only the needs of its artists but the needs of consumers.
In an era fragmented by divided political opinion, punk music shines brightly. A subgenre that grew from the seeds of anti-capitalism, anti-war and anti-establishment sentiment, punk will never go anywhere. Punk inherently opposes changing landscapes of music consumption, standing strong in its roots even as times change and adapt.
Hardcore punk band Turnstile recently made waves as they received five Grammy nominations for the Recording Academy’s 68th Annual Grammy Awards, coming up in 2026. They are the first band ever to be nominated for rock, metal and alternative categories in the same year.
So, here’s where I get a little biased. My parents are rockers to their cores. My dad saw Queen at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and my mom attended more Fleetwood Mac concerts than she can count on one hand. My eldest brother dressed just like Fred Durst and loved Sublime and Linkin Park, and my older brother, now the drummer for Beauty School Dropout who recently opened for Blink-182 and Letlive, got me hooked on Green Day and Avenged Sevenfold.
Rock is more than just instruments or just lyrics; it is a spirit and a culmination of art and storytelling.
When lineups are announced for major music festivals, rock bands are often right up there headlining the shows. This year alone, Coachella welcomed Green Day and the Misfits to their desert stage, Chicago’s Lollapalooza hosted Korn as a headliner and The Strokes took to the stage at Austin City Limits.
After 25 years running, Van’s Warped Tour, the longest-running punk music festival in history, ended in 2019. Many, including a report by Vice, claimed that the festival marked the end of an era for punk music as a whole. The report claimed that in 2017, the festival had hit its lowest attendance in 18 years.
In 2025, Warped Tour returned to the scene with three shows across the United States to commemorate their 30th anniversary. Between their three locations – Long Beach, Washington D.C. and Orlando, Florida – Warped Tour sold an estimated 205,000 tickets to concertgoers.
The festivals welcomed seasoned punk veterans like Sublime, All American Rejects and A Day to Remember, as well as up-and-coming rockstars such as Chandler Leighton, Royal & the Serpent and my brother’s very own Beauty School Dropout.
Following their six-year hiatus, Warped Tour attendees showed up and showed out. Rock is immortal because has the ability to adapt and change. There will always be musicians searching for an outlet. There will always be artists like my brother, putting their entire being into expression through rock music. Rock music has changed greatly over the last few years, but evolution does not mean expiration. Rock was never dead, it just needed to adapt.
