It is no secret that rock music is not as popular as it once was in times such as the 50s, 60s, and 70s. It still exists in the form of new age rock, and obviously the various sub-genres such as Metal music was spawned. Though there are no very popular rock bands around today, there is plenty of classic rock, and by extension, all branches of metal to enjoy.

What are these few rock bands which are still around today? How do they compare to classics such as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones? The late 80s and 1990s produced many modern rock and rock adjacent bands, such as Nirvana, Sound Garden, or Green Day. Focusing strictly on Rock, and ignoring Metal with all of its sub-genres, listeners are left with classic rock, grunge, and punk rock as the main contenders.

The main go-to rock band is The Beatles, as well as The Rolling Stones. With grunge, you of course have Nirvana, as their short career left a large impact. Finally, you have Green Day, seemingly revolving between punk and something reminiscent of classic rock. Dylan Luft shared, “I think Classic Rock is better, as The Beatles defined the genre as one of the most popular bands of all time.”

The extremely popular Beatles song, Twist and Shout, arguably set the president for Classic Rock, and music in general during the mid 60s perfectly. One can also not deny how The Beatles and The Rolling Stones worked seemingly hand-in-hand, as the leadup to the 70s, where Metal took over the music scene. One must remember, most metal genres directly stemmed from Classic Rock.

When it comes to modern day, while Green Day may be enjoyable, the band simply cannot fill the footsteps of the past. According to Grant Bebow, “I love Nirvana, but I’d say classic rock is best because they set the guidelines for what rock was and basically streamlined music to all people.” At the end of the day, It seems the victor is evident. New Age Rock simply cannot, and never could, level up to the scale of Classic Rock.