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The Plugged In Show, Episode 96: Is Rock Dead? No One Told Skillet … Or Switchfoot … Or Imagine Dragons

LISTEN TO THE PLUGGED IN SHOW, EPISODE 96

Take a gander at any music chart these days, and you won’t find much rock. Whether you’re talking about traditional charts like Billboard’s Hot 100, or streaming charts for services like Spotify, or YouTube’s list of the most popular music videos right now, and the genre that once had our culture “all shook up” is pretty much AWOL.

But dig a bit deeper, and you’ll find a rock music scene that may not be minting celebrity royalty, but is still churning out perhaps more music than ever.

That’s not always a good thing, of course. Rock has a long and checkered history of problems, whether we’re talking the traditional variety (sex, drugs and hedonism) or the more philosophical kind (alienation, nihilism, rage).

Still, some rock groups that have rocked the charts in years and decades past continue to pump out thoughtful, intelligent music that still … rocks. And this week, we’re going to talk about three of those groups (Skillet, Switchfoot and Imagine Dragons). We’ll also hear from one of the last rock stars standing, Skillet’s John Cooper, who recently talked with us about the role parents can play in helping their children navigate the world of popular music today.

So take a listen, and check out the links below.

  • Interaction questions: Who’s your favorite rock band, and why? What did you think of what John Cooper had to say this week? Let us know on Facebook or Instagram, or shoot us an email at [email protected].
adam-holz
Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

2 Responses

  1. -Never heard of the Beatles’ Something? Never listened to Abbey Road all the way through? I applaud what you guys do here, but it’s hard to critique rock music if you don’t know the foundational songs and albums rock is built on.

    I don’t want to be negative though, so here’s a way to turn that into a positive. Listen to some of the all-time great rock albums, then record a podcast reacting to what you’ve heard from a Christian perspective. That would be fun and hopefully enlightening.

    Possible starting points: Abbey Road, Bob Dylan’s Bringin’ It All Back Home, Stones’ Exile on Main Street, The Velvet Underground & Nico…