What music from today will stand the test of time?

Well, the first two responses took the words out of my mouth. And excellent call on DMB.

I'll add Tori Amos, because the underground scene for her is huge and passionate. Ditto Depeche Mode.

I think the Foo Fighters have solid songs, even if they will sound dated in 20 years. They'll be covered a lot, a la Prince.

U2 remains relevant, despite opinions to the contrary. Their album that hit right before 9/11 came to be the hallmark music of that time.

I think the country version of U2 in this sense would be Reba.

 

But see that's where I feel like your rigid definition of today kind of breaks down. Obviously someone like Bruce or U2 are so well-established they could put out absolute trash and people would still buy and love it. But a group like Green Day or the Chili Peppers, may have made their mark before '97 but I don't think you can say that they aren't in their prime now, or at least had their prime didn't stretch into the past 10 years. It's not a singular thing, where you can look and say that's when their prime started and that's where it ended, because their still putting out popular, good music. They may not be "from" today's music, but what they are still putting out is still very much today.

 

Sorry buckweaver but i think you're wrong here. Green Day is in the midst of a second career peak. People who didn't hear of them before American Idiot would be shocked to know they made Dookie. Their music now is far different than the goofy stuff they topped the charts with in 1994-95, which was a level above The Toadies/Silverchair/fill in one-hit wonder here but not quite the stuff that inspires people 20 years later.

 

What will stand the test of time - the music, or the musicians?

The thing about musicians that endure is that the musician evolves. Like the aforementioned Christina Aguilera. I don't think "Genie In A Bottle" will ever qualify as lyrical genius, but Christina Aguilera, as an artist/performer/musician will stick around awhile because she's changed with the times. Billy Joel falls under that same umbrella, as does U2.

On a side note, Cougardad and I recently had the talk about how some musicians now parallel some of the musicians my parents listened to growing up. They had the Beatles; we have Dave Matthews Band. They had the Supremes; we have the former Destiny's Child and Beyonce. Of course, I said, "Well Dad, who was Jay-Z back in the day?"

 

Along those lines, "The Rising" should be the soundtrack of America right after 9/11.

 

Couga I got a feeling you're going to get killed for likening DMB to the Beatles.

 

other than green day, has any other "rock" band emerged since the mid-'90s? i fear my era of real rock bands may be gone.... :'(

i tell my boys all the time, "i fear you guys don't have a springsteen today that will still get you revved up to see him in concert 30 years from now."

but maybe my parents thought the same thing 30 years ago.

nah!

oh, and cougargirl, likening dave matthews to the beatles just proves my point. surely, you jest. ???

 

I was bracing for that.

Got a better suggestion?

 

Amen. And those who perform arena rock-esque music do so with irony, as if they're above it all.

 

Disturbed. They're waaaay better than Nirvana.

WOCKA WOCKA WOCKA!

 

I won't even waste my energy on Cougargirl comparing hacks like DMB to the greatest, most influential rock band ever.
And the good news is there was no shit like Jay-Z in my (and your dad's) youth.

 

Oh, I don't think my dad goes as far back to the days of the hot harpsichord tunes like you do, old man.