"Prog music/wider non-mainstream music" in history

And just look at this article from a guy who is actually on the R&RHOF ballot that agrees with a lot my points, which I just found:

as long as there is audience of any kind of music, the heritage will continue, much as i got my father's vinyls and my future kid will get my cds and my grand child will get his mp3s...

i know, maybe, some music may not be remembered or filed in "the history of music", albeit i find it hard not to, but people who really care will pass on the torch... besides, i don't suppose that there was eg a whole 50's music scene that everyone's ignoring its existence cause almost 6 decades have passed since then...



Edited by toolis - March 25 2008 at 05:04

File under Philosophy...

I have been thinking about this lately, and am now just putting it out there. I suppose I could say "how will prog be remembered," but this is not as specific as I'd like to be. When I read history books for classes (textbooks), I see political and economic changes with significant impact on the course of history highlighted for importance. But there is also the cultural factor. Explaining the culture of the times in times past, to me, seems much easier than if one wanted to describe the culture of the 20th and 21st centuries. Of course this is a generalization, but we cannot understate the explosion of creativity in 20th century music, specifically rock music (and also electronic/new age/etc. but specifically rock for now). I'm sure that when the history books are written after enough time has passed and we don't go as in depth as we can now with 20th century developments in society, there will be certain things covered when talking about rock music. Rock 'n' roll, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Woodstock, superficiality (pop stars), DIY (internet, myspace) bands. But where will the music that is groundbreaking and experimental and truly worthy of being remembered, not because the masses latched onto it and it became a cultural monolith?

My fear is that 20th and 21st (so far) century music history will be written by RollingStone magazine (in essence, if not exactly reality). The mainstream acts and events will get their coverage of course, but what of progressive rock, electronica, new age, and other "niche" genres not covered by mainstream outlets? Will these be included in high school textbooks about World History in the 22nd century, where masses of people can read about them? Or will they be relegated to an upper-level History of Modern Music university course only majors in history or music would ever see? If no one remembers it, it might as well not have happened... Or perhaps it is that the music is around us, and thus cannot ever be escaped. Vinyl albums and CDs have not rotted away yet, and they might not for a long time, so as long as the physical product is out there and there is a means of playing them, is it ever dead?


Edited by stonebeard - March 25 2008 at 00:59