On The Beat: Poll Shows Rock Is Far From Dead | Music

This was easy enough to confirm just by going to shows, from clubs to arenas, where rock audiences tend to be 30+, regardless of the age of the performers.

This was confirmed by a pre-Grammy Award poll conducted by CBS News which revealed that rock music remains the most popular form of music among all Americans.

The survey, conducted by CBS News/YouGov from March 29-31, found that rock music was the top choice of 32% of Americans, more than double the popularity of popular music (15%), hip hop/ rap (15%) and country. (12%), and far ahead of Christian and gospel music (10%), R&B (7%), classical (6%) and jazz (4%)

Rock’s supremacy, however, is overturned by 18-29 year olds, whose favorite music by far is rap at 32%. Pop came in at 19% with youth, rock at 17%, Christianity and gospel at 11%, and country at 8%.

So what does all this mean?

For starters, the narrative that rock is dead might just be a few decades too soon. Perhaps when those who turn 29 turn 49, rap will be the most popular form of music with rock at the bottom, close to country, gospel and jazz. Or maybe not – rap is now in its 40s and will be as old and gritty as rock is today in 20 years.

But it’s certainly an indicator of the type of shows that are on the rise and will fill arenas, a la Billie Eilish in Omaha last month and Snoop Dogg at Pinnacle Bank Arena on 4/20.

Speaking of the Grammys, two of the eight Grammy nominees who played Lincoln in 2021 won gramophone trophies on Sunday.

Chris Stapleton, who performed at Pinnacle Bank Arena in October, swept the country categories in which he was nominated, winning Best Country Solo Performance for “You Should Probably Leave,” which he performed at the arena; Best Country Song for “Cold,” which it didn’t; and best country album for “Starting Over”.

Louis CK, who won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album for ‘Global Amounts of Trouble,’ had a two-night fling at the Royal Grove last fall. His win, of course, sparked a backlash from those who think a performer’s “cancellation” should go on forever. Too bad for them, that shouldn’t be the case, and as Louis CK’s win showed, it isn’t.

Want to measure the growing popularity of Charley Crockett? Try this one on for size.

The last time Crockett performed at the Bourbon Theater, he sold around 120 tickets. On April 1, he sold over 900, just a few before a total sale.

That’s a good thing for Crockett, who is establishing himself as someone near the top of traditional country. He spreads the hardcore honky tonk faith across multiple generations, from those in their 60s who grew up on the real stuff, to teenagers and 20s who discovered music through him.

Taking to the stage with “Jukebox Charley”, the title track of his forthcoming album, Crockett and his band delivered an impressive 100-minute show that had the audience singing along to his more familiar songs like “Welcome to Hard Times” and “Jamestown Ferry and lock himself in his covers of obscure country classics.

Crockett, who was taken under Willie Nelson’s wing, won’t be returning to Lincoln for a while. He has a bunch of shows to open for Willie as well as his own dates for the summer. But when it does – and it will – buy your tickets early.