Whatever Happened to Rock and Roll?

    This week, The Dave Matthews Band streak of number one debuting albums ended, as their latest one, Walk Around the Moon, only debuted in the fifth position.  This is behind the juggernaut of Morgan Wallen, along with SZA and Taylor Swift.  At least they can be satisfied with the fact that they sold the most actual, physical albums, compared to the streaming and digital equivalents that pushed the other albums ahead of them.  I'm not sure how the individual tracks are doing, as most of the charts in the Rock category are behind a paywall.  What I am sure of is that none of the tracks debuted on the Hot 100, unlike Wallen who was able to have all thirty-six tracks place on the chart.  In fact, he still has the number one spot with "Last Night."   A bunch of the other songs are still tracking as well, well more than other recent artist have had after a few weeks.  This is just the latest detail in some disturbing trends on the charts.  The first is the lack of love for rock songs on the charts.  Just a few years ago, Panic! at the Disco dominated the number one spot on the Alternative Rock charts for over a year with the tracks "High Hopes" and "Hey Look Ma I Made It."  However, "High Hopes" barely made it to the number four spot on the Hot 100.  Soon after, the rules were changed one what can be called 'alternative.'  The current number one song, for both Alternative and Rock is "Something in the Orange" by Zack Bryan.  Hate to tell you this, but it is a country song.  I would even call it more country than "Last Night" by Wallen, and it covers much of the same situations and might even be a better song overall.  Very few 'real' rock songs are on the big charts any more.  Many new 'rock' songs that crossover are more a mixture now, rather than real rock.  A second trend is how much acts are relying on album debuts over singles.  In has been over a year since an artist has had multiple number one songs from the same album, with both Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X accomplishing this feat about the same time.  However, no album has achieved this goal since.  Not Adele, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Beyonce, or even Taylor Swift, although a new remix might give her a second smash hit.  Albums sweep the charts now as 'album equivalent' tracks debut, only for most to fall aside after a few weeks.  Most of the tracks are never heard from again.  Sure, a few might make a comeback, especially if done hit number one out the gate, but it is so hard now to have follow-ups.  I'm surprised that Wallen still has a few hits still trying to climb up the charts.  Even early debut "You Proof" is still holding on.  Yet, this feels like an exception to the current trend.  Maybe this bodes well for the DMB.  Maybe one of their tracks with chart in the coming weeks, although I don't feel it will happen.  I did buy the album, a few days after it was released, but I haven't had time to listen to it yet.  I've heard a few tracks on my spring Sirius free trial, as well as some streams online, but not enough to make any judgements yet.  However, even diehard fans are mixed on the album's reception, which I find to be strange.  Artists rarely stay at peak popularity for more than a decade or so without a big change-up, only to be kept going by their biggest fans until a late-career resurgence brings them back to relevancy. I just want to rock out again.  I'm not saying all of the new 'rock' is bad, just that it isn't really rock anymore.