That’s how I perceived it at first as well. I thought it was great that the movie was shedding light on the band and their legacy, but it has gotten to a point where the mass hysteria and fanfare has become ridiculous.
There are people in their teens and twenties who are claiming to have been “lifelong fans” of Queen, when really, they weren’t even familiar with their music before the movie came out. A friend of mine is guilty of doing this. I know i’m going slightly off-topic here, but the exact same thing has happened with Nirvana as well. You see heaps of kids/teens wearing Nirvana t-shirts and I would be willing to bet that the only song they are even aware of is “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.
It’s just the shallowness which I have a real issue with. I mean, I think it’s great that Queen’s music is receiving appreciation from a new audience, but like with everything, it has to come to an end at some point.
I don’t have an issue with the “shallowness” as such, anything that helps to regenerate interest in classic rock particularly amongst the younger generation can only help preserve its legacy. Otherwise it will die.
I can see what you mean, but I think it depends on the context. In the case of Queen, I actually feel as though their over-exposure in the mainstream at the moment is damaging the overall quality of their music, as people are not appreciating their songs for what they are. They’ve simply become the “it” band of the present time. When a song gets overplayed to the extent that “Bohemian Rhapsody” has, it eventually loses the qualities that made it so appealing in the first place.
Classic-rock bands don’t necessarily need mainstream exposure for them to preserve their legacy. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have millions of fans among the younger generation, but they’re not receiving regular radio airplay on modern/Top-40 radio or making headlines every few months. Bands such as Led Zepplin and The Who also have their niches among younger people.
It sounds like your dismay is less with a casual audience who have discovered Queen for the first time and rather with how radio programs for this audience. It doesn’t change the quality of their music, just your perception.
I use to buy heavily into the “not a real fan” phenomena but I’ve shifted over the years after evaluating my own consumption habits. Most of us - to a varying degree - consume at least some types of music passively: I might have liked Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel” when it was on hourly rotation on Fox FM, but my younger self never bought a CD or saw a gig. Likewise, I’ll turn up Icehouse Flowers’ “We Can Get Together” when it gets its daily play on Triple M, but then it finishes and I carry on with whatever I’m doing.
And you know what? That’s okay! It’s okay if I tell someone how much I enjoy those acts because of one song, and like anyone I’m able to don the merchandise to show my appreciation. We all connect with music differently, and in my view it’s better that someone can connect with one Nirvana song than none at all.
As a side note, Queen are touring again with Adam Lambert. I wonder what impact BoRap will have in bringing down the average of the audience
Speaking of Queen, I’ve just had a week in the UK and the radio there plays a lot of the rarer Queen songs. In particular I heard Don’t Stop Me Now a number of times
I have no issue with the yoof of today getting into Queen and the other doyens of classic rock- what choice do they have, given the provenance of 99% of the music being released now?
I do wish they’d swap Boh-Rap for ‘Innuendo’ occasionally, though.***
***(Disclosure, I was the proud owner of the ‘Innuendo’ 45 single as a little tacker; I got in on the ground floor).
This morning on SWR listen to the music by the Doobie Brothers.
Great song… Thanks to the Optus, great old 70s song with people younger than me singing it in the ad. Bring it on. A lot of the stations like ws fm is no longer playing many 70s track these days. A great ear worm.
Have to mention Bette Midler - Beast of Burden. Sounds like my mother after about 2 bottles of Gossips (wine) singing karaoke on a Saturday Night…AWFUL (and don’t get me started on how it’s almost insulting to the Rolling Stones). MMM regionals have played it a few times recently which is a few times too many.
