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With Ozzy's death and other artists encountering health problems, it popped into my head that many or most of us are the final generation to see the bands that had 40-50 year careers. It's melancholy if you think about it. There are few artists of the current era that will be around in 5-10 years, let alone 40 (most we probably don't want to last that long. Go away now), with the disposability of music and, dare I say, streaming. When these icons retire or die, that's it. It's a time in music that may never happen again. It's also kind of cool that we're members of that era.

A 15-year-old kid might barely know a Michael Jackson song. Weird thought.

Shotgun Messiah/T Ride ..tour

eddie lee roth wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 8:20 am Just wait till you see the KISS avatars.

Hahaha. That's a case where we've seen the band for 50 years and want them to never reappear in any form.

I feel like once Metallica packs it in . Live touring music as I knew it ,will be officially dead.

didnt think about this, but you are right

It’s not going to die just accept Ghost as your savior

We may have already missed our chance to see the REAL Trixter with Pete singing.

be interesting when i die
When i wake up I will be in Hell or Heaven..Trixter 1991 be playing..could be either place

What's interesting was we were also the first generation where bands hung around for 20,30,40,50 years.
Artists starting before the 60s and 70s had very short careers.

Velvis wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 12:34 pm What's interesting was we were also the first generation where bands hung around for 20,30,40,50 years.
Artists starting before the 60s and 70s had very short careers.

Jimi Hendrix first to mind. His career was about 3 years before he died. But yeah, Chuck Berry, for instance. Big influence. Short career. Buddy Holly. Beatles. Etc.

Then you start getting into the arena band era where some are still around but close to the end.

Is Taylor Swift the biggest artist in the world right now? She won’t be around in 25 years filling stadiums. She’ll be 60 then.

Maybe this has to happen for R&R to be reborn. Maybe the world needs a decade or so to regroup. Maybe the concert industry will crash and burn with no legacy acts left and reasonable pricing returns. Maybe rock and roll has to die for a while. Or maybe it just dies. We lived it, lucky us.

LAglamrocker wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 12:07 pm It’s not going to die just accept Ghost as your savior

Ghost can have more longevity than KISS. The band can be literally anyone. Once Tobias hangs it up, anyone who is a mediocre vocalist will do.

Dyslexicheart wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 1:37 pm maybe it just dies.

Most likely, and you know what? The kids won't care.

It will be so much better when all Kiss generation dies..world will be better place…Ghost has taken over and world has become cool again..only about 30% left for Kiss
2030 and beyond will be 100% Ghost takeover..now officinally stadium act worldwide

I’ll still be going to Trixter at Whisky in 2030 and for few
more decades

Kiss and Kiss fans are truly overrated. Band was never 100% cool. Should have named band Trash

Korn the new KISS..band will live on. Members will change..fans won’t care..when Korn comes to town people will want to go

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 5:23 am With Ozzy's death and other artists encountering health problems, it popped into my head that many or most of us are the final generation to see the bands that had 40-50 year careers. It's melancholy if you think about it. There are few artists of the current era that will be around in 5-10 years, let alone 40 (most we probably don't want to last that long. Go away now), with the disposability of music and, dare I say, streaming. When these icons retire or die, that's it. It's a time in music that may never happen again. It's also kind of cool that we're members of that era.

A 15-year-old kid might barely know a Michael Jackson song. Weird thought.

You're right.
And it's going to start happening pretty quickly. Mick Jagger turned 82 the other day. Yikes!

My kids have seen a lot of these bands. And some of their friends are into it, but mostly not.
I should also point out that my kids are not actually kids anymore. 38, 33 and 28. But I've been taking them to shows since they were tweens/teens.
They have all seen Ozzy, Alice Cooper, Metallica, KISS, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson.
One or more of them have seen Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Eagles, REO Speedwagon, Chicago, Motley Crue, GNR, Poison, Dokken, Faster Pussycat, Love/Hate, Pretty Boy Floyd, Winger and Tuff.

They also know the oldies. Like 50's & 60's oldies. Elvis, Ricky Nelson, Motown, The Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Sly and the Family Stone. This list goes on and on, but they know them all.

The reason they know these bands is because in my house and my car, we're listening to what I want to listen to.
They had no choice!
But they are musically well rounded. And I'm proud of that. I can't get behind some of their later musical choices, but I feel like I did a good job.

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 1:33 pm Is Taylor Swift the biggest artist in the world right now? She won’t be around in 25 years filling stadiums. She’ll be 60 then.

Yes. And she will absolutely be playing stadiums when she's 60.

People on this board don't want to hear this, but Taylor Swift in her prime is a bigger draw than Guns n' Roses in their prime. And she hasn't even reached the dinosaur nostalgia era when the fans who grew up on her become old, rich and willing to spend anything on tickets to relive their youth.

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 1:33 pm

Velvis wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 12:34 pm What's interesting was we were also the first generation where bands hung around for 20,30,40,50 years.
Artists starting before the 60s and 70s had very short careers.

Jimi Hendrix first to mind. His career was about 3 years before he died. But yeah, Chuck Berry, for instance. Big influence. Short career. Buddy Holly. Beatles. Etc.

Then you start getting into the arena band era where some are still around but close to the end.

Is Taylor Swift the biggest artist in the world right now? She won’t be around in 25 years filling stadiums. She’ll be 60 then.

It would not surprise me at all if TS was still around in 25 years. When you have that kind of success you will have fans until the end of time. I could see her not wanting to tour because she would have absolutely zero financial need to do so but not because of lack of interest from fans.

Velvis wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 9:17 pm

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 1:33 pm

Velvis wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 12:34 pm What's interesting was we were also the first generation where bands hung around for 20,30,40,50 years.
Artists starting before the 60s and 70s had very short careers.

Jimi Hendrix first to mind. His career was about 3 years before he died. But yeah, Chuck Berry, for instance. Big influence. Short career. Buddy Holly. Beatles. Etc.

Then you start getting into the arena band era where some are still around but close to the end.

Is Taylor Swift the biggest artist in the world right now? She won’t be around in 25 years filling stadiums. She’ll be 60 then.

It would not surprise me at all if TS was still around in 25 years. When you have that kind of success you will have fans until the end of time. I could see her not wanting to tour because she would have absolutely zero financial need to do so but not because of lack of interest from fans.

I read your comment before I read what you were replying to and for a second I thought you were talking about Twisted Sister.

The crooners example above is a good one - they were the first to have the benefit of the movies, radio and eventually tv to reach nationwide. And now, how many are remembered? Sinatra, Como, Cole... anyone? Bueller?

Guitar bands in general were a 50-60 year phase which is long past its peak. IDGAF about most club music, I know its fans get the same euphoria from watching a DJ that we do from watching a band but I just don't get it. Rap ain't really my thing and most R+B is worse. But they've been the dominant forms of popular music for several decades. Culture always moves on.

I'm just glad i managed to see just about every band I like that it was possible to see. I missed The Ramones, could potentially still see McCartney but I doubt it, haven't seen Suicidal Tendencies but their best years are long past. The only other one is The Bellrays and they're playing in London in October.

I got to see Elton 5 x, Billy Joel 2x, Macca 2x, The Who 4x, the Stones 2x, AC/DC 4x, Ozzy 4x, Aerosmith 2x...I guess I had it pretty well. I have a few friends that saw Elvis when they were kids. I know 2 people that saw the Beatles. One of those is now dead.

GoodJudge wrote: ↑Wed Jul 30, 2025 4:32 am

Velvis wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 9:17 pm

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 1:33 pm

Jimi Hendrix first to mind. His career was about 3 years before he died. But yeah, Chuck Berry, for instance. Big influence. Short career. Buddy Holly. Beatles. Etc.

Then you start getting into the arena band era where some are still around but close to the end.

Is Taylor Swift the biggest artist in the world right now? She won’t be around in 25 years filling stadiums. She’ll be 60 then.

It would not surprise me at all if TS was still around in 25 years. When you have that kind of success you will have fans until the end of time. I could see her not wanting to tour because she would have absolutely zero financial need to do so but not because of lack of interest from fans.

I read your comment before I read what you were replying to and for a second I thought you were talking about Twisted Sister.

The crooners example above is a good one - they were the first to have the benefit of the movies, radio and eventually tv to reach nationwide. And now, how many are remembered? Sinatra, Como, Cole... anyone? Bueller?

Guitar bands in general were a 50-60 year phase which is long past its peak. IDGAF about most club music, I know its fans get the same euphoria from watching a DJ that we do from watching a band but I just don't get it. Rap ain't really my thing and most R+B is worse. But they've been the dominant forms of popular music for several decades. Culture always moves on.

I'm just glad i managed to see just about every band I like that it was possible to see. I missed The Ramones, could potentially still see McCartney but I doubt it, haven't seen Suicidal Tendencies but their best years are long past. The only other one is The Bellrays and they're playing in London in October.

I saw something the other day that when someone was trying to buy tickets to McCartney they were 200,000+ person in line. I guess it beats being in a physical line that long.

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 1:37 pm

LAglamrocker wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 12:07 pm It’s not going to die just accept Ghost as your savior

Ghost can have more longevity than KISS. The band can be literally anyone. Once Tobias hangs it up, anyone who is a mediocre vocalist will do.

Youd think , since theyve already had 5 vocalists, they'd get one whos an operatic singer.

HueyRamone wrote: ↑Thu Jul 31, 2025 6:03 pm

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 1:37 pm

LAglamrocker wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 12:07 pm It’s not going to die just accept Ghost as your savior

Ghost can have more longevity than KISS. The band can be literally anyone. Once Tobias hangs it up, anyone who is a mediocre vocalist will do.

Youd think , since theyve already had 5 vocalists, they'd get one whos an operatic singer.

No kidding. Each Papa has been no better than another.

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 1:33 pm

Velvis wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 12:34 pm What's interesting was we were also the first generation where bands hung around for 20,30,40,50 years.
Artists starting before the 60s and 70s had very short careers.

Jimi Hendrix first to mind. His career was about 3 years before he died. But yeah, Chuck Berry, for instance. Big influence. Short career. Buddy Holly. Beatles. Etc.

Then you start getting into the arena band era where some are still around but close to the end.

Is Taylor Swift the biggest artist in the world right now? She won’t be around in 25 years filling stadiums. She’ll be 60 then.

Chuck Berry toured for decades. So did BB King and James Brown. Roy Orbison had a really long career until he passed. Same with Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner too.

Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan recorded and toured for decades. Health issues finally sidelined Fitzgerald. Vaughan worked almost up until her death in 1990. Sinatra recorded and toured well into his senior citizenship. Same with Tony Bennett. Show some respect.

Taylor Swift may or may not be able to fill stadiums in her 60s. If I was a gambler I would place a wager that she will be. As long as she keeps a good head on her shoulders. I can imagine she’ll take some breaks here and there, maybe to start a family. I think she’ll be playing arenas and stadiums for decades. She’s proven herself to be one of those once in a generation artists.

Tommy2Tone84 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 01, 2025 4:43 am

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 1:33 pm

Velvis wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 12:34 pm What's interesting was we were also the first generation where bands hung around for 20,30,40,50 years.
Artists starting before the 60s and 70s had very short careers.

Jimi Hendrix first to mind. His career was about 3 years before he died. But yeah, Chuck Berry, for instance. Big influence. Short career. Buddy Holly. Beatles. Etc.

Then you start getting into the arena band era where some are still around but close to the end.

Is Taylor Swift the biggest artist in the world right now? She won’t be around in 25 years filling stadiums. She’ll be 60 then.

Chuck Berry toured for decades. So did BB King and James Brown. Roy Orbison had a really long career until he passed. Same with Johnny Cash

Taylor Swift may or may not be able to fill stadiums in her 60s. If I was a gambler I would place a wager that she will be. As long as she keeps a good head on her shoulders. I can imagine she’ll take some breaks here and there, maybe to start a family. I think she’ll be playing arenas and stadiums for decades. She’s proven herself to be one of those once in a generation artists.

Chuck may have toured for decades, but his popularity was the late 50s-early 60s. The Bullet Boys still tour but I would not count them as legends. I am not going to bother researching everyone. My loose criteria was bands or artists who had expansive careers (with ups and downs), but generally had a significant presence for 4-5 decades. The Stones, The Who, KISS, Aerosmith, Metallica, I guess maybe Madonna and Cher, Garth Brooks. Even lower tier bands like REO, Foreigner, Nugent to a lesser degree. Hall and Oates.

I get the nuance of your examples. I'm not trying to go down the rabbit hole of concert attendance or revenue or # of shows. Mainly, these were/are big names that have maintained being big names and mostly significant draws and sales for many decades.