Over the past two decades, rock music has taken a backseat to newer genres in terms of worldwide popularity. And while there’s no denying that the genre still holds strong in the U.S., hip-hop, dance, and even Afrobeats surpass rock as genres that DJs seek out for their gigs.
However, there’s been an influx of DJs live streaming from home due to the pandemic, and many of them are playing classic music instead of current hits. As seen by the popularity of live streams from DJs like D-Nice and Jazzy Jeff, sets with classic music can actually gain wider audiences and get more engagement. Unrestricted by the free format of live streaming, more and more DJs are choosing to play older music, which includes rock.
Social media has aided this renaissance by fostering viral videos that infect a younger and more global audience. These consumers, born and raised outside of the rock era, are now discovering artists like Fleetwood Mac, thanks to the phenomenon of one vato’s happy moment. This is exciting for DJs.
Learning to play multiple genres makes you a more versatile DJ. It can lead to better creativity, flexibility, and understanding of people and music. To help you discover the rock genre, we put together some of our favorite playlists featuring gems from the ‘60s up to the 2000s. Dig through these selections to find more classics for your crates. You’ll be happy you did, and so will your audience. Rock on.
