Rock: ‘The Radio Doesn’t Play Songs for Me Anymore’

Lincoln Financial Stadium, Philadelphia

Fans camping outside Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia last week said rock music has largely vanished from the radio, even as Foo Fighters delivered a nearly three-hour set that night proving the genre still draws tens of thousands, according to a story at Variety.

“The radio doesn’t play songs for me anymore,” said Bob, 54, seated in a lawn chair in the endless parking lot with a Marlboro Red in one hand and a Budweiser in the other. He was there with his 31-year-old son Albert and a group of buddies five hours before the show. “I’m the old fart of the group, so maybe there is stuff out there. But 20, 30 years ago you could turn on the radio and hear rock music. Now I just turn on a podcast on the way to work.”

“Radio sucks!” Albert yelled nearby. “Give us some rock.”

Inside the stadium, frontman Dave Grohl opened the second song, “The Pretender,” by shouting, “Do you want some rock ’n’ roll music? I know Philadelphia loves rock ’n’ roll!” The crowd roared in one of the night’s biggest responses. Grohl ran circles around the stage, screaming, riffing and soloing through more than 30 years of Foo Fighters hits as tens of thousands sang along to all but the deepest rarities.

Foo Fighters

Outside a handful of acts still regularly recording—Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Muse and Metallica—and legacy groups touring the hits such as AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden, rock’s larger cultural footprint has waned in recent decades, much like hip-hop’s. Country tops the charts at a historic pace, pop captures the zeitgeist, indie and emo enjoy Millennial-driven resurgences, and folk-rock acts like Noah Kahan and Mumford & Sons sell out arenas and ball fields.

“Going to this is like going to church for me,” said Linda, a tailgater who declined to share her age. “When I grew up, it was Queen and Meat Loaf on the radio; you’d be singing along to Cheap Trick and The Cars. There’s no guitar bands anymore; there’s no sing-along songs. I just have a few bands I plug into Pandora and end up hearing the same stuff, so I’ve embraced going to see my favorites when they come to town. And who doesn’t love Foo Fighters?”

Sixteen-year-old Jeremy, attending with his parents and cousins who introduced him to the headliner, said he has not found current music that evokes the same emotion. “I love Queens of the Stone Age as much as Foo Fighters, and I found them on Spotify mixes,” he said.

Hours earlier in the parking lot, Beau, 48, sat with his wife and other couples playing cards at a folded table while the car radio played John Mellencamp. He asked if the band would play “Everlong,” his favorite. It closed the encore. “Man, I can’t wait to see it,” he said. “Drink some beers, have a hot dog, spend a summer night with my friends singing along. What could be better?”