Gene Simmons doesn’t think music made after 1988 is very good. The KISS bassist laid into new musicians in his book “Me: Inc.” saying that he felt that he could only name two rock stars from since then proved his point. The problem, he said, is technology got in the way of the music.
“Before the digital world – no cell phones, no MTV, no social media, when bands played their instruments live on stage – no backing tracks, no nothing. It was a more honest time as far as I’m concerned.”
However, KISS has used backing tracks and lip synced in the past and defended the practices.
Simmons continues: “There was so much talent then, and all these people were writing their own types of songs. There was no style – you’d have Yes existing at the same time with The Doors and Led Zeppelin, and they sounded nothing like each other.
Gene Simmons Thinks A Couple Names Will Live On
Simmons believes Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Nirvana and Liam Gallagher formerly of Oasis will be remembered. But, he admits, Gallagher has a chance because he named one of his sons Gene after Simmons.
He went on to say that he doesn’t believe kids bands in recent years will be as remembered in the public’s consciousness as they were 30 years ago.
“But somebody pointed out something, and it’s very profound, I think. From 1958 until 1988 – that’s 30 years, kids – name a hundred of the iconic legendaries. Well, we had Elvis, you got The Beatles and The Stones and Jimi Hendrix, and you go on and on and on…”
“And you can even go to more modern bands who all came out of there – KISS, yeah, I don’t care – AC/DC, Metallica, U2… Even in disco – you had Madonna… Motown, all this amazing music. From 1988 until today, which is more than 30 years, who’s the new Beatles?”
“I love Foo Fighters, love Dave Grohl, but even today, if you walk down the street and you say who’s playing drums or who’s on guitar, they don’t have a clue.
For the record, it’s Grohl singing, Pat Smear on guitar, Nate Mendel on bass, and Taylor Hawkins on drums.
