My personal observations on this topic are that in no way there is a conspicuous detesting the stones among young people. However, I am absolutely convinced that they are a good deal less popular than most of their famous contemporaries.

I know quite a lot of people who are between 17 and 25 years old. There are artists that are still really popular among people of that age. Among them are above all the Beatles, Dylan, Pink Floyd, Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. All of these bands have a considerable fanbase with young people, and must therefore have a certain timelessness and appeal to them.

There are also people really adoring the Stones, no question about that. But they are comparatively hard to find. I personally would say that of the artists I mentioned they are the least popular.
One method to confirm my observations would be to check online communities which are above all frequented by young people. I know several German communities for young people where you can join groups of bands/artists you like. And if you have a look at how many members there are in the different groups: Dylan for instance has four times as many members as the Stones, and all other bands I mentioned have more members, too. Just to provide a few "facts".

It would be interesting to investigate this a bit further and to find out the reasons as to why this is. I can't really think of a convincing argument just at the moment...
Anyway, we know what they're missing!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-07-08 20:59 by MacPhisto.

I tend to find that The Stones are generally ridiculed by people of a similar age to the band...the kind of people who try to act trendy by being in to Kasabian,Coldplay etc.

So who's really kidding themselves on?

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Manofwealthandtaste
A young ... crowd, ... they all dug the music and raved about the energy of the performance. The Stones definitely won a load of new, young, fans that day!

What if that would have been the standard concert review for the last 20 years...

This post reminds me of back in the day when a group of friends got tickets to see the Stones play with Guns n' Roses as the opener. I wasn't there, but heard it was a great show. There were 7 or 8 kids along for the ride on account of Guns n' Roses. After the show, there were 7 or 8 Stones shirts purchased and 0 for G n'R. My friend said his son was numb.

i dunno about 'detest' and pop music has certainly changed over the last 30 years or so since the band was an 'album' band promising (and delivering) good, substantial albums...
...there is a lot of great stuff they're missing...but most of the truly great stuff I personally listen to most of the time, is not available commercially...i think young pop and rock fans have accepted the Stones pretty much exactly as the Stones themselves have been representing themselves since SW tour...not exactly dynamic c ohesive albums; and shows that are ultra-elite mega yuppie priced...i would have Never gotten into the Stones in the first place if I could not follow their tour around and be satisfied and happy each time (almost)...but that was then....
mostly they ARE Stones, what's left of them, but not really 'in the band' for years and years at a time...they are respected older statesmen to the youth nowadays...and I myself thorougly detest stadium shows with ridiculous prices i cannot and would not pay.... i think the stones are mostly perceived as what they truly are in terms of recordings these past many years...not too very consistent...the live shows are uneven...but that was always so imo, and oft times part of their natural charm....
i still love them like only a diehard appreciative fan can... but except for corporate promotions and stuff...they show no particular sustained interest in the various processes a working band goes thru...and have made the bed that they so richly, and disinterestedly lie in...

detest? I doubt it.. interested in it? questionable..

young kids have their own generational music to listen to

it's when you get a little older and have heard enough music that the generation that it is associated with doesnt really matter, and it just becomes music; the cream rises to the top

and that's when, if they dont like them now, the younger kids will discover the value of the Stones and understand the Stones place (near or at the top) in the hierchy of rock and roll



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-07-09 01:42 by Taylor Era.

the problem with a lot of the younger generation is ignorance and image.

that applies to many generations.

when i was in my teens i was into stuff like u2, simple minds, the clash etc and had friends who were into similar stuff.

towards the end of the 80,s some of these friends were more into house music, hip hop and all that shyte while i was right into the stones.

i always felt they liked that sort of music cos that is what they thought was demanded of them, but i just loved the stones cos they were dam good.

yes we do

I wore a Rolling Stones falling tongues tie on my agency visits today, and I'd say 80% of the women didn't even know what the hell the tongue was a symbol of!! Most of these women are in their early 30s...Now there was not a single guy, of any age, who did NOT recognize it and say hey cool tie! LMAO

A while ago, I came across this scene of young people on the web, who idolize the looks from the 60s like those Japanese-influenced cosplayers would, hanging around flea markets trying to hunt down original 60s vintage items - and listening to the music, too.

From my own time as a teenager, I know that public images are important to that age group, so I guess that's why the kids prefer the pre-70s Stones.

From what I see....Zeppelin is the superior band to the Stones...or even AC/DC. Basically...the louder the better. A lot of young people can't look past the big riffs, obvious grooves and wild solos from Zep or Acca to even consider the Stones. Some people don't have these ears and they completely look over the Stones because of that. Basically, they see the Stones as soft compared to these other hard rock bands.

I'm sure the Stones being more of a punch line than a respected band in the last 15 years doesn't help. People in general, are pretty, simple minded. Because a person is ridiculed or made fun of...the person is branded as irrelevant. Because everyone makes cracks about The Rolling Bones...it really doesn't attract young fans or newer fans because why would you be attracted to a band that gets so much disrespect like that?

US Best-selling acts of 2008:

In millions

1. AC/DC 3.4
2. Lil Wayne 3.3
3. Taylor Swift 3.2
4. Coldplay 2.5
5. Metallica 2.3
6. Kid Rock 2.2
7. Jonas Brothers 2.1
8. Sugarland 1.9
9. Jack Johnson 1.8
10. Mariah Carey 1.7
11. T.I. 1.6
12. Nickelback 1.5
13. Beyonce 1.4
14. Kenny Chesney 1.4
15. Michael Jackson 1.4
16. Elvis Presley 1.4
17. Beatles 1.4
18. Josh Groban 1.3
19. Journey 1.3
20. Leona Lewis 1.3

22. Guns 'n Roses 1.2
25. Pink Floyd 1.1
27. Led Zeppelin 1.1
33. Queen 1.0
36. Bruce Springsteen 1.0
38. U2 0.9
41. The Eagles 0.9
46. Bob Dylan 0.8
49. Aerosmith 0.7
51. Jimmy Hendrix 0.7
53. Bob Marley 0.7
54. Johnny Cash 0.7
58. Creedence 0.6
61. Eric Clapton 0.6
64. Rod Stewart 0.5
66. Elton John 0.5
69. Tom Petty 0.5
72. Santana 0.5
74. THE ROLLING STONES 0.4


I don't now if young people detest them, but they're not very popular among the young crowd, that's for sure.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-07-10 03:09 by georgelicks.

They still play a lot of Universities and college towns....
Doubt many high schoolers are listening very much.

It's sad, but whenever I tell someone I listen to the Stones I get the "oh yuck they're so old" response.

I just lie whenever I get asked what I listen to now.

I think it depends what kind of music was played in the homes when these kids were growing up. If the parents played the Stones and classic rockers, chances are the kids will appreciate their music. My Dad loved Sinatra and Nat King Cole and sang that kind of music constantly. He had a great voice! Anyway, I still love Sinatra, Nat KIng Cole, and many of the other crooners of that day. I turned my Dad on to the Stones though and he ended up liking them a lot. He also liked the Beatles, and much of the British Invasion music...maybe because he HAD to like it. I played it non-stop. He could name tunes by the Kinks, Beatles, Stones, WHO, Dave Clark 5, Jerry and the Pacemakers, etc. Oh, and he LOVED Tommy!

P.S. I have seen many young people with their parents at Stones concerts and you know at those prices, the kids must have WANTED to go!

Young people don't hate the Stones, they're just uneducated about what music actually is. Which is ironic, because whenever you see modern bands, you see so many things about them that were direct influences of the Stones. The modern interpretation of how a guitar player should behave is Keith Richards, but most kids don't know it.

I'm 21 and the Stones have been my favorite band since I borrowed Hot Rocks from my brother when I was 16. It was funny for me to discover that I knew almost every song on the CD, but I didn't know who the Stones were.

I have to say that before my trip to NYC to see the Knitting Factory gig back in May, I was at a soiree telling about my plans re hoping to see Keef and perhaps other R Stones. One scoffed, "Oh, they're soooo old." (And this guy was even older than me!) I just asked: Would you rather I be photographed with the Backstreet Boys? That shut them up fast.

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La Mano Nera
Young people don't hate the Stones, they're just uneducated about what music actually is. Which is ironic, because whenever you see modern bands, you see so many things about them that were direct influences of the Stones. The modern interpretation of how a guitar player should behave is Keith Richards, but most kids don't know it.

I'm 21 and the Stones have been my favorite band since I borrowed Hot Rocks from my brother when I was 16. It was funny for me to discover that I knew almost every song on the CD, but I didn't know who the Stones were.

Thats interesting La Mano Nera, I've had some twenty somethings say they didn't like the Stones, and then I found out they loved Start Me Up, Miss You, She's So Cold, and Love is Strong, etc.... they didn't have a clue who the Stones were, stated they didn't like them, and then said they loved these songs????

Yes, I think that is very true! Those that knock the Stones or say they don't like their music don't know what they're saying! They have to be SHOWN that they have loved Stones songs and not known it was them or made to sit and listen to about 15 of their best songs...then ask them if they still feel they don't like the Stones!

What do you mean by young?

I was at IOW festival and saw how the "young" reacted. They loved the Stones. But then, people at a festival will probably be music lovers - not like the people who listen to fake kareoke music.

Many people really digged the stones during the britpop era when proper bands became popular again (i.e. guitar bands as opposed to synths and computers).

I think the Stones's biggest problem now is that they have an iletist ticket selling strategy in the UK that essentially prices them out of the younger audiences price range (by which, I pretty much mean anyone under the age of 50!). They then compound this by forcing everyone to sit down through the gig like they were at the opera! What self respecting "young" person wants to sit down at a rock n roll gig? (By young, I mean anyone under 80!)

Many of my friends are fans of the band but simply could not afford the ticket prices at recent tours. If the Stones would reduce ticket prices and get rid of the all seater shows, I'm sure they would attract a much younger fan base. But then, I don't suppose the Stones are worried about securing a fan base for the next 30 years.

The Stones might be current but they aren't in the current. AC/DC releases a nice blast of rock'n'roll with Runaway Train and everyone knew. Everyone KNOWS.

The Stones release Streets Of Love.

There you go.

I can tell you that of the 3 IOW festivals I've attended, the Stones in 2007 were far and away the most eagerly anticipated, best attended and most enjoyed of the older headliners.

I don't think young people detest the Stones. They do find them embarrassing. The trouble is that their music is fantastic, but the musicians are - er - OLD, and if you are a teenager, it just isn't cool to like anything done by anybody in any field if they are OLD. Most of the older artists that teenagers will admit to liking have the "advantage" of either being dead or not being musically active any more, so they are conveniently frozen in time at a wrinkle-free stage in their lives. Sadly, I think the young will only rediscover the young Stones once the old band disappear from the scene - for whatever reason. And once that happens, they'll never be uncool again.

An above comment is right on the mark. Kids/young people don't like the idea of listening to the Rolling Stones as they've all got this idea that it's pre-historic stuff. They've got no idea what real music is, this is the problem. Once they actually hear the music, and not the idea of "oh the rolling stones...those really old guys", most enjoy it.

Just a note, I've found Tattoo You to be a good album to expose newbies to. I wasn't so lucky, my first album was ABB.

I like the Stones

Well young kids in the US couldn't care less and think they are pretty lame..but in the rest of the world I think young people still go for them..In Argentina they are heroes to young kids.

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stoned in washington dc
Well young kids in the US couldn't care less and think they are pretty lame..but in the rest of the world I think young people still go for them..In Argentina they are heroes to young kids.

Wrong. I just got outta high school here in the US and the Stones have always been popular ever since middle school. Back in 6th grade, we thought we were being real naughty by listening to songs like Star Star, Brown Sugar, or even Let's Spend the Night Together. Even when A Bigger Bang came out and sucked, we still traded our copies of Hot Rocks and 40 Licks around the school, so other kids could get interested in them. Heck, the word "starfuc&er" became commonplace at school. Everybody said it, but no one knew me and a couple friends were the ones to spread it around. I remember one kid got kicked out of class in 8th grade for wearing a Sticky Fingers shirt.

Everything is cyclical, and maybe when rap and hip hop go BYE BYE, classic rock will be very cool again! When I was young, 17 or 18, I saw BB KING and he was OLD then! I still loved him, but to be truthful, I got into his music a lot more as I got older. BB opened for Chicago and I had to sit through his set but I ended up liking his music, even at 17. If more youngsters had a proper introduction to the Stones, they would gain a whole new audience.

I can only speak for myself, I´m 30 and have grown up with their music I was about 5 or so when I sang time is on my side and start me up on tape and tried to pretend I was Mick Jagger. My dad has been a huge fan ever since they started but of course, their music wasnt forced on me in any way. But I liked what I heard and have kept on being a fan. Its nice to be able to talk about them with dad because none else I know of likes them. But to be more on topic, I have ran into some younger people who wears shirts with the tongue on but they have no idea who the stones are really. They wear they shirts only because its "trendy".

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sdstonesguy
I like the Stones

yeh pretty fascinating outfit they got goin' eh... dance little sistaah in my haid right now...heard 19th nervous breakdown on radio in big coffeehouse yesterday. totally totally ripped me up...effin great