Rock music has been on a steady decline in the music industry ever since rap has become popular, but is it making a comeback?

Rock is a genre of music that was popular throughout the late 60s into the 80s. In my opinion, rap music is the most popular genre of music in 2018, but some new bands are keeping rock alive like Greta Van Fleet and The Arctic Monkeys, while older bands are also keeping the genre alive by making new music such as Deep Purple, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.

“I think rock is making a comeback because it’s more musical and soulful than rap music,” sophomore Eric Heaton said.

Greta Van Fleet is a new band that has caused many to doubt them; some people enjoy Greta Van Fleet while others say they are just a copy of Led Zeppelin, but that hasn’t stopped the band from becoming very popular with younger people. They released their first album, “Anthem of the Peaceful Army” on Oct. 19 and it was the top selling record in the U.S. for that week with 80,000 album sales. It was #3 on the Billboard 200 and #12 on the UK albums chart. Right now they are on a tour promoting their first album.

“Rock music is having a comeback due to the mere fact that it has parts for everyone. There are so many types of rock that almost anybody can get on board with it,”   junior Austin Leonard said.

In addition, The Arctic Monkeys are an indie rock band that have had a big following ever since their formation in 2002 and gained a large following with their song, “Do I Wanna Know” released in 2013. The Arctic Monkeys were also credited as one of the first bands to get famous from exposure from the internet. They released their newest album “Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino” this year. It reached #8 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the UK albums chart.

“I think it’s great that rock is making a comeback because of all the new technology that they can use to send rock music to the next level,”  freshman Joseph Hampton said.

Deep Purple is a band who have been playing and releasing rock music since 1968, they are famous for fast paced songs like “Smoke On The Water” and ”Space Truckin.” Deep Purple continued their love for rock by releasing their newest album “Infinite.” It reached #6 on the UK albums chart.The band is also on a long world tour.

The Rolling Stones formed in 1962 and ever since a live concert in 1969 when Sam Cutler their manager called them “the best rock and roll band in the world,” they have been very popular. They released their latest album “Blue and Lonesome” Dec. 2 of 2017. In its first week it got 103,000 sales in the UK and 123,000 in the U.S. The Stones also are known for their live shows and their “A Bigger Bang Tour” is the second most grossing tour of all time.

Paul McCartney has been performing ever since the 60s when he was in The Beatles. His newest album “Egypt Station” marks 61 years since he started his musical career. When he released “Egypt Station,” it went straight to number one on the “US Billboard 200.” It has sold 153,000 copies in its first week out and another 37,000 albums in week two. It has been Paul’s first number one album since “Tug of War” in 1989, and is his eighth album to be a number one on that chart.

These bands have all made new albums that have charted in the past two years and have helped spark the flame of the genre. Rock has seen a resurgence in the past years and will continue to grow with more new people listening to it.