Rock music, to survive, has always needed a fossil-fuel floor from which to play. It requires the use of oil-powered machinery to move musicians and equipment to venues across the country, fossil-fuel powered electricity to drive the Marshall half-stacks and heads, oil to produce vinyl and CDs, and oil-powered cars for people to drive to said venues to see them.
As an avid thrash metalhead, I don't agree with Rolling Stone's list. Where's Nevermore? Testament? Forbidden? Witchery? All my bands fall on a bell curve that peaked in 1988...with a North Slope-like resurgence in 2001-3. Metal (the most extreme form of rock) was on a depletion curve for a while, but after a decade -long lull, now it's on a long plateau...but...rising.
Unlike U.S. oil production.
The U.S shows about a 1.5% per year production decline, and DRILL! BABY! DRILL! will never, never get U.S. production anywhere near the 1971 peak of 3.5 billion barrels/year. DRILL! BABY! DRILL! will, however, possibly keep us on a plateau for quite a while, like thrash metal, but it can never increase.
During the early 70's, Nixon unveiled a plan to become energy independent by 1985. Here we are in 2008 and Obama has unveiled a plan to become energy independent by 2018. What killed Nixon's plan was the re-introduction of cheap oil and Merikan complacency, and wa-hey! What are we seeing now? A re-introduction of cheap oil! Gas is $3.50, falling fast, and our perpetual motoring futures are bright and beautiful...all those idiots who bought hybrids at a premium! All those idiots who sold their Denali's at a loss!
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