Being around for the dawn of an era of music lets it hold a special place in our hearts. Hearing a new track on the radio for the first time, heading to the record store, and clicking a new tape into the car stereo on the way home, are experiences many classic rock fans can't forget. In the age of Spotify and instant downloads, such rights of passage are things of the past.
Yet, despite how much modern music and technology have changed the way we listen, classic rock remains strong, and it keeps gaining fans. Part of this is due to the ageless appeal of rock themes, and another part is thanks to how well it has been adopted into other media. Modern movies like Thor Ragnarok have shown the way on the big screen, but at home, it’s digital games that often open the door to new audiences.
The Titles Making a Mark
The first form of interactive entertainment that comes to mind when considering delivering classic rock is usually video games. It’s common for games to take more than a dozen hours to complete, so they require a lot of music to fill the space. While original music can be the only viable approach for fantasy settings, for titles set in a more realistic and contemporary world, real music from real bands can be the best approach.
GTA 5, first launched back in 2013 and still going strong, is one of the best examples of using and introducing players to classic rock. Every car plays radio stations with dozens of tracks, and the fictional Los Santos Rock Radio is among the most popular. Featuring bands like Def Leppard, Queen, and The Cult, simply taking a vehicle is enough to expose players to some of the best of what rock has to offer.
It's not just video games taking this approach either, as slot games like those listed on Fans to Bands take a similar approach. Entire slot games like Dio: Killing the Dragon and Ozzy Osbourne lean on officially licensed music to deliver a range of titles that go beyond regular slot offerings. Players often try these games just looking for something new to play, and in doing so can have their horizons broadened to a new world of music opportunities.
A Permanent Place
No matter how old classic rock gets, it never seems to diminish in fame across the gaming spectrum. In many cases, with gaming always growing, rock has become an increasingly popular form of music for gaming to include.
Some of this growth is thanks to how well both capture the attitude of an era, while still reflecting timeless themes of rebellion and danger. The core messages of a band like Pink Floyd might have been the result of the world at the time, but with society constantly making the same mistakes, standout songs almost become prophecies we’re doomed to repeat.
Fans of rock music aren't just holding onto nostalgia, they're remembering lessons that society is too eager to forget. Whether gaming is looking to deliver a message of its own or deliver the good news to a new generation, rock can be an important and powerful tool. It's a match made in hell, and it's only going to become more popular.
