Is Guitar Music Dead?

Before the 1950s the guitar In Europe was predominantly used in the rhythm section of the big bands and not really a lead instrument. There are always exceptions to the rule of course, and figures like Django Reinhardt started to develop their styles such that the instrument took both the rhythm and lead role.

Previously (and at the same time!), the acoustic guitar was a staple to some of the original blues players such as Blind Lemon Jefferson. Of course, prior to this, the classical guitar has been consistently popular for tens if not hundreds of years, so there has always been rump of fans of guitar music.

The birth of the electric guitar

in the early 1950s the advent of the electric guitar had a profound effect on popular music and culture.

The cult of the teenager was new to 1950s Britain, and they embraced and identified with certain types of guitar-based music. Suddenly, the guitar started to gain greater prominence. Elvis Presley could be seen strumming an acoustic and in the UK bands like Bill Haley and the Comets, that were an obvious fusion between the big band and rock’n’roll type of sound, brought the guitar to the foreground.

The 1960s and 70s

During this time the electric guitar was probably at its peak popularity.

The electric instrument had evolved into the classic guitars that we love today such as the Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul. Paired with the iconic Marshall amplifier this was the sound of rock’n’roll, beloved by all the greats such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck.

In the 1970s, whilst popular music had moved from Merseybeat and Psychedelia, to a heavier rock sound, the Gibson Fender Marshall combinations remained popular with musicians of the day such as Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple) and Paul Kossoff (Free) and continued through the late 70s to bands such as Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath. Also, not to forget punk bands like the Sex Pistols.

You don’t immediately associate guitars with disco music, but during this time the likes of Nile Rodgers was putting his distinctive guitar-based production techniques to tens if not hundreds of successful singles with artists such as Chic, Diana Ross, Sheila B Devotion and, in more recent times, Daft Punk.

The 80s

In the 1980s synthesisers became both much smaller and affordable to the average musician.

This accessibility to a different instrument influenced musicians and we saw a rise in keyboard-based pop originally from bands such as Kraftwerk and or mainstream bands such as Depeche Mode, Duran Duran and Yazoo.

You could be forgiven for thinking at this point that the guitar was well past its sell by date in popular culture, however, listen closely to some of the Duran Duran tracks.

You will hear Andy Taylor’s guitar that has been processed using synth effects pedals to sound like a keyboard synth. This paired with Nick Rhodes keyboard, gives the band their distinctive sound.

The 90s onwards

Music seems to have become more diverse and eclectic with no really strong fashions that line up with a particular type of music or instrument perhaps as strongly as they have done in the past.

However, the guitar remains a mainstay and despite spectacular advances is in technology, remains very popular today.

There are of course super popular bands in this era such as Oasis who very much guitar based.

Music as therapy

It has been reported that instructional video hits during the Covid pandemic peaked. It seems there is something therapeutic about strumming a guitar which also has contributed to its resurgence from a perceived dip in popularity in relatively recent years.