Popularity and the Charm of Heavy Metal

When people hear heavy metal music, their first reaction is probably always shock. At least, for those who haven’t been familiarized with it and have only been hearing it the first time. But what most people don’t realize is that this genre of music does not want for the approval of the general audience. It exists because it wants to, and despite it not being the more popular genre, the people who make it have a pretty solid fanbase.

Mental for Metal

Despite being long misunderstood, heavy metal continues to attract so many listeners seemingly without even trying. In a report by Loud Wire, it was found that Billboard actually announced that heavy metal was the “fastest growing music genre in the world in 2018,” based off of data from TuneCore.

The site, which focuses largely on rock and heavy metal musical events, reported that TuneCore had recorded a 154 percent spike of listeners of heavy metal, making its way to the top of the list. J-pop comes in second at a 133 percent increase, followed by R&B/Soul at 68 percent, K-pop at 58 percent, world music at 57 percent, and instrumental at 42 percent.

Not only that, thanks to TuneCore’s commitment to paying artists “100 percent of what they earn from digital streams and downloads,” all those streams reached the shores of the musicians themselves, as the report further states that the musicians actually earned $83 million in the first quarter of this year. This is good news for the heavy metal industry because it signifies that the trend could only keep going up in 2019. This much is opined by TuneCore’s CEO himself, Scott Ackerman: 'In 2019 we’re seeing great momentum in helping our customers build sustainable careers by finding new income across formats and channels.'

Aside from heavy metal, it’s also encouraging to see that streaming has caught the eye of many in the world. In other records, TuneCore found that streaming has reached Africa and that the streams have reached an increase of 146 percent in Africa. This is followed by Asia at 52 percent, Oceania at 38 percent, Europe at 35 percent, South America at 32 percent, and North America at 31 percent.

Not so Loud

“It’s loud,” most people would say when they hear a metal song. Although that’s only half true, what these people don’t realize or understand is why these artists do what they do. They certainly have come a long way to hone this craft. After all, heavy metal is not just about screaming and making sure you spook all the grandmas into thinking you’re somehow possessed by Satan.

The truth is, heavy metal musicians are just like us: average citizens with a flair for showmanship and artistry that may be difficult, but not impossible to grasp. Heavy metal artists are actually saving the world in their own ways.

In a feature article made by Kerrang, a website that also discusses news and features about musicians and their heavy metal music, metal bands often have their ear to the ground and know about the issues that plague the world or understand that some of their sufferings may also be the experience of many others.

This is why when Ronnie James Dio died of stomach cancer, his wife, Wendy Dio, decided to start the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund in memory of his loving husband. Thus far, the fund has raised $2.5 million, and the money will be going to research in cancer early detection. According to Wendy, if the early detection of Ronnie’s stomach cancer had been possible, they would have been able to prevent it. If you ever remember Slash, or the guitarist of Guns N’ Roses most known for his love of both top hats and wildlife, it may be an amazing surprise for you to know that he actually loves wildlife enough that he’s willing to help an Irwin start a wildlife conservation foundation.

In 2012, Saul Hudson, Slash’s real name, pledged to support the Bob Irwin Wildlife and Conservation Foundation after being a fan of his son, Steve Irwin, for years. Right now, Slash is still in contact with the foundation which helps with “wildlife protection efforts around Australia.”

The dangers of exploitation

As with anything popular, though, there is the danger of co-opting from a younger generation that doesn’t know what metal stands for. This much is stressed by former QUEENSRŸCHE singer, Geoff Tate, who speaks up to Blabbermouth about how metal has taken on a more watered down edge because “the younger generation is completely into the exploitation of the brand.” While it may sound hurtful, the staggering amount of “rock stars” and rock star stereotypes truly did become the norm after metal exploded in the 80s -- and all those norms ever did was expunge the art behind metal, not further it.

Tate tells the heavy metal site, 'Well, when I first started back in the early, early '80s — '81 [or] '82 — metal especially was really the revolutionary music at the time. It was really extreme compared to what was popular, what was playing on the radio — that kind of thing. And for many years, record companies wouldn't play metal on the radio — it was thought to be way too over the top.”

But now, he calls attention to the commercialization of this art, the number of people who claim they are in the metal industry who would even deign to partner with companies like Nike or Adidas when, back then, it was not like that at all. Tate also laments the number of new genres that people have squeezed under metal, and how that had only served to make everything even more ridiculous somehow.

In the end, Tate’s advice is to revisit what made rock or metal or whatever it’s called the way it is. As he gears up to release his debut album, SWEET OBLIVION, he wants to reintroduce that art to the new generation and serenade them about what metal, at its core, really means.