NEW YORK CITY — Tonight and Friday, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Simon & Garfunkel, Metallica and other acts that started their careers in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s will perform at Madison Square Garden here to celebrate the silver anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The landmark events, which are expected to run 4 1/2 hours each and will air on HBO on Nov. 29, come at a tricky time for rock and for the rock hall itself. These days, Guitar Hero is a video game, Rockstar is an energy drink and ring tones routinely outsell albums.
When the rock hall started in 1984, rock was the loudest amplified sound in American pop culture, but through the years, it gave way to hip-hop and now, it has been commercially diminished by the free-fall of the recording industry. Those factors, along with the tilt of several recent rock hall induction classes toward pop stars, rappers and long-gone doo-wop singers, have some observers questioning the long-term relevance of the enterprise.
But Jann S. Wenner, co-founder of the rock hall and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine, said that rock as a cultural force endures and that its museum will too.
"People are very emotional about it; this music is the soundtrack of their lives," Wenner said. "Rock formed a social, moral and ethical life for a generation."
Perhaps, but for many young people today, the diffusion of the music scene and the woes of the recording industry have reduced rock to more of a background sound. Overall album sales in America have declined sharply since 2000, and on the live music scene, there are few up-and-coming rock acts that even try to tour at the arena level.
"Things are different," Wenner said, "but I don't think of it in [terms of] better or worse."
Rock hall President and Chief Executive Joel Peresman said it's a mistake to view the decline of the recording industry as a signal that music is losing its vitality or allure. He pointed out that over the last three years, the rock hall's Cleveland museum has tracked a change in its attendance demographic -- more families are coming.
Peresman attributes that shift to the popularity of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band video games that have youngsters nationwide playing classic-rock riffs.
"We had an event last year honoring Les Paul, and [Guns N' Roses guitarist] Slash was there," Peresman said. "You saw all these little kids jump up and run down to the front to get a look at him. Where else would they know him and his music from?
