In 2004, in the Times, my colleague Kelefa Sanneh wrote a tart takedown of “rockism,” the fetishization of realness that haunts music criticism. “Rockism means idolizing the authentic old legend (or underground hero) while mocking the latest pop star,” he wrote. “Lionizing punk while barely tolerating disco; loving the live show and hating the music video; extolling the growling performer while hating the lip-syncher.” It’s the bias, in other words, that lets people sneer at Lady Gaga doing an homage to David Bowie, as if her alien act were self-evidently disposable while his was made to last.
As Sanneh noted, the problem with rockism isn’t loving Bruce Springsteen. The problem is that it makes rock itself (and jazz and punk and indie rock) seem cranky and pompous, not to mention defensive.…
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The New Yorker (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 22, 2016