I notice that now, more than ever before, new upcoming artists’ and alternative music is heavily pop-oriented, synthesized, and digital.

Is it just easier for them or do Gen Z not have the fondness for guitar that dominated the 1980s to the 2010s?

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    0·
    5 months ago

    kagis

    https://breakthroughguitar.com/think-playing-guitar-is-dying-think-again-the-stats-tell-a-different-story/

    According to industry reports, guitar sales have decreased consistently for over a decade. Total US guitar sales dropped over 50% from 1.5 million units yearly in the 2000s down to around 600,000 as of 2020.

    However, the past few years showed a leveling off of declines, and 2021 even saw a slight uptick likely driven by pandemic factors. But regardless, the market has gotten undeniably smaller since its peak.

    That doesn’t have a breakdown as to age of buyers, but if sales are less than half what they were two decades ago, I imagine that playing the guitar is probably less popular than it was at that point in time.

    • intelisense@lemm.ee
      0·
      5 months ago

      I’m not sure it’s that simple - maybe they are playing their Gen X parents’ guitars?

      • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.todayOP
        0·
        5 months ago

        Their data mentions the demographics of people who play guitar, not just those who buy them. (In 2022) 18-34 are about 40% of guitar players with the largest share. Boomers also still play but don’t exert market influence.

        That actually sounds like Gen X are the smaller guitar playing demographic, maybe? Could just be too busy with careers.