No Old Time Rock and Roll
Gendered History in Guitar Hero and The Beatles Rock Band
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23311544 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ulrich Adelt (University of Wyoming, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-13 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Rock Music Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1940-1159 • E-ISSN: 1940-1167 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/19401159.2026.2711566 |
| OpenAlex | W7171717068 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 15 |
In this article, I situate Guitar Hero and Rock Band within the history of the electric guitar. I argue that by reframing a cultural icon, the two games challenge hero worship through humor while simultaneously participating in a problematic celebration of rock masculinity. The massive popularity of the games in the years between 2005 and 2009 came at a moment of cultural change when the electric guitar had become much less prominent; drawing on notions of nostalgia and liveness, the games signify a slight return to rock guitar domination.
Cognitive reframing · Guitar · HERO · Popularity · Rock music · Humor Studies and Applications · Music History and Culture · Musicology and Musical Analysis
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |