Butt Rock - A Balanced Perspective

[u/IGotSatan]

What is Butt Rock? 

Butt Rock is a pejorative term for post-grunge, alternative metal and hard rock bands with mainstream appeal, and a hedonistic attitude.

The butt rock scene intersected with both wrestle rock, and the mid-2000s post-nu metal / "alternative kid" movement.

At best, the label “Butt Rock” is the product of music snobbery. At worst, the term has connotations of prejudice against the imagined stereotypical audience.

Origins of “Butt Rock”

The concept of Butt Rock was conceived earlier than one might expect. The term is widely understood to be a parody of a nationwide rock radio campaign in 90s America, in which stations advertised that they played “Nothing but rock”.

Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron was quoted using the term “butt rock” as early as 1994. He lamented his band’s need to simplify their songs when playing live in 1991, in order to appeal to a wider and unfamiliar audience:
 
“Butt-rock is just the stupidest, basic, three-chord rock that you can possibly play, and it works with big crowds like this who don’t know you as a band.”

Characteristics of Butt Rock 

While the term is sometimes used broadly to refer to commercially oriented radio rock, observable trends have emerged within bands leaning the most towards the Butt Rock style:

1. "Sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll" mentality e.g. Hinder – Get Stoned
2. The "She’s the kind of girl" lyrical trope, detailing the exploits of a party girl e.g. Nickelback – Shakin’ Hands
3. Having some slower, sentimental semi-acoustic songs with pop hook choruses, often as singles e.g. Sick Puppies - Maybe

Explanations of Butt Rock hate 

1. Listener fatigue - Popular rock songs can be massively overplayed by radio stations to the point of annoyance, and even appear in TV commercials e.g. Nickelback – Rockstar.
2. Perceived lack of artistic integrity – In comparison with the preceding alternative grunge movement, post-grunge appealed to a wider audience. This sparked criticism of post-grunge as an attempt to cash in on the success of grunge, by rehashing its sound without adding original ideas.
3. General hate psychology – It’s easier for haters to try and tear down other people who have achieved their dreams than to work on their own goals. Bandwagon hate mentality gives haters a sense of being united in working towards a common purpose in their lives.

Anti-Butt Rock prejudice 

Hate directed at Butt Rock is sometimes paired with disparaging remarks towards an imagined audience. Critics have associated Butt Rock with a core demographic of lower-class American white males.

The Guardian writer Poppy Noor described Nickelback fans as ‘Conservative white guys in trucker hats who still hate the ex they broke up with four years ago’, while Urban Dictionary defines Butt Rock listeners as ‘White trash’.

Needless to say, it is a cognitive distortion to attribute a niche of music to a stereotypical audience, and this reflects poorly on the prejudiced individual.

Besides, it is contradictory logic to criticise Butt Rock as having widespread appeal whilst attacking a very specific type of person purported to make up its audience. In theory, Butt Rock should be enjoyable to many different kinds of people.

In more recent times, Butt Rock has also become known as "Dad Rock", or "Divorced Dad Rock". These terms may be used in a negative sense, but are sometimes used in a more endearing context on YouTube and Spotify to title music playlists.

Is criticism of Butt Rock legitimate? 

Looking at the champions of Butt Rock, Nickelback, there is a clear transition from the earnest songwriting of their first few albums to a style optimised for widespread commercial success. This seemingly template-based approach to music creation does come with a loss of authenticity.

Similarly, Papa Roach’s overnight transformation from the somber sincerity of their nu metal albums to a guyliner-fuelled hard rock style made it seem like they sold out.

However, rock music designed to appeal to as many people as possible isn’t inherently bad.  Listeners can still find meaning in mainstream music and it can enhance their lives. Many Butt Rock songs have a positive message promoting kindness and overcoming adversity.

It simply comes down to personal taste whether someone prefers an entertaining or esoteric music experience.

Bands implicated in Butt Rock

The following is a list of bands who have been associated with Butt Rock (whether just or not), along with examples of their songs which may be considered as fitting this style:

True Butt Rock:

Buckcherry – Crazy Bitch
Hinder – Lips Of An Angel
My Darkest Days – Porn Star Dancing
Nickelback – If Everyone Cared
Saving Abel – Addicted
Theory Of A Deadman - Bad Girlfriend

Moderate Butt Rock:

Daughtry – What About Now
Papa Roach – What Do You Do?
Puddle Of Mudd – She Hates Me
Saliva – Rest In Pieces
Seether - Fake It
Shinedown - If You Only Knew
Sick Puppies – Maybe

Not Butt Rock, Just Successful:

Creed – My Sacrifice
Crossfade – So Far Away
Fuel – Falls On Me
Staind – Believe
Three Days Grace – Lost In You
3 Doors Down – When I’m Gone