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?
kagis
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.
I’m not sure it’s that simple - maybe they are playing their Gen X parents’ guitars?
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.
Isn’t the whole instagram neo-soul guitar style a gen Z thing? It seems like at least some of the generation is both fond of guitar and very good at it
Pop music has been like that since the early 80’s. Traditional bands; a couple of guitarists, a bass player, a drummer and someone singing, still held some sway until the end of the grunge movement, but now most modern bands are playing some form of metal.