Why would anyone read a serious novel, like Crime and Punishment, instead of a comic book? Mozart's Jupiter Symphony will still be performed and appreciated fifty years from now. Can the same be said for your cherished rap/pop songs?
And I say this as someone who has been classically trained and absolutely worships the music of Bach (and Mozart for that matter).
"The Message" by Grandmaster Flash, A lot of The Beastie Boys, Some Kendrick Lamar, and many other hip-hop tracks and artists will definitely still be played and enjoyed 50 years in the future.
There are people who weren't alive at the beginning of hip-hop who are massive fans of the early artists. They'll be as popular as the greats of early rock, the greats of jazz etc.
You have to remember that when Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms etc were composing there was also a lot of absolute dross being composed at the same time. History forgets the garbage and remembers the greats. The same will happen for all genres of music.
How many people still listen to even the greatest of Big Band music? Rock and jazz have been passed down one or two generations but it's too soon to conclude they'll live forever.
There are half a dozen others in the top twenty that you could say the same thing about.
Yes. Some of the pop songs today will be around in fifty years. Are they as good as Bach? No. But then again neither is most classical music written today.
Largely because the Boomers and Gen-Xers are still alive and kicking, and still refusing to grow up, still hanging onto the music of their adolescence. When the last of them passes away, I predict they'll take rock and roll, including its so-called "classics," along with them.
In fact, rock is already fast dying:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/the-s...
https://newrepublic.com/article/139572/happened-rock-music
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dannyross1/2017/03/20/rock-n-ro...
In 1918 we find Irving Berlin began composing significant parts of what was to become known as The Great American Songbook. The staying power and quality of the GAS shouldn’t need any defense, but if it does, skim through Wikipedia.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Songbook
Most of rock and roll will disappear, but the good parts will endure similarly. Just like the music from the GAS era.
And if the electric guitar’s waning popularity is a sign of the death of rock, then I’ve got bad news for the lovers of classical organ.
D rose d rose d rose d rose d rose d rose