When it comes to naming the all-time best musicians, there are many men and women who deserve a place in the lyrical and vocal hall of fame. From the sadly deceased Freddie Mercury to the inimitable Cher and Madonna, some names reign supreme, and deserve to do so in perpetuity.
These are the musicians whose music has defined a generation, shaping our upbringings, attitudes, and ethical stances. Their voices are not only the voices of our misspent youth, but a gift that arguably deserves to be passed down.
One way this is happening is in the recent trend for music biopics. With 2019 delivering Rocketman and The Dirt, and Bohemian Rhapsody released the year before, young people are being introduced to classic pop and rock in a whole new way.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg, for it’s not only movie-makers looking to preserve this legacy. So too are novelists, through books like James Kaplan’s Frank, and even online slot game developers, who’ve created numerous offerings that centre around the most famous music icons.
Sharing their stories through the silver screen
Like good music, movies arguably have the ability to shape the way we think and feel. Done well, they can breathe life into characters who might otherwise be mere cardboard cut-outs; which is why they’re such a useful tool in persevering the legacies of pop’s most famous.
For those alive in the 80s, for example, it’s hard to forget the stardust that seemed to settle on Freddie Mercury, or his electric charisma, stunning vocals, and eccentric costuming. Living in an era he so strongly defined, it’s impossible to imagine how the mark he made on the world could ever be erased.
Yet for those who lived just a little while later, his name might be known – and even a few of his most popular songs – but he lacks substance. Or at least, he did until the release of Bohemian Rhapsody in late 2018.
This is not mere supposition, but proven fact: in the months following the movie’s release, Queen sold more albums in North America than any other artist. Having won the hearts and minds of a whole new audience, their legacy was successfully handed down to a fresh and vibrant generation.
It is a heartening and astonishing statistic, but this is not the only movie to have had such an impact: following the release of Rocketman, Elton John’s album sales similarly soared by an incredible 138 percent.
Online slots and more marketing masterstrokes
What these figures prove, more effectively than ever before, is that music has the ability to touch those who hear it, even decades after its initial release. The truly great songs and albums are imbued with an eternal star quality, and it’s only right that the generations to come get to experience the same sublime passions and emotions it can evoke.
It doesn’t matter how this is achieved: whether through books that tell the story of these lyrical legends or slot games that feature iconic artists. Indeed, within the latter industry, the genre has proven particularly popular, with dozens of players drawn in by the names of familiar bands and musicians who might otherwise be lost to the haze of time. This has led to a slew of new slot games, all of them providing an opportunity to experience this music in a novel and immersive way.
For those lyricists and vocalists preserved by these new forms of media, this must surely be what immortality looks like, and in the same way that great art lives forever, now great music can too: as a gift to be passed down through the ages.
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