When we think of China, aspects such as Chinese history or Chinese cuisine are often the first things that come to mind. Even when we think of Chinese music, gangtai and C-pop are popular genres. The idea of ​​Chinese rock and roll being at the forefront of Chinese music seems foreign, even strange. Although rock and roll became mainstream during the 1980s and early 1990s through the work of Cui Jian (An Overview of Popular Music during the Reform Era, 31), it quickly declined in popularity in the late 1990s. Through historical accounts and personal experiences, the evolution of ideologies during the rise and fall of Chinese rock and roll will be examined. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayChinese rock and roll is rooted in the city of Beijing. However, the rise of rock and roll is primarily attributed to foreign influence. Rock and roll was “played mainly in small nightclubs…frequented by foreigners (31).” This in turn influenced Cui Jian. In the late 1980s, he became one of China's first prominent rock and roll musicians. His music is characterized by its individual character, bold expression and strong rebellion (32). This is interesting because Cui Jian's rise to power coincided with the government's disapproval of him at the time. Specifically, Cui Jian's music, concerts, and ideas were closely linked to the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident (34). To provide further evidence, music critic Zhang Guangtian claims that rock music was capable of giving young Chinese people a sense of empowerment and an ethos of rebellion (35). Many Chinese people agreed with the opinions sung by Cui Jian. These facts make the rapid decline of rock and roll surprising. Through personal experience and survey, it was found that a large part of Chinese youth do not know Cui Jian and his music. Young teachers were asked whether or not Cui Jian was important to Chinese music and the answer was often "who is Cui Jian?" » This is very fascinating because many scholars attribute the downfall of Cui Jian's rock and roll to the government. Starting in 1993, the government began implementing stricter regulations regarding rock and roll concerts. The government also banned rock and roll performances on television, China's largest media outlet (43). The government has diverted the attention of young people so that they do not feel the rebellion and protest as much as in 1989 (45). This rapid change is intriguing because it shows that the government that Chinese youth were protesting against was able to indirectly change the people's opinions by restricting rock and roll. Ultimately, this is still visible today, as many Chinese people are unfamiliar with Cui Jian and his work. The rise of gangtai, or C-pop, music and karaoke were two attributes of the fall of Chinese rock and roll. Gangtai represented a more commercial ideology in China, as record companies could easily market gangtai music and sell it in large markets (45). Karaoke represents people's desire to sing music that has "a moderate, steady tempo, clear, predictable melodies, and clearly articulated lyrics...the very antithesis of rock (46)." These two ideas become even more obvious after being demonstrated through personal observation. It has been found that young Chinese today often prefer to sing at.