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Why Stern's obsession with 'guitar-based music or various rock genres'?

VeeMonroe

VeeMonroe

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Another idle discussion...

Does anyone know why so many iconic music pins are heavy metal (or other guitar-based rock)?

AC/DC
Metallica
Iron Maiden
Guns n' Roses
Rush (heavy metal adjacent)
Foo Fighters (heavy metal adjacent)

Non-heavy metal pins

The Beatles
Elton John

Is it because there's a huge intersection between pinball and certain types of rock fandom? Do people believe only rock music can provide the right vibe for pinball? Or is it just that Gary Stern likes heavy metal?

I swear, Neil's 'Disco Maiden' was a dream to play...

 
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I'm not sure anyone would want to buy a Coldplay or Lady Gaga pin.

Not much you could do with the themes either I suppose.
 
That isn’t a list of heavy metal bands. It is a list of bands and some of them can be described as heavy metal.
Also, they are masssive stage acts who have had a large following and been established for a long period of time. Due to which, middle aged folks with money and space are also interested in spending money.
 
VeeMonroe said:
Another idle discussion...

Does anyone know why so many iconic music pins are heavy metal (or rock with hints of heavy metal, at least according to Google's genre classification)?

AC/DC
Metallica
Iron Maiden
Guns n' Roses
Rush (heavy metal adjacent)
Foo Fighters (heavy metal adjacent)

Non-heavy metal pins

The Beatles
Elton John

Is it because there's a huge intersection between pinball and heavy metal fandom? Do people believe only rock music can provide the right vibe for pinball? Or is it just that Gary Stern likes heavy metal?

I swear, Neil's 'Disco Maiden' was a dream to play...

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You were doing well up until the bit you mentioned disco maiden.
That’s just fcuked up …lol
 
IMHO
AC/DC
Hard Rock. My favourite band definitely NOT metal
Metallica
Thrash metal. So yes
Iron Maiden
New Wave British metal. So yes
Guns n' Roses
hard rock
Rush
Prog rock
Foo Fighters
Grunge / alt rock

The band led zep hated the term . Sabbath embraced it. Sabbath/ozzy pin please!

Even heavy metal meltdown is more pop rock!

If you prefer softer music then banana afflicted disco fever could be remade?
 
From my experience, gamers (in the video/board game space) tend to like Rock + Metal the most as genres so could be that.
Could also be now that some of the big bands of the genre have had their band made into a pinball machine that others in the genre want theirs too.
Sure there's plenty of other reasons but would love to see more variety
 
To be fair Vee, I can see two metal bands in there but I understand your point so won't dwell on semantics.

I also understand that the choice isn't binary (Either rock or Pop as in Chris example above).

What is abundantly clear is that the music is old, which I guess matches the demographic.

However, I certainly wasn't listening to metal as a kid just because I'm 50. I'm pretty sure we'll never see a Prodigy, Oasis or Dr Dre pin either.

The pinball companies are playing to the galleries in terms of age demographic's. If they really wanted to test whether they could attract a wider audience to pinball then Taylor Swift is the worlds biggest star by some distance . . . but none of us regular pinball folk would buy that so I guess best get your deposits ready for the Motorhead Pinball Machine 😬
 
steve brum said:
IMHO
AC/DC
Hard Rock. My favourite band definitely NOT metal
Metallica
Thrash metal. So yes
Iron Maiden
New Wave British metal. So yes
Guns n' Roses
hard rock
Rush
Prog rock
Foo Fighters
Grunge / alt rock

The band led zep hated the term . Sabbath embraced it. Sabbath/ozzy pin please!

Even heavy metal meltdown is more pop rock!

If you prefer softer music then banana afflicted disco fever could be remade?
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Your joking , Metallica isn’t thrash metal … 😂
 
Phantom of the Opera... Although I don't think that was based on lord melted faces tunes
 
Hard rock is the most popular genre for 50 year old American men, who also make up a huge percentage of Pin buyers.

Death Row/Westcoast pin for me please
 
Fubar said:
AC/DC is heavy metal?!?
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According to Wikipedia, "their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and heavy metal, but the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formative influence on the new wave of British heavy metal bands, such as Iron Maiden and Saxon."

Mozie said:
You forgot led Zeppelin although whether that's a pin at all is debatable
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Yeah, completely forgot Led Zeppelin. According to Wikipedia, they are "with a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are cited as one of the progenitors of hard rock and heavy metal, although their style drew from a variety of influences".
Gonzo said:
The pinball companies are playing to the galleries in terms of age demographic's. If they really wanted to test whether they could attract a wider audience to pinball then Taylor Swift is the worlds biggest star by some distance . . . but none of us regular pinball folk would buy that so I guess best get your deposits ready for the Motorhead Pinball Machine 😬
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Well, I think I've one Taylor Swift song on my phone, which is one more than I've got Motorhead...

 
@VeeMonroe . . . I'm not clicking on that 😂 Don't confuse my awareness of her popularity for an appreciation of her music.

Incidentally. I think you've made a good point . . . you've just titled the thread poorly which is why everyone is discussing what heavy Metal is rather than your point.

I'd have gone with . . . . Sterns obsession with 'guitar based music or various rock genres'.
 
Gonzo said:
@VeeMonroe . . . I'm not clicking on that 😂 Don't confuse my awareness of her popularity for an appreciation of her music.
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:rofl:

I should put a trigger warning on it. DANGER: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS TAYLOR SWIFT MUSIC :D

Gonzo said:
Incidentally. I think you've made a good point . . . you've just titled the thread poorly which is why everyone is discussing what heavy Metal is rather than your point.

I'd have gone with . . . . Sterns obsession with 'guitar based music or various rock genres'.
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Title changed, thanks. I have a poor understanding of the various sub-genres of guitar-based rock, but I'm aware of it, and I know it when I hear it!
 
Uh oh......

About the only other genre close to rock in terms of popularity is country and western

Getting your Billy Ray Cyrus in LE or Prem?

1705780937761.png
 
I am going to say it as simply as I can.
If you are not a fan of Hard Rock or Heavy Metal, you wouldn’t understand so we can’t explain it.

There are individuals who may well have sold more and been bigger, but I can’t imagine any of them being the source of an epic pinball machine. Elton has had two, so he is quite the exception.
 
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kev a said:
Uh oh......

About the only other genre close to rock in terms of popularity is country and western

Getting your Billy Ray Cyrus in LE or Prem?

View attachment 242604
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I think it’s a fairly-narrow subset of rock, though, and I’m trying to steer the discussion away from defining the words for that sub-category and towards pinball! ☺️
 
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