Something that is largely ignored in rpg settings (except Shadowrun) is the effect of music on culture. Bards may be mentioned, but there is nothing even close to an Elvis or the Beatles or the Rolling Stones or Hank Williams in most settings. I'm not sure if this is just a modern phenomena, but it seems like it should have more of a presence in games.

(Also, RIP George Jones, yet another massively important cultural influence).

There is more artists and groups that is or has been as influential as those few you mentioned, but also really tons of artists and groups that may not have been as influential, but still important for culture.

As for the general lack of them, ... well, after reading "Order of the Stick", i half-jokingly blame it on D&D's original use of Bards ...

Joking aside, one has to think about the crude and fully incorrect use of the word "race" in a lot of fantasy-settings, probably due to the ... ehrm ... "southafrican origin" of Tolkien.
No, i'm not interested in bashing here, i just think that legacy is important when viewing the worlds in Fantasy.
Why?
Rock comes from blues, and blues came from ... was it "Negro spirituals" they were called .. ? I have no idea what they may be called today, if they are called something different.

My point is, "rock" in D&D, along with those who played it early on, would probably have come from Orcs.
Also, that would have messed up the whole idea with the D&D-style Alignments ....
And we can't have that now, can we?

Anyway, Worlds that do not have the "Tolkien-legacy" i mentioned before, should have no problem having artists and groups that perform to the pleasure of onlookers.
So, why do they seem to lack in that area ever-so often, too?
I'd have to say Literature.
How often is artists of importance really described in Sci-fi and Fantasy?
... Not very often.

I agree about the importance of music.

I have an unpublished RPG that won the PolyCon game design award called Goreblade: Heavy Metal Roleplaying where in addition to roaming the world kicking ass, you could also be a metal band performing concerts and creating mosh pits. In addition to your class, you could also pick an instrument or vocals. If you wanted more combat features instead, that was cool because every band needs guards and roadies.

My OD&D games feature minstrels, singers and dancers, but they are NPCs usually in the background unless there is the cliche bard and his tales of high adventure.
 
I am toying with making an OSR Bard for my OD&D games, but I am unsure what I am going to do since I don't use Thieves. I do use Psionics so maybe the route will be Psionic + Fighter + Magic-User before they become "true bards" for their remaining levels (my OD&D maxes at 10).

When we talk about popular bands/performers in the modern era, it's important to acknowledge the importance of recording technology.  If exposure to Elvis had been limited to live performances, he'd likely never have developed a national following,  let alone an international presence.  I was born in 1979; without recording technology my only exposure to his music would have been from 'impersonators' who sing their rendition of his half-remembered songs.

So a standard fantasy world is unlikely to have such singular popular artists.  And even if you had an Elvis in your hometown, you'd probably get tired of the same concert every Friday night.  Instead of becoming a rabid one band fan, you'd crave variety.  The 'wandering minstrel' concept is thus further supported.

As far as cultural attitudes toward popular music, I think it's worth considering, especially in regards to instrumentation.  For example, brass instruments require a sophisticated mining/metallurgy culture, so they may be most appropriate for Dwarves.  Elves may prefer string instruments and breezy woodwinds.  Humans like to use instruments from many different cultures.  Once you decide that Hobbtits like jug bands and hobgoblin hordes include a massive marching drum line pounding in unison, you have some interesting ideas about how music and culture impact each other.

Quote from: deadDMwalking;650011When we talk about popular bands/performers in the modern era, it's important to acknowledge the importance of recording technology.  If exposure to Elvis had been limited to live performances, he'd likely never have developed a national following,  let alone an international presence.  I was born in 1979; without recording technology my only exposure to his music would have been from 'impersonators' who sing their rendition of his half-remembered songs.

Exactly - this is why we know nothing about the works of Thomas Tallis, or Bach, or Mozart, since after they died, no one ever played their music again.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;650015Exactly - this is why we know nothing about the works of Thomas Tallis, or Bach, or Mozart, since after they died, no one ever played their music again.

And for anyone present that doesn't understand sarcasm or that kind of irony, i'll glady translate:

Thomas Tallis, Bach, and Mozart became very wellknown/famous during their lifetime, and their works has been played long after thier deaths, too.
....

Personally, i think i remember some info that at least Mozart performed concerts here and there ....

Quote from: Catelf;649979There is more artists and groups that is or has been as influential as those few you mentioned, but also really tons of artists and groups that may not have been as influential, but still important for culture.

As for the general lack of them, ... well, after reading "Order of the Stick", i half-jokingly blame it on D&D's original use of Bards ...

Joking aside, one has to think about the crude and fully incorrect use of the word "race" in a lot of fantasy-settings, probably due to the ... ehrm ... "southafrican origin" of Tolkien.
No, i'm not interested in bashing here, i just think that legacy is important when viewing the worlds in Fantasy.
Why?
Rock comes from blues, and blues came from ... was it "Negro spirituals" they were called .. ? I have no idea what they may be called today, if they are called something different.

My point is, "rock" in D&D, along with those who played it early on, would probably have come from Orcs.
Also, that would have messed up the whole idea with the D&D-style Alignments ....
And we can't have that now, can we?

Anyway, Worlds that do not have the "Tolkien-legacy" i mentioned before, should have no problem having artists and groups that perform to the pleasure of onlookers.
So, why do they seem to lack in that area ever-so often, too?
I'd have to say Literature.
How often is artists of importance really described in Sci-fi and Fantasy?
... Not very often.

Good grief...

I try to do a bit with music in my campaign; since it's the western frontier, there's a lot of talk of banjos and mouth-harps and all that good stuff.

PCs can heal up around the campfire with sing-alongs, and characters are assumed to be proficient with one or more setting-appropriate musical instruments.  It's just the nature of the setting.

Quote from: Catelf;650033Personally, i think i remember some info that at least Mozart performed concerts here and there ....

Guys like Mozart (and Liszt, and Chopin, to name a couple others) were their day and age's rock stars, and spent a good portion of their lives touring the world (which at the time meant Continental Europe) performing to audiences.

Tallis wasn't really a rock star, though interestingly, Queen Elizabeth (I think) did grant him and Wiliam Byrd a total monopoly on printed music in Britain at the time. Which would conceivably make them the forerunners of the fucking recording industry.

Bach was a church musician for most of his life, not quite rock star material himself.

Quote from: Planet Algol;650038Good grief...

I know, right? I did not know whether to cry a little or laugh loudly.

In my case, it depends on a setting - as noted, before modern technology, you had to listen to the musician to listen to the music. But I usually put a bit more famous bard here and there, when it comes to fantasy/medieval games. And of course, there was that seedy tavern/brothel in an Ancient Fantasy setting of mine, where the band was constantly playing Cantina theme...because why the hell not? It helps to enforce the seedy feel of a location.

Quote from: Rincewind1;650061I know, right? I did not know whether to cry a little or laugh loudly.

And i wonder why?
Were i wrong, overzealous, or just a bit off topic?

All in all, i consider the question an interesting one, but it haven't really played a lot of role in my games (if any at all, except for an optional side plot of a music festival once), because it hasn't really been a neccessity, + my games is usually in an "alternate modern", meaning i doesn't have to add fictive artists to the world.

Quote from: Catelf;650071And i wonder why?
Were i wrong, overzealous, or just a bit off topic?

Crazy. Stone-cold fucking crazy talk.

Quote from: Planet Algol;650095Crazy. Stone-cold fucking crazy talk.

Crazy?
Is it crazy to point out that the only darkskinned in LotR is Orcs, Goblins, and other beings that is depicted as cruel, mean and Evil, and that the reason for that easily can be traced back to the fact that Tolkien was a White Southafrican and essentially was brought up as a racist?
Is it crazy to point out that the musicstyle "rock" has its roots in "Negro Spirituals" wich was derived from the African slaves that was forced to work in the "USA"?
Is it crazy to point out, that the obvious result would be that in fantasy worlds, the Orks would have brought the seeds to Rock, or even have developed Rock themselves?

* sighs *
Well, i guess i'm crazy, then.

EDIT:
Sorry for that this exchange doesn't bring much, if anything, to the topic.

Nevermind that orcs are actually probably descendants of the Noldor tortured by Morgoth in Middle-earth.

Hey, look! Anthropoid dark-skinned bad guys! This must be a real-world allegory for black people! SOCIAL JUSTICE!

Quote from: Benoist;650121Nevermind that orcs are actually probably descendants of the Noldor tortured by Morgoth in Middle-earth.

Hey, look! Anthropoid dark-skinned bad guys! This must be a real-world allegory for black people! SOCIAL JUSTICE!

You just don't understand that the white southafricans looked at the darskinned as non-human cattle, do you?
Anyway, i decide to leave this sidetrack oficcially now, because i do not want to derail the topic (further).