Charlie Benante Backs Corgan on Rock ‘Silencing’ Claim
Anthrax and Pantera drummer Charlie Benante has publicly backed Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan’s theory that rock and metal were deliberately pushed out of mainstream culture, arguing the genre’s influence was “purposely dialed down” starting in the late 1990s. Benante made the comments while reflecting on how rock’s visibility has declined despite continued strength as a live draw.
Hot Metal Magazine reported that Benante shared his view in an interview with Hot Metal Magazine, saying he witnessed a “gravity shift” around 1997–98 when MTV’s programming moved away from rock, which he said had been “very, very high up” at the network before being replaced by rap.
Benante said that during that period MTV’s “standards and practices” changed, and he described seeing content on the channel that previously would not have been allowed. While acknowledging “great music came out of it,” he maintained that the transition felt like an “overt shift” rather than a gradual evolution, adding that pop later became “completely dominant” as rap’s cultural influence waned.
He also pointed to what he sees as a disconnect between rock’s commercial success and its place in the broader cultural conversation, arguing that rock remains a leading ticket-selling genre while receiving minimal representation in mainstream media. Benante said he believes this amounted to limiting “the ability of rock stars to have a voice in the culture,” suggesting artists within the system learn to “color between the lines” to avoid repercussions.
Benante’s remarks add to ongoing debate about whether rock’s reduced mainstream presence stems from market forces or industry decisions, with musicians increasingly revisiting the late-1990s media landscape as a turning point. Whatever the cause, his comments underline continued frustration among rock artists who see arena-level demand for the music alongside a shrinking role in pop culture’s dominant platforms.
