One of the first singles I bought was the Rolling Stones “19th Nervous Breakdown.” Given my young age, this should have alarmed my mother, but no lasting harm was done and a lifelong love of what later became “Classic Rock” was born. Fifty-plus years later the love endures, but many of my rock heroes are gone, and in another 20 years most will be gone. The Classic Rock Industry is hotter than ever, if not in record sales then in myriad band — or brand — extensions. But where will it be in 2040? Will it continue to thrive or struggle to survive?

History may give us some indication.

Without “Pioneer Rock” — Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly et al. — rock from the early Sixties to today would not exist. The significance of the Pioneers’ contributions is widely acknowledged, especially by those classic rock artists we Boomers idolize. But they have not fared well with the greater public or as an ongoing music industry segment.

I remember from childhood the Oldies radio stations that played Fifties rock. The format died out long ago despite the relative youth of its original fan base, while the “modern” rock format became a predominant force. The Pioneers were not welcome on the new pop and rock radio — not on hit radio WABC in New York, not on FM rock pioneers WPLJ or WNEW.

The problem with the Pioneers is obvious: those they influenced bettered them. These younger artists created an entirely new paradigm for the genre, taking it in unimagined directions, first with baby steps, later in giant leaps. Witness the exponential creative growth in The Beatles’ work from 1963–1970 and its inarguable and indelible influence on songwriters, musicians and producers alike. Not to mention fans.

Because of this reinvention of the form, the Pioneers lost relevance in the lives of the generations that followed. (The sole exception was an alarmingly devout group of Elvis followers and occasional sightings.) Elvis’ 1968 “comeback” brought a flurry of hope, but addiction and “Fat Elvis” prevailed, with his legacy kept alive mostly by Las Vegas impersonators and singing telegrams.

This relative ignominy among rock fans is astounding given his truly iconic, hip-shaking, earth-quaking screaming-fan stardom. To this day he remains the third biggest selling US recording artist of all time after The Beatles and Garth Brooks. Yet Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin — all of whom have been gone for decades and, save Lennon, sold many fewer records than Elvis — figure larger in the consciousness of music fans.

Another icon of popular music, Frank Sinatra, fared better. While the American Songbook of the 1930s-1950s has greatly diminished in popularity, that music has not really been improved upon — something else simply took its place in the hearts of youth, which apparently drove poor Frank to distraction. But the genre survives and is kept alive by artists like Michael Buble, Josh Grobin, and Harry Connick Jr., along with a boost from musical theater. The quality and evergreen nature of the American Songbook remains unchallenged.

In comparison, rock ‘n roll has spawned over five decades of new artists and interpretations of the rock form. Ironically, “commercialization,” a concept anathema to most rock artists in the Sixties, Seventies, and into the Eighties, has played a significant role in keeping classic rock alive by exposing it to younger audiences and reminding original fans of its influence and power. Licensing for film, TV and commercials have replaced diminishing radio airplay while providing emotional impact for brands and quality TV dramas. Never underestimate the value of nostalgia.

Although the current 18–34 year-olds may not listen to classic rock in 20 years, there’s little doubt the late baby boomers and Gen Xers will continue to. And the classic rock canon grows over the decades with remarkable mega-artists like Bruce Springsteen, Prince, and U2. The record labels do worry about the dearth of newer “deep catalog” rock artists, though. Will Oasis, Radiohead and Coldplay stand the test of time?

What binds us to this music? Is it melody, zeitgeist, star power? Is it those memories made while we were coming of age, as we discovered our hopes and desires, and still enjoyed the stress-free existence of being bankrolled by our parents? While all that matters, when all is said and done it’s the songs. It is the quality of the songs.

In my waning days, I imagine that “Exile on Main St.,” “Led Zeppelin II” and Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” will still be in heavy rotation on my iMusic or whatever service survives the streaming wars. And what better than Abbey Road’s “The End” for the final moments? It would be the perfect closing to a life made magical by classic rock.