butt-rock

English

Alternative forms

• butt rock, Butt Rock

Etymology

Said to have begun as a parody of the phrase nothing but rock, reanalyzed as butt +‎ rock.

Noun

butt-rock (uncountable)

1. (derogatory, informal, humorous) Rock and roll music of a style or subgenre disparaged as uninteresting or out of fashion.
   • 1994 August 7, James Muretich, quoting Kim Thayil, “This is Soundgarten: Kickstarting Rock in the Right Direction”, in Calgary Herald, page A11:

     Somebody wrote this ad copy who doesn't know anything about music, probably just listens to your average butt-rock AOR (adult-oriented-rock) station.

   • 1995, Chris Nickson, quoting Matt Cameron, Soundgarten: New Metal Crown, page 175:

     Butt-rock is just the stupidest, three-chord rock that you can possibly play, and it works with big crowds like this who don’t know you as a band.

   • 2012, Terryn Sundy, You're Not A Ninja, And No You Can't Spend The Night!, page 136:

     But just before high school, through some new friends, I'd become acquainted with metal and some serious 1980s butt-rock! Musically, it wasn't my taste, but I did take well to the butt-rock ballads and the boys in the bands.

   • 2018, Eve Harms, The Secret Name, page 33:

     “You're the one who’s the cold fish! And I do care, you know I hate Butt Rock and I came anyways to support you! Why do you think I’m here? I was just a little late.”
     “It’s called Alternative Rock, not Butt Rock! How many times do I have to tell you?”

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:butt-rock.