Marc Bolan / T. Rex (October 19, 1972) – “Is Young Rock Revolt Coming?” Feature - Evansville Press
This Evansville Press feature focuses on Marc Bolan’s response to critics who dismissed T. Rex’s success as little more than an appeal to school-age fans. Drawing on Bolan’s own comments, the article argues that younger listeners should not be underestimated and considers whether their enthusiasm could drive a new generation of pop music.
Publication: Evansville Press
Date: October 19, 1972
Country: United States
Published under the headline “Is young rock revolt coming?”, the London Express Service article places Marc Bolan and T. Rex at the centre of a wider discussion about younger music audiences and the future direction of pop.
The article begins with Bolan’s argument that any genuine revolution in pop music must involve young people. According to Bolan, ignoring younger listeners means cutting oneself off from an essential part of rock music’s continuing vitality.
The feature directly addresses criticism Bolan had received during the previous year. Critics, the article says, had attacked his continuing success within the school-age market and suggested that he deliberately catered to it. Bolan counters that argument by insisting that people continually underestimate the intelligence of young audiences.
The article characterises Bolan as a leading figure in the glam rock movement and notes his continuing run of British hits following “Ride A White Swan”. Rather than presenting his younger audience as a weakness, the piece considers whether the enthusiasm surrounding T. Rex could represent the beginning of something larger.
Bolan acknowledges that some fans simply want a fantasy figure to admire, but argues that this does not describe everyone listening to his music. His comments suggest that young audiences contain different kinds of listeners and should not be dismissed as a single, unquestioning group.
The feature then broadens its argument to consider generational change in popular music. It suggests that if younger fans were buying Bolan’s records, attending his concerts and being influenced by his music in the same way an earlier generation responded to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, T. Rex’s boogie-based sound might provide a starting point for a new generation’s own pop music.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
The clipping presents Marc Bolan not simply as a successful performer but as a spokesman for the importance of younger music audiences. The central argument is that popular music must continue to change and excite school-age listeners if it is to survive.
The article contrasts the enthusiasm surrounding Bolan with changing attitudes towards heavier rock music. Emerson, Lake & Palmer are discussed later in the piece as an example of an established act facing changing critical reactions, reinforcing the article’s wider theme of generational movement within rock.
For the Marc Bolan Chronicle, the most significant aspect is Bolan’s defence of his younger audience. Rather than apologising for T. Rex’s appeal to teenagers, he argues that their enthusiasm and intelligence could become part of the force shaping the next generation of pop.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: Marc Bolan discusses younger audiences and the future of pop music
Era: 1972 Bolanmania era
Tone: Analytical and forward-looking
Photography: The supplied clipping is dominated by the headline and article text; a staff photograph credit to Don Goodaker is visible beneath the article
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
• Marc Bolan responding to criticism of T. Rex’s popularity with younger fans
• Bolan arguing that the intelligence of young people is continually underestimated
• Reference to T. Rex’s run of British hits following “Ride A White Swan”
• Discussion of whether younger listeners could shape a new generation of pop music
• Comparison between Bolan’s young following and earlier generations influenced by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones
All newspaper scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
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