Rock and Roll Is Dead

Kravitz told on the meaning of "Rock and Roll Is Dead":

{{Cquote|That song was completely misunderstood. A lot of people don't take [the song] that one layer deeper--they hear the title and chorus and take it at face value. They think I'm being serious when actually I'm a very big clown. But you have to know me to see that. I'm constantly cracking up and cracking everybody else around me up. People see my photos and think I labor over my image and I'm this cool, brooding artist. But I'm just having fun with it.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}}}

Everett True from Melody Maker said in his review of the song, "F***ing way to go, Lenny!"{{cite magazine|first=Everett|last=True|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53548240965/|title=Singles|magazine=Melody Maker|date=September 2, 1995|page=41|access-date=March 11, 2024|author-link=Everett True}} Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "Borrowing half of the riff from Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker" is not exactly the way to back up the statement he's making here. By going retro again, Kravitz reanimates rock totally. DJ Hans Van Rijn at Danish radio station The Voice/Copenhagen said, "As rock is still very big in Scandinavia, it will be a big radio hit. It's typical of him, the way it's structured. Although playable in all day slots, in the evening it will do best on EHR stations which pretend to cater to youth."{{cite magazine|first= |last= |title= New Releases: Singles |magazine= Music & Media |volume= 12 |issue= 35 |date= September 2, 1995 |page= 11 |access-date= May 19, 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1995/MM-1995-09-02.pdf}} Paul Moody from NME felt it "could've been a classic opener" of the album, noting that it "is the riff from 'Are You Gonna...' played backwards".{{cite magazine|first=Paul|last=Moody|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53554191273/|title=Long Play|magazine=NME|date=September 9, 1995|page=50|access-date=March 11, 2024}}

The song reached number 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. It was a top-10 hit in Finland, New Zealand and Spain, reaching numbers 10, eight, and five, respectively. In Canada, the song reached number 16. Elsewhere, the song reached the top 40 in Australia, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

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• US and Canadian CD single; US cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Rock and Roll Is Dead|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1995|type=US & Canadian CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=V25F-38514, 7243 8 38514 2 3}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Rock and Roll Is Dead|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1995|type=US cassette single sleeve|publisher=Virgin Records|id=4KM-38514, 7 2438 38514 4 7}}

1. "Rock and Roll Is Dead" – 3:22
2. "Another Life" – 3:59
3. "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (live) – 4:00

• UK CD and 10-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=Rock and Roll Is Dead|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1995|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VUSCD 93, 7243 8 93102 21}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Rock and Roll Is Dead|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1995|type=UK 10-inch single sleeve|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VUSAB 93, 7243 8 93102 0 7}}

1. "Rock and Roll Is Dead" – 3:22
2. "Another Life" – 4:21
3. "Confused" – 6:48
4. "Is It Me, Is It You?" – 3:54

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• UK cassette single and European CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Rock and Roll Is Dead|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1995|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VUSC 93, 7243 8 93102 4 5}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Rock and Roll Is Dead|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1995|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VUSCDE 93, 7243 8 93103 2 0}}

1. "Rock and Roll Is Dead" – 3:22
2. "Another Life" – 4:21

• Japanese mini-CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Rock and Roll Is Dead|others=Lenny Kravitz|year=1995|type=Japanese mini-CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VJDP-10252}}

1. "Rock and Roll Is Dead" – 3:24
2. "God Is Love" – 4:26

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{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.lennykravitz.com Lenny Kravitz official site]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqzzAyGl3zA Official video on YouTube]

{{Lenny Kravitz singles}}

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Category:1995 singles

Category:Lenny Kravitz songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Lenny Kravitz

Category:Songs written by Lenny Kravitz

Category:Songs about rock music