Former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, in a new episode of his YouTube series, Tales From the Tavern, says he can't relate to today's music.
"I obviously don't listen to the radio in America where they're playing the latest, whatever it is. I suppose as we progress and change generations I cannot relate to what they would play on the radio here, and I don't listen to rock and roll so much anymore. I listen to the old rock from the '50s when it was fresh -- Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, James Burton with Ricky Nelson, The Everly Brothers -- love all that stuff [with] Buddy Holly being my favorite at the time of course.
"I feel like an old granddad you know, complaining about the music they're playing on the radio at the moment. I feel that back in the '70s when Eric Clapton was playing with Cream and that stuff it was thoughtful music you would listen to...
"I'd rather hear talk radio about who's the latest president you know and stuff like that..."
But he adds that he understands why today's music is so popular.
"That's probably as great to them as The Beatles and Cream and Jimi Hendrix was to me so I can't really complain, but I do like to complain and I will complain and I think the crap that they're playing on the radio today is bloody awful."
Blackmore not only doesn't listen to rock music, but he no longer plays it, concentrating instead on Renaissance music with his band Blackmore's Night featuring his wife, Candice Night.