Quote Originally Posted by Shout
Barely any influence, not no influence whatsoever.
I'd say that The Beatles are actually pretty closely related to Presley. Certainly closer than Metallica are to Hendrix, anyway.

I do see where you're coming from, and you're right to say that too much derivation in music can cause a particular style to become stale. All I'm trying to say is that the majority of bands aren't as derivative as you think. Then again, I'd probably disagree with your belief that rock and roll music is getting worse, too. I suppose we're just approaching the premise very differently.