Is being in a band still the ultimate measure of "coolness"?

Think about it. All your life, you've always wanted to be in a band, even if you didn't know it. If you know anyone else in a band, they are actually your idol. Even if you didn't know it. Disagree with me? Well, you're probably right. You see, back in the seventies and eighties (and even the nineties, with the rise of Grunge) everybody was starting bands. All the cool kids, that is. Sure, the kids who got the good grades and wore the nice clothes didn't all want it, but even they secretly liked idea of sex, drugs, and rock n roll. But the kids who were actually IN the band were looked up to by everybody else who WASN'T in a band. But is that still the case? Nowadays, now that all the popular music is rap and electronic, all kids want is a gold chain around their next and a "hoe" on their sleeve. Yes, there is still a huge number of people who want to strap on a strat and jam out. But when compared to the number of rock fans back when Led Zeppelin ruled the world, modern music is slowly being dominated by... bad music. As a result, there is less respect for "real bands," and so less people wan to be IN a band... and therefore, the less cool it is to actually be in a band.

...But that's not to say that being in a band doesn't still add coolness. It still works as a fairly decent pick up line (it doesn't, I know) and you're still "that kid in the band" at school. Plus, all your friends will come see your band's gigs, and they'll at least respect you for being a good musician (provided the band doesn't suck). So, being in a band is still cooler than being just another guy, but not as cool as it used to be.