Music: Rock Hits the Hard Place

The thrill is gone—is it bad business or middle age?

Is there hope? This week, the J. Geils Band has settled itself onto the sunny, snowy peak of the Billboard chart. Score one for the good guys. J. Geils has managed to nudge off Foreigner, which on and off occupied the top slot for eleven weeks. Score eleven for the bad guys. And these days, in rock and in the record business, the bad guys are winning.

Big bucks, much media attention and even some good reviews go to a 598-page biography of Elvis Presley that...