By ANTHONY VIOLANTI | Published September 18, 1998 | Updated October 12, 2018 The sorry state of rock 'n' roll was on display last week during the Video Music Awards on MTV. The formerly cutting-edge network handed out honors to acts that included Madonna, Aerosmith, the Beastie Boys and Will Smith.Welcome to the '80s.The rock industry and record companies don't seem to realize that unless they let go of the music of the past, they're doomed to repeat it. Right now, MTV is sounding like classic-rock radio.Rock's malaise is getting deeper. The charts are filled with the likes of the Backstreet