Why is today's pop music so terrible?
- Thread starter Don C
- Start date
Interesting video, with a lot of truth in it. Though, it is confined from yesterday's best to today's worst.
Still, it reflects pretty well why the pop music is so lame/bland today, in general.
Good looks on youtube takes over real musical talent. What sells is not good music it's good looking pictures on your iPads. Kids that's the first thing they look @
In the 70s we didn't have 6" androids with youtube apps. We had record stores with The Doors, The Beatles, The Stones, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Yes, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.
And today some of the best depart too young; Linkin Park, Soundgarden, Nirvana, etc.
Yesterday we had Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash and Elvis, today we have Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus.
But today we also have Jack Black, Jack White and Adele. And we also have America's got talent.
_____
So, the speaker in that video above, he has good points, but the full story plays also outside of the normal money music machine.
There are talented street artists today that we've never heard on the r.a.d.i.o. or/and the television set.
Still, it reflects pretty well why the pop music is so lame/bland today, in general.
Good looks on youtube takes over real musical talent. What sells is not good music it's good looking pictures on your iPads. Kids that's the first thing they look @
In the 70s we didn't have 6" androids with youtube apps. We had record stores with The Doors, The Beatles, The Stones, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Yes, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.
And today some of the best depart too young; Linkin Park, Soundgarden, Nirvana, etc.
Yesterday we had Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash and Elvis, today we have Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus.
But today we also have Jack Black, Jack White and Adele. And we also have America's got talent.
So, the speaker in that video above, he has good points, but the full story plays also outside of the normal money music machine.
There are talented street artists today that we've never heard on the r.a.d.i.o. or/and the television set.
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Why is today's pop music so terrible?
I think one of the youtube responders said it well:
"Because 90% of the musicians today are talentless hacks. Back then, there were creative men like Prince, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, and James Brown. Now, it's a bunch of overproduced computer retardation like edm, glitch, dubstep, synthpop & trap."
It's also unfortunate that so many albums today have fallen victim to the volume wars.
I think one of the youtube responders said it well:
"Because 90% of the musicians today are talentless hacks. Back then, there were creative men like Prince, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, and James Brown. Now, it's a bunch of overproduced computer retardation like edm, glitch, dubstep, synthpop & trap."
It's also unfortunate that so many albums today have fallen victim to the volume wars.
When was the last time you heard a band spend time on producing an album that told a story with each song as the album went along? (Think Boston)
Cared about sound quality? Adele sure as hell didn't.
Produced actual music and not just the lead singer singing non-stop from start to finish?
Tom
Cared about sound quality? Adele sure as hell didn't.
Produced actual music and not just the lead singer singing non-stop from start to finish?
Tom
Today's music (pop) is no worse or better than the stuff I grew up with. Pop music in general has always been directed at the masses and was never the main source of listening for individuals who play in the high end sandbox and shouldn't be confused with 60's and 70's AOR or similar genres. There are plenty of artists today who would sell well in any era.
I agree with Still. Essentially we have become our parents on likes and dislikes. Not everything but on many issues and choices.
In the balance of pop music through history, past and present, I agree 100% with Jim and Ron.
There is good and bad pop music anytime.
Because of today's technology with iPods, internet, youtube, social medias like Instagram, Facebook & Twitter, etc., the delivery is much more powerful to the masses.
There is good and bad pop music anytime.
Because of today's technology with iPods, internet, youtube, social medias like Instagram, Facebook & Twitter, etc., the delivery is much more powerful to the masses.
I don't have data to back it up, but I strongly suspect it's the curse of those holding MBA and Law Degrees put in charge of creative decisions. Musicians never ran the music industry, but men who appreciated their music did. Now, the industry seems run by men trained to optimize cost and minimize risk, not by men willing to risk commercial failure for the sake of introducing innovative music because they themselves loved it. I suspect that a similar curse has befallen the film imdustry.
I suggest that's why after arriving at hip-hop and rap forms, pop music has largely been stagnant for going on three decades now. It used to be that each dominant form of pop music ruled for maybe a decade or so before being superseded by the next generation's pop music form. New music often incorporates sample snippets from older music as a 'hook' rather than inventing something totally fresh. Many young folks are only introduced to good older pop music via samples utilized in new music.
I suggest that's why after arriving at hip-hop and rap forms, pop music has largely been stagnant for going on three decades now. It used to be that each dominant form of pop music ruled for maybe a decade or so before being superseded by the next generation's pop music form. New music often incorporates sample snippets from older music as a 'hook' rather than inventing something totally fresh. Many young folks are only introduced to good older pop music via samples utilized in new music.
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Unfortunately, things will not be changing very soon in terms of the loudness issue. My son has an album out that we produced. Sounds pretty good sonically but the other new pop stuff is so loud on Tidal and Spotify that his stuff sounds very low. So, he is having it remastered to make it loud for the streaming services. Thankfully, I have the master files so the tracks won't be ruined totally. He appreciates good sound but he needs his stuff heard. Just the way things are today. Her is a live track recorded with an iPad.
hey Joe,
congrats on the talented Son, and best wishes on his success.
I enjoyed the video and the song. not sure how much vocal talent relates to success these days, but I enjoyed his voice and he has a bit of 'it' too.....whatever that is.
you got to be a proud papa, and should be!
agree that getting noticed above all the noise is a challenge.
After reading the first few posts I had decided not to post, avoid controversy. So glad to see these posts.
I'll just say, I agree with these posts.
Entirely agreeing with you and ronm1 and eljr
We may need to bring down the criticism some.. Our beloved music genres were seen by our parents under the same dim light... Rap is a favorite whipping boy for many .. so was Jazz and so were some beloved classical composers at one point...
It is true as in many things that there are abuses and bad use of technology but pop music of yesterday wasn't better nor worse ... Its goal was to be popular.
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Why is today's pop music terrible?
In my opinion it isn't terrible.
Yes there is some banal music but there has always been banal music, I'm thinking the disco era here.
If you want to check out some new pop, I know that covers a lot of ground, then take a listen to some of my favourites below.
Just use YouTube or Tidal/Spotify for sound bites.
And when you look at how much music is available now via Soundcloud or Bandcamp, among others, we've never had it so good.
Sampha
Years and Years
Benjamin Clementine
Lo Moon
Daughter
London Grammar
Katy Perry
Justin Beiber
Daft Punk
Gallant
Sohn
Flume
Dancing Years
Nick Hakim
Lemon Twigs
The list could go on....
Just open your mind and feel the vibe.
In my opinion it isn't terrible.
Yes there is some banal music but there has always been banal music, I'm thinking the disco era here.
If you want to check out some new pop, I know that covers a lot of ground, then take a listen to some of my favourites below.
Just use YouTube or Tidal/Spotify for sound bites.
And when you look at how much music is available now via Soundcloud or Bandcamp, among others, we've never had it so good.
Sampha
Years and Years
Benjamin Clementine
Lo Moon
Daughter
London Grammar
Katy Perry
Justin Beiber
Daft Punk
Gallant
Sohn
Flume
Dancing Years
Nick Hakim
Lemon Twigs
The list could go on....
Just open your mind and feel the vibe.
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+1 Barry.
And that's coming from someone (and you know me pretty well) who is MEGA nostalgic about the past.
If WBF had been about in the 60s and 70s and my dad was an audiophile, he'd be posting here lambasting The Monkees, Bay City Rollers, Spice Girls etc.
And I'd rather have a bit of pop at Munich Show to listen to then the endless smooth jazz pap I'm forced to (a reason I didn't reattend this year).
And that's coming from someone (and you know me pretty well) who is MEGA nostalgic about the past.
If WBF had been about in the 60s and 70s and my dad was an audiophile, he'd be posting here lambasting The Monkees, Bay City Rollers, Spice Girls etc.
And I'd rather have a bit of pop at Munich Show to listen to then the endless smooth jazz pap I'm forced to (a reason I didn't reattend this year).
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