Radio in IA, aka "Mommy, why does the DJ hate us?" (Des Moines: university, car)

[todd00]

Originally Posted by Stavemaster

I think where things started to go downhill was with the Telecommunications Act of 1996 which allowed Clear Channel to buy basically every American radio station in existence, and feed them all the same bland, boring playlists. That's who I'm going to blame, anyway.

Your're right. And now its just the same loop of over played crap from coast to coast. Clear channel's flagship station should be called...."The Crap". I don't even play the radio in the car.

[RogueMom]

I feel your pain. Good music IS actually out there - but it doesn't get any air play. We have some good music from the Charlotte area, including the Avitt Brothers, who are selling out shows wherever they go. But their popularity has come from word of mouth.

Do you hear ANY of their music on the radio? No.

Hey, I'm 50, and I will ALWAYS love the classics from my "day". But after 30 years of listening to them, it's getting a little old. And when they DO play classics, it's always the same old ones. I mean, Journey did actually record a FEW more songs other than "Don't Stop Believing", and the Eagles had a FEW more songs other than "Hotel California", but you would never know it if you listen to so called classic rock stations.

I feel sorry for young people today, cruising around in their cars and the only thing they have to choose from is OUR (their parents) music, horrible hip-hop, or corney, lame pop-country.
Where is their Top 40? I don't think it exists. I mean Lady Gaga? Please.

[Dport7674]

Originally Posted by montanamom

..after 30 years of listening to them, it's getting a little old.

Heard that.

I can't listen to songs like "Taking care of business" or "Layla" anymore. I've been hearing them since I was born.

[Stavemaster]

Originally Posted by montanamom

I feel sorry for young people today, cruising around in their cars and the only thing they have to choose from is OUR (their parents) music, horrible hip-hop, or corney, lame pop-country.
Where is their Top 40? I don't think it exists. I mean Lady Gaga? Please.

I've noticed that your average kid (read: 20 or under) today has very little sense of music history (or any other kind, for that matter), and I'm really scared that my daughter's generation will be even worse. When we Gen-Xers were kids, we had our parents' album collections to go through for a dose of history and the realization that our parents were cool once. But now with mp3 players, almost none of us are buying physical media. I haven't bought CDs on any kind of regular basis in something like 7 or 8 years. So how is my daughter supposed to snoop through my stuff and educate herself on music from back in my day?

I think really my only option is to force her to sit down, listen to the good stuff, and give her all sorts of music nerd trivia before the Justin Bieber of 2023 sets his insidious hooks in her

[mustang84]

Originally Posted by Stavemaster

I've noticed that your average kid (read: 20 or under) today has very little sense of music history (or any other kind, for that matter), and I'm really scared that my daughter's generation will be even worse. When we Gen-Xers were kids, we had our parents' album collections to go through for a dose of history and the realization that our parents were cool once. But now with mp3 players, almost none of us are buying physical media. I haven't bought CDs on any kind of regular basis in something like 7 or 8 years. So how is my daughter supposed to snoop through my stuff and educate herself on music from back in my day?

I'd have to disagree with that. If anything, I think the digital age has allowed older bands more exposure to younger generations. I'm 26 and listen to quite a few obscure 80's hair metal / heavy metal bands that I would have never known about prior to the internet...stuff that probably wasn't even on mainstream radio 25 years ago. Strangely, I'm not the only one. I've met a number of people my age who listen to and enjoy music that is long past its expiration date. We may not buy the physical media as often but not many people do anymore. In general I'd say my generation is as knowledgeable about music history as any other generation...maybe even moreso since we have grown up with search engines for the majority of our lives.

[tollfree]

^^^
Agreed. We also grew up with MTV - when MTV actually played music videos.

[Stavemaster]

Originally Posted by mustang84

I'd have to disagree with that. If anything, I think the digital age has allowed older bands more exposure to younger generations. I'm 26 and listen to quite a few obscure 80's hair metal / heavy metal bands that I would have never known about prior to the internet...stuff that probably wasn't even on mainstream radio 25 years ago. Strangely, I'm not the only one. I've met a number of people my age who listen to and enjoy music that is long past its expiration date. We may not buy the physical media as often but not many people do anymore. In general I'd say my generation is as knowledgeable about music history as any other generation...maybe even moreso since we have grown up with search engines for the majority of our lives.

Yeah, you have a point. I guess if you're the type of person who's interested in expanding their horizons, you'll go out and do it, whether it's at the music store or online or wherever. Age probably has nothing to do with it when it's all said and done.

[SharpHawkeye]

Originally Posted by Dport7674

Heard that.

I can't listen to songs like "Taking care of business" or "Layla" anymore. I've been hearing them since I was born.

When I was in college, driving a bus (just a few years ago), I listened to way too much of the classic rock station. You can kind of tell that they're cycling out of some of the older stuff (early Beatles/Stones, that kind of thing) and starting to play even some Nirvana and Pearl Jam...although it'll probably be another 10 years or more before they cycle out of those 70's songs...if they ever do.

[TheEarthBeneathMe]

Thank God for internet radios! I have two Logitech squeezeboxes (one in kitchen, another in living room), and I can't imagine going back to regular radio again.

I'm WAY too accustomed to cooking to the Depeche Mode only station..!

[geog-fanatic]

Originally Posted by SharpHawkeye

You can kind of tell that they're cycling out of some of the older stuff (early Beatles/Stones, that kind of thing) and starting to play even some Nirvana and Pearl Jam...although it'll probably be another 10 years or more before they cycle out of those 70's songs...if they ever do.

You definitely have a point. Also, I think radio as a whole is geared to a certain age group. During the 80's, I remember there were several oldies stations that seemed to be the rage. At that time, you could hear Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Bobby Darin, etc. on a fairly regular basis. Now, it seems the "oldies" stations all start at about 1965 at the earliest, with groups like the Byrds and The Who being some of the oldest stuff they play.

Where I live you will no longer hear anything as dated as 50's music because the radio producers must have figured that the age demographic that would appreciate it is too old to listen to the radio, which I think is very sad. On the other hand, they have finally started having 90's flashback weekends on some stations, which is a nice change, but I'm sure at some point I will be sick of that decade, too!