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I really think it's just preference. As the oldies don't do much for me (besides the Beatles).
And If anything I think music is more diverse now a days, especially with the internet. It allows lesser known artists to gain an audience and music doesn't have to be so commercialized like the old days.
A great deal of songs on my playlist aren't mainstream and are from international artists ranging from Bhangra to Korean Punk. And honestly lets face it, 20 years ago I never would've been as freely exposed to these kinds of music without having traveled the world. Imagine how hard it would've been to have gotten a CD from a traditional guzheng player back in the 80s? Or hear a local band from San Diego over the radio when you lived in Brooklyn. Now it's pretty much all accessible with a click of the mouse.
Besides, a great deal of commercialized music are catered to teenagers (aka. Taylor swift, miley cyrus), so when you hear music from your top 40s radio station, obviously it sounds shallow.
I've always listened to metal and anything underground so I would not know what todays "hot" music would consist of. I just know whatever I hear in stores while shopping is incredibly weak and lame.
vitamin c graduation, jake waiting for you, many others produced music that, if you developed a liking to it (people instantly did, there was literally nothing to hate about the music, people of all ages, moods didn't mind it, the music targeted youth but it was under control) then you can't help but recognize the absence of it today.
i'd bring up dance music but i don't think it exists anymore.
vitamin c graduation, jake waiting for you, many others produced music that, if you developed a liking to it (people instantly did, there was literally nothing to hate about the music, people of all ages, moods didn't mind it, the music targeted youth but it was under control) then you can't help but recognize the absence of it today.
i'd bring up dance music but i don't think it exists anymore.
Good grief . You wonder what happened to "music that, if you developed a liking to it (people instantly did, there was literally nothing to hate about the music, people of all ages, moods didn't mind it, the music targeted youth but it was under control)"??? That has to be some of the most compelling reasons to NOT want to hear a particular type of music. Whatever it was, who cares that it's gone ?
And dance music is doing just fine, unless you're looking for something new on the waltz hit parade. It seems that you're not saying what's really behind your criticism of contemporary music.
maybe part of the reason dance music is so crazy today is because the original new songs have already been altered so much.
right here waiting for you richard karl marx
heaven bryan adams
fun factory all their songs
kylie minogue love at first sight
'listen to you heart'
'don't stop believin'
these kinds of songs are missing today. in 20 years what song today do you think can be remixed into dance music ? i can't find any that can make the transition without sounding crazy (trance) or be able to be done (taylor swift, mandy moore, hillary duff songs don't count).
i think what will happen is people will pay more attention to the degredation of music once euro dance music goes extinct (will happen very soon once people get tired of hearing the same songs repeated).
Most people have an underdeveloped taste for music, if any at all. The most important part of the songs to them is the singer/lyrics, the music comes second.
The youth will always need new music to call their own, no matter how good older music is. And that music has to be different in some way from the music that came before it, the band has to have it's own "twist" on it. And it's very hard to come up with something new that's good.
Most changes in music are now because of technology, rather than new ideas. And most "new" ideas are just spins on what has come before.
Popular music (radio,tv,movies) targets the youth and the casual listener. These will be the most "musically accessable" bands (think LCD) and they dominate music, much more now than in years past.
The much greater importance of looks, celebity and "lifestyle" of the artists doesn't help the quality of the music either.
Put it all together and that's why new popular music is generally not as good as what has come before.
Now a few thoughts on music appreciation...
There is more new great music now than ever, but it takes effort to find it. The days of spinning the dial on the radio and hearing everything that's going on are gone, and will not be coming back.
Whatever you feel is your perfect music, whether LED ZEPPELIN, RADIOHEAD, JEWEL, SINATRA or whatever, somewhere there are artists making the same kind of music, or something very similar. Also, it bears to mention that most artists from the past 50 years are still making new music themselves, though you would not know it unless you check.
If you are looking to find something really new musically, that is harder as "it's all been done befoe". It does happen, but it takes a dedication to the search.
It is a great time now for fans of music, many gems await you! But you have to look, otherwise you are just saying there's nothing good in the fridge, but refusing to go shopping. JMO
what can I say, I'm amazed at how many people refuse to open their eyes and admit the mess the industry is in.
i'd bring up dance music but i don't think it exists anymore.
Grmike I promised to be honest with you. That ga ga was aweful. It was nothing more then hippity hoppity bunny dance material. No wonder why it's underground. No one wants it above ground.
Everyone admits the music industry is a mess. Why did you say no one? Just that there is not a damn thing we can do about it. Sorta like the govt wants to control our lives and there is not a damn thing we can do about the deterioration of our rights.
I guess the best thing we all can do is stop buying CDs but I believe we already did. Music producers and record labels can start by rejecting wrappers and hippity hoppies from any music industry activity. It wont be long before some good music starts to emerge and make it to the radio to concert halls to record shelves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbrocks
Here are some things to consider...
Most people have an underdeveloped taste for music, if any at all. The most important part of the songs to them is the singer/lyrics, the music comes second.
The youth will always need new music to call their own, no matter how good older music is. And that music has to be different in some way from the music that came before it, the band has to have it's own "twist" on it. And it's very hard to come up with something new that's good.
Most changes in music are now because of technology, rather than new ideas. And most "new" ideas are just spins on what has come before.
Popular music (radio,tv,movies) targets the youth and the casual listener. These will be the most "musically accessable" bands (think LCD) and they dominate music, much more now than in years past.
The much greater importance of looks, celebity and "lifestyle" of the artists doesn't help the quality of the music either.
Put it all together and that's why new popular music is generally not as good as what has come before.
Now a few thoughts on music appreciation...
There is more new great music now than ever, but it takes effort to find it. The days of spinning the dial on the radio and hearing everything that's going on are gone, and will not be coming back.
Whatever you feel is your perfect music, whether LED ZEPPELIN, RADIOHEAD, JEWEL, SINATRA or whatever, somewhere there are artists making the same kind of music, or something very similar. Also, it bears to mention that most artists from the past 50 years are still making new music themselves, though you would not know it unless you check.
If you are looking to find something really new musically, that is harder as "it's all been done befoe". It does happen, but it takes a dedication to the search.
It is a great time now for fans of music, many gems await you! But you have to look, otherwise you are just saying there's nothing good in the fridge, but refusing to go shopping. JMO
Very very well said. Everything. The only thing I disagree on is that it is a great time for music now. Even if it were true, how can it be called a great time when it has to be searched for? With greatness comes accessability through and by product knowledge. Just like product ads on TV or radio. Do you think Haaggan Daz or Cheerios or Chevy or Hersheys would be as great as they are if no one ever heard of them because they had to be searched for to be found?
that it is almost unrecognizable to people who grew up in the 80's and 90's ?
a lot of people like to say it's a new trend where loud, dark, hard, monotonous, trance is in but I disagree.
i just don't see the variety in music today as i did in music pre 2000 made by people like gloria estefan, celine dion, jon secada, selena, phil collins, sarah macghlauchlin, shania twain, bryan adams, streisand, the carpenters, mariah carey, whitney houston, michael bolton, paul macartney, even tina turner.
what's alarming is that most top rated musicians, groups today have more in common with the b class artists of the past. groups that were mostly ignored by the mainstream, people like lara fabian, groups like jake, vip, sky, b44. i guess what's even more alarming is that many of those groups actually produced catchier music, music that stuck and could be remixed easily.
i started noticing this about 5-10 years ago but thought maybe something new and better would come about. now it's looking more like the music industry is the problem.
i miss turning on the radio stations friday night and listening to the new dance hits, remixes and actually enjoying them. now it seems like you have to be into trance music to enjoy it and that shouldn't be.
some people say it's my age. i don't think so I was a young teen at the turn of the century and enjoyed mainstream music, 5-6 years after that i started to notice mainstream music deviating from what was very popular.
this comeback concert of shania twain somehow sums up what's missing in the music industry today. young and old enjoying a product of the 90's.
the only singer at the top of the charts right now who would even be considered singing by 20th century standards is taylor swift (probably why she is very popular with hit song after hit and winning all the awards) but her music doesn't sound much different than mandy moore's who was largely ignored. leann rhymes was similar but she was more recognized in the country music scene than in general.
I agree with you. I find a lot of today's mainstream music very "dronie", everything sounds like a dirge. I mean, how did John Mayer ever get popular? Half the time you can't understand a word he is saying, and ALL of his songs sound the same. Not only that HOW MANY TIMES do you need to repeat the same three words? yikes.
As for "Urban" music, it sounds very...um....shall we say....TRIBAL. Watch some old National Geographic footage of some ceremonial celebrations of the Ubangi or Watusi and listen to the music. It sound EXACTLY like what you are hearing on the mainstream R & B and Hip-Hop radio station these days.
I have noticed one nice trend though. It seems that on adult contemporary stations and especially "easy listening" stations there is some NEW music coming out these days for that listening audience. Michael Buble seems to be doing very well. I read where Susan Boyle knocked out Alicia Keys for the number one album on the charts this week. So there is hope.
Very very well said. Everything. The only thing I disagree on is that it is a great time for music now. Even if it were true, how can it be called a great time when it has to be searched for? With greatness comes accessability through and by product knowledge. Just like product ads on TV or radio. Do you think Haaggan Daz or Cheerios or Chevy or Hersheys would be as great as they are if no one ever heard of them because they had to be searched for to be found?
This just doesn't make sense; it's not like 'searching' for music is hard. It is more accessible than ever, you can just hop on ITunes, type in an artists name and listen to clips of their music before instantly downloading it. The only difficulty comes from the fact that there are just so many artists to choose from now. That is also why, in many people's opinions, it is such a great time for music! Because there is so much to choose from we have to search more and it's a better time for music. I think a lot of us serious music fans really enjoy the search; I really love reading about new artists and then checking them out on YouTube and ITunes. I love the fact that there is so much choice, that there are thousands of albums to sift through and choose from. The amount of choice makes this a great time for music and also makes it so you have more to search through. The very thing you are lamenting is actually the reason why so many of us think it is a great time for music.
Additionally, it's not like there aren't a ton of great artists who get plenty of attention. All the artists I've listed in this thread, and plenty of others, are really popular within the 'indie' scene. Just because they aren't popular in the sense that everyone and their brother knows of them, just because they aren't popular in the sense that they are on the Top 40, doesn't mean they aren't popular. There is a huge community of serious music fans who listen to all sorts of music that isn't on the Top 40; there are plenty of websites dedicated to it, complete with album reviews and "Best of" lists to help you find stuff that you might be interested in.
This just doesn't make sense; it's not like 'searching' for music is hard. It is more accessible than ever, you can just hop on ITunes, type in an artists name and listen to clips of their music before instantly downloading it. The only difficulty comes from the fact that there are just so many artists to choose from now. That is also why, in many people's opinions, it is such a great time for music! Because there is so much to choose from we have to search more and it's a better time for music. I think a lot of us serious music fans really enjoy the search; I really love reading about new artists and then checking them out on YouTube and ITunes. I love the fact that there is so much choice, that there are thousands of albums to sift through and choose from. The amount of choice makes this a great time for music and also makes it so you have more to search through. The very thing you are lamenting is actually the reason why so many of us think it is a great time for music.
Additionally, it's not like there aren't a ton of great artists who get plenty of attention. All the artists I've listed in this thread, and plenty of others, are really popular within the 'indie' scene. Just because they aren't popular in the sense that everyone and their brother knows of them, just because they aren't popular in the sense that they are on the Top 40, doesn't mean they aren't popular. There is a huge community of serious music fans who listen to all sorts of music that isn't on the Top 40; there are plenty of websites dedicated to it, complete with album reviews and "Best of" lists to help you find stuff that you might be interested in.
Well put, and I so agree: the search IS part of the fun. I'm loving the end of year lists for best in different genres. We music lovers are always on the look out for something new and interesting. Could you imagine anyone saying, "they don't make Twinkies like they used to, so there's just no food out there for me"? But people, as we see on this forum, say that all the time about music, and real music lovers just scratch their heads. And then turn up the tunes.
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. You wonder what happened to "music that, if you developed a liking to it (people instantly did, there was literally nothing to hate about the music, people of all ages, moods didn't mind it, the music targeted youth but it was under control)"??? That has to be some of the most compelling reasons to NOT want to hear a particular type of music. Whatever it was, who cares that it's gone 
? 
