Music Is No Better Or Worse Than Its Ever Been

[Alex]

So I was reading an article saying how popular music is no worse than it was 50 years ago and after reading the article I'm inclined to agree.

http://music.uk.msn.com/features/when-was-pop-musics-golden-era?ucpg=2#ic-anchor

People always look on the past with nostalgia and believe it was a lot better than it actually was.

The article mentioned how people like Cilla Black and Des O'Connor were at the top of the charts during the 60s. I know who these people are.. only because I've seen them as TV presenters and my parents told me they used to be musicans. Don't forget this was the decade of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zepplin.

The thing is history remembers the game changers (like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones etc) they very rarely remember the 'by the numbers' musicans. But these 'by the numbers musicians' are the ones that make the most money for the record labels at that particular time, they have a short shelf life that need to be milked at the time.

Case in point the modern trend of talent show winners who make an album. They release an album to loads of fanfare, but generally fade into obscurity by the second and are usually remembered as a footnote in the television show's history.

 

[Launch Pad Mac - Quack!]

The Current Music Scene is bad - even without comparing it to a past generations. We live in a world where rock! is all but dead due to commercial non-sense such as Tonight Tonight or Owl grrrr.... {outside of a couple. unless it is a pre-established it sucks!} Terrible acts' such as The Black Eye Peas {Fergie Era} Rihanna and Kesha pass as popular performers that people expect as good? something I don't understand but then again I don't understand the general publics interest in Kim Kardashian. what makes that last comment worst is that most of the same people also choice to bandwagon hate a current canadian pop-sensation, come on people he is not the first of his sort to grace the music scene and is harmless. If I was 13 I would hate him to but I am 20 and see a lot worse problems in this industry.

 

[Slyfox696]

The two biggest things that come to my mind are:

1) While the overall quality may not differ, does the top level quality differ?

2) While the enjoyment of pop music might be roughly equal, can the actual musical ability say the same thing?


First, I wish to make it known that, for the purposes of this post, music and song are two distinct entities.

I don't listen to today's pop genre, and to be quite honest, don't listen to much of today's music at all. I have a couple bands I like, but that's about it. But listening to today's pop genre makes my ears bleed, because I struggle to put the label of "music" on it. Too much of it is not music. It's synthesized sound, combined with fairly unoriginal drumming and a lead singer to cover the fact there's not much else there.

In my mind, a singer is no different than any other instrument, and should take their place accordingly within the song. When I listen to pop songs today, all I hear is vocals dominating the rest of the background noise, to cover the fact the music isn't very good. When I take a song like Madman Across the Water by Elton John, and compare it to today's music, there's no contest in the quality of the work. Whereas Elton's music and voice work together to build you up and let you down just to hit you with a sudden "another glimpse of the madman across the water", I don't get that same feeling with so much of the music today.

This is not to say that those who perform in these areas of music are not talented in these areas of music, and I'm not saying that if the culture of music were different they would be left behind. I think talent will always rise to the top. I just think the current generation of pop songs is woefully bereft of quality music.


In twenty years, we'll look back at today's top pop artists (whomever they may be), and I wonder if we'll be able to say with a straight face they were as good as the Beatles or Michael Jackson. In conclusion, I'll leave you with some words from Elton John himself:

Now, at 63, Sir Elton John has decided the time is right for him to point it out as well.

In a withering attack on the music industry, he said that today’s songwriters were “awful” and warned that television talent shows failed to produce any genuine stars.

The pop legend, who has sold more than 250 million records in a career spanning five decades, claimed that singers expected instant fame and were unable to deal with the demands of the industry.

Sir Elton, who started out playing piano in his local pub at 15, said artists needed to experience “hard graft” if they were to succeed in the long term. After performing with various bands in the 1960s, he did not find fame until he teamed up with the lyricist Bernie Taupin.

In an interview in this week’s Radio Times, Sir Elton claimed very few of today’s recording artists wrote their own material. “It’s important they write their own songs, so they’re not at the mercy of anyone,” he said. “Songwriters today are pretty awful, which is why everything sounds the same. Contemporary pop isn’t very inspiring.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...-claims-todays-music-all-sounds-the-same.html

Clearly just one man's opinion, but an opinion which deserves as much respect as any.

 

[Alex]

The Current Music Scene is bad - even without comparing it to a past generations. We live in a world where rock! is all but dead due to commercial non-sense such as Tonight Tonight or Owl grrrr.... {outside of a couple. unless it is a pre-established it sucks!} Terrible acts' such as The Black Eye Peas {Fergie Era} Rihanna and Kesha pass as popular performers that people expect as good? something I don't understand but then again I don't understand the general publics interest in Kim Kardashian. what makes that last comment worst is that most of the same people also choice to bandwagon hate a current canadian pop-sensation, come on people he is not the first of his sort to grace the music scene and is harmless. If I was 13 I would hate him to but I am 20 and see a lot worse problems in this industry.

Thanks for completely grasping the wrong end of the wrong stick.


All these artists you rant about are in a sense the Des O Connor/Cilla Black of today, popular now but odds are will be forgotten in 20/30 years. Read the article properly.

In twenty years, we'll look back at today's top pop artists (whomever they may be), and I wonder if we'll be able to say with a straight face they were as good as the Beatles or Michael Jackson.

History remembers the victors. I'm not sure about being as good as The Beatles or Michael Jackson, but whoever is talked about in twenty odd years will clearly have been the best artists musically compared to their contemparies.

Originally Posted by Elton
Now, at 63, Sir Elton John has decided the time is right for him to point it out as well.

In a withering attack on the music industry, he said that today’s songwriters were “awful” and warned that television talent shows failed to produce any genuine stars.

The pop legend, who has sold more than 250 million records in a career spanning five decades, claimed that singers expected instant fame and were unable to deal with the demands of the industry.

Sir Elton, who started out playing piano in his local pub at 15, said artists needed to experience “hard graft” if they were to succeed in the long term. After performing with various bands in the 1960s, he did not find fame until he teamed up with the lyricist Bernie Taupin.

In an interview in this week’s Radio Times, Sir Elton claimed very few of today’s recording artists wrote their own material. “It’s important they write their own songs, so they’re not at the mercy of anyone,” he said. “Songwriters today are pretty awful, which is why everything sounds the same. Contemporary pop isn’t very inspiring.”

My sister has a go at me 'because I don't like anything modern' I do, its just the vast majority sounds the same (and looks it too) which is why the artists that I pay attention to from the last decade I feel are unique in a way (lyrically or musically)

 

[Launch Pad Mac - Quack!]

Thanks for completely grasping the wrong end of the wrong stick.


All these artists you rant about are in a sense the Des O Connor/Cilla Black of today, popular now but odds are will be forgotten in 20/30 years. Read the article properly.




History remembers the victors. I'm not sure about being as good as The Beatles or Michael Jackson, but whoever is talked about in twenty odd years will clearly have been the best artists musically compared to their contemparies.




My sister has a go at me 'because I don't like anything modern' I do, its just the vast majority sounds the same (and looks it too) which is why the artists that I pay attention to from the last decade I feel are unique in a way (lyrically or musically)

No - I answered a question but you have decided to shoot it down like some act of war! lolz. The Black Eye Pea's have been around since 03 - 99 if u count the pre Fergie era {which wasn't that bad} . and the fact that this group leaves and returns more often then not a successful act sort of puts the the opinion that we do indeed share that most acts that panda towards the current fad tend to have a short shelf life in question. also I do take up issues with something that you said - and Well all do indeed know The Beatles etc but then there are talented acts' that became forgetting - Most people would've heard Otis Redding For the 1st time due to the watch the throne song but still wouldn't have a clue who he is, Does that make him anyless important? Ike Tuner {lets forget what he did to Tina hahaha} a talented guitarist who unless it made light of on some television show or movie - Is forgotten. The Kinks - The Grass Roots - I was lesson to Jimi Hendrix and someone see the photo of him and asked who he was and did he do reggae {sure not a good example but it was a WTF moment I believe we can agree}. because most are unknown doesn't me that they are forgettable or anyless important.