The state of music in recent times: Are you happy with it's direction?

[Burnout]

It is something that has bugged me for quite some time, about the state of music today. A good while back, you had to be a fantastic musician to get a break in the music world, nothing less. You had to have the voice, the look, the charisma and so on. I regularly watch DVD's of old concerts here in Ireland and some music videos of live performances from around the world. There were some fantastic live performers, some proper singing talent. They were note perfect live, no effects or anything to distract from their great vocal and instrumental performances.

Now, when I watch more recent live music concerts and so-on, music has certainly took a step back IMO. Now there are still many strong vocalists around today, but in the general sense, getting into the music business is more a task of having the good look, and the matter of your vocal's can be put to side and "fixed up later". There are some truly awful live and proper singers around today. I'll use the example of a well-known Katy Perry. Maybe she has her off nights, but she can really butcher a song live. Now, I use the example of live singing as if you can’t sing a ballad live, you’re not a good singer. You can use the argument of dancing setting off a person’s vocals, but I have seen Katy Perry howl out some songs with little movement. Lady Gaga is another example, although she is growing as a live performer, awhile back, maybe just the gigs in Ireland, it was a letdown for many with poor performances.

Now as well as a lacking of pure vocals in recent times, now, to rub in the fact that they’re not the greatest singers, they have to hide behind a huge set of dancers, now, I love a really good routine, but when at the centre of it someone is squawking away, it just isn't the same. As well, a mate informed me, how she went to a billed live show, it was all pre-recorded bar one song, and the difference stuck out like a sore thumb. I don't think that is right, I'd ask for my money back. I wouldn't expect someone to go to a live show, just to listen to a vocalist, who knows there a weak singer, to hide behind a pre-recorded tape. And I'm not just speaking about Katy Perry and Gaga, there's quie a few out there. The last thing, I miss the CD's where a few of the songs would be recorded live, and sound great, no need for sound manipulation, like every CD out there today. And just to say, there are still some fantastic music happenings going on out there, I'm just singling out a certain area.

So I ask the question, Do you feel that music has took a step back in area's, compared to the good old time's of the last 30 years, or are you happy with the current way some people can walk into the music world, because they look good, but could sound like a crow and hide behind the advancing technology world...??

 

[SorgFamily]

Music has definitely moved in the same direction as Hollywood in my opinion. It used to be all about talent and it's turning into a catwalk. Few executives still care about talent because they no that they can get their clients to rake in tons of cash based on looks. If you're not very good looking you better be a hell of a comedic actor or an actor on par with the greatest. Same as music. If you're not good looking you'd better be a hell of a musician. There are still bands lauded for their talent instead of looks (Muse, Alterbridge, Radiohead, Wilco, Avenged Sevenfold, RHCP) and there always will be but since the mid 90's it's slowly been shifting into a beauty pageant.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Music has definitely moved in the same direction as Hollywood in my opinion. It used to be all about talent and it's turning into a catwalk. Few executives still care about talent because they no that they can get their clients to rake in tons of cash based on looks. If you're not very good looking you better be a hell of a comedic actor or an actor on par with the greatest. Same as music. If you're not good looking you'd better be a hell of a musician. There are still bands lauded for their talent instead of looks (Muse, Alterbridge, Radiohead, Wilco, Avenged Sevenfold, RHCP) and there always will be but since the mid 90's it's slowly been shifting into a beauty pageant.

Thats a fantastic post.

I agreew wholeheartedly. Even in rock/metal, the "pretty boy" singer seems to get more attention that the more talented musician, same as in pop music

However, the "popular" music scene right now makes me want to puke. There is SO MUCH SHIT on the radio, and its the same r'n'b crap, with electronic beeping in the background and Akon seems to be on EVERYTHING!

The guitar based indie bands all sound similar/interchangable, and really amateurish as they all seem to sing in their regional accents and have very basic guitaring.

The charts are dominated by garbage like The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and a never ending stream of manufactured reality tv tossers, most of whom have very little talent and would never have made it without the X-Factor/Britains Got Talent or whatever. (To be fair JLS and Leona Lewis are actually talented).

It is a shame that this is what the majority want to listen to now, but the rock scene is still alive and well. We have had the return of grunge icons Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, the growth of bands such as Alter Bridge and the soon to be returing Kyuss and System Of A Down, while established acts like Iron Maiden, Black Label Society, Muse, Avenged Sevenfold and Metallica are still going strong.

Overall, I think there IS a lot of good music out there, both by new and older artists, but in the mainstream? Not so much.

 

[mrbrownstone]

No, in general the direction that music is heading pisses me the fuck off to be perfectly honest, it really sickens me.

Like you said, 30 years ago you had to be a talented musician, now all you have to do it look good and be willing to take dancing lessons. Seriously, you don't even have to be able to sing any more, if you hit a bum note you can auto tune the shit out of until it sounds ok. You don't even have to be able to preform live anymore, as long as you can dance well and lip sync you people will fork out money to see you.

It really makes me sick when I read the story of Anvil, these guys work their asses off to achieve success, they get tight as fuck on their instruments and unfortunately they don't go anywhere major. Seriously why is it fair that someone who works their asses off their whole life and lives on shit all money just to pursue their dreams dosen't achieve success, but some diva who just wants to be famous, cant sing, can't preform live and dosen't write their own lyrics gets to become a millionaire. The world is an un-just place I guess?

There is still good music coming through the system, but in the mainstream music is heading in a direction that I want absolutely no part of.

 

[Burnout]

It is a shame that this is what the majority want to listen to now, but the rock scene is still alive and well. We have had the return of grunge icons Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, the growth of bands such as Alter Bridge and the soon to be returing Kyuss and System Of A Down, while established acts like Iron Maiden, Black Label Society, Muse, Avenged Sevenfold and Metallica are still going strong.

I just saw this, and I have to agree, and I should have made it more clear. Rock is most definately still alive. And it ties in with the point I made, you have to be a really talented musician to make it into the rock scene with a level you need to achieve musically to be noticed. And there is no cheap way into the rock scene, you might have the look, but if you arn't talented, goodbye, and you wont make a break through these reality shows, where you will if your breaking into the pop world, these shows help.

Now, that you brought the whole reality shows into it, I also dislike this about music nowadays. Yes there are some talented people, but no matter how bad a winner may be, the fanbase of these shows take the winning song to the top every single year, bar two years ago. So no matter how bad, untalented they are, they get their number one over here, and then million dollar/pound record deals come to fruitation, so then we have another new "popstar" on the block... So, down with reality TV shows, or at least the way there run over here with the winner getting an immediate single release.

 

[M. Winters]

I really don't care where the mainstream music industry is headed for. The record exec's don't care about making good music, they only care about profit margins. They find decent looking performers who they can hand feed songs to, put them in a skimpy outfit, autotune it and it charts to #1. That's why I love the metal industry, it's just talented musicians out there making their own music and actually loving what they're doing. That's what music should be about, good musicians writing good songs and unfortunately that's not what it is today and it probably never will be again.

 

[The Jabroni]

Music has most certainly taken a few steps in reverse. Nowadays, it's about production and appearance. What happens after recording often is more important than what happens before recording, and what the singer looks like is usually even more so. Sadly, this is the way music's gone.

Before the 1960s, "the studio" was just where you put the music onto magnetic tape. You went in; You played your song; You left with a record. That's a bit of an oversimplified view of it (There's also mixing, mastering, and whatnot), but it's fairly accurate. However, during the 1960s, "the studio" became an instrument. It became part of the creative process. It was no longer just a place to decorate the canvas: It was now one of the artist's favorite brushes.

During the remainder of the '60s, this instrument was still being tested and experimented with. Over the '70s, it was tested further, and artists used it in innovative and new ways. However, once "disco" hit, the studio became less about innovation and more about exploiting the medium and the audience.

This exploitation is still around today, and it's one of the main flaws in modern music. Instead of being the place for an artist to make their art, the studio essentially makes the art on its own.

The problem lies more with the audience than anything though. The masses accept the poison that's pushed through the speakers with open arms instead of stark disapproval. I'm not happy with the way music's going, but, unless someone can change the minds of millions of music listeners, there's really no quick solution. The only way to save music is to condemn the garbage and to produce real music again.

 

[Calderownz]

What people forget is that music isn't just what you hear on the radio or see on MTV. I couldn't give a rats ass what people are listening to or what is popular. If something is popular and it's good, then I'll listen to it. If not, there's always underground sources.

The best music has always been slightly under the surface to begin with. Either way, I take the good and move the bad to the wayside. Gotta do that with everything. While mainstream music has suffered, it's always been cookie cutter and rather boring. The difference is that fans don't seem to care. Just want to dance.

Either way, find the music you like and enjoy it.

 

[Twiztid Rodimus]

These are good points, but im my view, The media is only feed what the sheep keep eating.

Was their shitty music before, yes, during the days of Zepplin, there was horrid music, bad pop type music, but it did NOT over take things like Zepplin. The fans didn't buy as much shitty music as much as now.

I will bring up certain genres:

Pop: The Lady Gaga's of the world have been trying to resurrect a new Madonna, and they ALWAYS fall short since the talent isnt there. Britney is just a media image, no talent. Christina can sing, but she has no originality and she is pegged in the light of the britney spears and Gaga's so she falls short. Kesha is just a typical ****eish singer with NO talent,singing or writing ability, and appeals to the world that just drinks and parties to ignore mature and adult problems. Justin bieber is harmless, he can sing, but his bubblegum image makes him a target which is unfair but reality.

Rap/Hip Hop: There has ALWAYS been shitty rap, Period. In all eras. We had Coolio, beyond Gangsta paradise, he sucked, but he was around during the Biggie Pac era. Now we are in the Young money/Lil wayne era, which will fade as alot of rap crew have their time to shine. Bad boy, No limit, Wu tang,death row, they all had times where they ruled the music landscape more than most genres. Now, Rap is the highest selling genre, YET its also producing some of the WORST music in human history. Little to no talent, and just a bunch of arrogant bragging. And I am NOT talking about the underground scene, THAT is where real hip hop is. Though there are still some shining examples like Lupe and Nas in the limelight that aren't as cliche and still have a message, but they are few and far between. Thing is, its all Hip Pop now. And its a dying genre. Its for richies and people that dont get what the music is truly about.

Metal/Rock: This is my favorite genre, So I figured I would speak on this last. I think that the young talent that has come into Rock/Metal over the past 10 years are GREAT additions to the genre, and good bearers of the torch from Metallica,Megadeth etc. Trivium, Lamb of God, Mastodon, as well as many many sub genres blending sounds like Kamelot, Tyr, Amon Amarth and like 100 others. Plus we still have the legends making albums like the aforementioned Metallica, Tool etc. I see this genre still being at its peak, the problem is. Its not a profittable as it once was because video no longer matters, and its all about club music, which doesnt involve bass drumming and hard guitars. The MEDIA has ruined the popularity of good talented music and replaced it with horrid repetetive garbage that rots the brain, BUT its the fault of the fans for buying it.

TOO many people download music, but will go on youtube and give millions of views to the garbage of the world. And even if they look at music that isnt lady gaga, all they are doing is watching the videos and NOT supporting the artists, yet claim that they are fans, which does NOTHING for the genre or the artists.

Bottom line, I view the music landscape as having potential, its the music FAN that is dead, since the charts show shit like souljah boy going platinum, we have a BIG problem.

 

[wrestlingfan]

Here's my opinion of Music now

R& B: Sure they have good singers but have you noticed how all people talka bout now is love songs and sex in like their whole album. it gets redundant and boring.

Pop: Pop is just confusing at this point. Its now really just people dressing up in weird costumes in videos, using voice enhancers, and acting like a drug addict ******.

Rock/Metal: Still going strong but I think Rock has lost its meaning. I'ma fan of it myself even though I dont listen to it much and I think Rock today is just about random topics. When the Beatles were still around their rock had meaning. you could relate to their songs.

Hip Hop: I being a black fan and this being my favorite genre I've knwon alot about Hip-Hop. I research rappers an dunderstand the time periods. My favorite all time greats are 2Pac, Nas, and Eminem just to name a few and I'm only 13. Rap has died. Most kids today don't know about true rap like J.Cole, Jay Electrionica, Lupe Fiasco. They only know about the Drake, the Gucci Manes, the Lil Wayne all these people that talk just about money, cars, clothes and girls. What happened to the early days of hip-hop wher eit wa sjust about having a good time and expressing your feelings. Back then rap was just poetry with a rhythm. Now its gangsta nonsense and I'm disappointed. Its guys like Young Money the reason some whit epeople hate rap to this very day.