Has Popular Music Had Its Day?

Freddie59

Maybe I'm just getting old, but does anyone agree that today's charts are filled with drivel, consisting of "put your hands up in the air/get on the floor/where are my people, etc"? (Having read that I think I've just turned into my parents - God rest them both!).

Now, don't get me wrong - I like some of it, but, in the main, it has become total crap. I firmly believe that programmes like X-Factor, The Voice, and similar rubbish have prevented - in many cases - real talent from surfacing.

When you see a manufactured group like One Direction hitting the top in the States it says it all really.:(

Herb Powell

I firmly believe the X-Factor et al serve as an excellent filter, so you know what shiite to avoid.
This has been said so many times it's cliché. Music is not ****, and never will be. Pop music IS shiit, and ALWAYS will be.

doomed

Freddie59 wrote: »

Maybe I'm just getting old, but does anyone agree that today's charts are filled with drivel, consisting of "put your hands up in the air/get on the floor/where are my people, etc"? (Having read that I think I've just turned into my parents - God rest them both!).

Now, don't get me wrong - I like some of it, but, in the main, it has become total crap. I firmly believe that programmes like X-Factor, The Voice, and similar rubbish have prevented - in many cases - real talent from surfacing.

When you see a manufactured group like One Direction hitting the top in the States it says it all really.:(

I think you answered your own question in the first line Feddie. I imagine this conversation has been ongoing for the last 50 years. The Beatles probably got "she loves you yeah yeah yeah - what sort of song is that?"

Freddie59

Herb Powell wrote: »

I firmly believe the X-Factor et al serve as an excellent filter, so you know what shiite to avoid.
This has been said so many times it's cliché. Music is not ****, and never will be. Pop music IS shiit, and ALWAYS will be.

I did say Pop music - as I said I like the charts, but all this current bollocks is sounding so very samey.

Freddie59

doomed wrote: »

I think you answered your own question in the first line Feddie. I imagine this conversation has been ongoing for the last 50 years. The Beatles probably got "she loves you yeah yeah yeah - what sort of song is that?"

True.;):)

tigger123

I don't buy this argument at all. there's tonnes of new amazing music out there. The music industry has changed so much in the last ten years and it makes it much easier for new acts to break through. Ya just need to go looking for it, it's easier than ever to find good music.

Bipolar Joe

The stuff in the charts was almost always awful. You only remember the good music from "The good old days."

Sofiztikated

No, "popular" music has not had it's day.

The clue is in the same. It's what is popular at any one time.

It May change, and differ from what you liked, but it's still popular.

What annoys me is that it's the same 10 songs played at any one time, no matter where or what you listen to in this country.

A bit of variety would be nice.

Freddie59

Sofiztikated wrote: »

No, "popular" music has not had it's day.

The clue is in the same. It's what is popular at any one time.

It May change, and differ from what you liked, but it's still popular.

What annoys me is that it's the same 10 songs played at any one time, no matter where or what you listen to in this country.

A bit of variety would be nice.

True. All radio stations seem to adopt the same formula. Same mind-numbingly boring and inane presenters (particularly the younger lot, like Foley on Today FM - WHAT a bore).

It's a pity that a station like Sky Radio isn't broadcast terrestrially. No DJs - only news and ads. And always music. It's either a feast or a famine here. All talk shows on at the same time, with very little music options.

As for local radio..........:rolleyes:

El Guapo!

While I'd agree there's a lot of terrible music out there at the moment, there is also a lot of really good music if you're willing to look around.
If there's one thing I hate though it's music snobbery.

Kensington

Plenty of great new music if you go looking for it.

Look at www.TuneIn.com, thousands of decent stations covering all bases from around the world.

bnt

doomed wrote: »

I think you answered your own question in the first line Feddie. I imagine this conversation has been ongoing for the last 50 years. The Beatles probably got "she loves you yeah yeah yeah - what sort of song is that?"

True, but there's a crucial difference: that was how The Beatles started, but they certainly didn't stop there. They were able to progress in to musical areas and sounds they hadn't imagined when they started, and had the support of a major record label as they did so. There was musical "space" in to which they could expand, and they took inspiration from other cultures, especially South Asia. The Beatles (and others) inspired the "progressive rock" of the early 70s, which also took inspiration from classical music, and much of it which was excellent (IMHO). But some bands went too far, and the results were over the top and excessive, so by 1977 the time was right for Punk - music made by people with very little musical talent. That was too far in the other direction, so it wasn't long before bands got somewhat ambitious again, and we had the 80s.

If I have a point, it is that great music arises from tension between all kinds of influences: pop is great, but it becomes boring on its own. Today, with major label artists, it seems that they have set styles, and they produce music in those styles with only minor variations to fit the "market", and no-one is musically adventurous any more. It's all 4/4, the same standard tempos & chord changes ("here's a slow sad song in a minor key, here's a fast upbeat major number"), ABABCB song structures, and so on.

It's not just major label artists, either - here in Ireland I see too many "singer-songwriters" who sing the same kinds of songs with the same kinds of arrangements. I am heartily sick of "three chords and the truth" as Bono put it in Rattle & Hum - and considering what U2 did next (Achtung Baby & Zooropa), so was he. Give me a dozen chords and a pack of lies, and make my brain work for its dinner. The last big album I can recall that really screwed with these cliches was Radiohead's OK Computer - and how huge was that? They took musical risks, and people really responded to the results.

I have so much good music from the past in my collection that I don't need more of the same. If you want me to buy new music, you need to bend my ear, with music that shows me that you love music for music's sake, not as a means to an end, not just as a way of getting famous or making money. You can tell I've got a bee in my bonnet about this ...

Table Top Joe

Pop music has been rubbish since the 70s imo,anyone who thinks pop music has only gotten crap over the last few years is obviously just too young to remember anything before the last few years,in the 90s you had Aqua("Barbie Girl" ffs!)an endless line of awful cheesy boybands,horrible dance music novelty hits.....i could go on all day about the ****e that was big when i was a teenager


The 80s when i was a kid was worse if anything,Stock,Aiken and Waterman,some of the worst pop music of all time that lot,horrible 80s production(80s pop was the low point of music imo,just dreadful)



Basically when enough time passes people remember the good stuff and if the rubbish is remembered at all its with a laugh

booboo88

doomed wrote: »

I think you answered your own question in the first line Feddie. I imagine this conversation has been ongoing for the last 50 years. The Beatles probably got "she loves you yeah yeah yeah - what sort of song is that?"

I have to disagree, beatles are fecking brilliant.

Fukuyama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD6GHe-fV6E

Fcuk record labels.

PseudoFamous

Freddie59 wrote: »

True. All radio stations seem to adopt the same formula. Same mind-numbingly boring and inane presenters (particularly the younger lot, like Foley on Today FM - WHAT a bore).

I happen to like Ray Foley. His show is usually far more creative than anything else during lunchtime, both musically and content wise.

saa

No, every generation says the quality of music depends on the quality of the experience derived from it as opposed to solely on a technical level rather than our experience of good music.

I know it seems like our favourite albums came out years ago and all the bands we like don't seem to make those songs with the same impact but I'm sure its a generational thing mixed with the "good" music cycle, that usually peaks before a trend becomes widely known or in its early days and eventually you're left with dreg bands and great bands bringing out crap albums.

Scuid Mhór

Herb Powell wrote: »

Music is not ****, and never will be. Pop music IS shiit, and ALWAYS will be.

Somebody's never listened to Pet Sounds :rolleyes:

Doc Ruby

I think the day of the single massively popular band is drawing to a close, whether its a boy band or whatever. As record companies lose their grip on the industry and more artists self-publish or self-market, you'll find a huge pool of varying types of music that small to medium sized groups of people will be into.

Its a good time to be both an artist and a fan, since smaller bands won't have to scrabble for scraps from the table as much and listeners will find it much easier to find any eclectic flavour of music they want.

God bless the internet.

mike65

While the market is very fragmented Adele (whatever one thinks of her material) is a reminder that an act can still sweep all before them. Its grim that the popular touchstone is whatever Simon Cowell gives his imprimatur to but this is probably just another phase -like SAW in the 80/90s or "Chinnichap" in the 70s.

Logical Fallacy

It's been said many times in many other threads but pop music and the charts "back in the day" were always a mix of total balls and a few good tunes.

mike65

Watching TOTP on BBC4 (currently in 1977) is a reminder of that!

Toby Take a Bow

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

It's been said many times in many other threads but pop music and the charts "back in the day" were always a mix of total balls and a few good tunes.

And how everyone forgets about the total balls songs and focuses on the good songs once time and nostalgia kicks in.

starbelgrade

PseudoFamous wrote: »

I happen to like Ray Foley. His show is usually far more creative than anything else during lunchtime, both musically and content wise.

In fairness, when you consider the competition, that's not really saying a whole lot... especially as he's been using more or less the same format for the last 5 years or so.

Freddie59

Dean09 wrote: »

While I'd agree there's a lot of terrible music out there at the moment, there is also a lot of really good music if you're willing to look around.
If there's one thing I hate though it's music snobbery.

I would agree. Without mentioning names, if you dislike certain "iconic" bands or artists you can get castigated. And while some of their material is OK, it doesn't appeal across the board.

But, as I've said before, I love all types of music, apart from Jazz. A personal choice though.

Freddie59

starbelgrade wrote: »

In fairness, when you consider the competition, that's not really saying a whole lot... especially as he's been using more or less the same format for the last 5 years or so.

Yeah. I found him quirky at the start, but he's become so full of sh!t lately it's unbelievable. The focus always being on him - not the music. The fatal mistake.

Freddie59

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

And how everyone forgets about the total balls songs and focuses on the good songs once time and nostalgia kicks in.

True. Even if you go back to the revolutionary (in terms of music) 60s, there was still some whacked-out stuff there.

mawk

I'm not sure op understands the word popular.

pop isn't a style of music, its just what is bought most. if freeform jazz suddenly had a huge revival due to a jazz reality tv show and the charts filed with jazz.. then jazz is pop.

the charts have always been filled with drivel. almost none of the classics from years ago sat atop the charts for weeks

Memnoch

It's like the south park turd episode. The new soon becomes the familiar which soon becomes the cliche.

I find now that most things are ****e... music... tv... cinema. It just means that it's getting harder and harder to experience something new and exciting. i.e. I'm getting old.

demanufactured

[url]Http://absoluteradio.co.uk[/url]

You can choose what you want to listen to.

biko

AH->Music