State of the Popular Music World

[BoredSysAdmin]

Once upon a time, they called that "payola". Apparently, the "industry" has been able to find all the loopholes in the laws designed to prevent the practice.

Payola is still here, just works in 180 degrees reverse

 

[BMXTRIX]

I feel pretty strongly that what we are seeing is a resurgence of the 80's era style of music right now. A lot of campy songs which end up being popular based upon their kitch.

Walk Like an Egyptian anyone?

We have the current versions of Tiffany, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, with an intermixing of boy bands and some gangstabees boy bands and flat out boy bands.

I expect us to turn more towards a harder more serious mentality in the next decade. Call it the hair band era with 21st century markings on it. Faster, harder, and more serious than what we saw from Poison and Extreme. New era Van Halen and others.

I heard a song on the radio just a few days ago that completely sealed the deal for me as it sounded like it was lifted straight out of the 80s. I almost laughed when after the song was over they said it was Bon Jovi... I guess we will see a fair bit of that.

I fully expect a resurgence from Aerosmith any day now. He seems to be somewhat immortal.

I think of current music as I did of all music. Some of it sucks, some of it I like. Some artists I dislike but still end up finding a song or two that I enjoy from them, while others just grate on my nerves. I don't like the BS politics I hear about very occassionally - I avoid it. Instead, I just listen to Pandora or the radio and just listen to the music. Change stations if I don't like what is playing and try to keep an open mind for new stuff while encouraging my kids to listen and sing along.

Yeah, my kid loves Gangham Style. I never liked it. That's okay.

 

[3db]

Wasn't that a Canadian west coat group??

 

[j_garcia]

We sort of already have a thread on this

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/steam-vent/84114-perspective.html

 

[3db]

I think "popular" music has changed genre with time and is always changing genre with time. My "old fart" definition of popular music is much diffrerent than today's generation. However, I do take pride that I have taught my youngest daughter well as she is just as happy listening to what I grew up with as well as what her generation is growing up with.

 

[Nestor]

Harlam Shake is the Gangnam Style of 2013, IMO.

Looking at the Grammys, I thought rock music was better represented. Certainly, the likes of Bieber was shut out.

"Grammys are for, like, music, not for money ... and he's making a lot of money. He should be happy, I guess." --Patrick Carney on Justin Bieber

​

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

This trend is not limited to music btw:

 

[Jeff R.]

Isn't it really simple.....Music is designed and sells because people enjoy it, it makes them smile, laugh, cry, etc.... It is one of the ultimate stress relievers in life, next to booze.

The marketing groups have found some key beat lines and themes in music that sell and they rebrand them every so often. Is it really any different than breweries selling seasonal beers or a new product release..... it is never new....just slightly rebranded to a previously successful beer. Maybe a new label or bottle color to wow the consumer....you all know the routine.

 

[Grador]

Ugh, history channel. Was watching a bit yesterday, a show on ancient Chinese weapons. Most of it honestly seemed like fiction, and several of more specific claims were obviosly incorrect. Specifically they stated that an arrow has the impact energy of a .357 magnum. Unless my physics fails me I calculated out an impact energy less than 1/3 for the arrow...

 

[GO-NAD!]

This trend is not limited to music btw:

Don't get me started on the "History" Channel! This thread will get really nasty...

 

[cpp]

Don't get me started on the "History" Channel! This thread will get really nasty...

I used to enjoy the History Channel but until they started putting crap on there, well I find I change channels more often, but its all accross TV. What's on TV is basically what's happening in today's culture in general and that is complacency all across the large entertainment industry all in of sake profits where they forget about quality, which is demonstrated by what's on TV, news 24x7 and local channels pushing news at all hours of the days. And the music today is really no different than the music back in the 60, 70, 80, 90's which was shaped by the culture of that time but what I don't see that much is the protest songs we used to get back in the 60's 70's when the Vietnam War was occurring. That drove some good music right along with "Hippie" culture where drugs and the WAR drove the music and our parents hated it.

The online "know all" shows popular music as' Popular music is a generic term for music of all ages that appeals to popular tastes,whereas pop music usually refers to a specific musical genre'
Popular music - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Like from the 60's

Twist and Shout - Isley Brothers (or Beatles)
2.		Devil With a Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly - Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels
3.		Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
4.		In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett
5.		I'm A Believer - The Monkees
6.		Gimme Some Lovin' - The Spencer Davis Group
7.		Hang on Sloopy - McCoys
8.		Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett
9.		Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
10.		Time Won't Let Me - Outsiders

<tbody>
</tbody>

Heck just look them up and compare. There was good music and crap back in those good years.
70s Music - Most Popular Song Charts - Music Hits of the 1970s

Throughout the 60's we had Hendrix, Iron Butterfly you get the picture, 70's we had Cream, the Kinks, Clapton, Zeppelin , Pink Floyd , Grand **** Railroad and a lot of others but we also had the Bee Gees & Village People, Captain and Tennille, see not that much different, the only thing lacking is some good old fashion protest songs about our current government and the War's.

 

[J.Griff]

I'm with Fuzz on this one.When Beyonce is considered equal(vocally)to Patti LaBelle I cant help but shake my head.One Direction are the new Beatles.Yeah right.Justin Timberlake is as talented as Prince.Wow.With a generation that has Spice Girls,Britney Spears & Backstreet Boys to look upon as "old school"we are all adrift at sea musically IMO.

This makes me fondly recall the summer of '81 & my dad beating on my bedroom door.."Turn that s*#t down!",he'd always say.
Those old Advent 2 ways could really seep thru those bare walls.

 

[Dan]

Isn't it really simple.....Music is designed and sells because people enjoy it, it makes them smile, laugh, cry, etc.... It is one of the ultimate stress relievers in life, next to booze.

The marketing groups have found some key beat lines and themes in music that sell and they rebrand them every so often. Is it really any different than breweries selling seasonal beers or a new product release..... it is never new....just slightly rebranded to a previously successful beer. Maybe a new label or bottle color to wow the consumer....you all know the routine.

I'm an old fart for sure who was a college DJ at a very cool station 30 years ago. Popular is an interesting term. It is what sells to the masses by definition. The masses are sometimes right, often times wrong. McDonald's is the most popular restaurant but it certainly isn't good.

If you look at the history of popular music from the onset of rock n roll in 1955 till now, the pattern is one of revolution followed by industry control. The early rock caught the record industry off guard and you saw upstart labels and the emergence of new artists with great talent. By 58-59, the record industry exerted control with payola, and Buddy Holly was dead, Elvis in the army, Jerry Lee Lewis blacklisted for marrying his cousin... It is always cheaper for the recording industry to invest in a few artists the know will sell rather than have to go searching for them, especially if they can be manufactured a la American idol. Music largely sucked from 59-64 with bad white performers doing lame music dominating the charts to the delight of the industry. The Beatles changed everything in 64 and talent floated up in a freely competitive system. The labels had to record everything because they didn't know who the public would like. The control alternated with new styles like punk rock in the 70s wresting things out of industry contolled lethargy. By the late 80s the industry had complete control and haven't lost their grip although certain things briefly rose up like grunge rock or the late 90s early aughts garage band revival.

The product is so heavily controlled by the labels that most of the public have no idea how much their music manipulated by the industry. Furhter, the farther we get from college, the harder it is to find the good stuff that is out there buried away beneath the boy bands and teenage strippers who now dominate the market.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I whole heartily agree with Dan. I discovered so many "new" bands and artists doing great music. And I'm not talking about some weird underground genres, but rock, blues, r&b and some variations of all of these
If you stick to mainstream media one will get exactly ZERO chance to hear about these.
My personal guides in discovery first was Last.FM and then great DJs on Turntable.fm
Some of my most favorite "new" bands: The Band, Little Feat, Gov't Mule, Tucky Buzzard, Procol Harum, Joe Bonnamasa, Jim Suhler, Johnny Lang, Ry Cooder etc...
How many of you can say you know all these? and these are not "small" ether

 

[lsiberian]

Sounds awesome to me, but I guess I know how to have a good time still. What's wrong with people having fun and enjoying themselves? Learning to appreciate other flavors expands your horizons and enjoyment in life. Try to grow a little and start shaking with the beat. Are you the guy that goes to India and wants to eat McDonalds because you are a afraid of getting sick?

 

[lsiberian]

I whole heartily agree with Dan. I discovered so many "new" bands and artists doing great music. And I'm not talking about some weird underground genres, but rock, blues, r&b and some variations of all of these
If you stick to mainstream media one will get exactly ZERO chance to hear about these.
My personal guides in discovery first was Last.FM and then great DJs on Turntable.fm
Some of my most favorite "new" bands: The Band, Little Feat, Gov't Mule, Tucky Buzzard, Procol Harum, Joe Bonnamasa, Jim Suhler, Johnny Lang, Ry Cooder etc...
How many of you can say you know all these? and these are not "small" ether

You ever hear the White Buffalo?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

You ever hear the White Buffalo?

I did now

 

[Dan]

I whole heartily agree with Dan. I discovered so many "new" bands and artists doing great music. And I'm not talking about some weird underground genres, but rock, blues, r&b and some variations of all of these
If you stick to mainstream media one will get exactly ZERO chance to hear about these.
My personal guides in discovery first was Last.FM and then great DJs on Turntable.fm
Some of my most favorite "new" bands: The Band, Little Feat, Gov't Mule, Tucky Buzzard, Procol Harum, Joe Bonnamasa, Jim Suhler, Johnny Lang, Ry Cooder etc...
How many of you can say you know all these? and these are not "small" ether

Thanks, I'm always looking for new sources. I have sat radio in the car. Little Steven's (van Zant) Underground garage taught me about the garage band revival I missed when it actually happened. Hawaii Mud Bombers, Los Straitjackets, Spanking Charlene, Launderettes, The raveons, many others.

 

[cpp]

I whole heartily agree with Dan. I discovered so many "new" bands and artists doing great music. And I'm not talking about some weird underground genres, but rock, blues, r&b and some variations of all of these
If you stick to mainstream media one will get exactly ZERO chance to hear about these.
My personal guides in discovery first was Last.FM and then great DJs on Turntable.fm
Some of my most favorite "new" bands: The Band, Little Feat, Gov't Mule, Tucky Buzzard, Procol Harum, Joe Bonnamasa, Jim Suhler, Johnny Lang, Ry Cooder etc...
How many of you can say you know all these? and these are not "small" ether

Joe Bonnamasa, Saw him in Fla, SC and even while in London at the Royal Albert Hall, great performance. If you like that type of blues rock, give Lonnie Mack & Tommy Castro a listen... And Jake Smith 'White Buffalo" has that Greg Allman type of voice which could be great for the blues.

 

[lsiberian]

Joe Bonnamasa, Saw him in Fla, SC and even while in London at the Royal Albert Hall, great performance. If you like that type of blues rock, give Lonnie Mack & Tommy Castro a listen... And Jake Smith 'White Buffalo" has that Greg Allman type of voice which could be great for the blues.

I can't get enough of Jake. I love that country/rock combo. Definitely getting some new artists out of this thread.