What's happening to our music?

[6_Qubed]

Dear Sir/Madam,

Nothing is happening to "our" music that hasn't been happening for centuries. Nihil novi sub sole.

Don't panic, and enjoy the music.

Sincerely,

-6_Qubed

 

[LilithSlave]

To my utmost chagrin, punk kinda changed for the worst too. The punk that some people show me sound like a weird mixture of boy-band pop and some mutated form of punk. I liked it better when an Acid Punk Rock band like The Offspring dominated the scene, had an undeniably catchy rhythm, and actually kept true to the punk rock genre.

Then you haven't been paying close enough attention to punk.

Pop punk back then sounded like this:

Regular punk today sounds like this:
Of course, though, if you keep up with punk, you should realize that punk has evolved so much over the years that there's as many subgenres of punk as there are heavy metal and many of the genres today. The examples of "regular" punk today I just gave, are only of the hardcore scene(which I must say is thriving. So many bands come out all the time I can't keep up with them all).

 

[Something Amyss]

I just listen to Velvet underground and pretend they are the only band to ever exist.

They're not?

Oh yeah, there's also Nico.

 

[TheTim]

Rap music has gone to shit, groups like young money and Odd Future will keep it that way too. when i listen to rap i can only Listen to Tech n9ne, Hopsin, and SwizZz

 

[emeraldrafael]

Our? I didnt realize Music belonged to a set group of people.

Again and again it needs to be said, taste is subjective. thats about all i can say.

 

[Dante DiVongola]

The metal genres has screamo and some grindcore bands

No. Nonononono no. Just no.

Screamo is in no way related to metal. It's more related to punk and hardcore.

Grindcore also evolved from hardcore, but has adopted a lot of death metal traits.

Yeah, but they're still considered subgenres of metal because of the huge traits they've taken from metal and meshed with the punk and hardcore scenes.

 

[Dante DiVongola]

What are you babbling about? Music is the best it has ever been. Pop is more daring, the internet has made it easier for indie artists or unsigned artists to get their dangerous ideas (which would never have been accepted in the 70s or 80s) out there, there are more genres than ever, old sounds are being revisited as well as being expanded upon, mixtapes are easier to distribute and allow the artist to explore areas their labels would not have let them on their albums, experimental is on the upswing, censorship is on the downswing.

Seriously, I'm glad to live in this era of music. It kicks ass, it beats the hell out of crossing my fingers that the release I want is in the record store and blowing 30 bucks on a piece of shit album I hear once and never touch. I'm hearing new ideas every day, an album like New History Warfare could not have been made 30 years ago, a song like A Milli would not have been a hit 20 years ago.

Good day, sir.

Well, pop really isn't daring at all. Madonna and Cher were doing 'daring' things in the pop industry before some of these people and, tbh, they did it a lot better. And it's not the internet that made indie artists stronger, its the accessibility and simplicity of making of records and beats with new technologies (ie: CD's, mp3's, iTunes etc.) Not to mention, a good portion of those $30 you blew away on that shitty album went to the artist. Now, they only make 12 cents on every dollar you listen to their latest 'revolutionary album' unless they have the power and money to distribute, record, produce, and make contracts by themselves.

I do agree that there are some better underground artists coming into the light and don't have to rely on the likes of Atlantic Records, Colombia Records, Universal Records and others, but the truth is that they'll still need them for distribution purposes unless they're rich or have steady income coming from somewhere else. If anything, today's music has made things even more competitive, cutthroat, and watered down compared to music from the early 90's and before.

 

[LilithSlave]

Ah deathcore and grindcore. They bring out the biases, elitism, and tribalism between the punk and metal subcultures.

The punk elitists blame all modern hardcore of being bad because it's mixed with awful heavy metal and therefor not real punk. Claiming it should just be called "metal crap" instead of "real, good punk".

The metal elitists blame all deathcore of being bad because it's mixed with awful punk music and therefor not real metal. Claiming it should just be called "punk crap" or even "emo crap" instead of "real, good metal". Even seeing people denounce anything that isn't strictly brutal and nothing like Gothenburg metal because it's "tainted" with a punk sound.

Then you get the same sort of thing within the punk and metal genres. Streetpunk fans decrying hardcore as "emo" and metal crap, not real punk like the real skinheads listen to. And Progressive and Power Metal fans decrying Death Metal for being "try-hard, punk emo crap that sounds like dumb hardcore and isn't real metal."

As a fan of both punk music and heavy metal, I love both genres and I enjoy an overlap in fandoms.

 

[mysecondlife]

I'm a musician and aspiring music producer and I'm generally not the kind of person who would nitpick at any type of music genre. I'll listen to Faith No More one second, then Tech N9ne the next. However, I'll listen to some of today's punk and pop music and I personally can't say that it appeals to me at all.

I know music is supposed to evolve and it'll never be the same as it was in the past, but are we heading for darker days in our music? The easiest difference to see is probably in country. I know people like Taylor Swift are taking the 'Carter Family' style and running that into the ground, but I don't hear any country stars that sound anything like Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, or Roy Clark anymore either.

To my utmost chagrin, punk kinda changed for the worst too. The punk that some people show me sound like a weird mixture of boy-band pop and some mutated form of punk. I liked it better when an Acid Punk Rock band like The Offspring dominated the scene, had an undeniably catchy rhythm, and actually kept true to the punk rock genre.

You'll get some changes in other genres as well. The metal genres has screamo and some grindcore bands, rap has Lil Wayne, and then there's some dubstep that I really just can't handle too well. There are plenty of other crappy artists that ruin those and more genres, but I don't want a brain hemorrhage trying to remember people I don't care about.

So tell me what you think, Escapists. What's happening to our music?

"Our music?" The music you listen and love are still there. You can listen to it all you want. I don't like most of what's on the radio station. and I ignore it and turn to my Zune. If you're aspiring to be music producer, should you really be scornful of what's on the billboard chart?

 

[Cpu46]

Its changing. That is all there is to say really. The newer generation is supporting new artists and genres of music. The stuff you liked in the past is still there and a lot of the older bands either continue to produce their signature sound or blend in some of the newer style for some awesome new songs.

I'm not against it either. Sure bands I enjoyed as a teen change their style and fall out of my favorite status but I still have the old stuff I enjoyed and I always seem to find new and old bands or remixes of old songs to keep me interested.

Also I would just like to say that the internet is an awesome place where a song like this.

Spoiler: not all that bad to be honest, just not my style of song

can be changed into this

Spoiler: one of my all time favorites

 

[Dante DiVongola]

What's happening to our music?

I don't know what's happening to your music. My music is doing fine.

I know music is supposed to evolve and it'll never be the same as it was in the past, but are we heading for darker days in our music?

What is your music again? I can't tell you until you specify.

The easiest difference to see is probably in country. I know people like Taylor Swift are taking the 'Carter Family' style and running that into the ground, but I don't hear any country stars that sound anything like Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, or Roy Clark anymore either.

Because the country artists you speak of grew up in different times and made different music?
Also, not many people make country these days, just like not many people were making dixieland when Johnny Cash was in his prime.

I liked it better when an Acid Punk Rock band like The Offspring dominated the scene, had an undeniably catchy rhythm, and actually kept true to the punk rock genre.

See, there's the problem. it's not that the music is worse now, it's just that it's not what YOU like. Besides, if you look hard enough, you'll find what you like as well.
And what is "Keeping true to the genre" really means? you can't expect people living in different times, with different lifestyles and musical influences to make the same music. It's like someone would tell you that you're not a real American because you don't believe and/or do the same things as your parents.

You'll get some changes in other genres as well [...] rap has Lil Wayne [...] There are plenty of other crappy artists that ruin those and more genres...

So because of 1 guy who happens to be popular, the whole genre is shit now?
The so-called "golden age" of rap is the 90's. That's when most of the iconic rap artists had their 5 minutes of fame and most of the rap classics were made. However, do you know who was the most popular rap artist in the 90's? Vanilla Ice, with MC Hammer in a close 2nd.
Get my point?

I listen to a lot of funk music these days and I can tell you that the genre is doing fine. Sure, James Brown and Bobby Byrd aren't around anymore but we have Breakestra, Speedometer and The Bamboos instead. Sure, it's different but awesome nevertheless.

If you don't like where music is going and you're a musician yourself then make the music that you feel should be made.

What are you talking about? Conway, Cash, and Clak were all making things in the same general era considering country didn't change too much until maybe the 80s and 90s. People still do country, but they aren't very popular due to the fact that people generally shifted to the 'Carter Family'/pop fusion.

I'm not saying that just because Lil' Wayne is a shitty artist that rap is instantly shit. People like Big Scoop, Tech N9ne, Busta Rhymes, Twisted Insane, and a bunch of others are great. It's just shit ones like Wayne that make it to the top by becoming a commodity and it pisses me off.

It's not that I don't like some of today's music. It's generally the popular styles in some genres that are extremely disappointing to me because there are so many other good artists that make the genres great, but are hardly ever noticed.

And the fact that all these artists are allowed to just roll over and sell mediocre pieces of crap is inexcusable in any time period in music history. It's stupid that people only really want a heavy beat or something that's 'danceable' when really they should be looking into music because it's a sophisticated, mind-broadening record and it should be something that blows them away every time they hear it and not something in the background that they can bump and grind to.

It's disgusting that people support that kind of behavior as well. I can understand not really wanting to look into every detail of the song and breaking it down on an intellectual level for interpretation. But everyone should see it as a beautiful art form that, in all honesty, is just being neglected and warped into a thing.

 

[Dante DiVongola]

To my utmost chagrin, punk kinda changed for the worst too. The punk that some people show me sound like a weird mixture of boy-band pop and some mutated form of punk. I liked it better when an Acid Punk Rock band like The Offspring dominated the scene, had an undeniably catchy rhythm, and actually kept true to the punk rock genre.

Then you haven't been paying close enough attention to punk.

Pop punk back then sounded like this:

Regular punk today sounds like this:
Of course, though, if you keep up with punk, you should realize that punk has evolved so much over the years that there's as many subgenres of punk as there are heavy metal and many of the genres today. The examples of "regular" punk today I just gave, are only of the hardcore scene(which I must say is thriving. So many bands come out all the time I can't keep up with them all).

In all honesty, the Ramones aren't exactly the most intricate punk band. :\ But I'm not saying all of a certain genre is bad, just that those in the spotlight, who're supposed to represent what their respective genre is about, are just not cutting it in the slightest and it a huge letdown.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

We've gotten Dubstep. I'm happy.
Also Vocaloids are cool, not because of the music per se, which i still like, but the concept as a whole fascinates me.

The electronic music is evolvin' steadily since the past decades and into some good directions i'd say.

And the main problem was already mentioned: We only remember the good stuff. And maybe some of the reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaally bad songs, because they were so bad, they reached cultstatus.
But we forget the hundreds of bad to mediocre songs that were made.

Also i've no problem to listen to the same ZZTop songs, i started listening nearly 20 years ago. Stuff like that can't grow old

PS:
WTf, is wrong with the punk music That sounds like metal to me.
Guess i'll stick to the old school offsprings-generation sound :>

 

[I-Protest-I]

I normally don't reply to these threads as reading someone dictate that their preference is the right preference gives me a headache. But music is as subjective as always, 10 years from now good bands will have come and gone. Don't worry about it.

 

[Dante DiVongola]

Well, pop really isn't daring at all. Madonna and Cher were doing 'daring' things in the pop industry before some of these people and, tbh, they did it a lot better. And it's not the internet that made indie artists stronger, its the accessibility and simplicity of making of records and beats with new technologies (ie: CD's, mp3's, iTunes etc.) Not to mention, a good portion of those $30 you blew away on that shitty album went to the artist. Now, they only make 12 cents on every dollar you listen to their latest 'revolutionary album' unless they have the power and money to distribute, record, produce, and make contracts by themselves.

I do agree that there are some better underground artists coming into the light and don't have to rely on the likes of Atlantic Records, Colombia Records, Universal Records and others, but the truth is that they'll still need them for distribution purposes unless they're rich or have steady income coming from somewhere else. If anything, today's music has made things even more competitive, cutthroat, and watered down compared to music from the early 90's and before.

Well this might seem like a disappointing reply, but I honestly don't know any other way to pad out the phrase "I disagree with absoloutley everything you just said". Honestly, it's spectacular, every other sentence had me shaking my head. I read your post over and over again hoping to stumbled on perhaps an inkling I agreed with but it does not appear. In a post that size, that's impressive. I'm not saying "you're wrong", hell for all I know I could be wrong (yeah right), I'm just saying "I disagree".

I'm sorry you don't agree with me, but I respect you on that and thank you for being honest. I'm just saying it all from my viewpoint as an upcoming musician/producer that's analyzing today's music (in all aspects) and the music of the past. There are more opportunities for people to get out there and do their thing, but hardly anyone is going to hear them because of a number of reasons or people just won't like them.

If you want a good example of how tough it is to be accepted in today's music, look at Mike Patton. Front man for Faith No More and Mr. Bungle for the longest and people loooovvvveedddd him. But when he tried to do record deals with other producers and labels to do his styles, they shot him down. He had to start up Ipecac Records just to be able to create the music he loves to make and work with whoever he wants to work with AND without any hindrance.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

-snip-

First of all Lil' Wayne was awesome.

All his work Carter III and earlier is pretty incredible.

He just has lost his stride a bit...sorry, huge hip-hop fan, had to get that out of the way haha

OT: Music is evolving. It goes through phases and slumps, but there are always gems and garbage.

 

[Dante DiVongola]

I'm a musician and aspiring music producer and I'm generally not the kind of person who would nitpick at any type of music genre. I'll listen to Faith No More one second, then Tech N9ne the next. However, I'll listen to some of today's punk and pop music and I personally can't say that it appeals to me at all.

I know music is supposed to evolve and it'll never be the same as it was in the past, but are we heading for darker days in our music? The easiest difference to see is probably in country. I know people like Taylor Swift are taking the 'Carter Family' style and running that into the ground, but I don't hear any country stars that sound anything like Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, or Roy Clark anymore either.

To my utmost chagrin, punk kinda changed for the worst too. The punk that some people show me sound like a weird mixture of boy-band pop and some mutated form of punk. I liked it better when an Acid Punk Rock band like The Offspring dominated the scene, had an undeniably catchy rhythm, and actually kept true to the punk rock genre.

You'll get some changes in other genres as well. The metal genres has screamo and some grindcore bands, rap has Lil Wayne, and then there's some dubstep that I really just can't handle too well. There are plenty of other crappy artists that ruin those and more genres, but I don't want a brain hemorrhage trying to remember people I don't care about.

So tell me what you think, Escapists. What's happening to our music?

"Our music?" The music you listen and love are still there. You can listen to it all you want. I don't like most of what's on the radio station. and I ignore it and turn to my Zune. If you're aspiring to be music producer, should you really be scornful of what's on the billboard chart?

Well I tend to do that I lot too xP But I'd much rather see better versions of it come up and be on the Billboards. And it's kind of a shame when you don't see many artists on there that really deserve to be there.

 

[Dangit2019]

I'm a musician and aspiring music producer and I'm generally not the kind of person who would nitpick at any type of music genre. I'll listen to Faith No More one second, then Tech N9ne the next. However, I'll listen to some of today's punk and pop music and I personally can't say that it appeals to me at all.

I know music is supposed to evolve and it'll never be the same as it was in the past, but are we heading for darker days in our music? The easiest difference to see is probably in country. I know people like Taylor Swift are taking the 'Carter Family' style and running that into the ground, but I don't hear any country stars that sound anything like Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, or Roy Clark anymore either.

To my utmost chagrin, punk kinda changed for the worst too. The punk that some people show me sound like a weird mixture of boy-band pop and some mutated form of punk. I liked it better when an Acid Punk Rock band like The Offspring dominated the scene, had an undeniably catchy rhythm, and actually kept true to the punk rock genre.

You'll get some changes in other genres as well. The metal genres has screamo and some grindcore bands, rap has Lil Wayne, and then there's some dubstep that I really just can't handle too well. There are plenty of other crappy artists that ruin those and more genres, but I don't want a brain hemorrhage trying to remember people I don't care about.

So tell me what you think, Escapists. What's happening to our music?

Cracked wrote about how in 1969, the Beatles released Abbey Road, considered one of the best albums of all time now, and do you know who got the #1 spot in the singles department that year?

Sugar, Sugar by the Archies

What I'm trying to get at here is that there has, and will always be a bunch of crap that plays on the hit radio stations; because while most radio stations have to play what's current, good or bad, the classic stations will play what is now considered good quality music. They don't have to play all the crap that idiots buy up now, and they only play the good stuff from back in the day. I bet that in the "golden ages" of music there were a lot of people saying the same thing you are today.