Is modern popular music on the decline?

PJ_Soul

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJ_Soul said:

This thread makes me feel young.
Sorry, but I still think most of this really is about just getting old and unconsciously developing that "things ain't what they used to be and get off my lawn" type of mindset, lol.
But I am in total agreement with Tim Simmons' take on the matter.

that's part of it, but it's not all of it. I mean, I still like a lot of new music, but none of it is on the radio or pushed by big labels, nor does it hearken back to the days of yore (1992). 

When does any new music hearken back to the days of yore? All new music is... new.
But yeah, the industry has simply changed, namely due to technology but also because of plain old $$$$$$ culture, and that is probably 95% of the reason why there is a difference to what's on the radio or pushed by big labels. And yet, so many people I know and so many others online always treat it like, you know, how old people treated the music we loved when we were young.

HughFreakingDillon

PJ_Soul said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJ_Soul said:

This thread makes me feel young.
Sorry, but I still think most of this really is about just getting old and unconsciously developing that "things ain't what they used to be and get off my lawn" type of mindset, lol.
But I am in total agreement with Tim Simmons' take on the matter.

that's part of it, but it's not all of it. I mean, I still like a lot of new music, but none of it is on the radio or pushed by big labels, nor does it hearken back to the days of yore (1992). 

When does any new music hearken back to the days of yore? All new music is... new.
But yeah, the industry has simply changed, namely due to technology but also because of plain old $$$$$$ culture, and that is probably 95% of the reason why there is a difference to what's on the radio or pushed by big labels. And yet, so many people I know and so many others online always treat it like, you know, how old people treated the music we loved when we were young.

what I meant by that was the new music I listen to isn't grunge derivative. 

PJ_Soul

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJ_Soul said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJ_Soul said:

This thread makes me feel young.
Sorry, but I still think most of this really is about just getting old and unconsciously developing that "things ain't what they used to be and get off my lawn" type of mindset, lol.
But I am in total agreement with Tim Simmons' take on the matter.

that's part of it, but it's not all of it. I mean, I still like a lot of new music, but none of it is on the radio or pushed by big labels, nor does it hearken back to the days of yore (1992). 

When does any new music hearken back to the days of yore? All new music is... new.
But yeah, the industry has simply changed, namely due to technology but also because of plain old $$$$$$ culture, and that is probably 95% of the reason why there is a difference to what's on the radio or pushed by big labels. And yet, so many people I know and so many others online always treat it like, you know, how old people treated the music we loved when we were young.

what I meant by that was the new music I listen to isn't grunge derivative. 

No, I should hope not.... I'm curious about what you're saying though... does that mean that grunge wasn't rock derivative, and that's why the old people back then hated it and thought we should all still be appreciating the Doobie Brothers? I'm being only very slightly facetious here.

HughFreakingDillon

PJ_Soul said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJ_Soul said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJ_Soul said:

This thread makes me feel young.
Sorry, but I still think most of this really is about just getting old and unconsciously developing that "things ain't what they used to be and get off my lawn" type of mindset, lol.
But I am in total agreement with Tim Simmons' take on the matter.

that's part of it, but it's not all of it. I mean, I still like a lot of new music, but none of it is on the radio or pushed by big labels, nor does it hearken back to the days of yore (1992). 

When does any new music hearken back to the days of yore? All new music is... new.
But yeah, the industry has simply changed, namely due to technology but also because of plain old $$$$$$ culture, and that is probably 95% of the reason why there is a difference to what's on the radio or pushed by big labels. And yet, so many people I know and so many others online always treat it like, you know, how old people treated the music we loved when we were young.

what I meant by that was the new music I listen to isn't grunge derivative. 

No, I should hope not.... I'm curious about what you're saying though... does that mean that grunge wasn't rock derivative, and that's why the old people back then hated it and thought we should all still be appreciating the Doobie Brothers? I'm being only very slightly facetious here.

no, you are looking too deep into my comment. i was merely saying that, even though I despise rock radio, I like new music, and by new music, I don't mean music that is derivative of my favourite type of older music. 

PJ_Soul

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJ_Soul said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJ_Soul said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

PJ_Soul said:

This thread makes me feel young.
Sorry, but I still think most of this really is about just getting old and unconsciously developing that "things ain't what they used to be and get off my lawn" type of mindset, lol.
But I am in total agreement with Tim Simmons' take on the matter.

that's part of it, but it's not all of it. I mean, I still like a lot of new music, but none of it is on the radio or pushed by big labels, nor does it hearken back to the days of yore (1992). 

When does any new music hearken back to the days of yore? All new music is... new.
But yeah, the industry has simply changed, namely due to technology but also because of plain old $$$$$$ culture, and that is probably 95% of the reason why there is a difference to what's on the radio or pushed by big labels. And yet, so many people I know and so many others online always treat it like, you know, how old people treated the music we loved when we were young.

what I meant by that was the new music I listen to isn't grunge derivative. 

No, I should hope not.... I'm curious about what you're saying though... does that mean that grunge wasn't rock derivative, and that's why the old people back then hated it and thought we should all still be appreciating the Doobie Brothers? I'm being only very slightly facetious here.

no, you are looking too deep into my comment. i was merely saying that, even though I despise rock radio, I like new music, and by new music, I don't mean music that is derivative of my favourite type of older music. 

Sorry, yes, sometimes I overthink things, lol.

tempo_n_groove

You all want to know where the new music scene is?

Country Music.

That's the new "pop" rock and has been for a while now.  That scene is a juggernaut.

What I have been finding with newer younger bands, they are all listening to 90's rock, lol.  They love the stuff.

HughFreakingDillon

country music makes me want to stick a fork in my eye. 

PJ_Soul

tempo_n_groove said:

You all want to know where the new music scene is?

Country Music.

That's the new "pop" rock and has been for a while now.  That scene is a juggernaut.

What I have been finding with newer younger bands, they are all listening to 90's rock, lol.  They love the stuff.

I was actually under the impression that we've gone through that dark period and are slowly emerging back into the light. I feel like that horrible modern country craze is dwindling a bit now.... I'm just hoping it continues to fade, lol. Not that I begrudge people who enjoy it .... I just hate it enough to wish that it weren't popular enough to be categorized as pop music. It should just stay in soley in the country music genre where it belongs.   (btw, it modern country a big thing outside of the USA??)

eddiec

What I find potentially troubling is the future of the album. Have you ever looked at a 20-year old's ipod? It's just songs, no albums.
Could it happen that in the future artists will just put out singles with no albums?

Tim Simmons

Sure. 

HughFreakingDillon

eddiec said:

What I find potentially troubling is the future of the album. Have you ever looked at a 20-year old's ipod? It's just songs, no albums.
Could it happen that in the future artists will just put out singles with no albums?

Billy Corgan attempted this, and it was a dismal failure. But that was most likely due to the public's apathy towards Smashing Pumpkins. It will most likely be the way things go for pop artists, though. Many rock artists have already declared the album format to be dead. 

Tim Simmons

I think EPs are the future. 

ledvedderman

I honestly thought iTunes would be the rebirth of the bside. Release a single on iTunes and throw in an outtake. I guess to an extent it has, but they found a way to make more money off them by issuing all the bsides at the end of an album, calling it a "Deluxe" version and charging an extra $10 to own it. I guess I'm an old romantic and likes seeing those issued in singles. 

HughFreakingDillon

ledvedderman said:

I honestly thought iTunes would be the rebirth of the bside. Release a single on iTunes and throw in an outtake. I guess to an extent it has, but they found a way to make more money off them by issuing all the bsides at the end of an album, calling it a "Deluxe" version and charging an extra $10 to own it. I guess I'm an old romantic and likes seeing those issued in singles. 

me too. 

brianlux

PJ_Soul said:

tempo_n_groove said:

You all want to know where the new music scene is?

Country Music.

That's the new "pop" rock and has been for a while now.  That scene is a juggernaut.

What I have been finding with newer younger bands, they are all listening to 90's rock, lol.  They love the stuff.

I was actually under the impression that we've gone through that dark period and are slowly emerging back into the light. I feel like that horrible modern country craze is dwindling a bit now.... I'm just hoping it continues to fade, lol. Not that I begrudge people who enjoy it .... I just hate it enough to wish that it weren't popular enough to be categorized as pop music. It should just stay in soley in the country music genre where it belongs.   (btw, it modern country a big thing outside of the USA??)

That guy puking...

Modern "country music", where I live, is big.  Even C. likes to listen to it though she knows how much I can't stand to listen to it so never she never plays it around me.  Her business partner likes it as well.  I can't for the life of me understand what people like about it.  Almost all of it is sort of this creepy hybrid of country and rock and 90 percent of the lyrics are dumb jokes.

"We'll put a boot up your ass...it's the American way."
"I'd like to kiss you way back in the sticks, I'd like to walk through a field of wildflowers, And I'd like to check you for ticks"
"Like the crops need the rain, She's my honeycomb, And I'm her sugar cane, We really fit together, If you know what I'm talking about"
"They'll promise fancy cars and diamond rings and all sorts of shiny things, but girl, you'll remember what your knees are for."

etc.   Who makes up this shit?

All that said, I am a fan of a lot of more traditional country music- the good stuff by people like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Emmy Lou Harris, Ernest Tubb and a few others.

brianlux

eddiec said:

What I find potentially troubling is the future of the album. Have you ever looked at a 20-year old's ipod? It's just songs, no albums.
Could it happen that in the future artists will just put out singles with no albums?

That would be a disaster!

PJ_Soul

eddiec said:

What I find potentially troubling is the future of the album. Have you ever looked at a 20-year old's ipod? It's just songs, no albums.
Could it happen that in the future artists will just put out singles with no albums?

Vinyl has made a big comeback recently, so I'd say that means there is at least a large niche market still interested in full albums. Plus, with streaming services like Spotify, the album is the standard presentation. That said, yeah, a lot of people just listen to one-off songs... the people who are just average casual music listeners, which is the vast majority of people.