Music Today: What happened? (Short Rant)

So I was in the car the other day, and I had turned the radio on. I had it on scan and all I could hear was more and more rap. I stopped on one station and the words were almost unbelievable (not a fan of rap at all). What kids don't hear as clear as some of us do are the lyrics. All that kids care about is how is sounds, and not the actual lyrics of the song. They dont pay attention to the lyrics at all. They think that it's catchy and good music but it really isn't. What ever happened to good music?!

Steamboat Spidey said:

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So I was in the car the other day, and I had turned the radio on. I had it on scan and all I could hear was more and more rap. I stopped on one station and the words were almost unbelievable (not a fan of rap at all). What kids don't hear as clear as some of us do are the lyrics. All that kids care about is how is sounds, and not the actual lyrics of the song. They dont pay attention to the lyrics at all. They think that it's catchy and good music but it really isn't. What ever happened to good music?!

I listed to Ceceilia's lyrics for the first time today, I always thought it was a great song... but it's not very.. shall we say... endearing?

Lyrics are one of the last things people pay any attention to. Like a 600 pound fat chick at the beach standing next to a fit hottie, who are you going to look at? Same with music, are you going to listen to something that appeals to you or are you going to not like a song for its lyrics? If it doesnt sound good why listen.

And yes, music anymore is horrid all around. With modern media the youngsters have grown up with its easier to brainwash the consumer to whats "new" and "a must have" as opposed to whats actually good. Its marketing and branding. Look at TV and realize kids know who these pigs are yet cant name the vice president. Were not too far behind Idiocracy.
Idiocracy - Trailer - YouTube

My parents listened to Elvis and their parents lamented the end of civilization.

I listened to Van Halen and my parents did the same.

My daughter listens to civilization ending crap by people I cannot name, and I think almost all rap is a travesty.

It's an age thing. However, with that perspective just think how much suckage the next generations' music will contain.

I don't know that it's an age thing now.

There was a time when to make it in music you had to have actual musical talent. Today, not so much. As noted above it's all about marketing and 'who you can sell'. If you're not attractive and you can't dance, you're odds of being signed are substantially lower. Hell, Milli Vanilli couldn't sing, period. They lip synced so someone else's voice, but they were signed, sold, and popular because of their looks and marketing.

Music would be better off frankly if it still just an audio format. Sadly to sell music, you have to have a visual component. Not sure what since 95% of all my music listening is done in the car or at work where there's absolutely no visual component at all.

Looks should have nothing to do with it. If you buy a CD or mp3 or whatever because the singer is hot, you're completely missing the point of music.

This is why I am always in shock at those albums of songs sung by kids. The parents are so clueless. Back in the 80s and 90s before things got really bad you rarely heard much in the way of language.

To update my songs, I just want a computer program that takes old music, and inserts a random black guy rapping in the middle for no reason.

I'm so proud of my 17 year old daughter. Her favorite music ranges from Frank Sinatra and Elvis through Queen, Journey and Foreigner on to show tunes from Phantom of the Opera, Le Miserable and Wicked. She enjoys some more modern stuff as well but really hates hip hop.

I HATE how all the new songs released by "popular" artists are all about being in da club, getting drunk, falling in love.

It's all garbage.

cboath said:

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I don't know that it's an age thing now.

There was a time when to make it in music you had to have actual musical talent. Today, not so much. As noted above it's all about marketing and 'who you can sell'. If you're not attractive and you can't dance, you're odds of being signed are substantially lower. Hell, Milli Vanilli couldn't sing, period. They lip synced so someone else's voice, but they were signed, sold, and popular because of their looks and marketing.

Milli Vanilli actually perfectly illustrates that it's not a "today" thing. They were 20 years ago...

Since the late 50's image has been a big driving force in the music industry. It's just a fact of life. It's more apparent in some eras than others but it's always there.

As for what happened to the music? We got old(er).

Steamboat Spidey said:

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So I was in the car the other day, and I had turned the radio on. I had it on scan and all I could hear was more and more rap. I stopped on one station and the words were almost unbelievable (not a fan of rap at all). What kids don't hear as clear as some of us do are the lyrics. All that kids care about is how is sounds, and not the actual lyrics of the song. They dont pay attention to the lyrics at all. They think that it's catchy and good music but it really isn't. What ever happened to good music?!

I agree, but please remember your parents and grandparents felt the same way about your music.

thegreatgalling said:

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I agree, but please remember your parents and grandparents felt the same way about your music.

Hey you! Get off my lawn!

Why is there so much swearing in the songs nowadays. The radios can't play the words so they have to edit it and make a radio friendly version. Why don;t they just make the radio freidnly version and be done with it?.\

In regards to talented artists not being picked up by major labels due to age/visuals I can confirm 100%. Some very good friends have some hit songs, were told by a couple major labels the songs were hits, were sought out by some major labels for meetings yet when the band showed up they were almost turned away on sight! They have the sound and energy of a teen/20 something band yet are in their 40's.
Another was a small group out of VA that had some killer Ricky Nelson style pop tracks yet the singer was an over weight Filipino guy.
One is a well known band with one of the greatest albums of all time on near every greatest albums of all time lists yet they cant get on a major label.

The music industry imploded due to becoming stale and overly sterile. The major labels are in bed together so there is no real competition.

I also think that it ties into parents giving kids way too much freedom and way too many rights compared to when we were kids. These days they're afraid to say no because they rather be best friends with the kids than their parents so they let them listen to what they want. I also noticed that a lot of music is based on a formula revolving around whatever is hot at the moment: for a long time most "rock" bands sounded like Nickelback. I saw a popular all 80s station and a classic country station wiped out in order to be turned into rap stations. It's getting to be that in order to find classic rock or oldies you need satellite radio.
Rap's done way more to hurt music and society than any other music from how it treats women to advocating violence and killing snitches and in another 40 years if society hasn't fallen apart something far worse will probably come along. I'll stick to most everything made before 1992 when grunge and gangsta took the fun out of music.

I was old when I got here. It's so much fun watching each and every one of you post this thread......eventually.

Send me $5......I'll send you your official old guy card.

Somehow I like real News being auto-tuned better than some of the new "real" music.
Sweet Brown - Ain't Nobody Got Time for That (Autotune Remix) - YouTube
BACKIN UP SONG!! (now on iTunes) - YouTube
Songify This - Reality Hits You Hard Bro - YouTube
Songify This - Strut That Ass Song - YouTube

To me, too much of the newer stuff (of any genre) is so over produced and processed, it ends up being the equivalent of musical Cheese Whiz. There are some rare gems out there though.

I notice a lot of kids digging back into parents' (and grandparents') libraries to find something good. They seem almost desperate to find good music or maybe just something not so negative. It seems a shame (for the most part) they can't get what they want/need in their own era of music.





Doug

Nothing happened to music today... you just got too old to appreciate it.

Its nothing to do with getting old, the music industry is in shambles an has been for some years now. Terrible music is terrible music no matter what decade comes into question.

R and B used to mean Rhythm and Blues ,not T and A,i love metal,rock,blues and classical,can't stand the in thing,never got into Rap.
Music of black origin used to mean Blues,gospel,then it became the forerunner to rock n roll,now it's about,drugs,guns,ho's and money and how many songs you can rip off and swear over.
My music collection still contains stuff i heard from my parents,Queen,Meatloaf,Yes,the stuff i found on my own in my younger days,Adam and the Ants,Madness,and then the stuff that shaped who i am musically,GUNS AND ROSES,OZZY etc

There are only 2 rock channels on tv and all the rest is pop and (c)rap and some of the new rock is pop mixed with shouty voices and (c)rap

Age gets us all ,but at 41 i KNOW im RIGHT...........LOL

I was just thinking this recently. I was out in my backyard and some neighbors girls, who were probably 8-10 years old, had a song cranked that had a catchy tune. But as soon as I started hearing the lyrics, I was like, WTF are they listening to? The song was talking about suicide and other stuff. I was interested to find the song, so I googled some of the lyrics and found it -[FONT=Arial]'I Must Be Emo' by [/FONT][FONT=Arial]Hollywood Undead. I was amazed that the parents were letting them listen to this song at 8-10 years of age.

some of the lyrics - "[/FONT]Stop my breathing and slit my throat", "They say they already have a *****, they don't need another one", "When I get depressed I cut my wrists in every direction", "Hearing songs about getting dumped give me an erection"

I don't know, but maybe I'm just old.