Why is modern pop music so terrible?

[cuttime]

My problem is not bad music. I have a few guilty pleasures of my own. My problem is people who absolutely refuse to listen out of their comfort zones to broaden their musical tastes even a little bit. If I was to recommend something their first reaction would be "I probably wouldn't like that".

[HCMarkus]

Just to mention... when I named the topic I was just using the wording if the video's title. I should have used quotes.

P.S.: Get off my lawn!

[stubbsonic]

Nowadays, from the last thirty years or so, the complexity of the melody has become more and more minimal, whereas it may consist primarily of 2 or 3 notes that are merely repeated against a different chord backdrop. (Bm, G, D, A or thereabouts?) I've often wondered how copyright manages to differentiate such melodies! (Maybe it can't, leading to another "safety net" protecting against copyright infringement lawsuits!)
Terry

That's an interesting point, TB. Though, someone could calculate all the possibilities for different combinations of chords, melodies, and rhythms, in reality, the options are more narrow, because some things will always sound awkward. We may start to see more of those kinds of mash-ups of songs that blend seemlessly together because they are just flour, sugar, butter and eggs.

My problem is not bad music. I have a few guilty pleasures of my own. My problem is people who absolutely refuse to listen out of their comfort zones to broaden their musical tastes even a little bit. If I was to recommend something their first reaction would be "I probably wouldn't like that".

INDEED! A person's musical tastes & journey are HIGHLY personal. There is certain music that I experience as completely OVER-MY-HEAD, but I'm still drawn to it and want to hear it more and more to get it into my system. Yet, some other over-my-head music that I just don't even want to relate to it. I doubt I could always put it in words-- what is off-putting about it.

POP SONG CONFESSIONAL: I heard Katy Perry's Swish Swish and it was super catchy.

[stubbsonic]

This is truly an Apples vs. Oranges addition to the conversation, but it is relevant, especially kind of coming at it from the opposite perspective:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ar ... er/534174/

My posting this article doesn't imply my total agreement with it. It's just a useful counterbalance.

[mikehalloran]

P.S.: Get off my lawn!

The Stones recording was a classic!

"Hey (hey)! You (kids), Get offa' my lawn!"

[terrybritton]

My problem is not bad music. I have a few guilty pleasures of my own. My problem is people who absolutely refuse to listen out of their comfort zones to broaden their musical tastes even a little bit. If I was to recommend something their first reaction would be "I probably wouldn't like that".

WAAAY back in 2015, Karen V. Chin started a community challenge on Google Plus that eventually involved 30 folks taking up her challenge.

Every day for the next 14 days, you will need to:
1. Find a YouTube video as described for each Day’s challenge listed.
2. Write why you love “it” in a minimum of two sentences.
3. Include the name of the Musician/Band and song.
4. Use hashtag #14DaysofMusicChallenge in your post.

I participated, and was exposed to MUCH that I would not have even sought out as it was outside my usual comfort zones and regions of familiarity. It was a blast! We were all invited to listen to each others' offerings and make comments. Visit that community (now long closed) to see what I mean!
https://plus.google.com/communities/115 ... 7402060212

(Hint: Open the Filters at the bottom to only see the songs posted.)

It was a fantastic idea that should be resurrected for people regularly, methinks.
Try it yourselves - find something you like in each category on YouTube or somewhere every day for two weeks!

Day 1 - Favorite YouTube Musician or Band
Day 2 - Bollywood Music
Day 3 - Rock (Rock & Roll, Alternative, Heavy Metal, British Rock, Punk, Surf, Etc.)
Day 4 - Jazz (Blues, Folk, Ragtime, Big Band, Smooth, Classic, Etc.)
Day 5 - Favorite Childhood Song
Day 6 - Country Music
Day 7 - Latin Music (Bossa Nova, Samba, Merengue, Salsa, Etc.)
Day 8 - Broadway Musical or Song
Day 9 - 1970's Music
Day 10 - Classical Music (Symphony, Orchestra, or Opera)
Day 11 - Hip Hop or Rap
Day 12 - Hawaiian, Caribbean, Calypso or Reggae Music
Day 13 - 1980's Music
Day 14 - Your Favorite Song

You'll be glad you did it, I assure you...
Anyway, now back to our regularly sponsored thread.

Terry

[cuttime]

This is truly an Apples vs. Oranges addition to the conversation, but it is relevant, especially kind of coming at it from the opposite perspective:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ar ... er/534174/

My posting this article doesn't imply my total agreement with it. It's just a useful counterbalance.

Well that was... something. A bit hyperbolic maybe? I'm always miffed when prog rock listers always seem to ignore Gentle Giant.

[Michael Canavan]

This is truly an Apples vs. Oranges addition to the conversation, but it is relevant, especially kind of coming at it from the opposite perspective:

One of the things that I've always liked in music is that balance between Punks aesthetic simplicity and Prog Rocks crazy experimentation. So Scary Monsters, Bowie trying to cop some "Blitz" New Wave elements and adding in Fripp was a good idea. Fripp working with Bellew for the reformed King Crimson who just came off of tours with the Talking Heads was a good idea.
A lot of Jazz and Classical to me is too interested in impressing you with virtuosity, it just leaves me dry, but most pop music is far too interested in pushing a nursery school level vocal driven hook at you....
There eventually will be a backlash to modern pop, but in a sense, does it matter? In my opinion the days of record labels propelling new music to the fore are over. Zappa's take:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP4wsURn3rw

[terrybritton]

This is truly an Apples vs. Oranges addition to the conversation, but it is relevant, especially kind of coming at it from the opposite perspective:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ar ... er/534174/

My posting this article doesn't imply my total agreement with it. It's just a useful counterbalance.

I read that article earlier in the week, and frankly, it still irks me. Yes in "Topographic Oceans" having no melody? Really? Did he not listen to "The Revealing Science of God" at all?

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/y/yes/the+re ... 95670.html

I don't believe that writer would have the patience for much melody-driven classical music either.

That was a poor article, IMHO. Just annoying, to me. That said, much "Prog" certainly is masturbatory and a bit self-important seeming, but most musicians and bands are a bit "self important".

Terry

[stubbsonic]

I don't believe that writer would have the patience for much melody-driven classical music either.

That was a poor article, IMHO. Just annoying, to me. That said, much "Prog" certainly is masturbatory and a bit self-important seeming, but most musicians and bands are a bit "self important".

Terry

I was irked by that article, too, but I was also irked by the initial Modern Pop Music is Terrible vid for similar reasons. As I said, musical tastes are VERY personal. It can get a little messy when someone says "you should love/hate this music because... x, y, z."

OTOH, it is kind of interesting and perhaps useful to discuss the various forces that cause music to become both homogenized and in some ways "socially engineered". It's depressing to me, that a generation may not engage in more adventurous listening, and will stare at the wallpaper. But at least diverse music is still being made, and can be found more easily than ever if a modest effort is made.

[Gravity Jim]

I think the idea that "music TODAY is terrible, and probably the worst ever" is just dumb. Pick up Joel Whitburn's Bilboard book and page through the top 40 lists for any month of any decade. That'll cure this disease.

I don't believe in guilty pleasure. If it's melodically and harmonically pleasing and performed with skill and conviction, I dig it. Here's everyone who has played from my iPhone in the past few days.

They Might Be Giants. ABBA. Cream. Lyle Lovett. The Cowsills. The Who. Basia. Nanci Griffith. The Guess Who. Weather Report. The Clash. Ben Folds. "Weird" Al. Wang Chung. Tommy James and the Shondells. Lady Gaga. Robben Ford. Nataly Dawn. Marvin Gaye. Gillian Welch. Björk. WAR. Asleep At The Wheel. Beck. Benny Goodman Band. Heatwave. Nelson Riddle. Regina Spektor. The Pimps of Joytime. Merle Haggard. The Monkees.

Hmmm. No prog or metal. I guess I'll have to dig out my copy of Gentle Giant's Octopus.

[stubbsonic]

Nice diverse list, that. I'd add some global music in there, if I was you. But I'm not.

[HCMarkus]

I guess I'll have to dig out my copy of Gentle Giant's Octopus.

The Power and The Glory!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

My "issues" with pop music started when disco came out. "The beat" was everything and all else took a back seat. For me, ALL ART is about storytelling. To keep hammering the same tired old phrase over and over and over again is just musical masturbation. I feel no obligation to "broaden my horizon" by listening to such garbage.

There's a lot of great music being made today in the classical and jazz worlds, as well as the "art music"' (I.e.- Tom Waits, et al). But music "on the charts" is, for the most part, formulaic and uninspired, IMO.

Admittedly, I live in a bubble. I'm either listening to classical or jazz or writing my own music - mostly the latter. It's my choice and, damn it, I'm sticking to it. If I do listen to contemporary popular music it's usually because I'm sharing the stage with someone playing it, and even then, more often than not, I'm in the parking lot having a smoke or waiting to go on.

That said, I LOVE some of the hardcore underground bands on the shows I do. I even got to play with some Chicken Heads a few weeks ago and it was a blast. Hard driving, rude, but well planned and well executed and interesting as hell. That crap on the radio? You can have it!

[FMiguelez]

I don't know why so much modern pop is so terrible...

But I think you guys need to cleanse you ears by now.

If I may... Here. Enjoy this, from one of the master symphonists of all time>
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vaGqGEr2-dE



Or better yet, his piano concerto... A-ma-zing.

A little more demanding than modern pop
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i-NBM7yHtzg



Please, carry on...