You might have suspected some of this.....

[Buc McMaster]

Stumbled upon this rather enlightening explanation of what's happened to music over the years. If the topic interests you at all, it's worth the watch.....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVME_l4IwII

 

Discuss.

[Lars68]

Although a musical genius in many ways, may I on behalf of the people of Sweden offer my most sincere apologies for Max Martin. I so wish all of that talent would have been directed elsewhere...

 

On a more serious note, there are always movements and counter-movements. I'm curiously awaiting the next counter-movement.

 

Lars

[QuestionMark]

Interesting video...

 

But, it failed to mention that the creativity, risks, of A Day in the Life and the 60s/70s renaissance of music may very well have an aberration and exception to the music industry’s practices. The Brill building and Tin Pan Alley produced a ton of hits in the 50s and early 60s similar to today’s production line. And, it also failed to mention the wrecking crew was involved in tons of 60s hits in a production mode to reduce risk as well. It also didn’t mention that the 78 rpm pop music of the 30s and 40s, though of a different genre than the subsequent years was also very much a factory of what sells.

 

It also doesn’t mention that copy catting what sells has gone since the recording industry’s inception. It’s just that for awhile, creativity, because of the Beatles, sold records. Then, many others were allowed to be creative (or at least their demands to be so were met.)

 

Some things change, but remain the same and the music industry’s hit factory process, except for a brief shining moment seems to have stuck to their pop music copycat process. Although, the narrator of the video seems to young to know how it really was and has always been.

 

Thought provoking video, though. I am sure others have their own perspectives.

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

[blindboygrunt]

Watched it up to a point

 

Can’t be doing with negative thinking

 

‘How did we go from Beatles to beiber ?

Dylan to Britney Spears ?

 

Er , we didn’t

 

No ones asking how we went from Dave Dee dozy mick and titch to Radiohead ?

[Murph]

As an old radio guy, (worked in it, love it) I think as a whole everything has changed to the point that you simply can't compare.

 

Anybody my age remembers open format/free form radio. It's pretty much all I listened to from it's invention in the late 60's through the late 70's.

 

I never listened to "POP" radio after the "Invasion". My eyes were open. There was simply better stuff to be found. If I couldn't find it due to my location or after the "Business" took over most of the stations, I simply built my own library and moved on.

 

Now, with the internet, there are new "underground" stations all over. One of my favorites is Radio Free Phoenix, however they will stuff too much punky/whiney Greenday type crap in the mix that I can't stomach so my visits are usually pretty short. I also really like Radio Heartland for roots/acoustic stuff.

 

Now, the kids have stopped "buying" music. They simply "rent" it.

 

Anyhow, there is a lot of good music out there, there just aren't a lot of people who know what good music is.

[Lars68]

My view is that due to the total accesibility that the net brings us, we tend to group ourselves even more in online places where we get our views and opinions confirmed the most. I think this holds true in general and with music especially. Just look at us here at the forum, our collective taste in music is very, very similar. We are also democraphically very similar. So here we pretty much talk among like-minded people, and very few external points of view break through. I believe this holds true in a lot of circumstances around the web. We tend to group with like-minded and get our opinions even more confirmed than they were to start off with. This probably goes for politics, music or any other topic you can find. Kind of a dangerous development, if you ask me...

 

There is most likely just as much good music out there as before. Difference being that it is now divided into "sub-cultures" that are not as visible and don't cross breed as much as previously. We are such a group, and I would categorize us as "americana". The mainstream has become even more mainstream, while the sub-cultures, with strong followings, have moved aside, away from the spotlight. Just look at what has happend to metal music.

 

Not to worry, there will always be music for all tastes to be found.

 

Lars

[blindboygrunt]

And besides anything else

 

And I’m in no way saying I’m a fan of his , but who’s to say if anyone is getting more or less enjoyment out of 45 minutes of Justin beiber than 45 minutes of the Beatles ?

 

I personally wouldn’t have pepper in my top 10.

 

 

 

 

But I’d still play it before any of young Justin’s stuff

[PrairieSchooner]

My opinion? The "show" became more important than the music. There was a transition of course, when artists were trying to make good music AND put on a show, but ultimately the music became secondary. Fans of this stuff (Bieber, Gaga, ad nauseum) don't go to a concert to hear the music, they go to see the show. How they can listen to it beyond that is beyond me .

[MissouriPicker]

People change and so society changes. That, along with technology pushed us to where we are. Music is no longer raw and unpolished. Now it's loud-as-hell and pure perfection. No imperfections allowed. Even if you can't sing, the high tech capability can fix that. If you can't play an instrument, no problem. If you can't write a pop song, a computer can write one for you using an algorithm that fits what's popular. I don't doubt that lots of these people have a lot of talent, but the technology often buries it and the only thing shown is a video of selected shots and good-looking women. Aside from a handful of folks like Chris Stapleton, you don't get a chance to see who the artist really is. Lots more singers now, but fewer rebels.... Brave New World. I'm so sick of current music. Most of it sounds very manufactured and very similar to what you just listened to. Guys like Dylan, Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and countless others couldn't even get an interview today. They'd be too raw and unpolished, not pretty enough. Too much toxic masculinity. And for the women, it's even worse. Instead of talent, too much revolves around how good they look and what they're willing to show. Just an old dude's view. Oh, and Sirius Radio Outlaw Country is one of the few places to find the unknowns who are from a similar cloth as Dylan and Cash and Patsy Cline, Carol King, etc. People like John Prine, who aside from folks like us, most have no clue about.............Thanks for letting me rant.

[jvi]

music has and allways will change -better or worse is opinion of the time, .video may have killed radio but internet killed lps and the presentation of music.

[Cougar]

My opinion? The "show" became more important than the music.

 

I noticed that back in, I think, the early 70s. I remember thinking "I'm no 'showman.' I'm a musician, and apparently that's not enough anymore." Nowadays I'll play a tune or two when we have a party. No lightshow!

[OldCowboy]

Back in the day, Dave Van Ronk observed that technology always precedes music. As with many of his off-the-cuff random observations, it seems to hold true and generate more thought and discussion than you'd expect.

[uncle fester]

Ok - so a theme i'm hearing is the pop stuff is up front and popular, but there's still other good music out there being made.

 

With respect to guitar centric bands I enjoy (that are current) I'm not aware of many, but this is who I would call out:

1. 
    
   
2. Black Keys
   
3. White Strips (although it's just Jack White now)
   
4. Kenny Wayne Shephard
   

 

The above list is just plain old good guitar based bands in my opinions, but not acoustic goodness. I'm fishing for a list of names, who's current out there playing the music you want, and making their magic acoustically?

1. 
    
   
2. John Prine
   
3. Molly Tuttle
   
4. Rodney Crowell
   
5. Colter Wall
   
6. Phil Dewhurst
   

 

Hope this is not too much of a tangent than the OP - trying to highlight the good music that is out there... and to note, these are all people I've become aware of because of this forum.

[Lars68]

I don't listen much to contemporary chart topping music. However, it is my firm opinion that it takes just as much talent, hard work, and dedication to make computer based music. This kind of music is not for me, or for those who frequent this forum, but that does not mean it should be frowned upon. The skill set is very different, but it still takes a lot of skill. Modern music is not meant to be performed; it's produced. Big difference. I don't think many parents of the teenagers listening to The Beatles or The Stones in the early 60's had very high thoughts about their efforts. Just because we don't see the worth in a particular type of music, doesn't mean it is not there.

 

In the style of music I like, there are plenty of great music made today. My absolute favorite is Jason Isbell, and I rank any of his last three albums as my desert island music. He is an extrodinarily talented writer of melody and lyrics, as well as a phenomenal guitar player and singer.

Here is just one example of one of his songs. Just about as good as it gets, in my opinion.

 

Lars

[kidblast]

just had a chance to listen/watch this.

 

 

Sad, real sad.

[BluesKing777]

I saw blues and jazz acts from an early age, so I always noticed a gap between what I liked and pop of the time.

 

But like the equally annoying kid with the crooked eyebrows said in the video, the tunes can get stuck in your head...." I mean, I came out of the supermarket singing a snatch of some awful thing they had on the muzak but while I was there I didn't even notice it was on...."There was something in the air tonight, Fandango and glad you tickled my tooter, Fandango"...or something like that. I remember walking in to my house when I was about 21 and when I asked where everyone was going, my younger sister said: "Dad is taking us to see Abba". Really? [blink]

 

“Shake, Rattle and Roll” ...(Big Joe Turner).

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shake+rattle+and+roll+-+joe+turner

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[bryantjudoman]

Music is AS good or EVEN better than it has ever been before! There are ten year old kids who can play stuff on guitar that Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton could only dream of. The entire planet has access to better musical equipment than the Beatles ever did. There are groundbreaking acts coming out every other day; White Stripes, Chili Peppers, Gillian Welch, John Mayer, The list is darn near endless. No...excellent music in general is in good hands and will continue far into the future. Oh and by the way Justin Beibers album "purpose" is a darn great album.