No offense, but I just can't stand 99% of music produced in the last 15 years.

[Killens84]

First off, let me say that this is not intended to offend anyone or start a flame war. I'm simply stating my opinion, and I'm totally cool with the fact that many people will not agree with me.

I really do NOT like 99% of the music that has been produced in the last 15 years. I'm a high school band director with a college degree in music, so my background is one of having a good understanding and appreciation of music. I'm also a trumpet player and a drummer, along with being a bass player, so I've experienced many aspects of playing music.

To me, music has gotten to the point to where it's all about selling albums. It seems like all of the producers have found a magic formula for selling albums, and that's all that matters. What makes it worse is that most of these artists today just put out junk and people still buy it. It doesn't seem to be about the integrity of music anymore. And there just doesn't seem to be any heart and soul in the music I hear from artists today. It also kills me to hear so many artists now who have digitally created music tracks, rarely even using real musicians or real instruments to record their music.

I've spent years being educated on intellectual music. Once you've studied and learned to appreciate such complex music by geniuses such as JS Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, Vivaldi, Chopin, Berlioz, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Debussy, it's hard to settle for what I'm hearing in today's music. And those are just my favorite composers. There were many many more great ones. Even though it's not as complex as music from those guys, I still love much of the music from the 50's through the 80's because there was a lot of heart and soul in it. It was real music, played by real musicians, using real instruments. I know those guys were focused on selling records, but they still kept their musical integrity. Artists today just record what a lot of people, who know nothing about music, want to hear. A lot of that stems from music education being watered down in public schools over the past few decades. But that's a totally different topic that I won't get started on.

There's just no way you can compare Lady GaGa, Usher, Lil' Wayne, Katy Perry, Eminem, and the Black Eyed Peas to people like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Journey, Jimi Hendrix, Chicago, and Stevie Wonder. Music back then really meant something. It had life to it. It wasn't only about having a cool beat and some catchy lyrics.

I'm happy that at least jazz music is still around. It still holds the principles of what music should be. And I'm talking about real jazz music, not jazz artists who think they're pop artists. And I'm a big fan of a lot of the popular music from the 50's through the 80's. But that's because a lot of it still kept the integrity of music.

Anyway, I'm done with my spill on modern music. Again, this is simply my opinion, and is not meant to offend or anger anyone. Sometimes I wish I had never been well-educated in music, because it opened my eyes to how much music has digressed in intellectuality and complexity since the music of greats like Beethoven, Mozart, and all the others I listed. And there are TONS of people out there who know more about music than I ever will. But my opinion is based on what I've learned about music up to this point. I'm still learning, and I plan on always trying to learn more.

[Joe Gress]

Yay, another one!



Quit listening to the radio, go to local original shows, and search for better music. Open your ears, take off your blinders, and quit bitching.

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by Killens84

Music back then really meant something.

That's what every generations says.

[Time Consumer]

All I can say is that I listen to the examples you listed, old and new, and much more and I thank you for your service to society. If it weren't for my school music program I dont know where I'd be, probly wouldnt be playing bass. I say just listen to what you like and dont worry about newer stuff if you dont like it, but, it seems like I say this on here all day but good music comes to those who dig, I'd say of the music I listen to on a daily basis, about 10% of it is mainstream radio played stuff.

[Randy Warren]

gotta say, a lot of what you are saying is too true, I think the business has taken the soul out of music in order to sell records, and artists are too eager to go along, so much on the radio all sounds the same...

[Time Consumer]

Originally Posted by Randy Warren

gotta say, a lot of what you are saying is too true, I think the business has taken the soul out of music in order to sell records, and artists are too eager to go along, so much on the radio all sounds the same...

You know whats even worse, there's some company that created an algorithm or program that takes a song and puts it against a database of hits and tells you whether your song has hit potential or not, I didnt try it cuz the whole idea disgusts me but its out there. uplaya.com I think. Could make up a whole other thread on that.

[brendanbassist]

Originally Posted by Joe Gress

Yay, another one!



Quit listening to the radio, go to local original shows, and search for better music. Open your ears, take off your blinders, and quit bitching.

+1.
Radio sucks. MTV sucks. Etc.

But there is some very good new music out there.

[knigel]

You have got to be kidding. That's like saying you hate vegetables after only having tried celery. Dude, there's like lettuce, tomatoes, carrots...

There are thousands of band out there that you have never heard of, and thanks to the webamajig you can seek them out. Have fun for God's sake--it's music.

I think the Volcano Kings are the best band in New England by far, and they are doing incredibly original music. But I doubt anyone else on this board has even heard of them. Get out of the house and get listening!

EDIT--Sorry, I have to edit this because I am quite drunk. Your title should really say "I can't stand 99% of what they play on HOT 107" or whatever the equivalent is in your town. That is just plain crazy--for every 100 songs that came out since 1995, you only like ONE? I'm not a pop radio guy, but even my ratio is higher than that. While I'll agree that there is a lot of crap out there, it is mental to think there isn't good music being made today, or in the recent past--you just aren't being exposed to it, and that's YOUR fault. There are so many ways to do it for yourself now, not just AM and FM! Yes, Rush was great (or whoever you like from 1974). But there was a lot of crap THEN too--history has graciously deleted the junk from our memories.

Yes, I too stopped listening to the bands that sound like The Kinks/The Who/Gang or Four/The Jam/Otis Redding, and just started listening to The Kinks/The Who/Gang or Four/The Jam/Otis Redding, but seriously, shame on you for not exploring. Yes, we all get it, Lady Gaga stinks, but complaining about it doesn't change anything. Turn off your radio and turn on your iPod and get with it.

This thread smacks of troll, and I am feeding it. But come on, what a tired argument.

[*insertcoolname]

They really should make a mid life crisis pill...

But honestly, there is plenty of excellent music out there that isn't on the radio. I doubt you'll hear "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" or "Right in Two" on the radio, but they're both still excellent songs with wonderful composition by Porcupine Tree and Tool respectively. Yes, radio has sold out. Yes, it is a business. Yes, people do actually need to make money (scary thought, huh?). No, music is not going down the crapper or anything like that.

The only difference between now and then is the ways in which we obtain our music which has made the industry more money conscious. Good music is still out there, you just gotta find it.

[4001]

I agree with a lot of your post, however there is a lot of music that has been recorded since 1995 that I like a whole lot.

[OmnitzGarima]

Originally Posted by Killens84

To me, music has gotten to the point to where it's all about selling albums.

Whoa!



When did that happen?

[Goober1206]

I agree completely with the op

[PJMiDi]

IMO it has a lot to do with lack of producers/record labels wanting to take risks on anything that they know wont sell.

[Makatak]

Thats precisely why I try to avoid comercial force fed radio I live in new zealand and we have a very limited diet offered to us so ill choose discs over anything else .
However on the music produced in the last 15 years , some of the musicians I listen to always seem to be a cut above the rest and have put out some great stuff either indivdually or collectively in that time : Jeff Lorber , Fourplay ,Wolfgang Haffner , Mezzoforte , Dan Siegel , Brian Culbertson etc , all great bands/players , mostly instrumental though which I like ..... nothing worse than hearing great musicians getting lost in the background while some twat is moaning about his problems up front LOL. Ive never really understood peoples fascination of having to listen to music with vocals , when a truly good tune should stand by itself, oh , as long as theres not too much Sax ......turns a funky groove into a porn movie soundtrack .

My 2 cents

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by Killens84

I'm a high school band director with a college degree in music, so my background is one of having a good understanding and appreciation of music. I'm also a trumpet player and a drummer, along with being a bass player, so I've experienced many aspects of playing music.

LOL.

How's that marching band treating you, chief?

That's what I thought.

[OmnitzGarima]

Originally Posted by Goober1206

I agree completely with the op

I don't necessarily disagree, certainly not with the general idea, I guess I'm just a little surprised when somebody new finally figures it out. Things change, and the changes are not always improvements.

[Essen]

I thought pop music had always been bad?
My father keeps talking of the sugar-pop music that was on the radio 24/7 when he was young. Here up north the radio networks didn't think rock was gonna last.

I've listened to shows on the radio where they play "old classics", it's all pop from 1950's to 70's, and it's all just pointless lovesongs etc.

The problem is that today there is so much crappy music, and therefore you have to look twice as hard to find something of quality.

[rodl2005]

U R pretty well SPOT on!! Only I'd say about 97.6% of modern stuff is crud!

As 'insertcoolname'; states above- there IS excellent NEW music being made these days, but you don't get to hear it on ANY major radio stations. You have to listen to specific stations that play specific styles- or ones that have 'slots' for certain types of music.
There IS great new FUNK stuff coming out- if U know what to look & listen for, there IS even deccent COUNTRY (GASP) music comin out. Just that stations that play Taylor Swift et' al' don't PLAY that either.
I've even heard good new soul, disco, dance etc... finding it- another matter!

[Lackey]

Originally Posted by Killens84

First off, let me say that this is not intended to offend anyone or start a flame war. I'm simply stating my opinion, and I'm totally cool with the fact that many people will not agree with me.

I really do NOT like 99% of the music that has been produced in the last 15 years. I'm a high school band director with a college degree in music, so my background is one of having a good understanding and appreciation of music. I'm also a trumpet player and a drummer, along with being a bass player, so I've experienced many aspects of playing music.

To me, music has gotten to the point to where it's all about selling albums. It seems like all of the producers have found a magic formula for selling albums, and that's all that matters. What makes it worse is that most of these artists today just put out junk and people still buy it. It doesn't seem to be about the integrity of music anymore. And there just doesn't seem to be any heart and soul in the music I hear from artists today. It also kills me to hear so many artists now who have digitally created music tracks, rarely even using real musicians or real instruments to record their music.

I've spent years being educated on intellectual music. Once you've studied and learned to appreciate such complex music by geniuses such as JS Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, Vivaldi, Chopin, Berlioz, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Debussy, it's hard to settle for what I'm hearing in today's music. And those are just my favorite composers. There were many many more great ones. Even though it's not as complex as music from those guys, I still love much of the music from the 50's through the 80's because there was a lot of heart and soul in it. It was real music, played by real musicians, using real instruments. I know those guys were focused on selling records, but they still kept their musical integrity. Artists today just record what a lot of people, who know nothing about music, want to hear. A lot of that stems from music education being watered down in public schools over the past few decades. But that's a totally different topic that I won't get started on.

There's just no way you can compare Lady GaGa, Usher, Lil' Wayne, Katy Perry, Eminem, and the Black Eyed Peas to people like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Journey, Jimi Hendrix, Chicago, and Stevie Wonder. Music back then really meant something. It had life to it. It wasn't only about having a cool beat and some catchy lyrics.

I'm happy that at least jazz music is still around. It still holds the principles of what music should be. And I'm talking about real jazz music, not jazz artists who think they're pop artists. And I'm a big fan of a lot of the popular music from the 50's through the 80's. But that's because a lot of it still kept the integrity of music.

Anyway, I'm done with my spill on modern music. Again, this is simply my opinion, and is not meant to offend or anger anyone. Sometimes I wish I had never been well-educated in music, because it opened my eyes to how much music has digressed in intellectuality and complexity since the music of greats like Beethoven, Mozart, and all the others I listed. And there are TONS of people out there who know more about music than I ever will. But my opinion is based on what I've learned about music up to this point. I'm still learning, and I plan on always trying to learn more.

A) What exactly is your point?

B) Please step off your high-horse. There are many people that are fully capable of enjoying and understanding "complex music by geniuses" without any formal schooling.

C) Why do you reiterate that you love the (presumably pop) music from the 50's to the 80's? Because of the "heart and soul?" Are you trying to make a case that you have aren't completely biased so that your attack on recent music seemingly has credibility? .....what about all the terrible glam bands of the 80s? You don't respect the grunge and alternative rock scene sweeping that away?

D) I'm not so sure using computers to make music is such a bad thing. Many instruments have gone extinct, and maybe a few more will. The strong will survive, and luckily for us that includes the major string, wind, and percussive types. Just because a person uses synthetic means to produce music doesn't mean the music is inherently less worthy.

.... I just don't see what you're trying to prove. Your initial statement could be viewed as either inflammatory and/or redundant, then you follow that up with a resume to assert yourself as a figure of authority. Followed by a few opinions. I don't get it man. I think it's time you opened your mind or your own music making ability will likely suffer. We are in the post-modern era my friend...

[VanillaThundah]

Man, I gotta say...I'm a young fellow myself but I'll go out on a limb and say that I'm sure every decade has had its "ground-breakers" and its "hit-makers".

You're going to have your pop bands with overproduced albums and members that were manufactured by the label, your underground alternative (not the genre itself) rock bands that have shirts in Hot Topic, your dance club or hip-hop artists, and people trying to bring back "the good ol days" with vintage style music or production techniques....oh yeah, and country is in there somewhere too. Moral of the story being, we forget the people that sucked and we hated and try to remember what we liked about that time. I mean, I could think about Led Zeppelin and AC/DC to fondly contemplate what the 70's were like, but I might be forgetting that Disco was also in that decade as well lol (sorry to those who loved Disco).

From what I hear concerning the music industry, from people far older than myself, its the same crap in a different toilet. The only gripe I hear from them is that its become sooooo easy to fix stuff with how complex and powerful that digital recording has become that people don't even have to know how to sing anymore, they just need to look like what the label wants and be able to dance around on stage while "singing". I don't see anything wrong with someone needing "a little help" while playing an instrument and singing at a live show, but if you can't nail it in the studio without pitch correction, I personally feel like that's cheating....just my 2 cents on that.