The direction music is headed?

[Waterpilot]

I don't know about you, but there's a solid amount of crap sprinkled in there between Stevie Wonder and The Eagles. I think there's a big disparity between how people perceive the past and the songs of yore, and the reality of what sold back then. Pick another year, and I think it'll be about the same.

Here's the Top 40 on iTunes Top 100 as of this post today.

1. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

2. E.T. - Katy Perry

3. Loser Like Me - Glee Cast (Television Show)

4. S&M - Rihanna

5. Born This Way - Lady Gaga

6. Get it Right - Glee Cast (Television Show)

7. On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez

8. Blow - Ke$ha

9. Who Says - Selena Gomez & The Scene

10. Down on Me - Jeremih & 50 Cent

11. Rolling in the Deep - Adele

12. Raise Your Glass - Glee Cast (Television Show)

13. Jar of Hearts - Christina Perri

14. Coming Home - Diddy - Dirty Money

15. Blackbird - Glee Cast (Television Show)

16. F**Kin' Perfect - Pink

17. Till The World Ends - Britney Spears

18. What The Hell - Avril Lavigne

19. Rebecca Black - Friday

20. Grenade - Bruno Mars

21. Forget You - Cee Lo Green

22. Firework - Katy Perry

23. Hell To The No - Glee Cast (Television Show)

24. Hey Baby - Pitbull

25. More - Usher

26. Misery - Glee Cast (Television Show)

27. Pretty Girl Rock - Keri Hilson

28. Are You Gonna Kiss... - Thompson Square

29. Marry Me - Train

30. Tonight - Enrique Iglesias

31. Cold Weather - Zac Brown Band

32. Price Tag - Jessie J

33. Never Say Never - Justin Bieber

34. Don't You Wanna... - Jason Aldean

35. The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars

36. Teenage Dream - Katy Perry

37. The Cave - Mumford & Sons

38. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

39. The Time - The Black Eyed Peas

40. Rocketeer - Far East Movement

Who are the musicians on this list that are this generations Eagles and Stevie Wonder? I'd lean toword Usher and Bruno Mars a little bit...

 

[dj150888]

Please don't be a presumptuous. Wait, too late.

I love metal but can easily point out it's bleeding to death profusely in the last decade, and feel it's sad your offended enough I have to point this out.

Trying to find non-screaming, non-auto-tuned, clean metal lyricists in metal today is like finding, well you know how the cliche' goes.

Those bands with good music have Cookie Monster singing. Those with clean lyrics are auto-tuning/ mixing screaming with "clean".

I, personally play in a metal band, with non-screamed, non-autotuned, clean vocals. I could also provide you with a very extensive list of bands who do so as well! Theres plenty of it out there if only you'd take the time to look.

 

[Disaster Area]

The Cee Lo Green song on that list is actually very interesting musically. The lyrics are silly, sure, but so are a lot of the classic rock songs we love so much. It makes me happy to see that song in the top 40, because it's a song that has a lot of merit to it in terms of its composition and execution. Plus, it's just a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. (I prefer the uncensored version, but both versions are great.)

And this is coming from a guy who has been called a "classic rock snob" many times before. There are still good songs out there, and occasionally they'll even make it to the top 40.

 

[BrickBatMansion]

2.7 Million views in a little more then 30 days. It could be genius.

It is NOT genius. It is VOMIT.

2.7 million is the number of mindless sheep/cattle that that were led to the trough in 30 days and swallowed whatever was fed to them.

G.A.F.

 

[JetBlackJazz]

Music is going from a state of mind of talent to just expression and then finally to mainstream entertaining. Music isn't about showing people how you feel, its about allowing them to feel the same emotions as yourself. So when the actual artistic people come out and explain this, hopefully all the raps about two colors and drugs, girls, and abortion will be exterminated...unless you like being a secular outcast...then thts your choice.

 

[Rocker949]

It is NOT genius. It is VOMIT.

2.7 million is the number of mindless sheep/cattle that that were led to the trough in 30 days and swallowed whatever was fed to them.

G.A.F.

Accurate and descriptive way to put it. It's just beyond bad. I wasn't able to endure the entire video, but did watch the first minute.

 

[SactoBass]

My wife and I went to see Don Henley in concert at Wente Vineyards last fall. Inbetween songs, Don asked the crowd "did anyone watch the music awards the other day?"

He paused for a brief moment, looked at the audience with the facial expression of disgust, and then said "what has happened?.........what the hell has happened?"

I think that about sums it up for me.

 

[Ubersheist]

Here's the Top 40 on iTunes Top 100 as of this post today.

1. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

2. E.T. - Katy Perry

3. Loser Like Me - Glee Cast (Television Show)

4. S&M - Rihanna

5. Born This Way - Lady Gaga

6. Get it Right - Glee Cast (Television Show)

7. On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez

8. Blow - Ke$ha

9. Who Says - Selena Gomez & The Scene

10. Down on Me - Jeremih & 50 Cent

11. Rolling in the Deep - Adele

12. Raise Your Glass - Glee Cast (Television Show)

13. Jar of Hearts - Christina Perri

14. Coming Home - Diddy - Dirty Money

15. Blackbird - Glee Cast (Television Show)

16. F**Kin' Perfect - Pink

17. Till The World Ends - Britney Spears

18. What The Hell - Avril Lavigne

19. Rebecca Black - Friday

20. Grenade - Bruno Mars

21. Forget You - Cee Lo Green

22. Firework - Katy Perry

23. Hell To The No - Glee Cast (Television Show)

24. Hey Baby - Pitbull

25. More - Usher

26. Misery - Glee Cast (Television Show)

27. Pretty Girl Rock - Keri Hilson

28. Are You Gonna Kiss... - Thompson Square

29. Marry Me - Train

30. Tonight - Enrique Iglesias

31. Cold Weather - Zac Brown Band

32. Price Tag - Jessie J

33. Never Say Never - Justin Bieber

34. Don't You Wanna... - Jason Aldean

35. The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars

36. Teenage Dream - Katy Perry

37. The Cave - Mumford & Sons

38. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

39. The Time - The Black Eyed Peas

40. Rocketeer - Far East Movement

Who are the musicians on this list that are this generations Eagles and Stevie Wonder? I'd lean toword Usher and Bruno Mars a little bit...

Hell if I know... I'm old and out of it. I think Cee Lo is an awfully talented guy, though. I think he'll stick around a bit.

I'm guessing people will know 50 Cent stuff for a long time, but I'm really not familiar with his stuff.

Besides, I picked the top singles of the year very randomly. That was for the whole year, not just a snapshot of a single moment in time. The cream's going to rise to the top over a year. Also, it could've been a year full of good stuff, or one that's pretty devoid of stuff. I'm not sure. I was 3 at the time, so I'm not too familiar with much of that year's stuff, too.

I'm not defending that year being better or worse then this year. I'm just trying to give some perspective. Crap back then, crap today.

 

[Ubersheist]

I, personally play in a metal band, with non-screamed, non-autotuned, clean vocals. I could also provide you with a very extensive list of bands who do so as well!

As far as the Autotune goes, I really, really, really, really doubt you can find more then one or two any nationally known band that doesn't use autotune in the studio. Unless they explicitly state somewhere that absolutely no autotune was used anywhere or that they used only and entirely equipment from pre-mid or early 1990s, then they almost certainly used at least some Autotune.

Autotune is standard fare these days. You can hear it if you know what to listen in almost anything on the radio on any station.

 

[baalroo]

Because many people believe that pop music has always sucked. Sometimes they say it all sucked, or maybe they're generous and say 90% was bad. I grew up listening to '70s AM Top 40 radio, and while there was pop fluff and one-hit wonders (as I have stated before), it certainly did not suck overall. I've also made the point that there's no way of knowing if one musical era is better than another overall, because you can't possibly listen to all of it. I simply believe that the music that was played on pop stations back in the day was better than what's on pop stations now, so I'm sticking to the "measuring stick" that's easily available. And you didn't have to go looking for great music. IMO, YMMV, it's all subjective, etc. Besides, I love a good, clean debate!

It's nearly as easy to google what you're into as it was to turn on a radio back in the day, and with services like last.fm, pandora, podcasts, blogs, etc you can basically have your own privately tailored radio stations that you can listen to at will. The amount of searching necessary to find decent music is pretty minor. It might be tough for YOU to find thing on the internet, but I promise you that it's a pretty simple and intuitive process for younger generations. It's a bit like an old man in the 80s who couldn't figure out how to work a VCR and thus would complain that home projectors were "superior" because they were "easier to use."


You are certainly right that "pop" stations where "better" back then, but I just don't see why that matters in any way, shape, or form. It's a somewhat inane point IMO... comparing apples and oranges if you will. The radio is crap because only people who like crap still listen to the radio... if you're "into" music you'll spend the small modicum of time and effort to find the proper sources online to get your fix in a much more tailored and satisfying way. It's not exactly hard to google "jazz blog" or "blues internet radio" or "contemporary progressive metal podcast" etc, ad nauseum.

 

[SactoBass]

As far as the Autotune goes, I really, really, really, really doubt you can find more then one or two any nationally known band that doesn't use autotune in the studio. Unless they explicitly state somewhere that absolutely no autotune was used anywhere or that they used only and entirely equipment from pre-mid or early 1990s, then they almost certainly used at least some Autotune.

Autotune is standard fare these days. You can hear it if you know what to listen in almost anything on the radio on any station.

You speak the unfortunate truth, my friend. And that is why I don't listen to the radio.

Before reading this thread, I had never heard of Rebecca Black or her song "Friday", so just for the heluvit, I you-tubed it and listened to the first 30 seconds of the song. (That's all I could take.)

I am currently unable to find words to describe how utterly dumbfounded I am at how something like that can actually be considered music.

I guess that Autotune thingie is the perfect tool for people with zero talent who wish to enter the recording industry. Otherwise those same people would be stuck asking "do you want fries with that?"

 

[Waterpilot]

Besides, I picked the top singles of the year very randomly. That was for the whole year, not just a snapshot of a single moment in time. The cream's going to rise to the top over a year. Also, it could've been a year full of good stuff, or one that's pretty devoid of stuff.

I would consider it a pretty good year actually, though Debby Boone does send it into a tailspin of sorts. But, that's a good point as year end may yield different results.

I guess that Autotune thingie is the perfect tool for people with zero talent who wish to enter the recording industry. Otherwise those same people would be stuck asking "do you want fries with that?"

What's baffled me the most isn't Rebecca Black, or those that wrote and produced the song. Like I said earlier, they're just doing what they do... It's that people are buying it in such droves that it's up to #19 on iTunes Top 100 list. It's being viewed over 2 MILLION times a day, yet that's not enough so they buy it for on the go...

 

[NCD]

A) As soon as she said some nonsense about her friends and they appeared in a Mercedes rag top I killed the browser window and felt as if I needed to go wash my ears.

B) Babit has said that the use of real musicians has been declining steadily for many years. This is why he had to leave NY and go to Nashville, because country is the only genre left using real bassists... and IT SHOWS in the pathetic state of pop and rock.

C) Bands around DC/MD/VA are complaining all over that they can't find bassists. I see dozens of killer bassists all the time, at Guitar Center in Glen Burnie. Not a one of them plays in a band and none of them want to because the bands are all playing the kind of trash that has come out in the last fifteen years and none of the bassists are interested in it.

Bass, and music, reached it's height in the early 70's when Jamerson and a few others had really gotten great at the combined walking/melodic bass lines that gave songs so much depth and heart.

Since then it's all gone backward. Now, you have computerized bass parts for so-called "music" that's nothing but simplistic roots and fifths.

Jamerson and a few others helped music take the next step to greatness with melodic, walking and imaginative lines but then things dumbed down to the point of.... of... of...

To the point of Rebecca Black.

 

[FilterFunk]

The amount of searching necessary to find decent music is pretty minor.

Ah, but I'm not talking about "decent" music. How easy is it to find today's equal to P-Funk, Led Zep, Isley Brothers, Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, the Stones, EWF, etc.? I'll bet it's not as easy as simply tuning in to a pop station. That's my point, and since I can't make it any clearer than that, I'll bow out of this thread. Some very good points have been made by many. Carry on, good people!

 

[IconBasser]

Ah, but I'm not talking about "decent" music. How easy is it to find today's equal to P-Funk, Led Zep, Isley Brothers, Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, the Stones, EWF, etc.? I'll bet it's not as easy as simply tuning in to a pop station. That's my point, and since I can't make it any clearer than that, I'll bow out of this thread. Some very good points have been made by many. Carry on, good people!

yes, pop-rock had it's heyday in the 60's and 70's. That much is certainly true.

like I pontificated earlier, everything interesting (regardless of what you're into) exists underground now. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing though, we can find much more diversity in music because of it.

All in all, I'm not too worried. Because of the diversity, we'll be able to enjoy many creative hybrids of musical styles in a few years (along with quite a few that already exist. Look at Opeth: who would have thought that folk rock and death metal could work so well together?)

 

[dj150888]

As far as the Autotune goes, I really, really, really, really doubt you can find more then one or two any nationally known band that doesn't use autotune in the studio. Unless they explicitly state somewhere that absolutely no autotune was used anywhere or that they used only and entirely equipment from pre-mid or early 1990s, then they almost certainly used at least some Autotune.

Autotune is standard fare these days. You can hear it if you know what to listen in almost anything on the radio on any station.

I suppose it depends on what you mean by nationally known band. I can name many within the metal scene, as its the scene I'm most familiar with, however, I'm aware it doesn't have the same appeal as the pop music which utilises Autotune, I'm also aware that even within the metal scene, bands which don't use it are the exception, rather than the rule. However, to suggest that only one or two nationally known bands don't use it suggests either you only consider gold and platinum selling artists to be "nationally known" or you aren't keeping your finger as close to the pulse as you'd like to think.

 

[Moofknock]

You know, I like to think that for every manufactured "artist" out there in Youtube you can find real talented people:

YouTube - Lydia on bass 5

I just love this girl, and I bought her music on iTunes. Now That is someone I would rather listen to.

 

[Mike M.]

I can't remember when the last time was I listened to the radio. So I'm not at all qualified to say where music is headed.

I heard of The Vaccines for the first time the other day and checked out some of thier music today.

If this is where music is headed....I like it. The songs I heard were under three minutes. Quick, powerful and to the point.

Other than that I really enjoy what music I've heard by the country artist, Paul Thorn. Good, earthy kind of songs.

 

[JoeVictim]

I wish I wouls have been a musician of the 60/70's. It's all been done before. Rob Zombie said of Black Sabbath, they already wrote all the cool guitar riffs. I have been thinking about the state of music for awhile now. Where will it evolve next? I thought I found something cool and new when I started getting into Stoner Metal. But they been doing it since the 90's. Music will go where ever the record execs think they can make the most money and write now, thats tracking instruments and lip synching vocals.

 

[SactoBass]

What's baffled me the most isn't Rebecca Black, or those that wrote and produced the song. Like I said earlier, they're just doing what they do... It's that people are buying it in such droves that it's up to #19 on iTunes Top 100 list. It's being viewed over 2 MILLION times a day, yet that's not enough so they buy it for on the go...

Well now. What you are touching on here is something that is a sensitive subject to some..........of course, we are talking about the intelligence level of the general public.

So don't be baffled at all, my friend. Welcome to Earth, and its inhabitants.