The problem of today's music

[Thomas]

Why is there only junk beeing released today?

Why does a song like "Umbrella" have to be Number 1?

Why is there no personality anymore, just dumb and stupid girls?

Why are people, especially young people, so INCREDIBLY STUPID today?

I have to be sick.

[Spellbinder]

How young are you, Thomas?

[Little Darlin]

I think he's having a bad day.

It's not too bad Thomas...it's what the young ones listen to today that's all.

Remember what people said about Elvis when he first started out

[Thomas]

Maybe you're right.

Looks like I just had my weak 5 minutes.

But as Bill Cosby pointed out in a recent interview: There IS some kind of sickness going on.

[Little Darlin]

This is the type of Music I had to listen to when I was 24....see who got the better end of the deal


http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id217.htm

[Elvisgirl]

Why is there only junk beeing released today?

Why does a song like "Umbrella" have to be Number 1?

Why is there no personality anymore, just dumb and stupid girls?

Why are people, especially young people, so INCREDIBLY STUPID today?

I have to be sick.

well said!! i absolutely agree with you! todays "music" is CRAP

[Robert]

Why bother?

Every decade has it's crap & great music.
The whole industry has changed big time.
Damn, the whole society!

Just pick out the (plenty of) great stuff out there,
and if there isn't any in your opinion, we still have Elvis;)

[Narek]

Remember what people said about Elvis when he first started out

That's the lamest possible excuse. If once Elvis Presley proved critics to be wrong it does not mean that today's pathetic music is any good and every boastful "r&b" singer is future Elvis. (I still don't get how hip hop suddenly became r&b)
The secret of Umbrella's success is very easy. the producer of Rihanna is either Dr Dre or one of the other hip hop production tycoons. MTV has proved over time that if you show ANYONE as much as they show Britney Spears or others, they are gonna be #1 at some point. However time proved that those can be # 1 for very short time

As for artists, not everyone is bad, Michael Buble's last album is fantastic, Christina Aguilera seems to be getting some taste, which she always lacked andit was sad cos she can be a great singer. Robbie Williamshad a couple of nice albums...

[Renan]

Why is there only junk beeing released today?

Why does a song like "Umbrella" have to be Number 1?

Why is there no personality anymore, just dumb and stupid girls?

Why are people, especially young people, so INCREDIBLY STUPID today?

I have to be sick.

well said!! i absolutely agree with you! todays "music" is CRAP

I agree too.

[Little Darlin]

It certainly isn't a lame excuse at all. When Elvis first started out Narek there were some youngsters along with the Parent's didn't rate Elvis' music at all...you know...a bit like Thomas was doing with the Music of Today.

[John B]

There is good music still being made today, it's just a lot harder to find than it once was. I've pretty much given up on listening to the radio. Usually I find new artists I like by visiting music sites such as the Steve Hoffman Forums where "What are you listening to now?" type threads pop up often. Also I go to music boards of artists I like (Elvis of course, Springsteen and a few others) and sometimes trying out what others are listening to.

It helps to keep an open mind when you're trying out a new artist. There have been times where I haven't liked an artist at first but they ended up growing on me. The latest example is Amy Winehouse. Can't say I approve of her lifestyle but I do like a lot of her music. Others lately that have caught my ear are Jens Lekman, Antony and the Johnsons, The Decemberists, Band of Horses and Joanna Newsom among others. All these are new artists who are only an album or two into their hopefully lengthy careers.

Are any of them the next Elvis. Of course not, there never will be another Elvis so no use for any of us waiting around for that to happen. But keep looking around and you'll find there is still some good music out there.

[KiwiAlan]

How do you define good music.

I can't but I do know what I like.

And if I was a little black teenybopper in a Chicago ghetto I dare say my taste may be different

John from Woodley is astute, some of the music I detested in the 70's have now become firm favourites. The exception is Barry Manilow.

[KiwiAlan]

I actually went to a Gary Glitter concert in the 70's

[Scott Haigh 781990EP]

There is no love put in stuff like Riahnna's 'Umbrella', its all about sex appeal and money these days. Real talent just can't be found that much any more. What has happened to my generation?!!

[Scott Haigh 781990EP]

Well thats what i mean. The chart stopping stuff is usually the crap stuff.

Down in Australia, we've got some pretty good bands like Powder finger, Thirsty Merc, and Silver chair that put out some pretty ok stuff. I like that 'Lips of an angel' too by Hinder, thats not a bad song. I'd love to be able to add my name one day to some of Australia's top artists, and bring back some love in the music.

[MB280E]

I´ll let Ronnie James Dio present my feelings regarding this subject.

A question; why does todays´ artists find it necessary (spelling?) to say their names or mention their names in the songs...? Are they afraid the listener is forgetting who he´s listening to? Or it is simply their swollen egos talking? Umbrella e e e e e e e...what a stupid song...how anyone can get away with S-H-I-T-E like that I will never know. Some mentioned Amy Winehouse...man, have you forgotten about voices like Aretha Franklin...Janis Joplin...Dionne Warwick...Shirley Bassey...?!? That little "problem child" Winehouse (wining and wining about stuff that we couldn´t care less about!) don´t even reach them to their knees!!!

Listen to Ronnie if you care about music...!





Sincerely MB280E

[MB280E]

Comparing that spoiled and drugaddicted brat to Billie Holiday is just horrendous John. Though Holiday herself had real drugproblems I can´t agree with you. There´s a big difference between quality and what that Amy girl is doing. And so what if she has copied another artist´s style...she´s not an original, just a mere shadow of a copyist. And that other fellow...yeah, right...!


Sincerely MB280E

[Rob]

Why is there only junk beeing released today?

Why does a song like "Umbrella" have to be Number 1?

Why is there no personality anymore, just dumb and stupid girls?

Why are people, especially young people, so INCREDIBLY STUPID today?

I have to be sick.

well said!! i absolutely agree with you! todays "music" is CRAP

I agree too.

When you can't find any good current music to listen to, there's always Sirius Satellite Radio. You're guaranteed to find something you like there.

I always do.

[TJ]

A question; why does todays´ artists find it necessary (spelling?) to say their names or mention their names in the songs...? Are they afraid the listener is forgetting who he´s listening to? Or it is simply their swollen egos talking?

Not really a new thing. Jerry Lee Lewis did it all the time.


There is good music and a whole lot of bad, disposable crap. KT Tunstall is a current fave of mine. Great songwriter and performer, with bags of charisma and someone who did it the hard way - gigging for a decade or so before being signed. The first album (Eye to the Telescope) features some real gems, as does the acoustic album (Acoustic Extravaganza), which was just designed as a small project before the next big studio album.

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree (solo)



Gone to the Dogs


Suddenly I See


Heal Over - only a fan vid but love the song

[drjohncarpenter]

Why is there only junk beeing released today?

That statement is erroneous. There's a LOT of great music being made, but more often than not one must look beyond the pop charts to hear it.

Try a little harder, you'll be surprised.

[drjohncarpenter]

This is the type of Music I had to listen to when I was 24....see who got the better end of the deal

http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id217.htm

Hey!

From that list of 1985 hits, all of these are good or better:

Top Ten Singles

January
7. "Small Town," John Cougar Mellencamp

February
6. "Living In America," James Brown

March
6. "R.O.C.K. In The USA," John Cougar Mellencamp

April
1. "Kiss," Prince & The Revolution
3. "Manic Monday," Bangles
7. "Harlem Shuffle," Rolling Stones
9. "R.O.C.K. In The USA," John Cougar Mellencamp

May
4. "Live To Tell," Madonna
5. "If You Leave," Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark

June
3. "Live To Tell," Madonna

July
4. "Sledgehammer," Peter Gabriel

August
1. "Papa Don't Preach," Madonna
7. "Rumors," Timex Social Club

September
5. "Walk This Way," Run D.M.C.
8. "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)," Glass Tiger

October
5. "True Colors," Cyndi Lauper
6. "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)," Glass Tiger

November
3. "True Blue," Madonna
5. "Take Me Home Tonight," Eddie Money
6. "Word Up," Cameo
9. "True Colors," Cyndi Lauper

December
1. "Walk Like An Egyptian," Bangles
2. "The Way It Is," Bruce Hornsby & The Range
3. "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," Wang Chung
7. "To Be A Lover," Billy Idol
9. "Stand By Me," Ben E. King


Albums of the Year

Crowded House, Crowded House (Capitol)

Singer-songwriter Neil Finn, bassist Nick Seymour and drummer Paul Hester formed Crowded House after the breakup of the New Zealand band Split Enz. They traveled to Los Angeles to record an album, sharing a small house in Hollywood Hills (hence the band's name), and had no clear-cut idea about what they wanted to do, or what sound they wanted to create. Put it down to inspiration, but the trio crafted a masterpiece of classic pop music, with catchy melodies and a raw, robust sound that conjured up images of three very talented musicians taping a jam session. In fact, they toiled magnificently over each track. The end result: quality songs like "World Where You Live," "Now We're Getting Somewhere," "Something So Strong" and the hit single "Don't Dream It's Over," which reached US#2. The album went platinum, and stayed charted for 58 weeks. This debut album, though, was a tough act to follow; Crowded House was never able to duplicate its success.

Guitar Town, Steve Earle (MCA)

Like Robert Cray's Strong Persuader, Anita Baker's Rapture, and Janet Jackson's Control, Guitar Town demonstrated that in 1986 it didn't matter what category you were in or what your roots were, as long as you produced quality material. Steve Earle was a staff songwriter in Nashville who had penned hits for the likes of Waylon Jennings before getting the opportunity to make his own album. What he made was a fusion of rock and outlaw country, with songs about the common man which, because they dealt with fundamental truths about the human condition, resonated with young and old, urban dweller and country boy alike. Created in an all-digital studio, Guitar Town was something very new for Nashville, and was an important element of the country music renaissance that began in 1986. It was gutsy, from-the-heart, down-to-basics music from start to finish.

True Blue, Madonna (Sire)

True Blue was the first album by an American female artist to enter the UK chart at #1. The single "Papa Don't Preach" would hit the top spot on the UK singles chart on the same day -- a feat duplicated in the U.S., where the album would remain on top for five weeks and sell seven-million units. The reason for this success was simple: with True Blue Madonna demonstrated that she was much, much more than simply the saucy boy-toy we'd been introduced to with Madonna and Like A Virgin. In fact, it's safe to say that with this album Madonna transformed herself from the street-smart punk into a sensuous and self-respecting woman. Madonna wasn't seeking another tour de force; she had some things to say about growing up, responsibility, heartbreak, and the generation gap, and she did so with a clean, rock-solid collection of songs that, for the first time in her career, could stand on their own merits without benefit of video images. It was an audacious -- and crucial -- step up for Madonna, and ensured her longevity as a superstar.

[KingOfTheJungle]

It does seem as if music on the pop-charts is experiencing a half-life though, just compare the list of "good" songs from the top 10 in 1985, to the list of the top 10 charters in 1965.

[KiwiAlan]

The probem with today's music.

It's all about getting old!

[likethebike]

The problem for appreciating today's music is that the aesthetic largely changed just as it did when Elvis and his peers broke ties with previous music traditions. Sinatra and others complained that Elvis' music was "animalistic" because of it placed a primacy of rhythm and beat over melody and disregard for musical conventions like clear vocal pronunciation. Arguably, the distance between today's music and the music from the 1950s and 1960s is even greater than that as many songs barely contain melody or feature elements of multiple songs and singing is either not done (I.E rap) or completely bombastic. Things like passion, originality, daring and wit still exist in popular music but you just have to learn a new set of rules to appreciate it.

[Little Darlin]

This is the type of Music I had to listen to when I was 24....see who got the better end of the deal

http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id217.htm

Hey!

From that list of 1985 hits, all of these are good or better:

Top Ten Singles

January
7. "Small Town," John Cougar Mellencamp

February
6. "Living In America," James Brown

March
6. "R.O.C.K. In The USA," John Cougar Mellencamp

April
1. "Kiss," Prince & The Revolution
3. "Manic Monday," Bangles
7. "Harlem Shuffle," Rolling Stones
9. "R.O.C.K. In The USA," John Cougar Mellencamp

May
4. "Live To Tell," Madonna
5. "If You Leave," Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark

June
3. "Live To Tell," Madonna

July
4. "Sledgehammer," Peter Gabriel

August
1. "Papa Don't Preach," Madonna
7. "Rumors," Timex Social Club

September
5. "Walk This Way," Run D.M.C.
8. "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)," Glass Tiger

October
5. "True Colors," Cyndi Lauper
6. "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)," Glass Tiger

November
3. "True Blue," Madonna
5. "Take Me Home Tonight," Eddie Money
6. "Word Up," Cameo
9. "True Colors," Cyndi Lauper

December
1. "Walk Like An Egyptian," Bangles
2. "The Way It Is," Bruce Hornsby & The Range
3. "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," Wang Chung
7. "To Be A Lover," Billy Idol
9. "Stand By Me," Ben E. King


Albums of the Year

Crowded House, Crowded House (Capitol)

Singer-songwriter Neil Finn, bassist Nick Seymour and drummer Paul Hester formed Crowded House after the breakup of the New Zealand band Split Enz. They traveled to Los Angeles to record an album, sharing a small house in Hollywood Hills (hence the band's name), and had no clear-cut idea about what they wanted to do, or what sound they wanted to create. Put it down to inspiration, but the trio crafted a masterpiece of classic pop music, with catchy melodies and a raw, robust sound that conjured up images of three very talented musicians taping a jam session. In fact, they toiled magnificently over each track. The end result: quality songs like "World Where You Live," "Now We're Getting Somewhere," "Something So Strong" and the hit single "Don't Dream It's Over," which reached US#2. The album went platinum, and stayed charted for 58 weeks. This debut album, though, was a tough act to follow; Crowded House was never able to duplicate its success.

Guitar Town, Steve Earle (MCA)

Like Robert Cray's Strong Persuader, Anita Baker's Rapture, and Janet Jackson's Control, Guitar Town demonstrated that in 1986 it didn't matter what category you were in or what your roots were, as long as you produced quality material. Steve Earle was a staff songwriter in Nashville who had penned hits for the likes of Waylon Jennings before getting the opportunity to make his own album. What he made was a fusion of rock and outlaw country, with songs about the common man which, because they dealt with fundamental truths about the human condition, resonated with young and old, urban dweller and country boy alike. Created in an all-digital studio, Guitar Town was something very new for Nashville, and was an important element of the country music renaissance that began in 1986. It was gutsy, from-the-heart, down-to-basics music from start to finish.

True Blue, Madonna (Sire)

True Blue was the first album by an American female artist to enter the UK chart at #1. The single "Papa Don't Preach" would hit the top spot on the UK singles chart on the same day -- a feat duplicated in the U.S., where the album would remain on top for five weeks and sell seven-million units. The reason for this success was simple: with True Blue Madonna demonstrated that she was much, much more than simply the saucy boy-toy we'd been introduced to with Madonna and Like A Virgin. In fact, it's safe to say that with this album Madonna transformed herself from the street-smart punk into a sensuous and self-respecting woman. Madonna wasn't seeking another tour de force; she had some things to say about growing up, responsibility, heartbreak, and the generation gap, and she did so with a clean, rock-solid collection of songs that, for the first time in her career, could stand on their own merits without benefit of video images. It was an audacious -- and crucial -- step up for Madonna, and ensured her longevity as a superstar.

I agree with half of them..the other half..so so.