Music Cycles -

[Botch]

It was during the late seventies and the eighties that I really became the most rabid music fan. I listened to everything I could, ready every damn thing I could, memorized mag articles, took classes, etc. When the punk movement exploded, I couldn't really understand the interest, but I really remember several interviewed punkers claiming they just wanted to have an effect, to make a noise, and connect; and didn't want to woodshed for years to play like Yes or Genesis.
Tonight while doing laundry I've had PBS on, and there was a long segue about Big Band music (actually think it was a fundraising CD/DVD offer). I really enjoyed listening to it, I grew up on Big Band from my Mom's record collection at home (Dad listened to country) and playing in "stage bands" from Jr. High through college, and grew to love thick chords, deep groove, swing, colors, rhythmic complexity and burning solos. The following special on PBS was called "50's and 60's rock rewind", and it struck me how simple and (to me) boring the music was (I've never been a fan of 50's rock). Rarely more than three chords, straight-eight note beats, ugh.
The night got me to thinking, do music genres break out fresh, get more sophisticated, some would say bloated, until the next new thing explodes and brushes it aside, over and over?
Probably not, but the particular combination of shows tonightb... To be continued, Blabbermouth just ran down his Macbook Air battery.

 

[Huey]

I think music for the most part, has become stagnant, or at the very least, factory line produced same ole, same ole. Look at the rock stations today, and see how much music they play that was released 25 years ago. Now imagine listening to those same radio stations 25 years ago, where they playing 25 year old music? There are exceptions to this, but most music today is produced based on a formula for success. I can't think of one group or singer that is hitting the market today that will still be making music in 10 years, let alone 25. I'm sure there are some, but I can't think of any.

 

[PaulyT]

Botch, one could ponder - and I often do - the same question w.r.t. "pop" music (meaning anything after ~1940) with "classical" (anything before 1940, going back hundreds of years). Music follows trends in culture and technology, I believe. In the 19th c. and earlier, music was mainly the domain of the aristocracy - people with time and money to spend on it, which was relatively few. IMHO, the genius of musical composition of someone like Beethoven or Chopin has not even remotely been achieved by anyone in pop/rock music, ever. People these days just can't devote all their attention to composing. And I say this despite how much I enjoy many current non-classical musicians; it's just that the style has changed, I think largely because of the need to produce commercially acceptable output in order to make a living. Rachmaninoff's compositional output decreased dramatically when he had to support himself by conducting and touring.

And of course, the advent of sound recording and reproduction technology in the 20th c., affordably bringing music into the homes of a much broader group, also shifted music, because the "populace" wanted catchy tunes that didn't require somewhat deeper musical training to really appreciate (yes I admit I'm being a classical snob here). Hence "pop" (popular) music, of which the 50's rock you mentioned is a prime early(ish) example. The "masses" don't necessarily want the same musical quality, they just want something fun to listen to while doing other stuff. And so the music that was commercially successful got dumbed down.

Ok before I dig myself into too deep a hole I'll stop, but I definitely think there are broad trends in music, and what we're experiencing today is not the pinnacle of musical evolution by a long shot. And in all of this, there are obvious exceptions, I'm not trying to make infallible blanket statements here. And in a way, even geniuses like Beethoven or Chopin were more the exception than the rule. In ~three centuries of "classical" music (broadly speaking, meaning from mid 1600's to mid 1900's), how many composers stand out as true genius? It's a matter of opinion of course, but it's a handful in all that time. We just have the benefit of a long history to look back on. In the same way, only a handful of current musical artists will be actively producing new, good material 25 years from now.

 

[Flint]

I think music for the most part, has become stagnant, or at the very least, factory line produced same ole, same ole. Look at the rock stations today, and see how much music they play that was released 25 years ago. Now imagine listening to those same radio stations 25 years ago, where they playing 25 year old music? There are exceptions to this, but most music today is produced based on a formula for success. I can't think of one group or singer that is hitting the market today that will still be making music in 10 years, let alone 25. I'm sure there are some, but I can't think of any.

I disagree with the notion that music has become stagnant. When I was a kid, the people listening to the radio were people like me, around my age, wanting to listen to the same music I wanted to listen to. That's what made the three or four stations I listened to popular in my area. But there were also disco stations, Public Radio stations, Tijano stations, tons of country stations, and Christian spoken word stations. When I turn on the radio today, I go the same style of stations I grew to love as a kid - what was once called AOR, or album oriented rock. I don't choose to listen to the modern pop stations or the rap stations or the modern rock/country stations or this BS they try to call Alternative. There are only a couple of stations that still offer that AOR-like playlist, and, of course, most of the AOR music is from the past because music moved forward and changed.

I don't think music is stagnating. I think we are. We want what we already have, but we want more of it. We don't want something new and different as much as we wish the Beatles or Jimmy Hendrix has made one more album we could discover enjoy.

There are tons of amazing artists producing amazing music today, you just have to find it. There are more new albums being produced today than ever before, and since there are so many it can be hard to find what you like. I am convinced what you are looking for is out there, you just have to find it.

 

[Batman]

I think music for the most part, has become stagnant, or at the very least, factory line produced same ole, same ole. Look at the rock stations today, and see how much music they play that was released 25 years ago. Now imagine listening to those same radio stations 25 years ago, where they playing 25 year old music? There are exceptions to this, but most music today is produced based on a formula for success. I can't think of one group or singer that is hitting the market today that will still be making music in 10 years, let alone 25. I'm sure there are some, but I can't think of any.

I disagree...I don't think music is stagnating. I think we are. We want what we already have, but we want more of it. We don't want something new and different as much as we wish the Beatles or Jimmy Hendrix has made one more album we could discover enjoy.

There are tons of amazing artists producing amazing music today, you just have to find it. There are more new albums being produced today than ever before, and since there are so many it can be hard to find what you like. I am convinced what you are looking for is out there, you just have to find it.

Agree 100%

 

[Huey]

I don't think music is stagnating. I think we are. We want what we already have, but we want more of it. We don't want something new and different as much as we wish the Beatles or Jimmy Hendrix has made one more album we could discover enjoy.

There are tons of amazing artists producing amazing music today, you just have to find it. There are more new albums being produced today than ever before, and since there are so many it can be hard to find what you like. I am convinced what you are looking for is out there, you just have to find it.

I agree with this statement as well, and maybe stagnant isn't the right word. I think "pop" music has become very cookie cutter, as in one size fits all. That's what we get when we have shows like American Idol. We shouldn't have to search that hard for decent music though. Although, I just found a band, 311, that has been around for ever, but I had not heard them until recently, and really like there music.

 

[malsackj]

The other side of this is also the music industry having to change from the large corp controlling some of the music and recordings. The artists are starting to have more control and working on their own projects. Music is trying to open the doors of the multichannel playback with limited success from people around this forum and others. The mass consumer has not found it as a need to have.