10 Sad Disappointing Facts About Popular Music

Originally posted by wtbengineer
reply to post by davethebear

 

Yeah, I feel ya. I don't know if it's that we have become our dads or the current pop culture is just that bad. I tend to think its the latter, but who knows?? Future generations could judge differently...

Yeah, well have to wait and see, but if the music gets that bad, I hope I am dead by then..haha

reply to post by davethebear


Well, I don't hope I'm dead by then.... just deaf! Hahaha, just kidding, I wouldn't really want to be deaf.

reply to post by ShortMemory


It's like the UK stuff, every year we had whoever won The X Factor becoming instantly the number 1 single until some people got sick of it and campaigned to have Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name" beat it instead.

A bandwagon started and RATM won the battle (the band themselves were surprised because they didn't know it was happening until midway through and then promised a free live show in London if they hit number 1, which they performed 6 months later) but the sales were pretty close. So close I was terrified that X Factor would end up winning again.

Another protest was started a year later but nobody bothered because they were too caught up in the latest X Factor crap so that year's winner ended up getting to the top of the chart with a cover of a song by an indie rock band about domestic violence by a girlfriend when she beats her boyfriend silly (the song's meaning totally lost on the masses of idiots who buy something because it's popular or they think it's trendy and cool to listen to).

There was even a movement of people years ago who claimed that hating Coldplay was the latest fashion when there were a few people like myself who hated that crappy, boring band from the very start because we saw how # they were and weren't dragged into the hype about them in the first place.

Number one album in the UK now is a second greatest hits release for a manufactured group from the 90s who split 10 years ago and whose biggest hits were covers of other people's songs. That's how ridiculous it is.

It pissed me off when Rihanna was "singing" about being a rock star and people buying into it.

Originally posted by davethebear

Originally posted by wtbengineer
reply to post by davethebear

 

Yeah, I feel ya. I don't know if it's that we have become our dads or the current pop culture is just that bad. I tend to think its the latter, but who knows?? Future generations could judge differently...

Yeah, well have to wait and see, but if the music gets that bad, I hope I am dead by then..haha

The music is already bad to me and I'm only 27.

It's all R&B, hip hop, garage, dubstep, pop crap and fake rock that's just your typical bland pop music but played with guitars to make it seem like rock (stuff like Beady Eye, Stereophonics, Muse, Arctic Monkeys and whatever bollocks there is out there that I don't care to know the names of).

None of it requires talent and it sucks.

What's worse is when I tell people I like listening to metal and they instantly look at me like I'm a freak and think it's all deep throated shouting and noise like the retarded morons they are. Funny cause they say that and besmirch a genre that requires talent and emotional attachment to create and listen to yet they go off and listen to songs that sound like people randomly hitting keyboards and samples aka the grime and dubstep scene

Originally posted by curious7
reply to post by ShortMemory

 

It's like the UK stuff, every year we had whoever won The X Factor becoming instantly the number 1 single until some people got sick of it and campaigned to have Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name" beat it instead.

A bandwagon started and RATM won the battle (the band themselves were surprised because they didn't know it was happening until midway through and then promised a free live show in London if they hit number 1, which they performed 6 months later) but the sales were pretty close. So close I was terrified that X Factor would end up winning again.



Another protest was started a year later but nobody bothered because they were too caught up in the latest X Factor crap so that year's winner ended up getting to the top of the chart with a cover of a song by an indie rock band about domestic violence by a girlfriend when she beats her boyfriend silly (the song's meaning totally lost on the masses of idiots who buy something because it's popular or they think it's trendy and cool to listen to).

There was even a movement of people years ago who claimed that hating Coldplay was the latest fashion when there were a few people like myself who hated that crappy, boring band from the very start because we saw how # they were and weren't dragged into the hype about them in the first place.

Number one album in the UK now is a second greatest hits release for a manufactured group from the 90s who split 10 years ago and whose biggest hits were covers of other people's songs. That's how ridiculous it is.

It pissed me off when Rihanna was "singing" about being a rock star and people buying into it.

Yeah, Coldplay.......what the F***

reply to post by TheMaverick


I don't understand how masses of people can eat this garbage up. All these mainstream artists do is make one "catchy song" (that isn't even that good) and then a bunch of songs that sound almost identical. It just tells me that these artists are lazy, and that people are even lazier. They don't want to listen to songs with underlying messages, songs that make them think. They want something with a good beat, and something that they think will make them fit in with the other sheep. Don't get me wrong, when I hang out with my buds we listen to some mainstream hip hop and other music, but only because of how absurd/catchy it is and to make fun of it. I'm just glad there are still musicians out there that aren't corrupted.

Who cares? You people really need to have your favorite band sell more than kesha to feel validated?

There is also a simple explanation for a band like Led Zeppelin selling less than Rihanna. Zeppelin didn't have the huge boon that is the itunes store floggin their stuff back in 74 or whatever. Also they, Rod Stuart, the beatles and pretty much every other band mentioned has been in high rotation on radio stations for 30 frikkin years now. You would have to be stupid to buy a zeppelin album in this day and age, just turn on the radio.



I actually just turned on the radio to prove it to myself and low and behold Robert Plant is singing about how it has been a long time since he rock on rolled.

You know what is really frikkin sad? Bon Jovi has sold more records than Ornette Coleman. AC/DC has sold more records than Vladimir Ashkenazy. Pop music has always been BS. It didn't start with Take That! and the spice girls.

reply to post by FEDec


I don't want my favourites to sell more than whatever POS is selling at the moment to be "validated", I just get annoyed when talented people I enjoy listening to go unnoticed while people think the chart is the be all and end all and that if it isn't listed on radio or tv as a top selling artist, it doesn't exist.

You couldn't pay me enough to listen to main stream music. Aside from Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion I can honesty say I wouldn't even be able to tell you who the artist was if I heard their music. Two of the people on the list I have never even heard of. Talent is a requirement in any of the music I listen too, along with well thought out meaningful lyrics. Songs about relationships must be unique because there are so many of them out there that say the same thing. It is rare for me to find a song about relationships that I actually like. There are so many things to write songs about so why all the freaking relationship songs?

There is so much good music out there though. The worst thing about mainstream music isnt the overated success of these artists, but that their Genre is mainstream and monopolizes the airwaves. If they balanced outthe genres being played on these radio stations, at the very least people would have a better relationship to music as a whole and appreciate the variety maybe even have a better understanding in quality.

Originally posted by TheMaverick
10 Sad Disappointing Facts About Popular Music

1. Creed has sold more records in the US than Jimi Hendrix

3. Ke$ha's “Tik-Tok” sold more copies than ANY Beatles single ?

4. Flo Rida's “Low” has sold 8 million copies – the same as The Beatles' “Hey Jude”

5. The Black Eyed Peas' “I Gotta Feeling” is more popular than any Elvis or Simon & Garfunkel song

6. Celine Dion's “Falling Into You” sold more copies than any Queen, Nirvana, or Bruce Springsteen record

9. People actually bought Billy Ray Cyrus' album “Some Gave All…” 20 million people infact ?. More than any Bob Marley album

But this can't be right, I thought downloading meant that no one was buying music anymore

reply to post by davespanners


Great point! This is what we have been led to believe. I guess record sales are not so much affected by downloads as they want us to think.

I think that the main problem with Major Label music today, and why people often refer to it as "soulless", is because often it actually has no soul.

For example, many times the song you hear on the radio wasn't even written by the person singing it. It was most likely written by a professional in the industry who gave it to the singer. Heck, even if the singer writes her own music, he or she still has a professional come in and coach her on how to write it so that it's a hit.

In other words, the actual CREATIVE PROCESS is removed from the equation. Hence, being soulless.

So here we have someone who doesn't write their own music, so I can't call them a musician. They use autotune so much that I don't feel comfortable calling them a singer. They have very little control over imagery such as for an album cover, music video, etc. so I'm certainly not calling them an artist. What's left?

I don't really think of pop stars as musicians, but rather promotional representatives marketing a product.

reply to post by thepixelgarden


Exactly.

Lady Gaga wrote a lot of songs for other people and she only got discovered as an artist in her own right because Kanye West didn't wanna record one of her songs cause he didn't think he could do it as well as her demo sounded.

My brother listens to a lot of R&B and grime/dubstep/the like and I swear, at least a quarter of it has stuff from other people's songs sampled or stolen.

The classic song "Zombie" by The Cranberries for example. Dunno who the artist is but he uses autotune and changed the lyrics from "it's in your head, in your head, zombie, zombie, zombie" to "who's in your bed, in your bed, mommy, mommy, mommy".

reply to post by davespanners


Certain price to download (99p per song on itunes in the UK for example).

I've never downloaded, I prefer buying an album either online or in stores. I prefer holding the physical CD in my hands and reading/looking at the booklet inside or getting special editions with extra DVD.

Major reason why I supported Metallica in the argument with Napster 11 years ago.

For example, many times the song you hear on the radio wasn't even written by the person singing it. It was most likely written by a professional in the industry who gave it to the singer.

Yeah welcome to 1950. That has been going on for aeons. Elvis didn't write all of his own stuff nor did the Beatles. Nor just about anyone who had any success in the 80's. Robert Fripp, Kraftwerk, Iggy Pop and Klaus Nomi could have been said to have basically or literally written some of Bowie's stuff but they wont get recognition for it.

What about all those country and western douches? Exactly zero of them write their own songs and have done since time immemorial.

What about Bob Dylan? Who stole everything from his guitar playing and lyrics to his image and name? More than that he admits it.

I could take at least one band from each poster here. Who is guilty of the things that they are accusing these people of. You are all just pissed that whatever garbage you listen to lost marketing potential 10-20 years ago.

Don't worry it doesn't mean your favorite band has to go under. Look at AC/DC they have survived by making the exact same album 16 times.

Pfeh look at ya'll trying to pretend your idols aren't just as big money grubbing sell-outs as whoever is top of the charts right now. For shame.

I've never downloaded, I prefer buying an album either online or in stores. I prefer holding the physical CD in my hands and reading/looking at the booklet inside or getting special editions with extra DVD.

Lady Gaga in her most confused wet dream wishes she could be a sold-out prostitute of Metallica's stature.

Quit trying to pretend like your music isn't just as crappy, soulless and commercial as this stuff.

Originally posted by FEDec

For example, many times the song you hear on the radio wasn't even written by the person singing it. It was most likely written by a professional in the industry who gave it to the singer.

I could take at least one band from each poster here. Who is guilty of the things that they are accusing these people of. You are all just pissed that whatever garbage you listen to lost marketing potential 10-20 years ago.

Who are you talking to? Cos you quoted me, yet I listed no bands. But since you mentioned it, let me go on record by saying that my favorite artists do not have other people write their music for them.

reply to post by thepixelgarden

my favorite artists do not have other people write their music for them.

I think you would be surprised. Song Writers aren't just for top 40 acts. Unless your favorite bands are all check to check bar bands they have at very least probably had some help. That's why when a band from one scene breaks out one or more of it's members become producers. It isn't because they really know how to use the equipment it is because they know what will sell and how to market it.

Whether you are talking about Seasick Steve and Modest Mouse, Shawn Crahan and Mudvayne or Iggy Pop and Bowie.

All of the above have taken advice or more from the other. Bowie Barely does anything other than bring his persona to the stage and you'd never hear people talk this way about him.

No I think this is more a case of "my band is better than yours I'm special!" Does anyone really still care about that dumb crap? I thought it was illegal to take that past highschool.

reply to post by FEDec


What you're talking about seems like kind of a gray area. I mean sure, artists take advice from other artists. Heck, just the concept of being in a band means that you are sharing ideas with each other. However, sharing creative ideas is different than having other people write your music for the sole purpose of making it profitable.

To be honest, I partially agree with you about clinging to favorite popular bands from the past. I did have that "surprise", as you say, quite awhile ago. I grew up with hair metal; Motley Crue, Poison, etc. and I remember reading an interview with one of those bands. They talked about how they were total strangers and were matched together by the record label. I was pretty shocked, to say the least. So I get what you're saying.

But still, my favorite bands still don't fall under that category. I know it probably seems petty, and I SWEAR I'm not trying to do the whole hipster "my favorite bands are so obscure that you've never heard of them" thing. It's just that music is very important to me, and has been my whole life. It's art, and so what I said before about the lack of a creative process really bothers me.