Why do people complain about "how bad music is today"?

[ARagY 1,152]

Mainstream music seems to consist of drugs, sex, or partying.. yeah not my cup of tea

 

But ALL music produced now? lolno

 

I for one love instrumental/thriller music, Echelon by Position Music and El Dorado by Two Steps From Hell are gr8 m8

[Discordian 6,015]

who are the morons exactly?

 

bad artists seem to be the most popular. There's so many people who buy into it... is that the fault of the bad artists or the people who make them popular?

 

 

Mainstream doesn't equal bad, Nine Inch Nails is mainstream and I obsess over them.

What I meant was that people who only listen to the most popular music and then say music is bad these days are dumb. Mainstream music is as likable as any other kind of music but they do pander to lowest common denominator people quite often. They're...inoffensive. Easy to listen to while doing something else. Is that the type of person you want to judge musical tastes on or the guy who specifically listens to music for the music?

[VulpineTaco 525]

I tend to look on the bright side and ignore most pop music. See, being a metalhead, I get to pay attention to all the great metal bands (and I mean real metal, not emo bullshit) that are popping up every day, not to mention some of the older ones who still make good music.

[Blaze Bronson 343]

People listen to the music they like listening to, but sometimes you are "forced" to listen to music, like when going shopping, listening to radio or going out drinking. Generally you will in some way listen to music if you are out in the public, and as a result hear what is popular, and what most people listen to.

 

And I can safely say that, especially lyrics, has been dumbed-down compared to older music. I mean really, you think you'd ever hear this back in the day?

Not exactly much food for though there.

 

This is just the explanation to the question. Me personally don't mind this music, as I find it either funny, or it at least have a good beat.

However, once I get home, I listen to some true music 

[Omega Centauri 317]

I'm not saying that all modern music is bad, just that most of it isn't as good as it used to be.

 

This video explains one of the biggest problems with the modern music industry. (do not adjust the volume at all while watching this)

 

 

Basically lack of dynamics.

 

Record producers seem to be catching on to this now, and it's becoming less of a problem, so I have high hopes for the next few years.

Edited December 14, 2014 by Omega Centauri

[~Chaos~ 3,967]

It seems people complain about every little thing, but that's just how it is. 

 

Most of the complaining I find is of the mainstream music, which personally I don't really care for, but I have no problem with others liking it.

[Castle Bleck 19,368]

Aloe Blacc sounds quite unique and inspirational, too.

[Ardhacandra 133]

I only read a bit on the first page, but why is everyone talking about mainstream music? Modern music =/= Mainstream... Mainstream is just what is popular right now (Due to marketing, mainly).

 

There are LOADS of good modern bands and genres. For instance, I found a lot very good metalcore bands lately. Also, my favourite "band", even though they started in the late 90's, is still making many albums... and every time their new album is in a completely new (often modern) style.

 

Plenty of good music in this era. You just need to go and look for it (most people won't and that makes me sad. If more people did, I'm certain that our current pop genre will decline heavily).

 

This is just my input, though.

[FlutterAether 421]

In my opinion no-one has the right to call any artists/band music bad.....simply because if they have fans and are earning a TON through sales they're doing something right. I dare the next person to critique to go on stage and do what certain musicians are doing, music isn't bad it's just an opinion which doesn't affect masses, the way I see it is Music is a form of entertainment which if you're entertained no-one has the right to judge your taste. 

 

Nowadays people criticize mainstream music a lot but those criticisms are only slammed against those who are taking the industry by storm e.g. Nicki Minaj or One Direction. Personally her Anaconda video was bad but the lyrics are catchy which resulted in a mass amount of sales it's her own style and she has creative control as to what she puts out, she's famous and has a huge fan-base. 

 

People only complain about modern music because the mainstream talk of a certain artist/band is negative. I never used to be a Taylor Swift fan and people criticized her a lot because of her songs about her exes but, now giving her albums a listen through I can say lyrically she is a great artist who makes music from her emotions why do many people like her? 

Simply because many people can relate back to her lyrics. 

 

 

Anyways that's just my opinion.....

Also not all modern music is about sex, drugs and alcohol.

 

Edited December 15, 2014 by FlutterAether

[Not_active 732]

My theory about why people like different music, is that a certain type of music reminds you of something, and sets an atmosphere that you like. That explains why people have different taste in music depending on which culture they grow up with. So I think it's because people have nostalgic feelings tied to the music, and it puts them into good memories.

Edited January 18, 2015 by RaveRatchet

[Vox 870]

Hipsters.

There are plenty of good musicians around today, I just can't stand the pop, rap, electronic, that's popular right now.

[Guest]

I love all kinds of music, mainstream or not, I don't really care.

 

For instance, I love Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" yet I also like Kid Ink, Tinashe and Usher's "Body Language".

 

I never hate nor complain about anything. Life's too short for that. 

Edited December 16, 2014 by Guest

[Dattebayo 2,850]

Because music today IS bad.

You can argue and say I'm a hipster, but I'm god damn Celestia herself

 

YEAH

NOW WHAT

 

This video is accurate

[Tameless 979]

Personally I like the new music today. Some of it is annoying or repetitive, but I like most of it. Couple new songs I like are:

 

Don't Mind- Usher

Dangerous- David Guetta

[SparklingSquirrels 21,345]

Yeah, I prefer modern music over older music, myself. I just dislike mainstream music... or at least, music that's mainstream here in the US. I prefer music in other languages and I'd assume it's more popular in its country of origin.

 

I used to think people liked older music because they thought they were "cooler" for listening to it, but there are some other common reasons as well, like that artists were more "real" and stuff before music became "sexualized" and less meaningful.

 

Still, there is plenty of meaningful stuff today if you just look hard enough.

Edited December 17, 2014 by JingleSwirls

[VanillaChip 71]

Because music today IS bad.

You can argue and say I'm a hipster, but I'm god damn Celestia herself

 

YEAH

NOW WHAT

 

This video is accurate

If you were a "hipster" you would post some underground modern stuff. Guess I'm a hipster. You need me to show you some stuff?

[Dattebayo 2,850]

If you were a "hipster" you would post some underground modern stuff. Guess I'm a hipster. You need me to show you some stuff?

Hell nah

If it's made from the 90s and up, it sucks. Thats my way of viewing it, anyway

 

Im all classic rock, yo. Was just raised on the stuff.

[VanillaChip 71]

Hell nah

If it's made from the 90s and up, it sucks. Thats my way of viewing it, anyway

 

Im all classic rock, yo. Was just raised on the stuff.

Not only is that narrow minded, but classic rock isn't even an actual genre. It's a radio format, the term was made up in the 80's.

[Sir Hugsalot 9,348]

I don't hate modern music. I don't really *hate* music itself. But I despise some of artists who build their popularity not over how talented they are, but over controversy they cause with their attitude. 

 

Today there are more of them than in past. We have Bieber, Miley Cyrus, in Poland most of popular artists do dumb stuff so that people talk about them. But their music is not a total abomination that it could be. It is catchy, but average. Made for person who does not seek anything deep in music and its only purpose is to fill pockets of record labels. This is not making music, but producing. And it goes for quantity over quality. Basically - those kind of artists are just business.

 

Even look on staff behind most of popular modern pop releases. It is enormous. And they are not gathered to give deep music. They just make bunch of catchy song that the musician will later sing. 

 

 

But people make terrible mistake by judging entire modern music on this. It is beyond dumb to do that, because music is MUCH MORE varied than You can hear on the radio. Metal rolls exactly how it rolled in past. Same goes for rock. Electronic music too has decent artists. Don't act like some kind of experts who "know that only old music is good" - You look nothing short, but silly. You have right to dislike modern music but don't act like it is bad, because You don't like it. Your taste is not superior over for example my. 

 

 

 

 

Hell nah
If it's made from the 90s and up, it sucks. Thats my way of viewing it, anyway

Im all classic rock, yo. Was just raised on the stuff.

One of most narrow minded opinions I've ever read, no offence.

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

Because it is

Sorry, but it truly is. Seeing how most of todays music(2014) is all about half naked woman shaking their bums at you while they sing about um....super bass and guys taking them to Acapulco. Sorry if I got that wrong, but I listen to Trance, Metal, and horrorcore. I know that one genre doesnt sum up all of todays music, but when you ask someone what todays music is they'll generally name a pop song from the 'top 40'.

I guess its better to say today's music sucks, but it doesnt suck. It all depends on what you listen to really. You can say today's music sucks, but then you're saying all of the current music you listen to sucks. You can say today's music doesn't suck, but leave out all those *insert genre that you hate here* songs.

[VitalSpark 1,830]

It's the rose-tinted glasses.

 

Every year, there's a whole bunch of great music produced. But 90% of the music is complete garbage. When you remember your youth, you tend to remember the good stuff, but forget about the bad. Because enjoyable experiences stick in the mind better than dull ones.

 

So people form an unrealistically high opinion of the music they heard in the past, and compare it to what they hear today where 90% of the music is garbage.

 

If you just pick a random week from your past, and take a look at the top 40 chart, you'll find that that 75% of the list you don't recognise the name of the songs, and probably not the band name either. Of the remaining ten, two or three of them you remember specifically because you found them annoying at the time, another two or three you might have enjoyed at the time, but your tastes have moved on, another two or three you still think are OK, but wouldn't actively choose to listen to any more, and there's only two or three you'd defend as still being excellent tunes. (I'm going to go with Trouble, 7 Seconds, and Baby I Love Your Way in that final category for the week I linked to above.) And that's just the songs that charted. The creme de la creme.

[Sir Hugsalot 9,348]

It's the rose-tinted glasses.

 

Every year, there's a whole bunch of great music produced. But 90% of the music is complete garbage. When you remember your youth, you tend to remember the good stuff, but forget about the bad. Because enjoyable experiences stick in the mind better than dull ones.

 

I have to disagree with 90%. 

 

Majority of music is not played on the radio, in fact popular "bad" artists are only little (even if most recognizable) part of entire music industry. 

 

But except for that You made really good points, thank You for posting this.

 

 

 

Because it is

 

Sorry, but it truly is. Seeing how most of todays music(2014) is all about half naked woman shaking their bums at you while they sing about um....super bass and guys taking them to Acapulco. Sorry if I got that wrong, but I listen to Trance, Metal, and horrorcore. I know that one genre doesnt sum up all of todays music, but when you ask someone what todays music is they'll generally name a pop song from the 'top 40'.

 

I guess its better to say today's music sucks, but it doesnt suck. It all depends on what you listen to really. You can say today's music sucks, but then you're saying all of the current music you listen to sucks. You can say today's music doesn't suck, but leave out all those *insert genre that you hate here* songs.

It's not. Radio music is mostly boring, but it does not apply to lesser known bands which are and always will be a lot bigger in numbers. I listen to lots of modern bands and there are still gems to be found. 

 

We should stop judging shape of modern music by radio. Music on the radio isn't and never will be deep and ambitious. But music outside it - often is. 

[~Sugar Sprinkles~ 638]

I like today's music. I mean, depending on the Artist and the Genre.

 

Only problem I have, are some of the Artist's go overboard and only seem to care about their fame. Mind you, NOT ALL. Miley Cyrus (Sorry to fans, I just don't like her) became a little too crazy. No, she is not a bad singer, but... I think she tried to grow up too fast. She made a fool out of herself. Pretty much she wanted to see the world how grown up she is, but look at Selena Gomez (Yeah, yeah, yeah, she's dating Bieber...) but she did not OVER DO herself. Yeah, she's grown up, but...it seems to me she really did not over do it.

 

Anyways, moving on. I just feel like most of the Artist's try too hard and care about fame. Most have GREAT voices and sing beautifully. Ariana Grande CAN SING!!!!! Another thing is, most songs always seem about the same stuff anymore. Money, sex, fame, love, and broken hearts. NOT ALL artist's today do that, but it seems like most. 

 

Other than that, I really do LIKE the music today. Songs seem to be more catchy in my opinion. There's really cool beats to some songs and some of the lyrics are sang beautifully. I like all kinds of music personally.

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

Because I find it sickening that not only do entire genres, styles, and disciplines fade away and disappear as the years pass, but that the genres that are "in" nowadays are so utterly devoid of artistic merit.

 

Music used to be an art. A creative conundrum that demanded the greatest artistic minds on the planet to figure out. Now, it's a singular math problem. Solve it once, and you can top the charts every time.

 

It's not just survivor's bias. The music destined to "survive" this decade is the worst of the bunch. Even in the mainstream, the only good music of our generation is probably going to be washed away in the coming years.

[VitalSpark 1,830]

 

 

Radio music is mostly boring, but it does not apply to lesser known bands which are and always will be a lot bigger in numbers.

 

Yes, there are lots of lesser known bands. 90% of them are crap too.