Good music is popular. It's just that generic radio music is way more popular.

Besides, you can't dictate what people want to listen or watch

 

I know exactly what you mean......However Adele is succesfull because shes an incredible voice backed nowadays by equally good pr/production etc etc...
But her voice thru n thru was what got her the air time in the first place "sure right time n place n all that"
Susan boyle.....Gimme a break....

Jesus christ the picture alone was bloody frigtening.....Didnt read the text next to it on account of it to be honest.....he he
Ultimatley tho the susan boyle thing was all pr....Hideosness to one side Yeah she had a voice but i still dont think it was particularly good....
Im sorry to say this but it was because of her appearance "coupled with the voice" that got cowell and co behind her.......I mean because you dont expect even a half decent tone coming from someone who looks like she does "no offence"
And oh look...As soon as the novely wore off shes gone
Wonder why
Not...

 

Last edited: Jul 7, 2016

IMO it's pretty simple. If you don't like it, then it's not meant for you. It's really not so philosophical and complex at all. Times change, people change and the music conforms. It's also pretty arrogant to be so judgmental, and generalize a whole generation based off of your personal opinion, on such a subjective matter, such as taste in music.

 

I have to disagree ( that is a harsh word maybe I should say discuss ) with you on this. We are force feed the junk and then kids seem to like it because it's a fad. There is no appreciation for musicians anymore. I admire people who play instruments more than people who arrange samples from a hard drive. That is just me not to say the hard drive samples aren't talented, but if you play and instrument and arrange and write a song from scratch that is more impressive to me.

Please don't slam me on this I am just expressing the way I feel, just like other do.

 

Last edited: Jul 7, 2016

well having read 6 pages of reactions, there's been a lot said on the topic already. If you look at it, populair music is a downgrade all the way: badly written, bad productions and depending on the genre, musically incorrect quite a few times as well. It seems that haste has taken a large place in today's industry and patience is no longer a virtue. I made the comparison before but it seems to me that so many younger people are settling for Ikea-like prefab packages they asseble without any knowledge of what they're doing because they want it today and for the wrong reason: music is just an inbetween stop to fortune. If it's easier to make money with something else then they'll drop music instantly to trade it for an easier alternative. It has little or nothing to do with passion nor the craftmanship of actually playing an instrument. That seems to be a very bothering detail these days, having to play an instrument. Role models aren't role models because they master an instrument, they are role models because they earn shit loads of money and bragg about it each occasion they'll get. So, those young people that actually pick up an instrument and try to play and go through all the motions of recording a song in the best available way....let's appreciate them. It may not be your taste but at least they are real.

 

Yeah but it's a well known condition.

And I wasn't implying it was YOU, it was more a general statement.
Just tryina be helpful.

 

Good music demands high intelligence and education. It demands effort. Commercial music demands no effort at all, it has to be easy to digest and easy to sell. For example: For us europeans some kinds of high quality asian music (especially indian classical) seem unintelligile, because we haven't spent some time to study the complicated theory behind the sounds.
I agree that pop music industry is dominated by teenagers, it has always been that way. Remember the crazy girl crowds fainting in every Beatles appearance, the goupies etc.? On the other hand, I believe that those kids are more interested in the artist's genitals than his/her music.
There will always be a distinction between pop/commercial/dance/easy listening and good music. And cheap songs with 3 chords and 4-note melodies will always dominate the industry. So what?

Addendum: Bach's last piece (unfinished) is based on a 4-note melody (B-A-C-Bb)!!! I wonder why it's so unpopular!!!

 

Last edited: Jul 8, 2016

Music is as subjective as fruits can be. There are good music or bad music in any category. Adele’s song is pop music while Austin Vintory’s composition is more like a film music. Both are music and both are really good music IMHO, but both fall into different category of music and it seems for certain reasons pop music category or I should say genre is more popular hence its name is pop music. Personally I like film music more because usually film music can take me to a different place while it can even tell a complete story without lyrics. Even if it comes to pop music I usually love those that are film music like and sophisticated with some exceptions.
Apple is a type of fruit and Orange is another type of fruit. Both can be good and both are fruits, yet both are different fruits category. Some prefer one more than the other.

 

I dont think that its really a case of good or bad music,allot of it is the approach how a majority of stuff is marketed especially with youtube......i mean watch the above video,18 million views......done right,everything is linked right,heck he even released it on louder........

 

I like this version better, even more so while not watching the video itself. It was too frenetic for my slow motion eyeballs, all except the great lead the fellow on the PRS ripped out.

 

Look at artists like Lil Wayne and you see that the industry can make anything "popular". They could put a retarded chimp in front of a camera playing bongos and convince the masses it's "music" and "popular". I've found through time, if I compare 80s/90s pop music to what's coming out today, there is really a lack of soul. It's just money worship, materialism, sex and drugs. I say, if you're gonna have the sex and drugs, at least have good music!

 

I grew up listening to 80's and 90's pop. The airwaves were filled with about 90% fluff and 10% substance and that's being generous..lol I never understand how people found dance and party music of those eras so compelling.

 

People like what they like or told they should like, and that is all there is to it.

Also, if your song has a catchy hook and can sung by little girls from 9-28 you are going to get a lot of attention. Popular music is about engagement, if you can engage the crowd or help them relay a message they think they want to belt out, you've won the game.

BTW, the Justin Beeber bashing thing is like five years ago, and like every artist that has ever made music he's got a ton of rotten garbage but there are a few heartfelt gems in there as well. The kid is not Bhrams, but very few people throughout recorded (proper) history are.

 

Couldnt disagree more.
This was considered pop in the 80s,now compare it to todays garbage.You could say that`s my personal opinion but i would say its a general opinion.Facts is pop genre has been severely oversimplified/pussified.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Aug 14, 2016

Agree.

People, in general, don't like to be challenged. They don't want to go too deep, they don't want to probe the issue, they just want something served up that immediately fulfills their current notions or desires.

Given that it's easier to be simple than complex, ignorant than educated, primal than refined, you can only expect that's what most people gravitate toward as far as lyricism and musical feel. I want to feel special, unique, popular, rich, famous, glamorous, hopeful, happy, blissfully unaware, safely rebellious, edgy, and -- most of all, desired and noticed. What music can I plug into that makes me feel like that?

Something simple that I understand. Something that fetishizes drugs, sex, attention, drama, teenage rebellion, having a crush, being crushed on, alcohol/drugs, escapism, dancing, being carefree, and something I feel like I can be a part of and that will make me feel connected to a group I want to be a part of (hip, young, beautiful, successful people) and distance myself from a group I don't want to be part of (parents, the establishment, worn out, jaded, ugly people, etc.)

Why is American Idol about singers and not drummers? Because people almost always identify more when they're singing along. It's more personal, and it's more identifying. It's all about living vicariously through whatever music you're listening to. Popular music (in any genre) is going to based on how well it meets those psychological targets for their target demographic.

Unpopular music is either poorly executed (the bare minimums of being listenable or coherent) or it fails to meet the psychological needs of a significant slice of population. Randomly banging on cheesy Casio synth keys with no idea of rhythm or melody = poorly executed. You'll be laughed off stage. Too high concept, too difficult to parse, too out-dated, or too threatening to an easy worldview = low psychological appeal.

Why is Adele popular? Good execution. Simple enough to digest but also presents an envious level of technical skill. And most importantly... breakup songs. It's universal and even an elementary school girl that was dumped on the playground can understand and sing along.

 

Why are you comparing this RNB song with lyrics to instrumental piece?
Also there is no such thing as "properly orchestrated" - if people weren't breaking the orchestral rules and innovating, we would never have the innovations of Bethoven, Berlioz, Wagner, Stravinsky and so on...
I think you are deluding yourself that "cinematic" pieces like the soundtrack in your post are not pop music.

 

Last edited: Aug 14, 2016

In 2003, researchers at the University of Colorado published a content analysis of "the 100 most popular songs (1958-1998) for artistic characteristics and expression of love." They found that, over time, songs with referencing to love have been replaced with references to sex and selfishness. They concluded that, "the expression of love may have changed as the culture has become more individualistic."

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jan 23, 2018

I feel like this is just what people say when they can't get anyone to listen to their music...

 

...mostly when they feel an unscrupulous system (not dying for the art itself) is in charge of the music world.

 

its up to 1,260,695,624 views now >>> lol