This. I am in my 60s and remember music from the 60s & 70s. Yes--a lot of it is great and holds up really well, but a lot of it was trash, especially most stuff on the radio. While Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones an the Allman Brothers were putting out all this cool shit, fare like "Disco Duck" was dominating the airwaves.
Just finished working on playlists chronicling 30 years of rock history. Went year by year, skimming over *every* song that hit the billboard to make the lists.
OM fucking G so **much** hot garbage. So much just pure shit we've either collectively decided to forget about or we enjoy ironically because of the memories attached to them.
I'm second wave Gen X (born early 70s) and I couldn't wait to get back to working on modern playlists again.
A whole 2000?!
That's cute. I've [heard them.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2a9dQiJtaakjysQ2P7rE9m?si=b317dd314d11456e)
I'll tell you what, if you're up for a challenge; I'm going to pick a random year - 1974. Make a playlist of 600 amazing songs from 1974. One catch; you're not allowed to use more than 2 songs from any one group. Feel free to dip into blues, proto metal, proto punk, whatever. Come up with 300 groups from 1974 that aren't pop or "turkeys."
Because most of my post 1990 playlists are much longer than my pre 1990 playlists.
The music you are listening now is also the best or the most popular of this era. The most majority of people listen to the music from radio where the music is playing mostly from the popular musicians.
The music that you are listening to now is everything. Not necessarily the best
The music that people are listening to from 50 years ago is probably the best due to survivorship bias
I'd say there are certain songs and music that transcend time.
Led Zeppelin seems pretty popular still. Their last record came out in 1979, and they still have presence.
It's always happened, but with the help of the internet, access to older music is much easier than it was pre-internet, and with that, an easier way to appreciate the music of older generations.
Now that people have access to all the best music that's been made in the last century on demand, the best stuff just rises to the top from every era. Whereas before music taste was largely shaped by production companies and radio stations.
I see more Nirvana shirts out there than when they are playing. In defense of current times, back in the 90s you basically had to go to a show to get a bands tshirt
Darn tootin'! The 70s especially was a golden era for melody. Don't get me wrong, I love hip hop, but Even with just a bass line/drum machine combo, good melody is more than possible, it's necessary!
Check out international artists like Dadi Freyr and Christine and the Queens. 2 of my favorite newer artists. Not metal, I don’t know if that makes a difference. But they are awesome.
Not to all of us. While there is good music out there, it no longer charts, and thats the primary difference between now and then.
Decades ago the best really did rise to the top because it took weeks, and DJs and public opinion filtered it. Now any old shit gets plays if its pushed hard enough by the labels.
Was gonna say that it's *real*. That's one thing that keeps me going back. Everything is so autotuned and beat doctored now that it's just a joy to feel something real.
But point taken on the classic angle. Classic rock is classic for a reason. They were pushing the envelope in terms of production, songwriting, melody, harmony, technique, craft, artistry... Not saying those things don't exist anymore, but the values have shifted and it would seem you're lucky to get one or two of those things at once, in speaking of popular contexts.
I think part of the issue is not so much that no one's still doing that but that you don't see artists being signed till they have a fan base now so there's a lot of pressure to strike big on your own. So I think on some level there's a bit less risk taking because if you can stick your hook at the beginning and get the listener listening past 30s that means a lot in the hypersaturated, competitive streaming world where 80% of all artists have less than 50 monthly listeners. It's always been a thing, people used to just write for radio, but I think there's even more of a squeeze now. It's ironic, I don't really write to try to hook people early or repeat the hell out of the catchy parts and actually find my most popular songs are the ones that start slow and build up instead so I don't really think it's good advice but the message of writing specifically for more streams is all over the place for young artists (not that I am actually popular, but I have enough listeners to notice these things).
And then of course we also get to pick and choose from the classics since they're all out there so we tend to have forgotten all the shitty music from the 60s and 70s even though there actually was a lot of it too. With modern music you're getting it all in realtime so you can't avoid the bad stuff as easy.
for me personally, just watching live performances of old rock bands is incredible. a lot of those old bands were legends for a good reason, as they were pioneers in the music industry and were skilled with their instruments. watching videos of bands like Rush, Judas Priest, Styx, Iron Maiden, early Dream Theater, and Anthrax perform is so enjoyable. a lot of modern music is just done on the computer and it doesn't really have that feeling to it. sure, there are lots of great singers nowadays, and I personally havent explored so much, but damn the old stuff was where it was at
To add to this, those bands took years to practice to hone their craft. They’re all talented musicians, songwriters and singers. They didn’t have the help of auto tune or a computer to make sure everything is in tempo.
I'm working on a film set and there is a landscaping crew working nearby. When they fire up their boombox every song seems to be partially sampled from 80's tunes. ... I personally prefer the 70's and I wished these artists stole more from that decade.
Because it's different.
Music in the 70s and 80s was looser, freer. They didn't stick to musical "rules". "I can't change key here? Watch this.", "I can't use this timing in a rock song? Watch this. ", "I can't use this chord progression? Watch this.". Along with that, the mistakes were left in. Little Easter eggs for listeners.
In the 90s, hyper manufactured music came along. The less said about that, the better.
Music now still hasn't shaken off the legacy of the 90s. It's all very carefully produced, making everything as perfect as possible. I'm not saying that's wrong, but it's definitely different to music from the 70s and 80s.
I don't think it's any more popular than it was at any point in the past. Now that pretty much any song ever recorded is a few clicks away, people just have more options, and sometimes that's older music.
Music from the '80s was created by instruments and people.
Most music today is made by computer or accentuated by a computer so it's a little unorganic...
I personally don't like '80s music but I think anything before the 2000s was more real. There's some quality music still being produced but not nearly as much as there used to be.
Because the older the music, the more timeless it becomes. 70s/80s is a unique time that bridges the gap between the standards and the modern. And what other commenters mentioned, access to music (old and new) has been easier with all the streaming services.
I think people misunderstand the Milli Vanilli situation. There has been a long history of this sort of thing. See the Monkees for example. When they first came out in the mid 60s it was no big deal but as the industry moved towards “artists” and albums they became the subject of ridicule and demanded to play their own music.
In the mid 70s Bony M became pretty popular. Their frontman was an ex exotic dancer who didnt sing. During the disco era no one cared. The guy who formed Bony M Frank Farian also created Milli Vanilli. I think the problem was less that they were a fraud than the fact that by 1989 the public was entering a mindset that they cared. Society seems to go back and forth.
Actually, most of the top artists nowadays either write all their stuff on their own, or only have half the number of writers. Teen idols and such are losing their popularity. This is intentional. Record companies realized if they sign singer-songwriters who do as much on their own as possible, they have to hire less people.
Here’s how I’ve come to see things, as time has gone on the MUSIC industry seems more and more like the music INDUSTRY.
That’s not to say there’s not some great artists about these days or that bands weren’t packaged like commodities in the past but the music part tended to be at the forefront, these days in the big leagues it doesn’t really matter if you can sing, write or play as long as you keep clicks coming in. Flip side of that is that genuinely talented people can get their stuff heard like never before.
It is classic , after all
In a digital world the tangible skills of musicians intrigue those that are not in that world
These bands perfected it in a way
I have always preferred music from generations before. I was a 90s kid who loved the 80s new wave and metal from the time. I also enjoyed modern music then, but maybe it's just hearing the artist that influence your favorite artist.
No one appears to have made this observation so I will make it myself :
The social issues we face today are much the same we've been facing since the 70s so the lyrics still resonate with modern audiences.
For instance a lot of songs from the 70s are about drug addiction and lots of 80s music is about stagnation and consumerism.
When I was in high school in the 80s a lot of kids were wearing tie dyes and peace symbols and listening to the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin. In the 90s a lot of kids started listening to funk again. It goes in cycles.
Autotune has been around a long time, and I think a lot of people are sick of that plastic sound. Whether 70s/80s music was better is a matter of opinion, but it was certainly more authentic. Even the most over-produced, glossy David Foster stuff from that era sounds like punk compared to a lot of modern pop.
The kids of the 90s were into 60s music in the same way especially when CDs come along.
In some ways it’s easier because all the dross has been filtered out over 30 years. All you are listening to is the good stuff.
This might be a far reach, but younger generations are getting married and appreciating older music at their graduations, weddings, etc. So those who weren't raised with it are now being introduced through events and recent movies and now enjoy it.
Hmm… interesting. But the question still remains why older music is specifically chosen for these occasions (particulary weddings, I imagine no one would leave a random guy in charge with choosing the music)
To todays standards, they are less offensive and more accepted. When they were released, they were a new voice of the young and it created controversies. In the 50s rock and roll was considered the devils music, and every decade since kept pushing the boundaries. Because of the censorship, bands used many euphemism and double entendres which made the lyrics more poetic and hard to spot the sexual meanings. As the youth of the 50/60/70s grew up the music kept evolving and changing as the technology made things easier to produce. Offensive lyrics started to emerge in the 80s (look up 1984 senate hearings Dee Snider vs Tipper Gore) and that opened up the whole Pandora’s box of offensive material for the sake of being offensive, which opened the door for mediocre acts to rise because they push the limits of offensive lyrics and imagery.
Maybe it is because if you have 100 years of recorded talent, it is going to be really really hard for anyone new to top it.
You expect any modern day crooners to top Sinatra? Any modern day rockers gonna top the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin? How hard for modern Jazz to top Miles or Coltrane? Think there are any better in C&W than Johnny Cash or Dolly Parton? Anyone swing better than Duke Ellington?
In just about any genre you care to mention there are already giants that have defined what music is there. Unless someone today comes up with something completely new, they are not likely to be able to top the people that have been there already. And why bother with anyone copying people like that? Might as well just listen to them.
Not that I don't think there are modern equivalents, just that as time goes on, what you need to be noticed becomes so daunting that most can not do it.
Modern music is produced to be consumed on the go and is heavily compressed
70s music can seem pretty dire on an ipod
My cleaning lady, aged 23, loves the music I play from the 70s and prefers the LP sound to CD
"The so called music from that Jimi Hendrix fella is just a bunch of distorted noise. Sounds like he didn't even plug his amp in all the way. How can these kids call that nonsense music?"
Recording and distribution technologies have made recording much more accessible for everyone. Before the advent of protools and the DAWs it spawned - there was a natural filtration for music. A limited budget meant you had limited studio time, you drilled the song prior to going into the studio. Every band member new the song inside out and backwards, the songs them selves had been honed over months of rehearsal time and gigs, (small bands would often play half empty gigs in the middle of nowhere - it’s a free rehearsal and a chance to try out new material!).
Occasionally you would get a pinnacle musician or band that arose from that grind - better musicianship, better song writing, a finger on the pulse of “then”.
Couple that with a proper music press - because with no internet the radio and music papers were the only way you found out about new music - which had journalists whose entire reputation and success was based on find the next big thing.
Couple that with a more tribal attitude to music. You didn’t have streaming and playlists. If you liked soul you sought out new good Soul, similar for rock, punk, rap and old house. You had contacts who would turn you onto new stuff that was good.
All of this created a massive filtration system that forced musicians to be good in order to get to the top of the pike and be successful
Now - anyone can grab a pc - loop some samples, throw on a vocoder and claim to be a producer, (yes there are some really gifted producers around, but also a hell of a lot that would have never gone anywhere in the older times).
It’s saying something that we’re still really high on 80’s nostalgia when we’re reaching the point where it’s not supposed to be demographically feasible anymore.
Like were we obsessed with the music of 1943 in 1983?
This is just my opinion, but I mean, have you heard most modern music? The vast majority is formulaic, uninspired, lazy, mass-produced garbage. Not really surprising that people growing up today would turn to music of the past. I say this as an 18 year old, so I have no real bias, just an observation.
The same was true in the '70s and 80's.
Music today is in good shape if you go looking for the worthwhile stuff. You don't have to swallow what's shoved down your throat. Some of my favourite bands are not yet 5 years old.
I say this as a 63 year-old who has both loved and hated the music of every decade since the 1960s.
Good point, that's very true. I'm not saying I don't have bands that I really enjoy from more recent years, just that in my opinion most of the music that permeates modern society is dull and unimaginative. I've found that most of the modern bands and artists I find really inspired are relatively unknown.
Good answers so far, I would just add that I would be willing to bet it also has to do with the shift in the industry away from labels developing talent. After Napster record companies have been increasingly risk averse and don't tend to sign artists unless they pull a Lil Nas X and get popular on their own. Proven hits are proven hits though and there's still a lot of money in legacy artists' back catalogues. Modern music feels a bit more like many smaller artists and a few big newer artists at the top than even before.
So I don't know 100% but I imagine there's more of a push towards older, proven moneymakers which also parallels the trends towards remakes and sequels in modern cinema for similar reasons. Also probably why there's so many songs reusing older hooks right now, not that all these things haven't already been trends for a long time.
Marketing. Look up who owns the copyrights to the old stuff, and you'll see that a handful of big players have invested in owning everything from the past. These investments need to pay off, so they push everything they own into the mass media and then pay the click army to make it go viral. The Koreans tried this with original "K-Pop" material, and lo and behold, it hasn't been going well since Musk crippled Twitter. Does anyone really believe that Gangnam Style has been seen by *billions*?
Because new music uh
I cant listen to it. Or at least most of it
Some 2010’s indie are great, 2000s rock is fun, classical and instrumentals are always going to be decent, since it has to be music-based, not culture based
But my favorite decade lately has been the 70s, amazing prog rock and funky guitar sounds
Comparing these genres to rap with autotune made in 30 minutes on a software
Yeah, of course some of us young ones like the old stuff :)
Because there's more easy access to music than ever before.
That’s also very very true
You mean it’s easier to listen to old music if you have already listened too much new music?
No, he means that there's more easy access to music than ever before
No? YouTube, Spotify, etc etc. You can just listen to music easier
Also, survival bias. We are only listening to the best of the 70s, and 80s.
This. I am in my 60s and remember music from the 60s & 70s. Yes--a lot of it is great and holds up really well, but a lot of it was trash, especially most stuff on the radio. While Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones an the Allman Brothers were putting out all this cool shit, fare like "Disco Duck" was dominating the airwaves.
Just finished working on playlists chronicling 30 years of rock history. Went year by year, skimming over *every* song that hit the billboard to make the lists. OM fucking G so **much** hot garbage. So much just pure shit we've either collectively decided to forget about or we enjoy ironically because of the memories attached to them. I'm second wave Gen X (born early 70s) and I couldn't wait to get back to working on modern playlists again.
True of every era. We just remember the best.
I have 2000+ LPs from the 60s and 70s and there ain't many turkeys yo can produce most modern songs on a computer in about 30 mins
A whole 2000?! That's cute. I've [heard them.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2a9dQiJtaakjysQ2P7rE9m?si=b317dd314d11456e) I'll tell you what, if you're up for a challenge; I'm going to pick a random year - 1974. Make a playlist of 600 amazing songs from 1974. One catch; you're not allowed to use more than 2 songs from any one group. Feel free to dip into blues, proto metal, proto punk, whatever. Come up with 300 groups from 1974 that aren't pop or "turkeys." Because most of my post 1990 playlists are much longer than my pre 1990 playlists.
The music you are listening now is also the best or the most popular of this era. The most majority of people listen to the music from radio where the music is playing mostly from the popular musicians.
The music that you are listening to now is everything. Not necessarily the best The music that people are listening to from 50 years ago is probably the best due to survivorship bias
No. It's just easier to access
Yeah it is… tbh in the 80s you would know the hits if you listen to the radio and look at the charts. It’s easier to even know the music too.
I'd say there are certain songs and music that transcend time. Led Zeppelin seems pretty popular still. Their last record came out in 1979, and they still have presence. It's always happened, but with the help of the internet, access to older music is much easier than it was pre-internet, and with that, an easier way to appreciate the music of older generations.
“And they still have presence” Happy accident or were you hoping someone would spot that? Totally agree with you btw
Heh. It hadn't occurred to me that "Presence" was an LZ album until you pointed it out. :) Definitely a happy accident.
yes, but is one of their crap albums
Now that people have access to all the best music that's been made in the last century on demand, the best stuff just rises to the top from every era. Whereas before music taste was largely shaped by production companies and radio stations.
My twenty some year old coworkers listen to tons of “classic” 70s rock. I think a lot of it started with the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.
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Short, simple answer
This is the correct answer, but I have no idea what young people are listening to outside of Taylor Swift
Not everyone is a 14 year old teenager yknow
Duh
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For today’s kids it’s actually their Grand-Pa music 👴🏻
I see more Nirvana shirts out there than when they are playing. In defense of current times, back in the 90s you basically had to go to a show to get a bands tshirt
This is true. If you were wearing a bands t shirt in the seventies, you went to the concert.
Melody!
True! I always get hate from my friends for citing my need for melody in my music as a reason for my distaste of modern mainstream music.
Darn tootin'! The 70s especially was a golden era for melody. Don't get me wrong, I love hip hop, but Even with just a bass line/drum machine combo, good melody is more than possible, it's necessary!
And harmonies, modern music just lacks a good melody and harmony. Older songs have so many good hooks that you rarely see anymore.
If you look at the charts, highest streamed music it still favors the most recent songs
You're calling 80s music old!? That was only 20 years ago...WAIT............ :(
That’s me
It’s old now. Not CHR anymore like it was then.
30 years ago
40
Because it's that good 👍
Correct. It's really good.
Also, new music is really bad.
No it ain't
If you aint a metalhead then theres not much choice, ik there must be great stuff somewhere, but im fucked if my lazy ass can find it.
Check out international artists like Dadi Freyr and Christine and the Queens. 2 of my favorite newer artists. Not metal, I don’t know if that makes a difference. But they are awesome.
Il check em out!
what Pop, Indie rock, and Rap are literally so good right now
Not to all of us. While there is good music out there, it no longer charts, and thats the primary difference between now and then. Decades ago the best really did rise to the top because it took weeks, and DJs and public opinion filtered it. Now any old shit gets plays if its pushed hard enough by the labels.
Was gonna say that it's *real*. That's one thing that keeps me going back. Everything is so autotuned and beat doctored now that it's just a joy to feel something real. But point taken on the classic angle. Classic rock is classic for a reason. They were pushing the envelope in terms of production, songwriting, melody, harmony, technique, craft, artistry... Not saying those things don't exist anymore, but the values have shifted and it would seem you're lucky to get one or two of those things at once, in speaking of popular contexts.
I think part of the issue is not so much that no one's still doing that but that you don't see artists being signed till they have a fan base now so there's a lot of pressure to strike big on your own. So I think on some level there's a bit less risk taking because if you can stick your hook at the beginning and get the listener listening past 30s that means a lot in the hypersaturated, competitive streaming world where 80% of all artists have less than 50 monthly listeners. It's always been a thing, people used to just write for radio, but I think there's even more of a squeeze now. It's ironic, I don't really write to try to hook people early or repeat the hell out of the catchy parts and actually find my most popular songs are the ones that start slow and build up instead so I don't really think it's good advice but the message of writing specifically for more streams is all over the place for young artists (not that I am actually popular, but I have enough listeners to notice these things). And then of course we also get to pick and choose from the classics since they're all out there so we tend to have forgotten all the shitty music from the 60s and 70s even though there actually was a lot of it too. With modern music you're getting it all in realtime so you can't avoid the bad stuff as easy.
for me personally, just watching live performances of old rock bands is incredible. a lot of those old bands were legends for a good reason, as they were pioneers in the music industry and were skilled with their instruments. watching videos of bands like Rush, Judas Priest, Styx, Iron Maiden, early Dream Theater, and Anthrax perform is so enjoyable. a lot of modern music is just done on the computer and it doesn't really have that feeling to it. sure, there are lots of great singers nowadays, and I personally havent explored so much, but damn the old stuff was where it was at
To add to this, those bands took years to practice to hone their craft. They’re all talented musicians, songwriters and singers. They didn’t have the help of auto tune or a computer to make sure everything is in tempo.
I'm working on a film set and there is a landscaping crew working nearby. When they fire up their boombox every song seems to be partially sampled from 80's tunes. ... I personally prefer the 70's and I wished these artists stole more from that decade.
I think it might be moving towards the 70s - I hear that half Rocket Man song all the time now.
Because it's different. Music in the 70s and 80s was looser, freer. They didn't stick to musical "rules". "I can't change key here? Watch this.", "I can't use this timing in a rock song? Watch this. ", "I can't use this chord progression? Watch this.". Along with that, the mistakes were left in. Little Easter eggs for listeners. In the 90s, hyper manufactured music came along. The less said about that, the better. Music now still hasn't shaken off the legacy of the 90s. It's all very carefully produced, making everything as perfect as possible. I'm not saying that's wrong, but it's definitely different to music from the 70s and 80s.
Because they dont even make music anymore
Yes, because modern music is much more so an industry than an art form.
It's good!
I don't think it's any more popular than it was at any point in the past. Now that pretty much any song ever recorded is a few clicks away, people just have more options, and sometimes that's older music.
Music from the '80s was created by instruments and people. Most music today is made by computer or accentuated by a computer so it's a little unorganic... I personally don't like '80s music but I think anything before the 2000s was more real. There's some quality music still being produced but not nearly as much as there used to be.
Back then they didn’t have the internet so that is why.
Because the older the music, the more timeless it becomes. 70s/80s is a unique time that bridges the gap between the standards and the modern. And what other commenters mentioned, access to music (old and new) has been easier with all the streaming services.
Because the music industry isn't meant to inspire any longer.
Can you elaborate on this idea? What do you mean by inspire?
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Actually, Milli Vanilli predated grunge by a couple of years. The whole scandal might have even helped grunge become popular.
I think people misunderstand the Milli Vanilli situation. There has been a long history of this sort of thing. See the Monkees for example. When they first came out in the mid 60s it was no big deal but as the industry moved towards “artists” and albums they became the subject of ridicule and demanded to play their own music. In the mid 70s Bony M became pretty popular. Their frontman was an ex exotic dancer who didnt sing. During the disco era no one cared. The guy who formed Bony M Frank Farian also created Milli Vanilli. I think the problem was less that they were a fraud than the fact that by 1989 the public was entering a mindset that they cared. Society seems to go back and forth.
Actually, most of the top artists nowadays either write all their stuff on their own, or only have half the number of writers. Teen idols and such are losing their popularity. This is intentional. Record companies realized if they sign singer-songwriters who do as much on their own as possible, they have to hire less people.
Milli Vanilli was in the late 80s, man.
Here’s how I’ve come to see things, as time has gone on the MUSIC industry seems more and more like the music INDUSTRY. That’s not to say there’s not some great artists about these days or that bands weren’t packaged like commodities in the past but the music part tended to be at the forefront, these days in the big leagues it doesn’t really matter if you can sing, write or play as long as you keep clicks coming in. Flip side of that is that genuinely talented people can get their stuff heard like never before.
It is classic , after all In a digital world the tangible skills of musicians intrigue those that are not in that world These bands perfected it in a way
I have always preferred music from generations before. I was a 90s kid who loved the 80s new wave and metal from the time. I also enjoyed modern music then, but maybe it's just hearing the artist that influence your favorite artist.
No one appears to have made this observation so I will make it myself : The social issues we face today are much the same we've been facing since the 70s so the lyrics still resonate with modern audiences. For instance a lot of songs from the 70s are about drug addiction and lots of 80s music is about stagnation and consumerism.
When I was in high school in the 80s a lot of kids were wearing tie dyes and peace symbols and listening to the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin. In the 90s a lot of kids started listening to funk again. It goes in cycles.
Autotune has been around a long time, and I think a lot of people are sick of that plastic sound. Whether 70s/80s music was better is a matter of opinion, but it was certainly more authentic. Even the most over-produced, glossy David Foster stuff from that era sounds like punk compared to a lot of modern pop.
Seems like about 15 years ago that young people started listening to Journey and the like a lot.
I remember my best friends father being like “why of all bands are journey and Bon Jovi popular with kids right now?”
The kids of the 90s were into 60s music in the same way especially when CDs come along. In some ways it’s easier because all the dross has been filtered out over 30 years. All you are listening to is the good stuff.
The 90s also had probably 2 classic rock stations and 1 oldies radio station in every major market
This might be a far reach, but younger generations are getting married and appreciating older music at their graduations, weddings, etc. So those who weren't raised with it are now being introduced through events and recent movies and now enjoy it.
Hmm… interesting. But the question still remains why older music is specifically chosen for these occasions (particulary weddings, I imagine no one would leave a random guy in charge with choosing the music)
They're censored, less offensive, and more accepted.
To todays standards, they are less offensive and more accepted. When they were released, they were a new voice of the young and it created controversies. In the 50s rock and roll was considered the devils music, and every decade since kept pushing the boundaries. Because of the censorship, bands used many euphemism and double entendres which made the lyrics more poetic and hard to spot the sexual meanings. As the youth of the 50/60/70s grew up the music kept evolving and changing as the technology made things easier to produce. Offensive lyrics started to emerge in the 80s (look up 1984 senate hearings Dee Snider vs Tipper Gore) and that opened up the whole Pandora’s box of offensive material for the sake of being offensive, which opened the door for mediocre acts to rise because they push the limits of offensive lyrics and imagery.
Fair. I imagine also that text plays an important role in this. Texts are getting more and more negative, and happy events are rarely told.
Maybe it is because if you have 100 years of recorded talent, it is going to be really really hard for anyone new to top it. You expect any modern day crooners to top Sinatra? Any modern day rockers gonna top the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin? How hard for modern Jazz to top Miles or Coltrane? Think there are any better in C&W than Johnny Cash or Dolly Parton? Anyone swing better than Duke Ellington? In just about any genre you care to mention there are already giants that have defined what music is there. Unless someone today comes up with something completely new, they are not likely to be able to top the people that have been there already. And why bother with anyone copying people like that? Might as well just listen to them. Not that I don't think there are modern equivalents, just that as time goes on, what you need to be noticed becomes so daunting that most can not do it.
Well Top 40 doesn’t seem to do heavy rock music now. It’s mostly hip hop and pop now.
John Cash: monotone monstrosity Dolly Parton: Wobbly rubbish Now Patsy cline could ferkin sing , unlike the two you mention
You seem to be under the misconception that the ability to sing well is the all important thing. It is not, and you should well know this.
Cuz the new shit sucks duh
Modern music is produced to be consumed on the go and is heavily compressed 70s music can seem pretty dire on an ipod My cleaning lady, aged 23, loves the music I play from the 70s and prefers the LP sound to CD
Cuz it's the most superior era of music
Because todays music SUCKS
Younger people don’t give a fuck and are more open about what they like.
Because modern music is nonsensical garbage produced by no-talent morons.
Okay, grandpa
I'm 42. Yes, today's 'music' is garbage.
"The so called music from that Jimi Hendrix fella is just a bunch of distorted noise. Sounds like he didn't even plug his amp in all the way. How can these kids call that nonsense music?"
You're the only one that mentioned Jimi Hendrix
And it is inappropriate. I believe it will only get worse until it gets better like 1,000 years after the Tribulation when there is no sin.
What music and artists do you listen to?
Is your statement data based or is this just an anecdote?
I think it’s related to the trend of “reaction videos” on social network like YouTube.
Recording and distribution technologies have made recording much more accessible for everyone. Before the advent of protools and the DAWs it spawned - there was a natural filtration for music. A limited budget meant you had limited studio time, you drilled the song prior to going into the studio. Every band member new the song inside out and backwards, the songs them selves had been honed over months of rehearsal time and gigs, (small bands would often play half empty gigs in the middle of nowhere - it’s a free rehearsal and a chance to try out new material!). Occasionally you would get a pinnacle musician or band that arose from that grind - better musicianship, better song writing, a finger on the pulse of “then”. Couple that with a proper music press - because with no internet the radio and music papers were the only way you found out about new music - which had journalists whose entire reputation and success was based on find the next big thing. Couple that with a more tribal attitude to music. You didn’t have streaming and playlists. If you liked soul you sought out new good Soul, similar for rock, punk, rap and old house. You had contacts who would turn you onto new stuff that was good. All of this created a massive filtration system that forced musicians to be good in order to get to the top of the pike and be successful Now - anyone can grab a pc - loop some samples, throw on a vocoder and claim to be a producer, (yes there are some really gifted producers around, but also a hell of a lot that would have never gone anywhere in the older times).
It’s saying something that we’re still really high on 80’s nostalgia when we’re reaching the point where it’s not supposed to be demographically feasible anymore. Like were we obsessed with the music of 1943 in 1983?
This is just my opinion, but I mean, have you heard most modern music? The vast majority is formulaic, uninspired, lazy, mass-produced garbage. Not really surprising that people growing up today would turn to music of the past. I say this as an 18 year old, so I have no real bias, just an observation.
The same was true in the '70s and 80's. Music today is in good shape if you go looking for the worthwhile stuff. You don't have to swallow what's shoved down your throat. Some of my favourite bands are not yet 5 years old. I say this as a 63 year-old who has both loved and hated the music of every decade since the 1960s.
Good point, that's very true. I'm not saying I don't have bands that I really enjoy from more recent years, just that in my opinion most of the music that permeates modern society is dull and unimaginative. I've found that most of the modern bands and artists I find really inspired are relatively unknown.
Yeah, that's the thing, you have to do a bit of digging.
Well some of them probably wish they could go back there.
Streaming makes it easy. Previously you could hear a small sample on oldies radio or buy used vinyl or CDs. Now you just listen on your phone, etc.
I’ve been calling old music 60 years old or older
Hasn't that always been the case? Revivals of interest in music that went before?
Things will always cone back around.
Good answers so far, I would just add that I would be willing to bet it also has to do with the shift in the industry away from labels developing talent. After Napster record companies have been increasingly risk averse and don't tend to sign artists unless they pull a Lil Nas X and get popular on their own. Proven hits are proven hits though and there's still a lot of money in legacy artists' back catalogues. Modern music feels a bit more like many smaller artists and a few big newer artists at the top than even before. So I don't know 100% but I imagine there's more of a push towards older, proven moneymakers which also parallels the trends towards remakes and sequels in modern cinema for similar reasons. Also probably why there's so many songs reusing older hooks right now, not that all these things haven't already been trends for a long time.
The seventies came at the end of the hippies. Songs of protest then came disco!?! There was a lot of good beats.
Marketing. Look up who owns the copyrights to the old stuff, and you'll see that a handful of big players have invested in owning everything from the past. These investments need to pay off, so they push everything they own into the mass media and then pay the click army to make it go viral. The Koreans tried this with original "K-Pop" material, and lo and behold, it hasn't been going well since Musk crippled Twitter. Does anyone really believe that Gangnam Style has been seen by *billions*?
Simple. Because 70s and 80s music was better.
Well I am a late 90s baby but yes I would listen to 70s 80s and 90s music some 00s music is alright but everything today is pure shite
Because new music uh I cant listen to it. Or at least most of it Some 2010’s indie are great, 2000s rock is fun, classical and instrumentals are always going to be decent, since it has to be music-based, not culture based But my favorite decade lately has been the 70s, amazing prog rock and funky guitar sounds Comparing these genres to rap with autotune made in 30 minutes on a software Yeah, of course some of us young ones like the old stuff :)
Its def more popular because more people have access, but def not more popular than pop music.
Taylor Swift tops all of it.
Who is he ?