I posted this in the what are you thinking thread. It's just an observation...

I think rock N roll is dying...I was looking at the Rolling Stone this morning (latest issue with The Killers) and there's a certain point where it looks like rock just stopped. Music has gone into this weird direction...all Britany, teeny bop pop, pseudo hip hop and rehash....members of Cheap Trick and Smashing Pumpkins have joined forces to start a band and they're all gray haired. The Dead are holding a reunion concert or two...most of the concert tours this summer are older bands out on tour...but EVERYONE in the latest issue are above a certain age. They even had a spread on Dylan's latest album....But it's like something is dying and running it's course. And I don't think anyone's coming along to replace them. It makes me sad.

^Pask is completely right.

I'm sure there are several things contributing here, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's just a way to cut corners and save money. Unoriginal music is the cheapest stuff to produce and churn out as fast as possible, and it's easier to find an attractive person with minimal talent and market their image than it is to find someone with actual musical abilities.

I'm not convinced that music these days is any less original than it ever was. I think we just tend to forget about the more lackluster music of past eras once we're past them. The passing of time erases a lot of details from our memories.

But if you want to get right down to it, the reason unoriginal and lackluster music gets to be popular is because humans are wired to like things that are familiar. You can blame the music industry all you want for pushing crappy music, but if the general public weren't eager to buy more and more of the same old thing, the labels wouldn't be continuing to put those artists out in the market. Basically, popular music is unoriginal because most people react critically to anything that's extremely different from what they're used to. Think about it -- there's a contingent on this site that simply doesn't like the last few NIN albums just because they aren't enough like PHM or TDS or The Fragile. Change isn't often rewarded.

Combine that with the fact that a lot of people use their taste in music as a way to identify themselves with a group and define their identity, and it's no wonder so few people are eager to embrace something new. "New" won't be popular until there's a big cultural shift to support it.

So yeah, if you want to find original music you're not likely to find it on the radio or whatever. It's out there, but you can't wait for the radio or MTV or music publications to bring it to you, because the bulk of the music industry is too hard up for profits to gamble on acts that don't have a guaranteed audience.

I do think, though, that we're overdue for one of those cultural shifts that makes way for a new definition of what's popular. And then a few years after that happens, we'll be back to bitching that music is stale and unoriginal again, because all the new acts will just be ripoffs of whatever that "new" thing was.

jayetheartist posted:

But if you want to get right down to it, the reason unoriginal and lackluster music gets to be popular is because humans are wired to like things that are familiar. You can blame the music industry all you want for pushing crappy music, but if the general public weren't eager to buy more and more of the same old thing, the labels wouldn't be continuing to put those artists out in the market.

I do think, though, that we're overdue for one of those cultural shifts that makes way for a new definition of what's popular. And then a few years after that happens, we'll be back to bitching that music is stale and unoriginal again, because all the new acts will just be ripoffs of whatever that "new" thing was.

correct on both counts! it's the labels that create this world of shit music, it's the media who promote the fuck out of it so it eclipses non-corporate artists, and it's three quarters of the planet filled with idiots who continue to let the media brainwash them into thinking it's only cool if it's safe and familiar.

it's all propaganda, instead of the faux news war on terror propaganda, it's a global machine made to sell a product, rather than celebrate great music, and the stupid people of the world keep buying into it, keeping the same old shit alive year after year.

there's a particular sound that emerges out of the mess, which half the market latch onto to make more sales from the kids who buy this shit, while the rest of the market just keep rehashing the sounds of the last 15-20 years for the other half who like nothing more than buying the latest band who sounds exactly like the other 9,000 albums on their shelf or in their computer.

i personally think this scene shit has long run its course, emo died in half the time, so why is this shit still everywhere? if real music is still gonna be a scavenget hunt, we need something new to hate while we search already!