Is rock/pop music dying?

[joeinbrighton]

Totally agree but it was released a decade ago so hardly qualifies as "today's music".

There will be examples today, but not so much in the mainstream. The poster I was replying to seemed to infer that there hadn't been any political statement albums since the punk era in the late 1970s, so I was offering that as an example that sprung to mind since then.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

There is SO much good stuff around. So much that is new and innovative. You are listening to the wrong things. Get yourself over to the albums thread for inspiration. And the live music one.

Absolutely. The music is there but you have to look for it. There are in Brighton alone ten odd music venues that are up for putting on decent 'lesser known' bands. There are promoters supporting these bands and radio shows/websites playing their music. Unfortunately we live in a lazy world where we are encouraged to listen to and subjected to music that is banal and mass produced. But it's always been that way. Just be prepared to be educated musically and you may find something you like.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I still want to be moved, excited and challenged - I want to feels the artists passion and pain not their inertia, their souless laziness, their insular shallow fake emotions.....there I feel better now

There is plenty of new stuff out there which will move, excite and challenge you IMHO. Plenty. What sort of music do you like? Maybe we can advise?

 

[Norman Potting]

Not dead yet. So many ways to listen and due to Spotify (which I know is anathema to some) I can listen to stuff I may have half heard on the radio or seen a review and thought "wonder what that sounds like" without it costing me more than my monthly sub. Iwould never have been able to afford to do this even 5 years ago. Always has been dross and cream will rise to the top - I agree with the poster who put forward the view that there are more ways to communicate "radical" views other than music.

 

[supaseagull]

Following on from other thread about Famous bands etc.

Is rock/pop music dying?

Who are todays equivalents of “rock legends” Beatles, Stones, Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zep, David Bowie all from the 60’s/70’s. Are there equivalents from the 80’s/90’/2000’s. Or was music in that era more than just a tune i.e was it a fashion statement, an identity, something to listen to with your mates, something to get angry about ( rock against racism, political lyrics).

Is music now simply a downloadable format, quick and easy to listen to , yet equally forgettable. Is it as important to youngsters as it once was?

No you're just showing your age!

 

[Trufflehound]

And have kept the same 4 members of the band since their formation in 1976.

Bono's ego has made his head swell up to such an extent it is now the size of a small planet. The other three band members are trapped by the gravitational forces it exerts, and are unable to leave even if they want to.

FACT.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

I think the sort of rock / metal that we associate with drums, bass and lead guitar could be dying. All forms of music need injections of youth from time to time and there seems to very little of this happening.

 

[spring hall convert]

U2 have managed to stay popular for over 30 years. A big acomplishment in the music industry these days.

Especially when you consider they've been writing the same song for the last 15 years of that.

 

[Machiavelli]

It's not just confined to music - culture in general is dying, from Tv to fashion to films. Everything is so driven by money, people are so influenced by marketing and advertising, skills that have been mastered by the corporations to make money.

Specifically in regards to music, practically any modern music played on the airwaves is awful, but there is still some great music out there that isn't being played because it's not easily marketable. The main problem with that is nobody is listening to the same thing any more. Music no longer unites us, it is less of a social thing than it used to be for that reason. There are no longer artists and songs that practically everyone knows and loves.

Just like money is hindering the quality of film and TV and other artforms, I am sure there are plenty of should-be musical legends that are unknown to most of us, because you no longer need talent to be on the radio.

This is a good thread, so good that I'm going to start disagreeing with a few insightful NSC posters.
Mustafa first. I can quite genuinely say that TV has never been as good as it currently is, according to my experience of it. Films, likewise, although I haven't been exposed to them quite so much over the past seven years (that's kids for you). I agree with your point that this all-pervasive neoliberalism has many detrimental effects. In terms of TV, we could talk about Cowell, Big Brother, and the quite simply boring repetition of a dull format that such programmes have spawned (although, within this format, Masterchef Professionals is brilliant).
But there's so much else besides, from BBC4 Friday night rock/pop documentaries and, especially, Nordic noir, to mention just two.
TV, music, film, culture more generally is becoming increasingly diversified, such that there isn't the Morecambe & Wise specials that has half the population tuned in simultaneously. It is largely a result of the Internet, new media and digital technology, and the impact that the network logic is having on society, culture, politics, economics, etc, more broadly. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as we can listen to all sorts of things, including Spring Hall Convert's weekly revelations of what's going on on the sonic front -- something that I haven't listened to enough of. Within music, it was John Peel who was the first to tap into this vein.
This, in turn, has an effect on the idea of 'the general public', the nation, and for democracy in general. The key question for the future is how to combine contemporary culture, the general public, democracy, etc with this emerging, even dominant, network logic.

Now Herr Tubbthumper. There is not a decline in activism. There is an increase, and a significant increase. Why is it that at least the three biggest demonstrations in British political history -- to take just one example -- have all occurred in the twenty-first century? What of movements such as Occupy, UK Uncut, etc? What of what was once known as the Arab Spring? And Ukraine of a few weeks ago?
In other words, activism's format is shifting: see my comments directly above to explain why. I do agree, however, that there hasn't been much political music over recent years, even decades, although I will mention Radiohead/Thom Yorke on that front.

 

[Machiavelli]

There is always good music about, if you look for it. Whilst I bow to no-one in my admiration for the Elvis, Buddy Holly, Beatles, Dylan etc, they were the trailblazers and writing on a blank page. There were a lot of mediocrities to; who would go out and buy a boxed set retrospective of Freddie and The Dreamers today? It is harder for artists to shine as there is so much to compare them with. Elbow have established themselves, as have Arcade Fire, of bands who came to prominence in the last 10 years or so. I could see Tame Impala and Alabama Shakes doing likewise if they maintain the quality. St Vincent is the latest I have got into. Still, currently listening to Songs From The Big Chair, still sounds good.

When I find the time to take a trip to Resident, I'll buy this on the strength of the other bands you're mentioning. That album she did with David Byrne is really under-rated; I'm most disappointed that I didn't go to see them when they toured.

 

[spring hall convert]

When I find the time to take a trip to Resident, I'll buy this on the strength of the other bands you're mentioning. That album she did with David Byrne is really under-rated; I'm most disappointed that I didn't go to see them when they toured.

You will not be disappointed.

 

[joeinbrighton]

Bono's ego has made his head swell up to such an extent it is now the size of a small planet. The other three band members are trapped by the gravitational forces it exerts, and are unable to leave even if they want to.

FACT.

People who end their posts with 'fact' in capital letters as though that validates what they have written before are usually anything but factual.

Not sure if you have read much on U2's history (I'm guessing not) but the band have had some major fallings out at times. The band nearly broke up while recording the Achtung Baby album in 1991 because of friction between various band members. It was the recording of the song 'One' during a session at that time which apparently saved that from happening. These days, I have heard other band members say (particularly The Edge) that they don't entirely endorse Bono doing all his campaigning, but they tolerate it and whatever bad publicity he gets and the band get by association because ultimately they know first and foremost he is a musician and that he still enjoys recording music with the rest of the band, which is what they want to do.

Like them or despise them, for 4 original band members who met at college nearly 40 years ago to still be recording together and to get a buzz out of it after all this time, despite egos and all the other trappings of fame, is quite some going.

 

[Machiavelli]

Absolutely. The music is there but you have to look for it. There are in Brighton alone ten odd music venues that are up for putting on decent 'lesser known' bands. There are promoters supporting these bands and radio shows/websites playing their music. Unfortunately we live in a lazy world where we are encouraged to listen to and subjected to music that is banal and mass produced. But it's always been that way. Just be prepared to be educated musically and you may find something you like.

Laziness is somewhat of a human propensity, and I'd like to live in a world where we all had to do less work, so we could all be more lazy. Not entirely convinced that cultural laziness is on the up though. I might be wrong, it's not the easiest thing to measure, but perhaps this thread might be an index of it: there are not so many 'big beasts' of pop/rock, but rather a more diverse range with, additionally, more routes to find material.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

People who end their posts with 'fact' in capital letters as though that validates what they have written before are usually anything but factual.

So, are you suggesting that Trufflehound's assertion that Bono's head is so big it exerts the gravitational pull the size of a small planet is not actually true?

 

[Trufflehound]

People who end their posts with 'fact' in capital letters as though that validates what they have written before are usually anything but factual.

Bizarre. You write that as if you think I was actually being serious.

Not sure if you have read much on U2's history (I'm guessing not)

I first saw U2 as a support band (supporting Talking Heads) in 1980. I saw them 5 times in 1981 alone, including their first ever major headline show in London (Lyceum Ballroom, Feb 1 1981). I've kind of been aware of them ever since (and watched Bono's head expand to boot). What point are you trying to make?

 

[Machiavelli]

Bono's ego has made his head swell up to such an extent it is now the size of a small planet. The other three band members are trapped by the gravitational forces it exerts, and are unable to leave even if they want to.

FACT.

I like your assault on both Bono and logical positivism.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Bizarre. You write that as if you think I was actually being serious.

Thanks for clearing this up. You had me going

 

[brightn'ove]

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[DIFFBROOK]

Am I though? I admit to be 48 and possibly not having my finger on the pulse as I once (hopefully did), but i do buy stuff from new artists.

Where is todays Johnny Rotten, Joe Strummer, Paul Weller, Billy Bragg, Bob Dylan. I want the young to be rebellious, to question, to rail against authority. It used to be in song, but so far only Green day have been mentioned and they must be nearing 40. I take peoples point about if you dig hard enough outside of the mainstream, but the Sex Pistols, Clash, Jam were all mainstream in the end......they were want youngsters wanted. They defied what safe BBC wanted youngsters to watch on ToTP i.e the Dooleys, showaddywaddy

No you're just showing your age!

 

[spring hall convert]

Am I though? I admit to be 48 and possibly not having my finger on the pulse as I once (hopefully did), but i do buy stuff from new artists.

Where is todays Johnny Rotten, Joe Strummer, Paul Weller, Billy Bragg, Bob Dylan. I want the young to be rebellious, to question, to rail against authority. It used to be in song, but so far only Green day have been mentioned and they must be nearing 40. I take peoples point about if you dig hard enough outside of the mainstream, but the Sex Pistols, Clash, Jam were all mainstream in the end......they were want youngsters wanted. They defied what safe BBC wanted youngsters to watch on ToTP i.e the Dooleys, showaddywaddy

I like the idea of Kanye West being this generation's Johnny Rotten. Annoying, intelligent, often brilliant, massively contradictory.

You need to think a bit laterally, there's no point in doing stuff that was done 30,40 & 50 years ago. Move things forward. You say it yourself, all those artists became mainstream so by definition they are safe now....