Are music standards declining?

[43021HST]

This sounds like the sort of thread that would be started by tweenager after he's discovered that he prefers a deep purple song over most modern day main stream crud but, alas no I posted this to spark an interesting debate, my opinion towards 'are music standards declining' wavers between that maybe it is declining to that good music is always buried beneath a whole pile of dross and its been like that since the sixties and always will be.

I have noticed though its easier to discover good music from the seventies than what it is today.

I have also noticed that pop music now all follows the same bloody style whereas pop music from the 80s (terrible as it was) each song has a distinctive sound to it.

Mainstream modern rock has definitely declined, the so called Pop punk with bands like 'blink 182' and 'bowling for soup' have none of the original spirit of proper punk and seem to be just major record companies playthings.
mainstream Metal just seems to be now just a contest on who can be the loudest. I will admit though some of the less known stuff is pretty good.
I'm hoping this decade or the next one mainstream music standards may pickup again. Heres hoping! The past decade of music was so bland!!! I'm sick of the music scene being dominated by RnB and (that doesnt stand for rythm and blues I'm afraid) and boy band crapolla.
I would love to see another ska revival wave.

There are a couple modern bands that seem promising, namely 'mumford and sons', 'muse', Sonata Arctica and 'Wolfmother'.
I will admit that not all music from the late 20th century was good. Abba surely has to be the worst racket ever inflicted on the radio, some of the 70s disco pop is utterly terrible. 80s and 90s pop is really bad as well.

Opinions?

 

[passmore]

It's been declining since the late nineties.

Nowadays it's all about acquiring fame rather than earning it.

 

[43021HST]

It's been declining since the late nineties.

Nowadays it's all about acquiring fame rather than earning it.

As a mate of mine said, most modern artists just want to aquire 'a name' so they have an excuse to release any old S**** on the charts and make themselves lots of money. Its probably been like that for quite a while.

 

[gordonthemoron]

with the exception of Muse, there seem to be very few newish bands which are likely to be Stadium fillers. Much as I like Mumford, they don't strike me as being that sort of a group and I'd say the same about Arctic Monkeys

 

[LexyBoy]

I have also noticed that pop music now all follows the same bloody style whereas pop music from the 80s (terrible as it was) each song has a distinctive sound to it.

But the distinctive songs remain popular, while the identikit bilge gets forgotten about. I'm sure in 30 years music from now will seem to have a wide range of styles too. Also the dominant style will change from time to time - in the 90's there was tons of boy/girl band stuff, now it's all "urban"/RnB - one's feelings about music will change based on how much one (dis)likes the current style.

Get yerself down to (preferably one of the smaller) festivals this summer and have a wander!

(Also in before a gazillion bands are suggested )

 

[ralphchadkirk]

This happens with every generation. Back in the 50's the older end of the country were shocked that people would listen to the kind of stuff Presley and whatnot churned out. Music changes, some see it as decline, some see it as for the better.

 

[passmore]

This happens with every generation. Back in the 50's the older end of the country were shocked that people would listen to the kind of stuff Presley and whatnot churned out. Music changes, some see it as decline, some see it as for the better.

You're making me feel old today, Ralph. I agree with you though completely.

 

[gordonthemoron]

actually, most of the chart stuff in the 70s was rubbish

 

[Kernowfem]

Anyone who has heard Cher Lloyds new offering would answer yes!

It's been declining for years now. I can't listen to radio one, the amount of rubbish they play is beyond belief.

Manufactured pop bands and the influx of X factor garbage haven't made things any easier.

The most annoying is Eminem with his angry ranting on everything he releases. And i have to ask myself why record companies allow foul language on releases.....when they play it on radio half the words are bleeped out or cut out purely because they can't be arsed to release a radio edit, so whats the point?

I wish that Rihanna would also get dressed from time to time and top telling us about her sex life. My friends four year old daughter was bumping and grinding to her Excite me song the other day....i was repulsed, she knew every word.

 

[43021HST]

This happens with every generation. Back in the 50's the older end of the country were shocked that people would listen to the kind of stuff Presley and whatnot churned out. Music changes, some see it as decline, some see it as for the better.

At the time during the 50s most music was a breakaway from the old crud meanwhile mainstream music at the moment seems to do exactly as its told. There seems to be more teenagers from my generation than any other that will admit that the majority of modern music is just crap.

 

[passmore]

But it still represented a 'change' of music, and whether that's a decline or whether it changed for the better is subjective. I think that the most profound change came with the emergence of the New Romantics in the eighties. Some considered they were good, other's thought they were rubbish and proceeded to block out the synthesisers with T-Rex blaring out from all speakers. Nevertheless, from that point forward, the music scene changed again.
What I abhor about today's music especially is this concept of 'manufactured pop', and shows like X Factor. Artists that only exist as passengers for the gravy trains of moguls like Simon Cowell.

 

[43021HST]

This happens with every generation. Back in the 50's the older end of the country were shocked that people would listen to the kind of stuff Presley and whatnot churned out. Music changes, some see it as decline, some see it as for the better.

At the time during the 50s, music was breaking away from the norm and taking a new direction. Today most music does exactly as its told.

Here's some food for thought, The members of my generation seem to admit that more music from the modern day seems to be crap compared to any other generation and their relevent music.

 

[90019]

Manufactured pop bands and the influx of X factor garbage haven't made things any easier.

This.

As manufactured bands become more and more common, the amount of decent music about appears to be declining.
It's a shame, because there is plenty of good music still being released out there, it's just obscured behind a wall of sh*te.

 

[43021HST]

But it still represented a 'change' of music, and whether that's a decline or whether it changed for the better is subjective. I think that the most profound change came with the emergence of the New Romantics in the eighties. Some considered they were good, other's thought they were rubbish and proceeded to block out the synthesisers with T-Rex blaring out from all speakers. Nevertheless, from that point forward, the music scene changed again.
What I abhor about today's music especially is this concept of 'manufactured pop', and shows like X Factor. Artists that only exist as passengers for the gravy trains of moguls like Simon Cowell.

I thought Manufactured pop had existed since the American idol concept, anyway as you say its wrong to manufacture music, it knocks all of the life out of charts.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

This.

As manufactured bands become more and more common, the amount of decent music about appears to be declining.
It's a shame, because there is plenty of good music still being released out there, it's just obscured behind a wall of sh*te.

an ever growing wall of crap

 

[gordonthemoron]

I posted yesterday on the t'indy website that Simon Cowell was destroying the UK music industry, go some stick for that

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Music today is just manufactured crap. Many old bands/artists had raw talent, take away the technology and glamour away from today's lot and 99% are woeful.

It is all just an opinion, but I highly doubt that there will ever be any more guitarists/drummers of Seventies standards. Moon, Hendrix and Scott are gone forever, we must embrace Walsh, Clapton and Plant whilst we can!

 

[EM2]

Manufactured pop has existed since The Archies and The Monkees.
There's plenty of decent music around but you have to look in the right place. Get a DAB and get onto BBC 6Music (or listen via the BBC website), you'll discover more new decent music there in a week than you can shake a stick at.

 

[chris89]

Most of it is really what is ashame. Not just from shows like X-factor but all these pop and rap artists.

Some of which scare me like Lady Ga-Ga.

I mostly listern to Rock and strongly dislike screamo and most new bands that are being released and praised (Good for them though). I actually like Blink 182 & Bowling for soup. But my main musical choice is stuff like: Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Black Sabbath and other classic rock bands

Chris

 

[passmore]

Manufactured pop has existed since The Archies and The Monkees.
There's plenty of decent music around but you have to look in the right place. Get a DAB and get onto BBC 6Music (or listen via the BBC website), you'll discover more new decent music there in a week than you can shake a stick at.

Sadly, like music, the definition of a 'manufactured pop artist' has changed as well.

Nowadays, bands and artists are gravy train passengers for the record labels and the moguls.

 

[Ferret]

Music is utter bollocks these days. I only have to stick on the local radio to hear just how bad things have got with songs that sound the same. There's still the odd exception but how many of the current pifflous cretins will stand the test of time in the same way as The Beatles, Led Zep, Abba etc?

 

[SS4]

tl;dr version: yes

-----------------------------------------------------​

Anyone who has heard Cher Lloyds new offering would answer yes!

Who?

It's been declining for years now. I can't listen to radio one, the amount of rubbish they play is beyond belief.

Radio 1 chatter far too much anyway. Or they did in the 90s when I listened to it last.

Manufactured pop bands and the influx of X factor garbage haven't made things any easier.

True, why bother working when you can land on the X-Factor? Even the losers have a disproportionate amount of success. There is also a feeling of apathy and hopelessness knowing whatever they release will be christmas no1, hence killing in the name's success.

The most annoying is Eminem with his angry ranting on everything he releases. And i have to ask myself why record companies allow foul language on releases.....when they play it on radio half the words are bleeped out or cut out purely because they can't be arsed to release a radio edit, so whats the point?

Seconded, I get the impression he doesn't have anything wise or even coherent to say so he makes it up with swearing.

I wish that Rihanna would also get dressed from time to time and top telling us about her sex life. My friends four year old daughter was bumping and grinding to her Excite me song the other day....i was repulsed, she knew every word.

This is a big one for me too. Too many women think, and are encouraged to think, that if they show overt sexual behaviour then it somehow improves the song. It's not necessary and it sets a very poor role model for kids who can't be isolated from it like they used to.

Most of it is really what is ashame. Not just from shows like X-factor but all these pop and rap artists.

Some of which scare me like Lady Ga-Ga.

They all sound the same to me. Thankfully since I started listening to Planet Rock I don't get to hear it

I mostly listern to Rock and strongly dislike screamo and most new bands that are being released and praised (Good for them though). I actually like Blink 182 & Bowling for soup. But my main musical choice is stuff like: Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Black Sabbath and other classic rock bands

Chris

Can't stand screamo and any other sub-genre in which the vocalist is unintelligible (such as black metal) for that matter. I listen to much the same as you apart from Deep Purple.


The problem we have with the reality shows is the same problem we have with Apple - people are simply too thick to think for themselves and choose the better option by any reasonable standard but instead buy what they're told to buy.

From a technical point of view music standards are definitely declining. I'm not old enough to remember vinyl so can't comment there but when it comes to downloads they're far too compressed given the bandwidth available - 128kbps mp3 is pathetic, 320kbps is better but there needs to be an option for lossless such as flac.

I'm concerned with the leakage of crap into festivals - Glastonbury can no longer pretend to be a rock festival, Reading, Leeds and Download are turning into the sort of generic rock you hear on Kerrang where every song sounds much the same. Only Sonisphere (of the major 'rock' festivals) appears to be metal as it would have been in my dad's day.

I was definitely born a generation too early for good music. to be able to see Ozzy, Priest, Maiden, Saxon, Sabbath, Queen, Pink Floyd, Journey etc with their original line ups would have been heaven.

My main concern however, is that there are no longer enough decent musicians who are carrying the classic rock/metal torch for when time overtakes the giants who are in their 60s now. There is good music if you know where to look, the power metal genre looks in good health and there are the likes of Airbourne and Rival Sons who play classic rock.
Metal will never be popular like it was in NWOBHM days yet judging by how popular music has sold out that can only be a good thing!

rant over

 

[ChrisCooper]

I think quantity over quality is a big part. There is such a variety of styles and so many groups and artists these days, that nobody really stands out. As other's have said, the X factor and the like are quite resonsible, each year producing the new big thing, only for them to disapear next year. It really started in the 90s, I mean 90s music was great, but who really stood out? For everything good there were always plenty of clones, some as good or even better. These days it's worse. If you went out and asked people in the street to name one iconic band or artist from the 60s, 70s and 80s, the vast majority would be from a small list (off the top of my head I'd say Beatles, Abba, Queen, and I bet many others would too). Ask them one from the 90s or the last decade and you'd probably get loads of different answers. The 90s at best you'd probably have to divide by genres, these days you'd struggle even then.

 

[starrymarkb]

Oh there is good stuff out there. Voodoo Six impressed supporting Micheal Monroe. Murderdolls are fantastic showmen (far better then the overhyped Black Veil Brides on the same bill).

Try listening to continental radio. The range is much wider then UK radio. While in Germany I heard Mesh, a synthpop band from Bristol - they are huge in Germany but unkown over here

 

[chris89]

Festivals now adays are really concerning. Glastonbury (Pilton as i call it since was a local and annoys people) Has never attracted me, and i think Evis said he didn't want big rock bands to play as it would make it to 'Main Stream'

Download is terrible the one and only time i went to it was in '07 one of the reasons due to Maiden playing & that it was a fantastic line up, I've wanted to go to Sonisphere but haven't been able due to other things coming up.

Kerrang (TV Channel) is pretty poor now mostly things like Avenge Sevenfold and etc with screamo, Scuzz is mostly scream and black metal. Planet rock though is fantastic.

Power Metal as SS4 has mentioned like Airbourne (Can't wait to see on the 31st) and i rather like Symphonic Metal/Rock such as Within Temptation and other bands like Sabaton.

One band i'd have loved to see live would be Queen but before i was born for the concerts. But the musical though is excellent and strongly recommend.

Also SS4 don't worry rants are good especially for music and so one Also look forward to Maiden on the 31st as i can't wait, and doing sensible thing and staying in the Britiania hotel nr newstreet for the night after with friends.

Chris

 

[mbonwick]

Are standards declining? Yes and no.

Yes, the 'bottom of the pile' stuff is getting worse, and as has been said, manufacturing via X-Factor etc doesn't help.

However, I also think that there is some good stuff out there. While I agree some of the subject material isn't the best, the tunes are good. Don't forget that the 90s gave us Aqua among other terrible acts!

This is from a self-confessed 70s/80s fan. Oh and BTW, I think eminem is a lyrical genius!

 

[starrymarkb]

I was tempted by Sonisphere based on last year's linup, then I saw this year's lineup. Meh...

Hoping to go to WGT next year

Aqua were great!

 

[sutty]

What? You don't like today's auto-tuned, chorus effect-ridden CACK that gets played out today?

Me either. Taio Cruz or however you spell it, Calvin Harris, Tynchy Stryder, chipmunk, et al couldn't produce a decent bit of music if you gave it to them on a DAT. The over reliance on autotuning and chorus beatboxed tat is responsible for a lot. I think a lot of today's music is designed to be blasted out of a chavs Samsung speakerphone.

Riles me up, it does. Right up! I'm not against the crossing of music at festivals. The fans tend to enjoy it. Jay-Z and Beyonce commanded massive crowds at Glasto' - not a fan myself but they attracted a lot of attention.

Bands such as RHCP and Linkin Park wouldn't be around if we hadn't crossed rapping (ok, scatting in RHCP land) and guitars. Pendulum wouldn't be around if we didn't combine breaks/DnB with rock.

Anybody remember the Sneaker Pimps? The 90's gave us an amazing band there.

 

[gordonthemoron]

I've checked, and I've not seen anything resembling a new band at all in 2011. However, I shall be seeing the Kabeedies (from Norwich) on Friday, seen them before & they're rather good

 

[GB]

Are music standards declining?...Just (try) and listen to that krud from cher lloyd and you tell me!

 

[Drsatan]

Are music standards declining?...Just (try) and listen to that krud from cher lloyd and you tell me!

Thankfully I haven't had to listen to her new single yet! (Funnily enough, I'd never heard of her until a mate mentioned her)

What really annoys me is that in order to break into the mainstream, artists have to produce music that panders to the lowest common denominator, regardless of the artist's background. Lots of artists are guilty of this, like Pitbull. I've never been a big fan of his music, but one day I listened to a song from his debut album (released in 2004) and although I didn't really like it, since I've never really liked rap music, it sounded far less mainstream than his more recent offerings that have broken into the charts. Similarly, much of David Guetta's material released early in his career was far more experimental and had more depth than his new collaborations with Rhianna, Flo Rida etc al.

Likewise, as someone who's liked trance music, the quality of trance and other genres of dance music has deteriorated rapidly to pander to the masses. Tiesto in particular is guilty of 'dumbing down' by collaborating with mainstream artists and producing music with a more 'pop' based sound, which infuriated me. Once I had the misfortune to listen to one of his collaborations with Busta Rhymes and felt like chucking my radio out of the kitchen window!

Speaking about my taste in music, I've moved on from the stuff played on Radio 1 to 70s/80s music, heavy metal, and progressive metal. I thought about going to Sonisphere this year since the line up seemed very impressive, but due to other commitments I couldn't make it It was a shame though since a mate went and said it was very good.

Like most people of my age, I used to listen to whatever was played on Radio 1, then grew tired of generic pop and indie m