Why Is Music So Bad Today?

"Everything that can be invented has been invented." ~McCartney music around, but it is Sir Paul after all, and
Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the US PatentChicago and The Beach Boys are a little weak. But
Office in 1899."Children nowadays are tyrants. Theyoverall, the lists just don't compare.The music industry
contradict their parents, gobble their food and tyrannizeitself has changed so drastically that I think that is one
their teachers." ~ SocratesWhy is popular music soof the main reasons there is such a chasm between
bad today? I mean, I'm not that old, but jeez, the musictoday's music and the creations of yesteryear. Like
of today, with only a few rare exceptions, kinda stinks.sports and medicine, music in another industry that has
Some would say that when New Year's Eve 1979been a casualty of big business and American
ended, we were ushered into an era of lame musiccapitalism.No longer does the actual music quality drive
that we still haven't escaped from today.I grew up inthe industry. Instead, the people with the money and
the 80's and remember listening to the Beatles, Johnpower at the record companies notice some bad
Lennon, Simon & Garfunkel, Roger Waters and Pinkmusic selling well to young people for example, and
Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, and David Bowie,therefore decide that from then on they're only going
to name a few, with my brothers or my dad. Ito find and promote that type of bad music since it
remember seeing album covers strewn about mymade a few bucks. They've totally stopped listening to
brother's bedroom. Albums, not CD's. (If you're a reallythe music and instead only listen to the dollars.No
young reader, albums are like CD's in that they're flatlonger does the music they create determine the
and round, but black, and a lot bigger. The getsuccess of a band. Instead, entertainment
scratched and don't work just like CD's though).Someconglomerates tell fans what to listen to, and that
say that the 60's were a turbulent time in the U.S. anddetermines the success. They do this because they
the world and thus created a perfect environment andhave such a strangle hold on the media. We only have
culture for innovative and creative music. But let's facethe illusion of choice now. A vicious circle has begun
it. These days are pretty turbulent as well. So where'swhere the whole industry is inexorably spinning down,
the Crosby, Still, Nash and Young of today to singunable to find purchase on the sides of some slimy
about our involvement in Iraq? Or where is the Paulcorporate funnel, circling downward uncontrollably into
Simon of today to protest the government's stance onthe abyss of painfully bad music.Some bands
stem cell research? All we've gotten recently is theoccasionally slip through the vortex relatively intact,
new Paris Hilton CD. Paris Hilton? Isn't she just famoussidestepping the almost institutionalized process of
for being famous? And her new CD actually got some"making it" set in place by music executives. Phish is a
good reviews.Before anyone accuses me of paintinggreat example of this. They became hugely successful
a broad brush stroke condemning all music after thein spite of the music industry. Because they were so
70's, let me say that in more recent times there hasgood and so tenacious in touring and jamming, they
been a small amount of good stuff like Phish or Midnite,attracted a large fan base. The sheer numbers of
and even politically-minded music such as U2, but noeventual fans Phish had gave them a power that
where near the creative amount of earlier times.Imost artists today can't have. Most other artists have
remember when the Dixi Chicks came out againstto do what the people with the purse strings tell them
President Bush and the Iraq war. While not a bad band,to do. And that often makes for bad music.
they're hardly going to achieve iconic status. And theyUnfortunately, Phish isn't even together any more. But
paid dearly at the hands of big business for theirthey're a rare exception in that they came after the
outspoken views. That's a far cry from the70's and were highly creative and
politically-charged days of Woodstock where manyimprovisational.Another thing that contributes to the
artists were speaking out, and changing things.If youpoor music of today is technology. These days,
think about it, there are only a select few artists orHollywood actors who can't sing can have singing
bands that can regularly sell out huge arenas today.careers. The engineers touch up their voices, and use
These are the icons. And the vast majority of thoseevery digital sound technique there is to make an
artists are bands from before the 80's! Between lastaverage product sellable, just like the magazines
summer and this summer, here are some of the reallyairbrush the models and actresses, trimming years off
big concert ticket sellers: The Rolling Stones, Rogerto complete the illusion. There are many ways in which
Waters of Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Barbrathe music engineers can do this in the studio and even
Streisand, Eric Clapton and The Eagles.I recently readfor artists on tour.Ashlee Simpson is a good example
an article that suggested that music and tourof this. First, we saw her on Saturday Night Live
promoters, large venue owners and ticket companiesgetting caught lip-sinking. Then I heard a recent
are all worried about concert sales taking a plungeinterview where Joe Walsh's daughter, Lucy Walsh,
after the legendary artists stop touring. They realize it'sadmitted that as Ashlee's keyboard player, she always
going to be hard to sell out big arenas after thedoubled Ashlee's voice while on tour.I know that in any
dinosaurs become extinct. Who are the artists ofera there's going to be silly music acts like Ashlee
today who will reach that status tomorrow?In a recentSimpson, Kevin Federline and Paris Hilton. I realize that
interview with Joe Walsh on Sirius Radio Joe saidduring Bob Dylan's time there were lots of feeble yet
there is not nearly as much improvisational rockfamous music artists then too. My complaint is that it
anymore. And I agree. When asked what bands heseems like in any other era there was at least enough
thought were decent these days, he couldn't think ofreally fantastic and original music being created to
any for a while, and then finally said he thought thebalance things out.Let's go backwards. We've looked
Goo Goo Dolls were good. Hmmm.Maybe I'm someat the popular music of the 21st Century a little in the
kind of curmudgeon, but Top 40 today is just not aslists above and I don't see any really original music in
good as it used to be. Is Kevin Federline reallythere at all. Some may argue that the grunge era of
talented? I just found out recently that his nickname isthe 90's produced some great and original music. I
K-Fed. How about fed up? I think K-Fed, J-Lo, X-tinaargue that almost all of that music was so heavily
(Christina Aguilera, no joke) and A-Rod all need to getinfluenced by the rock of the 60's and 70's that it really
together ASAP and rethink their feeble nicknames, justwasn't that original at all.The music of the 80's matched
an FYI.Here are the top 5 songs right now in thethe hair and clothes of the time, lame. The synthesizer
Summer of 2006:- Fergie - London Bridge- Gnarlswas new then, but the music was reasonably bad, and
Barkley - Crazy- Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland -certainly not timeless. But then we come to the 70's
Promiscuous- The Pussycat Dolls Featuring Snoopand 60's. Those are the decades that last held any
Dogg - Buttons- Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Nothope for people like me who long for fresh, original,
TragediesAnd here were the top 5 albums of 2005:-creative and improvisational music.In 1899 the
Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi- 50 Cent -Commissioner of the US Patent Office wrote
The Massacre- Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway- Green"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
Day - American Idiot- The Black Eyed Peas - MonkeyAlright, maybe he was a little off. But in a way,
BusinessHere are the top 5 albums of 1976:- Petereverything that seems new is really just new
Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive- Fleetwood Mac -combinations of existing things. Music is no different. I'm
Fleetwood Mac- Wings - Wings At The Speed Ofhoping that we return to the days when the
Sound- Eagles - Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975-combinations of beats, rhythms, harmonies and
Chicago - Chicago IX Greatest HitsAnd here are themelodies become as creative as they were in the 60's
top 5 albums of 1966- Original Soundtrack The Soundand 70's.But maybe things haven't changed much since
Of Music- The Beatles - Revolver- The Beatles -even Socrates' times. He thought kids were tyrants, as
Rubber Soul- The Rolling Stones - Aftermath- Theif his generation was the last of a dying breed of
Beach Boys - Pet SoundsIs it just me, or is there aangelic children. Maybe he just didn't understand the
glaring difference between the two 21st Century listskids of his era, and maybe I'm the same way.Jason
and the second two 20th Century lists? To be fair, IOConnor runs Rock and Pop Concert Tickets - A
actually own Monkey Business and I like it. Also, Greengreat place to buy tickets to cheap concerts across
Day is decent. Admittedly, Wings isn't the best PaulNorth America.