Do you think music categories mean nothing now (read details)?

Question

Years ago terms like R & B and country used to mean something, now apparently someone like Mariah Carey is considered R & B and someone like, say, Leanne Rhymes or Shania Twain is considered country but they both sound the same to me. I think most music now is just one bland mess with no meaning.

Answer 1

Yeah, it's all kind of meshed together into some kind of bland all-purpose pop. Most Country is just a slightly retooled version of Rock with some flavoring from "country" instruments such as a fiddle or steel guitar. Sometimes it's jus a cowboy had and a drawl that can't be hidden when singing. It seems that the only way to be a rocker these days is to go through the back door, so to speak, and call it country.
Another thing that I'venoticed, especially in the last decade, is the dominance of slow tunes on the charts. Whatever happened to uptempo music? Remember the Rock of the '50s,'60s & '70s?
It used to be, you'd have two, maybe three slow tunes tops on an LP and that was just for a change of pace. Most hit ingles were always uptempo. That applies to R&B or "Soul" music as we called it. While there may have been a slightly higher percentage of slow tunes in that genre, the majority were still uptempo. Music just isn't any fun anymore. Even many of the slower Country tunes sound more like today's Pop/R&B.
The term "Pop" has always been a bit of a problem for me too. When I was a teenager, in the '60s, Pop meant Dean, Frank, Sammy, Steve & Eydie, etc. It wasn't generally applied to Rock & Roll, Soul or Country. (Although I think it was in the UK, if I'm not mistaken.) Labels meant something then.
As for Rap, Hip-Hop & most comtemporary R&B, the less said the better.
Give me good hard Rock (Rolling Stones), Honky Tonk (Dwight Yoakam) & Rock 'n Roll (Dion - and I don't mean Celine!) anytime!

Answer 2

- Basic Info -- 1. What is your age? A: 18 2. What is your gender? A: Female -- Preferences -- 1. What genres do you primarily watch/read? You may choose a couple. A: SHOUNEN, action, comedy, fantasy, drama 2. Assuming all were available for a given series, would you prefer to watch the anime, read the manga, or play the visual novel? A: watch the anime. 3. Assuming that all were available for a given series, would you prefer to watch the anime subbed, dubbed, or raw? A: I would definitely watch the dubbed. (Don't hate) 4. When choosing a series to start, what factors do you base your decision on? A: the genres, the storyline, and the art. -- History -- 1. How many anime series have you watched? A: 20+ (never really counted lol) 2. How many volumes of manga have you read? A: like 2.. I don't really read mangas. 3. How many volumes of manga do you *physically* own? A: 1 4. How many visual novels have you played? A: 0 5. How many hours per week, on average, do you spend watching anime or doing related activities? A: when I have get the chance, I spend about 7 hours watching anime. 6. When did you get into anime/related things? A: when I was in gr6 -- Different but Relevant -- For the following, if you choose "yes", please add details. 1. Do you listen to Vocaloid, or watch Vocaloid PVs? A: I have no clue what that is. So, no. 2. Do you play Touhou, or do Touhou related things (music, fanart, doujinshi, etc.)? A: ...I have no idea what that is either :/ 3. Do you regularly listen to non-anime related Japanese music? A: nope. 4. Do you know the Japanese language, to any degree? A: just the basics like hello, thank you and goodbye. :'( 5. Do you import items from Japan? A: no -- Favorites -- You may only pick ONE for each question in this category. 1. What is your favorite anime? A: ONE PIECE. 2. What is your favorite manga? A: ONE PIECE. 3. What is your favorite visual novel? A: one piece. (not sure what visual novel is lols) 4. What is your favorite series overall? A: ONE PIECE. 5. What is your least favorite series overall? A: anything that has robots or tons of pointless drama and/or romance with a dumb storyline. 6. Who is your favorite character? A: Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece. 7. Who is your least favorite character? A: any character who I find useless/pointless. 8. Given the opportunity to "be with" any character for a night, who would you pick? The character you choose will accept willingly regardless of age or sexual orientation. A: --__-- huh? wh-where exactly are you going with this? Well, I guess if I had to choose, I would most definitely be Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece.

Answer 3

Mariah has a different range than Shania or LeAnn. And the beats of the music is totally different. If you really listen you can tell the differences between R&B and Country. Ok, I would understand if you said there was no difference between Hip-Hop or R&B; or there were no differences between Country or Rock.

Answer 4

I totally agree! As soon as corporate America got their teeth into the music industry everything went to hell. If you go back to the sixties and seventies when everything was new and fresh, there were quite a few sub-categories for each of the main music categories. For example, in rock alone, you had hard rock, soft rock, acid rock, fusion rock, southern rock etc....Music now has been reduced to a manufactured, over-promoted, business venture. Just look at any of the awards shows. It makes me sick to to watch them. So many categories of music never recognized!

Answer 5

Oooo. . . Yes I totally agree. No one has their own area to be unique in anymore. It's like singers are tryin' to be "all-around" and touch every genre, making it all sound the same. Sometimes its good to branch out but they're over doin' it.

P.S. Country woman ain't what they use to be. . .Like Reba and Dolly, now those are REAL country women singers. =)

Answer 6

most country music now is rock with fiddle or something thrown in.
some songs are just rock or pop sang with a southern accent, real or faked.

Answer 7

lol, all music except metal seems to have comprimised, over in europe its developed so many sub genres that sound so different. but yea i kno what you mean about all music starting to sound alike, thats why i listen to the uncomprimising stuff.

Answer 8

it's all in the "Pop" category really, with a slight aura of country or R&B.... but it's all really POP, and that's what sells, unfortunately.

Answer 9

it means something but not too much

Answer 10

I completly agree with you.