Why is 60's and 70's music so much better than the music of today?

Answer 1

I am confident that in the '70s, there were people who asked, "Why were the songs of the '40s and '50s so much better than the music today?"

Taste in music is like taste in everything else -- it's all relative AND irrelevant! What one person finds appealing doesn't necessarily make them a good/bad or smart/stupid, it just makes them different.

I will say that the '60s and '70s were a time of major social changes with civil rights and women's rights at the forefront. At that time, the youth culture began expressing themselves fully without any repression as they has in previous decades -- so what they wrote was fresh, and controversial.

Three decades later there aren't so many NEW or ideas to express. That's why when rap first broke through, it was so exciting because it was different and it expressed the repression that still existed despite the changes of the '60s and '70s. But even that's old, because the artists who had to hustle and rhyme their way out of the streets now are riding on easy street and can't really "sing the blues" anymore, so all they have to write about is the cheap tarts who are willing to do anything just to say they they spent half-an-hour with a rock star.

The same thing happened with "grunge" -- OK, you're a disenchanted young adult who wants to complain about how selfish and disconnected parents are and how messed up you are as a result. Once they got paid they either drowned their sorrows and never recovered, or they got help and grew up. Heck, even Metallica went through therapy!

We're in a lull right now, but soon someone will burst through with a new sound and our faith in the creative process will be restored. Until then, keep looking, there are many talented, original artists out there "under the radar" in MANY genres.

For Rock and it's variations, check out xpn.org -- it's the University of Pennsylvania's radio station (they stream online and through iTunes) and they play lots of stuff and have a decent variety -- sometimes I'm really taken by surprise at some of the things they'll play. They also feature a lot of independent, up-and-coming artists.

For hip-hop and R&B, check out OkayPlayer.com, which features a variety of artists at different stages of their careers and with varying degrees of commercial success, but all of whom have real talent and artistic integrity.

Answer 2

A lot of today's music and the artists are manufactured. It was all from the heart back then. Plus that entire era was all about feelings and interacting and interest in the world around you. It's much more egocentric now and narrow.

Answer 3

Because they were all on drugs. And all the good songs from then are about drugs. I mean come on, Pink Floyd The Wall...he was defintely on acid...Great music comes from people that experimented with drugs, it opened up their mind to different things. Take for instance Nirvana, if Kurt was sober do you think his music would have been the same, probably not.

Answer 4

because they had awesome drum beats! and the artist`s music actually meant something to them, even though you cant understand half of the words in most of the 70`s songs. (example: The Roundabout)

Answer 5

Because people cared more about their music.

Answer 6

it wasnt as vulgar and explicit like most music of today...oh and music cds didnt have the little parental advisory sign on them

Answer 7

Because guys and girls valued themselves more....they were more conservative...They weren't club dancing at an 8th grade end of the year party.

Answer 8

they were more original and put more of themselves into what they did. now a days most songs are either written for the artists or remakes of older stuff.

Answer 9

yes it was, u knew the words. kids could listen and not hear some guy sing dirt crap to the ole lady and yo mama

Answer 10

people back then didn't have the technology to make themselfs sing better and people actually had something to sing about.