Why don't people appreciate good music anymore?

Question

Ever since I joined a jazz band, and a concert band, I've learned what truly amazing music is. Good music isn't just some catchy jingle with a couple of kids blaring on their overdriven guitars. (And I play guitar, don't tell me I know nothing) Or it especially isn't just a repetitive beat with some fast-talking rapper talking nonsense about money and cars and god-knows-what.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like modern bands, like Weezer, but I think good music lasts forever. Like Frank Sinatra. Doesn't anybody listen to that anymore? I mean, there's nothing wrong with rap, or punk music, I guess, it's not my taste, but the reason I don't like it it because there's just nothing musically interesting about it.

Not that a song needs a lot of instruments to be interesting, it needs to be something more than the everyday tune. What do you think?

Yes, of coure everybody had different perceptions of good music. To me, it looks like nothing is too interesting anymore. I'm just asking people what they think, not what they like.

Also, If you disagree, just say so, and explain. Don't hate what I think. Talk about what you think. Not what I do. If you agree, explain.

Wow. What a question I made. What did I do?

Wow. What a question I made. What did I do? So many different answers.

Of course, we all have different tastes, we all know that, no need to mention it anymore.

Answer 1

People don't appreciate good music because people listen to crap now.I see these people going up and down the street with their stereos blaring this jibble jabble and it's like a contest of who has the louder system.I wanna tell these people to turn that crap down-you can't understand a word of it anyway.It's just a bunch of lyrics that have mention if guns,drugs,shootings anda murder all in the first verse.

I hear you man...no one likes good music anymore...we'll see if Snoop Dogg is remembered in 20 years from now....People are going to say "Snoop Who?...Oh Yeah....wasn't he that person who had that song?...you know.....oh damn,I can't remember it either so he must not have been that important"....

Answer 2

I think nowadays you've gotta dig deep for more than a "catchy jingle with a couple of kids blaring on their overdriven guitars". You certainly won't find anything in the top 100. What I dislike about most pop music is that, although it'll get stuck in your head- which is why it makes it to the charts- there is, as you said, nothing really interesting about it, meaning that after a couple of listens it becomes boring. I think truly good music is the music that, while it may not catch your attention immediately, after a while you begin to notice the subtle details that make it interesting- the songs I can have on repeat for a month and not get bored of.

Unlike you, however, I like punk. Not modern punk, of course, which is generally pure crap. But older stuff- 70s and 80s. Nothing like jazz of course (which is cool, but not my taste, if you know what I mean).

My main problem with modern music, however, is it's lack of meaning and depth. I could stand for a poppy tune every now and then if music had a message- if it could inspire a movement. Where are all the protest songs? So much is going on in the world, and in my mind music should be a commentary on that. I want to be inspired by music- early punk managed that. And in the 60s, there was the whole hippie movement. What now?

Answer 3

Indeed, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. as a musician involved in multiple genres. composing jazz and 'concert' music takes effort, training, and time... something most people don't want to do.

Jazz (rock and hip-hop's daddy!) is truly amazing because it's rules are so rigid, yet it sounds so free. Getting involved in a jazz and concert band, you're seeing and hearing ALL of what it takes to make real and timeless music... chords, progressions, instrumentation, voicings.... alll beyond just a "phat beat". But, do you know how difficult it is to come up with a new beat at just the right tempo? And then match it with it just the right poem? At the same time, it's sad to hear yelling and just plain talking in tempo called music. I guess Shakespeare was a rapper? Why do some bands/rappers come and go, while a few stick around? Red Hot Chili Peppers are still makin $! Aerosmith is still selling out arenas,. But will we all be shakin laffy taffy 5 years from now?

Also, What you're noticing is the freedom and expression that jazz music provides. Most of todays pop music is locked into the standard A-B-A-C-(A) format that, believe it or not, is hundreds of years old. Jazz has rigid rules that actually expands the possibilities

We all have singular, and hopefully multiple, tastes in music. It makes for interseting questions like yours. Stay with jazz, learn the chords, study the scales, keep listening to Weezer...

Perhaps a better question would be (maybe I'll ask it sometime) what makes music, songs, or artists, last? What defines our taste?

Great question! It's going to generate some great answers! I'd love to circle-up with some of you and hash this out.

giorocks has the best response so far...

Answer 4

Of course people listen to good music. I listen to music across the board (barring rap and heavy opera) and enjoy whatever takes the mood. I particularly like easy listening jazz and some of the most popular artists are young people - Jamie Cullam, Katie Melua - so good music isn't dead yet. Music is a developing art, and new ideas will (and have) always be/been met with opposition from traditionalists. That also goes for classical music. I've had opportunity over the last year to see some fantastic live music in Hungary ranging from rock (Deep Purple) through progressive jazz (Dés László) to folk (Muzsikás) and it has been a great experience, broadening my interests. Check out the websites below if you are interested. The Cotton Club Singers may be of interest to you. Most of all, enjoy your music.

Answer 5

What section are you looking at? First off, you can't really say anything about Jay Elect., the dude has put off his album forever. Next, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, and Royce da 5'9 are talked about daily. Also, Pete Rock is talked about daily. I see something about Mecca & The Soul Brother or The Main Ingredient every couple of weeks. Who are you to judge what good music is anyway? You're just one person. I will say that this section doesn't have a very wide base of music that we talk about, but the examples you brought up weren't great. ]

Answer 6

Well, to some extend i agree with you. Rap is a crap, pop is not for people who like music, trance is fake, but man do not say anything about rock n metal please. OK, jazz is great, complex, with many scales and strange chords, but it's silly in my ears. I agree with you that nowadays everyone takes some overdriven guitars and play some power chords and some pentatonic scales solos and thinks he is a guitar god, but that's a lie. I agree with you, punk is so simple, even a 2 year old child could play, but the point in punk is to make you groove, ungry maybe...I do not like punk, and some types of metal (nu metal, example SLIPKNOT - worstband ever), but have you ever heard Purple, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Ozzy, Queen, Van Halen, Scorpions? Have you ever heard those amazin guys who created music in my ears much better than jazz, or anything else? Probably yes, and you find the too simple too??? Well, then i ll tell someothers who are far greater even from them.
As a musician too and a european, i m a lot into classical, and thats why i do not like jazz at all. Well you must hear Yngwie Malmsteen (the greatest guitarist ever for me) who plays in overdriven guitars, and classicals(nylon string) amazing things, a mix of classical music and rock. A lot of minor, minor harmonics, minor melodics, diminished, fryggian, dorian scales, wich make him a god to my ears. Also there is a band from Iceland: Children of Bodom. A black metal, melodic band which is the most ****** good band i ever heard. Uli Jon Roth??? Have you heard of him??? Another guitar god, who performed Vivaldis 4seasons with solo overdriven guitar instead of violin.

Anyway, i dont like people that are stuck. Jazz not so great i think.
Also despite bein' a metalhead, when hangin out i WANT to listen to rap, hip-hop, trance,pop, and punk and rock, and believe i DONT want to hear jazz and blues. And for last, each person is different. Quality music, and quality is different for each one. Maybe an R n B song expresses someone perfectly and thats why he/she like it so much, and i know many song which only have some chords(3 or 4) and express me as much as anything else. I hope you undrestand me.... You made a great qustion....

Answer 7

Except for modern country music and some of the junk from the 1990's I like all types of music.
Good music doesn't have to be pretentious, it just has to "speak" to you. I happen to like paintings that look like things; landscapes or portraits, but sometimes an abstract painting "speaks" to me and makes me think, or feel something. Music is just art that you hear. I remember somebody once said that you can't explain jazz, you just get it or you don't.

Answer 8

Beacuse nowdays it's all about MONEY and POWER...
Those capitalist is the one who make this situation, and those people who don't really understand music (even the music they listen to) whose like what ever in trends what ever still hot in media what ever will make them cool if they follow it... something called the POP culture.

But good thing is that there is still people who could apreciate good music...

For me, i don't mind about any kind of music, i liked them all, i only don't like those people who become fanatic to something while they don't really understand what they like (even thou they think they do), try asking a gothic fan that dressed-up all gothic and listen to gothic music, live a gothic live style if they understand what they're doing (this is only an example, not offending all the gothic fan, only the stupid one i did offend).

I'm a music bachelor, i get to learn so much about music, art, aesthetic, and philosophy, that i get what a music really means, and also get that most of the people don't really understand the music they're dig into...

Peace...

Answer 9

Maybe it's not so much that people don't appreciate good music, but the fact that most music now days is uninspired. That is why I mostly listen to classic rock (60s and 70s), blues, and some good 80s and 90s rock. What happened to meaningful lyrics, and beautiful instrument sounds? I miss it, how about you? I do listen to some newer rock, but not much!

Answer 10

That's because people are all different, you define "good music" differently to what i do. To me good music is hip hop e.g Nas, Jay Z and Tupac also old rock music like Guns N' Roses, Zepplin, Def Leppard - point is, everybody is different you can't jus say "why does nobody like good music anymore", because that's your oppinion, it's not fact.