Do you think there has been a steady decline in the quality of music over the past, oh 40 years?

Question

Is it just me or has there been sort of a decline in the quality of music over the past 40 years? Bands like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, and tons of other great rock bands made songs that we still listen to today with pleasure. It seems like these days many songs are the same, with the occasional breakthrough. Is this because of the lack of effort it takes today to make a song, and a popular one at that? Pick a beat on the computer, sing the words, and then it all gets edited? Does anyone agree with me here or is it just my bias?

Answer 1

I agree and you can blame the corporate mentality of the current music scene for one and us the listeners for another. In the sixities and seventies musicians used to form bands, write songs, tour there butts off, gather a following, and eventually garner the interest of a record company that would help them distribute their sounds. At that time most of the record companies were run by people who liked music just as much as the money they could make and this really allowed musical creativitiy to flourish. Now days record compainies are all consumed about big profits... some guy will see a 14 year old girl on some cable childrens show and picture what she will look like at 16 if they sex her up a bit and have studio effects help her to sing better. Bands or artists used to be formed... now they are created by suits. Poor Brooke Hogan has next to no talent and yet her daddy has a reality show and VH1 is spending millions to cram her down our throats. We are all to blame too. Everytime you illegally download a song or burn a CD for a friend you are costing the artist money and the record lable too... and that changes music. Say U2 puts out a new CD and it sells gang busters all over the world. U2 makes some money and the lable too... and because U2 made the lable money the lable in turn has money to invest in some no name gutiarist or small band from the midwest... this helps to pave the way for new artists and new points of view... new sounds. Because of these great computers we all have the record companies are losing so much money that they are only interested in bankrolling blond haired barbie dolls that they can sell for a quick profit... Jessica Simpson is bad enough, but Ashlee too, Hilary Duff? This is what we are left with. The best friend music ever had... Tower Records is now out of business- now if you want a CD that is not in the top 50 you are going to have to go online for it... Music has been declining... but it is our fault.

Answer 2

The answer is in the change and development of the music industry, and the consolidation of media outlets

In the past 40 years, it has gone from hundreds if not thousands of regional recording companies searching for local talent played on local radio stations, to now whereas there are 5 main labels that control all national distribution to major record store chains.

Also, the radio industry in the US has consolidated to the point where only a handful of corporations won the vast majority of stations national. Mix that with MTV, which is also owned by a huge media outlet (Viacom), and you end up with an effective monopoly that can dictate to you what is good or bad, and what you should listen to.

whether that music or the musicians playing it is any good is irrelevent: people listen to it, people buy it, and the companies make profit.

How tight is this monopoly?

Just remember that the next time you but a CD that the artist only makes about 5 cents of every dollar you spend: the companies keep the rest

Answer 3

No, I disagree. It could have a lot to do with where you are. I live near Salt Lake City but travel to Bakersfield California for about a 2 week stint per month. In Utah there are a lot of great stations (especially many different formats of alternative rock bashing it out in the market -- in fact the closest any station here gets to a traditional "Top 40" station is one that blends Alternative with top pop. A pure "Top 40" station would die on the vine here!). In Bakersfield the radio is so bad I listen to a funk station and a Spanish music station (think Cumbia and Mexican songs) just because the variety thee is so awful. When I'm in Bakersfield I occasionally go into Los Angeles. Los Angeles is quite a bit better than Bakersfield but stunningly enough is a dim bulb compared to Utah. I couldn't believe it Los Angeles is the second largest City in America and the radio selection is just OK and really not great! ...and in Bakersfield a city of 312,000 radio is downright depressing. When I'm coming back toward Salt Lake on my return trip it's so exciting to start picking up those great stations about 120 miles out. It's almost like returning from the moon! I go through Las Vegas each way and it's not much different than Los Angeles. Utah has the youngest average population of any state in the nation and when you think of it the best music of any era has always been the music the young kids listen to and maybe that's why Utah is different. There's a high school station here run by a bunch of horribly incompetent DJ's (the radio station is their assignment in their broadcasting class) and it's fantastic as far as what gets played and it's only one of several bright stars in the radio market here. I lived the '60s in California and loved it. I'm living the 2000's in Utah and still loving it. Maybe L.A. is more representative of radio in the USA in general. If so then I fully understand why you'd write this question.

Answer 4

I just had this discussion earlier today. Yes, I believe that music has declined and continues to do so. I think that it all began with the practice of "sampling" other artist's music. Sampling made it easy for anyone to put words to music that they had not composed or orchestrated.
Simply stated, with this "ease" came an abundance of "music" without a lot of forethought. Lots of "music" with not much substance. Hence, we have many artists who burst upon the scene--- and vanish just as quickly. There are some artists that work at their craft, and may stick around for a while, but it doesn't seem that we will find many of the tracks produced today enduring as "Classics".

Answer 5

i totally agree with you. for whatever reason, music has continued to get worse and lacks the originality and style all the bands you mentioned had. i think the fact that there is not as much effort being put into the art of making music. it seems like everyone just wants to make a quick buck and will do it at all costs. just look at these horrible female pop stars- Brittany and Jessica Simpson!? Where is the soul-Janis Joplin rules! also, the likes of John Lennon robert Plant and Jim Morrison will never be duplicated!!

Answer 6

I think so, too. Regardless of what type of music you listen to even....I like country music (and only classic rock, it seems), I miss the groups of the 60's, 70's and 80's very much. Thank God for CD's, Oldies stations, and Classic Rock.

Answer 7

i kind of agree with you, but not really

i think what youre describing modern music like is rap

theres still tons of effort put into making the songs of many modern bands, and while there are stupid annoying bands like my chemical romance and panic at the disco and crap like that, theres still great other bands like...oh lets say red hot chili peppers

but again, thats my opinion

but i do prefer calssic rock over anything else though...like those bands you mentioned...my favorites :)

Answer 8

I totally agree with you. I am still in the 60/70 music era-really timeless classic music that you just never forget the words/lyrics to....I havent kept up with music of this century...just yet.