Am I getting old, or is music really getting that stupid?

Question

I still love music from the 80's, The Clash, English Beat, Talking Heads, Peter Gabrial, Cyndi Lauper, U2 etc etc, but I love Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc. And some of today's sounds of Techno and Trance are o.k, but the rock of today seems very self involved and really whiney. Or, Have I not found the right bands? And, there is no way that I like rap of today, it's gotten way too corporate and to sexist, racist and to bling bling crude. Are there any other choices of good music out there? I feel that I'm drowning in a see of medicrity here.

BTW, I love jazz and classical too. I like it when people actually can play music.

CarGuy, thanks for the info. I think I have Franz Ferdinand on my 'Snatch' movie sound track. Which is a great sound track by the way. So is the sound track to Danny Darko, which has Echo and the Bunnymen on it.

Reens.... Some of the best music is political. But it doesn't beat you over the head with it. The Clash and the entire punk music scene was very political but it wasn't so obvious. It captured more of a gestalt of the time and it raged against the machine without the overt propaganda.
It was very political in it's grungyness and it's blue collar roots. Speaking of Rage Against the Machine, I do like them too.

Reens: Green Day IS from America, they are from California.

Reens: >>What's with the accents then? <
They are from NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, dude!

Answer 1

I completely agree with you. Music today sucks; period. Two reasons for this are:

1)The record industry's pressure on spitting out albums as fast as possible. I saw an interview with Ronnie James Dio the other day and he said it best. Back in the 80's you could take your time in composing a song so you made it good. You could also get away with releasing an album with 8 songs. You couldn't possibly do that now. The less time you have to write songs, the lesser the quality of the song.

2) People these days have short attention spans. I call it the "I want it now" generation. If your band can't keep someone's attention for more than 2 seconds, you won't last long. Many bands are now gone because they never got a shot. It's the same thing with tv shows. If Seinfeld was aired for the first time today, it wouldn't last past the pilot episode.

We live in a world with people with ADD. That's why music sucks today.

Answer 2

Music is based on personal taste. It isn't so much becoming more "stupid"; the flavor of life has changed around it. I grew-up in the 80's. My favorite music is and always will be the hairbands. I also enjoy new-age, classical, rock, techno, rap, etc. Each genre has what some would call crap. But again, this classification comes from a person's preference. Recently I picked-up "A Beautiful Lie" by 30 Seconds To Mars. In my humble opinion it is awesome. You just have to keep an ear open and find what you prefer.

I have to admit, there were some fairly ignorant but happy little tunes back in the 80's. Most of today's kids think all of it was crap. Personal opinion and taste.

Answer 3

I am a music lover and a musician and I love a lot of today's rock. I still like the 80's and 90's stuff best and even some of the 70's tunes that I grew up to but there are a lot of good bands and artists out there. However, because anyone can make music and get it out there now, there are more songs/bands/singers who don't have the mass appeal that one used to have to get signed.
Try listening to stuff that's on the college charts and on foreign charts (especially tyhe UK and central Europe) - I think you'll find some good, solid stuff like I have.
I like to listen to Our Lady Peace, The Tragically Hip, Seal, the Bare Naked Ladies, Theory of a Dead Man, The Frey, The Trews, Franz Ferdinand, All American Rejects, Keane, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Level 42.

Answer 4

I was talking about this with one of my friends about a month ago. I'm 26 and I wish I was born in the 70's cause stuff now is worthless music. Lyrics are thoughtless, bands come and go, AND now I have to hear bands like Green Day incorporate politics into their CD's! Alright I'm getting a little fired up, but what happened to bands singing about meaningful stuff...not that politics isn't, but it has NO place in music.

With that said, bands like Shinedown and Our Lady Peace, are bands that still know what real music is. Good lyrics, actually sing with passion and purpose instead of getting in and out for money with some mainstream hit. We are all drowning in that mediocrity you're talking about...most don't realize it.

Answer 5

Here are some of todays bands. I love old music more though. The White Stripes (the best), Simple plan, The Jonas Brothers.

Answer 6

i like the 90s some. But todays music is a whole lot better. I HATE RAP too though.

Answer 7

Believe it or not, there is good music to be found now. (I'm more a 70s guy), you just won't hear most of it on mainstream radio anymore. Gotta go for indie bands. They seem the most consistently good & innovative to my ears.

Feel free to email for suggestions...

Answer 8

No, music is getting stupider...

Example: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, ALL rap artists...

I would say keep with the old and out with the new...
Velvet Revolver is a great band, you might like them...I do!

Answer 9

Today's music is really that stupid.

Answer 10

you are that old and music is that stupid

but i enjoy everyday of being old and listening to stupid music