There is something very, very wrong with today’s music. It just may not be very good.

Global News ^ | 7/24/22 | Alan Cross

[DallasBiff]

On warm summer nights, the park across the street from my house is filled with people playing dribbling soccer balls, playing volleyball, or engaging in aggressive games of Spikeball.

Nearly all of them will have music playing through Bluetooth speakers, usually from the Spotify Top 100. And if I’m honest, none of this music is any good. All I hear is mumbled lyrics tunelessly rendered (well, except for the overuse of Auto-Tune) and beats so quantized that they could be substituted for an atomic clock

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Nah, it's not the copyright laws. There's plenty of legal room to draw from older forms and make new music. Try Greta van Fleet, whose sound is very Led Zeppelin but whose songs are all completely original.

The problem is that technology has made it both possible and far cheaper for individuals to make electronically/computer modified music. You don't need a band or bandmates who normally contribute their own ideas and personality to songs, which means you don't have to split revenues or have a touring band. Autotuned vocals destroy vocal uniqueness, drum machines eliminate inventive percussion, etc. etc..

Music analyst Rick Beato - a boomer who has been involved with music and great musicians for decades - did a long episode on this, and nailed it. Worth a watch from a guy who really knows his stuff:

https://youtu.be/1bZ0OSEViyo?si=4F-JSLnY9JcSb0cb

[Fuzz]

That’s cute.

I still get a kick when my kids listen to music I introduced them to.

When my oldest was a baby and would cry I’d play Kate Bush and she would stop crying and listen, especially Eat the Music. She also likes Porcupine Tree.

My youngest still likes listening to Tom Waits early stuff.

They both hate slipknot, tool, Iron Maiden, the ramones, and the heavier stuff I usually prefer.

[Fiji Hill]

On AFN Frankfurt during the first week of June, 1966, the #1 song was Mel Torme's Dominique's Discotheque. I don't think this even made it onto the Adult Contemporary charts Stateside. I would not hear it again until Youtube came along about five decades later.

[dfwgator]

All the humanity has been sucked out of it.

Part of the fun was arguing with our friends as to who was the better guitarist, drummer, etc. We cared about who played on the records, who produced it, etc.

[Jeff Chandler]

This entire video is worth your time, but the most important part is right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVME_l4IwII&t=419s

[Fiji Hill]

Music analyst Rick Beato - a boomer who has been involved with music and great musicians for decades - did a long episode on this, and nailed it. Worth a watch from a guy who really knows his stuff:

I learned of Rick Beato while reading FR. He does, indeed, know his music.

[dfwgator]

Boss Radio 93 KHJ.

---

There are plenty of KHJ airchecks on the web, I sometimes put them on when I’m falling asleep and it takes me back to my childhood.

[pfflier]

Most of the male singers are whiny and sound pretty much the same

Amen...the soyboy voices are just annoying. Most sound like they are on puberty blockers.

[Harpotoo]

Well this old fart will be enjoying Megadeath in person tonight;-)

[dfwgator]

Rock On!

[AppyPappy]

Something is very wrong with the Internet. I can get to FR but not ESPN or Zillow. Wrong week to quit sniffing glue

[kawhill]

Check this guy out. He’s from Scotland I believe.

https://www.youtube.com/c/AdamHolmesOfficial/videos

[Jumper]

Neil Young... yuk. However, Winnipeg producted 4-5 of the early and best singing acts of the 69s, 79s, 80s. Randy Bachmam and Neil Young shared the same classical musical education. Whoever it was in Winnipeg that taught and inspured all these singer song writers was brilliant. It wasn’t the in the water.

I saw BTO in Darke County Ohio 24 August, and he is a story teller talking about his earlier band and Neil Young.

BTO act chronicals Winnipeg throughout the shiw with video backdrop. An excellent performance by an 80 yr old rocker.

[HonkyTonkMan]

Had no idea, but aligns with a Nashville songwriter I met last year. He's been there since the 60's and said the Nashville sound is so similar b/c there are only a handful of writers there now.

He said in the 60's and 70's it was so diverse, different styles, trying new techniques. Now everyone just wants the "formula" to get a hit, not about the art anymore.

[dfwgator]

Reminds me of this from a few years ago...

Mind-Blowing SIX Song Country Mashup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY8SwIvxj8o

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Did she ask, “Which one’s Pink?”

No, she just wanted to know which one was Floyd.

[ansel12]

Here is another great source on this topic.

This video gets into the science of what has happened to music.
Why is Modern Music so Awful?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVME_l4IwII&t=1s

[Major Matt Mason]

Didn't realize Oldfield was that young when he created Tubular Bells.

[ansel12]

I didn’t see your post and posted the same video.

[fidelis]

Please provide a link

Please see my post #23.