Current controversial topics in music?

[fractal]

Rap used to mean something

not in the 80's it didn't... just was about having a good time and telling your story imo

[cmgoodman1226]

And in that same way of thinking, you could talk about the fact that back in the day, a lot of the mainstream music was really good. Look at the 60's and 70's.

Especially when you have time on your side to make the world forget some of the god awful shit that was released in the 60s and 70s.

Not really sure what you're trying to say here (can't really tell if you're agreeing with me or not). There's always going to be bad music being made, and that time period was no different. But there were so many unforgettable acts from that time period that were also very mainstream as well: folks like Pink Floyd, James Brown, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, and a slew of others. And all their music (regardless of whether you like it or not) is still quite relavent today. But I just find myself thinking that the vast majority of the big name acts today won't be very relavent 15 years down the road, let alone 40-50 years. Obviously there's exceptions today, but it just seems that mainstream has become so much more of a least common denominator enterprise than it once was.

[Sexual_Chocolate]

Rap used to mean something

not in the 80's it didn't... just was about having a good time and telling your story imo

all about aliens eating cars like subaru's

[scspkr99]

not in the 80's it didn't... just was about having a good time and telling your story imo

I'm not sure that's entirely true like a lot of the more conscious stuff came later but Grandmaster flash was producing it at the beginning of the decade and PE at the end.

Think hip hop is more than wide enough to accomodate both.

[scattybeanhead]

how the internet is destroying real life music scenes?

[garethom]

And in that same way of thinking, you could talk about the fact that back in the day, a lot of the mainstream music was really good. Look at the 60's and 70's.

Especially when you have time on your side to make the world forget some of the god awful shit that was released in the 60s and 70s.

Not really sure what you're trying to say here (can't really tell if you're agreeing with me or not). There's always going to be bad music being made, and that time period was no different. But there were so many unforgettable acts from that time period that were also very mainstream as well: folks like Pink Floyd, James Brown, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, and a slew of others. And all their music (regardless of whether you like it or not) is still quite relavent today. But I just find myself thinking that the vast majority of the big name acts today won't be very relavent 15 years down the road, let alone 40-50 years. Obviously there's exceptions today, but it just seems that mainstream has become so much more of a least common denominator enterprise than it once was.

My point was that people say music was better in (Insert Decade) and talk as though the only people releasing music were Pink Floyd, James Brown, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, when there was just as much shit around then as ever, just that nobody ever talks about it. Doesn't mean it wasn't there. Good music will always rise to the top and that's the stuff people will talk about for years. (Of course, good music is subjective)

I feel mainstream has become so much of a lowest common denominator because the major labels are trying to reach more people than ever before, to combat the increased influence of the internet on people's listening habits, when obviously people had less avenues for discovering music back in the day.

[cmgoodman1226]

And in that same way of thinking, you could talk about the fact that back in the day, a lot of the mainstream music was really good. Look at the 60's and 70's.

Especially when you have time on your side to make the world forget some of the god awful shit that was released in the 60s and 70s.

Not really sure what you're trying to say here (can't really tell if you're agreeing with me or not). There's always going to be bad music being made, and that time period was no different. But there were so many unforgettable acts from that time period that were also very mainstream as well: folks like Pink Floyd, James Brown, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, and a slew of others. And all their music (regardless of whether you like it or not) is still quite relavent today. But I just find myself thinking that the vast majority of the big name acts today won't be very relavent 15 years down the road, let alone 40-50 years. Obviously there's exceptions today, but it just seems that mainstream has become so much more of a least common denominator enterprise than it once was.

My point was that people say music was better in (Insert Decade) and talk as though the only people releasing music were Pink Floyd, James Brown, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, when there was just as much shit around then as ever, just that nobody ever talks about it. Doesn't mean it wasn't there. Good music will always rise to the top and that's the stuff people will talk about for years. (Of course, good music is subjective)

I feel mainstream has become so much of a lowest common denominator because the major labels are trying to reach more people than ever before, to combat the increased influence of the internet on people's listening habits, when obviously people had less avenues for discovering music back in the day.

Fair play. It just seems (and maybe that's because we're still in this time period and I'll be proven wrong in decades to come) that Back then there were music movements that will be remembered forever, whereas today it's mostly just fads that are here today and forgotten tomorrow (obviously there are plenty of underground scenes that are proving that wrong today, but I'm talking more about mainstream). But on the other side, the labels probably wouldn't be pushing that cookie-cutter kind of music if it didn't sell well.

[garethom]

Fair play. It just seems (and maybe that's because we're still in this time period and I'll be proven wrong in decades to come) that Back then there were music movements that will be remembered forever, whereas today it's mostly just fads that are here today and forgotten tomorrow (obviously there are plenty of underground scenes that are proving that wrong today, but I'm talking more about mainstream). But on the other side, the labels probably wouldn't be pushing that cookie-cutter kind of music if it didn't sell well.

That was kind of my point. You just know that Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (or whatever is called) is gonna be played for decades, and the middle-aged of the future are gonna talk about that in the same way the middle aged of today talk about Hendrix unfortunately. Rihanna - Umbrella will probably be the "Little Wing" of the future.

[cmgoodman1226]

Fair play. It just seems (and maybe that's because we're still in this time period and I'll be proven wrong in decades to come) that Back then there were music movements that will be remembered forever, whereas today it's mostly just fads that are here today and forgotten tomorrow (obviously there are plenty of underground scenes that are proving that wrong today, but I'm talking more about mainstream). But on the other side, the labels probably wouldn't be pushing that cookie-cutter kind of music if it didn't sell well.

That was kind of my point. You just know that Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (or whatever is called) is gonna be played for decades, and the middle-aged of the future are gonna talk about that in the same way the middle aged of today talk about Hendrix unfortunately. Rihanna - Umbrella will probably be the "Little Wing" of the future.

Haha well hopefully ill be dead by the time that happens.

[SunkLo]

Fair play. It just seems (and maybe that's because we're still in this time period and I'll be proven wrong in decades to come) that Back then there were music movements that will be remembered forever, whereas today it's mostly just fads that are here today and forgotten tomorrow (obviously there are plenty of underground scenes that are proving that wrong today, but I'm talking more about mainstream). But on the other side, the labels probably wouldn't be pushing that cookie-cutter kind of music if it didn't sell well.

That was kind of my point. You just know that Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (or whatever is called) is gonna be played for decades, and the middle-aged of the future are gonna talk about that in the same way the middle aged of today talk about Hendrix unfortunately. Rihanna - Umbrella will probably be the "Little Wing" of the future.

[Blenky]

That was kind of my point. You just know that Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (or whatever is called) is gonna be played for decades, and the middle-aged of the future are gonna talk about that in the same way the middle aged of today talk about Hendrix unfortunately. Rihanna - Umbrella will probably be the "Little Wing" of the future.

I think the internet has made it easier to stomach this inevitable event though. In the 60's if you weren't a fan of The Beatles then you had a very small circle of people with whom you could discuss how shit you thought the beatles were. Now if you think adele needs putting back to sea where she came from then there are vast numbers of people you can find who share the opinion with you so it's not as big a deal. Like i'm always surprised if I say the name of a release to a mate and they're like "what the fuck are you talking about" because I spend most of my time talking about music talking to people who share most of the same tastes with me. Don't think there's even a point in there. Just the ramblings of a man who needs to go to sleep.

[bright maroon]

That was a very good clip and I'd like to comment...

It's not that bad music didn't exist in the past...because it clearly did
What bugs me out is how good music is conspicuously absent...
I'm talking about pop music here...to be consumed by the general public..
myself being included...(at some point at least)

OK - MTV in the 80's was 50% -maybe 60% shitty hair bands...
But you would just ignore that because the other 50% were just earth shatteringly good...

key point #2 - None of the bands in that good 50% sounded like each other even in the slightest...

I have heard Katy Perry songs that sound almost identical musically -
to some weird shit that kanye - or usher or some gneric urban vocalist have done..
disasterously similar considering that the style sucks donkey balls to begin with..
ok - its being manufactured..and I believe the producer I found was some rich saudi kid...
or that may have been Ga-Ga's producer...whatever - I know what that particular strain of sell-out garbage sounds like...

I just heard that remix Diplo did - someone posted it here somewhere...

Fucking Garbage - Not because the song was particularly bad - but it was a straight Magnetic Man bite...
I don't care if it was Skream himself that gave him the instrument sample...
Shame on Diplo for being glaringly un-original - and having the nerve to claim that sound.
This isn't a homogenous circle jerk.

Why should I be so worried about what "the industry" is pushing to it's consumers?

Well because kids deserve not to be fed commercial ass crap...that's why

There is a certain tribe in Africa that has the girl children convinced that..
they are allowed to pick their own lovers from a group of warriors..
as long as they are having sex with them - BEFORE they begin menstrating...
It's not sexual abuse - if the children don't realize they are being exploited?

I don't think so...fuck cultural liberalism at that point...

The public is not a resource to be exploited by the wealthy who can afford to buy in.
Culture is to be respected as an expression...

I'm not sure if it's important for a culture to come to a consensus
about what it considers to be representative music...
representative of the time - representative of the individual regions
representative of the masses as exploited by some unethical business person
who cares not for posterity and what that means to people trying really hard to be true
not necessarily to the state of the art - but to expressing their place in time honestly.

[Words]

watched that doc posted earlier in the thread, good stuff. interesting times.

[Shum]

"Dubstep is the Metal of Techno." Discuss.

[bright maroon]

now I need drugs again - just so I can forget

joking...



I am really sober though...

[scspkr99]

That was kind of my point. You just know that Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (or whatever is called) is gonna be played for decades, and the middle-aged of the future are gonna talk about that in the same way the middle aged of today talk about Hendrix unfortunately. Rihanna - Umbrella will probably be the "Little Wing" of the future.

In the same way you can trawl through the myriad of shit music channels and there are many shit power ballads being played that were shit when those of us unfortunate enough to be of an age to remember were released.

We look back with fondly at previous times and we don't know about the amount of shit there was because in a lot of cases there just isn't the audience for it. It's passed its sell by date. People who are arsed enough about music won't be talking about the Black Eyed Peas or Rihanna in glowing terms because they won't care enough, it's music of the moment and while the number of channels guarantees they will get some airtime the tunes wont really matter.

[Laszlo]

Rihanna - Umbrella will probably be the "Little Wing" of the future.

If that happens

[SunkLo]

The people that like lady gaga right now won't still be talking about her in a decade, they'll be talking about whatever new shit is on tv.

[exfox]

"Dubstep is the Metal of Techno." Discuss.

"Dubstep is basically, "Bassline Crunk""

[Today]

Rap used to mean something

not in the 80's it didn't... just was about having a good time and telling your story imo

rap was what MC's did to hip hop music
which was like huge even though the lyrics weren't always deep or whatever
the scene was like an urban renaissance
poor blacks from the bronx who couldn't afford guitars or music lessons
fucking about with breakbeats and rhymes.. no record labels, politics, money, or bullshit
just parties, battles, skills, exhibitions


so yeh you're both right... the lyrics were just good-time, story telling, but at that point in history the scene and the sounds coming out of it meant something huge... these days it's come full circle and rap isn't a hopeful young blossoming art form, its already done the rounds and become a typical showbiz industry

Coke rap used to mean something --- dudes used to sling the shit out of girl just to cop studio time and spit their bars
Rick Ross was a corrections officer