Why is modern music so awful

[Bombadil]

Nah. You‘re wrong. There are studies out there that prove the homogenization of music from the 1950‘s and up. You forget Motown, folk, and probably other pioneers. Also, there‘s an example somewhere in which a modern country song is a blend of multiple country songs, and you can‘t distinguish that at all.
The proof is out there, but I don‘t do others‘ homework.

[Seluvis]

I think you are suggesting that in order to be successful, something has to be completely new and original, which is not the case at all.

I didn't mean that.
My simple premise is that I think that to invent anything new is getting harder. Success doesn't necessarily equate to originality. To be original is becoming harder.
I hope music strives to be as original as possible while serving up quality tunes.

[BONES]

I think everything "new" that is worth doing has already been done a hundred times. All that's left is stuff that nobody wants to hear so what you end up doing is painting yourself into a corner. OTOH, there is still plenty of scope to do something that's a little bit different, without having to reinvent the wheel.

The other thing is that, to me, if you're searching for something original it tells me there is no music that you actually like because I/we make music in the style that we enjoy. What we do is informed by what dozens of other artists have done before us, music that we love. That doesn't stop us from doing our own take on it, though, to put our own stamp on it, and the greatest complement we can be paid is to be compared to some of those artists. Nobody who knows the genre is ever going to mistake us for anyone else but that doesn't mean that what we're doing is necessarily original or new, it just sits somewhere in between the other stuff that's already out there.

[Bunny_boy]

The proof is out there

f(X) files

[Bombadil]

[imrae]

I think everything "new" that is worth doing has already been done a hundred times. All that's left is stuff that nobody wants to hear so what you end up doing is painting yourself into a corner.

When would you say we reached that point? 16th century, maybe?

[ksandvik]

I'm just waiting for the next revolution when young producers learn about non 4/4 tempos, non 12-tone scales and so on...

[Bunny_boy]

I'm just waiting for the next revolution when young producers learn about non 4/4 tempos, non 12-tone scales and so on...

You could listen to different music?

[ksandvik]

This is what my parents/grandfathers complained about rock&roll, or electronic dance music. I do think each generation should protest and make their own styles, but somehow these current young generations have not taken this up to the task.

[Bunny_boy]

This is what my parents/grandfathers complained about rock&roll, or electronic dance music. I do think each generation should protest and make their own styles, but somehow these current young generations have not taken this up to the task.

Modern music to me seems super interesting and varied, so I'm quite happy with it

[Seluvis]

This is what my parents/grandfathers complained about rock&roll, or electronic dance music. I do think each generation should protest and make their own styles, but somehow these current young generations have not taken this up to the task.

Modern music to me seems super interesting and varied, so I'm quite happy with it

Indeed, music being a subjective thing. There is that nagging doubt as by the very existence of this thread that perhaps we are drifting into a market economy. Sheeple that keep returning to what sounds good as opposed to what is actually good?

[BONES]

Sounds good - is good. Anything else is pure wankery. There is nothing more to music than sound so if it sounds good it must, by definition, be good. How can it possibly be otherwise?

When would you say we reached that point? 16th century, maybe?

I've never been interested enough to look into it to that extent, but I don't think Rock 'n' Roll was around in the 16th Century. Possibly not Disco, either. It's more that whenever someone tells me they've found some amazing new, original music I can usually hear similarities to something else I've heard, often several things. Either that or it's unlistenable, turgid rubbish. You know, like EDM.

I'm just waiting for the next revolution when young producers learn about non 4/4 tempos, non 12-tone scales and so on...

Why? Most of that will definitely be rubbish. When I can walk or run on non-4/4 time, I might be interested but 4/4 is the time signature of life. It is the beat to which we all move. Anything else is pure wankery.

This is what my parents/grandfathers complained about rock&roll, or electronic dance music. I do think each generation should protest and make their own styles, but somehow these current young generations have not taken this up to the task.

And that's because... (See my previous assertion.)

[ksandvik]

African music - pulse of life - uses more than 4/4.... afrohouse is a big thing in UK just now.

[ksandvik]

Many UK bass producers are moving away from 4/4 kicks to more polyrhytmic kicks, and oh my, people can dance to it.

[ksandvik]

4/4 is for old people ( and I could say that as I'm old ).