Most music on the radio is trash?

I think music (especially on radio) goes in cycles. At the moment we are going through a stage where it's cool to have a voice like a robot and lyrics that barely make sense. This has already done before years back. In the near future I hope the cycle will come back around to guitars, drums and 'proper' music. Although that doesn't look like happening any time soon...
 
Well, that assumes that most musicians need more esoteric music in order to enjoy it or to be inspired. Perhaps I'm an exception, but I find just as much joy listening to The Monkees as I do Steely Dan. I'm just as excited and inspired by Ringo as I am Buddy Rich. I listen to and can appreciate everything from ABBA to Zappa. I know musicians and non-musos who just can't open their ears - or mind - to certain music. It's kinda too bad for them. I have my preferences, but I don't absolutely hate anything. People flip when they learn the ridiculous variety of music in my 3,000+ CD collection.
Click to expand...

Amen! You sound like me! There's so many things a person can learn from many styles of music writing. I feel bad for the close minded.lol
 
flicky said:
Amen! You sound like me! There's so many things a person can learn from many styles of music writing. I feel bad for the close minded.lol
Click to expand...

Amen x 2 for Bermuda's quote. White Stripes, Carpenters, Seals & Crofts, Rush, The Spinners, Coldplay and even Barry Manilow...all great music in my collection.
 
Who here Listens to Eagles of Death Metal, I mean the sound does not get any more real for the modern time, its different compared to top 40 music in such a beautiful way.
 
I basically only listen to classic rock. There are a few modern musicians i listen to, because above all else i value good song writing. As lame as some people view them, Green Day is probably the only modern band i would truly say i love. Billie Joe Armstrong is just a genuinely great songwriter. I even enjoy some rap, but none of that main stream stuff. I like to listen to a genre called "nerd-core rap", which is basically nerds who rap. They have intelligent rhyming and word choice and the topics are not about clubbing and booze and the like. One of my favorites is named MC Lars, he want to Stanford and is an English major, he raps about Edgar Allan Poe and intelligent things like that. But when people ask what i listen to, it is always answered with classic rock. While some modern music can be clever, good song writing, etc., most of it sucks, and i refuse to listen to it.
 
bermuda said:
Well, that assumes that most musicians need more esoteric music in order to enjoy it or to be inspired. Perhaps I'm an exception, but I find just as much joy listening to The Monkees as I do Steely Dan. I'm just as excited and inspired by Ringo as I am Buddy Rich.
Click to expand...

For sure it was an assumption. But the assumption was based more along the lines of musicians being drawn to and inspired by listening to their influences and admirations.

These influences and admirations, I was assuming, were going to be artists similar to that of Steely Dan, Ringo/The Beatles, Buddy Rich and even The Monkees. This would be in comparison to some of the artists that get flogged for their 15 mins of fame in the top 40.

These are the stations I find very average. High repetition of the same disposable songs that tend to feel gimmicky or without soul. Not the time tested artists that were mentioned.

I pride myself on a diverse music collection and try to always keep an open mind. Multiple repeats a day of the above mentioned songs does test me a little.

bermuda said:
Basically, if a station's format brings in ad dollars, they stick with it. If it doesn't work, they change formats - it happens all the time.

Anyway, if music on the radio is trash, or great, or somewhere in-between, it exists that way simply because that station is making money by playing those songs.

Bermuda
Click to expand...

That's why I love the non-commercial station I listen to. Government funded, so no ads and therefore no corporate agenda. Musical freedom sounds fantastic. That is true diversity.
 
That's why I love the non-commercial station I listen to. Government funded, so no ads and therefore no corporate agenda. Musical freedom sounds fantastic. That is true diversity.[/QUOTE]

What station is it? Thanks.
 
The thing that keeps me from listening to the radio is the fact that they're incapable of playing any real variety. The same songs OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER. Even good songs are easily ruined by retarded DJ's and radio production companies who insist that playing something the station hasn't played before be an extremely rare thing.

At least I have one bastion of real music on the airwaves. There's a few jazz stations around my area that play some great music, I don't love all of it, but I also don't have to hear the same things over and over.
 
I have to agree, a lot of the music today is not good- except like kings of leon and green day and red hot chili peppers- it just is super fake and cynical almost. I prefer 105.7 fm here in central wisconsin, which plays classic rock like pink floyd, metallica, guns n roses, rush, etc.
 
larryz said:
What station is it? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I live in Australia and it's called Triple J -http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/

The play mostly new music. A lot of Australian artists. A lot of independant and unsigned artists. Then in the evenings for example they have specific shows. So one night it may be blues, roots and rockabilly and the next it may be metal/hardcore or electronica.
 
Steffan said:
I'm not a hipster but the way things are being produced these days is complete trash. I may be 16 but I know a thing or two about how important the human element is in a band and even recording. There are very few bands on even the rock radio trying to keep rock alive, for example Queens of the Stone age is 100% human, and they are helping with keeping rock alive. Most bands you hear today scream and are kids barely out of high school and they think straightening their hair to get girls and adding effects and techno is "cool", this thread is to vent problems with rock these days, or even music in general. Drum machines and high priced apple computers don't make music.
Click to expand...

Agreed, there is a lot of good stuff though if you look for it.

Unfortunately today like a lot of things, it's all about image and money. Today's TV isn't much better - nothing but reality shows, though I do love The Apprentice (UK version) though I don't really class that as a reality show in the usual sense.

Notice how a lot of modern music and TV is cheap to make? And doesn't require much talent or hard work? You're generally considered a freak these days if you spend hours practising something instead of going out and getting p*ssed (drunk) as often as possible.

I won't go into what I think is controlling all of this. Wow, I have become a complete cynic!

Even though I'm 33 and involved in technology, I do wish it was the 60's or 70's. Hell, even the early 80's. I would miss this forum though ;-)

Okay maybe I'm just having a bad day!
 
I agree that it is the musician/songwriter not the instruments used that make good music. I've got a spectrum of friends that listen to just about everything out there. I've been to shows and have been just as blown away by some electronic acts as I was the "normal" instrumentation acts.

And sometimes it's good to research those radio bands and listen to their old stuff. There have been a lot of great bands that have sold out.

To be honest, any musician that makes it on their own (thats the keyword there haha) has my support. There's still a boatload of talent in some of these radio acts, it's just hidden behind a wall of electricity and loops...

THis one suprised me... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laIr_d0hFB8&feature=related
 
bermuda said:
Well, that assumes that most musicians need more esoteric music in order to enjoy it or to be inspired. Perhaps I'm an exception, but I find just as much joy listening to The Monkees as I do Steely Dan. I'm just as excited and inspired by Ringo as I am Buddy Rich. I listen to and can appreciate everything from ABBA to Zappa. I know musicians and non-musos who just can't open their ears - or mind - to certain music. It's kinda too bad for them. I have my preferences, but I don't absolutely hate anything. People flip when they learn the ridiculous variety of music in my 3,000+ CD collection.

But I'll agree that most stations play a consistent type or genre of music, and that's really just about having an appealing format. Not so much appealing to the listener, but appealing to the advertisers who target the kind of audience that listens to certain types and genres of music.

So on a mainstream station with a demographic of young people, you would hear ads for the a show on the CW network, or the upcoming Twilight movie, or the KIA Soul. But on a jazz station for example, you'd be more likely to hear an ad for Austin City Limits or maybe Guitar Center.

Basically, if a station's format brings in ad dollars, they stick with it. If it doesn't work, they change formats - it happens all the time.

Ad dollars drive pretty much everything. You don't think Facebook is there to simply facilitate connecting with friends, do you? They want to attract as many people - and their friends - to the site to be bombarded with ads from advertisers hoping those people will click on them and buy something. Same with MySpace. YouTube, Google, magazines, etc etc.

Anyway, if music on the radio is trash, or great, or somewhere in-between, it exists that way simply because that station is making money by playing those songs.

Bermuda
Click to expand...

Bermuda nails it for sure!!

between XM Radio and Sonic Tap radio on my DirecTV, plus my own personal collection, i can ALWAYS find something good to listen too other than corporate radio crap.

no doubt it's dollars above talent these days.
 
Any of you seen Before the Music Dies? I'd definitely suggest it to any musician (or anybody for that matter).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top