Why don't pop songs have real drums?

mkidd053

Member
Chainsmokers - Paris
Studio Version - https://youtu.be/PT2_F-1esPk
SNL version - https://youtu.be/mOxRNvSVQ4Y

Very tasty drum riff in the SNL version. I heard it and thought wow this song is better than I thought. Then I heard the studio version and to me it's just not very interesting.

If I took a poll here, my guess is most of you would prefer the SNL version but we are not an ideal representation of the target audience. I wonder if the song would have had anywhere near the same popularity if it was recorded like the live SNL version. Probably not.

Is it a generational thing? Do millennials prefer electronic sounds to acoustic? Or is it just the genre that needs simplicity?
 
Ultimately the answer is: Because people buy it.

You do not want to release a song that has depth, complexity, or lasting impressions and has people listening to it over and over again. You want people to hear the song, like it, forget it, and buy another song.

If you sell only durable goods, you're limiting your revenue because there will be fewer subsequent sales. You want to produce and distribute goods that are disposable, with a finite lifetime, so that consumers will buy next year's model.
 
My guess is because of 2 reasons

1. It's cheaper for studios to produce and you get the exact sound you want.

2. You can do really complicated stuff with machines. A lot of the drum loops you here in hip hop today have some pretty funky/fast hi hat parts and the bass drum and snare go with it in some crazy groove combinations. I think that's why you see guys like tony royster playing with them live, because he's good and fast enough to actually play some of that complicated stuff.

But I think you'll see a lot less of that going forward. A rapper named Kendrick Lamar a few years ago came out with an album that had a lot of good reviews, it had real drums in it. I could also see Bruno mars using real drums in future albums. And john Mayer is one of the leading pop artist and he always has good drums with his music. I think it's just a fad that will slowly die out
 
Ultimately the answer is: Because people buy it.

You do not want to release a song that has depth, complexity, or lasting impressions and has people listening to it over and over again. You want people to hear the song, like it, forget it, and buy another song.

If you sell only durable goods, you're limiting your revenue because there will be fewer subsequent sales. You want to produce and distribute goods that are disposable, with a finite lifetime, so that consumers will buy next year's model.

This is by far THE best definition of today's pop music I've ever heard. Spot on truth, brother.
 
If I may show my age a bit here: What young hipster crap ;)

Ha not gonna lie I don't mind all of it. Did the talking heads always use a real drummer or is some of their stuff drum machine? Nonetheless transcribing a lot of the drum machine grooves you hear today to the actual drum kit can be pretty fun. I'm not a huge fan of rap and stuff, but some of the grooves they lay down are pretty cool!

But this song he gave a link to is terrible
 
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Both versions suck!! LOL. That said, Only drummers, musicians, and listeners in the know, care about the drum parts.

If it has a catchy lyric, hook, or melody et. al. people will like it.

Words and melodies sell songs.
 
If I could tolerate listening to either of those tracks more than 5 seconds I'd be more able to articulate an answer.
 
In many cases, the writer is also a producer, and composes - and often records - the entire track on their own. Then, the vocals are added by whichever singer takes the song. Basically, there's not a 'band' in the first place.

In many other cases, there's a deliberate decision to have a solid, driving groove with consistent sounds. It's a one-take, time-saving proposition in the studio, and there's no real reason to call a drummer for those kind of sessions. Conversely, no producer would waste their time trying to program a fusion drum part, when a live drummer fills that bill much better, especially from a creative standpoint.

There are still plenty of live drum recordings, it just depends on the particular song.

Unfortunately, many drummers see programs as just a way to put them out of work, as opposed to a method for a producer/writer/artist to make a song sound the way they intend. They take it personally, which I kind of get, but as someone who's been in the business a long time, both playing and programming, I have a more real-world perspective. I don't consider it some sort of personal affront if a song is programmed... as if I got cheated out of a session. I know better.

Bermuda
 
If I could tolerate listening to either of those tracks more than 5 seconds I'd be more able to articulate an answer.

Yeah, also not my cup of tea, live drums or not.
 
Just on a side note: There is pop and there is pop. Today, there is still a lot of pop music that has real drums, otherwise guys like e.g. John Jr. Robinson, Ash Soan, Brian Fraser-Moore or Karl Brazil would have a hard time to earn a living.
 
Real drums in the SNL version make the song way better!

But definitely not my cup of tea either.
 
BUT I give credit to a cool band name IMO! Come to think of it, in 25 years time, nobody might know what a chainsmoker is.

And in 25 minutes, nobody might remember this band, either. :O
 
There's an old adage of you never miss what you never had.

I've heard remixes of classic Doobie Brothers where they used programmed drums to replace the acoustic tracks and well ,it becomes the old cooking with aspartame analogy.

It resembles sugar ,but it ain't sugar.
 
You guys don't think that all of this is just because of the sounds that drum machines can make? I think of it kind of like gated reverb in the 80s and beyond. People like the sound, and it's also economical and easier to work with and manipulate. Also I think Bermuda got it right too, a lot of these top producers use it so it's quicker to sell to the public. Personally I think it's a fad that will fade away after a while, drum machines will never be as expressive as real drums.... or maybe regular just don't care about drums anymore :/
 
A drum machine didn't play 50 Ways.

A drum machine didn't play Wipeout.

A drum machine didn't play Coming in the Air Tonight. (Or any other Phil Collins tune)

But I think, maybe in 15-20 years, a machine might be able to do any of that, as well as a human, or better.
 
The links are to different songs. Closer studio and Paris live. Great songs, but what are you all comparing? Not surprised that nobody here likes them. No Supra or Acro to be heard so it must suck. Stick to your guns guys. Hey, it's gotten you all this far. Love these songs. Funny thing is that I love the music you love too. Life is forward. Not digging your heals in as hard as you can. Sorry to be a pain in the ass, but you guys sound really old and kinda out of touch. To think that a real drummer would have made these recordings sound better? That the artist and producer are just clueless or mindless robots? I say that if they had let you produce this to your liking, then it never would have been a hit and therefore you'd have nothing to bitch about... and we wouldn't have this conversation. As much as I like this song I wish you had produced it and I never had to read this. Let's talk about drums people! Not this "I don't like it 'cause......." bullshit! It's new music! It's new music and we are old drummers. Get used to it. You sound like oil lamp fans bitching about light bulbs.
 
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