For probably a confluence of reasons, popular music has become crap for nearly twenty years. I don't accept this as just an older person's opinion, or a relativist's. It is just so.
Some things may be coincidental, other things accumulative. This situation was noticeable just after the time new vinyl records stopped being generally manufactured. Rap, which wishes to be called "hip hop" had become public by 1980, it has taken a sizable portion of the charts. It is crap, but not sufficient in itself to be responsible. It is an influencing factor.
There are a larger number of female pop stars, more so than before. Mariah Carey can sing, i can't think of one lyric. We have singers without material. Many are not singers. They perform as dancers. There had always been lighter fluff, but the degree and frequency of posing has increased.
Business concerns are guilty [they always are]. Radio has been tighter in format, and more consolidated. This precludes exposure of talent. There are good singers, and groups but they are outside the more popular genres. Listen to college radio, find the good programs. Perhaps there are niches of programming available on satellite or internet music [i have not investigated].
In my memory, the last artist and album before the fall, was consummated, was Billy Joel and River of Dreams in the summer of 1993. Established artists still came out with good stuff, but they were not charting. After that time, Sheryl Crow was an exception as a new artist. Groups like Gin Blossoms, and the Bare Naked Ladies were formed just before this time. People like Conor Oberst, Kasey Chambers are not considered popular artists, they are worth listening, and that is why we have college radio.
Few have broke out to the attention they merit. There is Norah Jones. Jane Monheit is a wonderful jazz singer, jazz does not chart; neither does folk, nor classical. In the last few years, Coldplay has had one super smash with Viva la Vida. Amy Winehouse has a great voice, but is really a mess. Rehab was a great song, and ironic as all get out. She obviously needed 'rehab'.
Hillbilly music has been slickered up. Thank God, for Willie and Emmylou still performing and recording, and they are not played on "country radio". The college folk programmes around Cleveland, for example, all love Emmylou. The one fellow on WJCU always starts his Sunday night show with her. There is good stuff but you have to LOOK and listen.
MTV introduced a lot of fun videos to watch in the 1980s, it helped promote some New Wave music. Its first video was meant to be ironic, Video killed the radio star. Beyond the 80s, they played a lot more crap (especially rap, 'boy bands', heavy metal [young angry men screaming to loud, distorted instruments while dressed terribly]), and further on very little 'music' of any kind. There were disturbing introductions: white rappers [Vanilla Ice], frauds [Milli Vanilli] around 1990 that pointed towards greater dreck. And it is not just dreck in music quality, it is degrading and noxiously toxic to society.
Did the internet kill the video star? No, with the use of You Tube, one can see and hear these again. One can also hear older music, some with photos attached by an anonymous editor and enthusiast. Some are a video of the record playing on a turntable. In these cases, the earlier music file sharing system was a better vehicle. The pictures were not necessary, the music was. This was stopped by the record company lawyers.
A great failure has been lyrics. Popular music business is not interested in good lyrics. Poetry and tunefulness is not a concern of theirs. The people that bring us the product betray us.
Technology has become more important than talent. Besides the compact disc, there are other formats and delivery systems. There is 'autotune' and special wizardly effects that diminishes the need for talent. The rise of television talent shows, and their performers attempts to fill a niche. With a Paul Potts, Susan Boyle, and Jennifer Hudson, on occasion a real good singer is found; other times you get 'popular' artists that fit the crap niche. It could be there is a large audience for crap.
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