Today's Mainstream Music

[Gabo]

I honestly like being trapped in my little world of music. It feels empowering having tastes and interests that aren't shared by others.

You're welcome to your taste, of course. I'd never doubt them. But you realize that last sentence has nothing to do with music, right? So IF (and this is a presupposition) you're keeping yourself in a self-imposed bubble just for the feeling of empowerment for the uniqueness of your taste, all that is actually happening is you're depriving yourself of what else is out there for a feeling that you're giving yourself. The music itself isn't giving you those feelings, but rather your feelings about your particular uniqueness.

Why not hold on to what little sliver of uniqueness I actually have?

[Niko]

I try and keep and open mind when it comes to music. A phrase a lot of people say, but its always to varying degrees. Others might say that and listen to classical music, JPOP and Buddy Holly, while others might stop at music made in the 80's and still think of that as being musically open minded. So the meaning is relative. For me, it means I will give everything that comes into my musical orbit a fair chance, and if I like it, I will pursue it to see where it leads.

The majority of what I like comes from the 60's, but that doesn't mean I don't go out of the bubble.

I have a base of music that I always come back to. Beach Boys, Herbie Hancock, Pink Floyd, Zappa, etc etc. I never stop listening to that music.
But I do let other things drift into my orbit, even if they don't stay long. I like Franz Ferdinand, The Grizzly Bears and The Fleet Foxes, but do I listen to them consistently? No. The music from the 60's we all seem to like has lasting value, which is why we are all still listening to it. Same thing goes for other genres. I have had my stints with gypsy jazz, bossa nova, or synth pop, but it never lasts. No matter what I may be currently listening to, I will always get back to The Beach Boys.

[the captain]

I honestly like being trapped in my little world of music. It feels empowering having tastes and interests that aren't shared by others.

You're welcome to your taste, of course. I'd never doubt them. But you realize that last sentence has nothing to do with music, right? So IF (and this is a presupposition) you're keeping yourself in a self-imposed bubble just for the feeling of empowerment for the uniqueness of your taste, all that is actually happening is you're depriving yourself of what else is out there for a feeling that you're giving yourself. The music itself isn't giving you those feelings, but rather your feelings about your particular uniqueness.

Why not hold on to what little sliver of uniqueness I actually have?

You're absolutely welcome to, of course. It just seems to be artificial uniqueness, to be honest, if you intentionally wall yourself off from new or outside influences, as if out of fear that it would erode your individuality if you like some of those influences. Is that individuality more important than enjoyment? While not necessarily as outwardly apparent as dedicated fandom, I would argue that any uniqueness you or anyone else has is the totality of one's own honest expression as opposed to a self-imposed character. As someone who has inhabited any number of self-imposed characters, I feel somewhat authorized to speak here!

Further, finding enjoyment in other music doesn't in any way diminish the greatness of the music you already hold great. There is no zero-sum game in music; it's not a limited amount of enjoyment to be had or greatness to be shared.

But if you do indeed believe the best use of your time is deep devotion to Beach Boys and Astrud Gilberto to the exclusion of everything else, that is absolutely your prerogative. I'd just hope you acknowledge that it isn't about the lack of quality of that other music (getting to the point of the thread, whether there is quality in modern music), as your decision isn't based on the quality of music, but on your image of individuality.

[alf wiedersehen]

As other people mentioned Sufjan Stevens earlier, his Illinois album is one of my favorite releases of these past few years.

[the captain]

I'm not a huge fan of Sufjan, myself--I think he could use a good editor (or learn to edit himself)--but he's certainly very talented and worth a listen.

[retrokid67]

another thing that annoys me are these fan labels: Swifties- Taylor Swift, directioners- 1D, smilers- Miley Cyrus, beliebers- Justin Bieber, little monsters- Lady Gaga, katy cats- Katy Perry, rossians- Ross Lynch, etc 

True. Though I've never heard of smilers, little monsters, katy cats, and rossians. And I think it's Swifters.

Also, there's fan lables for fans of certain rock groups as well, so it's not just for pop

yea that's true, I still don't see what the point of it is.  the TAMI Show had all these different artists coming together (some stood out more than others) but at the end when they all came out they were all having fun together.  Now it seems with these new artists they have this "look at me, I'm the sh*t" thing going on and its more about the image now than the music which really sucks.  .  a great example of this are the We Are the World videos 1985 vs 2010 (I didn't know at the time that Brian and Al were in it cuz back in 2010 I hadn't become a BB fan yet).  in the first one they all were told to leave their egos at the door and it shows because everyone worked together and no one tried to outshine someone else.  in the new one......it was just one big MESS  and I wish Brian had taken Michael's place making the arrangements of the vocal blend  I know if Michael was here it wouldn't have sounded like that (man I miss him so much) 

The original We Are The World wasn't too bad, I enjoyed it.
Although, if you take away the clusterfuck of singers from that, it's only an average song.

The remake I just listened to is so much more horrible in comparison. I mean, why did they choose Bieber of all people to be the first singer? He sounds like a little kid as usual. A lot of the singers I don't care for, and the few that used autotune pissed me off.

While I was surprised to see Brian and Al in the chorus, I still don't care. You couldn't even here them, and they chose not to let them sing solo, instead giving it to crappy auto-tuned singers.

And then there's the rap section. If all of the above didn't destroy the remake, it was this. I have nothing else to say about that.

I almost wish I never listened to the remake!

It aired on the same day as the Olympics.  I don't like watching the Olympics but I watched it because of this remake that I had high hopes for.  when the video came on my mouth hung open the entire time cuz I couldn't believe what I was hearing .  There was a lot of negative reviews too so I know it wasn't just me.

[bluesno1fann]

another thing that annoys me are these fan labels: Swifties- Taylor Swift, directioners- 1D, smilers- Miley Cyrus, beliebers- Justin Bieber, little monsters- Lady Gaga, katy cats- Katy Perry, rossians- Ross Lynch, etc 

True. Though I've never heard of smilers, little monsters, katy cats, and rossians. And I think it's Swifters.

Also, there's fan lables for fans of certain rock groups as well, so it's not just for pop

yea that's true, I still don't see what the point of it is.  the TAMI Show had all these different artists coming together (some stood out more than others) but at the end when they all came out they were all having fun together.  Now it seems with these new artists they have this "look at me, I'm the sh*t" thing going on and its more about the image now than the music which really sucks.  .  a great example of this are the We Are the World videos 1985 vs 2010 (I didn't know at the time that Brian and Al were in it cuz back in 2010 I hadn't become a BB fan yet).  in the first one they all were told to leave their egos at the door and it shows because everyone worked together and no one tried to outshine someone else.  in the new one......it was just one big MESS  and I wish Brian had taken Michael's place making the arrangements of the vocal blend  I know if Michael was here it wouldn't have sounded like that (man I miss him so much) 

The original We Are The World wasn't too bad, I enjoyed it.
Although, if you take away the clusterfuck of singers from that, it's only an average song.

The remake I just listened to is so much more horrible in comparison. I mean, why did they choose Bieber of all people to be the first singer? He sounds like a little kid as usual. A lot of the singers I don't care for, and the few that used autotune pissed me off.

While I was surprised to see Brian and Al in the chorus, I still don't care. You couldn't even here them, and they chose not to let them sing solo, instead giving it to crappy auto-tuned singers.

And then there's the rap section. If all of the above didn't destroy the remake, it was this. I have nothing else to say about that.

I almost wish I never listened to the remake!

It aired on the same day as the Olympics.  I don't like watching the Olympics but I watched it because of this remake that I had high hopes for.  when the video came on my mouth hung open the entire time cuz I couldn't believe what I was hearing .  There was a lot of negative reviews too so I know it wasn't just me.

I saw a bit of the Opening Ceremony, including Paul McCartney's performance. But I'm glad I missed out on that song.
Seriously, what a disaster it is!

[retrokid67]

another thing that annoys me are these fan labels: Swifties- Taylor Swift, directioners- 1D, smilers- Miley Cyrus, beliebers- Justin Bieber, little monsters- Lady Gaga, katy cats- Katy Perry, rossians- Ross Lynch, etc 

True. Though I've never heard of smilers, little monsters, katy cats, and rossians. And I think it's Swifters.

Also, there's fan lables for fans of certain rock groups as well, so it's not just for pop

yea that's true, I still don't see what the point of it is.  the TAMI Show had all these different artists coming together (some stood out more than others) but at the end when they all came out they were all having fun together.  Now it seems with these new artists they have this "look at me, I'm the sh*t" thing going on and its more about the image now than the music which really sucks.  .  a great example of this are the We Are the World videos 1985 vs 2010 (I didn't know at the time that Brian and Al were in it cuz back in 2010 I hadn't become a BB fan yet).  in the first one they all were told to leave their egos at the door and it shows because everyone worked together and no one tried to outshine someone else.  in the new one......it was just one big MESS  and I wish Brian had taken Michael's place making the arrangements of the vocal blend  I know if Michael was here it wouldn't have sounded like that (man I miss him so much) 

The original We Are The World wasn't too bad, I enjoyed it.
Although, if you take away the clusterfuck of singers from that, it's only an average song.

The remake I just listened to is so much more horrible in comparison. I mean, why did they choose Bieber of all people to be the first singer? He sounds like a little kid as usual. A lot of the singers I don't care for, and the few that used autotune pissed me off.

While I was surprised to see Brian and Al in the chorus, I still don't care. You couldn't even here them, and they chose not to let them sing solo, instead giving it to crappy auto-tuned singers.

And then there's the rap section. If all of the above didn't destroy the remake, it was this. I have nothing else to say about that.

I almost wish I never listened to the remake!

It aired on the same day as the Olympics.  I don't like watching the Olympics but I watched it because of this remake that I had high hopes for.  when the video came on my mouth hung open the entire time cuz I couldn't believe what I was hearing .  There was a lot of negative reviews too so I know it wasn't just me.

I saw a bit of the Opening Ceremony, including Paul McCartney's performance. But I'm glad I missed out on that song.
Seriously, what a disaster it is!

I know and Wyclef Jean who's Haitian himself was the worst part of the song with all that yodeling 

[bluesno1fann]

another thing that annoys me are these fan labels: Swifties- Taylor Swift, directioners- 1D, smilers- Miley Cyrus, beliebers- Justin Bieber, little monsters- Lady Gaga, katy cats- Katy Perry, rossians- Ross Lynch, etc 

True. Though I've never heard of smilers, little monsters, katy cats, and rossians. And I think it's Swifters.

Also, there's fan lables for fans of certain rock groups as well, so it's not just for pop

yea that's true, I still don't see what the point of it is.  the TAMI Show had all these different artists coming together (some stood out more than others) but at the end when they all came out they were all having fun together.  Now it seems with these new artists they have this "look at me, I'm the sh*t" thing going on and its more about the image now than the music which really sucks.  .  a great example of this are the We Are the World videos 1985 vs 2010 (I didn't know at the time that Brian and Al were in it cuz back in 2010 I hadn't become a BB fan yet).  in the first one they all were told to leave their egos at the door and it shows because everyone worked together and no one tried to outshine someone else.  in the new one......it was just one big MESS  and I wish Brian had taken Michael's place making the arrangements of the vocal blend  I know if Michael was here it wouldn't have sounded like that (man I miss him so much) 

The original We Are The World wasn't too bad, I enjoyed it.
Although, if you take away the clusterfuck of singers from that, it's only an average song.

The remake I just listened to is so much more horrible in comparison. I mean, why did they choose Bieber of all people to be the first singer? He sounds like a little kid as usual. A lot of the singers I don't care for, and the few that used autotune pissed me off.

While I was surprised to see Brian and Al in the chorus, I still don't care. You couldn't even here them, and they chose not to let them sing solo, instead giving it to crappy auto-tuned singers.

And then there's the rap section. If all of the above didn't destroy the remake, it was this. I have nothing else to say about that.

I almost wish I never listened to the remake!

It aired on the same day as the Olympics.  I don't like watching the Olympics but I watched it because of this remake that I had high hopes for.  when the video came on my mouth hung open the entire time cuz I couldn't believe what I was hearing .  There was a lot of negative reviews too so I know it wasn't just me.

I saw a bit of the Opening Ceremony, including Paul McCartney's performance. But I'm glad I missed out on that song.
Seriously, what a disaster it is!

I know and Wyclef Jean who's Haitian himself was the worst part of the song with all that yodeling 

That was pretty damn awful. But to me the worst part was when a few of the "singers" used heavy auto-tune, which was around the time of the chorus and just before the rap section I think

[Niko]

It was for charity, and really wasn't that bad. Why pick on it so much?

[retrokid67]

It was for charity, and really wasn't that bad. Why pick on it so much?

I know it was for charity which I'm fine with don't get me wrong, but if  they were gonna do something like that they should've created an original song just for Haiti instead of ruining another song that was for another cause.  And it appeared to me (and a lot of other people) that a lot of those artists were just there to boost their careers. plus it looked like it was all thrown together  .  If Michael was here he would've created a brand new song.  he wrote many songs with the same theme but for different issues.  This one was for Africa.  "Heal the World" was for people in general (for future generations to come). "Earth Song" was for nature (and people).  "What More Can I Give" was a song written for 9/11.

[the captain]

Charitable causes are a complicated thing though. First, the idea of doing anything other than directly giving money is already a double-sided issue. The most benefit to the cause would be if everyone simply gave money for direct intervention on the issue (or did the on-the-ground work itself). Things like recording a song or producing an ad campaign are expenses that take away from the actual donation. So what is the value of it? Twofold:

- The less cynical aspect is that the use of celebrity, a song, an ad campaign, etc. raises consciousness and causes more people to make the above-mentioned donations than otherwise would have. So as long as the results earn more than the more "pure" inexpensive model, it is considered a success.

- The more cynical aspect is exactly what you mentioned already, which is many, many people want to promote their brand/image and thus further their careers. That isn't to say that's their only reason for contributing their likenesses or gifts, but it certainly is a reason.

I'd suspect that the former reason is why they would choose a remake of a well-known song rather than a new one. More people are likely to take notice of something they've already heard of and have positive associations with than they are for something new. People of several generations may perk up: "oh, there's a new We Are The World? I'll need to hear that..." It helps cut through the clutter. The artistic result of such an endeavor is pretty far down the list of priorities for pretty much everyone involved.

[retrokid67]

Most of the kids I knew didn't even know about the first one.  A lot of the people that did including me did get their hopes up for this.  And Michael (who I still love to this day), his death was still recent then and I was still trying to cope with it.  For me, I'm fine with the charity effort, but looking at this for me sums up the feelings I have for music today in general. the auto tune, the yodeling, the rap, Justin Bieber, the Ray Charles impression, the over singing with Jennifer Hudson and Mary Mary etc; Beyoncé and Jay-z in particular didn't take part in this for a reason.  you had some great artists in that crowd and most of them didn't even get a solo spot  .  But you do make some great points still and I'll take them into consideration, but these were just my reasons for disliking it  .

[the captain]

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was sh*t. I just wasn't expecting it to be anything but sh*t.

[retrokid67]

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was sh*t. I just wasn't expecting it to be anything but sh*t.

o ok glad to see we're on the same page 

[Ovi]

I think it's a horrible song, regardless of the incarnation. Even the idea that each artist sings only one line I find silly.

To make a connection with the topic theme, I bet that most "serious" music listeners hated the song when it came out in the 80's. It's funny that now it's seen as a "great song ruined by the fact that sh*t rappers and pop divas chose to cover it" by some.

[bluesno1fann]

It was for charity, and really wasn't that bad. Why pick on it so much?

They should have been far more creative and made a whole new song instead of butchering that song.

The choice of artists was awful, and they must have been on something when they decided to use auto-tune and put in a rap section.

Besides, Retrokid and I aren't the only ones. Countless other people hate that cover, and it's gotten harsh reviews by critics (and rightfully so)

[the captain]

...they must have been on something when they decided to use auto-tune and put in a rap section.

The whole "if it's rap, it's awful" thing is so tedious. Like it or not--and clearly you don't--rap and hip-hop style in general are the dominant popular musical forces of the past 25 years or so. It's absurd to think that something so dominant could possibly be inherently lacking in value. Isn't it possible that it's a vital and worthwhile form that you just happen not to like? There isn't anything wrong with that, you know. Accepting it (even if you don't like it) doesn't take anything away from the music you do like.

What they were on when they used autotune and inserted rap was the public's taste. Those things are the style, just like the shitty, cheesy synth sounds used in the original were at that time. Of course the producers would use them. They won't avoid something just because a small minority of people out there believe they know better than the majority, and don't approve.

Again, the song is sh*t. And the fact that it was for charity is irrelevant to the quality of the thing. And it's probably more about personal branding for the involved artists than anything else. Not arguing any of that. And now that I've spent maybe six or seven minutes in total writing on the subject, it occurs to me that's more than I've spent contemplating its existence or listening to it before now.

[retrokid67]

It was for charity, and really wasn't that bad. Why pick on it so much?

They should have been far more creative and made a whole new song instead of butchering that song.

The choice of artists was awful, and they must have been on something when they decided to use auto-tune and put in a rap section.

Besides, Retrokid and I aren't the only ones. Countless other people hate that cover, and it's gotten harsh reviews by critics (and rightfully so)

Yea because they gave this so much hype and then when people saw it....some were upset and others were MAD.  lots of people made video rants about it on YouTube the day after it aired and the artists that I already didn't like I disliked even more.  it was a complete let down for me plus I was still mourning over Michael so that made it worse  .  some people have expressed that they didn't like the lyrics of the song to begin with, but the talent in the first version stood out from the lyrics.

[JohnMill]

...they must have been on something when they decided to use auto-tune and put in a rap section.

The whole "if it's rap, it's awful" thing is so tedious. Like it or not--and clearly you don't--rap and hip-hop style in general are the dominant popular musical forces of the past 25 years or so. It's absurd to think that something so dominant could possibly be inherently lacking in value. Isn't it possible that it's a vital and worthwhile form that you just happen not to like? There isn't anything wrong with that, you know. Accepting it (even if you don't like it) doesn't take anything away from the music you do like.

Here is my honest take on rap music: First off I don't think I've ever explored the genre enough to make a very in-depth review of the subject matter.  From what I've heard there is some material that is enjoyable because it has a decent beat to it and I think that along with the fact that it has integrated it's way into the dance scene much like disco did in the late seventies is the main basis for it's appeal.  The only thing I'd comment on aside from that is speaking in the most general terms unless you grew up from somewhat of an impoverished background or at the very least a background in which you had to struggle every step of the way, then I think a great deal of the subject matter that is dealt with in a great deal of rap music is going to be beyond your depth.  I'm not saying you still can't enjoy it or dig the beat or whatever, but I never really bought into all these suburban middle class white kids claiming that they could empathize with Tupac's lyrics or whatnot.  Enjoy them yes, perhaps live vicariously though them but beyond that a great deal of rap music's following has the word farce shining above their heads in neon letters.  Not sure that speaks badly of the music or whatnot but something I've observed over the years nonetheless.

Edit: To illustrate my point, I remember in the mid nineties when rap was just starting to come into it's own (post MC Hammer crap), Mike Judge had his cartoons "Beavis & Butthead" comment on a Snoop Dogg rap video.  Beavis begins to empathize with the lyrics claiming that he "grew up in Compton" and was "West Side Since He Was Ten Years Old" and is quickly put down by Butt-Head who tells him "The only thing you were doing when you were ten was going to flea markets with your mom!".  Clearly this was Judge's commentary on rap music's burgeoning fraud fanbase, something which I wholeheartedly agreed with. 

[bluesno1fann]

...they must have been on something when they decided to use auto-tune and put in a rap section.

The whole "if it's rap, it's awful" thing is so tedious. Like it or not--and clearly you don't--rap and hip-hop style in general are the dominant popular musical forces of the past 25 years or so. It's absurd to think that something so dominant could possibly be inherently lacking in value. Isn't it possible that it's a vital and worthwhile form that you just happen not to like? There isn't anything wrong with that, you know. Accepting it (even if you don't like it) doesn't take anything away from the music you do like.

What they were on when they used autotune and inserted rap was the public's taste. Those things are the style, just like the shitty, cheesy synth sounds used in the original were at that time. Of course the producers would use them. They won't avoid something just because a small minority of people out there believe they know better than the majority, and don't approve.

Again, the song is sh*t. And the fact that it was for charity is irrelevant to the quality of the thing. And it's probably more about personal branding for the involved artists than anything else. Not arguing any of that. And now that I've spent maybe six or seven minutes in total writing on the subject, it occurs to me that's more than I've spent contemplating its existence or listening to it before now.

I do like at least two rap songs. One by Grandmaster Flash and One by Ice Cube.
Aside from the two, yes I don't like rap.

Another problem I have with hip-hop is sampling. Really that's another word for copying or in some cases, plagiarism.
They should just make their own music instead of using the music of proper artists. The fact that sampling is so accepted nowadays is disgusting in my opinion.

[SMiLE Brian]

Still D.R.E!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPTGR4FYCMA

[bluesno1fann]

Still D.R.E!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPTGR4FYCMA

Recognized it immediately because it was on GTA 5 
Still don't care for the song much though.

And I've seriously had a problem with Dr. Dre after I found out he bashed a innocent woman and got away with it

[JohnMill]

...they must have been on something when they decided to use auto-tune and put in a rap section.

The whole "if it's rap, it's awful" thing is so tedious. Like it or not--and clearly you don't--rap and hip-hop style in general are the dominant popular musical forces of the past 25 years or so. It's absurd to think that something so dominant could possibly be inherently lacking in value. Isn't it possible that it's a vital and worthwhile form that you just happen not to like? There isn't anything wrong with that, you know. Accepting it (even if you don't like it) doesn't take anything away from the music you do like.

What they were on when they used autotune and inserted rap was the public's taste. Those things are the style, just like the shitty, cheesy synth sounds used in the original were at that time. Of course the producers would use them. They won't avoid something just because a small minority of people out there believe they know better than the majority, and don't approve.

Again, the song is sh*t. And the fact that it was for charity is irrelevant to the quality of the thing. And it's probably more about personal branding for the involved artists than anything else. Not arguing any of that. And now that I've spent maybe six or seven minutes in total writing on the subject, it occurs to me that's more than I've spent contemplating its existence or listening to it before now.

I do like at least two rap songs. One by Grandmaster Flash and One by Ice Cube.
Aside from the two, yes I don't like rap.

Another problem I have with hip-hop is sampling. Really that's another word for copying or in some cases, plagiarism.
They should just make their own music instead of using the music of proper artists. The fact that sampling is so accepted nowadays is disgusting in my opinion.

I can see how sampling in rap music can get you down but sampling has always been a part of music in various guises over the years.  The Beach Boys sampled "Ticket To Ride" for "Girl Don't Tell Me".  Springsteen creatively crafted the following lyric in order to describe the Asbury Park boardwalk in "Sandy": "The wizards play down on pinball way...".  So it's always been around in some form or another.  Heck here is one for you, The Beatles sampled the theme from "Batman" for "Taxman".  It comes in all forms.

[rab2591]

Another problem I have with hip-hop is sampling. Really that's another word for copying or in some cases, plagiarism.
They should just make their own music instead of using the music of proper artists. The fact that sampling is so accepted nowadays is disgusting in my opinion.

Here's a song from Eminem's new album, it uses The Zombies' 'Time Of The Season' as a sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJe3U3CrpQ4

"I actually loved it. I loved the way he takes words and phrases from the original record and then spins off of the particular phrases. It kicks him off onto an avalanche of funny wordplay and invention. It's very amusing. It's a waterfall of words, and the associations just keep coming. When he's singing, 'There's no rhyme or no reason for nothing', I love that it was almost identical in vowel sounds and mirrored the original, but at the same time completely inverted the sentiment of what was being said."

- Rod Argent of The Zombies

When done properly, I have no objection to rap artists using samples from other songs.

I dislike almost all rap, but Eminem is a major exception: he's a genius with words, his production is always pristine, his lyrics can be incredibly offensive or incredibly inspirational.