do you think mainstream music is terrible?

If you were to look at my playlist, you would think that either I am certifiably insane or you wouldn't have a clue about my personality. It's all over the place. I like what I like and make no apologies.

 

I've felt like this at times. Just remember, every era of music was mainstream once. Plus if you listen to 80s pop, 90s dance, 70s disco etc a lot of the songs sound very similar just like a lot of songs today might. Music like fashion etc follows trends, of course there's variation within those trends but as music's a business whatever is successful is often repeated and studied because it's safe and sells.

There are good and bad songs, subjectively of course, from any era. Just listen to what you like, don't listen to what you don't like, and you be you =)

 

I was born in 1992 so close to your age. My iPod is full of music from the 80s up until now. In the last 6 years if a new song wasn’t on the Now that’s what I call music CDs I probably didn’t know it. My sister moved out then which probably contributed to it. She was a fan of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran before they got big. Most modern music isn’t good. Too much techno, and lyrics have gone from interesting to the same few lines that are repeated for the entirety of the song. Also I’d really appreciate a song that doesn’t involve sex for a change. My favourite newest music is the Encanto soundtrack.

 

Objectively, mainstream music is specifically tuned. It's designed to sound a certain way; it's based on what sells. It's been that way since Motown and even before; throw things at the wall and then see what sticks, then throw more of what sticks.

The way it's tuned now, specifically, is to sell it and the best way to sell it is to make it intrusive, make it something that works its way into your mind and makes you sing it whether you love it or hate it. That's not to say there isn't creativity or unique sound to be found in that system, but that is the current incarnation of the system.

It's annoyance-core. It's there, in your head, whether you like it or not. I don't mean to shame anyone who likes it. Some of it is catchy in ways I don't find entirely offensive, but the system itself is frankly repulsive to me.

Take K-Pop (please, amirite!?) for instance. The way they treat their talent is basically as disposable slave labor, and the music is just snippets of whatever's hot on the radio already flavored sexy. But the minute someone hears a snippet of it, they're in that song's universe, even me, and that's why I don't like it!

I know, I'm probably just letting my cranky old woman show, I acknowledge freely there's never been "purity" in musical creation on the radio, all art wants to be seen and all artists want to survive and/or thrive.

However, I see what's happening in the industry. I see their trickery, their forced iconoclasm, their cultural domination and proliferation through mutually owned media, and especially the way they use and abuse people...

I see it, and I don't like it one bit. Whatever the music is or isn't or could be, I don't like what is happening. People are being hurt and abused and manipulated and it's all just gross.

 

tbh mainstream music has never been as diverse and good

When remembering the past, we only remember things that had an impact, and most often that impact was good. Because most music is just fated to be listened to once and forgotten.

the thing is that nowadays, the grandma that lives down the block has a soundcloud. There are soooooo many artists, sooooooo many of them copying each other, that whenever something new comes out it doesn't take long before it gets old.
our way to listen has changed as well, nowadays with streaming platforms you can listen to so much music, from so many different places... at any time, on any device.

but still, you have new genres and new sounds being invented all the time, all the while receiving so much more attention than before.

you do have songs that crafted by brainstorming dudes wearing suits, but you still have genuine artists as well. mainstream is wider than ever. with so much variety.
Take hiphop music, take Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stalion, Kanye West, Lil Nas X and Drake. All are mainstream, yet they all bring or have brought something new at some point. And that's one genre.

I for one, don't care about stuff being mainstream or not. It doesn't work for me, and I ain't ever gonna listen to pink floyd, the who or the beatles because I'd feel obligated to like it. And even if it's good, I won't be able to enjoy it because I'd have no choice. watch me listen to College Dropout for the 478563th time right after some microtonal shit I don't even understand by a group I can't even pronounce the country they're form correctly.

what you dislike are probably those "men in suits" type songs, those that don't bring anything to the table. but mainstream just means it's popular, and tons of genuine (some more, some less) artists are popular.

EDIT: I was born in 1996 as this song was #1

And it's good. But I've also heard better stuff that came out in 2022.

 

I don't think all mainstream music is terrible, this debate as Cinnamoon mentioned has been going on for years. A lot of music like for example rap, wasn't mainstream, but once it got airplay, videos showed on, MTV, it became more accessible and it spread around the world. Of course there will be people who say that a group or singer has gone mainstream, meaning that they have supposedly lost their edge and are playing watered down versions of the music that made them well known in the first place. Ultimately music is a business, especially pop music, it's there to entertain and make money, make people feel good, get caught up in catchy tunes and buy the music go to concerts, after a few yeas move on the next group.
Was it always like that? Maybe so, the difference now is that as technology improves, what used to take years, takes months, turn around is quick, and groups are not given the time to build up a fan base, they end up as one hit wonders or disband after a few years even if they were good. There is still a lot of originality out there and people flock to it, its just a matter of individual taste.
I love 80's music and 90's RnB, the song Aeolia posted is one of my favourites (I was in my early 20's when it came out). I also listen to a lot of songs from the 90's up to now. There is always something to listen to.

 

Do I like the majority of the songs that have charted in the last 3 years? Probably not. Definitely listen to some though.

If you asked me around 2017, I would have told you I was loving a ton of new songs.

While I won't lie and say I love all genres, I do like quite a few genres, especially if you include a bunch of 'exceptions' artist/song wise. So it isn't impossible for me to pick out new songs I love every now and then

 

This is an interesting question for me to read the replies to it. I'm a singer and want to break into the world of songwriting. I've been attempting to write an album- I want it to stick out and be unforgettable. Although I don't want it to be obvious that I'm trans (which leaves me some tough decisions in terms of recording- may have to do some heavy research and studying up).

It genuinely depends on the song to me. Adele's "Rolling in the Deep", Harry Style's "Golden" and "Adore You", Lil Nas X's "Montero", and Silk Sonic's "Leave the Door Open" are all pretty good if you ask me. But then you have songs like "Mood" by 24k goldn and "Fancy Like" (can't remember the artist) that I just can't stand whatsoever. (That's not because one is country either- I like Carrie Underwood and Elle King just fine, as well as Shania Twain.)

I will agree that corprate culture has eroded its way into the music world- you can see it in a lot of music, but in in the pop genre it's more obvious.

 

Rock and metal are still doing good a little sameness but not a lot, but pop has sounded the same for a long time now. At least to me it doesn't sound much different now than 20 years ago. Anytime I scan through radio stations the pop/top 40 sounds like they are playing the same thing they did when I was in high school now 22 years ago.
I can not stand country music, but it sounds worse today than used to sound.

 

Well, I'm a 2000's...

American mainstream doesn't feel as good. The only thing I can get behind from the last ten years is Hamilton.

J-music is my jam.

 

To answer that question - yes, largely. I blame it on Spotify. The tyranny of 'playlists' (I abhor that term) and the ensuing homogenisation means that it's incredibly difficult for anyone trying anything outside-the-box to be heard or accepted as pop these days. A sonic visionary such as Brian Wilson or Timbaland would struggle in 2022, or would have to adapt to Spotify's strictures to survive. There's not a cat in hell's chance that a track as original as, say, Bohemian Rhapsody would get anywhere.

It's the 'like this, try this!' culture. We've contracted out our brains, our musical curiosity to algorithims, to AI, and the result has been disastrous for human musical creativity.

But hey maybe people aren't bothered these days. I'm 53. I'm from the generation that viewed their whole life through the prism of music. It's what defined us. But pop music isn't on the cutting edge of youth culture any more in 2022. It's just another thing, to have in the background of one's life rather than at the forefront.

I've never 'streamed' anything in my life. I listen to music on vinyl and CD. I love albums. I would buy 7 inch singles if artists still released them. I still scrape a living from writing about music (that's another thing the Internet has destroyed). I hate to be the person saying 'it was better back in my day', but the truth is: it was. And that's really sad.

Beth

 

To be honest yes most of the stuff that is in the charts now is boring and very samey but some mainstream music is good it just depends where you look.

 

It depends. I really like to listen to mainstream music (apart from other genres). There is some mainstream music that I enjoy, and other that I don't like. I think it depends on the song and the singer / band you choose to listen. Personally, I find that there's still some good music out there, even nowadays.

 

I mean there's still some very very good music coming out these days, even this year. Everyone that claims that modern music is trash and that the old days were so much better clearly hasn't listened to Sugar, Sugar by The Archies.

 

yeah...

 

Mainstream music is like junk food. A fair amount isn't great, but it's tolerable - it works for situations where you don't have the time or can't be bothered to decide on what music you want and just need to fill the silence. I listen to the radio at work (although I don't have a choice - it plays throughout the office), I find most of it rubbish but I do appreciate it being there. Frankly without the music the job would be completely intolerable. It's much needed background noise and sometimes a good song comes on every once in a while.

Plus, it also works when I'm overwhelmed. I have over heightened senses and misophonia. Back when I had an mp3, I used to carry it around and when I'd get overwhelmed I'd listen to some music. Incredibly cheesy pop music, but it helped. During times where I have to eat with other people and the chewing is really getting to me, I just want something to focus my mind on because without it - well, it's horrible. So I usually put some mediocre music on. If I'm anticipating it to be loud (particularly chewy food at the table) I might decide the music beforehand, or I might just decide to skip out and eat on my own.