View Full Version : Pop Music now in serious decline ?
Bloodstained Angel
1 Mar 2002, 11:41
I didn't watch the Grammys last night (ugh) but instead watched all the news reports about it.
The main theme this year was the sereious sales slump that pop music is now facing, Album sales are down 10 % on last year and last year was down 3% on the year before that. Singles sales are spiralling down at an even faster rate.
Commercial FM radio is in deep strife all over the world, here in Australia the market is saturated and revenues are going nowhere.
All the 'insiders' at the Grammys seem to agree on one thing - the pop music industry is in deep trouble as punters stay away in droves.
Whats the reason ? Lots of people point the fingure at Napster and other mp3 file sharing systems. Sure I agree its a serious threat to the traditional income streams of producers.
But I happen to agree with another analysis - the quality is just not there anymore.
I mean, hey, have you actually sat down and listened to some of the pap that passes for "Pop Music" nowadays ? - no wonder buyers are staying away in droves - you just don't get much of a thrill listening to formulaic, bland music put out by formulaic and bland performers.
No wonder people wo take an interest in music are heading for the internet, the rave, the home-grown backyard studio.
Anywhere to try and find something that is actually stimulating
Because you sure won't find it in the type of mainstream pop music that is showcased at the Grammys.
I think it is a sad, sad state of affairs when a band like U2 can be named best rock band in 2002. This is pathetic.
On the news they did a few interviews with Avergae Joes in the Street outside the award ceremony - all of them cited 'lack of quality' as the main reason why they no longer buy Albums - not mp3's which is kinda interesting.
Anybody who just blames mp3s for declining record sales is kidding themselves - record sales are declining because pop music these days is crud that you wouldn't waste your hard earned on - simple as that
what do the rest of ya's reckon ?
cheers
Mainstream popular music is digging themsleves one big hole at the moment. To blame the ineternet is way off the mark, if you had statisyics on MP3 downloads I think you'd find that the number of people downloading "pop" music is negligable.
IMO the main reason for the decline of pop is that they stopped being driven by the market and started trying to drive the market. The mainstream music industry is too much of a closed shop oligopoly. They did not integrate new technologies at all well and still maintain this mindset of "we control the business".
The mainstream music industry is being left behind and I, for one, am glad.
Docker_Brat
1 Mar 2002, 12:13
Pop music is basically a production line. I would draw an analogy between McDonalds and the local fish shop. Fewer people go to the latter but it is more than likely better quality than the former.
Pick 5 'beautiful' people, get a decent choreographer, teach them the same tired moves, make sure they can dance in unison, run their voices through a computer. Instant hit. Thank you 13 year olds for your pocket money.
I don't think MP3s are contributing that much to falling sales - I agree that it's lack of quality.
Usually after downloading a few songs and starting to like a band from those MP3s, I go and buy the CD and in some cases the artist's entire back catalogue. In fact, since being able to access MP3s, I listen to a lot more artists and have bought a lot more CDs than I previously did. So in my case, MP3s spread the word around and contribute to increasing awareness, and therefore potential sales.
Good topic, Bloodstained. I agree that it's lack of quality that's causing the depression in pop sales. But there is still some quality in the pop genre. Take our Kyles for example, to me she just seems to get better and better (after Impossible Princess at least). Melody, talent, and more creativity than 100 "R&B" artists put together.
This is why I haven't listened to mainstream radio for years. (see post about triple M) I think the huge music companies (sony, emi et al) are most to blame, for trying to turn music into fashion, instead of letting actual artists instead of business people control the form of pop music now. Fads come and go, like they always have, but don't they seem more and more fake and contrived now? Or is it just me getting older and more cynical?
gPhonque
1 Mar 2002, 13:48
I believe the reason sales are declining is because 99% of music in the Top40 these days is marketed purely towards school kids. (both primary and secondary ages.)
"Pop" music (whatever that is) used to appeal to all ages. And i'm talking about POP music. People like Michael Jackson in the 80's. Everybody loved him. The kids AND the parents loved Michael Jackson. Same with Mariah Carey in the early-mid 90's. Everybody loved her - not JUST the kids.
These days, you won't find too many people over 18 who listen to Britney. Or Christina. Or Destinys Child. Or anything else that has been in the Top 40 in the past 5 years. Even bands like Blink 182 are being aimed towards kids now.
I don't believe that the quality isn't there anymore. It's just that these artists are getting younger and younger and the music, the look, and the artist are just not appealing to over-18's.
Some of the Destinys Child stuff is fantastic. It's good music. Yes - it's aimed towards teenage american girls - but it's still good. It's sounds great - it's well put together - it's GOOD MUSIC.
But does it appeal to you?
Do you really want to hear a 19yo girl who has either grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth or just happens to be fantastically gorgeous, sing about her troubled life? Or her lost love? Or how she kicked the shhit out of her cheating-ass-you-ain't-good-for-nothing-nigga boyfriend?
It's well done, but does it appeal to YOU?
originally posted by PeteLX
Take our Kyles for example, to me she just seems to get better and better (after Impossible Princess at least).
Didn't you like Impossible Princess?????
I reckon that's her best album by a mile! (after you take out Did It Again and Some Kind Of Bliss anyway.......)
Originally posted by gPhonque
Didn't you like Impossible Princess?????
I reckon that's her best album by a mile! (after you take out Did It Again and Some Kind Of Bliss anyway.......)
Nah, I meant that onwards. I do actually like that album!!
Shinboners
1 Mar 2002, 16:10
If you think pop music is dead, then just go out and buy the new Candle Records compilation, "Feast". They'll never get a mention in the Grammys, but what does it matter when you have the likes of the Lucksmiths and Darren Hanlon to keep you company.
TwiggyDunn
1 Mar 2002, 18:44
<B>dokker brat wrote:
5 'beautiful' people, get a decent choreographer, teach them the same tired moves, make sure they can dance in unison, run their voices through a computer. Instant hit. Thank you 13 year olds for your pocket money.</B>
---
actually most 13 year olds don't buy music these days they buy video games
a large proportion in sales dropping in the music biz has been attributed to kids choosing video games over music
when i was 13 i was going nuts for records and tapes..and anything KISS! my how times have changed
Of COURSE pop music is dead!!!!!!!! You compare the crap that passes for pop these days, with the greatest pop song ever (IMO) 'California Girls'. Anyone who has heard the a capella version and the tracking sessions for this 3 minutes of brilliance will know exactly how much work has gone into that song. Unfortunately, when you combine the vocals and music, a lot of the magic of each is hidden under the other part, but it's still an awesome sound. And there are dozens of similar Beach Boys songs. Awesome sound.
There is nothing these days that even comes close. Except for Brian Wilson's 1998 single 'Your Imagination', which is Brian imitating the entire BB sound with his own voice. And it's incredible. But yeah, I guess no one can compare with Brian. :D LOL
Dr AlfAndrews
1 Mar 2002, 21:30
Originally posted by Bloodstained Angel
...the quality is just not there anymore.
I mean, hey, have you actually sat down and listened to some of the pap that passes for "Pop Music" nowadays ? - no wonder buyers are staying away in droves - you just don't get much of a thrill listening to formulaic, bland music put out by formulaic and bland performers.
No wonder people wo take an interest in music are heading for the internet, the rave, the home-grown backyard studio.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ...
Oh, dear me ... it had to happen ...
Welcome to middle-age, BSA.
Now, I seem to recall somewhere in the not-too-dim and not-too-distant past you were berating all those poor old 60s burn-outs who swear that there hasn't been a decent song written since the Beatles broke up. So ... now, it has finally dawned on you that contemporary popular music has disappeared up its own arse ... or should I say, perhaps "ass".
Praise the Lord ... you've finally made it, BSA. Welcome to the land of good taste.
Just for the record (oops, sorry ... very bad pun :D ) ... I agree with you ...
Modern "pop" music has got nothing to say ... except maybe "bop-bop ... shoo-wop ... kitschy kitschy ya-ya".
The best music is now being made by complete unknowns in home studios. The record companies have forfeited their own relevance because of their insistence on glitz over content. Their days are as numbered as the hairs on the heads of their carefully coiffured "artists".
Computers have actually liberated us from the tyranny of the music industry by making it possible for the true artists to produce their music at a reasonably high standard of production without having to pay hundreds of dollars an hour to prima-donna producers in commercial studios.
The internet has made it possible for these home-based artists to get their music into a public forum.
The downside to this democratisation process has been that the internet music market has become flooded. A site like mp3.com has got (literally) tens of thousands of bands and musicians vying for the attention of those who visit the site. Many extremely talented people are languishing un-noticed on these sites because of the sheer volume of the material available.
And many of these sites are starting to close because everyone has finally realised that banner advertising (which has been the thing that has made these sites possible) doesn't actually work. Garageband.com recently closed up shop and I seem to recall that IUMA was struggling a while back.
Radio stations still hold a lot of power over the market. But, of course they are disappearing up their anal regions because they are very much in the pocket of those record companies with such apalling taste and lack of vision.
As for those few media outlets that actually try to give genuinely creative musicians a go ...
... and here, just bear with me while I go into some shameless self-promotion ...
At The Mouse With Dr.GROUSE ...
3CR ... (855 on the AM dial) ... Wednesday nights/Thursday mornings, 12.30 to 2 a.m.)
for all-Australian independent music
... we cannot possibly hope to accomodate ALL the brilliant unknown music out there. We can only present what we're aware of. Since I've been doing my show I've become aware of some amazing stuff ... VEGANS IN LEATHER ... STEVE LENNOX and the FULL DISASTER ... MATTHEW PITT ... JO JO SMITH ....
You've probably never heard of these people ... but they are ALL brilliant artists who deserve to make a living from their music. But unless you listen to my show or get out to a few live gigs around Melbourne or Adelaide you will probably NEVER get to hear them. Because most of the radio stations are only interested in "kitschy kitschy ya-ya" music.
**BOP-BOP ... DOO-WOP**
P.S. ... and can someone please tell me, why do all those bimbonic Australian girl singers alway sing in American accents?
[i]
... we cannot possibly hope to accomodate ALL the brilliant unknown music out there. We can only present what we're aware of. Since I've been doing my show I've become aware of some amazing stuff ... VEGANS IN LEATHER ... STEVE LENNOX and the FULL DISASTER ... MATTHEW PITT ... JO JO SMITH ....
[/B]
I hope you're also aware of Aussie artists like Spencer P Jones, Rocket Science and Luxedo. If not, visit www.spookyrecords.com/spencer.htm, www.luxedo.com and www.modularpeople.com
cheers
Jerome
carneagles
2 Mar 2002, 12:44
Napster is not the problem. The boom in file sharing coincided with a boom in CD sales (as far as I saw from various sources). Napster is cactus, and has been for at least a couple of years now. Now that sales have (finally) dropped, the RIAA is back flogging the dead horse for all its worth.
It's because modern music is crap. Mind you, I am coming into middle age!
Mr Ripper
2 Mar 2002, 13:39
Only now? I've been tellin' yers this for 20 years! :p