Poll: Why do YOU hate popular music

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General Ken8

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zen5887 said:
Phht.. Hating Pop music isn't cool any more.

I dislike people who write off popular music. Yes, there is a lot of crap around, but people enjoy it, its fun and most of it is well written. It's popular for a reason, so it must be doing something right.

Also, I'm a teenager and I listen to Hip Hop.

I would like to know what music OP likes. If I had to guess I'd say Metal or Alt rock, but that's just a guess.

Ohh yeah.

General Ken8 said:
Having been a member of the Escapist for just over a year, I've loved every minute of it. No forum arguments, all intelligent and funny people, and originality everywhere you look. It's the equivalent of an internet utopia for people like myself.
I lol'd
Yeah, I am a fan of metal and punk mostly, but alt-rock is pretty good too
 

Raiha

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Jul 3, 2009
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i guess "because it sucks" isn't a good enough reason. most popular music is so watered down to try to appeal to the largest demographic that it fails to make any kind of impact on me. i would rather listen to something i truly hate then something i have no interest in at all. at least its making me think and feel something.
 

General Ken8

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ThrobbingEgo said:
General Ken8 said:
According to recent statistics, over 92% of teenage kids listen to rap, hip-hop, or pop.
Who says rap doesn't have nuance?

Stock example:

http://www.amazon.ca/Wu-Tang-Manual-Rza/dp/1594480184
Adult/High School-In the late 1970s, Robert Diggs was growing up in a New York housing project. He spent his time with his many cousins and watching kung fu movies in Times Square. Later, he turned his interests in martial arts, spirituality, chess, comics, and rap music into one of the most successful rap groups of the 1990s-the Wu-Tang Clan. Named for a type of Shaolin martial arts, the Clan consists of Diggs-The RZA-two of his cousins, and six other members. The author shares all that went into making the group what it is, a curious mix of Eastern philosophy, supreme mathematics, capitalism, and, not least, talent. Nearly a quarter of the book is dedicated to lyrics, including a deep analysis of what each rapper meant. The Wu-Tang's lyrics are full of violence, drugs, and slang, but also well-executed metaphors, symbolism, and their philosophy realized. It's rare that rap lyrics are given this level of analysis, let alone in such a readable fashion. The book is full of photographs of the members and information about their work and interests, which include drugs, both legal and illegal. Even this topic is treated with intellectual detachment: "You can't say [drugs] are all bad or they're all good." (Sadly, since the book's publication, founding member ODB died from a drug-related incident.) Even though the Wu-Tang's greatest success came in the 1990s, they are still highly relevant and have many teen fans, all of whom will find something appealing in this account.-Jamie Watson, Harford County Public Library, MD
You can't look at something as an outsider and judge it as bad just because you don't understand what they're doing, beyond the surface level. You'd be no different than the anti-games culture that portrays all games as violent clusterfondles of cop-killing and hooker rape.

There's quality rap out there. You're just not able to filter the wheat from the chaff.
Yeah, you're definitely right in saying that. I tend to shy away from rap just because i'm not as much a fan of the genre, but I'll admit there are good rap groups out there.
 

YouGetWhatsGiven

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Haha, now it is popular, but in about twenty years it will won't be. Unfortunately, its the popular music that survives. Thats why it is popular.
As for the question, I think that music is always progressing, and you can't criticize one generation for the brand of music they make.
 

Catalyst6

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Apr 21, 2010
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I don't hate it because it's popular, I'll listen if it's actually worth listening to. But so little of it is, so as a general rule it sucks.
 

General Ken8

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unoleian said:
It burns a hole into your head using catchy, repetitive lyrics and slowly sucks your soul until you're a lifeless, penniless, consumer husk.

That, and it's generally just screechy techno-enhanced babble these days with no imagination and an unhealthy overdose of "studio magic."

As an aside- I get my fill of pop radio every day at work. The only station that makes a day go even more slowly is when somebody decides it's time for *shudder* country music.
Yeah, I'd say that this (below) would certainly fall into the category of screechy techno-enhanced babble
 

Diligent

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Dec 20, 2009
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When I think pop music I think of a lot of the modern 'made for dance clubs' or Disney artist drivel. The reason I dislike it is that studies have shown that 90% of all people can carry a tune(I know, most statistics like that are bullshit, but check it out! http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/080627-carrying-tune.html )

Therefore, as soon as I hear those piss poor autotuned bullshit robot vocals, I dismiss it as not even really being music. If you can't even put the effort into singing the song, then what does that say about the designed-by-committee instrumental backing. For me that lack of talent = lack of respect for the artist.

I have a very musical group of friends, and many of us play instruments. I'll take the imperfection of singing with a couple guitars and a harmonica around a campfire over any radio friendly pop song any day of the week, because at least there is some heart and soul put into it, which in the end, is what music should be all about.

(DISCLAIMER: I don't hate all pop music and I'm not implying that all pop artists don't put heart and or soul into their music.)
 

Bakaferret

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Furburt said:
I don't hate popular music, I try to listen to it when I can, give it the same chance I would any other type of music. Sometimes there's a gem, most of the time it's shit. It's like most things really.

I think hating popular music outright is a bit close-minded really. I'll admit that most of the stuff I listen to is quite underground, but that's just because it sounds good to me. Pop gets the same treatment as anything else.
This.

Hating popular music because it's popular is NO DIFFERENT than liking it because it's popular. Both are close-minded viewpoints that don't give individual songs a chance...I swear I can't stand it when I'm listening to something "mainstream" and some of my friends look down on me just because it's played on the radio.

I like ALL types of music. Name a genre and I can probably name at least one artist that I like in it! :D I think the proper question is, why do you hate SYNTHESIZED music? Even then I don't really hate it...I don't respect them as true artists, but if it's playing on the radio and has a catchy (although generic) beat, I'm not gonna shut it off because I'm "better than that" or something. That's just silly. :p

Liam Moriarty said:
Well, rap is a good idea, I just hate how its taken. its a really clever idea and I really like the lyrical pacing but its always about woman and violence. It should be about personal stories. Besides, all modern rapers are douches.
Gone are the days when rap actually meant something...I don't think most people who hate rap realize that when it first started, it actually had meaning, content and stories. A select few still try to make it have meaning, but for the majority, why bother? Society doesn't care, so if you don't have to put forth effort, why would you?

That being said, have you ever been to a poetry slam performance? They are AWESOME! Same sort of awesome rhythm and pacing that rap SHOULD have, but with deep and meaningful lyrics...poetry set to a "beat" using nothing but your voice. I love it. :3
 

Diligent

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General Ken8 said:
unoleian said:
It burns a hole into your head using catchy, repetitive lyrics and slowly sucks your soul until you're a lifeless, penniless, consumer husk.

That, and it's generally just screechy techno-enhanced babble these days with no imagination and an unhealthy overdose of "studio magic."

As an aside- I get my fill of pop radio every day at work. The only station that makes a day go even more slowly is when somebody decides it's time for *shudder* country music.
Yeah, I'd say that this (below) would certainly fall into the category of screechy techno-enhanced babble
Jesus!! I have never heard that before, and I couldn't stop laughing for the whole duration. Thats gotta be a joke band, right? RIGHT!?
 

WickedBoy6

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Jan 13, 2010
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Honestly, I don't hate Mainstream or Underground music. I listen to anything that grooves. I mainly hate the people that decry Mainstream music because they're jumping on bandwagons of their own.

Personally, KoRn is my favorite band, and I take crap for listening to them all the time, from all sides. "Korn was good with Blind, but after that, they're just trash." I'll admit "Freak on a Leash" was a mis-step, as was their untitled album, but I love all their other stuff, andI still think "Here to Stay" is the best friggin' song I've ever heard. I enjoy Cradle of Filth, as well, got into them just as Midian released. "They're not true black metal. Listen to 'insert-random-gore-description-here', then you're true." So? I enjoy Paul Allender's guitar work and Dani has one of the most versatile voices in the genre.

I also enjoy not-so-mainstream stuff. There's a great band out there called Blownload. Local in Sacramento, YouTube a song of theirs called "Legalize It". You won't be disappointed. Also, another band called World Under Blood. Sure, it's a branch-off of CKY, but even they aren't totally mainstream, due to the Bam backlash. Even less people have heard of WUB, but YouTube a song called "Dead and Still in Pain", and you won't be disappointed with that, either.

Point being, there's great music on all levels of the industry. Top 40 or local college late-night, just keep your ears - and minds, you self-proclaimed elitists - open.
 

Canadamus Prime

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Jun 17, 2009
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I don't hate popular music, I just hate rap, hip-hop, and pop, which incidentally happens to be popular for some bizarre reason I cannot comprehend. I also hate any music that just sounds like guys screaming and/or grunting into a mic and now actually saying anything coherent.
 

Bakaferret

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Jun 18, 2009
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Sidenote: I would also like to point out that just because it's NOT mainstream, doesn't mean it's good. I swear I've heard of too many underground bands that people have sworn up and down to me are so awesome 'cause they're Indie, and then I find out that they suck just as badly as the songs on the radio that they claim to hate.
 

GooBeyond

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Nov 12, 2009
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i dont hate popular music
i hate music which lyrics consist of meaningless bullshit,

and out of my luck, this shit is popular these days
 

Logic 0

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Aug 28, 2009
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It's not the music it's everything assosiated with it from the bad singers to the rage induseing listeners.
 

JAY_RAD

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Apr 22, 2010
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ABSOLUTELY no effort put into it. Anybody can sing a crappy song and make up a rap about killing people. But it takes real skill to play an instrument. That's why I like rock and metal. Kudos to any other style of music that actually has instrumentalist that know what they're doing. Real music, you have to work hard for. Not sitting in a recording room spitting a rap, but working months on end to make a perfect song. I really don't know why people like pop music for, but that sh*t pisses me off.
 

Mrsoupcup

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General Ken8 said:
Honestly I could care less what people listen to, I'm a classic rock man. I only get mad when idiots say things like "Lady Gaga is the next Freddie Mercury" which is funny because the only Queen song these people know is Bohemian Rhapsody... This just sums up my opinion I guess:
 

Zyplin1080

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Sep 14, 2008
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I don't really hate popular music, but I like having tons of music that no one (that I know) knows about. It lets me show others all the other things out there. Likewise, I don't dislike rap/Hip-hop, in fact I love the idea of it, but I have yet to find a hip-hop group I like (mainly due to lack of trying, though I did like that Eminem song). I sorta bugs me when people have never heard of Radiohead or Death Cab For Cutie, though.
 

Low Key

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I'm not a fan of the music on the radio, but what gives anyone here the right to blatantly hate popular music, more or less just because it's popular?

No effort put into it
How do you know? Just because you think it's shit doesn't mean it took any less time or effort to make.

Bandwagon tactics "Everyone listens to it. Why not you?"
This is probably the most valid argument, but still, a lot of people like it without having been told by someone else.

Ripping off kids by just selling them crap
Why the hell do you care what they buy? It's not your money.

Making it harder to find original music groups anymore
Blah blah blah. People have been saying that since the 1960s. Plenty of original music is still being made.

Kids who listen to it talk smack about music that is actually good
Kinda like what you are doing right now? Elitist much? Who gets to decide what is "good" music?

The people who listen to it automatically just assume they're "Cool"
What a ridiculously nonsensical thing to say. The only people I know who feel validated by the music they listen to are the ones that don't listen to the radio.
 

Grand_Arcana

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Aug 5, 2009
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Because all of the songs are exactly the same. For instance: popular rap songs are about murder, hoes n' bitches, drugs, and how great said rapper is. There's no heart and soul put into popular music, only what sells.
 

Kranay

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Jun 9, 2009
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Most of it either sounds the same or is full of how life sucks. Music just isn't what it used to be - Queen, the Beatles, and the Who are just a few examples of musical talent which we just aren't going to hear again. People nowadays focus on bands like My Chemical Romance or Linkin Park, or even that weedy little 16 year old Justin Bieber.