Rock music: A load of men screaming about their girlfriends

[-Orgasmatron-]

Generalisations, they don't help anything.

I've noticed there's alot of hate here for hip-hop, it really gets on my nerves when I see people saying, "All rap/hip-hop is is black men talking about their bitchs, hoes and money", yea it is, in the same way rock music is men with half their face covered by hair crying about their ex girlfriend.

Let's be honest, the majority of the albums that make it to number one these days are bought by 12 year olds who don't know what file sharing is. You may personally not pirate music, but millions do, this is proven by the fact that now number 1 takes 500,000 albums sold, when before it was a couple million. Would you really judge all music by what a 12 year old kid thinks is good?

There is so much good music out there and the majority of it doesn't see the charts, so condemming a whole genre and it's fans because 50 Cent sucks is just unfair, the majority of people in the world of hip-hop hate 50 Cent just as much as the next guy. You should look at some of the real stuff before you start spouting off about how bad whole genres are. This post goes out to hip-hop fans who hate all rock/metal aswel.

Personally, I grew up listening to stuff such as Guns N' Roses, Metallica and U2 to name but afew, then as I got older I found hip-hop. I never understood what people meant when they said "It has no meaning", as whenever I want some educated music with a message I go for hip-hop, whereas whenever I want something fun to chill out to I go for rock, the majority of the time atleast. There is some rock bands that focus on message such as System Of A down, while some hip-hop is good for relaxing to, such as Nas.

So let's not focus on hate, let's speak about what we like about our favourite genre of music and maybe post an example, so everyone can enjoy the best of all worlds.

I'll kick things off with some hip-hop I like, my favourite hip-hop artist, Immortal Technique. His songs really opened my mind up to different ways of looking at the world and the realisation that the person telling me what I have to do with my life can be trusted no more than the person living next door to me. He is also very booksmart and has led me onto read about many interesting people and events.

Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP1exQ8tcUc

Suppose I'll do one for rock aswel, best go for Sonic Boom Six, they're a really fun and original band who also give some social commentary, they're pretty new at the moment and really could claim some more fans if they signed to a major label, which they have chosen not to do, but check them out.

Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iGetOXVJGk

So, everyone, go ahead, you will not be judged.

Also, do you agree with my first paragraphs? In that people do not open their ears enough and speak about hate without really knowing what a certain genre is all about.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

*Dons flame suit*

Well, 'Tron, I must say you make an entirely valid point in your analysis. However, I must ask that you correct the misspelling in your title, though I feel that you lack depth to your analysis. Still, one must ask: Why do inferior musicans seem to prosper?

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

This a shame really. I'm more of a metal fan, but I like some rap, and a lot of it has really deep meaning and such.
It's just that people here want to believe the whole "Ima busta cap in yo ass, ***** ass nigga!" generalization.

You know you'd get jumped on if you said all Metal is a bunch of guys making noise screaming loud incomprehensible lyrics about how much they love Satan.
Ah, double standards.

 

[JanatUrlich]

Well I disregard the viewpoint of any who says "All rap/rock/pop music sucks" anyway

Such sweeping generalisations make no sense, because I'm pretty sure that everyone could find atleast one song in each genre of music that they like

 

[-Orgasmatron-]

*Dons flame suit*

Well, 'Tron, I must say you make an entirely valid point in your analysis. However, I must ask that you correct the misspelling in your title, though I feel that you lack depth to your analysis. Still, one must ask: Why do inferior musicans seem to prosper?

Did not even notice that, thanks for pointing it out.

I believe inferior muscians prosper due to the fact their music is much simpler so more catchy as easier to feed to the masses, or so it is believed by record execs. I think they are also more willing to change themselves and their music in order to score a record contract as they are aware that there are alot of people better than them, whereas the people who are better than them are far to commited to the music itself to want to change it for a man in a suit.

Of course tihs has not worked as the record execs had hoped, we can see it is a dieing industry. The only thing a band needs to sign to a label for now is to help get tours booked, you saw Radiohead released their last album independantly, they could leave their record label due to their experience. I would hope that in the next few decades the record companies will fall completely and experience muscians would set up buisnesses to help new bands book their tours and garner their resources.

 

[Srkkl]

/rant
But I kinda see where your comming from but until all the black people at my school stop singing shit like 50 Cent im going to condem rap/hip-hop because that is what I know it to be and I don't have the time nor the motivation to look up anything "good" from the genre.

 

[Motiv_]

Well, quite personally, I listen to alot more metal then rock, but the Hard rock that I listen to [Key word hard] is actually quite good. And yes, I do agree with the stereotype that all hip hop is quote

"All rap/hip-hop is is black men talking about their bitchs, hoes and money",

It's incredibly irritating and bland, and that's why I love rap/hip hop that strays from those lines, and actually has lyrics that MAKE SENSE.

 

[-Orgasmatron-]

It's incredibly irritating and bland, and that's why I love rap/hip hop that strays from those lines, and actually has lyrics that MAKE SENSE.

The majority is not, the first hip-hop is not, you just have not explored.

/rant
But I kinda see where your comming from but until all the black people at my school stop singing shit like 50 Cent im going to condem rap/hip-hop because that is what I know it to be and I don't have the time nor the motivation to look up anything "good" from the genre.

Fair enough, as long as you don't post about how it all sucks, when you don't know anything about it, then we're all good. I know how it is though when so many people are obsessed by bad music, so I can see where you're coming from.

 

[Indigoman]

Have you ever heard a song, not really understood the lyrics but still it was very catchy?
Well, that's the way it is with most rock songs for me, sometimes it ruins the song if I actually look up the lyrics or something. But, the songs do sound good, I don't condone bitching all the time, but it's the sound that they have, just great!

 

[Mozared]

I'll go with ska, in that case. What I like about ska is that there seem to be no bad, hypocritic or simpleton artists in the genre. It's musically a bit harder to play than the average blues-based song due to the emphasis on the afterbeat. The lyrics are generally always punk-ish and mostly have a deeper meaning, whether they're poetically encrypted or in a simple way of "This song is for you, because you work so hard". I find that ska-bands also tend to be very original because all of them find some way to create their own sound.

As a good example of what ska is, he's a skankified version of a song everybody knows;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBwF_XQ1vwM
(They also did A-ha's Take On Me, but that one's used as RBF's signature song so much it's become a complete overkill)

Also, do you agree with my first paragraphs? In that people do not open their ears enough and speak about hate without really knowing what a certain genre is all about.

Yup, but it's more that people speak their mind about basically anything they hear or see without knowing what it's all about. It's not specifically a music thing.

Why do inferior musicans seem to prosper?

That's easy. Because most people are stupid and do not care about the lyrics, originality or musical quality of a song; they're looking for a nice tune and that's where it stops.

 

[bodyklok]

Agreed, but there are a few genres that I find it hard to find even one good songs in. (e.g. anything to do with *cringe* romance)

That said though, I don't venture out in the music world that much, I tend to listen to the same songs a lot, but I can still name a bunch of songs from genres as far apart as metal and classical music, and rap to techno that I like to listen to.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Why do inferior musicans seem to prosper?

That's easy. Because most people are stupid and do not care about the lyrics, originality or musical quality of a song; they're looking for a nice tune and that's where it stops.

I thought that the first three made the last one?

 

[-Orgasmatron-]

I'll go with ska, in that case. What I like about ska is that there seem to be no bad, hypocritic or simpleton artists in the genre. It's musically a bit harder to play than the average blues-based song due to the emphasis on the afterbeat. The lyrics are generally always punk-ish and mostly have a deeper meaning, whether they're poetically encrypted or in a simple way of "This song is for you, because you work so hard". I find that ska-bands also tend to be very original because all of them find some way to create their own sound.

As a good example of what ska is, he's a skankified version of a song everybody knows;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBwF_XQ1vwM
(They also did A-ha's Take On Me, but that one's used as RBF's signature song so much it's become a complete overkill)

That's not to bad, in my opinion Ska should have been the big thing of this generation, but due to the music buisness going down the toilet we're stuck with The Killers being the defining band of the last 10 years. Also, listen to the second link in my OP, I'm sure you'll love them.

 

[Maze1125]

Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP1exQ8tcUc

I don't deny that there is good hip-hop out there, but that wasn't really music, it was political commentary to a beat.

 

[Booze Zombie]

It's funny that you mention System Of A Down, they were the first thing in my head when I was like "hey, wait a second".

However, I would like to say that quite a lot of the hiphop/rap music I come across is bad, but that's probably because I'm see the stuff that makes it into the charts.
I don't have a high opinion of the stuff I do see, but I don't hate it all, I haven't seen it all.

 

[New Troll]

I'm not a fan of rap, even though some of my favorite music has rappers in it like the Judgement Night soundtrack. I still say the majority of rap is fairly repetitive (read: stupid beats with stupid lyrics) but I have always been a fan of some of the more out-there groups like the Dungeon Family and even some more philosophical rappers like DMX (yes he has a lot of "pop a cap" crap, but he also has a lot of more meaningful stuff.)

Course, there's even some Country I like and some Rock I can't stand. I still consider myself a Rocker/ Metalhead over-all though.

And to the OP, I didn't like Immortal Technique but Sonic Boom Six I really liked and plan on hunting down now. So, thank you.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

i think you're confusing rock with country

i wouldn't even say a lot of the top 40 is about women or losing them, nor has it been in rock, while there are a lot of songs about that, it's by far not like the amount of rap songs about bitches and hoes

as for songs that become popular it's because of good marketing and a push by the label and also that a lot of the songs aren't overly complex and easy to catch on and usually have a similar sound to other popular bands. notice when Nirvana and Pearl Jam became popular, there was tons of bands that sounded like them that popped up shortly after, and i'm not referring to the already established Seattle grunge scene

 

[RyQ_TMC]

Why do inferior musicans seem to prosper?

"Because it's good. Or because Will Smith is in it."

In all seriousness, once people started ranking music bands according to the quality of lyrics, or "inclusion of political message" and suchlike, I guess that was the beginning of the Great Missing-the-Point Festival. Isn't music supposed to be, well, music?

I'll admit here and now that I don't care about lyrics at all - I consider the vocals to just be one of the musical instruments the band utilizes and the lyrics as being there only to help the singer with interpretation. I listen to a lot of bands whose lyrics are in languages I don't know, or at least I'm not proficient in enough to understand them from hearing. So I guess I'm approaching the subject from the other extreme, and I'm therefore somewhat biased.

And haven't you all thought that maybe most people simply don't listen to music to live a higher artistic experience or feel strongly about a political subject, but just to enjoy the tune? While I am far from condemning rap and hip-hop - there are a few songs which I like - you have to admit that melody-wise, rock wins (and please, don't try to counter that by selecting a great rapper and comparing him to a painfully mediocre punk rock band). And has the advantage of not having to rely on lyrics at all.

To the OP: I have to agree that a lot of the most popular stuff is just too simple and repetitive for my tastes, but seriously, saying that the popularity is due to borderline cretinous spoiled 12-year olds buying albums for... well, for no adequate reason, is just generalizing... And, uh... Didn't you just say...?

Generalisations, they don't help anything.

 

[Zombie_Fish]

Also, do you agree with my first paragraphs? In that people do not open their ears enough and speak about hate without really knowing what a certain genre is all about.

Rap/ hip-hop gets frowned upon by escapists, because of the popular stuff being about guns and hoes etc. and therefore people believe they have no meaning as a result and that they are easy to write and that the genre is just inferior. But the truth is, that there is good stuff out there, you just need to look for it and keep an eye out for when it appears.

But since they can't be bothered to find these artists we just end up with the same people being hated and the people that give rap a bad reputation, whilst groups like Mongrel [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-58fUbnZSGo] and the Flobots [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtDMThRU7BA] get ignored or don't get as much publicity as they should desrve to get.

Anyway, favourite genres, there's mellow, acoustic rock like Radiohead. Their acoustic, soft style is brilliant as well as the meanings behind their songs, something that I like because their something I can relate to, and also the way they present it, using subtle ideas and language devices.

Spoiler: Let Down by Radiohead

And my other favourite genre is ska punk like The Specials. The reason for me liking them is because of their blending of the music and the lyrics, as the lyrics are usually on very serious issues, but the music is so upbeat that they offer hope.

Spoiler: Too Much Too Young by The Specials

 

[-Orgasmatron-]

To the OP: I have to agree that a lot of the most popular stuff is just too simple and repetitive for my tastes, but seriously, saying that the popularity is due to borderline cretinous spoiled 12-year olds buying albums for... well, for no adequate reason, is just generalizing... And, uh... Didn't you just say...?

Generalisations, they don't help anything.

Sp. tell me, who put Jonas Brothers at number 1? This is less a generlisation than an observation by myself that the people I know buy around 1 or 2 albums a year.