The shallow world of Popular Culture.

[TiefBlau]

I can listen to any kind of music and find at least at least one reason to call it "insipid garbage".

Pop and hip-hop are taking most of the flak because they're popular.

I personally don't care. My tastes are too subjective to cram into any one genre, and I don't buy for one second that you'd hate pop or metal or hip-hop if you grew up listening to it. Music is subjective as hell, and anyone who considers any genre of music of lesser quality than others is pulling it out of their ass.

That being said though, there definitely are bad songs. Objectively so.

 

[Burningsok]

I'm probably missing some points here but anyways...

Popular music will only last as long as the culture does. After that, it tends to slowly fade away. That takes many years though since the generation that listened to it will be around for a while. Music that can last for over a century, and still have at least a large number of people listening to it signifies that it is standing the test of time. The music today is so repetitive, and quite frankly the epitome of laziness and lack of creativity, that it will be smothered and smashed in with all the other songs that follow the same routine. Beethoven's 5th Symphony was a roller coaster ride for people of that time period. It had new material that got people's attention. They never heard something with so much twists and changes. Even today, everyone knows what that song is and who the composer was. That's what you call standing the test of time.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

AS Marilyn Manson once said "I am your shit, you made me your shit!"

 

[badgersprite]

Things go through phases. I'm not sure what brings it about. Let's not forget that at not all that long ago, when I was growing up, grunge, ska, college rock and all this kind of stuff was HUGELY popular. It just kind of phased out. Tastes change, styles change, pop culture changes, everything changes, usually because the generation growing up swings back against what they heard growing up.

In short, pop culture and any kind of mass group consciousness is inexplicable, but it's always been like this in one way or another.

I'll agree on the charts being intolerable, though. I'm someone who likes pop music a lot, including BAD pop music. Seriously, I will unironically listen to the Macarena, but even I cannot listen to any Top 40 channels or any music station that plays only music from the last few years. I can think of a few songs and artists I like, and I'll listen to them alright, but I just do not want to hear most of this stuff.

I'm sure I would have had the same reaction to the highest charting music in just about any year, though. I don't think anyone likes hearing the same stuff over and over again, and let's be fair, there have been a LOT of genres that are very samey. I love doo wop and motown and I listen to it constantly, but I'll freely admit that if you listened to most artists in this genre from the '50s and '60s, a lot of their songs would sound exactly the same. I'm sure a lot of metal heads and punk lovers out there know of plenty of bands or songs that sound alike, it's just that it doesn't bother you as much in music you like, but you will ALWAYS notice it in music you hate.

I'll leave you with something a friend of mine told me once. "Listening to genres of music you hate is like trying to listen to someone speak really fast in a foreign language you can't speak; you can't relate to anything they're saying, all the words sound the same, and it leaves you confused and irritated."

 

[RatRace123]

whatever the fuck Ke$ha falls into...

Kesha falls into honey, that's why she always looks sticky.

And I think modern pop is a mixture of both elements, the constant streaming has "brainwashed" people into wanting it, it becomes familiar, since all songs in that genre sound the frickin' same, people like what's familiar.

 

[FalloutJack]

To my credit, I tend to ignore these things. It becomes sort of background noise.

 

[Astoria]

I think a majority of people listen to what's popular because they're being told it's popular without realising it. I personally can't stand popular music these days and will be so thankful when this phase is over. Like others have said, about 90% of it is pure crap.

 

[Skorpyo]

Pop music is manufactured to relate to or entice the vast majority. Sales over quality.

For a better explanation, Here's Jon Lajoie:

 

[aoi287]

edit: wrong topic

 

[Logic 0]

People like it therefore it sells-it sells it gets to more people and more people like it, it's a never ending cycle that just gets worse and worse.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Would I be wrong in just chalking it up to; more people = mass appeal, or would that be too simple an answer and not reall ecompassing the entirety of the perceived problem? o.o

 

[supermariner]

i think it's a valid point to mention that the phrase 'popular culture' is ensconsed within your title
to be fair, it's only music that's REALLY shit
and even then we're nerds and probably can't appreciate it the way the generic masses do
and if you're reading this thinking "well i'm not a nerd", then be aware you are actually posting on an internet games site forum
you are at least part nerd, and should be proud of it

 

[Berethond]

Yes, people like pop music.
It's popular for a reason.

And it's really not as bad as you people think, I really don't see what you're all complaining about.

 

[ultrachicken]

If the popular taste in music makes you lose faith in humanity, then you are one hell of a judgemental guy. And to answer your question, I think it's consumer preference.

 

[SimuLord]

If the popular taste in music makes you lose faith in humanity, then you are one hell of a judgemental guy. And to answer your question, I think it's consumer preference.

I'm normally not one for the "zomg people r so dum!" angle, but dear gods, sometimes the popular media makes me wonder.

I don't watch TV or listen to the radio and my Internet's ad-free due to either paying for content (this site---the PubClub is worth the price of admission) or through more nefarious means (every other site), so when I get exposed to the raw sewage that spews out of marketing departments, it's a bit of a shock to the system.

 

[kalt_13]

The way pop music is played everywhere, and on most radio stations, its almost like someone saying "you will like this, you will buy it now!" and since ppl do they keep shoveling it out there. oh yeah dont forget the whole "sex sells" thing......

- If tomorrow Top 40 disappeared, to be replaced by something a whole lot less annoying, would tweens buy Mozart if you played it in malls and put a whole bunch of Mozart merch in all the mall stores I don't shop at but my friends with kids that age say are all the rage?

Not sure about that but if someone was hot enough playing it and they marketed them, rather than Mozart, then i rekkon it might have a chance.

 

[ultrachicken]

If the popular taste in music makes you lose faith in humanity, then you are one hell of a judgemental guy. And to answer your question, I think it's consumer preference.

I'm normally not one for the "zomg people r so dum!" angle, but dear gods, sometimes the popular media makes me wonder.

I don't watch TV or listen to the radio and my Internet's ad-free due to either paying for content (this site---the PubClub is worth the price of admission) or through more nefarious means (every other site), so when I get exposed to the raw sewage that spews out of marketing departments, it's a bit of a shock to the system.

If it makes you feel any better, the average listener to that genre doesn't care or pay any attention to the lyrics. So just because Kesha has a song about drinking and acting like a retard doesn't mean people necessarily agree with that lifestyle.

 

[SimuLord]

The way pop music is played everywhere, and on most radio stations, its almost like someone saying "you will like this, you will buy it now!" and since ppl do they keep shoveling it out there. oh yeah dont forget the whole "sex sells" thing......

- If tomorrow Top 40 disappeared, to be replaced by something a whole lot less annoying, would tweens buy Mozart if you played it in malls and put a whole bunch of Mozart merch in all the mall stores I don't shop at but my friends with kids that age say are all the rage?

Not sure about that but if someone was hot enough playing it and they marketed them, rather than Mozart, then i rekkon it might have a chance.

A chamber orchestra made up of Ke$ha and Selena Gomez lookalikes? It's just crazy enough to work!