Current Events > There's scientific proof for why pop music has gotten so terrible.

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVME_l4IwII

Interesting watch. But for those too busy, here's the bullet points:

*every single song uses the same combination of drum machine, synthesizer, and computer, aka homogenization.

*almost every single major hit pop song of the last 20 years can be attributed to 2 producers/songwriters.

*compression making everything sound so goddamn loud, no more dynanic range.

*no more risks taken in pop music, everything is custom designed specifically just to make money(duh).

*almost every hit uses the "millenial whoop" sound.

The video guy specifically says that no, not all pop music now sucks, and it isn't meant to be an elitist issue.
---

Yeah, pop music has been ass since 2010's >_>
---

Scientific proof is an oxymoron, btw.
---

What's the millennial whoop
---

DezCaughtIt posted...

What's the millennial whoop

Take katy Perry's California girls as an example

In the chorus where she goes "whooaaa oohhhh ohhhh whoa". Or barber's baby, where he says "baby, baby, baby, ooooooohhhhhh".

It follows a 4 chord thing specifically meant and fine tuned to be as infectious as possible.

It's basically lab grown music lol
---

pres_madagascar posted...

It's basically lab grown music lol

it's basically everything in mainstream media industry, whether it's movies, music or videogames. there aren't no creativity involved anymore. there's just market research, focus group and all of that shit that create the most generic shit possible that somehow sells ALOT
---

Prince would be ashamed today's music scene, hell he already was for multiple years before he died
---

apolloooo posted...

pres_madagascar posted...

It's basically lab grown music lol

it's basically everything in mainstream media industry, whether it's movies, music or videogames. there aren't no creativity involved anymore. there's just market research, focus group and all of that shit that create the most generic shit possible that somehow sells ALOT

Yep, no risk. Small attention spans don't help
---

apolloooo posted...

pres_madagascar posted...

It's basically lab grown music lol

it's basically everything in mainstream media industry, whether it's movies, music or videogames. there aren't no creativity involved anymore. there's just market research, focus group and all of that shit that create the most generic shit possible that somehow sells ALOT

The typical person wants comfortable easy to digest trite products.
---

uwnim posted...

apolloooo posted...

pres_madagascar posted...

It's basically lab grown music lol

it's basically everything in mainstream media industry, whether it's movies, music or videogames. there aren't no creativity involved anymore. there's just market research, focus group and all of that shit that create the most generic shit possible that somehow sells ALOT

The typical person wants comfortable easy to digest trite products.

Yeah, the video mentions people want what's familiar.
---

Only K-pop is worth listening too

DezCaughtIt posted...

What's the millennial whoop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN23lFKfpck
---

Gamer99z posted...

DezCaughtIt posted...

What's the millennial whoop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN23lFKfpck

Perfect
---

---

Modern pop really is some of the most garbage tier music in the history of mankind. 90% of what I listen to is all pre 2000. The only downside, especially bands from the 60s to 80s is not a lot of them make new music anymore.
---

s0nicfan posted...

Beyonce used to make really great pop songs. But jay z fucked the hood back into her and now she makes this trap style shit.
---

pres_madagascar posted...

barber's baby

---

Gamer99z posted...

DezCaughtIt posted...

What's the millennial whoop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN23lFKfpck

I learned something new today.
---

s0nicfan posted...

I'm not bothered when someone points out that Beyonce has a large team when it comes to her music, but perhaps find a song of hers that isn't a sample that requires her to credit 4 of the 6 writers that most likely had nothing to do with the actual lyrics.
---

cringeworthy topic
---

leverageblargh posted...

The funny thing is that this kind of "popular stuff sucks" and "the masses have poor taste and I know better" sentiment is actually the popular thing to express now. Has been for a while actually.

And that just represents the sizable minority of more creative minded individuals that we call "genre listeners."
---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTtki7hXC64
---

leverageblargh posted...

The funny thing is that this kind of "popular stuff sucks" and "the masses have poor taste and I know better" sentiment is actually the popular thing to express now. Has been for a while actually.

I like pop music.
---

Delirious_Beard posted...

cringeworthy topic

I like pop music
---

I read something similar about the death of rock music recently. The argument was that basically every appealing chord combination has already been played, such that there are so few areas for originality within the genre.
---

leverageblargh posted...

The funny thing is that this kind of "popular stuff sucks" and "the masses have poor taste and I know better" sentiment is actually the popular thing to express now. Has been for a while actually.

Bullshit.

Most people just don't whine about their opinions on the internet. Record sales speak for themselves. Most people like the shitty pop music.
---

The Admiral posted...

I read something similar about the death of rock music recently. The argument was that basically every appealing chord combination has already been played, such that there are so few areas for originality within the genre.

Partially yeah. Butt rock that came about in the mid 2000s kind of killed it further.
---

i say it comes down to two things:

a.) there are too few major record labels with too much influence in the industry
b.) the "indie" scene is over-saturated with musicians, making it nearly impossible for talented upstarts to get noticed (and when they do get noticed, they have to do as the big studios say.)
---

ItsVinceRusso posted...

i say it comes down to two things:

a.) there are too few major record labels with too much influence in the industry
b.) the "indie" scene is over-saturated with musicians, making it nearly impossible for talented upstarts to get noticed (and when they do get noticed, they have to do as the big studios say.)

Actually. The internet has been HUGE for independent artists. Many artists nowadays can get careers without ever signing to a label by exclusively distributing their music on the internet.
---

pres_madagascar posted...

ItsVinceRusso posted...

i say it comes down to two things:

a.) there are too few major record labels with too much influence in the industry
b.) the "indie" scene is over-saturated with musicians, making it nearly impossible for talented upstarts to get noticed (and when they do get noticed, they have to do as the big studios say.)

Actually. The internet has been HUGE for independent artists. Many artists nowadays can get careers without ever signing to a label by exclusively distributing their music on the internet.

sure in some respect, but i thought this topic was solely in the vein of what's making it to the top of the charts.
---

The question I would have is when did this all start?

I honestly look fondly back on the pop charts from even the early 2000's (I'm 33 and Canadian, FYI), and felt there was still some diversity that existed at that point. It has only felt like the past 10 years or so have been REALLY bad in terms of all pop chart music sounding exactly the same.
---

Jeff AKA Snoopy posted...

The question I would have is when did this all start?

I honestly look fondly back on the pop charts from even the early 2000's (I'm 33 and Canadian, FYI), and felt there was still some diversity that existed at that point. It has only felt like the past 10 years or so have been REALLY bad in terms of all pop chart music sounding exactly the same.

Correct.
---

Jeff AKA Snoopy posted...

The question I would have is when did this all start?

I honestly look fondly back on the pop charts from even the early 2000's (I'm 33 and Canadian, FYI), and felt there was still some diversity that existed at that point. It has only felt like the past 10 years or so have been REALLY bad in terms of all pop chart music sounding exactly the same.

in the past ten years, we shrunk from six major labels down to just three. they all sound the same because every artist on the charts is signed to the same studio.
---

I don't listen to any pop music and my activities generally mean I avoid most of it, but I hear the millennial whoop in tons of commercials.
---

The Admiral posted...

I read something similar about the death of rock music recently. The argument was that basically every appealing chord combination has already been played, such that there are so few areas for originality within the genre.

Nah, rock music has been suffering for the exact same reasons as pop. It's all about being catchy, easy listening, and appealing to the lowest common denominator in the name of maximizing profits.

I'd say the increasing monetization of entertainment media is a hallmark of this decade.
---

Gamer99z posted...

DezCaughtIt posted...

What's the millennial whoop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN23lFKfpck

This literally changed my life and how I look at music now >_> I never noticed that
---

NeonOctopus posted...

Gamer99z posted...

DezCaughtIt posted...

What's the millennial whoop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN23lFKfpck

This literally changed my life and how I look at music now >_> I never noticed that

It kinda seems like a stretch to me. I mean, many of those examples are very different in sound. It seems like an overly broad definition of 'alternating notes' being preferentially applied to new music.
---

39 posts and literally no "Proof?"

Smh
---

Modern hip-hop is just downright impossible to listen to anymore. It's the most grating thing ever.

I couldn't go much further in the video once it started with yet another fellating of The Beatles.

Pop music today sucks if you're old. Just like old people back in the 60's were bitching that the Beatles were not Frank Sinatra. Just like old people in the 40's were bitching that that damn slick Italian Sinatra was nothing like Gershwin. On and on it goes.

wah_wah_wah posted...

I couldn't go much further in the video once it started with yet another fellating of The Beatles.

Pop music today sucks if you're old. Just like old people back in the 60's were bitching that the Beatles were not Frank Sinatra. Just like old people in the 40's were bitching that that damn slick Italian Sinatra was nothing like Gershwin. On and on it goes.

True to some extent, but I think it's true that pop has become totally homogenized. In the 80s and 90s, there was a much bigger variety of how the mainstream songs sounded. Those were really adventurous times, before it became a total cow factory.

wah_wah_wah posted...

I couldn't go much further in the video once it started with yet another fellating of The Beatles.

Pop music today sucks if you're old. Just like old people back in the 60's were bitching that the Beatles were not Frank Sinatra. Just like old people in the 40's were bitching that that damn slick Italian Sinatra was nothing like Gershwin. On and on it goes.

This and the fact that everything is so cherry-picked in his presentation.
---

wah_wah_wah posted...

I couldn't go much further in the video once it started with yet another fellating of The Beatles.

Pop music today sucks if you're old. Just like old people back in the 60's were bitching that the Beatles were not Frank Sinatra. Just like old people in the 40's were bitching that that damn slick Italian Sinatra was nothing like Gershwin. On and on it goes.

Eh, this is different though because modern pop music actually sucks though.
---

DoctorPiranha3 posted...

wah_wah_wah posted...

I couldn't go much further in the video once it started with yet another fellating of The Beatles.

Pop music today sucks if you're old. Just like old people back in the 60's were bitching that the Beatles were not Frank Sinatra. Just like old people in the 40's were bitching that that damn slick Italian Sinatra was nothing like Gershwin. On and on it goes.

True to some extent, but I think it's true that pop has become totally homogenized. In the 80s and 90s, there was a much bigger variety of how the mainstream songs sounded. Those were really adventurous times, before it became a total cow factory.

lol no. Pop music has always been about money and marketability. John Lennon used to go into recording sessions with Paul and announce, "Now let's write us a new boat!"

NeonOctopus posted...

wah_wah_wah posted...

I couldn't go much further in the video once it started with yet another fellating of The Beatles.

Pop music today sucks if you're old. Just like old people back in the 60's were bitching that the Beatles were not Frank Sinatra. Just like old people in the 40's were bitching that that damn slick Italian Sinatra was nothing like Gershwin. On and on it goes.

Eh, this is different though because modern pop music actually sucks though.

It's only different because you're now the old shit.

Nah, I'm just older and wiser, thus better at sensing shit.
---

maybe the kids who talked shit about the beatles were just ahead of the time
---