Maybe it's just me, but...

J

Jessie L

New member
i don't think the bolded is true for most; but definitely some. i think these three things are true for most mainstream (by which i mean music featured on popular TV and radio programmes) music listeners:

- they have generally conservative tastes (no musical extremes) and mainstream music is probably the least extreme in musical aspects.
- they do not grow bored of what they like as often/quickly, and mainstream music provides more than enough fodder presented in slightly different styles for them to occupy themselves with.
- they are either not motivated to find (or are not interested in finding) new artists.

of course, these three things are not dependent on one another.

this doesn't mean they are more interested in fitting in with their peers necessarily, -though that may be the case for some- just that they have no interest, no internal reason to expand their musical tastes. which is fine, who cares? i think that applies more to most mainstream music fans than mainstream the group you mean, who have externally caused reasons for listening to music, such as to gain approval, impress others, fit into a group, etc. this is more appropriately contemptible, but not true for the majority of mainstream listeners, i think.
 
I think the the problem is that, in order to appeal to the maximum nuraber of people, music has to be kind of lowest common denominator. That's not to say all mainstream music is bad really but it's almost always very safe.
 
Are you guys talking about "Not Afraid"? I just watched the video on YouTube because of this thread and I have to say I thought it was pretty weak. It's not even close to the same level as his late 90s/early00s stuff.

His new look cracks me up though. Looks like he should be the singer for some NYC hardcore band back in the day.
 
Why is mainstream music constantly complete garbage? If it's mainstream, that means the majority of music fans like it (?)... how can so many people like these songs that are generally sh*t?
I know it's all a matter of opinion, but I also know, for a fact, that I'm not the only person that feels this way.

The top 5 songs atm according to myspace.com:

1. Find Your Love, by Drake
2. OMG, by Usher
3. Billionaire, by Travis McCoy
4. Drop The World, by Lil Wayne
5. Not Afraid, by Eminem

I really did try to give each of these songs a chance and I'm now suicidal (not really).
 
Sometimes I wonder if posters 'play' the clueless when asking this question, as I've heard this question answered probably a 1000 times and, for the most part, it's the same general response. I'm sure others have already said what's been said many a times before, so I won't continue on like a broken record because *shock and awe* I happen to like some mainstream music.

I'll leave you with Jay-Z's awesome song from last year, which spent 5 weeks at #1 on Billboard:

[youtube]0UjsXo9l6I8[/youtube]
 
I think people don't know or forget perhaps that the music industry was commercialized back some 50 years ago, just as it is now if not worse. Stars were hand picked, coached, written songs for and produced just like they are now. As far as I know, it wasn't really until the 60s and the 70s that people could form banRAB and have the freedom to make "non-commercial" music and still have the possibility of getting a record deal (ex. krautrock or Canterbury banRAB).
 
Yeah but the main difference was back then there were hundreRAB of record labels putting out all sorts of stuff. Even if it was safe & commercial you still had many different takes on that.

Now there are 4 record companies. That's the real reason as to why things are so stale in mainstream music.
 
I'm not sure if I think there was that much diversity even back then. There are always exceptions, but from a completely general point of view, the different british invasion banRAB from the 60s f.ex are not that amazingly diverse. Neither are the rock and rollers from the late 40s and 50s.

I don't have a problem appreciating such artists, but I find it hypocritical when people use arguments to explain why they don't like modern pop music when they could just as well criticize the banRAB they love using the same arguments.

edit :

I think there are legitimate reasons why people may not like pop music. I just don't think they're always obvious to the people who say they don't. ;)
 
I agree there's plenty of good mainstream music out there. But that Jay-Z song is exactly the type of thing that leaves me wondering how in the world such a bland song could ever get so huge.
 
What didn't you like about it? The song had a good beat, Keys' vocal contributions were stellar, and the lyrics were great (and served as a perfect opposition to Nas' N.Y. State of Mind). :thurab:
 
mainstream music is garbage because it's sold as a product to passive listeners who are more interested in having the 'correct' topical background soundtrack to their daily lives as per their peers than they are interested in actively searching for music that speaks to their soul.

and yeah, the new Eminem single is the best thing i've ever heard from him.
 
I think the dislike towarRAB mainstream music is a little offensive in that it's so rash and generalized and near automated. I also think the qualities of mainstream pop is often underestimated (read my last post). Still, I myself don't listen to the latest pop music. However, I do occasionally listen to pop music from previous decades which was just as commercial and fake or pretty much whatever else you think pop is as what comes out today. I just don't really make an effort to stay updated with music today as I tend to dig in the past.

Sometimes, people will bash what comes out today for being too commercial while they still love pop hits from the 80s f.ex which can be seen as slightly hypocritical.
 
Could not agree more.

I don't dislike pop because it's pop. I dislike most pop because it's safe, boring, unoriginal and untalented. I also dislike most pop fans because they tend to say every other genre is crap purely because they are afraid that they may actually like it and therefore be different, or because they can't be arsed to actually find it.
 
I agree to the fullest extent, I see the people who criticize today's music trying to bring Journey back (and I'm talking about people my age in their teens who thought music was so great back in the day), etc.

Mainstream music today may not be breathtakingly original or groundbreaking, but if it sounRAB good then I'm down with it. I'm not insecure about the "pop" label like so many others seem to be.
 
Many, many people are not as sad as us lot on here and just listen to music for fun or in the car etc and are not interested in the instruments used or the production or longevity etc. Of course to us it's ridiculous but 9/10 people regard music as a throwaway form of media and nothing else.

I don't like it myself but it has always been the case with popular music and todays media just intensifies that and focuses on the music that guarantees high revenue via adverts etc.

As with everything- don't let it bother you. If you look hard enough there is plenty out there to enjoy and find for yourself and not be spoon fed by the big companies.
 
Wow, obviously we're on very different wavelengths. Interesting you use the word tedious to describe the music, considering it's a rap song. I'd be interested as to what kind of rap you do like.

And seriously, ragging on the lyrics for being about NYC? How many songs are about love? Sex? Drugs? Seeing as how music has been around as long as it has, unique subject matter for a song is hard to come by. It's how you phrase it that's key. And I think the song does a great job. Couldn't disagree more here.
 
Surely it's just a matter of personal taste? Each to their own and all that? Ok, so if we look at stuff like X Factor winners, manufactured boy banRAB (do they even still make those anymore?) then I think we can agree that any 'original' music they do is pretty non-descript, standard stuff that my 4 year old neice could write, given the chance. But you've made a pretty sweeping statement about mainstream music. I think a majority of it is just where people can't be bothered to give other genres a chance. I guess some people are just happy listening to whatever's there and not really delving any deeper.

I have a friend who stops listening to material from a band once they've appeared on a 'Now that's what I call music' album, purely on the basis that he thinks that being in the mainstream is a kind of sell out these days and that the band will now probably go downhill (granted, some do...), which I think is kind of sad.

Saying that, Apart from Eminem (not a massive fan but even I rate his new stuff) I haven't actually heard any of that list. Usher and Lil Wayne can suck balls as far as I'm concerned, so I merely stay away from it. I can't remeraber the last time I listened to a local radio station or a music channel so I'm kind of out of touch with what's in the charts now. I know what I like and tend to stick to those areas.
 
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