Write a controversial opinion

[NuclearFairy]

1950's musicians were masters at getting shit past the censors.

 

[SimonDoom]

Ooh are we moving into the musical portion of the Controversial Opinions?

Music from your young adult era isn't better than what came after, it's just that your brain crystalized between the ages of 16 and 24 and the emotional attachment you hold for the music you listened to during that period overwhelms all other aesthetic variables. This also includes music from before your 16-24 era that you happened to latch onto during that phase of your life, so don't act like you're cool for liking the Beatles or whatever if they broke up before you were born

Obviously, there's no way to reach a consensus or agreement on this issue, but that's what makes it a controversial opinion, and what makes it fun to talk about.

But I still think I'm right. I've read some interesting articles on how music really IS dumber today, when you break it down and look at what's happening in the song construction, in many ways than it was in the past. It's more dominated by producers and solo artists who establish and maintain brands, rather than groups who sit around knocking out songs on guitars. There's less dynamic range in many popular songs. It's more formulaic. The dominant songwriter of the last 20 years is Max Martin, for Pete's sake. The era I referred to featured songwriters like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Paul Simon, Lennon and McCartney, Jagger and Richards, Stevie Wonder, just to name a few, at the height of their powers.

I actually didn't start listening to music much until the mid-70s, so my favorite era wasn't the one I came of age in, but the era that immediately preceded mine. The period from the mid-60s and for another ten years, roughly, represented a creative explosion and exploration into new types of music that no other era in popular music can match, just because by now it's harder to do something new. It doesn't make it better, necessarily, because that's a matter of taste, but it was the most creative era.

We still hear music from that era on the radio, in commercials, and in popular culture. I have my doubts about whether 20 years from now the music of 2010-2025 will get the same kind of attention. I don't think it's going to stick as well.

 

[Statius]

Trying to picture Bob Dylan singing that at the Newport Folk Festival...

Ha! That would be fucking hilarious! Regardless I think it's true. She's a frigging god and I think her influence is only to grow.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Trying to picture Bob Dylan singing that at the Newport Folk Festival...

And getting booed by the Coke fans.

 

[Statius]

I like her (and some of her songs would make for good entries in the music event) but she is no Dylan. He had such an influence that is hard to overstate. And I;m not a hard core dylan fan. Not like my first spouse.

Her influence on women musicians borders on being unparalleled today. From Taylor to Billie, Chappelle Rhoane(sp?), and many many others. Her first album came out in '11 I think? She's a giant. That's only going to continue.

 

[Bramblethorn]

We still hear music from that era on the radio, in commercials, and in popular culture. I have my doubts about whether 20 years from now the music of 2010-2025 will get the same kind of attention. I don't think it's going to stick as well.

Keep in mind though that there was a ton of music from that era that we don't hear today because it wasn't very good. And even some of the stuff that is remembered today was pretty dire. "Yummy yummy yummy I've got love in my tummy" anybody?

 

[Statius]

And getting booed by the Coke fans.

Coke is over rated. Pepsi is better. Although compared to less known brands they both suck.

 

[iwatchus]

All colas suck. They're like drink carbonated used motor oil cut 50% with corn syrup.

 

[NuclearFairy]

All colas suck. They're like drink carbonated used motor oil cut 50% with corn syrup.

Best soda is Italian cream soda.

 

[Statius]

Best soda is Italian cream soda.

Agree. We have a store by us that brings in imported Italian cream soda, but since the tariffs hit they stopped carrying it

 

[NuclearFairy]

Agree. We have a store by us that brings in imported Italian cream soda, but since the tariffs hit they stopped carrying it

No I'm talking about the make your own variety. Were you take an unflavored carbonation of choice (I usually use a club soda), a syrup of choice (I like to mix hibiscus, and strawberry with a dash of chocolate), and a dairy or dairy substitute of choice(I usually go with heavy whipping cream, or a combination of that and half and half). Measure them in your preferred proportions, and order and mix. I like putting in the dairy first, about a third to half of the cup. Then I'll put in the syrups and mix it all up, before high pouring the club soda and giving it a good stir. Best part is I can completely control how much sugar goes into the drink, and there's usually enough to share with my SO.

 

[SmilingLez]

The best ten year period for popular music was 1966 to 1975.

100% agree

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Can't speak for the 70s theory, but it does seem like music is in a weird place because there is no dominant form anymore.
I was at a theme park last weekend, they had a Halloween show and the medley started with "We will rock you" (1977) then went to "Rock you like a hurricane" (1984). Tons of little kids dancing and rocking out.
I suspect that kids in 1984 weren't rocking out to music from 1944. And the ones in 1977 weren't listening to music from 1929.

 

[TheLobster]

Were you take an unflavored carbonation of choice (I usually use a club soda), a syrup of choice (I like to mix hibiscus, and strawberry with a dash of chocolate), and a dairy or dairy substitute of choice(I usually go with heavy whipping cream, or a combination of that and half and half).

I feel like I’m courting diabetes just by reading this list of ingredients.

 

[iwatchus]

And the ones in 1977 weren't listening to music from 1929.

There were definitely people getting off on jazz from the 20's.

And if you shift just a little later, Clapton did an album (in 95?) covering Robert Johnson songs from the mid 30's.

 

[PennyThompson]

I've read some interesting articles on how music really IS dumber today, when you break it down and look at what's happening in the song construction, in many ways than it was in the past. It's more dominated by producers and solo artists who establish and maintain brands, rather than groups who sit around knocking out songs on guitars. There's less dynamic range in many popular songs. It's more formulaic.

When it comes to the Hot-100 in most genres, I think you're probably right... They're mostly very simple song structures or very repetitive samples. When Sabrina Carpenter's Please Please Please got popular, I read somewhere that it was one of only two songs with a key change to hit number 1 in like a decade

Making commercial music more clip-friendly for TikTok probably doesn't help, and Kpop's influence definitely reinforces that Band Brand aspect.

But on the other hand, I looked up a playlist of all the #1 singles of 1964, and it's a ton of early Beatles hits and some other artists I recognize, but most of it is just moderately pleasant 4/4 pop songs!

The period from the mid-60s and for another ten years, roughly, represented a creative explosion and exploration into new types of music that no other era in popular music can match, just because by now it's harder to do something new. It doesn't make it better, necessarily, because that's a matter of taste, but it was the most creative era.

That's a fair point about about certain eras getting to sweep up all of the low-hanging fruit when a new kind of music gets developed. But 60s rock isn't the only new genre that got to do this, there was all kinds of innovative stuff happening in 1970's punk, 1980's rap, 2000's electronica, 2010's bedroom-and-laptop music... you never know what's coming next until it happens!

We still hear music from that era on the radio, in commercials, and in popular culture. I have my doubts about whether 20 years from now the music of 2010-2025 will get the same kind of attention. I don't think it's going to stick as well.

Or maybe your ears are primed to recognize music from the 60s-70s and doesn't notice music from other eras as much

 

[NuclearFairy]

I feel like I’m courting diabetes just by reading this list of ingredients.

Depends on what syrup and how much you use, also on how big of a glass you have. Like I said, it's a great way to control how sugary the drink is.

 

[Statius]

When it comes to the Hot-100 in most genres, I think you're probably right... They're mostly very simple song structures or very repetitive samples. When Sabrina Carpenter's Please Please Please got popular, I read somewhere that it was one of only two songs with a key change to hit number 1 in like a decade

Making commercial music more clip-friendly for TikTok probably doesn't help, and Kpop's influence definitely reinforces that Band Brand aspect.

But on the other hand, I looked up a playlist of all the #1 singles of 1964, and it's a ton of early Beatles hits and some other artists I recognize, but most of it is just moderately pleasant 4/4 pop songs!


That's a fair point about about certain eras getting to sweep up all of the low-hanging fruit when a new kind of music gets developed. But 60s rock isn't the only new genre that got to do this, there was all kinds of innovative stuff happening in 1970's punk, 1980's rap, 2000's electronica, 2010's bedroom-and-laptop music... you never know what's coming next until it happens!



Or maybe your ears are primed to recognize music from the 60s-70s and doesn't notice music from other eras as much

You left out the (my opinion) best era of musical variety and experimentation, the 90's. Especially the early 90's. Most of the experimental stuff didn't survive but that's probably true of any era.

 

[alohadave]

We still hear music from that era on the radio, in commercials, and in popular culture. I have my doubts about whether 20 years from now the music of 2010-2025 will get the same kind of attention. I don't think it's going to stick as well.

That music is used to appeal to nostalgia for people who are in their prime buying power.

In 20 years it'll be today's music to appeal to Gen Z because they'll be the power demographic. Millenials will be the elder statesmen and Gen X like me will be irrelevant.

 

[PennyThompson]

Gen X like me will be irrelevant.

oh yeah, you guys are still around aren't you?

*runs away*

 

[alohadave]

oh yeah, you guys are still around aren't you?

*runs away*

We keep our heads down and stay out of it. Millenials and Boomers fight each other and we get left alone.

 

[Britva415]

There were definitely people getting off on jazz from the 20's.

A whole bunch of them at the theme park?

Yes, there are always people with eclectic taste. She was talking about a "not eclectic" phenomenon.

 

[PennyThompson]

A whole bunch of them at the theme park?

Yes, there are always people with eclectic taste. She was talking about a "not eclectic" phenomenon.

wasn't everyone obsessed with big band swing music for a minute in the late 1990s??

 

[Britva415]

wasn't everyone obsessed with big band swing music for a minute in the late 1990s??

"Everyone?"

Hardly.

 

[NuclearFairy]

wasn't everyone obsessed with big band swing music for a minute in the late 1990s??

Teaching grade schoolers to do the twist in the early 90s was popular though.