Back in the late 1970s, when I was a student, I worked as a DJ at my college radio station and enjoyed the Freedom to play almost anything. During the summers and holiday breaks I worked at a commercial country music station -WKEX-AM - the radio station in my hometown. There was a strict format and song rotation I had to follow. It felt very limiting and I quickly grew to appreciate the diversity allowed at the college station - WLUR - FM - in Lexington, Virginia. I am an old guy now and admit I don't enjoy much of today's "popular" music. However, I can't tell you how many other types of current music - Jazz, Pop, Country, Bluegrass, Americana, Brazilian, French etc... I have discovered on RU-vid and Sirius Radio and really enjoy it. I quit listening to commercial radio about 5 years ago and probably won't ever listen to it again.
I stopped listening to pop almost 2 decades ago. Since I work from home, I've also discovered all sorts of amazing jazz musicians I would never otherwise have heard of and I've also enjoyed (at myself kids' instigation) video games music played as jazz and J-pop. The Consouls from Australia are brilliant at using vgm as jazz standards and young people are loving it. J-pop is high level information music. Even when they rap.
There's always been underground music and commercial music. In my day it was FM - would play whole LP sides, experimental, free form, and college radio like you mention. With the ever expanding commerical business you still have look 'underground' to find the great stuff. There's new deep quality. There's genius out there, maybe more than ever but still mostly buried 'underground." But it's out there, and at least for now RU-vid is still working (I expect google will eventually mess that up too, already started with so much ads).
Most commercial radio is advertisements, DJ banter, news & weather, occasionally interspersed with a song here and there. The only local radio station I'll listen to is occasionally the non-profit one that plays classical and jazz. But about 95% of my listening is Spotify, RU-vid, or my own vinyl and CD's
Pretty much had free rein on our local college radio station in the early mid 90’s provided there wasn’t any swear words that broke the FCC regulations.
So many people today experience music as background for other experiences. It's part of video, part of shopping, part of driving, part of eating, part of video gaming, part of socializing... Few consider listening to music a primary activity.
its true. even as a professional musician and music teacher i am guilty of this. If im listening to music im doing other things or im listening it to learn a part from the recording...this is why i got into vinyl. It forces me to boot up my system, to select a record, to put it on, flip it over. and then i also get to display the record while its on. I try and have at least one listening session per week where im just sitting and listening...its a muscle. people will enjoy it if they do it and get used to it but so very few people value music enough to do this deliberately
I think we are all guilty of that. I was listening to A Love Supreme part IV a few days ago while laying on the couch and I realized I had never really just LISTENED to it. I always doing something else when listening to jazz, usually reading, at work or in the car. But just listening to that masterpiece and nothing else was mind blowing.
@@vivsavagex I sold all my LPs in the 90s. I listen through a Blu tooth speaker from my phone. The phone constantly distracts me from what ever my primary activity is. Currently I'm trying to learn the head to Monk's Rhythm-a-ning by listening so I can audiate it.
This is very true. I remember after reading the book 'Iron and Silk" and years later seeing the movie adaption starring the author of the book, a similar situation with music as the background is demonstrated. In the book/movie which is an true account of an American named Mark Salzman in his early 20's who goes to China to teach English and while living there he is invited to learn Kung-Fu from a famous local master. One of the scenes in the movie has him playing the cello for one of his students and their family that lived on a boat. While he was playing they all were talking and having conversations. After a while Mark stopped playing. His student asked him why he stopped, Mark replied I don't think they like my playing as they are not paying any attention to the music. The student asked him to please continue playing and that in Chinese culture they often enjoy music as an enhancement during other activities like while in conversation and that his family really loved his playing. The family members all stopped talking nodded and smiled, so he continued playing his cello. They then continued on with their conversations while he played on.
I teach guitar. My younger students are finding music randomly via social media. It's not rap or pop. It's indy stuff that you have never heard of. I teach a fair share of classic rock, pop, folk and blues and a bit of metal to my adult students.
sadly, this is pretty rare. Out of all my 100+ students in the 5 years, ive probably had 5-6 that are actively seeking out cool stuff. the majority dont even actually listen to music other than what comes on in a show/video they like.
Americans need to learn, that there is music outside America, there is such an amazing scene of different genre musicians coming from UK and Australia, including rock, jazz, soul, even a better pop music. Just need to do a bit of exploring.
@@vivsavagex I've been at this 35 years...teaching guitar. Blessed. I always demand that my younger student's have begged their parents for lessons. With that said, most of my student's are working professionals that are hobbyists that get catharsis playing music. I love hearing and learning new stuff.
I remember a couple of years ago seeing Chaka Khan on Good Morning America and she was asked what is lacking in today's music. She simply said a lack of talent.
@StephanLight-oc3ti. I think that’s an interesting discussion to be had. Because I feel there might be a generational divide happening in the Arts of Music and Acting and such. People born in the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50, 60’s, and 70’s, that mainly cover 3 generations of the Silent Gen, Boomers, and Gen X. They all would have people that would become influential, pioneer, and would impact culture in the Arts of Music and Acting and such. But people born after 1980 seem to have struggled and are struggling at that, and I was born in the mid 90’s. I think to the time when I was at school in the 00’s, and almost no one was talking about music, instead sport was the big thing to talk about. I can name tons of people born after 1980 that have been influential, great and have impacted culture in the sporting world. But not many in the music world. I feel like Music and Acting as well is much much less likely to be taken seriously at Education level than Sport is, and thus for kids it would be more easier to get into Sport that is far easily accessible at an Educational level, than it is for Music or Acting. As well with Music and Acting, especially Acting, is being realistic here, you have to be good looking to do really well in acting, because acting is about the visual and people want to see good looking people on their screens, that’s just being a realist when it comes to Acting. And to an extent with Music as well, when a Band or Artist hits big, they want said band or artists to be at least somewhat good on the eye. Now Ed Sheeran isn’t exactly the best looking guy out there, but he’s not bad looking either. So there is a lot about image in the Music and Acting world, not so much with sport, as you just have to be really good at said sport. So I feel Music and Acting is really really hard to make a living from, because not only do you have to have talent, you also need good looks, you need money because those areas are expensive to learn. So I feel kids born after 1980 are finding Music and Acting just too hard to make a profession of and are instead going down easier paths because Music and Acting is just fucking tough to make a living from.
There are still talented bands and musicians who make very good new music, but you probably won’t find them on mainstream radio. Mainstream is where the lack of talent is a thing
There is only one good answer to this: - You're only ruled by it if you listen to it. - Who cares what other people listen to? I'm a metalhead and never listen to radio, and i keep finding stuff by just browsing.
This is the right answer but of course this is too unsatisfying for most people, who want to use music as a cudgel to bludgeon young people for being uncultured and pitiful. Modern music _has_ to be bad, because then your childhood was better, and therefore YOU are better.
Dear Mr. Beato, I'm a songwriter. I'm 71 years old! I wrote my 1st song when I was 13yrs old! Obviously, my songwriting endeavor spans a few years, but what I love about songwriting and the supporting riff's is the process, not the recognition even. No one on this planet (earth) has ever heard of me or my songs. I've recorded, played small venues and such, and I'm still writing. I can't stop. It just pours out of me. I do appreciate your show/logging and you of course. Without you I'd feel, "less than hopeless"......say, that sounds like a good song title or a line......uh oh there I go again.....jeesh! I do appreciate you and have listened up when you do the free guitar lesson. Love it!! Marvin
@suli.puschban On RU-vid under my nickname Marty Edwards Country Dream, there you'll find all 9 songs of my 1st album titled appropriately "Country Dream" from 7 years ago. It's Country music: 1. One More Sunset 2. What Am I Gonna Do About It Now 3. Country Dream 4. Bonna Leese 5. Livin' Doll 6. Willie Hooch 7. Devil Don't Work These Idle Hands 8. Moonlight Saloon 9. Mama Called Her Angel
@@brok54 Cool beans! That's 3 of us so far....in the same boat, but if we are from different disciplines regarding our endeavor, we should never give up! If we are from the same or similar disciplines, we should get together and form the next MEGA band. We can all write!! Which makes it all right!
the real problem is that most people don't value music by its self. It needs to have a brand strategy attached to it before they even think it's a real thing.
Yes. The problem is consumerism, commodification, marketing... Music is no longer considered a form of art, a way for an artist to express herself and reach the minds and souls of likeminded people. Music is simply a product. Sales and profit is _all_ that matters in this swamp of acoustic manure that Rick here diplomatically refers to as 'production-driven' music. I would call it 'capitalism-driven' music and that explains _completely_ why it is meaningless crap. And most young consumers have never even heard any good music in their lives. They literally do not know what they're missing. Remember what happened last year when the 'Stranger Things' series made Kate Bush's 'Runinng Up That Hill' a hit again? A whole genertion of young people heard that song for the first time, and they _loved_ it. (simply because it is real, honest music, is my point here)
Rick. You have such a massive platform...why not do a series on "What Makes This Song Great" featuring undiscovered bands and artists? You have a great opportunity to turn your MANY fans and supporters onto new music that features the songcraft and composition that you (and all of us) value!
Unfortunately, that kind of series would not get the views that these type of streams and videos get. Not to mention, it would take some work (and more importantly, a personal desire) to research these undiscovered bands and artists online.
@@1vinniemac2 Oh I wasn't aware of that. I don't agree though. So many bands got a break simply because a popular DJ back in the day vouched for them or their song...but I hear you.
Maybe this is why RU-vid reaction videos are so popular. Channels like "Lost in Vegas", "Jamal AKA", and "Rob Squad Reactions" go back, listen, and react to the classic stuff. They are surprised by complex structures, melodies, feel, and quality of the older songs.
“Pop” music literally means nothing. The Beatles is “pop” music. I’m glad contemporary pop music is what’s popular because that means the artists I like play smaller venues. I don’t want to go to arenas every time I want to hear live music. There’s plenty of good music being made today. Just cause it’s not popular doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. It’s just not going to be spoon fed to you like contemporary pop music is fed to the masses.
The difference between “Pop” (the genre) and “popular music” (the broader umbrella category) is that Pop de-emphasizes instrumental musicians in favor of vocalists to a high degree. The Beatles played instruments. They were popular, but not Pop.
Shortcut music: today's Po(o)p, Edm & Rap is just turn-off. Yes, go ahead and turn it off. Rap is aggressive and os taking hostages (the listeners). Music should have interesting chord changings, good melody or phrazes, groove and rhythm, and a soundsscape that makes you either want to relaxe and daydream, sing along, or dance. If a clothing store plays Edm or Rap or Poop, I just want to escape. A local beach bar that i jused to go to relaxe and have a cofee, suddenly started to play shitty music, and LOUD. I stopped go there, can not relaxe a second. A pity that some non musicians/ non musically persons have the power to reduce our life unfolding
@@NarfiRef There is no difference between "pop music" or "popular music" at all because POP is just a short term for Popular which is not a genre on it's own. Pop music is basically a melting pot of different genres molted into shallow generic music and nothing else. You can love it you want but it is what it is. EDM = Popular Electronic Music (basically popular mainstream dance music) RAP = Trap/Drill/Pop Rap, Gangsta Rap (mainstream rap is often confused with Hip Hop which both are not the same) POP = Stolen genres/styles and molted into catchy simple songs made for the masses to make a ton of money (not Art).
We raised our daughter on the "classics". e.g - Beatles, Stones, Emerson Lake and Palmer and so on. She's now 37. I asked her what she listens to and she said still the classics. Why, I asked. "Because you can sing along with them and that makes me happy."
@@ignaciomeynet665 Are you the thought po-po? ANYONE has the right to criticize anything they want. It's called FREEDOM of expression. Who is harmed with someone expressing an opinion with words?
The thing about music now is: we have unlimited access to any good music in the world. We won't listen to s*** if we don't want to. Find local good musicians, listen to them online if they make good stuff, send messages to them, go to their concerts.
My son is 18. He and his band Ethos play everything from the Eagles to Avenged Sevenfold. They mostly play grunge, but they aren't afraid to do some Skynard or Floyd. They played their first paid gig in Monroe GA last week. It was the first time I had to pay to hear my son play. Best 20 dollars I ever spent. There is hope.
There are a lot of rock and punk-adjacent bands blowing up right now and playing huge, packed shows, plus the metal scene is as huge as ever. The issue is that the radio stations are all monopolized by 2 companies who act like gatekeepers to prevent any artist doing anything interesting from getting any airplay, and also preventing independent artists from earning mechanical royalties for airplay, making it harder for them to focus on their art. We need to break up the industry monopolies!!!
@@cinnamonbiscuit727 There are all those Australian bands everyone is in love with--King Gizzard, Viagra Boys (AUS?), Amyl and the Sniffers, a new US one I think is cool is called Die Spitz, Turnstile is huge and they are a heavy rock band, Gojira just played the Olympics and is selling out stadiums around the world. The people want rock music, it's the gatekeepers who haven't caught up yet. After 20 years of hip hop and electro pop people are ready for guitars again--as a performing musician, I see a huge difference in audiences now than in 2009.
@@cinnamonbiscuit727one of my new favorites, is a band out of Mexico, it's 3 sisters playing rock search youtube for "The Warning" they put out an EP and 2 albums independently, & 2 albums since they were signed, the latest "Keep Me Fed" is very good, Look for "Hell You Call a Dream" its one I'm listening to right now...
“The tune had been haunting London for weeks past. It was one of countless similar songs published for the benefit of the proles by a sub-section of the Music Department. The words of these songs were composed without any human intervention whatever on an instrument known as a versificator. But the woman sang so tunefully as to turn the dreadful rubbish into an almost pleasant sound.” George Orwell, 1984
It’s not just the radio that feeds us crap, it’s also the main channels on Spotify and Apple Music. Most people these days who have any musical taste just chart their own course, finding new music by searching YT and other spaces to build their own ‘channels’. It just used to be easier to find the best songs on radio stations… pop or AOR… and back in the day artists explored instruments and arrangements to make their music different. Today the corporate types want to create songs that are just a smidge different from the last hit they wrote… just to maximize the cash.
24 years ago I helped build XM Satellite Radio. We put up dozens of music channels from A to Z. From the top 40 pop songs played over and over, a half dozen pop channels, six urban channels, to five kinds of Country, three classical, opera, blues, three kinds of jazz, world music, college music, and everything in between. I thought finally radio would be more than just the same old music for teenagers of all ages. It only took a couple years to find out how pedestrian most music listeners are. They really do like listening to the same song on repeat like a teenage girl. Sadly the FM radio consultants were right. Play the hits till your ears bleed, then play them some more. It was quite depressing. It was a reminder that 50% of the world really is dumber than average. Yes, there are still some bright spots. Great music is being made. Just don’t expect it on the radio….or the hit section of Spotify, Pandora, or Apple Music.
Tears for Fears is a perfect reference for if you want to study great musicianship, production and songwriting values. Glad to see they get their deserved recognition on this channel!
I was one of the sound guys for the Elemental tour in the U.S. Top 5 Best 3months of my life. 5 nights a week of Woman in Chains. Absolutely incredible!
Carlos Santana said great music has 3 things:1.Soulfulness 2.Sincerity 3.Simplicity.All this new music has none of these qualities.99.9% of this music will be forgotten almost immediately after it was created.
They all certainly have simplicity, but your point still holds a lot weight. I'd argue that instead of "simplicity," the better word would be "intent."
Yesterday I walked into my favorite coffee shop and I was wearing a Miles Davis T-shirt: Nefertiti Album cover (I’m 56). The young guy behind the counter (can’t be older than 21 or 22) says “Dope shirt.” We got to talking. Nice to see young people who listen to music not part of their time period.❤
My youngest son likes Led Zeppelin because I used to pick him up from school and I would then finish my deliveries. I had a few rock cassettes which I'd play until we got home. Sometime later I'd hear Immigrant Song over and over coming from his bedroom.
I went to see Billy Strings last year they blew the roof off with psychedelic blue grass dude like wtf. Now I'm off to listen to the magnificent Mr Handel for a while, it never ceases to inspire me the fact that he lived just down the road next door to Hendrix. You make some really interesting points nice 1 Rick.
I truly hate how this is the music that the industry chooses to push so aggressively. Even now, there are artists making cool music in the underground, and yet the ones who get elevated to the top are those who make dirty nursery rhymes for the kids 😡
I’m 71 year old man, the music I grew up up on and some kind of melody you hum along too. Lot of my idols are dropping like flies. I think that is why country has been popular lately. That said, I’m not crazy about today’s country, too much vocals not enough musicianship
@@lesleylesley5821 I see what you’re saying, modern country took on a more rock style. I agree. But also, if you go back to the late 70s and early 80s a lot of pop country fell into the yacht rock category, and some even took on an R and B feel (Eddie Rabbits Suspicions, Exile’s Kiss You All Over, could even argue some Eagles tunes like One of These Nights or I Can’t Tell you Why)
The kids who grow up on rap and pop will have it as their own music forever. Same as our parents and grand parents who grew up on Benny Goodman and Big Band music of the 30's & 40's. Eventually music will regain a more organic way of being created.
We should simply be happy if we find a few good authentic local bands and artists playing actual instruments. And enjoy them in an intimate environment. That's it. No more superstar world wide music in the genres that we like. And that is enough, it is actually better. Authentic music is not a business anyway. This is simply a karmic correction in music .:)
the other day, I went to a patio with a lot of coffee shops and restaurants, it was really cold and there was a couple playing guitar and singing really well. I am brazilian and they were playing and singing stuff like Djavan. I had to go there to compliment and thank them for that beautiful moment.
@@michaelsmith2017 Just checked the songwriting credits for their current album. Two songs by the sisters, the rest external songwriters. Idk, it irks me when people hold bands like them up as examples for "real" music. They're part of the modern rock industry, and to my ears they sound exactly like that. Bit too bland for my taste
I keep hearing the sentiment that music is shitty and the old days were better. I’m 62 years old, and I’m more excited about music coming out now than I have been in 30 years. Knower, Noga Erez, Fuansanta Mendez, Louis Cole. If you like stuff a little more pop sounding, there’s Lawrence, Billie Eilish. If country is your jam, there’s Chris Stapleton, and Emily King. Great music is being produced and distributed right now. You might have to dig a little, but it’s out there.
I know it's Rick's job to be on top of the music scene. But I am 56 and I only listen to rock and metal. I am constantly finding new music that I love. Real musicians. Real performers and composers. I will never listen to, nor be a slave to pop or rap.
The metal scene is healthy. I am 46 and my teenage son has me listening to bands like lorna shore and slaughter to prevail. I've got him in to Parkway drive. Great rock and metal future. Rick is very positive towards a lot of metal songs knowing the human skill involved. I wonder if AI can ever get human swing
When I'm out and about at the coffee shop or convenience store I often ask the young people behind the counter if they like the music playing. Most of the time they just shrug their shoulders...I used to feel sorry for them. I can't imagine having to stand there and listen to it all day long. It's just so awful...
I’ll never forget my torturous years working retail, forced to listen to the same loop of Roxette, etc. I even began to HATE “Killing Me Softly” and stuff like that.
@@urrrccckostan I worked at CVS in high school / college. The same Goo Goo Dolls and Sheryl Crow songs playing EVERY SHIFT. Some of the songs weren't even bad, but you never want to hear them again, and will always associate them with working there.
I have always asked why is such music even necessary. Recently returned from France where the stores do not have much music overhead and it is a true pleasure. Their attitude is they if you want to listen to something then use earbuds. Retail execs should be doing ten to twenty in a Federal Penitentiary for forcing music upon us. It should be our choice and not their's!
I’m 55. Never listened to “mainstream” music, if you don’t include 60s and 70s rock. “Grunge” which wasn’t called grunge, was 7 years old, when it became popular in 91-92, I faded out of that even. Elliot Smith, Kill Rock Stars, and OK Computer saved my ears back then. 80s “goth” and industrial has always been a constant in my ears, sisters of mercy, Souxsie, early Cure, Virgin Prunes, Bauhaus, Big Black, Scratch Acid. I now listen to Billy Strings, Sierra Farrell, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Colter Wall, John Moreland, and Bela Fleck. On the flip side, I also listen to Pigs X7, Robot God, King Gizzard, etc. I also listen to tons of classical, jazz, and 1920s-1940s music. I find that the weirder it is the better it fits my mood. If it’s melancholy even better! The mainstream is for the robots, always has been always will be.
@@astrozoo what's awesome is they were limited by what sounds and how many tracks, so they relied on music theory to create emotion. Just like classical music.
I'm a 48 year old man.....and this question has been asked before....years back...and the answer is....NO......kids will always be drawn to alternative music instead of just listening to mainstream!!!!
@@PrinceofPain-wv1lofunnily enough Christianity has always been against counter culture movements and at one time it was vocally against rock and roll. Cry more.
@@TannerToxicityConservativism was against rock and roll. And a lot of Christians are very conservative. I am a Christian myself, I am a metalhead, and I believe all music comes from God anyway. It's all about the spirit behind the music that matters.
I miss the 80’s when melodies were in focus. Nowadays to come near that i listen more and more to country music. I hope the melodic rock music with great riffs one day come back.
They are here now! Just don’t look to radio! Unfortunately, you gotta look for it. You’ll hear about a bunch of new bands (I consider anything from the 2000’s and on as new - even though it could be 20 years old now - because mass media rock radio for new rock isn’t a thing anymore in that time)
Hey Mr. Rick. I’m 44 I started playing guitar in 90’s and in 2006 I stop. Until a few months I got back. Got your courses. Thank you for this channel. U doing a great job. I’m from Guatemala 🇬🇹. Keep the great content coming.
There is some sunlight in the darkness. Mexico's The Warning. You did a video with David Bendeth, remixing one of their songs. I have been looking for this rock sound, energy and professional live performance for 30 years. I immediately became a patron of theirs. So young, so talented, great song writing and excellent people with an excellent team.
I just checked them out to see what all the fuss is about, and I find it a bit odd that for the most recent album all of a sudden the vast vast majority is written by external songwriters, when on the album before literally all songs had been written by the sisters. The band is not for me, though. If I may recommend an amazing song I recently discovered: Search for "Sayonee Coke Studio". It's a bit longer, but the explosive finale is well worth it. Whole song is very groovy anyway
Hello Rick !☮️ 69 years young here,but who’s counting…have listened to a lot of music over the years….my introduction to music started at a very young age… I think everyone’s influences start as soon as the can hear the music and realize where it comes from…from the cradle to what our parents … older siblings and friends listen to and then what the radio and the tv offers us….. and then finally what we are personally drawn to independent of what others think….I’ve discovered as I am sure many others have that music really boils down to what We Each like without the Peer Pressure …. Like everything else in life we each have to make choices… if it doesn’t move you emotionally it’s just elevator music… I lean toward the study and research of the history of music and sound and the evolution of it from caveman to present day modernists….Music will always be an Expression of the Past Present and Future…. The notes will never change , only the beat,, speed.rhythm… the sound of the instruments and what people have a need to sing about…. I always keep an open mind and try not to judge too quickly…. In the privacy of my own home and vehicle I only listen to what I like plain and simple without the need to force feed it to others at obnoxious sound levels. I listen to it all from primitive, medeval, renaissance, classicalcountry, folk,blues jazz,rock, pop and even some rap but only a very few select that sound musically appealing…. I dont like angry profane vulgar music im not a Gangsta….and I don’t support unhealthy music which says nothing worthwhile…. But that is MY OPINION…. and we all have one….i say be smart… be careful what you listen to…. It might influence you without you even knowing it. GOOD OR BAD.. Music in the long run is a strong indicator of one’s emotional health and mindset minus the dreams of money and fame. I enjoy all your you tube clips and think the are truly a worthwhile endeavor. Best Wishes to You and Yours. Frankie R Philadelphia Pa 8/19/2024
Rick, you have to unlearn the idea that what's popular is what's considered good. Music isn't programmed and marketed anymore the way it used to be - it isn't about what most people like, it's about what YOU like. Most people don't really like music the way you and I do. That's why they are streaming garbage more than gold. You have to let it go. I never hear the top 40 stuff because I'm in my own algorithmic world, and I discover awesome new music all the time. It's now totally subjective, top 40 is t a representation of where music is at - it only indicates what people are playing in the background.
Whenever Rick makes these videos it reminds me of when I was an early teen in the 80s/90s cusp, lamenting the decline in rock and rise of acts like Snap!, Technotronic, NKOTB, Color Me Badd, MC Hammer, Yazz, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, Mellow Man Ace etc etc. Lo and behold the 90s ushered in a bunch of collaborative band based music, and a keen awareness of music outside the mainstream.
That is a valid point of view. As a 57-year-old who has dedicated most of my free time to two things only, music and the outdoors, I still haven't heard a single Kanye West song. (Not knowingly at least, perhaps it's been in a movie I watched, can't say.) I know he's insanely popular but I won't be able to identify it if I hear it. I can only name one Taylor Swift song: "Shake It Off". I watched her NPR Tiny Desk concert here on RU-vid a couple of years ago and thought it was rather good, but I cannot name the songs now if you put a gun to my head. Yet, the music I do know, I know inside out, and I certainly appreciate all the new music made today that I can relate to (some of which are made by youngsters too). Algorithms can be a blessing or a curse; it all depends on how we manipulate it.
Yeah Rick has really devolved into the whole cliche boomer thing. There's epic amounts of great music today if you're not too fucking lazy to look. Way easier to just pretend the top 40 is all that's out there and go listen to Sonic Youth for the millionth time.
This is true; the charts absolutely do not represent the abundance of good music being released at the moment. But it prompts an interesting discussion about how much the average listener should value music that has more substance. We live in a world where many who deserve to make a good living off their music don't, while a lot of the stuff music fans recognise as "lacking substance" makes a ton of money. I think Rick just wishes the kind of art we music fans enjoy would return to a decent level of recognition by the general public, which I admire. Whether that's possible today with streaming and algorithms running the show is unclear, so it's understandable that, for many, it feels better to just try to let it go. Personally, it feels good to hold on to a little bit of hope.
No one is being ruled by anything. We have more choice than we’ve ever had and great music is made every day. Just don’t expect your personal preferences to be reflected in the public sphere.
I’ve said this before in other Rick “Old man yelling at clouds” videos and have been shouted down with replies. The “R&B” scene is as close to the 90’s as could be, absolutely fantastic music & has been for the past decade. Jazz (all types) & jazz cover bands are as high in quality as ever. Indie-alt-rock has many great bands… New Zealand’s reggae/dub scene has a plethora of great bands. In this day & age there is zero reason to listen to the radio & have music dictated to you.
This is not about changing musical tastes caused simply by genre based or generational shifts, or about how much "choice" of music there is. Actual studies involving gigantic sample sizes have shown that Harmony, Melody, and Timbre are steadily decreasing, simplifying, and ultimately vanishing from the majority of modern music. Rhythm is the only aspect not declining as fast, although with repetitive simple "bed tracks" and sampled loops, even percussion is steadily simplifying. Sure there are some gems out there. But the science is pretty clear about what is happening. These days any Tom, Dick or Harry with no musical talent or sophistication can snatch a looped simple bed track with one or two melody notes or chords, and slosh some autotuned, pitch corrected "talk singing" with some five word repeated banal lyrics on top of it and that is what is mostly streaming on the streaming services. No people are not "ruled" by it. But it is what is promoted to and consumed by the average listener. In addition, "close listening" to music is vanishing as well. People consume music more as "elevator music" that acts as a constant murmuring background noise in their ear pods that they barely interact with in any meaningful way as they go about their day. Sort of like using a fan for white noise to help you sleep at night, rather than something you closely listen to, to the exclusion of everything else so as to not distract you from the engagement. Frankly I think the constant continuous stimulation of endlessly consumed media has numbed people out and now they don't even feel the heroin anymore. It's just something that's "there", not something they hear or feel. If you don't believe me, go and search for the studies themselves. Or don't, as you might not like what you find.
The theme of this video is very important and it's not about being ruled by anything and it's not about choices. People do not give equal opportunity and access for artistic work and mediums of music and canvas film and video. People have preferences, the greatest works come from the most competent, creative, proficient musicians!
I agree with Beato on pretty much every aspect of personal music preferences, and his melody/harmony explanations of great songs (music theory!) are fantastic, the main reason I come here. BUT - it's a mistake to judge a piece of audio by aesthetic criteria that are specific to rock music, or pop music (like diatonic chords), if that audio was created with other criteria in mind. We can really only honestly engage with tracks like the ones Beato is worried about, by taking seriously the terms those genres set for themselves. Now maybe, for my personal taste, that will just never click (e.g., Country & Western, for me). But that doesn't mean it doesn't fulfill its own goals. There IS music which cares an awful lot about things that are not mainly chords and melodies, for which the materials which *I* feel as primary are just background framing for other things the creator cares about much more.
I suppose I don't fear ai, but I do fear the companies. When they can generate multiple "songs" a minute and flood the market they just eat up the already miniscule streaming revenues that artists and writers get. And if they're publishing all these pieces, using up every possible progression, melody, and groove, it's only a matter of time before a flood of lawsuits from AI "artists" attack real artists with copyright suits demanding writing credits and royalties. And with the private capitol behind AI right now, the pressure on legal systems could definitely be pushing in a bad direction
you have entered the realm of aesthetic philosophy here and it's long and deep and there are no winners. In all art, complexity and simplicity are equals in the right hands. Things of enduring value will remain and ephemera will fade away.
Simplicity can be incredible, but simple and simplistic are two different things... and most of this 'paint-by-numbers', 'recipe-for-success' fabricated music is... simplistic. Musically speaking, as ofc 'production' is elaborate to some degree
"Ruled by" is the key term here. As you know, "popular" music is not static in that music genres constantly evolve and will continue to do so. What you enjoy is somewhat engrained into your children but they're still going to find their own favorites that differ...thus, the idea of "ruling" is impossible...AI or not!
A long time ago, classical music hit a wall. We had great classical composers that had taken us so far, but answers could not be found to take the music further. Joseph Haydn was one of those great composers faced with this wall. Some ran away from it wanting to be beat at what is this side of the wall and looked very clever and some kept banging on it determined to get through, most notably François Joseph Gossec in France and were humiliated when their results were a failure, accused of creating compositions of nothing but news as they tried to solve that noise problem. They did not want so many instruments to just be doing the same thing when a large orchestra played in fear of sounding like noise. How did we get to the other side of that wall? How did we find the answer to big orchestras of instrument being free and not finding noise? Very simply. We stepped away from our obsession with mathematics and music theory and started leading by the soul. In AI we are going back to the mistakes of the past in thinking the answers in music can be found in music theories and mathematics, when in truth it is answers found in our souls and what we live and see and hear around us experiencing relationships with eachother that exists in life here on earth forever changing around us AI cannot do, that has propelled music so far to the place we are today. Since Joseph Boulogne introduced this understanding to classical music and gave us that answer that got us past the wall learning it from the heart of his African roots, we getting past the wall have never looked back. AI will take us back to running into the same brick wall we spent so long running into in the 1700s. Only this time we will just pretend the brick wall does not exist, end our journey forward we have been propelled down by getting past the wall we fought so hard to break through and accept the mediocrity those great French composers refused to accept. AI will not be the end of music, it will be the degradation of music and the brainwashing of people to accept it, for profit and for political power and population control which is becoming the priority. The good news is that it will fail because the people and cultures of the wider world will reject it and produce music outside AI that is much better. True art is too complex for AI and it's source something AI can never experience which is human life. Great stuff as always. Peace and love
Hey Rick - you and I are both old enough to remember the 70s. With all the classic rock, progressive rock etc. available - the most popular stuff was always disco or poppy stuff. Bee Gees ruled the airways. However, the difference is that music in general was more culturally significant and things outside the mainstream had enough bandwidth to matter. The ease of availability now has devalued the common experience of things like Midnight Special and Don Kirshner's appearances where EVERYONE would be talking about what they witnessed the night before. Ownership of music created devotion to it - as a result, it simply MATTERED more. Your friends were often a collection of people who appreciated the same, limited list of music.
The disco experiment was a two year blemish on the music scene ‘78-‘79. After that rock returned in ballad form (hair rock, whatever) and then that died with the grunge crap. This ‘music’ they call it today drove me to sports talk radio. So long as they keep the classic rock stations on Sirius I’m good. 70’s music rocks!
During the 70s, most Top 40 radio sounded insipid at the time, but remember, we also had AOR/FM stations that would play a variety of rock deep cuts in addition to lesser-selling singles. It's what sold me the albums of bands I wouldn't have known about otherwise. Rush, Roxy Music, Little Feat, Pink Floyd... but these weren't the bands at the top of the charts.
@@TangierFlyFrom the evidence of own ears while outside of dance clubs (I used to be a taxi driver), disco has evolved and is still very much with us.
Disco got people up and dancing, and some of the early disco was amazing, you could sing along to it, and still remember the songs 45 years later. You will never remember profanity laced rap when you're 80 years old and never feel nostalgic listening to it either.
In the last 40yrs pop & rap have been the most popular music. Me being a metal head myself my genre will never see that type of mainstream popularity ever again. Pop & rap are acceptable marketable kid friendly. Heavy Metal is scary loud non conforming we do what we want kind of thing. Metal will always be in existence but will never attain what pop & rap have because we don’t want to be accepted popular.
Love you, Rick. I have a question though. I'm 58 years old. I don't know what things were like in the 40's, 50's or even the 60's as far as my question goes (I guess I could ask my parents) but here it is: Why are we constantly bombarded with music almost everywhere we go? Restaurants, doctor's offices, amusement parks, all manner of stores, ski runs, sporting events, etc... It's incessant. Why??
To lower the customers's IQ to make them buy, buy, buy more of unuseful crap? 🤨 Or to confuse their brain so they can't really think and passively consume ?🤔
The short answer to your question is money. Not quite as true with mom and pop places-but corporations do scientific studies on every aspect of the environment-from paint to lighting to music. They determine which parameters are most likely to influence customers with the desired response (spending more money. As quickly as possible) If silence made them more money, there would be no music.
@@vaporman442 Very well said, it has struck me that more and more the environment we inhabit is increasingly designed in every aspect for only that one purpose, to make us more rabid consumers. And as so many of the metrics of a sick society climb upwards one can only wonder what we're headed for.
Rock music is experiencing a massive revival in Japan, and they're making excellent music! Start with Band Maid. They are a juggernaut of great musicianship and riffs galore! Also check out The Warning from Mexico. Totally bad ass music and mega talent.
There's a difference between "the music coming out today" and "the music being promoted and supported by the industry." I suscribe to a number of resources on RU-vid that introduce me to new music coming out from people I've never heard of. Some of it is objectively unlistenable because it's a crappy user-created recording of a live show. But there are some real gems to be found by listening to relatively unknown or unsigned artists. I like keeping my interests flexible enough to like new things.
When the Schumman Resonance (Earth frequency) spiked, the "door was closed" on many, and creativity is/was accelerated in others who adapted. I personally went from a "chord player" to a song creator wirh unique chops. Your instrument skill does not reside in your head. Its literally written on your Soul. AI will always lack Soulful Abilities.
@@Apollyon83 2021. Species are tied to their home planet frequency, which is why humans wilt when they leave it. This Galaxy is on a collision course with Andromeda in a few billion years. So people with higher frequency bloom and others just don't.
I just don't know how music went from primitive form to development of musical instruments, writing music, Renaissance, then Baroque Bach Etc to Mozart Beethoven Debusy Ravel then to blues Jazz Louie Armstrong, etc Bebop Dizzy,Bird Monk Mingus Miles, Chick , Herbie, Rock music Elvis the Beatles, Hendrix, Cream, Pink Floyd , King Crimson etc etc now we're back to beyond primitive and just garbage, what happened?
So the stuff you don’t like is garbage. Got it. And for the record, I don’t like or listen to hip hop or any current music. But I’m an adult and realize not everyone likes the same thing and that doesn’t make the others wrong.
Well, it's not linear. Music branched out more and more in an increasing number of genres and subgenres and scenes and niches (also, 'Classical music' didn't metamorphosize - is that a word? :)) - in blues and jazz, but continued through the 20th century & ongoing. Jazz & rock&roll are not its offspring, even if they borrow little bits here and there). Now all of those coexist... yes, you were talking about the forefront, maybe. I guess money happened. :)) Record labels don't take chances on creativity and experimentation, going for 'recipes of success'. What also happened is ease of access for music... and social media... => music is less of an event, people listen to songs more than albums, musical preference has less of an impact on one's identity - in teens i mean. With social media this peer group identity extended towards a uniformity of look and thought - progressive music still exists, by the way! :D Check out Porcupine tree, Steven Wilson, Haken
@@bavideomaker29 I mean it's just factual that mainstream music today is way less elaborate - musically - than in the previous decades Everyone not liking the same things is alright, but if more people were exposed to a larger variety of things, they would like a larger variety of things :))
@@VampireHeart518 You need to listen to the over-produced corporate arena rock of the mid 1970s for a year straight and then immediately after listen to nothing but Never Mind the Bollocks. One is “more complex” and one is good.
Rick the most talented band Ive heard in a long time is King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, they all sing and play multiple instruments and multiple genre’s very very well, it’s pretty astounding.
Yes Rick, Depeche Mode 'Ultra'. And U2's 'Achtung Baby'. Sisters of Mercy 'Floodland', The Mission 'Carved in Sand' and The Cult 'Sonic Temple'. Rock Revival is what we need.
The true issue is in these close-minded takes that assume complexity is the only ingredient for good music. It’s about feeling at the end of the day. Obviously people love the music that’s being critiqued in this video. It blows my mind how “music connoisseurs” are so quick to judge music instead of appreciating what it’s doing for people outside of themselves. Music becomes the soundtrack to people’s lives. It’s just weird to me why people can’t just enjoy their own favorites without criticizing anything that they don’t necessarily feel belongs at a certain status. I’m speaking more towards the one-sided comments under this vid btw…
I don’t like much new music. But every once in a while there’s something new worth listening to. The National is pretty good, and as I learned this month, Chappell roan is pretty legit imo. Just not that hot to go song didn’t care for that one.
Maybe instead of waterboarding terrorists, they should lock them in a room and play loud rap 24 hours a day until they talk. Frampton comes alive, I seen that concert, 1976 I think. Cleveland stadium. All day concert. Rick Derringer, J. Geils Band, Bob Seger, Peter Frantom. I wish I could go back in time and do it over again.
Nope Rap and Pop are dying since nobody really likes it and everyone makes fun of it half of the time what's funny is that half of the rappers and popstars are literally coping rock and metal artist by dressing like them putting guitar and instruments into their music and literally doing collabs with new alternative rock bands no joke lmfao
@@stellar1252they’re just upset that their favorite music isn’t as big. So they’re projecting in echo chambers that the 2 biggest genres are dying because their favorite ones have actually BEEN dead. Smh
One of the biggest problems I have with mainstream music is the lack of earnestness, and the last time that occurred would probably have to be the mid-2000s.
You mean the new technique of having a team or stable of songwriters that are all trying to fulfill all of the cliches and other aspects that make contrived pop music a 'hit' doesn't appeal to you?
@@Genious. Did it take an assembly of writers and twelve editors to make your comment? 🤣 I still think about Beck coming up with his hit song, "Loser" because of how much of a joke it was and how it's proof that a simple hip hop beat and a catchy hook are all you need.
I was 6 years old when The Beatles hit the Ed Sullivan Show. It was a life changing moment for so many people. It only got better from there. At least we still have those moments and can listen to them and watch them again and again. This new stuff, I can't even stand to hear it once.
Well, of course you can't stand it. Back when The Beatles were 'happening', older people were put off by them too. Or rock'n'roll, when it appeared :))))) pure noise for many. (I've yet to watch the whole video tho, so maybe you were referring to some specific new stuff that he exemplified here, but something tells me it's not that)
For now? Maybe. But in some garage in some town, in some suburb are a bunch of friends making noise. When that noise gets loud enough everybody will tune in and rock will be reborn.
I’m a millennial.. 32.. and I hate it. I love so many older decades of music.. we have so many millennials like me who appreciate all the old sh*t and new sh*t up to a certain point.
The muzak played here really got me in a better mood: I try to make some music myself, as a hobby. But I am usally not satisfied with the results, becouse I compare with real, high quality music. But this video got me think: My own creations are actually not bad at all! Compared to this xitt, my stuff is damn good! The sound qulity is also far, far better (I am recording in my bedroom, no compression maybe with exeption for the drum machine).
I am 65 and I love music from the 60’s and 70’s. I am a classically trained musician and I love the way your show allows me to explore the inner workings and personalities of music!
Nobody's forced to listen to anything. I don't have a smartphone, I don't have a TV and I disabled the radio in my car stereo (only mp3 on pendrives or CDs), I have a home computer to check the web and eventually if there's anything interesting in the "new stuff" in music, I have a home stereo with thousands of CDs ... and that's it. Everything is about CHOICE.
People like dancing, always have, always will. A lot of musicians seem to either forget or ignore this. Go to a party, put on some of the examples you played at the start of your video and watch what happens. As a guitarist, the best thing I ever did was take some Salsa and Hip Hop classes. Cheers!
@chris_share. Exactly. I like Rick but he seems to forget that most people just want to have fun and dance to music. That’s why Rock music isn’t popular anymore, because Rock stopped being about Sex, Drugs and Rock N Roll. But Rick mainly loves Rock, Classic melody driven PoP, and Singer Songwriter music, and that’s the stuff what he was mainly producing as well. So I think it’s easy for Rick to forget. So yeah I think people forget that most people just want to have a good time, party and dance to music.
Thank you. Rock guitarists of Beato's generation are always the ones that want to dictate what is good music to everyone else when they forget that the first thing people want to do when they listen to music is dancing to it. Most rock guitarists that criticize pop and rap have no sense of rythm and groove to save their life and can't dance at all which is problematic when you pretend to play great music. You can be crafty all the way back to the complex harmonizations, arrangements and deep lyrics, it's the icing of the cake. But your cake needs to feature a lick of groove, whatever it may be.
I just came back from a metal festival, after the last concert of extreme music at 2 am each day, they were blasting pop and disco until 5 am, you could see a thousand metalheads singing and dancing to everything from Britney Spears to Europe, Celine Dion or Donna Summer.
@@deadstar44I have to disagree with that. Music doesn't have a single function and a lot of incredible music is not meant for dancing. Also it is very easy to make people move with a simple beat even if the song is crap. I say that as someone who love dancing.
There are a lot of underground metal bands drawing huge crowds without having to compromise for middle-aged suits, commercial radio or MTV. Music is kicking ass these days. The ones in trouble are middle-aged suits, commercial radio and MTV.
There is OBJECTIVELY more good music made today in more niche genres than ever in history. This is a matter of what you're consuming, yes the radio is going to feed you crap.
TRUE. If your goal is to make whatever kind of music you want, this is the best time in history. If your goal is to make a living at making whatever kind of music you want, you have to be really good, AND really good at gaining your 1,000 true fans. In terms of what's on the radio, I couldn't care less.
Kinda true tbh, people that always complain about the current state of some genres like rap or pop don't actually listen as many music as they say they do and don't have a willing to dig further
@@professorx4588 you seem to have misunderstood me if you think I'm dissing the classics. I'm just saying more music is being made than was ever possible before. We can listen to any style under the sun. That's just how it is.
I totally agree. Pop music (what become big hits) largely sucks nowadays. There are notable exceptions, but for the most part popular music was better in the past. However, somewhat ironically, the quantity of great music out there is greater than at any time in history.
02:55 Rick has coined a new term "low information music". Anyone who has good taste in music and if especially if they can play an instrument would never write (c)rap like this.
@@duhver-citymusic167 "vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion." It's barely music according to google
I loved every peice of music you showed us. They felt like they had a good vibe. They're just people's artistic expressions. And honestly I feel like they're very emotional and they work for what they do. I think I just appreciate music in general in all forms. I think the music industry is headed in an amazing direction and now is the best time to be a musician.
The days of American music, film and media setting the standard for the world have been over for at least ten years now. We haven’t produced anything genuinely new or exciting since the 1990s. American music and film peaked in the 1970s and both had a resurgence in the 1990s. But since the turn of the millennium, there has been a precipitous decline and I think most of us know it.
You must be joking; many non-Americans struggle to find non-US media even in their own countries. We're everywhere. Whether it's good quality or not is up for debate...
Why was the Alan Parsons interview demonetized? Can you edit out the demonetized parts and reupload so it gets monetized again? Can you prevent demonetization in videos in the future?
Thx Rick for this video!! I still hear from friends and other people that I must be 75 bc of my music taste (I absolutely hate this new rap/pop „music“ but love Rock,Bluesrock and Metal) but I‘m about 50 years younger.. I hope some of us can keep the lil flame of Real, true, handmade (rock) music alive!!
Listening to music is a personal choice. I'm not going to bash other music. If you like a certain type of music, listen to it. If you don't like it, then don't. It's really that simple.
Two Live Crew changed rap music 35 years ago and it’s still the same:naughty, naughty, naughty. Kids like naughty. I think you’ll need to consider that if you want to predict the future of music.
Well, at least 2 Live Crew had flow, good beats, and clever rhyming where you could actually make out the words, even if they were terribly naughty, ha.
