Is music dying?

Man, I love these deep philosophical topics 😍

Forget about music dying out 😬 music is more alive than ever 😁 Cheers to progress 👋

Quite ridiculous and foolish, if you ask me.

Chris Gonzalez6 said:You’re asking how broad my definition of "music" actually is—well, I mean music in its entirety, covering pretty much every genre out there. And here's another thing: does it feel like people are losing sight of the fact that making music used to require actual grit, sweat, and time? It wasn't like today, where you can just copy-paste a drum sample eighty times and call it a song.

Go ahead and make something, man—then send it my way so I can give it a listen! 🙏

hollowseal33 said:Honestly, I’m totally digging these deep philosophical vibes 😍

But please—let's not talk about the end of the world just yet 😬 music feels more alive than ever right now 😁 here's to progress! 👋

Oh yeah! 🙂

Music is my whole life.
And it isn't going anywhere until I am...☕

Jason Chavez32 said:Go ahead and make them, then send them my way so I can hear. 🙏

Exactly. Just get it done. Try downloading some actual production software and see if you can pull off a track. Let me know how it goes. You don't have to be perfect, but I've got a feeling you will be. 🙄

darkcobra272 said:Exactly. Just tell them to get it done. Seriously, try downloading some production software and see if you can actually compose a track. Let me know how it goes. You won't have to kill them, but I'm pretty sure you'll realize how hard it is. 🙄

I’d bet you’ve never actually picked up a "real" instrument. You probably aren't even listening to music played by live musicians, just stuff programmed on a computer. That's why you admire people making digital tracks—because you couldn't pull it off yourself. 🙂 don't give up

just dropping my two cents without reading a single other comment here

Music—especially the good stuff (though "good" is subjective, even if you think some trash is great)—is definitely dying out. But let’s be real: nothing would have changed this much if we hadn't seen the shift from CDs to MP3s and then to the internet. How is it even possible that not a single track from the last twenty years has cracked the all-time top 10? Aside from that one U2 song, I mean. Maybe everything has already been said, maybe people expect too much from new artists by constantly comparing them to the legends, or maybe new creators are just full of themselves... but what happened to MTV makes zero sense to me. It feels like everything has just devolved into whatever way sells a product the fastest.

So I was talking to this girl from my college classes today—don't ask which one, she’s usually the most sensible person I know—and she tells me she thinks a 50 Cent music video is awesome. I asked her if the actual song was any good, and she goes, "I don't know, he just looks hot in the video." GIVE ME A BREAK.

Look, music as a concept isn't going anywhere, but the quality? Yeah, that’s definitely tanking. Especially with all these one-hit wonders and those "supernova" types popping up every five minutes.

I’m with you on that, though I guess it’s hard to take anything you say seriously with an avatar like that 😬

Seriously though... people need to pick up an actual instrument, any kind. Learn how to play songs by real artists—we should be looking back at least 150 years for inspiration—and build something new from that foundation. That’s the only way to keep music alive. Honestly, dustytinker13 reminded me of those overnight sensations lately, and it just makes me sad. I mean, what does electronic beats and heavy makeup have to do with actual music? It’s honestly depressing......................

dustytinker13 said:my thoughts, offered without having bothered to read a single other comment

Music. Especially the "good" stuff—though let’s be honest, quality is subjective, and even that mindless pop junk counts if you want it to—is dying out. Is it? How is it even possible that in the last twenty years, not a single track has cracked a top 10 all-time list? Aside from maybe that one U2 song. Why is that? Perhaps everything has already been said. Perhaps we demand too much from new artists by measuring them against the giants of the past. Or perhaps modern creators are just too full of themselves. But this shift we saw with MTV, where everything is reduced to how quickly a product can be shoved down a consumer's throat... I just don't get it.

I was talking to a colleague from my university today—don't ask me which one, she’s always been the most level-headed person I know—and she tells me a 50 Cent music video is "amazing." I asked her if the song itself was any good. She said she didn't know, but that he was "hot" in the video. Give me a break.

Fine, the concept of music as a whole won't die, but as far as actual quality goes? It’s certainly fading. Especially with the rise of those "one-hit wonder" types who flash in the pan and vanish.

Regarding that bit about the all-time top 10...😕 ...hmm... let’s just say music is entirely subjective, and people are never going to agree on a definitive ranking...

And that part about music videos and instant products... well, look, a lot changed when MTV arrived and television became the dominant force. Music became visual. To sell a product, a TV network needs "televisual" appeal. In other words, a music program aimed at teenagers has to be packed with skin and curves, so that after the tenth time someone watches a video, they might actually remember the melody.😁
But, mind you, there are people for whom music doesn't mean much in life. For them, it's just background noise for getting drunk or shaking their hips. They couldn't care less about lyrics, messages, or genres... if it doesn't work on a dance floor, it's useless. There are probably 60% of people like that globally, and in America, it's closer to 85%. This MTV-related perception of music suits them perfectly.
As for the slightly higher-quality music followed by the minority? No, thank God, there is plenty of it available for free to everyone thanks to Myspace, P2P programs, forums, and so on. Long live the internet.🙂

I can't quite wrap my head around your take, dustytinker13, regarding the idea that good music is dying out. I've always felt that truly great music shouldn't be some fleeting trend; instead, it should be more like an expanding mass that grows over time. For instance, if you happen to love The Beatles or Elvis Presley, there’s really no reason why you couldn't listen exclusively to them. I suppose the real issue lies in how today's youth are constantly fed nothing but current chart-toppers, which often lack any real musical substance. Then again, there is a vast amount of high-quality music out there that exists entirely outside the realm of MTV or mainstream radio stations. Personally, I stumbled upon acoustic bluegrass a few years back and completely fell in love with the genre, even though until then, I had mostly only heard it used as background noise in various movies.
My only real concern is that we might eventually run out of genuinely good melodies—since they seem to be used up so quickly—but so far, there has always been some new track that manages to prove me wrong.
As for music videos, I think you're right; they've become an end unto themselves rather than a way to support the art.
And don't even get me started on those talent shows on networks like NBC; they tend to pass over incredible vocalists just because their "guru" doesn't care for their look, while some total circus acts somehow manage to breeze right through.

So, I was recently reading an interview with 50 Cent, where he basically admits that his music doesn't matter to him one bit—his only real interests are, well, hooking up with women and downing endless bottles of overpriced champagne. It’s a bit jarring when you consider that everything he actually built was a direct result of his involvement in the music industry. It all feels rather distasteful, honestly.

Music is a deeply personal matter, an individual pursuit. Whether a person possesses the ability to truly convey it to others remains the ultimate question...
I wouldn't dwell too much on the technicalities of musical form (given the endless sea of theorists out there).

In any case—I am an optimist regarding this matter.

There is a certain, rather sobering realization that hits you when you wander into an outdoor venue or a lounge, only to find the DJ spinning tracks from the seventies or eighties that still carry an undeniable, rhythmic relevance. It serves as a stark, somewhat melancholy reminder of exactly where we stand today. When you hear those timeless melodies resonating through the air, it becomes painfully obvious just how much we have lost in the current musical landscape.

Chris Gonzalez6 said:We’ve officially entered this strange new era—an age defined by computers and MP3 players, where everything is just a frantic cycle of downloading and uploading. It makes you wonder, though. Is music actually in danger? Does it lose its soul when it gets stripped down into nothing more than a string of binary code sitting on a hard drive? There's something unsettling about the idea that art can exist as something purely digital, lacking any physical presence you can actually hold in your hands.

So, what, music was only "alive" back when it was trapped on weird black discs or stuck on those flimsy little cassette tapes? Give me a break. 😁

Has music actually lost its original cultural purpose and its ability to shape how we think? I can't help but wonder if we've drifted away from the soul of it all. It feels like we’ve traded deep, communal experiences for endless streams of algorithmically curated background noise. Back in the day, music wasn't just something you played while scrolling through your phone; it was an event, a ritual, a way for people to actually connect with their surroundings and each other. Now? It's everywhere, yet somehow, it feels more isolated than ever. We consume it in these tiny, bite-sized chunks, optimized for quick dopamine hits rather than actual contemplation. Is it still art if it's designed specifically to keep you from skipping a track on a playlist? Does a song even have "weight" anymore if it doesn't challenge the status quo or define a generation? It makes you wonder if we're actually listening anymore, or if we're just letting sound wash over us to fill the silence.

Can someone refresh my memory here—what was the original cultural and educational purpose of music, anyway? Is this tied back to those coconut pickers from the Neanderthal era who just spent their days screaming at one another from hilltop to hilltop?

Music is turning into nothing more than glorified background noise in grocery stores lately. It’s like they just play whatever is on the radio to fill the silence while you're staring at rows of cereal, but does anyone actually listen? Not really. For most people, it’s just white noise, but then there are those rare individuals who still find actual meaning in music—those folks who let a song change their entire mood or spark some deep thought. Honestly, it feels like that kind of connection is becoming a lost art. What do you all think? Is music losing its soul to convenience, or am I just being cynical?

Music has always been used as background noise in all sorts of places, mostly just to fill up the silence. Just because it doesn't serve some profound, life-changing purpose for everyone who hears it doesn't mean it’s lost its power for those who actually care. Does everything need to be a manifesto? Not really.

So, some people try to get all philosophical about it, arguing that because we have an endless supply of music at our fingertips today, the art itself somehow loses its value. If that’s their logic, honestly, they can go ahead and drink to that. Personally, I never fell for the whole "vinyl fetish" thing just because of the crackle of a record or the struggle of actually tracking down a decent album. Sure, those are romantic little details, and I totally get why people attach those nostalgic vibes to their favorite tracks, but it doesn't move me. For me, there’s a certain symbolic weight to my MP3 player, and the stuff I listen to on it still sounds absolutely killer.

So, here’s my take on it—music doesn't exist in a vacuum. It's tied to everything that comes along with it, the culture, the trends, all that extra baggage. Because of that, the whole thing is constantly shifting. For some people, that's a problem; they feel like the soul or the actual meaning behind the songs is being stripped away because they’re still chasing that old-school feeling from decades ago. For others? They don't care. They just ride the wave. Is anything ever really permanent, or are we all just mourning things that were always meant to change?

Richard Rivera85 said:Whenever you walk into a bar or a club somewhere out in the country and realize they’re still spinning hits from the 70s or 80s—songs that actually still hold up today—it really puts into perspective just how much modern music has fallen off the rails.

I mean, that stuff is top-tier, sure. But honestly? They play Beethoven around here too, so I wouldn't say that fact alone tells us much about anything released after him.😬

Chris Gonzalez6 said:I’d guess you’ve never actually picked up a "real" instrument, and you don't listen to music played by live musicians—just stuff made on a computer. That’s why you’re looking down on people making electronic tracks; you can't do it yourself... 🙂 don't give up

Look, my sister plays piano. She graduated from a music conservatory. To be honest, I’ve never been interested in it personally, but I know exactly what you’re getting at. It’s tough, sure, but making high-quality electronic music isn't some easy feat either. There’s this huge misconception that electronics have nothing to do with actual music, like anyone can just press a button. So, let me tell you: keep going. The people producing top-tier electronic music are legitimate musicians, and trust me, they understand music theory inside and out.

For what it's worth, I'm not into production myself, but from everything I’ve researched and read, an average person would need about four or five years of dedicated work before they could produce anything that actually sounds professional. I keep emphasizing QUALITY because, honestly, anyone can loop a beat and hit play. You see kids out there thinking they’re geniuses just because they triggered a sample in some software.

Do a little reading and look into how electronic production actually works. You’ll realize you’re operating on a lot of ignorance and old prejudices.

peace

Music isn't dying, it's evolving 🙄
The whole era of MP3 players, streaming, and instant downloads actually helps music reach more people and get way more popular than ever before...

Sure, times change, but just because you aren't feeling the current vibe doesn't mean the industry is dying 😕

Honestly, discussions like this are just a complete waste of time as long as bands like Death Cab for Cutie are still around 😛

Chris Gonzalez6 said:Does it lose its value just because it turns into some binary code inside a computer that doesn't physically exist?

The music on a vinyl record or a CD "doesn't exist" either by that logic. If you can hear it, it exists, regardless of what format it’s stored in. As for music turning into some commercialized pile of garbage churned out on mass-produced tapes, that's an old story we've been dealing with forever.