The truth about modern music

Just watched this clip about Jubilee. Even though I get why people here obsess over names like Taylor Swift or why the world loves Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, I can't help but feel the younger generation has absolutely no clue what real music actually is. They don't realize how much raw talent and sheer grit it took to become a legitimate star a few decades ago when actual music was being composed... A perfect example of how garbage is being passed off as art is this Ultra Music Festival and those famous DJs who will be entertaining all those kids this summer. We could also mention the country singers—they might not be in their prime right now, but you can still hear the echoes of their hits blaring from a black Audi or a Mercedes driving away from some local party. It’s honestly unbelievable how far musical quality has plummeted, just like they say in this video, and how completely numbed the masses have become today. Definitely watch the clip; it explains things plainly enough that even those following pop acts like Kelly Clarkson or Katy Perry should be able to wrap their heads around it. Cheers.

Spot on. Honestly, he didn't really tell me anything I hadn't heard before, but maybe it'll actually click for some kids watching this with their brains totally fried by social media. At the end of the day, it all just boils down to conspiracy theories that are actually pretty damn real. Just turn off that stupid TV.

There’s definitely some truth to what’s being said about how much music has declined, but I don't buy into any conspiracy theories. Even the ones involving grand, global plots. To me, the reality is far more trivial—it’s just basic market economics bleeding into every other part of society.

Music turned into a pure business engine a long time ago, and businesses are constantly finding more sophisticated ways to squeeze out profit. Anything that doesn't drive revenue gets pushed to the margins. Complex music takes too much time, effort, and mental bandwidth from the average listener, so it falls outside the scope of interest for the industry. Once something is no longer a priority for the money, it stops being a priority for the mainstream media, too. That's how we ended up here: with stripped-down, simple tracks paired with flashy visuals designed to trigger an immediate reaction from the masses.

Gary James88 said:I mean, there's definitely some truth to what people say about music going downhill lately, but I don't really buy into all those conspiracy theories. Not even the big, organized ones, anyway. I guess it’s probably way more boring than that—just basic market economics and how that stuff ends up bleeding into everything else in society..

Having like four major producers making albums for half the artists currently topping the charts in America... isn't that just globalization in action?

slyorca62 said:Just four people producing albums for half the artists currently "dominating" the global charts. Isn't that just globalization in action?

I’d call that part of the globalization process, sure, but I don't think you need to lean on conspiracy theories to explain why the results look the same.

Today’s music just can't hold a candle to what we had in the 70s, 80s, 90s, or even the early 2000s. It’s honestly rough. Every single genre seems to have taken a dive compared to last year. Take Lady Gaga or Beyoncé, for example—shouldn't they be aiming for that next Whitney Houston level? Or look at these amateurs trying to act like the successors to Michael Jackson, Prince, or Gazeb.

What bothers me even more is how this current generation acts like nothing of value existed before their time.

The shipyard where I worked was a perfect snapshot of the era we’re living in. Most of the crew were from the older generation, though there were plenty of younger guys my age and even some kids. I was one of the few who actually grew up in the city; most others were from the surrounding rural areas. One day, during our lunch break, I had an experience that left me feeling pretty disillusioned. We were listening to MP3s, and this guy bursts into the room and starts making comments about what we're doing and what those headphones are for. I told him I was listening to Pink Floyd, and he just stared at me blankly before asking, "What's that?" Honestly, I was stunned. I know not everyone listens to them, but for someone in the 21st century to have no clue who Pink Floyd is? That's a tragedy. The worst part was that he was 35—not much older than I'll be in two years. He knew every local guy, knew whose tractor was parked where, and spent his time listening to mindless pop. What I really resent about the younger generation today is how brainwashed they are by garbage—music, movies, TV shows, literature—it's all trash, and they accept it as the standard because they have no idea what actual music or real art looks like. The lack of awareness about life in general is staggering. Music is just one small symptom of that deeper ignorance.

Back when I was a teenager in the "old school" 90s, the only thing I knew for sure was that commercialized garbage was just as bad—if not worse—than what we deal with today. It was the era of techno, dance tracks, and endless boy bands. Honestly, the whole scene looked and sounded like a total apocalypse. Kids being fed all that junk back in 1995 didn't even have a clue what real music actually sounded like in 1990.
Because of that, I honestly doubt things are any worse now. If anything, I think music has become much more diverse, largely thanks to the internet breaking the monopoly held by MTV, which used to be the primary driver for the worst kind of kitsch aimed squarely at the 10 to 17-year-old demographic. Nowadays, people actually have the freedom to hunt down music they truly enjoy.
Of course, if someone chooses to only consume whatever is shoved in their face through flashy packaging, neon colors, and twerking bodies, well, it’s their business if they consider that "art."

I took a look at the video linked in the opening post. There are some valid points there, but looking at it realistically, most people tend to have similar tastes when it comes to food or movies. However, when it comes to music, you have to realize that since entering the 20th century, this great art form has increasingly become a tool for different social cliques to identify themselves. Teens would listen to metal, or hip-hop, or jazz, or heavy commercial pop, even though about 90% of it was pure trash. From adolescent rebellion to intellectual pretension, the very concept of "good taste" basically vanished.
On the flip side, most people simply don't have the ear, the sensibility, or the instinct for what makes music actually good. That’s why such a huge percentage of music is terrible; everything has been democratized to the point where people claim "everything is good" or "it's all subjective." But let's be real: not everything is good, and it isn't all just a matter of taste. It's more that listeners are mentally and aurally limited. They're mentally limited because the average target listener for these musical gurus is usually about 14 years old.

A lot of that cheap kitsch originates from the USA, which essentially pioneered the art of squeezing money out of the masses. They manufacture these artificial little stars just to milk them for cash for as long as they can last. It’s all just a byproduct of a consumerist capitalist society. First, you raise a nation to be incredibly gullible, and then you sell them a mediocre product that required zero effort or genuine talent to create. Throw in the lowest, most banal human impulses—like constant shots of bare skin and hypersexualized male and female stars—and you've guaranteed success.
That isn't music; it's just an industry designed to churn through cash.

It’s somewhat accurate, but even back when I was in school during the era when the Backstreet Boys and similar trash ruled the airwaves, there was still some level of melody to that pop garbage. The 90s actually had plenty of decent music. Just look at the local pop hits from that time compared to what these modern groups are churning out now—they've basically hijacked the old vocal group style just to grab quick popularity. Back in the 80s and 90s, those groups actually put effort into quality songwriting. What we hear today might not be total MTV trash, but in my opinion, it's worse because people actually tried to write real songs back then. Nowadays, the synthesizer and the computer are the primary instruments. Ask any modern pop act who bands like Nirvana or even classic rock legends were; they wouldn't have a clue.

Honestly, at least 90% of everything out there is garbage, and music is no exception. I haven't touched a TV or listened to the radio in maybe five or seven years, so I’m pretty out of the loop on what’s trending right now. But if you look back at the top charts from the 80s or 90s, there was plenty of junk back then, too. You can go check for yourself, but I guarantee there are plenty of songs—or even artists who hit the Top 10 once upon a time—that you’ve never heard of, and frankly, there's a good reason for that. All the trash that was only relevant during its specific era has been forgotten, while the stuff that actually holds up is still known today.

The way music is being dumbed down really hits the mainstream crowd that just sits there absorbing whatever’s playing on the radio or TV, but honestly, you can't really blame them. In this day and age, with the internet putting everything right at your fingertips, you aren't actually forced to endure that corporate gatekeeping bullshit, at least when it comes to what you listen to. It really just comes down to choice. Most people, though, usually just choose to follow the herd rather than finding their own lane.

Lawrence Reed49 said:The way music has become so mindless really targets the mainstream crowd—those folks who just tune into whatever’s playing on the radio or TV. But honestly, who can blame them? In this digital age where you have the entire world at your fingertips, you aren't actually forced to endure corporate-driven garbage, at least when it comes to what you listen to. It all comes down to choice. Most people, though, seem to prefer just following the herd.

I couldn't agree more. There are endless possibilities nowadays. Personally, I don't even follow much of today's commercial stuff because I just don't make an effort to. Every once in a while, I'll stumble upon something fresh on YouTube just so I don't lose touch with reality, but even without doing that, I feel like I'd be suffocated by constant coverage of Beyoncé or Miley Cyrus on every single news site out there.

Give Beyoncé a break—her new album is actually pretty solid. It’s her first real departure from her usual sound, but still...

The vibe is mostly there—and look, I get why people say we have infinite choices now, but I don't really buy that. There's a certain magic in knowing that millions of people are vibing to the exact same thing you are. I could totally melt over a new Wilac or Kurt Vile record, but man, it would be incredible if I knew—like back in the 70s—that tens of millions of people across the country were all experiencing that same moment together.

Everything feels fragmented lately—no focus, no cohesive scene, no shared sense of what matters. Music just doesn't have that driving force anymore. Honestly? We're kind of in the gutter and we need something raw and timeless to pull us out.

Personally, I find it baffling when people get so worked up over someone else's playlist. We live in an era where you can pull up Tibetan throat singing on YouTube whenever the mood strikes. Why should anyone care if someone else chooses to blast Rihanna or Miley Cyrus when we all have the freedom to choose something else?

If we were all stuck listening to nothing but whatever happens to be playing on the radio or spinning on a vinyl record, then maybe the state of pop music would be everyone's problem. But honestly? If you aren't feeling a certain track, you practically never have to hear it. People listen to music for a million different reasons. Some connect deeply with the lyrics, some just need a specific vibe for their current mood, others love a good melody or a driving beat, and some just listen because it’s what their friends are playing or what’s topping the charts. So why make it an issue?

My philosophy is simple: live and let live...

The thing is—I honestly don't think Rihanna or Miley Cyrus ever deserved the fame or the money they got.
This goes way deeper than just music, too.

I’m not entirely sure I agree with that perspective. If people are willing to listen and actually open their wallets, then in my view, those artists have earned it. After all, if there isn't demand, why are they even in that position to begin with? No one is forcing anyone to stream their albums, buy their merch, or shell out cash for concert tickets. It’s all voluntary.

Look, people have the right to make their own choices, and they’ve made them. Sure, it’s not something I would personally choose, but who am I to judge? 😉

brisksurfer12 said:I don't know—I'm not really feeling that—because if people are willing to listen or pay, then they're worth it in my book. If they aren't, well, how did they even get there? Nobody's forcing anyone to stream their albums, buy their merch, or shell out for concert tickets.

Man, people have the right to choose, and they chose. Look, it’s not something I’d personally pick, but hey, who am I to judge? 😉

I'm not judging either—I'm just saying it's not good music. I don't want to be stuck with a Prime Minister who thinks Rihanna is a great artist.

I’d say it’s an award-winner if you’re someone who actually appreciates Bon Iver 🙂 😍

Even Raymond Walker5 said the same thing.😁

Dennis Hall41 said:And Raymond Walker5 said the exact same thing.😁

The guy just knows what's up.☕