Why is Today’s Music Garbage
Today’s music is NOT garbage. People have that perception because there is too much music on the market. The market is saturated with a million different musicians because of the internet. In my opinion, this is great. Nowadays, people have more choices and options. For a music marketing company, we love helping artists expand their reach.
Pop Music
Pop music refers to whatever is popular. So, pop is short for popular. Pop music is also a specific type of sound. Throughout history, pop music has evolved. In the 60s, pop music sounded different than in 1970s. Music is constantly changing and evolving.
Currently, popular music is influenced by rap music. There are still pop artists who aren’t rappers, but you will notice that many of these pop stars will collaborate with rappers. Rap has infiltrated pop music. This trend has been happening since the 1980s. It didn’t gain steam until the 1990s, but hip hop is here to stay.
Hip Hop Infiltrates Pop Music
Do you remember a little hip hop group called Run-D.M.C.? Pioneers of hip hop, Run-D.M.C., ushered in a new era of commercialized hip hop. When Run-D.M.C. covered Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way”, they made musical history. Hip hop was not being promoted to mainstream audiences at the time. At that time, hip hop was still underground. Run-D.M.C changed all of that. Their music video with Aerosmith opened people’s eyes to hip hop music.
In 1986, Aerosmith was in rough shape. Their records weren’t selling, and their drug problems derailed the band. Rick Rubin offered Steven Tyler and Joe Perry $8,000 to be in the music video. They agreed. By agreeing, they were about to change music history forever!
Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C.
Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. made musical history. After the re-envisioned version of “Walk This Way” premiered, audiences worldwide were now exposed to hip hop. This collaboration also helped to re-ignite Aerosmith’s struggling career. Little did they know what impact their collaboration would have.
Other artists wanted to imitate the success of Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. All of a sudden, other collaborations between hip hop artists and rock starts started happening. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, rock music was pop music at the time. There were artists like Hall & Oates who were representing the genre of pop, but artists like Guns N’ Roses and Metallica would sell just as many album copies. So, there were many copy cats trying to replicate that success. Ever heard the song “Bring the Noise” by Public Enemy and Anthrax?
Today’s Music Garbage
Why do people say that today’s music is garbage? The biggest complaint I hear is about the quality of hip hop. Many fans and musical critics believe that many of today’s popular artists are too simplistic, unoriginal, and lacking any depth. Music reflects society. Fashion trends are based on what popular actors and musicians wear. Usually the people who don’t like modern music tend to be older. Older people seem to reminisce more about their past.
When we are younger, we tend to like what is popular. As we get older, we hold on to these things. Even though certain trends become outdated, we tend to look back fondly and long for happier days. Young people today seem to love the current music. They are the ones blowing it up on the internet and making it popular. If people didn’t like today’s music, it wouldn’t be popular.
The Choice is Yours
If you don’t like what is popular, don’t listen to it. You have the freedom to listen to whatever you want. With streaming services such as apple music and spotify, the choice is yours. When you drive, you can happily listen to whatever music you want. Nowadays, we have more choices than ever.
Still, you should check out what is currently popular. Give things a chance. There are many talented musicians. Anyways, today’s music is only garbage if you feel that way. There is a certain sound that is mainstream and not everyone likes that style. Times change! What is popular today, won’t be popular tomorrow. Be patient and stay open minded!
