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Rihanna is Apple Music's Most Streamed Female Artist
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I said some don't write their own songs, not all. I think some of them are very talented, including Sia, Lady Gaga, etc. Sounds like you didn't read my post carefully.
Edit: also, fans shouldn't be praising their stars by diminishing others, saying they are disingenuous. This only leads to fans fighting.
the state of whats popular in music is depressing
My father, who was a teenager in the early 30’s, would agree with you. He thought music started going bad in the 1950’s, turned horrible in the 60’s, and could not be defined as music at all after that.
He also used to tell me stories about his parents and what they thought of Jazz and Swing and Big Band Music. He told me that the term ‘Jazz’ was originally meant as an insult by older generations but the kids of his day appropriated the term and made it popular. The irony of that story never occurred to him.
I try, and sometimes fail, to not blanket judge what people like today because of that.
Yeah a lot of these comments in here sound like the old guard trying to hang on to the "so-called" glory days.
I get it, I'm a 70's baby (Gen-X), but I identify with millenials also, as I'm at the end and beginning of each respective generation.
I certainly have my idea of what and who was great, but it doesn't impair my ability to think objectively about recent and current music.
This list does have a few surprises, but it's fairly accurate by today's standards.
Perhaps being open minded about suggestions, and actually "listening" to what you criticize might be in order!? Because I guarantee half of you haven't done just that.
That is all... as you were.
I get it, I'm a 70's baby (Gen-X), but I identify with millenials also, as I'm at the end and beginning of each respective generation.
I certainly have my idea of what and who was great, but it doesn't impair my ability to think objectively about recent and current music.
This list does have a few surprises, but it's fairly accurate by today's standards.
Perhaps being open minded about suggestions, and actually "listening" to what you criticize might be in order!? Because I guarantee half of you haven't done just that.
That is all... as you were.
The thing that's terribly easy to forget is, we tend to only remember the best from "our" era, and compare that to "whatever's on" from the current era. But for every Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zep, Bowie, etc. (fill in your choice of canonical group/musician for an era), there were hundreds of groups making objectively lousy music, too, and the lousy stuff got lots of airplay, either because it was inexplicably popular, or because some record exec was pushing it. Comparing only the very best of a previous era to a random sample from today really isn't a fair fight. And most everyone tends to strongly prefer the music that was popular when they were in high school and/or college, automatically seeing music that came before or after as being not nearly as good.
I was fortunate to grow up in a house filled with music, with my parents playing classical, jazz, and big band, and my brothers and sisters playing all sorts of 60's and 70's rock. I like a lot of (the best of) that music, along with music that was my music from the 80's and 90's. But I like a lot of newer music too - I can hear genius, well crafted imagery, and remarkable talent, in Lady Gaga's first album, to name one example. My nieces like Sia and Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, so we play them in the car, and I can appreciate their music as well (listen to Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" - it's hella bouncy and the message is basically, "why are you focusing on my life, when you could be enjoying my music"). And with an iPhone, Apple Music, and a BT speaker, I can play any song they can name, at the drop of a hat (modern technology FTW), as well as introducing them to all sorts of older music. One of my tiny triumphs is that they're now fans of Petula Clark's Downtown, which happens to be one of my earliest musical memories.
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Some of these ladies are very talented, the problem is that they, with limited exceptions, sold their soul to be popular and as a result have to create a lot of very bad music, which has billions of marketing, and which no one will remember a few years from now.
Kids have to buy the next new thing, and the music moguls are dishing it up. Once you get old enough to not have to brag about the new music you found to your friends, or buy the music they found in order to be considered popular, the music all of a sudden becomes somewhat boring. And all to make some fat cat mogul rich.
Nope, I don't do pop music, not because the artists are bad, but because I don't believe in the business model. The problem is that I think pop is the business model Apple is focused on and I think it will be a huge detriment to Apple in the long run. Apple should change the game for musicians that have not sold their soul to be popular. Not sure how, but that is the future, hopefully.
Kids have to buy the next new thing, and the music moguls are dishing it up. Once you get old enough to not have to brag about the new music you found to your friends, or buy the music they found in order to be considered popular, the music all of a sudden becomes somewhat boring. And all to make some fat cat mogul rich.
Nope, I don't do pop music, not because the artists are bad, but because I don't believe in the business model. The problem is that I think pop is the business model Apple is focused on and I think it will be a huge detriment to Apple in the long run. Apple should change the game for musicians that have not sold their soul to be popular. Not sure how, but that is the future, hopefully.
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You mean....this song isn't a classic???
And this one isn't uplifting?
And this one....well, simply horrible?
Nice. Actually, for songs from previous eras lacking merit, I was initially picturing anything by Rick Springfield or REO Speedwagon, but there are plenty of examples (a lot of the most inane are mercifully forgotten). "Chick-a-boom" I have strong memories of (it might be a classic novelty song); the other two I hadn't previously heard. To respond in kind for the latter two, I give you "D.O.A." (youtube, wikipedia), a rather disturbing bit of "fun" from 1971, which did make an appearance in the top40 charts. Now, I'm gonna go back to listening to a mix of Bach, Beck, King Crimson, Sesame Street, Nine Inch Nails, and Lily Allen.
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I considered using D.O.A. as one of my examples. Chick-a-Boom was originally written for a Saturday morning cartoon, Sabrina the Witch and the Groovy Ghoolies. The version I posted is PG-13 at least and isn’t the original lyrics.
‘Put the Bone In’ was the B side of Terry Jackson’s Seasons in the Sun and as such was never really a hit.
Sure, Gaga can sing, but so can Celine Dion and I’m not going to EVER sit down and listen to her superficial interpretations of songs written for her.
The problem with Gaga is she’s way too dirivitive in her music, image, videos and LIES about it. Some would say she slavishly copies and a lot of that has been documented online.
It seems people feel the need to legitimize modern superstars simply because their “work” is doing extremely well commercially. They feel that means something is “happening” in the zeitgeist and they don’t want to feel/seem old and out of touch so they sit around and have convos like this thread.
Nothing is happening. It’s the same plastic/disposable/generic/cookie cutter music we’ve had to suffer through for the past twenty years now (as far as mainstream). It’s mostly the result of an industry that’s imploded and moved from career artists being the focus to quarterly bottom lines.
Producers are lazy. Artists are lazy and know very little about their “craft”. The focus for them is fame, not *work*. The rise of American Idol fed this even more. The desire to be famous for the sake of fame. Not because you have anything to say, and definitely not because you have a unique vision.
“Music” from 90% of the acts that have become superstars since 2000 has been reduced to a soundtrack to a personality/brand full of ridiculous amounts of narcissism. It’s empty and feeds little more than ego. You now have a whole generation that’s grown up on what’s equivalent to fast food music. They don’t eat their vegetables and I’m not sure they know anything more challenging/nutritious exists.
Do some of these people have real technical vocal talent? Sure. But show me phrasing. Show me nuance. Show me musicality. Bend a note in a way that’s unique/surprising and can break my heart. This is where tv talent shows have really damaged young budding (maybe) musicians. The emphasis is on flashy vocal pyrotechnics because it’s exciting and makes the audience applaud and these singers get into the positive feedback loop created by that and never look to develop themselves more. So you end up with acts that showboat their way through entire songs (the endless riffing of Christina Aguilera, Ariana Grande etc.), never realizing that very little of it is musical.
Recording sessions in studios are constantly interrupted by things that have very little to do with music. Let’s stop down because the “artist” needs to have a meeting about branding. Or about a photo shoot. Their constantly on their phone in the booth dealing with social media. Sometimes they need to stop down production and fly somewhere for a bit to work on their perfume. I rarely see anyone stopping down to work on their craft. To study. To think about the “work”.
There’s A LOT of magic going on in music nowadays. It’s just not in the top 40.
I’ve been a working professional musician since the age of 10 and it’s been an amazing 25 year run. I’ve worked in primarily classical, film music, pop, jazz, opera and have had the great fortune to work with many amazing people and gain their respect. The state of mainstream music breaks my heart. I worry that damage has been done for future generations of musicians.
Honestly, since the year 2000, when is the last time we’ve heard a unique and original vocal talent in the mainstream? In the way that Aretha Franklin, Stevie Nicks, Bono, Annie Lennox, David Bowie, Prince, Karen Carpenter, Stevie Wonder, Chris Cornell, Bjork, Anita Baker, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Robert Smith, Patti Labelle and many more were unique vocal talents.
Look up KD Lang’s interpretation of Cohen’s Halleluah. She sang it live at the opening or closing of one of the Olympic Games like a decade ago. It was spectacular without being flashy, and a perfect example of what you don’t hear in mainstream singing anymore. Phrasing, shading, silence, beautiful emotional arcs....
I can’t tell anyone apart just by listening anymore and the messed up part is that that is by design.
The problem with Gaga is she’s way too dirivitive in her music, image, videos and LIES about it. Some would say she slavishly copies and a lot of that has been documented online.
It seems people feel the need to legitimize modern superstars simply because their “work” is doing extremely well commercially. They feel that means something is “happening” in the zeitgeist and they don’t want to feel/seem old and out of touch so they sit around and have convos like this thread.
Nothing is happening. It’s the same plastic/disposable/generic/cookie cutter music we’ve had to suffer through for the past twenty years now (as far as mainstream). It’s mostly the result of an industry that’s imploded and moved from career artists being the focus to quarterly bottom lines.
Producers are lazy. Artists are lazy and know very little about their “craft”. The focus for them is fame, not *work*. The rise of American Idol fed this even more. The desire to be famous for the sake of fame. Not because you have anything to say, and definitely not because you have a unique vision.
“Music” from 90% of the acts that have become superstars since 2000 has been reduced to a soundtrack to a personality/brand full of ridiculous amounts of narcissism. It’s empty and feeds little more than ego. You now have a whole generation that’s grown up on what’s equivalent to fast food music. They don’t eat their vegetables and I’m not sure they know anything more challenging/nutritious exists.
Do some of these people have real technical vocal talent? Sure. But show me phrasing. Show me nuance. Show me musicality. Bend a note in a way that’s unique/surprising and can break my heart. This is where tv talent shows have really damaged young budding (maybe) musicians. The emphasis is on flashy vocal pyrotechnics because it’s exciting and makes the audience applaud and these singers get into the positive feedback loop created by that and never look to develop themselves more. So you end up with acts that showboat their way through entire songs (the endless riffing of Christina Aguilera, Ariana Grande etc.), never realizing that very little of it is musical.
Recording sessions in studios are constantly interrupted by things that have very little to do with music. Let’s stop down because the “artist” needs to have a meeting about branding. Or about a photo shoot. Their constantly on their phone in the booth dealing with social media. Sometimes they need to stop down production and fly somewhere for a bit to work on their perfume. I rarely see anyone stopping down to work on their craft. To study. To think about the “work”.
There’s A LOT of magic going on in music nowadays. It’s just not in the top 40.
I’ve been a working professional musician since the age of 10 and it’s been an amazing 25 year run. I’ve worked in primarily classical, film music, pop, jazz, opera and have had the great fortune to work with many amazing people and gain their respect. The state of mainstream music breaks my heart. I worry that damage has been done for future generations of musicians.
Honestly, since the year 2000, when is the last time we’ve heard a unique and original vocal talent in the mainstream? In the way that Aretha Franklin, Stevie Nicks, Bono, Annie Lennox, David Bowie, Prince, Karen Carpenter, Stevie Wonder, Chris Cornell, Bjork, Anita Baker, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Robert Smith, Patti Labelle and many more were unique vocal talents.
Look up KD Lang’s interpretation of Cohen’s Halleluah. She sang it live at the opening or closing of one of the Olympic Games like a decade ago. It was spectacular without being flashy, and a perfect example of what you don’t hear in mainstream singing anymore. Phrasing, shading, silence, beautiful emotional arcs....
I can’t tell anyone apart just by listening anymore and the messed up part is that that is by design.
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She wrote a modern classic Christmas song that's been #1 on the holiday charts for 24 years. Seems like a great accomplishment to me! Among her other music, including her record 18 #1 singles, she's still streamed 18th among these newer female artists. Mariah is a legend.
I agree and I think that is some of what we are seeing in the thread. I have read often one's musical tastes freeze in their twenties, and for me at least... that is mostly true. I do enjoy some of the artists in this article, but when I'm alone in the car, I often revert back to some Eagles or Fleetwood Mac.
Lady Gaga reminds me of Madonna. She sang and did all different types of music too some good but also much terrible.