General Most Loved/Hated Music

[MustardYellow]

I may be wrong, but would people say the reason music is made has changed?

The way I see older generations talk about music, I think it was seen as more of an 'art' or a 'craft' than it is now. It's more just about making people feel a certain way now, rather than being well crafted or lyrically written.

That's why you hear more graphic and sexual songs, for example. First of all I think that's a representation of society, but also I think making people feel 'sexy' or as my generation calls it, like a 'bad b*tch', is something that's desirable and will sell among the younger population. You've also seen the emergence of genres like grime which is one of the most popular among young people, and I think a large part of that is it just makes people feel 'cool'.

The music you listen to as a young person almost represents where you stand in society. This may have always been the case, but maybe social media has taken it to an extreme?

 

[m]

I may be wrong, but would people say the reason music is made has changed?

The way I see older generations talk about music, I think it was seen as more of an 'art' or a 'craft' than it is now. It's more just about making people feel a certain way now, rather than being well crafted or lyrically written.

That's why you hear more graphic and sexual songs, for example. First of all I think that's a representation of society, but also I think making people feel 'sexy' or as my generation calls it, like a 'bad b*tch', is something that's desirable and will sell among the younger population. You've also seen the emergence of genres like grime which is one of the most popular among young people, and I think a large part of that is it just makes people feel 'cool'.

The music you listen to as a young person almost represents where you stand in society. This may have always been the case, but maybe social media has taken it to an extreme?

No I don't particularly agree.

Surely the reasons that people make music have, at least in the recording era, always been pretty varied?

On the latter point, I think songs have always been about sex, I think it can feel more overt now, as it's acceptable to be more explicit.

And I'm absolutely 100% sure that music has always been at the heart of every youth rebellion in the last century!

 

[werthersoriginal]

No I don't particularly agree.

Surely the reasons that people make music have, at least in the recording era, always been pretty varied?

On the latter point, I think songs have always been about sex, I think it can feel more overt now, as it's acceptable to be more explicit.

And I'm absolutely 100% sure that music has always been at the heart of every youth rebellion in the last century!

Also there are lots of types of current music other than grime. Other than the financial landscape the biggest change I can see is that far more women are involved - women used to be mainly folky singer-songwriters or the occasional 'raunchy frontwoman', but now it seems like the majority of indie bands have one or more female members.

 

[MustardYellow]

No I don't particularly agree.

Surely the reasons that people make music have, at least in the recording era, always been pretty varied?

On the latter point, I think songs have always been about sex, I think it can feel more overt now, as it's acceptable to be more explicit.

And I'm absolutely 100% sure that music has always been at the heart of every youth rebellion in the last century!

Some 'sexual' older songs I've heard are more undertones than overtly, in your face sexual.

Not sure how many on here would have heard of Cardi B, but she's one of the most successful and popular artists in the world right now. If you want an example of what I mean, listen to her song 'WAP'. To date the music video has nearly 1billion views on YouTube and over 1.3billion streams on Spotify alone.

 

[MustardYellow]

Also there are lots of types of current music other than grime. Other than the financial landscape the biggest change I can see is that far more women are involved - women used to be mainly folky singer-songwriters or the occasional 'raunchy frontwoman', but now it seems like the majority of indie bands have one or more female members.

Are indie bands even that popular among the younger generations though?

I used grime as an example because it's a relatively new genre but is incredibly popular with my generation. I personally don't mind some of it, there are some grime artists that use clever word play and some of the tunes are catchy but generally it's just music that makes people feel a certain way (notably, cool or 'gangster' lol).

 

[Eric Blair]

Most Loved (for today anyway)
Bowie - Five year
The Clash - Complete Control
Dylan - If you see her say hello or Don't think Twice it's alright (depending what day of the week it is)
The Wedding Present - Kennedy
Toots and the Martals - 54-46 that's my number

Most hated
Almost anything by Queen, Genesis, Led Zep, Michael Jackson
Everything by Coldplay

The Wedding Present - Kennedy. Oh man, if anyone reading this hasn't heard this track then put it on full volume and bounce around. I took my first girlfriend to see the Wedding Present three nights in a row at the same venue. She split up with me on the third night.

Love - anything by Stereolab, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada. As I get older I'm getting into weirder jazz - Sun Ra, Roscoe Mitchell, John Zorn. First Damned album deserves a special mention for sounding like the Stooges.

But basically loads of good music being mentioned. Would be happy listening to a lot of that. Someone mentioned Sound and Vision by Bowie. That entire album is incredible.

 

[SteMerritt]

Some 'sexual' older songs I've heard are more undertones than overtly, in your face sexual.

The Divinyls released a song called 'I touch myself' back in 1990, Benny Benassi released 'Satisfaction' in 2002, and they aren't isolated releases just 2 off the top of my head. A lot of 90s/early 2000s rap and dance songs used this as a selling point. Sexual lyrics and themes have been around since the beginnings of the charts.

 

[Eric Blair]

This aint gonna be easy as most will change in 5 mins time ( faves)

10 fave homegrown ( Oxford) Tracks - no order

Supergrass - Sun Hits The Sky

Candyskins- Wembley

Radiohead - Pop is Dead

Ride - OX4

Holy Roman Empire - My Life for Yours

Mystics - Lucy's Factory

Black Candy- Allergy

Thurman- Loaded

Lab 4 - Reformation


5 current raresoul/ funk 'wants' - no order

Willie Dale - Let your light Shine


Soul Motivation - Hard Times (are coming)


Solid Gold - Message to Planet Earth

Willie and West - Attica Massacre

Vontells- Ta Hula Hoop

- may add top 5 60s, 70s, 80s & 90s at some point- there again I might not


Cant stand - no order

Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline

Paul McCartney- Frog Song

Cher - Believe ( and its countless 'warble pop' sounalike clones )

Sarge knows his music

 

[SteMerritt]

Are indie bands even that popular among the younger generations though?

Well considering bands such as The Reytons are selling out arenas, I'd say yes they are. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not happening. Guitar music is a bit underground at the moment, but there is a lot going on, and as I see regularly at gigs it is attracting a good following of teenagers/early 20s to shows.

 

[SteMerritt]

Someone mentioned Sound and Vision by Bowie. That entire album is incredible.

It was on 'Low', part of the Berlin Trilogy. And you are right, it is one hell of a record.

 

[Eric Blair]

These lads are always good value

 

[Sarge]

These lads are always good value

saw them at the 02 ( aka The Zodiac) Cowley road - that was a great gig - think I learnt a few new swear words that night

 

[Eric Blair]

saw them at the 02 ( aka The Zodiac) Cowley road - that was a great gig - think I learnt a few new swear words that night

Ha! I was there too Sarge!

 

[MustardYellow]

The Divinyls released a song called 'I touch myself' back in 1990, Benny Benassi released 'Satisfaction' in 2002, and they aren't isolated releases just 2 off the top of my head. A lot of 90s/early 2000s rap and dance songs used this as a selling point. Sexual lyrics and themes have been around since the beginnings of the charts.

'Push me and then just touch me' is a bit different to this...!!

Songs with sexual elements and undertones have of course always existed, but never even close to the songs being released now, as you can see!

 

[werthersoriginal]

'Push me and then just touch me' is a bit different to this...!!

Songs with sexual elements and undertones have of course always existed, but never even close to the songs being released now, as you can see!

View attachment 18783

Bit vulgar! But what's the tune like?

 

[MustardYellow]

Well considering bands such as The Reytons are selling out arenas, I'd say yes they are. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not happening. Guitar music is a bit underground at the moment, but there is a lot going on, and as I see regularly at gigs it is attracting a good following of teenagers/early 20s to shows.

How many of the people in those arenas are young, though?

Online streaming is a pretty good way to gauge an artists popularity with young people specifically. The most streamed 'The Reytons' song has 30million, which considering it was released 5 years ago isn't amazing.

Obviously some young people will be into that stuff, but it's by no means popular (compared to other genres at least).

 

[Big Ron]

Well considering bands such as The Reytons are selling out arenas, I'd say yes they are. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not happening. Guitar music is a bit underground at the moment, but there is a lot going on, and as I see regularly at gigs it is attracting a good following of teenagers/early 20s to shows.

I work for a fairly large record and publishing company, albeit mostly catalogue (Kinks, Sabbath, Madness, Super Furries, Supergrass, Ash, etc) with a bit of added Kylie and big US country label, and it's really interesting to see bands like The Reytons who tend to own and release their own records and make most of their money from touring. They don't need companies like mine - they build and work their fanbase and are very cute about it but seem to go under the mainstream radar.

It's the same across the specialist genres - rock, jazz, rap/grime, blues, reggae - there is loads of brilliant new music and acts not signed to the major record labels, hard though it is to make decent money from streaming. If you look at the charts, they tend to be the preserve of Universal, Sony and Warner (the 'majors') and a lot less interesting. I've seen the usual Taylor Swift criticism and I can't pretend to listen to her music but I don't have any problem with her - she writes her own material, is a good live act and knows her market.

I'm no spring chicken, along with many of the posters here, but it's a shame a lot of people here seem to have stopped looking forward at some point (in Mustard Yellow's case when he was about 18!)- there's so much music to be discovered.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I work for a fairly large record and publishing company, albeit mostly catalogue (Kinks, Sabbath, Madness, Super Furries, Supergrass, Ash, etc) with a bit of added Kylie and big US country label, and it's really interesting to see bands like The Reytons who tend to own and release their own records and make most of their money from touring. They don't need companies like mine - they build and work their fanbase and are very cute about it but seem to go under the mainstream radar.

It's the same across the specialist genres - rock, jazz, rap/grime, blues, reggae - there is loads of brilliant new music and acts not signed to the major record labels, hard though it is to make decent money from streaming. If you look at the charts, they tend to be the preserve of Universal, Sony and Warner (the 'majors') and a lot less interesting. I've seen the usual Taylor Swift criticism and I can't pretend to listen to her music but I don't have any problem with her - she writes her own material, is a good live act and knows her market.

I'm no spring chicken, along with many of the posters here, but it's a shame a lot of people here seem to have stopped looking forward at some point (in Mustard Yello's case when he was about 18!)- there's so much music to be discovered.

Yes agree, I'll always come back to 60s/70s/80s music but mainly through listening to BBC6 I hear lots of great new (young) alternative acts and manage to see some at the Bullingdon, Jericho, or O2. I think it is a good and creative time for music but god knows what they live on - touring, merch, and expensive vinyl must be going some way to offsetting the loss of income from album sales.

 

[SteMerritt]

How many of the people in those arenas are young, though?

Online streaming is a pretty good way to gauge an artists popularity with young people specifically. The most streamed 'The Reytons' song has 30million, which considering it was released 5 years ago isn't amazing.

Obviously some young people will be into that stuff, but it's by no means popular (compared to other genres at least).

Most of the crowd at a Reytons gig will be under 30. Same with Sea Girls. The Reytons top song has 30 million streams, so what? They don't have a record label and are doing all of this themselves. And they are growing and growing. It isn't all about streaming.

"Online streaming is a pretty good way to gauge an artists popularity with young people specifically" - Now how do you arrive at that conclusion? You can't tell from streaming figures how old the person streaming it is. And it certainly isn't the case that most "older" people don't use streaming services.

 

[Big Ron]

How many of the people in those arenas are young, though?

Online streaming is a pretty good way to gauge an artists popularity with young people specifically. The most streamed 'The Reytons' song has 30million, which considering it was released 5 years ago isn't amazing.

Obviously some young people will be into that stuff, but it's by no means popular (compared to other genres at least).

I'm guessing you've taken that 30m figure from Spotify alone - there are also Apple, Deezer, Amazon, Youtube, Tik Tok, Instagram, Bandcamp, Soundcloud and loads of localised streaming services. You can also add physical sales in the specialist genres - look at the likes of Ride who actively out making PAs and signing records last week.

I believe The Reytons also have some decent figures in what is called 'sync' ie putting music in ads, films and TV. The likes of Spotify and iTunes are not wholly reflective of what 'young' people are listening to, it's a broad guide at best but there is so much going on outside that. They are actually struggling to engage with the younger market in terms of subscribing and a whole generation who believe they should have everything for nothing.

I know of acts with minimal streaming figures who can sell 2/3,000 capacity venues on a regular basis and who simply focus on slowly growing and activating their fanbases.