"Modern music really does sound the same"

[Guest]

Interesting study by Spanish researchers spanning 50 years of pop music confirms what many of us have thought for a long time.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/9430338/Modern-music-really-does-sound-the-same.html

[burning dog]

What about modern rally music?

[Serial_Apologist]

When I read "modern music", I assumed the article would be about... modern music.

[kernelbogey]

Without having re-read this, I understood the point was that Pop music has become in the last fifty years more and more similar. The unstated corollary might be that in the fifties and sixties, there was greater diversity. I thought it an interesting piece of research - but I'm afraid that the thread title does it an injustice.

[Serial_Apologist]

Without having re-read this, I understood the point was that Pop music has become in the last fifty years more and more similar. The unstated corollary might be that in the fifties and sixties, there was greater diversity. I thought it an interesting piece of research - but I'm afraid that the thread title does it an injustice.

In the 50s and 60s there was a turn away from the old 32-bar standard song formats beloved of Cole Porter et al, and towards blues-based forms. What was interesting were the ways in which British, especially, pop and rock music of the time channelled these blues influences through indigenous folk musics, Indian and sometimes African influences, and half-understood classical and romantic idioms, to create something ineluctably interesting of itself that appealed strongly to a generation challenging the aesthetic and other mores of its parents. But the "music industry" then got its claws into shaping public tastes along lines of what shifted off the shelves fastest; product inevitably became homogenized, and kids could only hit back by reasserting independence in evermore outrageous ways, i.e. punk rock and rap. Possibly not helped by the fact that what is often described as "contemporary concert music" has not set the pop world a very adult example these past 30+ years by many of its exponents forsaking the harmonic (and other technical) advances the great pioneers of modernism built upon the achievements of Mahler, Debussy, Busoni, Ives and others 100 years ago, reflective of a more complex, uncertain world. The relationship between critical thinking about life, society, politics etc and aesthetic tastes tends to develop symbiotically, in my view; and in any case there's only so much you can get out of limited tonic/dominant harmonic thinking before you start sounding reminiscent of something you've heard before - a solace to those who seek comfort in the familiar.

[kernelbogey]

Interesting reflections, S_A.

I started listening to pop around 1956. Recently revisiting (via Youtube) some of the tracks I knew back then I've been struck by the transition from the ballads that were dominant then to what I believe you refer to as 'blues-based' - 8 bar? - forms.

I'm thinking of crooners like Pat Boone, Perry Como, Tab Hunter - still recording in that 'Cole Porter' style? around 56-57 - who were pushed aside by Bill Haley, Elvis and black artists in the US (and also by Lonnie Donegan here), and then later by the Beatles, Stones and others. This is a transition not mentioned in your interesting post.

[cloughie]

Interesting reflections, S_A.

I started listening to pop around 1956. Recently revisiting (via Youtube) some of the tracks I knew back then I've been struck by the transition from the ballads that were dominant then to what I believe you refer to as 'blues-based' - 8 bar? - forms.

I'm thinking of crooners like Pat Boone, Perry Como, Tab Hunter - still recording in that 'Cole Porter' style? around 56-57 - who were pushed aside by Bill Haley, Elvis and black artists in the US (and also by Lonnie Donegan here), and then later by the Beatles, Stones and others. This is a transition not mentioned in your interesting post.

It didn't stop them pinching the odd song or mimicking the old style. eg Beatles - Till there was you, When I'm 64, Yesterday, Long and Winding Road - Elvis in his later years was not above murdering a 'standard'. There is also extensive nicking of classical music!

[Serial_Apologist]

Interesting reflections, S_A.

I started listening to pop around 1956. Recently revisiting (via Youtube) some of the tracks I knew back then I've been struck by the transition from the ballads that were dominant then to what I believe you refer to as 'blues-based' - 8 bar? - forms.

I'm thinking of crooners like Pat Boone, Perry Como, Tab Hunter - still recording in that 'Cole Porter' style? around 56-57 - who were pushed aside by Bill Haley, Elvis and black artists in the US (and also by Lonnie Donegan here), and then later by the Beatles, Stones and others. This is a transition not mentioned in your interesting post.

12-bar blues (plus of course gospel music and, especially Country 'n' Western, strongly shaped the early (mainly white) rock 'n' rollers; I didn't mention names, kb, 'cos I have a bad habit of making long lists!

[kernelbogey]

Of course, silly me, I meant 12-bar (I'm not a musician, as you'll have gathered ).

What I missed out in an attempt to be brief was that the article referred to in the OP confirmed for me an (admittedly fogeyish) view that all current pop sounds the same. I can't name bands, because they don't really interest me, but when I'm getting my hair cut the ladies have on a station such as Virgin (or whatever it's now called) and a lot of the music sounds to me very restricted in both melody and harmony.

The crooners I mentioned above now seem to belong more to the forties than to the sixties - but melody (and too the lyrics) was really an important part of the record.

So I'm saying that the scientific analysis quoted in that article suggest that my fogeyish view is justified!

[burning dog]

I was expecting something from top gear

Isnt Virgin a "ROCK" staton. I can't think of anything worse. I wouldn't mind never hearing a straight a 12 or 8 bar blues again (unless it's a recording by a historical great like Howlin Wolf, or is a jazz version with outstanding interplay and improvisation.) I PREFER to hear modern pop/dance music to that.

There's a rock hegemony among the modern establisment that dislikes anything without guitars, ethnic - except for long dead soul singers (Plus Bob Marley!!), this in a very patronising way, or anything "old-timey" like Crooning, and there often seems a macho element to the distaste as well. "Disco is for Women Gays and Blacks" being the most obvious prejudice. By chance I heard a programme hosted by Bon Jovi who played a few modern rock bands Britpop, Post Punk, Indie etc and the influences were overwhelming, it wasn't even old stuff brought up to date, (maybe not quite of the order of bits of old songs crudely grafted on to each other like with Oasis), nothing would have jarred on R1 in the mid 80s, Stones, The Who, 'London Calling' era Clash, U2, Springsteen etc. I have a nightmare that a band like this could include Boris, Cam The Jam fan and B-liar.

Kylie's got nuffin to worry about!

[Serial_Apologist]

I was expecting something from top gear

Rally?

[burning dog]

Rally?

Doesn't make sense now the thread title has been corrected

[Resurrection Man]

Lol !!

[BBMmk2]

Some modern classical music an be like that to!