YorkeDaddy

I think you're getting the definition of mainstream wrong. Just because those bands are widely loved by many, many people does not make them mainstream. Dictionary.com defines it as the dominant course, tendency, or trend at the present time. Go listen to any popular radio station around where you live for an hour. Let me know if you hear anything by any of those three bands. If you're lucky, you'll hear Today by Smashing Pumpkins or maybe Creep by Radiohead, but that's the best you'll get.

lucifer_sam

I think you're still being condescending.

As much as we might proffer the illusion of it, none of us are mentally handicapped here.

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SIRIUSB

LOL . . . is this a 'college' endeavor I hope? Even so, what do you actually know about the music industry? Are you In the industry? Do you know anyone In the industry?

I've been in the music industry for over 30 years and all I can say is . . . "no' you've got it wrong, but then again most music critics have it wrong.

YorkeDaddy

Actually, it's a high school endeavor. And please, enlighten me as to how I'm so wrong about your industry.

Janszoon

LOL. I like how you changed the dictionary.com definition of "mainstream" to try and make it seem to fit better with what you're claiming.

And how many songs by Hot Chelle Rae do you think I'll hear on one station in an hour?

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Paedantic Basterd

I feel like you're only going to further the chasm between yourself and your readers by, well, condescending them to death.

Howard the Duck

if you want my 2 cents, i listen to just about anything

i can be elitist and hip about jazz

i can listen to black metal, and feel the urge to kill myself in a car crash

and if i get bored of that, i just turn on Top 40 radio

simple as that, people that try to compartmentalise music into this and that shares the same pretension as that guy who calls himself "the dean of rock critics"

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ThePhanastasio

I understand that ultimately, you felt your intentions were good. The piece was, I will say, grammatically sound. That's about the extent of it.

In saying the piece is patronizing, I don't feel that necessarily everyone on here is ganging up on you - because, well, you've made valuable contributions elsewhere on the forum. I do think, however, that your piece is a tad condescending - and that's an understatement.

First of all, you're writing this rant as though you're a jaded vet about "today's youth" when you're attempting to appeal to your peer group. Just using the distinction of saying that they're "today's youth" definitely sounds as though you're talking down to them, and as though you feel yourself to be separate from that group somehow. No one likes being talked down to.

Perhaps if you'd phrased it something like, "I've noticed that many of my peers..."

Just a thought.

Otherwise, tone down on just listing bands you dig and bands that you consider filth, because not everyone is going to be as deeply involved in music - and music is a very personal thing.

Believe it or not, I've met many people who are very talented musicians, very knowledgeable about music, and who are adults who aren't fans of the purported "best band ever" Radiohead. Musical taste is subjective.

If you'd gone more into the technicalities instead of citing examples mocking your idea of "mainstream" music, the piece itself would have had a greater impact. I'm not talking completely nerding out and saying, "Such and such has NO real grasp of tonality," but stick to the chord progressions bit - that was nice and actually not subjective...

Although even with that, how many of your favorite bands have used very simple progressions in their songwriting? I mean, Hell, NMH's most popular song is a simple 3 chord song.

And for the record, in op/ed writing, you CAN have a solid opinion without coming off as a total prick. Food for thought.

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SIRIUSB

Most of the music critics I have run into were failed musicians with a chip on their shoulder.
A critics place is to critique ‘music’ not just the music they enjoy. Readers could care less what your personal choices are and actually feel threatened by a critics biased remarks.
A band almost always changes once they get a producer, the record companies just want to sell records.
The reason that popular mainstream exists is because the public has been slowly conditioned to think this is what they want to hear. This is a great employment of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) which is a huge tool in media manipulation.

Howard the Duck

another is, has it ever occurred to you that people like catchy and simple because it's not so taxing on grey matter?

some people just put on music for fun, not for contemplating their bellybuttons all the time

i mean i don't necessarily agree with DJs like Steve Travis who used to say "who wants to hear The Smiths at 2 in the afternoon?" but all I can say is people put on the radio to unwind and relax, and not to hear somebody bellyaching about life

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