Starrynight, were live in the modern age where music is ****ing everywhere.

You can't go out to a bar/club/restaurant or even a take-away without hearing music, you pass somebody in the street, high chance they are listening to music if they are alone.

Music is at its most accessible, most diverse and is more widespread than it has ever been. I don't think your argument carries much substance.

It's everywhere, but many different kinds of music is everywhere. The choice is enormous and diverse (as you say). So you are making my point for me. :D

but it's still the same artists that prevail, i.e. Katy Perry, Eminem, Ke$ha.
They are always at the top of the chart or around it, as the Beatles, Beach Boys, etc were 50 years ago.

Therefore I do not see how the charts are less relevant in 2012.
Surely, if there is a wider choice of music competing for sales, it would add more prestige to hold the Number 1 slot?

There will still be prestige, but I have to say I couldn't name a single song from the three artists you mention. So they don't mean much to me, my choice has gone elsewhere. I've probably hardly heard their music at all.

so what you're saying is charts are not as relevant because you don't personally like the artists?

I think what he's saying is that people are aware of more kinds of music than they used to be because of the internet and much more public underground music scenes, so people don't pay attention to the charts as much anymore because they don't have to. Back in the day, most people only knew about a band because they were on the radio or on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?

Yep that's really what I said before. There are many more radio stations now playing all different types of music, more TV stations too. People have other things to do as well like the internet, computer games. Older music hasn't gone away either, in fact things like youtube have made more of that available than ever before. And more younger people may be aware of older music than ever before.

I'm not denying that some younger people may well follow the charts, though some may not. But the general interest I think is less. I suppose I've entered middle age now but I still make an effort to hear new music, but on my terms because with resources like the internet I can make choices of my own (just like everyone else).

oh don't get me wrong, im not looking for weird bands just to seem original but i usually like them better than the "IN" artist at the time.
i can like a lady gaga song but i prefer daniel johnston recording songs in his 4 track..

Most of the time nowadays I also prefer lesser known groups or singers. That's not so much the case with older music though.