I think what people aren't realizing is ever since the rise of pop radio, it's been one giant study by the record companies to see which kinds of songs pull in the most listeners. It's been decades and they've successfully honed in on the perfect formula. To people with discerning ears, it is clearly repetitive. Most people just want something to play while they are doing other things...they are not active listeners. So most people don't mind.

I think you can't deny the rise and fall of the album as well. I'm going to use the Beatles as the point in time when albums started to gain credibility as an art form. Pre-Beatles, most pop music was very formulaic. Post-Beatles, the album started to gain popularity and more craft had to go into the music to ensure people bought them. While a single that sounds like 1,000 other singles is fine, an album of the same 4/4 vcv starts to get repetitive. Now we are seeing the rise of the single again. Albums are all but a niche interest. Repetitive sounds are taking over again.

That's not to say I don't think there are some pop songs that will stand the test of time out there. As most people have pointed out, there was crap music in all decades. I'm simply talking about a general trend.

Hmm
 

Bottom line is that music today is so different because the industry is so different.

It's impossible to compare because artists have different priorities.

I will say that I think pop now is melodically better than the older pop.

:afro:

I kinda think of then as like if Brian Wilson made the beach boys folky during his post-Smile abortion depression. At least that's what they strike me as on helplessness blues.

There is good music under all the rocks from all the ages. you just have to find it. And lots of bad music also. But today fantastic production technology can mask the poor quality of many songs and performers.

Hmmm. Don't seem to have enough harmonies IMO. I think Brian would still have made use of the group's unparalleled harmonic capabilities.

FF just sounds to me more like a modern-day Leonard Cohen, or any other folk singer.

There's plenty of great pop music today, it's just not always in the top 40. However, since the internet makes finding awesome artists more accessible than ever before [and since home-recording is more accessible than ever before] I would argue that there is probably MORE great pop music out there than in say, the 60s or 70s. You just have to dig a little to find it - but please, it's pointless listening to say, One Direction and claiming that music has regressed. There has been **** music from every decade - what about stuff like the Osmonds or the Bay City Rollers?

Here are some fantastic modern pop songs:


Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks - YouTube


Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) - official video - YouTube


Shiny Toy Guns "Le Disko" - YouTube


Bastille - Laura Palmer - YouTube

I could go on, but you take my point.

Gotye was at #1 I think, but I see your point, and it's a valid one.

Really? I thought helplessness blues had a remarkable focus on harmonies, as well as densely layered instrumentation on at least some of the tracks. It may not be quite as complex or varied as Brian would have it, of course, but at least on that album (I don't know their earlier work as well) it puts a lot if emphasis on orchestration that I don't hear in a lot of folk or singer/songwriters, though to be perfectly honest those aren't exactly my best points of expertise.

Mmmm, kinda sorta maybe, but not really. Harmonies there are waaay below what Brian woulda and coulda done. It's actually a bit more like CSN harmonies circa late 70's-early 80's, on some songs.

Also, Brian wasn't a big fan of folk music, I can't imagine him doing something like that in the 60's.

Here ya go.

Jump ahead to the ~2 minute mark


This is CSN, 1977. FF sounds waaay more like this than anything the BB's did, or could have done.