What Is It Called?
Here we are – 2009. Another decade has nearly past.
So – where’s the music?
We just did CDs based on five decades of music. Each of those decades had a sound that branded it – sometimes more than one. Almost all of these forms sprang from the Youth of the day. Some were in protest of the way things were. Others were protesting the protests. But all the forms were propelled by the “under 30” crowd. Created by and for, bought and sold to the young.
The 1960s, of course, basically created music as we know it. The Beatles, Beach Boys, Dylan and the Stones were basically genres themselves. Rock (as opposed to rock ‘n roll) and Pop became the terms and offered numerous branches that still thrive today.
The 1970s gave us Glam Rock and Hard Rock (per Led Zepplin and others) and Prog Rock (or Art Rock). There was the Singer/Songwriter genre and Bubblegum. Then Disco and Punk toward the end of the decade – each the antithesis of the other.
The 1980s showed Punk move to New Wave. Corporate Rock (Toto, Foreigner) and Hair Bands were products of MTV and a rebellion against punk and new wave. The end of the decade showed a confusion of styles that would erupt later, but also the beginnings of Rap and Hip Hop.
The 1990s burst out with more rebellion from the 80s with Grunge, Alternative and even Alt-Country. But the kids need to dance so Techno , Electronic and Industrial music developed and Goth blended the three together. The main genre that really kicked in was Rap and Hip Hop, which swamped the charts and all other music forms.
Then you have the Oughts – the current decade…. Was there a movement? Is Tween the operative term for music this decade? Where was the rebellion? What are we calling the sound of being under 30? Sure – punk sort of came back via things like the Warped Tour. But it was more a side act than a movement. All the past genres have come back – even as Classic Rock from the 60s finds followers in a new generation. But what is the sound? When they do a retrospective of the decade – was has been born? Are Britney, Beyonce and Miley the leading forces in music for this decade? I mean – I know we are all old farts and pop music is not for us. But as music historians, we should still be able to identify a trend. A movement. Youth’s creation of a new sound.
Was there one?
March 28th, 2009 at 2:25 am
Really valid question and really hard to answer.
I’d say that unlike all previous decades, what defines this one is not the music itself or any particular genre— but the way that the music is communicated. If you want…call it the Ipod Generation.
In the previous years, the musical genre that dominated was decided in a large part by where people got their music. Or more exactly…who was giving it to them. The music industry largely decided what genre would be given the most air time, be it on radio or MTV. They basically decided which groups would succeed or at least be heard the most.
In this decade, that is no longer the case. Because of the advent of MP3’s and downloading individual songs from a massive online library (and I’m talking the whole Internet…not just ITunes) that makes every genre and every generation’s music as easily accessible as any other– no one group, organization or company can decide what music gets heard the most anymore. Now, more than ever, the listeners are in control.
I think that utter freedom may have left this generation without a musical movement in terms of a particular sound. But the result of that freedom and extreme diversity of listening potential may result in some truly amazing stuff in the generation to come.
(Ok–maybe overly optimistic…but you get my point.)
March 30th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
I would agree with that. The “revolution” was actually in the delivery system for the music. So much of it became DIY – whether iTunes or Pandora or downloadable bit torrents (or whatever those are…). Bands handing out their music through websites and record companies starting to look obsolete. I am also quite glad about the return of the ’single’ thanks to iTunes.
Now will unfettered access to any style of music actually generate something? We can hope…
April 1st, 2009 at 2:54 pm
I also attribute my lack of interest or knowledge in this decade’s popular music to age.
I think Pat’s right that the delivery method changed everything this decade. The new music we hear is coming from so many different places and they may or may not be major label artists. Which is a good thing.
I think if I had to pick trends for this decade it would be the tween music and the continuation of hip-hop and R&B dominating the charts.
But new trends like in the past, I’m not seeing any.
April 1st, 2009 at 5:50 pm
This decade, other than the punk revitalization that Carl already mentioned, is very much defined by the new technology. The music and the fans that listen to it are similar to the technology. They want something now, something that satisfies for a few minutes, and allows them to put it away when they want and not have to think about it again until they need another quick dose of enjoyment. Just think of the epic songs that could have come out of such a disfunctional era as the one that just passed. Could you imagine Dylan or Lennon letting Bush off the hook? John Lydon would have drilled him if he was sober. As a Rancid song says,”There is no passion, only fashion.” Just as many things are these days, people don’t want to deal with it unless they get instant gratification. Otherwise, on to the next bright shiny bauble. We could use someone giving the whole society a good swift kick in the arse!
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:20 am
I like that – the “Bright, Shiny Object” generation. From ipos to nanos to ringtones to cellphones that play music AND locate restaurants. The ADD Generation. You wonder if they even hear the music they ‘listen’ to.
Thing is – I would not have expected such mindless behavior after 9/11 and the war. Maybe they all came out to vote – I don’t know what the numbers are on that. But the decade has seen a greater sense of self-involvement (but not self-worth).
April 3rd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I agree with a lot of what you all have said, and I hate to mention this, but isn’t this decade also defined by the “American Idol” factor? Way too many of the best selling artists of this decade were contestants in American Idol. They cannot write, many cannot play an instrument, and yet almost every sneeze they make leaps to the top of the charts. I know we can look at each decade and find some manufactured artist (The Monkees and The Partridge Family as examples). Now we have at least one and usually several more pre-packaged performers forced down our throats every year. And then we have the Disney factor with Miley, the Jonas Brothers, High School Musical and so on. Is it any wonder we continue to cling to the artists of the prior decades with which to find solace?
April 7th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
on behalf of my generation i apologize for the crummy tunes. everyone is correct about everything. its the technology, its the marketing machines like american idol, its everything. its the fact that most artists cant write their own music but which isnt any different than how things used to be but we used to have singers who interpreted other people music and turned it into something else, something different and great so that mulitple versions of the same song could stand up on the merits of the performance not just a well written song. i personally think technology has made it so there is too much music and thats what i think the root of the problem is, there is so much you inevitabley reach a point where it isnt worth it anymore to do the serious digging so you read magazines like Magnet or Big Takeover and you take their word for as to what is and isnt great coming out of the underground and those bands become ‘above ground’ because everyone in the same inevitable boat as i am is buying the same records. i think this is what they call a ‘vicious cycle.’
April 7th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
And for the record my proof-reading, spelling and punctuation habits are carrying over from one blog to the other. you can vote me off the island if you want but ill just sneak back in again on an allstar cast.
April 8th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
That is why God invented spell check and auto-correct functions. Don’t leave home without them.
October 25th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
This is a very good read. Im gonna be tweeting this post. Jonas Brothers are awesome!
October 27th, 2009 at 7:57 am
The Jonas Brothers both suck AND blow.