It just seems like in the 80's anyone of any race or backgroud could listen to any genre of music. Radio stations played a variety of sounds. Now we have stations that will only play r&b and hip hop, one that plays rock, one that plays pop, etc. What happened? This is definitely a change for the worse.
[Edited 2/24/05 9:52am]

I've noticed this too. That along with an abundance of crap music is primarily why I don't listen to radio anymore. I don't like flipping around constantly to get a nice potpourri of tunes and I can't stomach hours and hours of any one genre. Another reason why I loved the 80s.
[Edited 2/24/05 9:56am]

i miss the days of run DMC playing with aerosmith. and no, jay z w/ linkin park doesn't count, because the latter is a rap metal group. i'm talking about two disparate (sp?) acts getting together and putting together something cool and new.

yeah, i know - cold day in hell, blah blah blah...

Anxiety said:

Because.

I miss that about the 80s too...when the Beastie Boys were played alongside other rap...nowadays they're only played on rock stations.

JackieBlue said:

exactly! i also don't listen to the radio any more. in fact i haven't listened to it for about 6 years now. the only time i hear it, is when i'm shopping or on my lunch break. they play an all 80's music station whenever i eat at this cafe, which is fine by me.

I'm not so sure, there may be a little "good old days syndrome" going on here.

I remember when Top 40/pop music was alot more segregated back in the early 80s. I remember it how strange it was to hear MJ, Prince or Tina Turner and getting airplay on top 40 stations. And MTV was so lily white it was ridiculous. With the success of Prince, MJ and others, top 40 music started to change in the mid-80s.

Back in the 80's I remember being looked at like I was crazy for digging the new Gun's N Roses cassette.

And back in the 80's you had r&b stations that played only r&b and rap. Still have that today. Occasionally, Hall & Oates or George Micheal or Teena Marie might get some airplay on those stations, but overall they were predominately black.

Nowadays, Top 40 stations play hip-hop, r&b, rock, pop, and a whole lotta crap (there was alot of crap music in the 80's too for that matter). Same with MTV. Turn on a top 40 station now and it's real easy to hear Outkast, followed by Jessica Simpson, followed by Usher, followed by John Mayer followed by Kanye West, followed by Eve/Gwen Stefani....

Might not be what you want to hear, but it's definitely out there.

All that said, the formats have become extremely boring with the corporatization of local stations. You can go from one city to another and hear the same songs over and over...

I hate to say this, but some of ya'll sound EXACTLY like my mom about 20 years ago


.
[Edited 2/24/05 10:29am]

Universaluv said:

There's still a station in my city that mixes it up. I don't if music becoming segregated is done intentionally or it's just that the target audience are too narrow minded to let anything else outside of what they know vibrate insided their earhole.

sinisterpentatonic said:

Do you need to get laid?

Universaluv said:

only WE have a reason to say it!

seriously, i hear what you're saying, and you make a VERY VERY VERY good point about the corporatization of radio...i think future generations are going to look back at these days as the "dark ages of radio" - which, yes, suggests that there will be a renaissance of quality in radio programming, which i very much believe will one day happen when it is discovered that interesting entertainments can make lots of money and get lots of advertisers...still and all, it seems plain to me that it's not just "good ol' days syndrome" that has people bitching about the state of radio and the top 40 hit parade from hell these days...most of the mouthbreathers heating up the charts are just warm body mascots who blend with the stage props - the real stars these days are producers and major label weasels.

FunkMistress said:

Is that a rhetorical question?

sinisterpentatonic said:

Is it?

I don't know, first the eye-penis thing, then you said "earhole." Seemed to the Mistress that you may need to get some soon.

Anxiety said:

Glad we agree on the corporatization point.

As far as the talent out there now, I just think back to the wonderful 80's and remember that for every
that was released,

There were like 20



Either way, judging the relative talent level is too subjective to really get into for me.

To get back to the topic of the the thread, I do think that top 40 music at least is far less segregated than it used to be and that the idea that things are worse now in that respect may be a sign of good old days syndrome creeping in..


.
[Edited 2/24/05 11:17am]

FunkMistress said:

Well, to answer the question yes. I need to everyday. But, I don't think those post were any signs from my subconscious, that in need of some booty. You're just nasty!

sinisterpentatonic said:

I say it's both.

FunkMistress said:

dancerella said:

I don't think so. I listened to a lot of R&B and rap when I was young, and got plenty of looks and comments both from family and people in the neighborhood. I'm not saying I felt like I was an outcast in the community or all eyes were on me, but it was definitely odd for most people. And if people noticed quiet little old me when I was a kid, I know others got similar reactions. My older brother made it pretty clear to me: "This record player is for metal only. No Michael Jackson ever!"


I do, however, think that in the mid 80s radio and record companies were a lot more adventurous and willing to take chances than they are now. As somebody else pointed out, MTV was resistant to anything with an R&B edge to it - much less straight R&B - when they first started and finally gave in after much pressure.