New topic
Printablelrn36 said: When I was referring to 80s cultue, I was including music. With Timberlake, I was thinking of Futuresex which was a clear ode to Prince's Minneapolis funk of the 80s. I know that was 10 years ago, but this 80s influence on music has been going off and on for the past decade. Haim is an all feamle band. Yeah, Tronicbox is great. Check out his other tracks. He really is better than most of the producer, arrangers out there. Old school sounds in modern music is a thing that's existed for decades but it wasn't until a few years ago where it caught traction and became a trend. There are various factors, of course but I credit Bruno as the primary contributor. Huey Lewis and the News modernized classic sounds with Sports and it proved to be a popular formula even back in 1984 when there was far more diversity and variety to be enjoyed in the Top 40 but it didn't permeate within the mainstream. Lenny Kravitz was popular back in the 90s with "It Ain't Over Til It's Over" being a big hit for him but there was plenty of new, exciting things people were busy scoping so it didn't spread. You mentioned JT's FS/LS which was a very good album as well as once again, Amy Winehouse's Back in Black which had a stronger retro influence than FS/LS. Both came out around the same time but that didn't change the scene much. Enter this decade with Adele blowing up huge (many argue a large part of Adele's success is thanks to Amy's death) with 21 which had an old school crooner vibe to it. Old school sounds still didn't quite catch on. Then Bruno drops Unorthodox Jukebox and of course, the singles are very successful. Almost immediately after, there seemed to be one retro-sounding hit/song after another that was steeped in or bared a noticeable similarity to old school music. The biggest hits of 2013, "Get Lucky" and "Blurred Lines" were straight up modernized takes on classic music with the latter sounding close enough to Marvin's "Got to Give It Up" that Pharrell and Robin were sued over it. It's cooled off a little bit since then but the demand is still there and we still got old school sounds and references abound from Meghan Trainor to The Weeknd (your mileage may vary) and of course, Bruno. Pop and rap are still the dominating genres but with pop going through this dark, low to midtempo, somber, pretentious hipster phase and commercial rap being incoherent garbage, the classic-influenced songs stand out and provide some much needed color in a very dull, grayed out and hollow Top 40. Pop music earlier this decade sucked to but at least most of it was upbeat and catchy. The Top 40 in part of 2015 and all of '16 were absolute borefests and this year so far isn't looking any better. I guess by saying all this I'm kinda proving your point that old school influenced music in the mainstream has been on and off but I think it'll remain on for a while this time (it's already been 4 years). As a matter of fact, wasn't it last year where more old school albums and songs sold than contemporary ones (or something like that)? I'd point out the article if I had the link but that's testimony to just how an increasing amount of people are getting bored with today's mainstream music. [Edited 3/11/17 12:45pm] [Edited 3/11/17 13:14pm] | |
- E-mail - orgNote -  Report post to moderator |
Great post Motown. So why are people hating on Bruno again?  I don't know what more they want in the midst of crap music. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
|
Agreed. This trend is happening in underground music as well. This band the Orwells comes from an underground rock scene in Chicago which is heavily influenced by 60s garage rock and 90s grunge. The song and video looks like it straight up came out in 1992. Even the band members admit the music they make is not innovative.
I've just come to accept that we are out of ideas, at least, in terms of pop music. Each decade after the 1940s brought new technology, new sounds, and new approaches to music. Would Chuck Berry exist without the electic guitar? Would the Beatles push recording techniques without eight track recorders? Would 80s music existed without drum machines and synths? Would hip hop exist without samplers and mixers? Each new tech opened up new possibilities. Look at the drastic changes to Prince's music when he discovered Oberheims and the Linn drum. So where is the new technology today? Musicians are still working with synths, samplers, and drum machines. How can they be inspired to make something new if they are working with the same tools? Also, mainstream music has now excluded true innovators from gaining success. These are the artist who would have a positive, disruptive influence on mainstream music as a whole. Where are the Stevie Wonders, David Bowies, Marvin Gayes, Beatles, Michael Jacksons, and Princes of today? Maybe they are out, but will never get access. |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Nooooo! He is more of a tribute artist than an innovator. But I still like Bruno Mars and I am glad he is humble with his success. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
lrn36 said:
Agreed. This trend is happening in underground music as well. This band the Orwells comes from an underground rock scene in Chicago which is heavily influenced by 60s garage rock and 90s grunge. The song and video looks like it straight up came out in 1992. Even the band members admit the music they make is not innovative.
I've just come to accept that we are out of ideas, at least, in terms of pop music. Each decade after the 1940s brought new technology, new sounds, and new approaches to music. Would Chuck Berry exist without the electic guitar? Would the Beatles push recording techniques without eight track recorders? Would 80s music existed without drum machines and synths? Would hip hop exist without samplers and mixers? Each new tech opened up new possibilities. Look at the drastic changes to Prince's music when he discovered Oberheims and the Linn drum. So where is the new technology today? Musicians are still working with synths, samplers, and drum machines. How can they be inspired to make something new if they are working with the same tools? Also, mainstream music has now excluded true innovators from gaining success. These are the artist who would have a positive, disruptive influence on mainstream music as a whole. Where are the Stevie Wonders, David Bowies, Marvin Gayes, Beatles, Michael Jacksons, and Princes of today? Maybe they are out, but will never get access. Really, all that's changed about music now is how it is distributed and the industry still hasn't figured out how to do it properly with current technology. Counting streams and views as sales the way they have is partly why the well of mainstream music is so shallow. The internet is a souble edged sword because while acts can get their name out there like never before, they have to compete for attention with the most popular mainstream names on the same platform(s). A&R at the handful of major labels that remain don't seem to be as active as they once were and practices in scouting and signing talent don't seem to be as fruitful as they once were. The music business has always been just that, a business but it seems like it's all about business rather than the happy medium there used to be. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
without pointing the focus on bruno mars, when it's really not about him
what's gonna happen when people grow weary of contemporaries of the moment continuous interpolating from the past as the means to success, particularly the 70s and 80s
not weary of the music that's being interpolated per se, but the continuous reliance of relying on that as a backdrop
if this continues, there will never be a certifiable genre of the future that people can come to appreciate, and thats where it's all headed.....
Hip-Hop/Rap was born unto the scene in the mid 70s and there hasn't been another distinct genre to follow in the past 40 years.....there have been derivaties like neo-soul of the 90s, but that period attempted to refurbish what was done in the 70s......
throughout the 20th century, there was always a leading genre to represent each decade for the most part
I really believe this clip right here says it best.....
the thing is......real R&B, the R&B that Don Cornelius was talking about was the greatest music on the planet that ever was, and when it was at its fullest, everything else was, and what was to follow during its fulfillment was sure to rise too.......when the R&B got destroyed, then everything began to decline to in terms of the overall quality of what was being produced and offered to the public. ... [Edited 3/11/17 15:59pm] | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Scorp said: without pointing the focus on bruno mars, when it's really not about him
what's gonna happen when people grow weary of contemporaries of the moment continuous interpolating from the past as the means to success, particularly the 70s and 80s
not weary of the music that's being interpolated per se, but the continuous reliance of relying on that as a backdrop
if this continues, there will never be a certifiable genre of the future that people can come to appreciate, and thats where it's all headed.....
Hip-Hop/Rap was born unto the scene in the mid 70s and there hasn't been another distinct genre to follow in the past 40 years.....there have been derivaties like neo-soul of the 90s, but that period attempted to refurbish what was done in the 70s.....
throughout the 20th century, there was always a leading genre to represent each decade for the most part
I really believe this clip right here says it best.....
the thing is.....real R&B, the R&B that Don Cornelius was talking about was the greatest music on the planet that ever was, and when it was at its fullest, everything else was, and what was to follow during its fulfillment was sure to rise too.....when the R&B got destroyed, then everything began to decline to in terms of the overall quality of what was being produced and offered to the public. ... [Edited 3/11/17 15:59pm] This whole post is extremely hyperbolic and overly romantic. Things change with time it's only natural hip hop music has been the for front genre of innovation the longest and has been continously changing. So if people are looking for progression of music in the mainstream it has been in hip hop for a while now but if you look down on the a whole genre of music which many people in this forum do you'd never know. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
heathilly said: Scorp said: without pointing the focus on bruno mars, when it's really not about him
what's gonna happen when people grow weary of contemporaries of the moment continuous interpolating from the past as the means to success, particularly the 70s and 80s
not weary of the music that's being interpolated per se, but the continuous reliance of relying on that as a backdrop
if this continues, there will never be a certifiable genre of the future that people can come to appreciate, and thats where it's all headed.....
Hip-Hop/Rap was born unto the scene in the mid 70s and there hasn't been another distinct genre to follow in the past 40 years.....there have been derivaties like neo-soul of the 90s, but that period attempted to refurbish what was done in the 70s.....
throughout the 20th century, there was always a leading genre to represent each decade for the most part
I really believe this clip right here says it best.....
the thing is.....real R&B, the R&B that Don Cornelius was talking about was the greatest music on the planet that ever was, and when it was at its fullest, everything else was, and what was to follow during its fulfillment was sure to rise too.....when the R&B got destroyed, then everything began to decline to in terms of the overall quality of what was being produced and offered to the public. ... [Edited 3/11/17 15:59pm] This whole post is extremely hyperbolic and overly romantic. Things change with time it's only natural hip hop music has been the for front genre of innovation the longest and has been continously changing. So if people are looking for progression of music in the mainstream it has been in hip hop for a while now but if you look down on the a whole genre of music which many people in this forum do you'd never know. But many who are deeply entreched in the hip hop community have been saying hip hop is no more There's always an opportunity to restore things, always have to maintain hope | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Scorp said: heathilly said: This whole post is extremely hyperbolic and overly romantic. Things change with time it's only natural hip hop music has been the for front genre of innovation the longest and has been continously changing. So if people are looking for progression of music in the mainstream it has been in hip hop for a while now but if you look down on the a whole genre of music which many people in this forum do you'd never know. But many who are deeply entreched in the hip hop community have been saying hip hop is no more There's always an opportunity to restore things, always have to maintain hope Yes the old heads. Lol no different from rock n roll rap music is now old enough where there is now a generational divide. [Edited 3/11/17 18:35pm] | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
You're old that's it, therefore you tend to romanticize everything. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |