what will happen when people get tired of the 1970-1980s?

[grimmbass]

Hey all...your friendly neighborhood Grimmbass here....

I figured that it was time to post another topic to see just how many responses it could elicit and how many impassioned online arguements it could start! The "knowing your instrument" thread (parts 1 and 2) have to hold some kind of Rockpage record at this point!

So here's my question: Ever since the post-grunge decline of popular music, people have been flocking back to the past 25 years of rock. Where will popular music be in another 10 years after every 80's hit has already been covered two or three times and new music has been popularly abandoned? It's already hard to get "new" music on local (or national) radio? Are people every going to get tired of hearing the same songs?

And will people even want to acknowlege these artists once they discover that they can't read music?:)

[Punkinhead]

I only hope that it has some talent value to it....whatever it is, all I want is to turn on a radio and hear someone do something interesting on an instrument...perhaps why I havent listened to radio in years...

[bassist_25]

For one thing, I think the major record labels will become obselete in the world of Rock music. With record exec fat cats running the show, music is becoming stagnant. It seems like everybody's afraid to take a risk on something different. When I hear a lot of the "new" Rock bands, I'm just hearing water downed Alice in Chain and STP riffs. Music needs to evolve and saying "screw the major labels" is the first step in evolution. With modern technology, the power is in our hands. Now you can record a professional quality album for a few thousand dollars and distrubute it yourself through a great service such as www.cdbaby.com The best part about it is you don't have some suit sitting in the booth saying "Man, you have to rewrite that chorus so we can appeal to the 15 - 25 white male" demographic. " I know I've said all of these same things a couple of times on the board, but it's something I think is true.

Also, it seems like people have no attention span nowadays. I could spend all night, typing out a sociology rant about how we're bombarded with so much information, but I don't feel like it. I don't think much of the music of today will survive. A few bands like Tool will probaly be remembered 20 years from now; but I doubt that Limp Bizkit is going to go down in history as a "Classic". And as far as I'm concerned, Nashville has ruined Country music. I can't even tell one Country singer from another. Nashville is in bad need of another "Outlaw" movement.

There's still a lot of great music being made right now; you just have to search it out. Go to Cdbaby.com and check out the music. Labels like Century Media are churning out quality metal, Epitaph is putting out great punk. There's still great music being made, you're just not going to hear it when you turn on MTV. I think if you make honest music and you are an honest (and talented) artist, your music will survive. People are still listening to Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Miles Davis, and Bach. They were all true artists who excelled at their craft. Nowadays, an "artist" just makes the same album 5 times over.

God, I sound like a fuddy duddy.

[Asundor]

I would like to think that alot of the 70's and 80's bands will live on for a long time.Some of them which were one hit wonders.But alot of those bands at one time were popular for whatever reason.I think alot about the future of music.Its really nuts when you think about it.You have to set back and think is their even another possible way to have a new style of music.Their are so many bands coming out now that you cannot keep up with them all.It seems like bands are breaking out every where.I guess I'm in the wrong place.I've never been into the punk scene but I think punk has come so far now days.I can't wait to see what the music Industry holds for us.Lately with some of the bands I have seen,most bands now are finding out you have to mix a little of everything in your sets.People like ourselves that are in local bands that play some of these old 70's & 80's songs I figure If bands like ours are out playin them atleast were doin our part to keep them alive.Jason/CYPHIN

[songsmith]

As someone who played that 80's stuff when it was new, it really has gotten stale for me. Man, I loved it then... being shallow and self-centered was IN, and I'm kinda good at that! I still like hearing certain songs, but more as nostalgia, not artistic merit. Of course, there are exceptions to that rule, 80's metal in particular still has a lot of influence.
I believe things are ripe for a shakeup. I think there will be a huge backlash against American Idol-style crap, and Britney-clones. I think people will eventually see the Green Day-clones as comically cliched. Nu-Metal will likely run it's course soon. And Country... don't even get me started. I can't listen to Froggy. It just hurts an old plowboy like me. Hopefully, someone will come along soon with a middle finger and a beat-up cowboy hat and just wreck it all for the Beautiful People.
With any luck, the next trend will be Blue-Collar Railtown Blues. Hey, a guy can dream.--------->JMS

[lonewolf]

If you look at the history of popular music, eras come and go. Rock & roll with all of its progeny has been around for what, 60+ years. The much acclaimed Classical era only lasted about 40-60 years, depending on your source.

In the mid 70s, 50s was rehashed with the "sock hops"
In the early 80s, MTV created a boom for video and the music industry was fully concentrated on that. No room for revival.
In the late 80s and early 90s, 60s was rehashed.
Since then we have had a period where 70s and more recently 80s is popular. It looks like a generational cycle of about 20 years.

The overall cycle did not repeat, since we did not see a resurgence of 50s music in the 90s (2nd generation after the 50s).

What will happen after there is a reprise of grunge, pop metal and alternative after 2010? Unless somebody comes out with a radical new sound in rock very soon, it will cease to be the predominant musical genre and a new style will replace it.

I shudder to think that new style could be hiphop.

[Big Jim]

Hey, don't forget DISCO. It sucked then...and it sucks now. That was the worst.

[lonewolf]

Hey, don't forget DISCO. It sucked then...and it sucks now. That was the worst.

Yep Jim, I left it out on purpose, because it sucks and it is not rock.

I have to admit though, when compared with rap, disco is almost tolerable.

God save us if KC & Sunshine invents a new instrument, rearranges a few tunes and ushers in the new musical era of DISCO.

[songsmith]

I can actually listen to some disco songs now, based on musical integrity alone. That stuff was done largely by studio session cats, so the chops are there, usually buried in the mix just under that "chikkachikkachikka" hi-hat thing that a lot of disco songs have. Boy, disco was just EVERYWHERE back about '78 to '82. Kiss did a disco song. The Stones. It was just overkill... polka bands were doing disco albums!
What the hell.. I had me some whoop-ass disco stack-heel shoes, and a kelly green 3-piece suit with the Murphy Mart fake gold chains... I was a stylin' mofo. But I still had long hair, and that same Kiss t-shirt that everybody had, even if they never liked Kiss. Remember that shirt, with the sparkly rainbow letters? And the those giant oval belt buckles that were all shaped the same but had a sticker with your favorite band on it? I digress... what were we talking about?----->JMS

[lonewolf]

Yep Songsmith, if you listen closely to some of those disco songs, they actually had some good composition, especially when compared to modern dance crap like hiphop. Too bad all you could make out was thump-tap-thump-tap-thump-tap-thump-tap.

During those years, I was a member of MAD...Musicians Against Disco.

Do you remember when the plane in AIRPLANE knocked over the disco radio tower just as the DJ was announcing "WXYZ, where disco lives forev...." That was an important moment in film history.

[bassist_25]

In the mid 70s, 50s was rehashed with the "sock hops"
In the early 80s, MTV created a boom for video and the music industry was fully concentrated on that. No room for revival.
In the late 80s and early 90s, 60s was rehashed.
Since then we have had a period where 70s and more recently 80s is popular. It looks like a generational cycle of about 20 years.

Maybe it has something to do with people in their 30s and 40s being financially secure? Usually, it's the youth that defines mainstream music. They take their allowance and spend it on albums. Then they graduate high school and go out in the world; they have rent, car payments, bills, college expenses. Purchasing music becomes a secondary concern. After a while, they graduate college, or work their way up in the company they are in and they have some spending money again. They go back to buying music. Some just love the music of their hey days, others might be suffering through a mid-life crisis. Either way, they are now a major demographic in the recording industry. I don' t know, maybe I'm talking out of my ass, but that's what seems logical to me.

Unless somebody comes out with a radical new sound in rock very soon, it will cease to be the predominant musical genre and a new style will replace it.

I think that's already happened. I don't consider Rock to be "Mainstream" music anymore. I don't want to sound like the "Understanding Your Instrument PTII" thread, but I think one of the many, many reasons Rock is so bland right now is because of a lack of talent in the genre. The artists aren't good enough musicians/artists to evolve. But I don't even know if the record companies would let them evolve. The labels seem to be more interested in signing a band, concentrate on 2 or 3 songs per albm that will become the singles, let the rest be filler, and then let the band record 2 or 3 albums and then they kick their asses out onto the street. The recording industry is more interested in throwaway music to make a fast back. We need another Beatles, or Nirvana, or Bill Haley, but the first step is to realize that if the record labels are in charge, that's not going to happen. So the answer is: GO INDIE!!!!

[lonewolf]

Bassist 25. Sadly, I think you may be right about rock's place in the mainstream. I am hoping that this is just a passing fad, like disco, and that somebody comes up with a new sound.

You hit both nails on the head. It has to do with the financial influence of the people from the era as well as their kids. If you were born in the 70s and your parents were rocking to led zep, then you would probably appreciate led zep 20 years later.

[huntzen]

i think all music is beautiful,and the more u open your eyes to different styles the more you will respect some genres like hip hop & disco.the only thing that sucks,is some of the opinions about these genres.in the 70's disco was the shit .now we look back at it and laugh.today hip hop is the shit,like it or not! i don't really care for any one kind of music but good music. there ia alot of good and bad in all genres

it seems to me that "playa haters"(little hip hop slang)like to put down things that they don't understand.i also think that more than enough the negative opinions on different styles are fueled by racial motivation not musical tallent.

music comes from many cultures,and in our culture "the melting pot" we should be blessed to have so many flavors of music.not to be concerned as to which one is better,but to take all the good from each and make our own new flavor.

whatever the new style of music,i believe it will have alot of the old in it."if its not broke don't fix it"lets just pray that whoever comes up with this new age stuff isn't so close minded.

[lonewolf]

I have an open mind about music. My objection to rap and to a lesser extent, hiphop is the fact that these styles are generally not written or performed by musicians. Generally, they are DJs with a remix sampler and rhyming thesaurus software. The samples they "play" are stolen clips from legitimate musicians who probably worked for hours to get that clip onto a CD. If this is the future of music production, then they can have it.

I have to say that hiphop is evolving from a musical standpoint. Its got a long way to go to reach the level of musical excellence that was established by bands like Kansas, Dream Theatre, Styx, Yes, Rush, ELP etc., etc.

[Victor Synn]

As a singer in an 80s metal tribute, I kinda feel under the gun with this thread, but I like a civil debate, so here we go:

Basically, as I see it, I don't think anyone will grow tired of music from the 70's and 80's. Lets face it...if you made a comparison between, say Pour Some Sugar On Me and Break Stuff from Limp Bizkit, which one will win the day among the majority of people that have heard both? My guess would be the former for one simple reason. That being the fact that it's upbeat, catchy, and has a hook that you don't soon forget. That's what defines the majority of 70s and 80s music. There are still a lot of bands from that time period making records and selling records (Def Lep, Bon Jovi, Kiss, Aerosmith, hell, even Skynard) which tells me that those bands have staying power even past their prime. Look what happened to Marylin Manson after the novelty wore off. Remember what he said last week? Niether do I, because he hasn't been seen since his last album flopped. As for the scene we're all involved in, bands that cover the 70's and 80's really won't go away because we aren't catering to the under 18 crowd. We're catering to a crowd that may have been around when those songs were new and fresh, so they won't ever get tired of them. Remember Giants of Science? Hell, those guys have been around for 5+ years running the same format and they don't show any signs of slowing down. It basically boils down to this...there is a large portion of the club-going community that wants to do nothing more than get drunk, dance, and get laid. As long as that stays a constant, bands like mine and others will always have a place in the scene. Unless we adopt a celebate social structure, in which case we all lose the tight pants and long hair and start wearing flannel again. I haven't been a fan of mainstream music since about '92 and the way the industry keeps pushing less than capable musicians/vocalists in my face the less I'll be inclined to tune to the FM and the more I'll be inclined to keep my XM close to my heart. I would love for some of the old guitar gods to make a comeback and slaughter all these wanna-be's with their talent. That's my two cents, albeit very passionate and hardcore. I can't help myself. I love the music I sing. It's in my blood. It's what has influenced me in the 17+ years I've listened to music. So in my mind, there was no better music than 80s music.

[Ceralynn]

I must admit that I have stopped listening to radio. It's not that I don't appreciate the music because I appreciate all music from country to metal but to sit and listen to that same songs being played every 30 min. is a joke. Hell I've even switched through stations and found that 4 local stations (tri-county area) were all playing the same song at the same time. I honestly have stopped caring about what I hear on the radio. I, however, cannot stand anything more than going into a bar and hearing every band play the same covers as every other band. I would rather go deaf before I would listen to another cover of Jesse's Girl. Don't get me wrong, alot of girls want to hear that stuff so they can all dance around with thier girlfriends and have a good time but no me. Give me my metal. There are so few local bands that will play only heavy and I know for a fact that it's because they are conforming to society and playing what the bars want them to play and not what they want to play. It's heartbreaking to see people who love heavy music to sell out and play 80's music. If you want to make it in the music business you can't do it by playing music that you yourself cringe to listen to, because then your not into it 100%. You have to play what you want to play because you LOVE it and because stage presence and energy comes much more naturally when you get into the song and just let go. So, to all the bands that I know can do it, do it. You might not draw a big crowd around here but once you get out of these little dots on the map (Cambria County, Blair County) you will be appreciated.

[Killjingle]

I take the 5th

[Ronnyd]

Play what you LOVE! LOVE What you Play!

[Ron]

Country Metal... the next new genre. Yikes.

[Banned]

No way, man. Industrial Bluegrass is where it's at.

[rickw]

Time passes so quickly that sometimes we don't stop and really listen. Ken spoke of the past 25 years of popular music, but what about the previous 25 years? Or the 25 before that? There will always be someone who remembers the moment of first hearing a magical song that touched their heart, lit a fire, instilled anger, or made them smile. Take the time to really listen. Music is constantly evolving, morphing, and the only problem is we're in a world that is on fast forward now. Why should I not enjoy listening to one of my favourite songs from past decades? Maybe tomorrow I'll listen to yours on the Backyard Rocker. Who knows, I may like it, the point is, I'm listening.

[cruseaudio]

Change is sometimes a painful experience. Nobody wants it But EVERYONE needs it to grow.

The USA is the ONLY place on the planet where talent is not wanted, not invited and certainly not apprecaited by the popular vote!

Where will we be in twenty years? Who knows maybe one of us will invent the " new rock" that we are all so hungry for.

I took lessons for years to learn that one thing is alway going to be true- there are only 8 notes. What we do with them is up to us!

Peace

[tonefight]

8 notes, thats my problem! I've been working with 12 of 'em ( E, F, F sharp, G, G sharp, A,A sharp, B, C, C sharp, d and d sharp ) Wich ones should I leave out?

Sorry I saw you innocent mistake and had to bust your balls

[bassist_25]

What are you talking about? I play eastern music and your inferior western music with it's half steps and whole steps trembles in the shadow of the mighty quarter step.