What Has Happened To The Music Industry?

7/13/02 | Maryellen Davies

[Wondervixen]

Why has music entertainment gone into the sewer the past 25 years and who is to blame?

Nobody seems to be able to tune in to a music program (short of Country Music Television) without seeing what today's young music executives strive to convince us is "popular music entertainment". In the words of ex-ELO Drummer Bev Bevan, these up and coming manufactured superstars are performing "Rubbish". I tend to agree with him and here's why.

Over the course of Rock & Roll history, it became a classic staple that was added to and subtracted from, but rarely deviated from...A lead guitar...A bass...Keyboards...A set of drums. Those who PLAYED them also sang and I don't think I need to tell you that it took considerable practice to do it well. Walking and chewing gum at the same time is the joke. Singing musicians are where the talent is!

Then, along came Michael Jackson. Sure, the Drifters, Spinners, Temptations, and many other Motown legends performed sans instruments and dazzled audiences with some very cool dance moves, but their vocals were the drawing card. The moves were the icing on the cake.

Then, Jackson splits from his family band and goes solo. The vocals were catchy but the dance moves took attention away from the sound. Youths were imitating the Moon Walk and the strutting around Michael would do (even the crotch grabbing). The shame here is that some idiot in the music industry saw this as the wave of the future because from Michael's moves came New Kids on the Block, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Britney, Christina, and all the rest of the "Dancing Bears" who dominate music today.

It is no longer imperitave that you have musical talent, just that you're willing to wear the revealing clothes and DANCE, DANCE, DANCE. Voice mixers will straighten out the fact you can't carry a tune in a designer handbag.

Forced to "the reservation" of oldies summer tours are the real talents. Real BANDS like The Eagles, KISS, The Who, Cheap Trick, Doobie Brothers, Electric Light Orchestra, REO Speedwagon, and Styx are all but ignored by contemporary radio and only heard if you're lucky enough to have a good oldies station signal. Kids today have little appreciation for these talented icons of the bygone days of playing your own music. No, they cast their adoration upon the Dancing Bears who likely cannot play a radio.

Like the state of education in this country (ie; the "dumbing down" of our children), we have grown all too accustomed to accepting this laziness in music that now glorifies the least talented while the more talented get paid for hiding in the studio or standing in the dark of the stage providing the Bears the music to dance by.

Shame, shame, shame. At least Nashville and CMT still have it right.

[angcat]

i'm not a big fan of shania but at least she can write her own music and play guitar these days none of the retards can do any of that. by the way shania has been hiding is switzerland she did not say one thing about 911 and this country made her rich, and now she will be back to suck up more money from the good ol usa.

[angcat]

not with rob halford................without rob is not judas priest...................

[Tribune7]

Good post. Maryellen Davis has it right.

[Tribune7]

'ceptin for the song Sean Hannity opens his radio show with...anyone know what that is?

It's Independence Day by Martina McBride. Actually it is kind of a lib, all-fathers-are-evil song.

[Tribune7]

Well, sooner or later, we all end up sounding like our parents, don't we?

I think I got to agree with that guy who said acid rock screwed up music back in '72.

[The Duke]

Real music died in 1974. End of story.

I've got two words to respond to that..."Meat Loaf"...

[virgil]

I think that the more complicated or difficult the music is to play the better it gets. The music of the 40s is difficult to play and so is classical and opera. Some of the Bluegrass is hard to play and did you ever hear Beau Soleil? Great music. I always liked Patsy Cline. I don't remember if she could play any musical instruments, but a voice is considered by some to be an instrument and Patsy's voice was just velvet.

[Tribune7]

You know, Bat out of Hell was a pretty good album. But it took me years to appreciate it because I was exposed early to the intro to "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth."

[SevenofNine]

Hey Nick I am GenerXer I am into Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith Muddy Water

You are right most of music is manfacuted PUFF

[TomServo]

At least Nashville and CMT still have it right.

Living in Nashville, all I can say is -

You've got to be kidding.

[StoneColdGOP]

Well, that's one thing I've complained a lot in many a video I've seen for songs in recent years. All this dancing and wobbling around, for some reason it doesn't really impress me at all.

That's why when you listen to that God-awful "pop" crap on the radio, it's often some remix made to fill in the dancing spots with something to listen to so you won't switch the station.

Hell with it. I want to hear instruments and vocals. That's what gets me to buy a CD, not some teeny bopper airhead wearing a rubber band dancing around.

As for country, I'll admit it's still comparatively honest, but not what it once was. I'm still not as comfortable with the infusion of pop into country, just as I was apprehensive about the "rap-rock" hybrid.

[StoneColdGOP]

Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, or Sammy Davis Jr.

Their instruments were, of course, their incredible voices they were blessed with. And in Sammy's case, he also had the drums as well as the damnedest pair of tap feet ever known to man.

And that was the key: Just like Alice and Ozzy, they gave you a show of both talent and showmanship, and a hell of a one at that.

[StoneColdGOP]

How so?

[StoneColdGOP]

the concepts of divorce, alcoholism, depression, loneliness - and country fills that gap for adults

Damn straight, son. A bottle of 90 proof and a Merle album...

[StoneColdGOP]

it is kind of a lib, all-fathers-are-evil song.

Bullshit. The dude was a wife-beating SOB. And it never said anything to implicate all dads.

[StoneColdGOP]

LOL... You're still young, that may all change.

[StoneColdGOP]

I pray that someway, somehow Rob will reunite with Judas Priest for a tour.

It's like Black Sabbath with anyone other than Ozzy fronting, somehow, it just ain't right.

[Silly]

Real music died in 1974. End of story.

I remember that. It was in June.

[StockAyatollah]

REO Speedwagon was a real band? I was taking this article seriously until I read that statement. REO Speedwagon had as much talent as the Monkees or The Backstreet Boys: marginal. Every era in pop music has its commercial stars and its talented musicians. Occasionally the two overlap, i.e. Sinatra, The Beatles, Yes, ELO, Mojo Nixon.