The most dire decade for music

[Icy Gull]

For those who like to criticise the likes of the X-Factor and the bands/ groups it creates, then I would remind you that manufactured music acts started in the 50's with Elvis and the Everley Brothers and have always been around...The Beatles and the whole Merseybeat genre was packaged and produced by Brian Epstein and going right through to groups like New Kids on the Block in the 90's and One Direction more recently.

Massive difference is that the bands of the 60's could play their instruments and most paid their dues touring before they made it, they also wrote their own music. They were not picked for their looks over their musical ability. How many boy bands write their own music or play their own instruments? As I say there was a big difference and that's not taking into account the fact that it was about the music not the image.

 

[teaboy]

The decade after the one you left school. That's the worst one. If not, it'll be the one after that, or the one you were born in.

 

[Mellotron]

It's all so personal. There are examples of good music and bad music in every decade. But the one that we lived through, the soundtrack to our most formative moments will be the one people like most.

Not for me. Can't stand the 90s and that was when I was discovering music.

 

[teaboy]

Not for me. Can't stand the 90s and that was when I was discovering music.

What, EVERYTHING produced between the start of 1990 and the end of 1999? That sounds unlikely.

 

[Jam The Man]

As mentioned, Music really is personal, but with access to something like 125,000 tracks at home in one format or another, I spend a lot of time making playists up for parties etc
Anyways, having compiled lists for 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's specific lists, the 00's perfoms pretty poorly against the other decades, and the general concensus is because there's not really much more 'new' music that can be made (with a few exceptions)

I saw an interview with Billy Joel a few years ago and he said he has accidentally rewritten Uptown Girl 4 times, because he was struggling to find new musical structures!

 

[Jam The Man]

Threads like this annoy me but I find them fascinating just to see how many people are stuck in the past.

Music tastes are all relative to times of your lives.

There were just as many great bands and great music around in the last decade as there was in the 60's, but it really does depend on what you listened to, when life changing events happened and you place in the world at the time.

I was born in '73 and I've always enjoyed listening to 60's music in particular. However, of recent years I've begun to really enjoy 70's music more. However, when I was growing up, 70's music and culture was considered by most my afe as being rubbish.

From a Pop perspective, when I was about 14, if you liked Abba then there was something wrong with you. However, over the last decade their music is loved more now than it was in the preceding years after they split up. However, ironically, bands like Climie Fisher were popular.

Some of the music around at the moment, is fantastic and I enjoy listening to all different types but I'm also going through a period of listening to early 80's Synth-pop and I would always say to people not to turn their noses up at other genres when they haven't properly listened to it.

For those who like to criticise the likes of the X-Factor and the bands/ groups it creates, then I would remind you that manufactured music acts started in the 50's with Elvis and the Everley Brothers and have always been around...The Beatles and the whole Merseybeat genre was packaged and produced by Brian Epstein and going right through to groups like New Kids on the Block in the 90's and One Direction more recently.

All good points mate.

Apart from BritPop, I wasn't overkeen on 90's music much, despite growing up with it... but recently i've been listening to bucket loads of mid 90's commercial club music that i despised back in the day but am really enjoying now.

Of course it wont get better than The Beatles though!
(*hides and awaits threads saying how overrated they are...*)

 

[father_and_son]

Obviously age is a big factor here (cards on the table... all my teenage years were in the 80s so I have an extreme fondness for everything to do with that decade), but the dirge of "manufactured" bands who look good but have no real talent has its roots in the late seventies, was typified by the (s)Hit Factory of Stock, Aitkin and Waterman and blossomed in the 80s, but really has matured under the nuturing of Messers Cowell/Walsh/et al to make 2000 and beyond the worst period in music since Rock and Roll was invented.


Looking at the poll results, I think we have it about right. The 80s have a lot to answer for, but are only about half as bad as the noughties!

 

[Trufflehound]

This goes back to my earlier point, but people seem to be dismissing entire decades simply because of the manufactured chart pop that floats on the surface like pond scum. You've got to dive deeper to find the beauty.

Simply Red are still shit though.

 

[Buzzer]

Anyways, having compiled lists for 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's specific lists, the 00's perfoms pretty poorly against the other decades, and the general concencus is because there's not really much more 'new' muisc that can be made.

I strongly disagree both in that the 00's performs badly compared to other decades or that we are at the limits of what new music can be made.

I think the problem isn't the music but the way in which artists get their music to listeners and the way that we listeners access our music. Getting rid of Top of The Pops effectively killed off any relevance in the charts and the advent of the internet means that anyone and everyone can make music and put it out there. The quality control that the charts and record companies provided is not there anymore because of the sheer volume so the listener has to be a lot more pro-active in a) finding the music and b) filtering out the dross. The more passive listeners are relying on ever-more-commercial radio and TV shows to inform them and unfortunately it's often the lowest common denominator.

Musicians also don't make their money from albums or singles so much but from touring and festivals nowadays (some of the biggest touring bands such as Biffy Clyro, Frank Turner, Bombay Bicycle Club, British Sea Power, Muse go practically unnoticed on TV and radio). I think your comment about Billy Joel is a valid one but all it shows is that artists of any longevity struggle to stay fresh. David Bowie can do it, so many others can't. It's why the ubiquitous covers album is such a popular choice for so many established over the hill musicians.

I can assure you that there are tons of great new bands making great new music but I say that as someone who spends a huge part of my spare time searching it out and writing about it. As I say, there's a lot of dross to sift through but the diamonds are still there.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

The 1720's

 

[Trufflehound]

The 1720's

JS Bach, George Frideric Handel, Guiseppe Scarlatti. All at their peaks around that time. Still played regularly today.

 

[jimhigham]

There is still plenty of great music out there today but no unifying movement just now. Nothing that can be considered a rallying cry for today's youth. Bless 'em, they're missing out.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Very much this.

Look at all the crappy replies in this thread. There's so much good music out there. If you haven't found it, only person you have to blame is yourself.

edit : doh, just realised the thread does in fact ask what you think the most 'dire' decade is so I suppose some negativity is to be expected Carry on.

I strongly disagree both in that the 00's performs badly compared to other decades or that we are at the limits of what new music can be made.

I think the problem isn't the music but the way in which artists get their music to listeners and the way that we listeners access our music. Getting rid of Top of The Pops effectively killed off any relevance in the charts and the advent of the internet means that anyone and everyone can make music and put it out there. The quality control that the charts and record companies provided is not there anymore because of the sheer volume so the listener has to be a lot more pro-active in a) finding the music and b) filtering out the dross. The more passive listeners are relying on ever-more-commercial radio and TV shows to inform them and unfortunately it's often the lowest common denominator.

Musicians also don't make their money from albums or singles so much but from touring and festivals nowadays (some of the biggest touring bands such as Biffy Clyro, Frank Turner, Bombay Bicycle Club, British Sea Power, Muse go practically unnoticed on TV and radio). I think your comment about Billy Joel is a valid one but all it shows is that artists of any longevity struggle to stay fresh. David Bowie can do it, so many others can't. It's why the ubiquitous covers album is such a popular choice for so many established over the hill musicians.

I can assure you that there are tons of great new bands making great new music but I say that as someone who spends a huge part of my spare time searching it out and writing about it. As I say, there's a lot of dross to sift through but the diamonds are still there.

I actually think [MENTION=736]Trufflehound[/MENTION] made a good point but the thread title was most dire decade for music and if that's not a good excuse to have a rant I don't know what is. The 00's is the decade I don't get because there was nothing new, genre wise. As someone else put each decade would see a couple of completely new genres emerge. Even the much maligned 90s gave us grunge and drum n bass (and saw house split in to numerous sub-genres so that what was played at The Zap, The End and Cream were completely different). For me the 00s haven't produced any of that. Maybe I've just got too old and missed the groundbreaking stuff?

That's not to say there hasn't been good music in the 00s. In that 15 albums thread I picked 5 albums made after 1999 - so one third. Just this year I can name albums by The War On Drugs and Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 as the two most regular on my stereo and the new Terry Bickers, Royal Blood and Alt J stuff I've heard on 6 Music I count as really good stuff I've heard in the last two months.

Ultimately, as I said to Truff, this is a moaning thread for miserable people (or those who like writing a quick two minute rant about Coldplay and The X Factor over their cornflakes).

 

[DumLum]

2000's , and it's getting worse

Or we are getting older?

 

[Mellotron]

What, EVERYTHING produced between the start of 1990 and the end of 1999? That sounds unlikely.

Well obviously not all of it, but that's what we're doing here, grouping by decade. There is good and bad in every decade sure, for me the 90s was the weakest since the 60s. Can't comment on the 50s really.

 

[nipponseagull]

Tough. Everyone has their favourites - least favourites. For me, I used to think late 50s early 60s great. late 60s early 70s shit. late 70s early 80s great. late 80s early 90s shit. late 90s early 00s great [although this was Japanese music]. Now I'm a bit more open minded and can appreciate good music from all eras. Although I did vote 00s as the dire decade [ uk/us ]

 

[Jam The Man]

I strongly disagree both in that the 00's performs badly compared to other decades or that we are at the limits of what new music can be made.

I think the problem isn't the music but the way in which artists get their music to listeners and the way that we listeners access our music. Getting rid of Top of The Pops effectively killed off any relevance in the charts and the advent of the internet means that anyone and everyone can make music and put it out there. The quality control that the charts and record companies provided is not there anymore because of the sheer volume so the listener has to be a lot more pro-active in a) finding the music and b) filtering out the dross. The more passive listeners are relying on ever-more-commercial radio and TV shows to inform them and unfortunately it's often the lowest common denominator.

Musicians also don't make their money from albums or singles so much but from touring and festivals nowadays (some of the biggest touring bands such as Biffy Clyro, Frank Turner, Bombay Bicycle Club, British Sea Power, Muse go practically unnoticed on TV and radio). I think your comment about Billy Joel is a valid one but all it shows is that artists of any longevity struggle to stay fresh. David Bowie can do it, so many others can't. It's why the ubiquitous covers album is such a popular choice for so many established over the hill musicians.

I can assure you that there are tons of great new bands making great new music but I say that as someone who spends a huge part of my spare time searching it out and writing about it. As I say, there's a lot of dross to sift through but the diamonds are still there.

Fair do's and well put.
Although my comments were based primarilly on feedback from others, I would suspect my own personal knowledge of music created since probably 2003-ish has diminished as time has gone on as I simply haven't paid the same attention to current music as much as I used to.
I agree there is some very good stuff out there currently, but not everyone gets to hear it like we used to be able to in the past.

That said I just cant stand Ellie Goulding's bizarre voice!

 

[SK1NT]

Easiest poll ever... 2000's utter gash...

I can see good in every decade but less so in the naughties.

 

[SK1NT]

I actually think [MENTION=736]Trufflehound[/MENTION] made a good point but the thread title was most dire decade for music and if that's not a good excuse to have a rant I don't know what is. The 00's is the decade I don't get because there was nothing new, genre wise. As someone else put each decade would see a couple of completely new genres emerge. Even the much maligned 90s gave us grunge and drum n bass (and saw house split in to numerous sub-genres so that what was played at The Zap, The End and Cream were completely different). For me the 00s haven't produced any of that. Maybe I've just got too old and missed the groundbreaking stuff?

That's not to say there hasn't been good music in the 00s. In that 15 albums thread I picked 5 albums made after 1999 - so one third. Just this year I can name albums by The War On Drugs and Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 as the two most regular on my stereo and the new Terry Bickers, Royal Blood and Alt J stuff I've heard on 6 Music I count as really good stuff I've heard in the last two months.

Ultimately, as I said to Truff, this is a moaning thread for miserable people (or those who like writing a quick two minute rant about Coldplay and The X Factor over their cornflakes).

The early 2000's did have garage but other than that all poo

 

[Kevlar]

best undoubtably the 70's
not just punk and post punk
soul funk disco reggae glam kraut rock jazz
worst this decade
not that there is not some great music being produced
but it feels like appendices and doodles in the margins
of an already written narrative