Well, rock did stop progressing artistically in the late 70's after progressive rock was no longer something fashionable to listen to, and yet there are so many posters here who seem utterly perplexed of why "rock" and its various subgenres seem no longer relevant to the masses. Sure, there are always good underground acts in every generation which continue to carry certain banners and try their best to make interesting music, but yeah...
Personally, while I agree that pop (in all its form) has always charted highest since the 1950's, I'm also of the opinion that the kind of music people tend to react positively to on the radio these days is music which doesn't require much of an attention span in order for them to appreciate it. No thinking or contemplation involved, just the ability to sorta half-hear it is enough for feeble-minded listeners to get their kicks. The depth of an ocean is traded out for a kiddy pool and complete accessibility on the part of the listener.
Also, in regards to the facts that ADHD is more prevalent these days and that there are so many different forms of entertainment now that divide people's attention, many folks (particularly the teenagers who were born back in the early 90's) lack the ability to appreciate or focus on anything fully, and as a result are missing out on so much great music that lies around out there for the picking.
Sure, you can blame the record companies or the media if you want (points have been made already about them), but to overlook the degenerating attention span in people that has manifested over the last century (I'd say since television came about actually, and to some degree the radio before that) would be quite foolish indeed.
Last edited by Anteater; 01-08-2009 at 09:20 AM.
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