Pop, is it corporate garbage or does it have it's merits? (country, metal)

Son of JayJamJah · 07-29-2008, 08:52 PM

Either my post was completely misunderstood all you're all imbeciles.

All I was saying is that there will always be good and bad pop music because what's popular will never be universally popular.

I was not dismissing the genre at all. I was listened to Casey's Top forty here in the US while the future seed of Urban was still wearing water wings.

I am confused by the confusion.

P.S. I'm Hot cause I'm fly.

vinylhasmorefun · 08-20-2008, 06:53 AM

Pop certianly has its merits, I think all genres of music do (yea, even sludge metal and crap). I personally have never been a big fan of pop but with stuff like, say Rihanna, I CAN see why it's popular. Pop can be very catchy and fun to dance to.

zekethefreak · 09-10-2008, 04:06 PM

There is very LITTLE, in the way of current Pop music, that merits any kind of attention. It is 99% corporate swill. So much of it is contrived in the corporate music world, and manipulated in the corporate music world. That is why the Indie singer/songwriters, and established singer/songwriters... SONGWRITERS, being the operative word... are the way to go. Truly artistic music.

Minstrel · 09-10-2008, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zekethefreak

That is why the Indie singer/songwriters, and established singer/songwriters... SONGWRITERS, being the operative word... are the way to go. Truly artistic music.

Yeah, that is one sort of great, current pop music.

~~RockGuitar101~~ · 09-25-2008, 04:41 PM

some real great guitarist and keyboard players in pop music, they are very skilled also in Jazz and classical music even though they don't perform it much.
So yes there are great ones in pop music today.

Whatsitoosit · 10-03-2008, 12:22 PM

that's like saying there are some healthy items in fast food joints therefor it's not all bad. Why would I go to McDonald's for the salad? I go there for the crap.

Brad Stengel · 10-08-2008, 04:12 PM

It really depends on how you define pop, and it seems there's two schools of thought on this:

1. Basically the wikipedia definition, where its mostly limited to the "swill" we hear on the radio. The fact is, whether or not its "corporate garbage", "banal", or "shallow", alot of those songs that we think are awful, mean alot to some people, which is the most honest thing a song can do. There are stupid little girls out there that relate to Avril Lavigne's music better than anyone else, and for that reason alone it shouldn't be dismissed. Something doesn't have to be original to move you, it can be something as insignificant as a chord change from B to B-minor, whether its played behind a corporate mannequin's digitally altered singing, or behind an underappreciated cult icon's grating voice.

2. If we are to take it to mean anything catchy, hooky, etc. (which is the school of thought I attend), then that's absurd! Pop has provided us with the Magnetic Fields, Jesus & Mary Chain, Beatles, Ramones, The Cure, and so many more. And to me, anything with any sort of melody to it, has a 'pop' feel to it.

I'd like to also state why I believe the second definition is more accurate. For an example let's take Pavement's "Slanted and Enchanted" album compared to their follow up, "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain". If someone owned S&E and wanted to know how CRCR sounded in comparison, almost everyone would describe "poppier". Neither of them are pop albums according to the first definition, which makes it pretty difficult to describe when a band is taking a more melodic, cleaner, more accessible approach.

Bulldog · 10-13-2008, 03:47 PM

I'd like to think it is, but there is some horribly commercial stuff I listen to sometimes, so I guess it has its merits

dac · 10-20-2008, 04:03 PM

the beauty of pop lies in the melodies, for me

Brad Stengel · 10-20-2008, 05:17 PM

Someone was saying that they were going to refer to mainstream disposable pop as 'commercial' instead, which will hopefully catch on, seeing as any real 'argument' against pop in this thread has been towards 'commercial' music rather than 'pop'.

08-20-2008, 06:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
vinylhasmorefun Groupie Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: ILLadelpphia, PA Posts: 29	Pop certianly has its merits, I think all genres of music do (yea, even sludge metal and crap). I personally have never been a big fan of pop but with stuff like, say Rihanna, I CAN see why it's popular. Pop can be very catchy and fun to dance to. __________________ http://www.last.fm/user/igetjokes

09-10-2008, 04:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
zekethefreak Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA Posts: 122	There is very LITTLE, in the way of current Pop music, that merits any kind of attention. It is 99% corporate swill. So much of it is contrived in the corporate music world, and manipulated in the corporate music world. That is why the Indie singer/songwriters, and established singer/songwriters... SONGWRITERS, being the operative word... are the way to go. Truly artistic music. __________________ http://unclezekesmusicemporium.blogspot.com http://seandahl.blogspot.com http://www.myspace.com/nomanfan

10-03-2008, 12:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
Whatsitoosit Bringer of Carrots Join Date: May 2008 Location: New York, NY Posts: 648	that's like saying there are some healthy items in fast food joints therefor it's not all bad. Why would I go to McDonald's for the salad? I go there for the crap. __________________ "It takes 43 muscles to frown and 17 to smile, but it doesn't take any to just sit there with a dumb look on your face."

10-08-2008, 04:12 PM	#7 (permalink)
Brad Stengel This Space for Rent Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 815	It really depends on how you define pop, and it seems there's two schools of thought on this: 1. Basically the wikipedia definition, where its mostly limited to the "swill" we hear on the radio. The fact is, whether or not its "corporate garbage", "banal", or "shallow", alot of those songs that we think are awful, mean alot to some people, which is the most honest thing a song can do. There are stupid little girls out there that relate to Avril Lavigne's music better than anyone else, and for that reason alone it shouldn't be dismissed. Something doesn't have to be original to move you, it can be something as insignificant as a chord change from B to B-minor, whether its played behind a corporate mannequin's digitally altered singing, or behind an underappreciated cult icon's grating voice. 2. If we are to take it to mean anything catchy, hooky, etc. (which is the school of thought I attend), then that's absurd! Pop has provided us with the Magnetic Fields, Jesus & Mary Chain, Beatles, Ramones, The Cure, and so many more. And to me, anything with any sort of melody to it, has a 'pop' feel to it. I'd like to also state why I believe the second definition is more accurate. For an example let's take Pavement's "Slanted and Enchanted" album compared to their follow up, "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain". If someone owned S&E and wanted to know how CRCR sounded in comparison, almost everyone would describe "poppier". Neither of them are pop albums according to the first definition, which makes it pretty difficult to describe when a band is taking a more melodic, cleaner, more accessible approach. __________________ These is the musics I own: http://rateyourmusic.com/collection/BradStengel/oo

10-20-2008, 04:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
dac MB's Biggest Fanboy Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land Posts: 2,852	the beauty of pop lies in the melodies, for me __________________

09-25-2008, 04:41 PM	#5 (permalink)
~~RockGuitar101~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 180	some real great guitarist and keyboard players in pop music, they are very skilled also in Jazz and classical music even though they don't perform it much. So yes there are great ones in pop music today.

10-13-2008, 03:47 PM	#8 (permalink)
Bulldog why bother? Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: UK Posts: 4,840	I'd like to think it is, but there is some horribly commercial stuff I listen to sometimes, so I guess it has its merits

10-20-2008, 05:17 PM	#10 (permalink)
Brad Stengel This Space for Rent Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 815	Someone was saying that they were going to refer to mainstream disposable pop as 'commercial' instead, which will hopefully catch on, seeing as any real 'argument' against pop in this thread has been towards 'commercial' music rather than 'pop'. __________________ These is the musics I own: http://rateyourmusic.com/collection/BradStengel/oo