Urban Hat€monger ?

I don't think it's a coincidence that the decline happened totally in parallel to the emergence of the big 4 labels.

In the 60s & 70s it was more of a level playing field. There were no such thing as indie labels because there was no monopoly to be independent from. There were literally hundreds of labels looking to have hit singles & albums. As time went on monopolies were formed labels got bigger & started buying out smaller ones , taking over radio playlists with MTV speeding up the process until we get to how things are now with 4 huge companies dominating virtually everything & loads of small labels who can't even get a sniff in.

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Rainard Jalen

Yeah, good point. I suppose that would seem to be the most viable explanation. With music increasingly becoming an industry and a massive commercial enterprise, the labels, rather than artists, began to dictate what music ought to sound like. So then, I guess it became more about finding winning formulas and sticking with them than creating something new and interesting, progression, development and experimentation.

Um, if you're not interested in the discussion, why are you coming in? If you are picking at that wording in particular, then the point was simply that bands of real substance and innovation, with a vision of their own, were hugely successful on a commercial level. But they tend not to be today. Forget about the "critically recognized" part, it was just to illustrate the point in fewer words.

jackhammer

I think the access people have to mainstream music has increased tenfold in the last 20 years and the big companies (as Urban states) have a monopoly on these things therefore crap will sell more. on the other hand the access to non mainstream has increased significantly too, so those of us looking for something different can find it easier and lament the fact that the majors arent picking it up. I understand your point and I agree with a lot of it. Perhaps I should rephrase my general replies and say that I'm not remotely interested if the mainstream sucks because I don't like it anyhow!

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Rainard Jalen

Big question on my mind is, in this internet age of information where, as you say, better music has much more potential for an audience and has easier access, why is it that people are still nonetheless content with settling for garbage and having such low standards? I mean, I'm even talking about those who describe themselves as serious rock fans, not just casual listeners.

jackhammer

Yeah i must admit it puzzling. I think laziness has impacted so many people in all aspects of their life these days. I certainly think that people are less open to be different these days than in the past. In Britain todays youth is mainly indistinguishable from one another. I suppose it is easier to follow the crowd for some instead of being in the front of a brand new one.

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tkpb938

Mainstream is by definition mindless, and catchy.

sleepy jack

Frank Zappa Explains the Decline of Music - Video

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jackhammer

Catchy? not a term that encompasses all mainstream rock.

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Rainard Jalen

And mindless, not a term that has always encompassed all mainstream music.

tkpb938

Sorry, let me rephrase: "Mainstream is generally mindless, simple music with catchy lyrics."

Edit* I'm talking uber mainstream here. (think britney, Rihanna etc.)