Music of the Past vs Today's Music | Teen Ink

Music of the Past vs Today's Music

February 16, 2011
By GiannaA. SILVER, Chicago, Illinois
GiannaA. SILVER, Chicago, Illinois
6 articles 3 photos 2 comments

It’s obvious that when turning on popular radio stations today, you’ll most likely hear one thing and one thing only- mainstream music. In a way, I can understand how it’s likeable. Most of it has a great beat, catchy lyrics, and the type of music is what we grew up with in our generation. Not all house music is terrible music, don’t get me wrong. But some artists of today have forgotten the main components that make a truly talented artist. Step outside the mainstream box for a second, and take a look at how much has really changed in music over the years. Sometimes, not for the better.

Go back in time a few decades, to the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Lots of the bands from these eras have become internationally famous, and their music has become classic. Artists like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Nirvana, and so many other successful bands. All of these bands became famous, because they had something that’s hard to find today- real talent. Many of the bands of the past wrote music that had real depth to it. Their lyrics were meaningful, they wrote their own music, they played multiple instruments, they didn’t use auto tune or synthesizers, and many other factors. Using something like auto tune was considered an insult back in the day. Today it’s almost on impulse, and everyone is using it so it’s not much of an indignity anymore. It’s more of the new regular, which makes it obvious that some mainstream artists of today lack the real talent of the music of the past.

Many of the lyrics have no real depth to them anymore either. Lots of mainstream artists don’t even write their own. The music is repetitive, and the lyrics sometimes involve swearing and the same typical situations, like “going to a club tonight”, “let’s get this party started”, or the typical thought that every song has to be about love, falling in love, being in love, or something having to do with love. It would be great for some artists to try and expand their music into more than just one topic of “love”, and try writing a song about a different issue or situation in life. This music is great for hearing at a party, or something upbeat to hear. But when you actually want to listen to the music, I’m not sure this is exactly what everyone is looking for.

To finish this, I’ll start by saying that not all music of today is bad. There are lots of underground bands of today – and even some mainstream- that still have the actual depth and talent in their music, to become even greater someday. It disappoints me though, when underground bands with real musical talent are getting less attention than a popular artist that constantly uses a synthesizer or has someone write their songs for them. It is an opinionated topic, but I still think it’s something for everyone to debate, whatever genre or era you’re a fan of.

The author's comments:
Just taking the music that past eras have experienced, and comparing them to that of today's led me to putting this together.

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This article has 41 comments.


icqmnicholas said...
on Oct. 30 2017 at 4:36 am
icqmnicholas,
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
60 - 90 . present day Jimi Hendrix . lil pump led zeppelin . XXXtentacion phil collins . Iggy azalea BB King Selena Gomez

on Feb. 14 2017 at 1:01 pm
BennyBoy42 SILVER, Tirana, Other
7 articles 0 photos 9 comments
R.I.P. to music with quality content

Jim H said...
on Jan. 6 2017 at 11:23 am
I would say the golden age of pop music was between 1968 and 1982. That 14 year period saw more talent then the last 3 decades put together.

on Dec. 7 2016 at 1:19 am
I thought this was a great article. Its mostly a rant, and of course biased, but true. There are a few and far between great songs in any era. Although rare nowadays. The reason is because its formatted.
If you understand progressions based on the major and minor scale, you can learn a handful of them, and play 99% of all new songs. In the 60's. Music was a lot more detailed.
If you didn't understand that. If you know that you can paint every house brown and it will sell, you dont need thousands of colors.

JohnDoe said...
on Sep. 13 2016 at 2:27 pm
The Weeknd*

Gia217 said...
on Jun. 24 2016 at 5:29 pm
My entire life I grew up loving 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. I think today's music isn't music. Yes their are bands and artists of today write REALLY good songs... But it just make me sad that people rather listen to Justin Bieber, The Weekend, and One Direction. They make me sick. When lead singer, Adam Gotier left Three Days Grace I died a little inside. I noticed that Three Days Grace was barely on any rock music channels. They write real music yet no one cares... I'm disappointed of 2016

johnbob said...
on May. 17 2016 at 2:46 pm
huh, neat but what about mixing old and new with electro swing?

Antonio said...
on Apr. 16 2016 at 11:06 pm
There's this song by this band called Porcupine Tree ( which are an AMAZING band) called Sound of Muzak, this song points out the music industry today in a peerless way, check it out!

on Mar. 29 2016 at 10:35 am
Music has made quit a number of changes, we all know that, but the music didn't change on its own, it was the producers, writer, artist, they made those changes. When music began it began to fit the era of the culture and thus began the evolution of what some people will now a days call music. For those who were born into the early to mid 90's, our parents raised us to listen to what they knew as music but we can also listen to the difference based on what our grandparents listen to. Music is continuously evolving in a giant circle. Soon it will go back to our era of music

MusicLover said...
on Mar. 15 2016 at 9:57 pm
And WHAT, prey tell, is wrong with synthesizers?!
I'm just messing with ya.

skyvex1 SILVER said...
on Feb. 10 2016 at 1:18 pm
skyvex1 SILVER, New York City, New York
8 articles 1 photo 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There's always a price for what you want"- Steve Perry

Yeah I agree with you. Frank Sinatra who sang in the 40s and 50s mostly when his career was at its best was a very very talented singer, being able to hold notes very long and transition high and low flawlessly with that baritone voice

skyvex1 SILVER said...
on Feb. 10 2016 at 1:15 pm
skyvex1 SILVER, New York City, New York
8 articles 1 photo 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There's always a price for what you want"- Steve Perry

I went insane listening to chains and whip nae nae last year when my pickup teacher guy turned on the same old mainstream radio station everyday. God I hated those songs.

on Feb. 6 2016 at 2:51 pm
ScarletCity PLATINUM, High Ridge, Missouri
40 articles 4 photos 68 comments

Favorite Quote:
Anything that can be done, can be undone. ~Scarlet City
http://eepurl.com/dcyZMn

Another difference: all the good bands wrote their stuff. All the mainstream bands now have writes who write what sells good.

on Feb. 6 2016 at 2:48 pm
ScarletCity PLATINUM, High Ridge, Missouri
40 articles 4 photos 68 comments

Favorite Quote:
Anything that can be done, can be undone. ~Scarlet City
http://eepurl.com/dcyZMn

Point being: Then you and I, @skyvex1, do not listen to the music that most kids do. We listen to the good stuff. Alt. stuff now is good, but not nearly as good as it was 'back in the day'. Besides, am I the only one who notices how depressing and redundant the lyrics of today's music is?

skyvex1 SILVER said...
on Feb. 2 2016 at 11:33 pm
skyvex1 SILVER, New York City, New York
8 articles 1 photo 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There's always a price for what you want"- Steve Perry

THANK YOU. This is why it is so hard to make money in the music industry now. Barely anyone can make a living from it

skyvex1 SILVER said...
on Feb. 2 2016 at 11:31 pm
skyvex1 SILVER, New York City, New York
8 articles 1 photo 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There's always a price for what you want"- Steve Perry

I can recommend a radio station for old classic rock music. It's Q104.3 in the new york region. Not sure how far the station reaches but I highly recommend it.

skyvex1 SILVER said...
on Feb. 2 2016 at 11:29 pm
skyvex1 SILVER, New York City, New York
8 articles 1 photo 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There's always a price for what you want"- Steve Perry

This is more of a rant, but straight out point. Do you truly understand WHY music is bad though. Jesus Christ.

skyvex1 SILVER said...
on Feb. 2 2016 at 11:28 pm
skyvex1 SILVER, New York City, New York
8 articles 1 photo 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There's always a price for what you want"- Steve Perry

Well aren't you a special snowflake. People, there are still many kids and young adults out there that still listen to old music. Please stop thinking you're so special because you listen to old music. While I do agree that MOST of old music, (not all 60s, 70s, 80s music were good. there were some bad ones. wow right) is better than MOST of today's mainstream music. But that doesn't give you the right to brag or point out yourself. By the way, what is up with your grammer?

skyvex1 SILVER said...
on Feb. 2 2016 at 11:25 pm
skyvex1 SILVER, New York City, New York
8 articles 1 photo 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There's always a price for what you want"- Steve Perry

Not all songs are 100 BPM. I think you're referencing to rap and metal. And I'm a Millennial kid, but I listen to many classic rock bands and old R&B and folk, like Journey, The Beatles, Def Leppard, Dave Mason, Paul Davis, Van Halen, Metallica, Steve Perry, Billy Joel, Elton John, etc. I'm a fan of the old music but I don't mind alternative/indie music from now.

skyvex1 SILVER said...
on Feb. 2 2016 at 11:22 pm
skyvex1 SILVER, New York City, New York
8 articles 1 photo 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There's always a price for what you want"- Steve Perry

No, the music industry forces people to make bad music in a way. It is very very hard to make money now since these streaming services suck up all the money that artists make, taking 60% or over of the profit. Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, you name it. No one really buys music anymore. When was the last time you bought a physical copy of a song. iTunes helps a bit, but why buy the song when you can listen to it for free right? So artists need to pump out songs as quickly as possible, thus having no time to actually put real effort and soul into the music. Also now a days music is very diverse. Remember when each decade had a certain targeted music genre or musical sound? Well now everything's very diverse like our culture, so artists don't really know what to aim for or what the young people really like. Just make a catchy pop commercialized song, and there you go, the radio will play it over and over until people are tricked into liking it. Scientifically it is proven that playing a song over and over can make someone like it over time.