The problem with music today

Just had a sneak preview at a movie called "Before the Music Dies" (see video below) and it got me thinking. I think the premise of the video is that mkanufactured pop where a 19 year old girl writes with a 45 year old man is bad or something along those lines. I have some major reservations with this premise. First of all, experience matters in music as well as anything else in life. The young 19 year old 'newbie' most often have no clue on how to write a pop song let alone a hit song. (Article continues below).



Songwriting is a skill not many possess on their own. A lot of bands/artist who by 21 have written 300 songs often don't have good songs or get self indulged without learning from others. Before the Beatles practically all songs were written by specialist songwriters. Can someone tell me what's new here ?

Also if you go back every single music decade and there is a heck of a lot of manufactured bands the only difference is that the managers of today and production companies have turned it into a science. From Elvis to Motown, from The Beatles to Madonna, there has been a careful crafted manufacturing process. Creating the archetypal popstar is what development is all about.

The problem with music today is the homogenisation thereof. In days gone by you had a whole gamut of artists spanning all genres and styles each with their own sense of manufactured ideas and artists. For crying out loud even the notion of a pop song is manufactured and crafted to the last drop. It was only when Dance music exploded in Europe in the 80's and 90's, did we see some difference in the construction of songs and that only lasted a short while and is now only evident in just the 12 inch versions (btw even this has specific structures and formulae you must not ignore).

Notice that our US friends still don't get Dance music because America more than any other pop producing nation relies heavily on formulae and labels don't like bringing in new ideas. I suggest that our American friends look overseas for musical creativity and invention, afterall Europe and the UK in particular is mostly responsible for the most innovative musical ideas. No disrespect to our American friends, they are much better at refining existing ideas and making them bigger.

I don't mind popstars fronted by simle young naive singers but i don't want to just consume music in this fashion. If you take time to read this post, browse through Myhotmusic playlists and recommendations and discover music from all genres and all types of artists. From manufactured pop to deep troubadours. If it sounds good, it's good for me.