The other day walking across campus I was flipping through
my music when a Beatles song came onto the screen. The next song was a new
Maroon 5 song and the difference in time finally hit me. As times have changed
so has the music of each generation. Back in the Beatles time there were few
top bands that really stuck out and everyone knew of and could sing along to.
Every day it seems now I come across a new band or a new song that I’ve never
even heard of but it’s a top hit somewhere.
Culturally the music has changed in
style, sound, and with how it is performed. Back in the 60s people would walk
over to a concert and enjoy the casual experience, dancing, conversation and
music being played on stage. Culturally it seems to have changed drastically to
me, from just a band playing music on a stage to more of an entertainment show
focus. The lights dim, the build-up, the story line, people go to watch a show,
it seems the travel just to listen to the music has died away. In today’s
culture people want a show, they want to be entertained visually as well and so
the music has changed with that. The times have also changed the sound of
music. Before bands crossed over many genres and were a modge-podge of sound,
but now each band is specific in the genre and doesn’t tend to color out of the
lines much.
Why has this changed? Probably because people want to be able to
search a certain genre and if a band isn’t within one they don’t fit and it’s
hard to be recognized. That’s just a theory though. To me the cultural change
in music from random cross-overs playing for entertainment musically to the
multiple genre-specific, minimal words and show-like performance bands is a
negative thing. I love the oldies, the real feel of it, and the music being the
way the lyrics are sung and not what you can make the computer do to the lyrics
like now. What’s your view on the change in music? What part of culture do you
think has driven music to where it is today? I’d say it’s the demand of people
now wanting more for their buck, the change of expecting more rather than just
being entertained. I enjoy both styles of music, but if I had to choose, I’d
trade anything to go to a Beatles concert and enjoy the music rather than the
huge performance of someone today. What about you?
This subject is definitely one that has interested me recently. One of my favorite things to do is go to concerts, but they have started to become tiring and overwhelming at times. Why is it that everyone wants a show with crazy lights, fire, smoke, and the works? I am there to hear a favorite artist of mine perform, not to be blinded by fireballs and smoke cannons. This is just me, many people enjoy the additions.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that is permanent is change. Just like the Beatles songs, were also a change from the past. Music is very versatile and it comes from many sources, even from social changes. Musical changes, follows someones inspiration and the world caught on it. because we love change and things that are different and unique, we follow along.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the whole visual entertainment idea. It's all flash nowadays. Sometimes artists have so much going on, on the stage that you don't even get the chance to realize they aren't even giving you a good performance vocally. Personally I enjoy just the sounds. I could care less about what the stage had on it, and what the artist was wearing. I just want to hear the singing and the instruments. It's always nice to go to a concert where the artist sings even better than the recording of them on a CD. those are the concerts I always remember.
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