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Discussion: Has mainstream music lost its diversity?
Member Since: 11/11/2010
Posts: 1,720
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Has mainstream music lost its diversity?
My perception lately has been that music has VERY little diversity left to it. Been catching up on some pop culture/music history lately, and I feel like between 1990-2005ish there were so many different kinds of music that were popular (rock, country, r&b, hip hop, pop, dance etc) that all had their place at the top of Billboard and award shows.
When I think of the current music landscape, though, it seems like the only thing that can get popular is pop/dance tracks, that rarely hold onto their spot on the charts for very long because a lot of it is so throwaway.
Even down to radio...I hear Til The World Ends on my hip hop stations, no current rock stations in my area anymore, and I feel like radio has been playing every hit to death because there isn't a big diversity to choose from.
Is this just because of the digital age of music...or are the other genres being pushed out?
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Member Since: 11/4/2006
Posts: 37,808
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Member Since: 2/16/2010
Posts: 69,775
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My "urban" station is playing more & more pop & dance music everyday. They have E.T. & Give Me Everything on repeat.
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Banned
Member Since: 5/15/2010
Posts: 15,858
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Well yeah but I think if the rock bands tried a more Green Day approach in music, then the fans would scream sell-outs. I think it has to do more with them being unable to moved on with the times.
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Member Since: 6/1/2010
Posts: 65,177
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Yesss, and it has been this way for years. Compare Pop radio now to Pop radio in the 90s, and you can see that Pop radio has become stagnant. Yes, you get your "Rolling in the Deep," "Hey, Soul Sister," "Need You Now," etc. here and there, but for the most part, it's dominated by dance-pop or whatever sub-genre that becomes popular at a given time. In the 90s and decades before, you would hear Ace of Base, Whitney Houston, TLC, Nirvana and Sheryl Crow all being played on pop radio at the same time. You don't get that much diversity on mainstream radio anymore.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/8/2006
Posts: 42,086
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Yes
Radio was sooo much diverse in the 90's I worship that decade. I wish I could have grown in that decade
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Member Since: 2/6/2010
Posts: 27,892
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I feel like with most music trends, this one will eventually fade. I kinda hope that the manager of Adele's label is correct in saying that she can change the way the industry works...because I'm getting sick of the same old pop tune over and over again.
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Member Since: 11/11/2010
Posts: 1,720
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The interesting thing is reading about big dogs like Madonna putting out singles back in the 90s and not scoring a #1. Like...songs we look at as iconic. I think that is a good show of how many different markets had control of the Hot 100...now people seem to only know the same crowd (Rihanna, GaGa, Katy, Black Eyed Peas) and everything else is pushed to the side. It is frustrating.
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Member Since: 10/31/2010
Posts: 1,496
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Quote:
Originally posted by RedDlicious
My perception lately has been that music has VERY little diversity left to it. Been catching up on some pop culture/music history lately, and I feel like between 1990-2005ish there were so many different kinds of music that were popular (rock, country, r&b, hip hop, pop, dance etc) that all had their place at the top of Billboard and award shows.
When I think of the current music landscape, though, it seems like the only thing that can get popular is pop/dance tracks, that rarely hold onto their spot on the charts for very long because a lot of it is so throwaway.
Even down to radio...I hear Til The World Ends on my hip hop stations, no current rock stations in my area anymore, and I feel like radio has been playing every hit to death because there isn't a big diversity to choose from.
Is this just because of the digital age of music...or are the other genres being pushed out?
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THHHIISSS.
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Member Since: 11/20/2010
Posts: 12,356
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It's been like this for years now.....
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Member Since: 11/11/2010
Posts: 1,720
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Quote:
Originally posted by GaGaFan
I feel like with most music trends, this one will eventually fade. I kinda hope that the manager of Adele's label is correct in saying that she can change the way the industry works...because I'm getting sick of the same old pop tune over and over again.
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That's what I think too. But the thing was, for most of the last 20 years, there were trends, but it didn't encapsulate the ENTIRE music business. Like, maybe all the pop music had a certain sounds, and rock music had a different one. But they all seemed to coexist more than they are right now.
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Member Since: 12/17/2010
Posts: 10,073
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A lot of it has to do with the internet IMO
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Banned
Member Since: 5/15/2010
Posts: 15,858
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Quote:
Originally posted by RedDlicious
That's what I think too. But the thing was, for most of the last 20 years, there were trends, but it didn't encapsulate the ENTIRE music business. Like, maybe all the pop music had a certain sounds, and rock music had a different one. But they all seemed to coexist more than they are right now.
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I think it has to do with Dance music being the underdog for a very long time. Probably karmic effect.
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Member Since: 6/28/2010
Posts: 5,647
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No just to find diversity you have to find it yourself. Not on the radio
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Member Since: 6/1/2010
Posts: 65,177
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There were several trends at one-time during the 90s. You had your big ballad/MOR hits that made Whitney, Celine and Mariah big-names, the New Jack Swing sound that everyone in R&B and Pop joined in on, the Grunge sound, Techno etc. All were pretty huge and accepted on an equal scale. Seems like Dance-pop is the only thing that is accepted more and everything else is secondary or has to wait in line. That's why there is no real excitement in music now.
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Member Since: 6/1/2010
Posts: 65,177
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Quote:
Originally posted by brit_onstar*
I think it has to do with Dance music being the underdog for a very long time. Probably karmic effect.
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I disagree. What about the techno, disco and synth-pop? All of those were huge dance genres. Dance music has never really been an underdog.
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Member Since: 10/18/2010
Posts: 29,224
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Well, somewhat yes and somewhat no. It's true that everyone is following a fad in musicality right now, including people you never thought would (Snoop Dogg, New Boyz, Usher) and there's really little to differentiate between the songs, but they all have their own persona that makes them somewhat similar, yet tacked onto their own genre.
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Banned
Member Since: 5/15/2010
Posts: 15,858
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Quote:
Originally posted by Razr
No just to find diversity you have to find it yourself. Not on the radio
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Kinda true. Radio stations just can't push something on anybody's ears without demand.
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Member Since: 5/11/2010
Posts: 19,489
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I can't agree.
Because I listen to a lot genres.
Though, POP music has lost a lot of diversity.
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Member Since: 3/27/2009
Posts: 30,284
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Yes and No.
While we do live in an era where dance-pop basically equates success, we can't forget about artists' who are trying a different sound or genre altogether to stand out. We can't forget Adele, Christina Perri, Bruno Mars, Beyonce (for this album), etc. A lot of the music they bring out differs from the same dance Pop we're used to hearing.
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