There’s another aspect to popular music, and that’s the sense of community you get when several people listen to the same stuff.
THAT’S why it’s popular
and THAT’S why concerts are fun
and THAT’S why the music industry loves cheese!
rewind - Eseehc sevol yrtsudni cisum eht yhw S’TAHT dna
nuf era strecnoc yhw S’TAHT dna
ralupop s’ti yhw S’TAHT
THAT’S why it’s popular
and THAT’S why concerts are fun
and THAT’S why the music industry loves cheese!
(end Jim Carey impersonation)
Everybody’s listening together. The “artist” doesn’t have to be good. Same thing at a bar or where ever; if everybody knows it, even if they don’t listen to it at home, they remember it and sing along withthe chorus. It’s nostalgia, and that kicks in the first time you hear something you haven’t heard in a few years, not necessarily when you get old.
That explains why I like some '80s music. They played a lot of it art school, a very happy time of my life. I can’t dislike something that I associate with such happiness and excitement. (Even though I don’t actually own any '80s pop CDs, and don’t seek out the music on my own. But when I happen to hear it, I smile.)
Bah. Sabah Habas Mustapha is old man - He’s soooo '80’s :D. This new Indonesian phase is just sad .
( Actually I’m lying - SHM rules :). Though I do prefer the older 3Mustaphas3 stuff. Best World Music band ever. Certainly among my top 10 favorite bands/performers, right up there with luminaries like Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, or The Clash ).
As to this non-appreciation of new music stuff - I find it varies too much to make such a blanket statement. I actually like some of the more modern music ( including the seemingly endless iterations of techno, house, etc. ) over crap that was popular when I was in High School ( like Knight Ranger - blech - If I never hear “Sister Christian” again, it’ll be too soon ). 'course I still have a fondness for some of that stuff as well ( Prince, for example ).
Oh and Sauron, shockingly enough I’d probably take the Bee Gees ( just barely ) over Journey, Kansas, Styx, Foreigner, OR Boston, these days . Though I admit to once liking the last two .
There is a difference between good and bad on the radio…
Teeny pop or whatever the crap is called… Brittney Spears and her dyed blonde clone hordes … can’t sing or write songs.
I’ve been listening to Alternative/Hard Rock for the last two years and its just fine. Its no NIN, I’ll grant you that. But damnit at least its loud, angry (ish at times) and most of the bands can write good music.
Dunno and in the defense of Rap Music, some of it is REALLY good. On the other hand, people found out they can make assloads of money doing it so everyone jumped on the band wagon and now its 95% crap.
Much as I tend to react viscerally against the very mention of rap, I have to admit I occasionally hear something that sounds cool, and then I’m startled to realize, "hey, that’s RAP! and I actually like it. I honestly can’t stand the whole “gangsta” thing, but if someone is rapping over a cool instrumental track, I’m willing to give it a listen.
As I get older, my musical horizons have expanded.
I listen to more music now than ever before.
I think to lump all rap together as bad is a mistake though. I think when most people think of Rap they think of the “bling blang” crap.
brace yourselves, rap haters, but some of it is really good, if you listen to it as spoken poetry.
so,
In a day where poetry has gone by the wayside (or it’s hallmarky drek. I am so tired of the ‘poor tortured soul bleeding their hearts in school girl sentiments for the world to read on live journal’ type of poems – puke!)
some rappers, I believe, have taken the poetry form and modernized it. great raps are nothing more than poems set to music. The way some of the better ones sing, the alliteration and rhyme scheme is pretty impressive.
I do think E.E. Cummings would have been interested in taking a listen.
so that said, Yue Han maybe they are just telling you that rap is crap cause you listen to the shitty form of it?
Looking back at some of the music I listened to, I cringe at its sound (thanks for the reminder kuroashi!)
Having a musician for a husband I have learned loads about music…and now I realize…it WAS crappy music!
Yeah, 3Mustaphas3 is possibly my favorite band. I’ve just been listening to Play Musty for Me, the most recent issue of some of their live stuff.
The stuff I’ve been listening to most recently includes 3Mustaphas3, Sabah Habas Mustapha, Zap Mama, Manu Chao, Bo Diddley, Alison Krause, Akira Satake, Alpha Blondie, Rolling Stones, Howlin’ Wolf, Compay Segundo, Bill Monroe, Ry Cooder, and King Sunny Ade.
Obviously, my musical taste stagnated about 30 years ago.
.
. Though I admit to once liking the last two 
.