# Who says popular music is getting worse? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2007, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-says-popular-music-is-getting-worse/388775 "2007-01-21T00:30:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-says-popular-music-is-getting-worse/388775/1 "2007-01-21T00:30:24Z")
At least we no longer have to listen to operatic sopranos a la Jeanette MacDonald, Kathryn Grayson, or Norma Zimmer. Seems like progress to me. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-says-popular-music-is-getting-worse/388775/2 "2007-01-21T00:52:51Z")
Maybe, but if you like operatic sopranos you’re out of luck. As for the quality of popular music getting worse or getting better, I only partly subscribe to “Sturgeon’s Law” (i.e., 90% of everything is crap). While there’s always going to be good music and bad music out there, I think the quality-to-crap ratio waxes and wanes over time. For example, a rich period in popular music like (roughly) the years from 1964 to 1971 will be balanced by a relatively fallow patch like the mid to late 70’s. Also, selective memories play a big role in someone’s evaluation of popular music. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-says-popular-music-is-getting-worse/388775/3 "2007-01-21T01:16:11Z")
[QUOTE=NDP] For example, a rich period in popular music like (roughly) the years from 1964 to 1971 will be balanced by a relatively fallow patch like the mid to late 70’s. [/QUOTE] Then it should be noted that music can become popular retrospectively, because the mid to late 70s were a rich period in their own right. Punk was invented, I think second wave ska came to the scene, and a lot of the seeds were laid for the explosion in styles that marked the 1980s. Just because it didn’t make mainstream Top 40 radio doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-says-popular-music-is-getting-worse/388775/4 "2007-01-21T01:23:38Z")
[QUOTE=Derleth] Just because it didn’t make mainstream Top 40 radio doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. [/QUOTE] Heretic!!! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nuggets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Mr.Nuggets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nuggets)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-says-popular-music-is-getting-worse/388775/5 "2007-01-21T15:09:04Z")
Popular music is definitely getting worse. In my opinion, the last great band was Guns N’ Roses. That includes Nirvana. I detest Nirvana. As far as guitarists go, Slash would eat Kurt Cobain as part of a nice Breakfast. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-says-popular-music-is-getting-worse/388775/6 "2007-01-21T18:18:49Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Nuggets] Popular music is definitely getting worse. In my opinion, the last great band was Guns N’ Roses. That includes Nirvana. I detest Nirvana. As far as guitarists go, Slash would eat Kurt Cobain as part of a nice Breakfast. 🙂 [/QUOTE] I don’t think anyone would argue that Slash wasn’t a better guitarist than Cobain, but what does that have to do with Cobain’s songwriting?