what is going on with music industry?

I think artists should have the right to artistic freedom, but need the explicit label. Most explicit videos imho are just to add the sex appeal to sell their music, but some of them I find really fit with them song.

 

Not that I'm an authority on the subject, but I think your reaction does have some grounding. Quite a few music vids and artists on mainstream TV hits channels when I happen to have them on give me the urge to facepalm. The worst ones are basically just soft porn in a club :rolleyes:. I know, they should be free to express themselves artistically, but when it's just a naked attempt (yeah, bad pun intended!) to grab more views by flashing bewbs with really nothing to do with a song, then it's not really "artistic" expression in my books. Still, as long as the videos have warnings there's no need for guidelines or censorship or such like. And yes, there is an element of "who can be the most douchey, stereotypical cookie-cutter celebrity" culture in lots of the music industry (looking at you, Miley and Bieber).

Having said that there still are lots of vids that are relevant to the song and/or decent. Maybe you might have to go outside top-40 territory, but there are plenty of mainstream artists who make decent music. Also with the web, it's much easier than previous decades to dig up really great music that clicks with you. So I'd say that the music industry has a growing problem, but firstly that there's always been that element there of inane chart tracks and controversial artists (it's just been exaggerated recently) and that it isn't completely overbearing now that we can use the web to escape that part of the industry and find music that has real passion and meaning in it.

 

It is indeed very over-sexualized, and that's why I try to stay away from those top10s and MTVs and youtube suggestions... popular music is probably at the worst point in history at the moment.

On the other hand, outside the mainstream, I think these years and last decade have been outstanding in music. Today is the day when some of the finest rock, metal and such are being produced.

 

You're paying attention to Pop Music Industry, which isn't the Music Industry. The real music industry where people put their OWN music out there for sale, regardless of trying to make sales, is still good. I know it's super cliche, but only when you start doing it for money does your music really start to suffer.

Everyone I listen to or most of them aren't much more well off than I am, and their music is great. it's not grungy or underground, it's still high budget.

My favourite type of music is progressive experimental instrumentals. Many of the songs I listen their style...etc will be popular in 5-10 years. I find that you'll hear sounds in underground music, that will later become the standard for mainstream music.

A lot of the cutting, and synthetics that are really popular today were present in the type of music I listened to as a teenager. People used to think the music I listened to was weird, till it became popular. It really does show you how sheepish people are.

What does this have to do with your question? Well the fact that people just follow eachother means that popular music is becoming more and more derivative and less and less original.

For the most part ground breakers never make it big, it's people that copy their sound and then target it towards the masses that do.

Lady Gaga, Kanye West, not ground breakers, they're the Samsung's and Toshiba's of their time, they didn't invent any of their creations they just took someone elses(the t.v, computer..etc) and made it more marketable to the masses.

Lady Gaga's sound is not unique, Kanye West's sound is a total rip off of hundreds of underground artists.

J-Dilla's type of hip hop sound is just taking off now and he's been dead for like a decade.

Music videos also can be a work of art if it comes from the right person.

These three music videos enhance the song. These songs are all from this decade, the last one isn't actually.

First video shows the destruction of the earth through over consumption. I think everyone should have to watch it.

The second video Mr.Monday actually explained more about the song, and basically replicated what I already thought it was about. Excellent acting in it, it literally is a work of art in itself, without the music it'd tell you a story. It was filmed I think a year ago.

The third one is a story about losing a friend, but the way it was filmed is really visually entrancing.

[youtube]WF34N4gJAKE[/youtube]
[youtube]ZthZSXe5v4k[/youtube]
[youtube]uGCpxOLIzZ8[/youtube]

 

The game has changed (albeit for the worst). If you have a nice face, body, and you can dance really well...BAM! You've got a cool music video that'll get millions of hits on Youtube. I wish that it were more quality and quantity nowadays, but whatever. Don't feel bad. There are always exceptions! Look up: Caro Emerald. She is an amazing singer, talented, and a class act all the way. I was listening to her all today.

 

OP, you're not overreacting. Current pop music is embarrasing and real worthwhile artists don't get money or recognition. So we're pretty much stuck.

Time will tell though; the cream does tend to rise to the top. Around the turn of the millennium I felt that there wasn't any awesome new music coming out, but recently I heard "Drops of Jupiter" again and realized it really is a fantastic song deserving very high praise. Not sure what's happened to Train since because their new stuff sucks but we'll see the great music once this lousy era of garbage dance songs with Pitbull in them changes into something else.

 

People like Miley Cyrus and Ke$ha exist.

 

I must confess that while I stand by my post above, I do sort of like Ke$ha. At least she knows what she is and has a good sound.

 

Yeah, I will listen to Ke$ha and then turn around and listen to Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. So I guess I can't comment on this one -_-

 

It has become so sexualised...I really hate that actually. And yeah most of the stuff is bad...i n fact if my friends put on the radio or I have a new pop hits playlist on every 15 minutes or so I have to pause it & go listen to a whitney/maraih/leona ballad to detox LMAO.

I think rap is one of the worst things with all the swearing & explicit lyrics. though some people can do it in an interesting way.

I guess a segment of people have always felt this about music. I mean for songs like that you still have 'All Of Me', 'Stay With Me', 'Say something' etc. So not all hits need you to expose your body, swear or do silly publicity stunts.

 

People have accused me of having a hipster taste un music but...is just nowdays the music that is being promoted the most is too generic and bland. But there is good music scattered in corners.

I suggest

Battles
Yasser tejeda y palotre
Diablo swing orchestra
65daysofstatic

 

Is it time to play "Spirit of Radio" by Rush?
I think that says a lot about the music industry.
"It's just a question of your honesty, yeah your honesty"

 

This is probably how some older people felt when the music style was changing. Again.

 

I happen to like the obscene explicit contemporary rap / hip hop genre right now.

 

I can see where you are coming from but don't think that shitty music has only started to arrive this era when in fact it has ALWAYS been around. People tend to forget that there are songs that is considered as "nonsense" and mediocre such as the song Sugar Sugar by The Archies.
The Archies - Sugar, Sugar (Original 1969 Music Video) - YouTube and is also the time when Jimi Hendrix was around.
Yes, popular artists out there seem to be very "overtly sexual" but I dislike the fact that people disregard mainstream music completely because there are still who can deliver such as
Sia(check out her album, 1000 Form's of Fear)
FKA Twigs
Alt-J
Daft Punk's recent album, Random Access Memories
Janelle Monae

At the end of the day, I do think that music is subjective and you can't deny the fact that these producers have worked their asses off to think of a way to market the music for the masses and they are given little credit because it's mostly given to the said artist.

 

I can hear you OP. I think many people feeling that way so "Sex Sells" strategy started back fire.

Guess which one of the following videos of Kylie Minogue's late works too much criticized and gave her many negative points in the eyes of her long time fans?

[YOUTUBE]DfQAhii0TzA[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]6g0c9mv0j9E[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]j3VjJKKVNew[/YOUTUBE]

Tho probably Kylie also aware that and there is this video

[YOUTUBE]4VPCprF3K1k[/YOUTUBE]

 

Mainstream music makes me cringe. I listened to 'anaconda' and i thought: Is this how low pop music has become?

Im just going to stick to the music i like.

 

I think part of the issue is that everyone wants their "15 minutes of fame". Shows such as X Factor, Pop Idol and the like have a lot to answer for.