There’s no shortage of people claiming that music is declining; this narrative has even been supported by research.
Studies have demonstrated that pop music tends to be slower in tempo and less harmonically complex, with lyrics exploring self-importance, anger, greed and hatred being predominant themes.
The Music Industry
Music is an incredible medium for self-expression. From Bach concerts and Rolling Stones songs to genre-defying hip hop tracks, many individuals feel passionately about their chosen form of expression – but is it fair to suggest that overall musical quality has declined?
Over the past decade, the music industry has experienced massive disruption. The transition from CDs to streaming services has altered how music is promoted and sold; as well as creating a whole new generation of artists who can reach fans worldwide through these services. This globalization of pop music has resulted in distinct styles emerging in Latin America and Asia that influence US-based pop.
Changes have resulted in an explosion of music production. While this increase has brought in talented musicians, quality has suffered due to artists focusing more on commercial success and less on creating great pieces – evidenced by pop musicians today writing songs about drugs, fast cars and relationships which are extremely problematic.
However, record companies bear much responsibility for the decline of modern pop music’s quality. Record companies used to be dominant players in the industry and could control everything from production to marketing and distribution of records, forcing artists to follow their rules or risk being dropped from their label; radio stations and television programs would only permit performances on popular shows in order to gain exposure and popularity.
This system may have worked for some musicians, but it wasn’t ideal for most. In order to break out and create truly great music, artists needed to possess extraordinary talent. Unfortunately, maintaining such high levels over several decades is challenging – leading to many well-known musicians releasing subpar work later in their careers. Only those artists with both immense talent (rare) and genuine interest in music (even rarer) can sustain consistently good work over decades of work.
The Lyrical Quality
Music has often been seen as declining over time. This argument dates back to 1920s jazz critics’ claims about sound decay before progressing through rock & roll, beat groups, and today’s pop music.
Modern pop music may be in decline for various reasons. One major cause is shorter songs being released on the charts; most songs now release within two minutes or less and require artists to focus more on lyrics and sound than on musical details such as bridges, pre-choruses or second verses; it has also lead to less harmonically distinct elements like chord progressions or key changes being included in songs.
Modern pop songs have increasingly poor lyrical quality. Many songs on the charts contain lyrics with inappropriate or even meaningless content. However, this differs greatly from music of old which always contained lyrics with some sort of social or political message. Furthermore, modern music is heavily mechanised, making it harder for musicians to show their full musical talent. Many of the most successful artists on the charts do not play an instrument themselves and instead rely on song writers to craft their music for them, making it hard for talented musicians to stand out and craft truly original music that stands out.
Final point to keep in mind about music: its subjectivity. Once one sound or style becomes popular, other artists quickly imitate and copy its sound/style – leading to an overall decrease in musical quality as each new artist strives to create something that will appeal to as many listeners as possible.
The Audience
Audience is defined as any person or group of people who encounters art works such as literature (in which case readers) theatre music video games etc. Audiences can often be highly critical but also supportive or even loving of artistic performances and installations; certain forms of art invite direct audience involvement while others don’t require direct audience participation.
While the statement that pop music is worsening may seem subjective, its scientific foundation can substantiate this claim. A recent study by researchers at the University of Innsbruck in Austria examined 353,320 popular songs from 1970-2030 and discovered a slowdown, simplification, and repetition over time – as well as an overall decrease in musical timbre (texture and color of sounds used in composition).
Study findings revealed that song lyrics had increasingly focused on self-gratification rather than society or community; more frequently using antisocial words; and with 2010s receiving by far the lowest music quality score since 1970.
Alongside these musical trends, the average attention span has decreased over the years, leading to the rising popularity of songs with simplistic structures – easy for people to consume than complex classical pieces which take years of study and understanding their lyrics.
Furthermore, today’s music fans are more open-minded than their predecessors were; they are more accepting of songs by artists with diverse genders and ethnicities; this holds especially true among younger demographics using platforms such as TikTok; these youngsters tend to be more accepting of pop music from different countries and decades than their elders were.
Every aging generation tends to look down upon its successor and criticise their music, whether that means an elderly judge scoffing at The Beatles or an MP condemning Sex Pistols – it has long been part of human tradition, yet is this fair?
The Artists
Pop music is a genre of song characterized by short, catchy tunes that are easily sung and designed to reach as wide an audience as possible. These mainstream tunes often cover subjects like love, relationships, life experiences and have explicit lyrics that address such subjects. Many believe pop has declined over time due to fewer artists entering the limelight while newer talent are often less exciting to listen to.
However, the perception that music has worsened is highly subjective; many top quality works are being produced today. Furthermore, as music reflects society and thus changes with time and evolves with times. Plus there’s lots of creativity beyond mainstream chart toppers!
Thus, it would be unjustified to judge pop music solely based on what’s currently popular; we should recognize and celebrate all the different styles and genres created by contemporary artists.
There is no disputing that some artists do decline over time, due to no longer belonging to a young culture like they once did and thus no longer being able to relate to what’s going on around them. However, this doesn’t mean all musicians get worse as they age – indeed some of the most talented singers and songwriters saw their skills reach their peak when younger.
Some artists have remained at the top of the charts for decades and still produce music that resonates with listeners worldwide. This speaks volumes about their talent; many continue to push boundaries and inspire listeners with their creativity. Although some may argue that music has declined since their creation, this opinion can vary significantly depending on individual taste and nostalgia.