There's still quite a lot of good music being made. Just because you're too lazy to look beyond MTV and Crap Channel radio to find it doesn't mean it isn't out there.

El Freak: There's still quite a lot of good music being made. Just because you're too lazy to look beyond MTV and Crap Channel radio to find it doesn't mean it isn't out there.

yeah, this is acting like really crap pop music didn't always dominate the charts.

No question about it, video did kill the radio star.

WaltzingMathilda: El Freak: There's still quite a lot of good music being made. Just because you're too lazy to look beyond MTV and Crap Channel radio to find it doesn't mean it isn't out there.

yeah, this is acting like really crap pop music didn't always dominate the charts.

Not to mention, nobody forced anybody to do what was being done on MTV. If there's a market for something, there will eventually be a product for it. Pop music doesn't suck because MTV was succesful. While there's an argument that MTV raised the profile of some really terrible music, that's the nature of the beast--the richest, most powerful corporations can pay for the most advertising.

And that's all MTV is. Sometimes entertaining, sometimes highly artistically fulfilling but, nevertheless, advertising.

They certainly didn't contribute in improving music quality, that's for farking sure

I can't remember who said it, but it went something like...

Every generation has a crap load more shiat music than good. Then 20 years later, the only music that is remembered is the good music. That is why everyone thinks that music was better N years ago.

oh, and put me in the camp that believes videos are pure poison that mainly exist for the purpose of marketing music in a pretty package

im sure some see artistic value in all this. Perhaps, but in the end its just rock star wasting time lip-synching for the camera while they could be doing something creative instead

Somebody broke the obvious tag again?

I think there's tons more singers now who got their shot or have their fame because of how they look rather than how they sound or how talented they are. Maybe it's selective memory, or maybe it's just that appearance-driven farkers have become the majority.

Peripheral presence of Poison trifecta now in play?

Bands began to make albums with "hits" and destroyed their musical integrity. This is what happened to progressive acts such as Pink Floyd...

That's funny, I thought it was Roger Waters' HUGE EGO that farked up Pink Floyd.

That's some mighty fine reporting there College Student Finding His Own Voice and Opinions.

//Keep at it though, you're on your way to not being a brainwashed zombie.

Wait, wait, wait... what the hell does MTV have to do with music?


/ok, Im exaggerating.. I do remember way back when...
//but still, anyone born in the mid 90s probably doesnt associate MTV with music

Oh please. There was crappy music in the 70s, there was good music in the 70s. There is crappy music now, there is good music now. Always has been, always will be.

No one can agree on the heyday of popular music, because everyone is of the opinion that it occured during their late teens/early twenties.

februarymakeup:
And that's all MTV is. Sometimes entertaining, sometimes highly artistically fulfilling but, nevertheless, advertising.

MTV has not been that for about 15 years. It is 24-hours of reality TV. It has been since about 1998. It has consumed VH1, VH1-Classic, and several of its MTV off shoots. It is a total waste of channels and the people who program those shows should be tortured until they beg for the sweet release of death, only to be forced to watch their own channels until we get tired of the noises of agony they make.

downstairs:
No one can agree on the heyday of popular music, because everyone is of the opinion that it occured during their late teens/early twenties.

THIS

/BTW, the mid 90's was the heyday of music
//Wait, what? That was my early 20's? SHIAT

It's a cliche, but MTV doesn't really play much music anymore. Years ago, I recall the only time I could seem to consistently catch musical acts on the channel was on TRL (where the songs were often shortened for the sake of more broadcast antics), and really really late at night. The rest of the time was MTV reality shows.

When I was a wee tike in the 80s, a substantial portion of the programming was just music, or shows that were just music of a certain type. Slowly shows like Remote Control and what not began to take up the primetime slots. By the 90s it was more like the first bit I mentioned. I think they might've played music during the day, but does it really matter if they're playing music while you're at work and kids are at school?

I can't recall the last time I spent any time on MTV, but when flipping through, the programming seems more rap-centric than it used to be and the actual reporters at the News Desk seem to have been replaced by oddly-dressed people.

big_pth: februarymakeup:
And that's all MTV is. Sometimes entertaining, sometimes highly artistically fulfilling but, nevertheless, advertising.

MTV has not been that for about 15 years. It is 24-hours of reality TV. It has been since about 1998. It has consumed VH1, VH1-Classic, and several of its MTV off shoots. It is a total waste of channels and the people who program those shows should be tortured until they beg for the sweet release of death, only to be forced to watch their own channels until we get tired of the noises of agony they make.

Oh c'mon.. tell us how you really feel!

/kidding.. I agree 110%
//maybe they should film it/air it as a new reality show.. one I *might* actually watch

downstairs: h please. There was crappy music in the 70s, there was good music in the 70s. There is crappy music now, there is good music now. Always has been, always will be.

I think the problem is is that most of us are hard-pressed to think of any bands that are both good AND popular. The only one that immediately comes to my mind is The White Stripes, but even that choice leaves me a little unsettled.

It's sad that anyone finds any value whatsoever in anything that MTV does these days. I'm going to make sure I die young enough that I won't have to see what the next generation who grew up on MTV in the 90's and 2000's do.

FeedTheCollapse: The only one that immediately comes to my mind is The White Stripes, but even that choice leaves me a little unsettled.

Are you f*cking kidding me with this White Stripes shiat? They are not horrible, but they're not good.

Popular...yes.

platts42: I thought it was Roger Waters' HUGE EGO that farked up Pink Floyd.

Yeah, someone didn't read their history. Roger Waters decided that He was pink floyd, and the others who had contributed just as much as he had to their success, they didn't matter.

Proved his ass wrong.

jaylectricity: FeedTheCollapse: The only one that immediately comes to my mind is The White Stripes, but even that choice leaves me a little unsettled.

Are you f*cking kidding me with this White Stripes shiat? They are not horrible, but they're not good.

Popular...yes.


Hey, I said I wasn't happy with that choice, but I'm hard-pressed to think of another act that comes close to the popular/good equilibrium. White Stripes do have some good stuff, but also some awful stuff as well.

darkhorse23: Proved his ass wrong.

Quote from Columbia's record executives: If Roger Waters's ass is wrong, I don't want to be right.

I hope Daft Punk fans read this thread.

FeedTheCollapse: Hey, I said I wasn't happy with that choice, but I'm hard-pressed to think of another act that comes close to the popular/good equilibrium.

I wanted to come back with a band but then you threw that "equilibrium" word in there.

Now I'm having a hard time.

I read the article, and what's the point? It's poorly written and doesn't cover anything that hasn't been said before. This is just one of those things that ends up on Fark for no other reason than starting a flame war.

I think Outkast had the popular/good thing going for the first half of this decade, though everyone got pretty sick of "Hey Ya" after a while.

Man, I wish I was an undergrad in college again, so I could be outraged about stupid crap and be applauded by my friends for it.

Those were easy times: the faux-intellectualism, being philosophical about everything, signing a name to whatever petition floated in front of your face, drinking whatever floated in front of your face, and suffering consequences for almost none of it.

"MTV SUCKS! IT DOESN'T REPRESENT TRUE ARTISTRY!"

Yeah, welcome to 20 years ago, pal.

19Cranes: I think Outkast had the popular/good thing going for the first half of this decade, though everyone got pretty sick of "Hey Ya" after a while.

The first few Outkast albums were amazing ... well beyond "good." The one you're talking about was hardly Outkast because it was 2 separate solo albums packaged as "Outkast." They are one of the best hip hop acts of all time.

19Cranes: I think Outkast had the popular/good thing going for the first half of this decade, though everyone got pretty sick of "Hey Ya" after a while.

Ignore my post above if you were saying that Outkast was actually really popular and really good. The way I read it at first was that you were saying they were popular but not good.

MTV went right in the toliet when they decided to become the "Generation X Lifestyle Channel".

Music videos? They suck, mostly.

MTV may not have been super duper good, but trying to blame MTV for the downfall of music is patently stupid, and wrong. Anyone remember 120 Minutes? For a lot of people that was the only place to hear music like that at the time. Plus in the early years MTV had all sorts of stuff playing.

jaylectricity: I wanted to come back with a band but then you threw that "equilibrium" word in there.

Now I'm having a hard time.

after reading a couple post, I'd probably put Outcast up there too. Granted, "hey ya", was overplayed beyond fark, but it was a good track otherwise. Outcast's probably not something I'd really go out of my way to listen to, but they seem to be good at what they do and not content to be pigeon-holed.


I'll probably get some flack for it, but I would also add Radiohead. Mostly because they maintain popularity despite being experimental (yes, i am aware they are not the first to do what they do...) where other bands would need Beatles-level popularity to go that route.

But yeah, 2 bands that have been around for nearly 2 decades and the White Stripes. That's all the mainstream really has going for it.

zappaisfrank: MTV went right in the toliet when they decided to become the "Generation X Lifestyle Channel".

THIS. Before that, MTV was music videos and then some cartoons. It was what it was, and you liked it or you didn't. Then MTV for who knows what reasons decided to take what they had, which was pretty spiffy, and throw it all away.

Is the obvious tag busy listening to Britney Spears?

FeedTheCollapse: "hey ya", was overplayed beyond fark

And you can't blame them for it, after all not like they could call up radio stations and go "Stop play our song so much!". Yeah we all got a bit tired of it, but can't lay that on the group as a demerit for them. Wasn't their doing.

FeedTheCollapse: after reading a couple post, I'd probably put Outcast up there too. Granted, "hey ya", was overplayed beyond fark, but it was a good track otherwise.

Bombs over Baghdad was an awesome song though. Of course that was only mildly popular.

WhyteRaven74: And you can't blame them for it, after all not like they could call up radio stations and go "Stop play our song so much!". Yeah we all got a bit tired of it, but can't lay that on the group as a demerit for them. Wasn't their doing.

I was using that mostly as a way of defending myself from those only familiar with Hey Ya. Agreed that B.O.B. was much better.

There is a crap ton of awesome music out right now (though it wouldn't be on MTV even if they went back to playing videos 24/7).

I love the whole "waaaa MTV made people pay attention to style" thing, can definitely tell which people have never heard of the Sex Pistols before.

FeedTheCollapse: I was using that mostly as a way of defending myself from those only familiar with Hey Ya

Oh I totally got that :) My point was for the people who react to a song being overplayed by disliking whoever made it or who decide that if someone has a song that is overplayed then they must suck.

WhyteRaven74: I love the whole "waaaa MTV made people pay attention to style" thing, can definitely tell which people have never heard of the Sex Pistols before.

I blame Visage and Roxy Music

FeedTheCollapse: I was using that mostly as a way of defending myself from those only familiar with Hey Ya. Agreed that B.O.B. was much better.

My vote goes to So Fresh So Clean

LewDux: WhyteRaven74: I love the whole "waaaa MTV made people pay attention to style" thing, can definitely tell which people have never heard of the Sex Pistols before.

I blame Visage and Roxy Music

FeedTheCollapse: I was using that mostly as a way of defending myself from those only familiar with Hey Ya. Agreed that B.O.B. was much better.

My vote goes to So Fresh So Clean

My vote goes to almost everything from Southern Playalistic, ATLiens and Aquemeni.

LewDux: I blame Visage and Roxy Music

hah good ones. I always have to chuckle at how Roxy Music changed their look.

EatHam: Every generation has a crap load more shiat music than good. Then 20 years later, the only music that is remembered is the good music. That is why everyone thinks that music was better N years ago.

THIS.

I love pissing off my local once-upon-a-time-hipper-than-thou Woodstock Nation types by reminding them that the #1 song on the charts during their precious weekend in the muck was the steaming load known as "In The Year 2525".

If I feel really trolly I'll say that Sha Na Na at Woodstock was way better than Hendrix. You hit half a million acidheads with a hyperspeed version of "At The Hop", it's way more freaky than yet another 10-minute distortion wankfest.

No less an authority on weirdness than Frank Zappa called Sha Na Na "the freakiest group" he had ever seen.

They've turned rock and roll rebellion into Pat Boone sedation, making sure there's nothing left to the imagination.

/MTV get off the air
//NOW!

Yeah, yeah, and youth culture killed my dog too, but I got over it. I'm more intrigued at how far from out of nowhere this story traveled to make it to Fark. When was the last time we had something from the "Intermission" section of the University Chronicle, Newspaper of St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota make it on here, eh? Sure, this thing sounded like a freshman (or high school) term paper with an obvious agenda, and yes, the issue of MTV ruining music is so hackneyed that Ric Romero did a story about it three years ago, but some how this is Joseph Froemming's lucky day. His little music column that he totally phoned in went national. Sure, just on the Fark music tab, but hey, it's exposure.

There hasn't been an ugly rock star for over twenty years now.

Radiohead comes close but that is an anomaly.

All current pop sensations are pre-fabricated kewpie dolls.

There can NEVER be another Ramones or Iggy Pop.
If no vapid 12 year old girls will put up your poster on their bedroom walls,you won't get a recording contract.

You could write lyrics like Bob Dylan and music hooks like Lennon/McCartney but if you are chubby or hard on the eyes....you will go nowhere.

Period.

FeedTheCollapse: I think the problem is is that most of us are hard-pressed to think of any bands that are both good AND popular. The only one that immediately comes to my mind is The White Stripes, but even that choice leaves me a little unsettled.

The White Stripes are just ripping off and rehashing 70s rock, so it's not like they're anything new or fresh.

What really killed music was when the corporate powers that be stopped being driven by the culture and figured out they could effectively drive the culture themselves. It used to be that they didn't have a clue and people laughed at their lame attempts to be hip, but they learned.