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Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

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Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#171

Post by rorykoehler »

ehnto wrote: post #166
tobr wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You say “music characteristics hadn’t much to do with it” but then you list a number of specific characteristics that make music more likely to work on radio. That suggests the opposite of “any music will do”. Only music with very specific qualities will do. Or maybe you just meant to say you don’t like pop?

I think they mean pop music lacks musicality, most of what they listed were to do with sonic tricks that are not really tied to musicality or musicianship. Anyone with even a vague understanding of music can write a song on the same level as a pop song. Every now and then a great musician makes it into the pop scene, and you get interesting chord progressions, melodies and rythms. So it's not the pop style that's bad…

A lot more goes into writing a song than a chord progression. Writing pop hits is an art few people master. That’s why so many hits are written by the same people. See Max Martin for example.

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#172

Post by SyneRyder »

svantana wrote: post #149
ehnto wrote: post #53

I hope so. Top 40 lists are constructed not observed. They seem to have no relationship to what music is favored by listeners, just what is being pushed on pop radio. A self satisfying loop.

On the other hand, music has historically been a very social thing that have brought people together. The decline into a sollipsist "service" has been gradual since the dawn of recorded music, but Spotify et al are definitely making it worse than ever. My 11-year old daughter loves music but she and her friends all listen to different things, there is no music that they all know. I may have hated top40 stuff in my da…

I'm not sure that's entirely bad. I met up with my cousin (nearly 20 years younger than me) and one of her first questions was "Show me your playlists! Music is how I get to know people." We spent ages talking about genres, recommending bands to each other, scrolling through each other's Spotify libraries and offline MP3s. I was thrilled that she was interested in a wide range of genres, across several decades. Far more diverse than when I was the same age. It's still social to be recommending music and trying to find new bands your friends will like.

As for knowing the same songs, I made friends through genre-related social groups - the goth/industrial nightclubs, and the Eurovision fanclubs / events. It's nice that generally everyone knows the same Max Martin songs, but there's deeper friendships to be had at clubs where everyone knows your obscure niche - whether it's arguing that Euphoria is still better than Heroes, even if Mans & Petra are the best hosts. Or if it's goths bitching over the shared experience of falling down the stairs trying to get onto the goth club dancefloor before Dero from Oomph yells "Gott Ist Ein Popstar" or "Augen Auf, ich komme"....

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#173

Post by CincinnatiMan »

svantana wrote: post #149
ehnto wrote: post #53

I hope so. Top 40 lists are constructed not observed. They seem to have no relationship to what music is favored by listeners, just what is being pushed on pop radio. A self satisfying loop.

On the other hand, music has historically been a very social thing that have brought people together. The decline into a sollipsist "service" has been gradual since the dawn of recorded music, but Spotify et al are definitely making it worse than ever. My 11-year old daughter loves music but she and her friends all listen to different things, there is no music that they all know. I may have hated top40 stuff in my da…

Damn that’s scary. A world where no one has anything in common. I’m in my 30s and my friends and I reference songs from our childhood all the time. Shows and candy and all sorts of things.

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#174

Post by readred »

rorykoehler wrote: post #171
ehnto wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think they mean pop music lacks musicality, most of what they listed were to do with sonic tricks that are not really tied to musicality or musicianship. Anyone with even a vague understanding of music can write a song on the same level as a pop song. Every now and then a great musician makes it into the pop scene, and you get interesting chord progressions, melodies and rythms. So it's not the pop style that's bad…

A lot more goes into writing a song than a chord progression. Writing pop hits is an art few people master. That’s why so many hits are written by the same people. See Max Martin for example.

I thought writing a pop song was 10% talent and 90% marketing? Written by the same people because they gatekeep those marketing dollars.

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#175

Post by imtringued »

adamsea wrote: post #73
bawolff wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is music supposed to challenge you? To each their own, but if i wanted to be challenged i read a book, learn something new, etc. I think i listen to music because it has an effect of transfering emotional state/causes me to feel. Being intellectually challenging is not a good thing in that context. (Although i still want it to be unpredictable and not neccesarily safe)

Couldn’t someone take what you just said and replace the word “music” with “book”, or “film”? IMHO art (all the arts), art is like food. There’s nothing wrong with ice cream, or McDonald’s sometimes. Not everyone has to be vegan. Eat junk food all the time, though, and it’s unhealthy for you. I think the same is true for music, film, the visual arts, literature, fashion, design, etc. It’s your loss, IMHO. It’s like s…

Any form of art or hobby can be appreciated deeply or used for simple minded entertainment. You can enjoy everything at a surface level but going deeper requires commitment and you can't commit yourself to everything at once. Therefore saying something along the lines of "It’s your loss, IMHO." will be understood as disrespect of someones personal preferences and invites unnecessary hostility.

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#176

Post by zo1 »

gre wrote: post #48
segfaultbuserr wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Back when I was in school, I really hated Billboard Top 10 for the same reason. Once I've overheard them so many times, often unpleasantly, the actual song became unlistenable, not because I dislike them.

With pop music you hear exactly the same track over and over with no variation and it gets predictable and monotonous. With classical, jazz, or live music there are many performances, so any two recordings will not sound identical. This is one reason I can't stand pop music after a few listens.

Some of us find that a feature, not a bug. I don't want to hear something "new" and "different" each time, with each performance being different. I want the same song that I have listened to before. Songs have emotions and memories attached to them, and you will never get that from something unique each time unless it's truly catchy/pleasurable on the first listen, which is practically rare.

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#178

Post by rorykoehler »

readred wrote: post #174
rorykoehler wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot more goes into writing a song than a chord progression. Writing pop hits is an art few people master. That’s why so many hits are written by the same people. See Max Martin for example.

I thought writing a pop song was 10% talent and 90% marketing? Written by the same people because they gatekeep those marketing dollars.

There is massive competition to be a chosen producer or song writer. Being chosen as the one who is marketed is where the competition is. Their positions are earned.

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#179

Post by imtringued »

watwut wrote: post #132
TeMPOraL wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think to make a food comparison work, you need to set the reference point straight. Since your body (and your mind) doesn't require any music / movie / book to survive, the proper comparison is to food eaten on top of nutritional baseline - to all the extra things you eat above minimum survivable calories/nutrients. This way, pop music can be correctly likened to McDonald's food: won't harm you at all, and it's one…

The typical issue with McDonald's food put on top of other food is that it makes you fat and also unhealthy in the long term. As in, it is bad because it does some harm. Otherwise there would not no issue with McDonald's food on top of regular food.

Yes, there are two problems.

First McDonalds wants customers to go to McDonalds so they make it taste good even if that means it is no longer healthy. (the entire food industry does this)

Second they try to get away with spending as little money on ingredients as possible which lowers the overall quality of the food.

The big question is how is cheap and low quality but addictive music harmful? It's not like people can overdose on music.

Re: Is Spotify Killing the Top 40?

#180

Post by theshrike79 »

chrisseaton wrote: post #145
theshrike79 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Radio just works. Someone else is choosing the playlist and you kinda hear the music in between the ads and annoying hosts. At home, I can select what I want to hear. I don't need to keep my attention on the road.

Do you not have radio stations where you value how the host selects, curates, and gives the background to the music for you? What about the current affairs, plays, comedy, history? I can’t imagine going without the radio!

Yes, but their shows are on at 2200-2300 on thursdays or something. The people who are active during the times I'm in my car are the morning jockeys who cater to the lowest common denominator.

I'm commuting at not-even-close-to-that-time. Can't get their shows even as podcasts, because the music rights would cost an arm and a leg.

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