Thursday, November 15, 2007

mainstream music ROCKS!! (i was paid to say that)

I'm Fergalicious (so delicious)
My body stay vicious
I be up in the gym just working on my fitness
He's my witness (oooh, wee)
I put yo' boy on rock, rock
And he be lining down the block just to watch what I got (four, tres, two, uno)
So I have a new job helping out a D.J. when he needs extra help. He wants to train me up so I can be an independent D.J. for his company when I move back to Jackson next summer. The hardest part of the job, says he, is reading the crowds and playing what they want to hear. So he wants me to take a clip board to every event I help out at and take notes of how the crowd responds to each and every song. I also need to listen to the latest and greatest and become a mainstream music guru. Listening to Z103 and what he played at the last dance makes me realize how ridiculous mainstream music is today. Yeah, its bad, with frequent reference to sex and drugs, but that's not what i think is so ludicrous about it. It is the lyrics that kill me! It basically doesn't matter anymore what the rappers or pop stars say anymore. Just add lots of layering, some synth, some catchy licks, turn on the base drum to 128 BPM, and rap about sex, and VABOOM!!! you have yourself a record selling 1 million copies!
I read this blurb on mainstream music that is very interesting: popular music is the product of the modern business enterprise disseminated for the purpose of earning a profit. Executives and employees of popular music businesses try to select and cultivate the music that will have the greatest success with the public, and thus maximize the profits of their firm. In this respect, popular music differs from traditional folk music, which was created by ordinary people for their own enjoyment.
WOW! Isn't it great to know that the businessmen at capital records are so good at deciding what we want to hear! "No, no, they don't want a complete meal. Let's throw candy at them!" And that is what mainstream music is today. It holds no intrinsic value. It is no longer a creative work of art. It is just candy that satisfies for immediate pleasure but reverberates nothing but emptiness. Do you think that in 30-40 years from now the "Classic Rock" station is going to be playing Justin Timberlakes 'Sexy Back'?! "I’m bringing sexy back Them other boys donno know how to act I think your special whats behind your back So turn around and ill pick up the slack."
So my deep question for the day is this: In 35 years from now, what will be considered "Classic Rock"? What bands will be the early 21st century greats?

1 comment:

Mary Grace said...

i agree with you more than i can even say. mainstream music cant be great because it has to have such little personality that it can appeal to the masses. And i think you need to watch the movie Josie and the Pussycats. that might help.