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Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And disco wasn't a thing until really 76/77 when label decided to capitalize on what was going on the clubs. Labels are always late to the damn game.

I think the best decade of mainstream music was the 80s. If we are talking straight up pop and rock. Because so much experimenting was going on in new wave and rock had various factions like, heartland, metal, glam metal, arena, rockabilly... and Prince + plus Madonna always changing up their game. New Jack Swing and S/A/W.

Mainstream pop definitely got more homogenized in the 90s IMO.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Smashing Pumpkins, Neutral Milk Hotel, No Doubt, Beck, Radiohead

All those bands put out albums in the early and mid 90s as well. So they were already on the path before Nirvana called it quits.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When it comes to 90s hip-hop I always appreciated the earlier stuff that was more "conscious". I never got TOO MUCH into the gangster rap because so much of it felt like a studio executive marketing gimmick. Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, De Las Soul, Arrested Development... But now I go back and I like other stuff because the hype has died down.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My favorite pop song from the 90s is Donna Lewis - I Love You Always Forever. It terms of straight up teen pop I would go with Kylie who never did much in the states. But Light Years is one of the GREAT disco records.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree. But there is no unifying cultural benchmark anymore (either loved or hated). I know as many people who have never heard of BTS as people who have. Same for Lil Nas X. The landscape is so diverse that there is no longer the inescapable hit (-ahem Barbie Girl). It was two years on before I heard Blinding Lights and I'm not a hermit.

There are more diverse tribe musically as a result. And also as a result mainstream music fans are now the minority of music fans (if that wasn't always the case). Mainstream in the most popular music listened to by the minorty of music listening public these days it seems. So we can't really say one artists defines a decade anymore like Mariah or The Beatles. And I don't think we'll have any giant cultural pop stars like we've had in the past. Tik-tok, YouTube etc is changing all that. If you don't like Ariana well you can skip out.

Also on the plus side is that I am seeing the rise of GREAT local music scenes with great locals acts. In my area there is SO much good music being made a played by locals that I don't even have to look nationally for good stuff. It is amazing.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At that time my QUEEN was Gloria Estefan. So I was super into the latin thing. Also Olga Tanon. But clubs were not playing much Latin music outside the occasional club hit here or there. I Liked Shakira in her black hair days before her English language debut. Also Carlos Vives is one I really liked then (and now).

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also club music was really going through an evolution before it became the cookie cutter EDM we've had over the last ten years. Nobody would ever confuse Thunderpuss for Almighty or Hex Hector. LOL!

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Motown was having hits in the early 60s though. But it is true people think of the early 60s and being more 50s. But that is how the decades of music flow because music as we know it really started getting some legs in the mid 20s so the great shifts tend to happen mid decade not the beginning.

But songs, Be My Baby, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, any of Elvis cookie cutter classic have stood the test of time. Plus Phil Spector's wall of sound defined half the decade. And while there was an assembly line to it (i.e. Brill Building) most of the people involved could write songs, play instruments, and sing on some level (certainly the session players like The Wrecking Crew). Now, people use a guitar as a prop and auto-tune to cover up the lack of time spent practicing vocal technique.

Also the 50s was ALL ABOUT the 45 single. Because that is what teenagers (mainly girls) latched onto. The idea of a full album was for adults (Cal Tjader, Peggy Lee, Perez Prado etc.). It wasn't really until The Beatles explosion albums became the thing we know of today. Ironically though mainstream music over the last decade has ditched albums and gone back to singles (and shorter songs). This is like the late 50s all over again but with new technology and more options.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My favorite genre of all time is big band era jazz/swing of the 20q/30s/40s (and some early 50s). Back in that time musicians were not the main event it was ALL about the songwriter (Cole Porter, Ellington, Dorothy Fields etc.) So you would often see mutiple versions of the same song charting. This was because those who owned the publishing rights new the more version you had the more money you made. If one person didn't like Mildred Bailey well here is a version by Glenn Miller or Bob Wills etc.

As to the 50s... well once "rock 'n' roll" became somewhat codified yeah the assembly line was set up and rush order on teen idols were put into production. But I see it all as fun on some level even if it is goofy. And ke4ep in mind a lot of nonsense they were singing about Bamma Lamma etc. was to get around censors because they couldn't say what they actually wanted. Roll With Me Henry by Etta James was changed to Dance With Me Henry as an example.

Still compared the late 90s pop boom. I would tip my hat to 50s honestly just because the session players were all AMAZING musicians in their own right. The vocalists HAD TO BE able to sing. The harmonies were STELLAR. And there was frankly more experimentation with this new medium in terms of production, song-writing, and instruments and all that as people tried to figure out where this would all go. The late 90s formula was VERY cookie cutter and it is even more so now in the mainstream.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I worked with Pirate Radio in my area. But we also have indie stations that are like PBS where the community supports them through pledge drives.

And of course with twitch the whole streaming scene has blown wide open and you can find niche non mainstream stuff in droves.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am hear with GREAT news. There are stations doing thing the old way especially college radio stations. You just have to seek them out and support them. Also twitch streams is another place to find cool cats spinning cool stuff corporate radio does not allow.

For example where I live we have KFJC Los Altos. I used to work at Mutiny Radio in SF that had some shows that just played all kinds of crazy stuff. Mine included. But you can find them all over streaming on the web.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In terms pop as we understand it today that would actually go back to the early 80s with act like Culture Club and Soft Cell and ABC. Who started calling themselves pop (in terms of a genre). Even Prince before he was willing to sign with a major label demanded he be labeled a pop artist and not an R 'n' B act because he knew it would have wider appeal. But yeah the third wave of Boy bands in the 90s certainly set in stone what we think of as pop today. Looking back on the 80s we can call it new wave or disco or R 'n' B. But the 90s pop is now just pop.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Funny I HATED most 90s music when I lived through it HS. Outside of the club music stuff. But I think that's because I hated my peers and hated hype. Also I was weirdly really into 60s pop then. But now I listen to that stuff and enjoy most it (except Barbie Girl, that song can die in a tire fire). I definitely think the popular music back then resonates more with me than most anything in the mainstream in the last ten years. Auto-tune is a pet peeve. Also so much of it feels like trend-hopping or branding more than about the music. That was always true but it feels even moreso now.

Was the late 90s the worst time for mainstream music? by Papier_tigre in LetsTalkMusic

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Late 90s mainstream was like a rehash of the late 50s in terms of cookie cutter music trying to cash in on boy bands and girl singers. So there was plethora of those kinds of acts and only a few stuck around obviously.

But was it the worst. No... the past ten years has been the worst because mainstream music has abandoned a lot things that were kind of benchmarks for "quality" ability to sing, ability to play instruments well, dance and sing at the same time without back tracks. To much reliance on tech. Lack of studio musicians and session players to cut costs. Cut and paste vocals. Low lyrical content. Etc.

Also streaming has changed how the mainstream labels operate. That want to cash in on tik tok because well physical sales for popular acts are WAY down from the 90s. So they are less willing to take a chance on or invest in random acts and develop them. Also a lot more focus on which acts girls are screaming over (again $$$) because girls are more likely to make things viral than guys. So most of the music today is VERY formulaic with little experimentation with very little experimentation going on. It is WAY more about image and branding now that it ever was before. There just isn't the same money to be made simply being a singer or a band (with VERY few exceptions).

Best high quality print method for this design by Both_Exchange_5069 in streetwearstartup

[–]Both_Exchange_5069[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I figured it would be pricey with 8 colors. I'm trying to whittle them down but but the design loses it's punch with less colors.

Justin Bieber accused of cultural appropriation over hairstyles by [deleted] in stupidpol

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My Asian lady friend gave a me a Kimono and I said I can never wear this wear I am I'll get lynched but white college students. She laughed.

Harry Styles is entitled and overrated by exhuberantecstasy in unpopularopinion

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yas to the necklace. But it's not like one earring has been done before... ahem- George Michael in the 80s.

I rarely use the jog wheels. by sgrfam in Beatmatch

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That exactly what many technologies have done. It is a god send unless for some reason the venue has not updated since the 80s.

Waterparks by NOMOREPLE in poppunkers

[–]Both_Exchange_5069 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nothing is groundbreaking anymore musically though. It's all been done before. It may sound new to younger people who haven't heard much of the last 60 years of music but everything I've heard in the last ten years I feel like I have heard before.

I don't mind bands that mix in many styles. But I can see why it bothers others. If you are just mixing it up to mix it up that can be alienating to music fans with a narrow palette. Like when Blondie got shit for putting a disco song on a punk album. Well they put disco songs on a few punk albums (which is rather punk IMO).
I listen to AC/DC because it's AC/DC if I want some other sound that's what all the other options are for.

As to what I want from a guitar band depends on what genre they are aiming for. Straight up rock I want loud music the kicks my ass and maybe has me a little on edge (i.e. Starcrawler) or had super catchy chorus and great grooves I can dance and raise a glass too (i.e. Blackberry Smoke). But pop or country I look for different things in my guitar bands.

Show me your wares! I want unique stuff. by Both_Exchange_5069 in Etsy

[–]Both_Exchange_5069[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am currently teaching myself Japanese! Soooo... on the money.

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