The effects of corporate music


I'm old enough to remember AOR and being able to listen to music that at the time I thought was just bizzare, and that was on the radio. There were so many stations around with a huge variety of music to hear, including things I had not heard before.

In the last thirty years music radio has changed so much, and for the worse that I no longer listen to music radio. I can't help but think that cumulus and others of their ilk have destroyed radio, but I also wonder how big their influence has been on the quality of music.

There used to be more of an edge to music, and I'm not talking about the trash made up of violence and sex that is todays rap music. People had more to say, and better ways of saying it when I was young. The musicians did not try to substitute shock for substance when making their records.

Are there still musicians around that are great artist, but we never get to know them because they don't fit the formula of corporate radio stations? Is there still a place for small stations that are unwilling to play the drivel that passes for pop music, or the oldies that comprised our youth, but are getting old even to those of us that love those songs???
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Showing 2 responses by jsonic

It kills me how dismissive this group is of Rap music. It's hardly a "slow period " in music. It's been around since '79 and has crossed over to every segment of the population. It is not my first choice in musical preference. That will always be classic rock. I guess I also prefer classic rap like Run DMC, LL Cool J , Eric B. and Rakim, EPMD and Public Enemy to the overproduced pop of Puffy and Jay Z. Newer stuff like Biggie, 50 cent and Snoop and Dre is also a great listen. Living in NYC, I think this music has brought a lot of ethnicities together. One image that comes to mind is this "posse" of lily-white blonde girls from Conneticut singing in unison to MOP's song "Ante Up!" and copying Rap gestures. Absurd ? Maybe, but I'm feelin it. Maybe you guys should check out Def Poetry Jam on HBO Sun . nites. It's kinda like Rap with no music and more meaningful lyrics.
Odd that the same people that dismiss Rap groups, buy music from Rock groups who incorporate rapping in their music. Talkin'about groups like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit ( DJ Lethal was in House of Pain previously.). Guess it's like all the people who didn't buy Chuck Berry's music until The Rolling Stones covered it. BTW when those groups I mentioned incorporate rap into rock songs it sounds horrible and contrived. Fred Durst? He's like that kid in Malibu's Most Wanted.