Why Music Has Lost it’s Charms (Article)

A long time ago, music was very simple; then it became more complex (and therefore more expressive). Now it’s become less expressive again, which some interpret as "it sucks."

Up until the year 1000 AD music was only played with the seven natural notes (e.g., the white keys on a piano). The Bb note was "discovered" in 1025 AD in Italy. By 1450 AD, our 12 note scale was fully available on a piano keyboard and in some church organs. 7 white keys and 5 black keys that could be sharps or flats depending on the song’s musical key. By 1700-ish, Bach was composing all sorts of inventive things in new keys, including resolved dissonant suspensions. Stravinsky and others extended this to use dissonance without resolution. Erik Satie wrote a whole song composed of tritones ("the devil’s interval"). Each generation pushed the envelop.

The music of the 1920’s-1940’s used resolved dissonance, diminished chords to link key changes, etc. Think of anything by Hoagy Carmichael, like "Georgia on My Mind." Jazz just mixed all of this with the blues of Black Americans (which came from African microtonal music, which is why trills are used on the piano to approximate these microtones). Early rock and roll simplified things again, mostly to just three chords. It was considered by many derivative and trite compared to big band music, classical or jazz, but by the 1960’s (Beach Boys "Warmth of the Sun", Beatles "Because") musicians were introducing augmented and diminished chords, and changing keys. Jazz got experimental (Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck), rock got experimental (Yes, ELP); jazz-rock got experimental (Frank Zappa). All this exention of music was "inspired" more than "copied blatantly" (some things crossed the line, like "Here Comes the Sun" vs. "He’s So Fine", even if subconsciously).

There are a number folk-rock songs based on classical songes ("Blackbird" is based on Johann Sebastian Bach’s "Bourrée in E minor", Paul Simon’s "American Tune" based on Christian passion hymm "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded".)

Rap began in the 1970’s and the Sugar Hill Gang got the first #1 single ("Rapper’s Delight") in the genre in 1979. A lot of that music uses samples, which changed what it meant to copy someone’s song. Nowadays, many pop songs are assembled rather than composed. Songs like "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey are just a melody line added to a sample of the Tom Tom Club’s "Genius of Love". The "original" songs of the modern pop genre don’t have more than 3, or at most 4 chords in a song. There’s no tension, no resolution; just the same hook repeating throught the song... Drum samples ensure there is no variation in the beat, also contributing to the monotony.

The ears of 50 and 60-year olds remember that "golden age of rock" where songs were much richer from chord / key change perspective, or jazz. They appreciate that Guitar George knows all the chords. But to hear those strange chords, strange time signatures, etc., you have to go off the beaten track of listening. There are gems to be found, but they’re not in the industry’s factory of 3-note songs, samples, and other rubbish. Luckily, streaming provides access to a good fraction of those people who are just trying to make good music, rather than "be famous."

With so much music out there, I listen to what I like, and I always try to find time to understand some music that’s outside my realm of experience. Sometimes I like the new stuff... a lot of times, I don't...

I’ve been involved in music for many decades as a pro musician and live sound mixer and so much of that article (and the responses here) is such nonsense it makes my head spin. By the way, "commercial" music has been around since way before recorded music in the form of sheet music for the millions of pianos out there. Look it up...and these days you can find singer-songwriters in "folkie" clubs who are astonishingly good and will not likely ever be as famous as Beiber but still get out there, the jazz world that seemingly few around here care about is utterly teeming with brilliant musicians, etc. Pop music has always sucked with a few exceptions, but so what? I listen to exactly zero pop music due to personal taste, and it’s really easy to ignore it these days...my collection of stuff, great streaming services...man...get over it.

Music is fine and more than enough, you choose the genre and era. Whatever pleases you.

What changes is style, labels, musicians, production, media, management.

Still love the music i grew up but anything new is refreshing. Music has not lost its charm but the myths around it (are we growing older?).

The article author is described above as 'myopic'.

That's about right.

All he is saying is that he doesn't 'get' current music.  Nor do I, but that's no reason for spilling ink.  Fact is that current music appears to be just as popular as old music.  The author's opinion is his opinion and I for one found reading his bigoted article a waste of time.

Roll over Beethoven, as has been said.

I think we have heard this lament time and time again, as others have said.

I’m a vinyl guy, but couldn’t live without my Tidal-Roon combination that exposes me to new music daily. There is a constant wave of great new music coming out consistently, and it isn’t on major labels. 

Artists are finding ways to get music into our hands. Smaller labels are promoting newer bands.  Bands themselves have vehicles to get their music into our hands.

There is so much incredible music out there, if only I had the time to listen to it all.