Why am I starting to sound like my parents? - Music

Simon_bramhall

Gender: Male

Age: 61

Location: Centerville, OH

Ok. I need to know if I’m going crazy or just getting old. I feel like I’m starting to sound like my Dad.

I have been listening to music for decades and in many cases remember classic albums being released. Check out my favorite album list to get idea.

So my listening background can be broken down as follows: 60s - a lot of great albums, but the latter part of the decade, 70s - favorite decade, but mainly the first half, 80s - first decade I still don’t like most of it, a few exceptions, 90s - rejuvenation, britpop, experimentation, not all great but trying, 00s - continuation of 90s, but now music taste is getting really wobbly and few and far between, 10s - first decade ever where I can say I have totally disconnected from listening to anything from this decade. Bluntly put I think majority is crap.

So the question is am I wrong? Does anyone think there are albums made this last decade that will hold up over time and be the next classic album 30 years from now - if so I would love to know what I’m missing other than the top 40 crap coming out of my wife’s Sirius satellite radio in her car.

Tap

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Gender: Female

Age: 40

This decade is my favorite and I've found a bunch of albums I feel like I'll be listening to for a long time. But it's difficult because there's so much of it, it's entirely possible to hear about tons of things that scratch a specific itch for people but do nothing for you, and at that point it's like why waste time slogging through more when you've already got so much? It can be hard to fight that impulse and to figure out how to curate the curators and zero in on your areas of interest, but I've found it to be very rewarding.

Jameth

I feel you man, I’ve listened to 12 albums that were recorded this decade. I’ve only listened to a mere 624 albums overall, but still 12 is less than 2% of my listening history. The numbers aren’t much better for the 2000s. It’s less understandable for me too, since I’m only 33. But, I just either don’t respect a lot of what I’ve heard from the 21st century, and much of what I can respect, I can’t connect with. I’ve tried out some newer albums that are acclaimed here and elsewhere, and I’m dumbfounded by how dull some of these albums are. I’ve heard songs that are just some guy pounding a single piano chord using the most elementary, plodding rhythm imaginable, whilst tunelessly singing as I wonder whether his jaw is locked open. I also tend to stay away from new English language music just because modern singers have some absurd, cringe-inducing fascination with adding vowels where they don’t belong.

I know it isn’t all bad, and I’m going to take a deep dive into the 2010s at some point soon, but this decade might rival the 80s for the (scientifically proven) title of most homogenous decade.

Skinny

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This decade is quite literally the least homogeneous. The variety, scope, and sheer amount of recorded music is greater than ever before.
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mickilennial

The Most Trusted Name in News

Gender: Female

Age: 36

Location: Detroit

Quote:

So the question is am I wrong?

Yeah.

PurpleHazel

Skinny wrote:

This decade is quite literally the least homogeneous.

That's true. But the music on the pop charts and radio is probably more homogeneous than ever. Maybe Simon_bramhall was thinking of that, or the most popular rock artists?

It helps to be more specific about genre. For instance, I think rock was best in the 60s and 70s and had a solid resurgence in the 90s, but hip-hop (which didn't come into its own till the 80s) and electronic music (which has never been the dominant genre, but constantly inflluences and fuses with other genres), and music with a strong electronic component, have sustained a level of quality into this century and decade.

Repo

BeA Sunflower

Location: Forest Park

PurpleHazel wrote:

That's true. But the music on the pop charts and radio is probably more homogeneous than ever. Maybe Simon_bramhall was thinking of that, or the most popular rock artists?

It helps to be more specific about genre. For instance, I think rock was best in the 60s and 70s and had a solid resurgence in the 90s, but hip-hop (which didn't come into its own till the 80s) and electronic music (which has never been the dominant genre, but constantly inflluences and fuses with other genres), and music with a strong electronic component, have sustained a level of quality into this century and decade.

Totally true. If rock's you're thing, the 2010s are pretty lame. Personally I think the 80s was a GREAT decade for rock - Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Minor Threat, Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, The Replacements, Black Flag, I could go on forever lolol...

But if you're into modern R&B, pop, art pop and even country, this decade kicks ass.

craola

crayon master

Location: pdx

Tap wrote:

This decade is my favorite and I've found a bunch of albums I feel like I'll be listening to for a long time.

this so much - even for the advent of streaming. sans the 10s, i hadn't've come cross so many of my favorites from the 50s/60s/70s/80s/90s/00s. this is an incredible time for music.

and for what it's worth, i do think the 10s have been great, even for rock, though as has been suggested, you have to be willing to wade through tripe to find your stripes.

Tilly wrote:

Personally I think the 80s was a GREAT decade for rock - Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Minor Threat, Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, The Replacements, Black Flag, I could go on forever lolol...

agreed, though i think that's going to depend on which "rock" tradition we're talking. if you're big on the "punk" movement (including it's derivatives, post-punk, hardcore, post-rock, shoegazing, etc.), the 80s were absolute fire, but if you're more of a bluesy rocker, a progger or a grunger, then perhaps the 70s and 90s are more your thing.

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ultimately, if you don't connect with "new music", and you're not willing to sift, i don't see anything wrong with listening to led zeppelin til the end of your days. i'd hasten to say that in my personal experience, and as a lover of music, i have to temper and adjust my expectations to meet the artist's intent at times. if i'm coming off a jazz hit, a punk album isn't necessarily going to sit well, so i have to adjust my attitude a bit. the music is still brilliant, but it's brilliant for different reasons than the jazzy thing. vice versa, sometimes double.

unfortunately for rock, the "old guard" publications are pretty useless anymore. nme, rolling stone, et al are obsessed with the past and haven't managed to align themselves with generational changes.... i think you really need to take the sifter to the sand anymore. still, there are lots of resources for discovering new music, and it pays to find publications, bloggers, humans, youtubers that resonate with you. some people are big on thequietus. npr has some great content. allmusic is a solid source for a wide range of genres. pitchfork is always around. the melon has a channel. sites like this one and rym have great users with phenomenal lists worth exploring - esp. if you find a strong liking for their 60s/70s/90s lists.

myself, i like bandcamp's features for a thousand reasons. artists tag their music. you can stream it directly. fellow users leave reviews (and you can follow users you take a shine to). labels have their own pages that you can follow. the site features albums based in part on what is selling well, so artists you'd never heard of will crop up frequently. nearly 100% of the revenue through the site goes to the artist (or their label). it's all-in-all a great place.

2 cents or roundabouts.
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Jameth

^^^ Agreed. That’s my primary reason for being here, this site and rym are the best ways I’ve found for discovering new music. And even though I still dwell in the pre-80s, I know I’m going to be able to come here and rummage through some 2000/2010 charts until I find some that really resonate with me.

PurpleHazel

Tilly wrote:

Personally I think the 80s was a GREAT decade for rock - Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Minor Threat, Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, The Replacements, Black Flag, I could go on forever lolol...

IMHO, the 80s are below the 90s, but well above the last two decades. Good decade for sure.