The Future of Music

[GTABlackKnight]

throughout time, many genres of music has formed, became popular, and stopped being popular. now it's the beggining of the 2010s and the most popular forms of music right now is electro-pop, electro-dance, hip-hop/rap, r&b, and rock. what do you think in a certain amount of time (5, 10, 15, 20 years) will happen to music and what music genres will be popular or not?

[Kwandilibro]

I doubt hip hop/rap will really die, but more or less morph into plain bullsh*t over time, with some rappers maintaining the legacy that was. Then eventually, rap will go in reverse back to it's gangster limbs, and onto it's storytelling roots.

 

I highly doubt rock will ever die, but it will change, becoming very crappy compared to it's better days.

 

It seems to me that music, clothing, and American culture go in cycles, with the 80's being like today, minus the bullsh*t. But then maybe in the 2050's and 60's, people will regard the 2010's and 20's as classic awesomeness. If that becomes the case, we know that we've hit rock bottom.

[Tyler]

throughout time, many genres of music has formed, became popular, and stopped being popular. now it's the beggining of the 2010s and the most popular forms of music right now is electro-pop, electro-dance, hip-hop/rap, r&b, and rock. what do you think in a certain amount of time (5, 10, 15, 20 years) will happen to music and what music genres will be popular or not?

That's the thing about music. Whatever is popular to the artist making it will have an effect on the actual musical type.

 

Rock formed in the 1950's as a rebellious and sexual display compared to most big-band/ show-tune melodies.

 

Branching out from there you get Acid rock (Music formed whilst under an acid trance and played with rock-type instruments) as well as British invasion rock (Beatles, The Rolling Stones), smooth southern rock getting back to the roots of not long ago (Creedance Clearwater Revival). Later on popular music became Disco (Dance music popularized in clubs like studio 54) and Heavy Metal (A darker heavier set of rebellious musical genre). Go on Further and you find Hair Metal (Make-up bound drag queen-esque metal rebellions) synth (The beginning of techno regime) and the start of Hip-Hop (Musically influenced artists combining club music) and Rap (Artists emphasising on the main musical beat and deep lyrics, instead of instrumental or computer assisted music).

 

That is a small amount of musical branching even, I don't really feel like going into every single type of music I can think of right now. So, to answer your question 'What does the Future Hold?' well, I cannot say. But if it is anything like the past the music will be completely different than anything we have ever seen.

[Vanilla Shake]

Unoriginal basically nailed it. "Popular" music and whatnot has changed throughout the decades and will continue to do so. In the past decades we've discovered and coined new genres and subgenres of music, and we will just continue to do so. I'm willing to bet that in ten years everyone who is currently going crazy over Justin Bieber and Rihanna and all of the autotune bullsh*t will be going crazy over some other artists who can be categorized in a new subgenre.

[Tyler]

Unoriginal basically nailed it. "Popular" music and whatnot has changed throughout the decades and will continue to do so. In the past decades we've discovered and coined new genres and subgenres of music, and we will just continue to do so. I'm willing to bet that in ten years everyone who is currently going crazy over Justin Bieber and Rihanna and all of the autotune bullsh*t will be going crazy over some other artists who can be categorized in a new subgenre.

You know the craziest part of it, is that most of the all of the music people listen to is pretty much, at oldest, 70 years ago. I do listen to some Ink Spots(1947) every once and a while, but most of my music is 60's onward.

[ldee]

In 5 years my band will be well-known. That's all I can say.

[Gantons Most Wanted]

Well music as an art form will continue on the course it has spawning new genres and trends over each decade but with the music business dwindling and label shareholders less willing to take risks with new acts, you kind of see a big gap emerging between the already established and new up and coming artist. Bottom line the industry has become lazy with radio station DJ's and A&R's all playing/promoting the same songs even if it is quite obviously a sh*t song with little replay value after a year.

A prime example in one genre is rap music with the westcoast it used to spawn big artists doing large numbers until the late 90's when it dwindled with only certain artists from that region still able to get mainstream exposure e.g. Snoop Dogg. Yet a couple of years ago there was the "New West" movement which had several decent artists such as Jay Rock, Bishop Lamont, G Malone and Crooked I to name a few but without that backing from already established artists they don't seem to be any closer to a release with them having deals with labels that are big such as Interscope, Warner Music Group etc.

Bottom line is these kinds of situations just show where the industry is killing itself due to the degraded content of each musical genre through the same recycled artists and formula's or through the labels not being able to prevent album leaks. Now due to that last factor artists now come under scrutiny for charging high prices for tickets to their shows which is down to assholes downloading music and then if they liked it didn't go buy the album. Sure listen to it and see if you like it but if you do at least have the courtesy to go buy that artists album if you liked majority of the tracks.

[The-King]

Unoriginal basically nailed it. "Popular" music and whatnot has changed throughout the decades and will continue to do so. In the past decades we've discovered and coined new genres and subgenres of music, and we will just continue to do so. I'm willing to bet that in ten years everyone who is currently going crazy over Justin Bieber and Rihanna and all of the autotune bullsh*t will be going crazy over some other artists who can be categorized in a new subgenre.

You know the craziest part of it, is that most of the all of the music people listen to is pretty much, at oldest, 70 years ago. I do listen to some Ink Spots(1947) every once and a while, but most of my music is 60's onward.

The primary reason should be obvious, given the fact that recorded music only started growing in popularity (and longevity) in the twenties and thirties. With the birth and subsequent growth of Jazz and Swing during the prohibition era.

[unopescio]

GOOD music has been underground for at least the last 30 years, and there it will remain. As for what happens with popular music? Who knows, who cares, it will probably just be a rehash of some trend from the 70s/80s/whatever, I have little hope for the future of popular music.

[Cheat]

There is only one thing I'm afraid of; the evolving and mostly the lack of it in the music bisness.

I mean, look at it: 1960's gave birth to punk, reggae and other new genres which evolved and became big in the 70s and 80s, in the 80s black music became bigger and bigger by artists like Michael Jackson and N.W.A, rap started an instant growth, electronic/dance music and synthpop became what DJ's played by pioneers like Kraftwerk, 90s was big to rock-genres like alternative rock, grunge & post-grunge, indie et cetera became bigger and bigger with breakthroughs of Nirvana, Green Day, Alice In Chains, Red Hot Chili Peppers & other artists. The whole East-West-beef-thing made rap another huge genre (early 80's - late 90's = rap's golden age) with Biggie, Pac, Dr. Dre, Diddy & others, my point is, all the way from 40s/50s jazz, R&B, soul to 90s punk & rap, sh*t was evolving in music, things changed.

In 2000's, rap, pop & rock became the dominant popular music genres, however, not much genres were born and things was more like changing popularity and chart positions, but the evolution was not even comparable to 80s and 90s.

Late 2000s, pop and mainstream rap became more and more of the same, T-Pain, Lil Wayne and the fellas became the biggest mainstream people and actual hip-hop was left for #2, but still, only a few genres grew and were born.

 

If this keeps on going, we'll be listening to the same sh*t on MTV for the next decade.

In hip-hop, we have Joell Ortiz, we have J.Cole, we have Wale, we have Drake & many other artists that yet have a chance to be a change, the problem is that it's difficult to get these artists worldwide famous to make that change Green Day did to pop punk, Nirvana did to alternative rock and punk, what 2Pac did to rap et cetera.

This is my opinion, this can be seen in many ways, I just think OnePiece said it, GOOD music has been underground for a good while, that's what needs to change.

Edited August 4, 2010 by Cheat

[JoshGTAfreak]

I think that pop-punk will rise to popularity again. With Blink 182 coming back this is definetly a possibility. And other pop-punk artists gaining popularity include Paramore, All Time Low, New Found Glory and a few others. Also people should look up a band called Kisschasy. They are an Australian band who i sense are going to be big.

[Rockworm]

 

Unoriginal basically nailed it. "Popular" music and whatnot has changed throughout the decades and will continue to do so. In the past decades we've discovered and coined new genres and subgenres of music, and we will just continue to do so. I'm willing to bet that in ten years everyone who is currently going crazy over Justin Bieber and Rihanna and all of the autotune bullsh*t will be going crazy over some other artists who can be categorized in a new subgenre.

You know the craziest part of it, is that most of the all of the music people listen to is pretty much, at oldest, 70 years ago. I do listen to some Ink Spots(1947) every once and a while, but most of my music is 60's onward.

the oldest music I have is ACDC lol call me modern or whatever but Im not picky enough to say new music sucks because its new.

I actually hate people who put music in its own niche of the decade... Basically they say music stopped being good as soon as January 1990 came around or whatever that annoys me.

I also can't stand people who automatically hate a band for being popular. Like they're talent disappeared the second they started making money for it.

Edited August 4, 2010 by Rockworm

[Lithium]

I think that the same major branches of music will continue to exist, with some being popular than others. Like Unoriginal had explained, each time period had their own type of music, but right now ,same as the past 15 years or so, it seems like POP is still taking the lead. Who knows what the future will bring, all I know is it'll be interesting.

[Mister Pink]

The reason for my move over to more Electronica from Rock music is beacuse I feel that Rock has just gone full-circle. I can't hear any Rock (and I use Rock broadly) that sound fresh and new. I'm sure there's stuff there but for me I crave more than that. I need to hear mixed-genres to keep my attention. Beck mixed genres very well on his Odelay album; Hip Hop, Electro, Country, folk etc.

 

I always preferred music from the 60's, 70's 80's when it came to Rock and to a lesser extent Hip Hop. I like modern stuff too when I was growing up but I can always relate modern music to something that was done before, unless it was completely original and new.

 

Artists like Kraftwerk that Cheat mentioned really pioneered and iunfluenced modern music almost as much as The Beatles did yet they still have a sort of cult status. Aphex Twin has pushed boundries and mix/created/spawned brand new genres.

 

I think the future is electronic. The endless possiblities of computers, software, synthesisers etc. Creating new and unusual sounds (Dubstep wobble bass anyone?) mixing genres and using traditional instruments throught filters and effects and throwing in retro influences for the mix.

 

The boring stiff guy in thus vid explains it well at 2mins.30 on.. It's quite old and wonderfull.

 

 

[Tyler]

Unfortunately Pinkfloydsound, that is exactly what I am afraid of. I mean in the 80's I saw synth as a fad, then it disappeared for a while, only to re-appear and be strong as ever.

 

Where's the emotion in electronica? Gone, it is horrible and hopefully its catchy rhythms and beats won't detour people from seeing how much of a negative change it will bring.

[Claude Speed.]

Where's the emotion in electronica? Gone, it is horrible and hopefully its catchy rhythms and beats won't detour people from seeing how much of a negative change it will bring.

There's at least as much emotion in electronic music as in any genre. And why would it be a negative change? Synthesizers bring a whole new experience. You don't only create music, you create sounds too!

[Tyler]

Where's the emotion in electronica? Gone, it is horrible and hopefully its catchy rhythms and beats won't detour people from seeing how much of a negative change it will bring.

There's at least as much emotion in electronic music as in any genre. And why would it be a negative change? Synthesizers bring a whole new experience. You don't only create music, you create sounds too!

Well I cannot think of any songs that include only Synthesizers and nothing else. That is what I meant.

[Mister Pink]

Unorginal, I think I understand where you are coming from. This is the arguement Kraftwerk experienced in the 70s/80's and they almost single handedly sparks 80's synth. I once thought like you did too but I matured and realised there's more out there.

 

hopefully its catchy rhythms and beats won't detour people from seeing how much of a negative change it will bring.

 

By saying this I figure you don't have much experience with Electronica and are probably judging by what you hear on the radio. I'm not here to try and convert you I'd only like to point out that there's more to Electronica isn't only catchy rythyms etc. There's all sorts of underground stuff out there, Chill music, Ambient, IDM (Intelligent Dance Music, hate that term) or Braindance, Acid etc.

 

Those artists that thrive to find a new sound are artists I adore. Unlike a lot of the Rock and Hip Hop that's just trying to immitate whoever they listened too.

 

There's lots of emotion in Electronica, it can maybe be more subtle than a rock song where a there lyrics and the guy is shouting Rape Me or something. Sounds, rythyms, synth lines, drum patterns help produce emotion.

 

For example, here's one of my favourite pieces of Electronic music. Not particulary catch rythyms or pop style music...

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2010 by ThePinkFloydSound

[Tyler]

Those songs aren't that bad at all.

 

 

What I meant through my words though, was a future where only synth music exists would be like iRobot. I do not have faith in the whole electronic future, so in a way I am Will Smith there, but I didn't mean that I did not like that music. Hell, I think Daft Punk is alright most of the time, and with electronic music you can listen to it at any mood. But I just don't see that as a happy future where only computers make music. It would mean that most of humanity would depend on computers even more then they do now.

 

Cheers for the good song, and I hope I did not offend you, but if you wanted to discuss this further just ask.

[JayM]

 

There's lots of emotion in Electronica, it can maybe be more subtle than a rock song where a there lyrics and the guy is shouting Rape Me or something.

 

Just as there's a lot of variation in Electronica, there's just as much in Rock, enough to suit all emotions. I get what your saying though.

 

 

I just don't see that as a happy future where only computers make music.

 

I'm pretty sure that would never happen. I think humans would always have the desire to make music using instruments that they can play with skill and have a talent with. I'm not trying to put down the talent it takes to make music using computers but I think instruments like the guitar and piano will never die out. Maybe way in the future the electric guitar will be become so advanced that it's technically classed as a computer and you never know, maybe the greatest music that the world's ever heard will be made using it......hopefully