Why does most new music suck?

Nice post Simao!

Generally, the higher ones standards, the more most things suck.

Therefore, one must conclude that in the world of audiophiles, most things musical are sub par and hence suck.

The solution is selective moderation. Have high standards but be able to lower them when needed to gain a better appreciation of all things and to be able to better relate to the world as a whole.

If you love music and cannot do this effectively when listening to music that might be different or not meet your expectations going in, then I would suppose that one should be in fear of being intolerant. After all its just music. Bad music really hurts noone and some will think it is good.

An open mind and tolerance are good things to strive for. Not always easy...

Todd, maybe if you loaned me your rose colored glasses I would see what you see, but that wouldn't be "reality", and I prefer to see it like it is.

I find myself unable to respond knowledgeably to the OP's question, as I have little familiarity with recent popular music. Why? Because every time I encounter any of it on my car radio it sucks, and I promptly change the station. :-)

I'm sure that there are a goodly number of diamonds in the rough, but I find that there is more than enough good music of other kinds and other eras to listen to that I have no interest in looking for them.

Regards,
-- Al

I find new popular music that I like two ways:

1) via my 12 year old daughter
2) when I hear something I like at the gym in one of the various group workout classes I attend every week. THis is where I find the most new popular stuff I like. Maybe its because the music I hear suits the task at hand, so my perspective tends to be different.

I like to be able to find new popular gems. It makes me feel like a kid again, when I discovered a lot of music mainly by listening to top 40 radio stations back in the day.

But yes, so much good music to listen to, and not enough time to do it all....

Yes, nice post Simao, and like Almarg, there is no hesitation when I hear something I don't like as I just hit the other preset. We vote with our wallets, feet and fingers.

Something alluded to but not fully fleshed out is that as I grow older, I find myself less tolerant of what I consider bad music. I think it's one of those rights I think I've "earned" having been here long enough on this mortal coil. Expressing that right is generally tolerated by society as I can be thought of as "that old codger", or something along those lines.

People have become aware that music can be nothing more than an extension of one's personality and there are some pretty rotten people out there with attitudes up the ying yang. It's like the guy with the pit bull at the park who lets his dog jump at you only to restrain it when needed, or the fool who comes up next to you at the stop light with his personality blasting out the window, complete with the "I don't care what you think" expression. Music has taken a turn for the worse as this is the kind of popular music being marketed nowadays. Who wouldn't bemoan it?

Great and wonderful music exists and there's more out there than I can listen to but when just about every kind of contraption out there is capable of transmitting peoples personalities, invading my personal space, it becomes annoying, which I think is behind the OPs post. Boundaries are being crossed and respect is not a consideration. Cell phones are propped on desks playing music I never asked to listen to and people are singing loud enough with their headphones on to be a nuisance.

So, yes, some new music can and does suck.

All the best,
Nonoise