[waylman]

For the US, here is the top 10 albums right now:

Ashanti, Chapter II
Beyonce, Dangerously In Love
Luther Vandross, Dance With My Father
Michelle Branch, Hotel Paper
50 Cent, Get Rich Or Die Tryin' 5
Metallica, St. Anger
Evanescence, Fallen
Monica, After The Storm
Norah Jones, Come Away With Me
Three 6 Mafia, Da Unbreakables

Of the above 10, I think most of us can agree that for the most part, this list is pretty sad.
Now, people can listen to whatever they want. I don't have a problem with that. But, what I am more interested to know is why do they listen to this stuff when there is so much more better music out there? What stops them from finding the good stuff? Are they slaves to the radio?

 

[spaceman]

Well, out of those ten I have only heard of Norah Jones (like her), Metallica (so-so), and Luther Van dross (not a fan). So, at least I'm not contributing to the lack of musical foresight in this country

A steady diet of Top 40 can certainly contribute to societal apathy regarding the quest for fine music. Thank God for CDs, Satellite, and sites like this

 

[psxguy85]

What? I like the Michelle Branch, Evanescence, and 50 Cent on that list

 

[blessingx]

Yeah, it is depressing.

Top 10 music
Top 10 movies
Top 10 books (well, paperback non-fiction isn't bad at the moment)

It's been that way for awhile though. Best not to expect that to change. On a bright note: The music list was worse in Australia last time I was there.

 

[Rizumu]

That's actually not the worst the Top 10 has been. But still, I care for nothing on it.

Yeah everyone's a slave to the radio and their Best Buy store's selection so they walk around listening to Eminem on streetstyles thinking they're cool. So sad..not that Eminem deserves to be listened to on anything better than streetstyles.

 

[bralack42]

Funny thing, except for Norah Jones (I love C.A.w/M.) and Metallica (whom I don't like and haven't heard their newest CD), I haven't heard of anyone else on this list!

Anyone else have friends who seem to talk about celebrities/"musicians"/etc. like everyone should know them and you don't? They must all think I live under a rock!

 

[FalconP]

Two words: peer pressure. For many people music is not music, but a ticket to social acceptance.

 

[ilikemonkeys]

I'm not sure that it's fair to say that anyone has "bad taste" in music, although I sympathize with you in the respect that I would never be caught dead with any top 10 CD's in my player. Music used to be so much more cultural than it is now. It used to be the embedded language that lasted through the generations. I've recently read here that music is now used as "musical wallpaper". Sad but true. What we need is to gete rid of the "Top 40 Countdown" and have the "Music history hour" If people would only spend some time to learn about what they're hearing, they would appreciate the "good" music more.

Sometimes I wish I didn't know anything about wines. Wine in a box is cheap! Alas, I can't palate it anymore. Same thing with bubble-gum pop top 40 stuff.

 

[spaceman]

Its too bad that someone like Norah Jones gets put into this list. I bought her CD before she won her Grammys, and once she got those, the top 40 stations have been playing her non-stop. I like Norah, but I hear the f*%$ing "Don't Know Why" song about 6 times a night at work, and I don't even listen to the radio(I work in a lab where there are a number of radios tuned to top 40)! I guess the American laziness has migrated to music selection as well

 

[Rizumu]

Quote:

Originally posted by spaceman Its too bad that someone like Norah Jones gets put into this list. I bought her CD before she won her Grammys, and once she got those, the top 40 stations have been playing her non-stop. I like Norah, but I hear the f*%$ing "Don't Know Why" song about 6 times a night at work, and I don't even listen to the radio(I work in a lab where there are a number of radios tuned to top 40)! I guess the American laziness has migrated to music selection as well

Yeah, if I hear Don't Know Why one more time I'm going to snap.

 

[Nexus6]

Quote:

Originally posted by spaceman I like Norah, but I hear the f*%$ing "Don't Know Why" song about 6 times a night at work, and I don't even listen to the radio(I work in a lab where there are a number of radios tuned to top 40)!

Thank you, Clear Channel, for removing all variety and originality from this world!

 

[MaxHeifetz]

I like FalcolnP's explanation of peer pressure as being a large issue. I also think that many people like to feel unique by listening to things that are unmelodic, absolutely atonal, have no structure, etc... Of course, having songs like this making it to the top 10 is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[sacriste]

RIAA is only concerned about suing teenagers. Record labels about controlling the entire broadcasting system and copycating the last bestselling band. Top 40 is just about power not quality. But don't think people is stupid, sales are falling for many years...

 

[mojoman]

I don’t know why people choose to listen to the types of music they choose to listen to but what they choose really doesn’t bother me at all. Looking at the list of billboard top 10 (this is top 10 sales) it’s obvious that someone likes and buys this stuff. Who am I to judge if someone who purchased it has bad taste or not. I know I wouldn’t buy it (well maybe Nora Jones and Luther Vandross) but I’m not going to judge those that do.

I love the blues. All kinds; acoustic, electric, Chicago, Delta, Texas, LA jump…. well, you get the picture. I have friends whose musical tastes I respect that hate the blues. They’ve given me their reasons and many times the very things they hate about blues are the very reasons I love it so. Does this mean that I have bad taste in music because someone else doesn’t like it or that they have bad taste in music because they don’t like what I do? Don’t know, don’t care, I listen to what I like.

I’ve come to understand that for most people, music just doesn’t hold the significance that it does for me. I grew up playing instruments, played in bands, studied music in college. I can’t remember when music wasn’t a BIG part of my life. I associate different times of my life with the songs I was listening to at that time as I’m sure many here do also. For most people I know, music is just a background soundtrack for their lives so it doesn’t really surprise me that the music that sells the most is what people are exposed to by Clear Channel controlled radio stations. For them, that’s good enough and I’m really ok with that, as long as I don’t have to listen to it myself, although I do listen a little, just to see for myself (still don’t own any B. Spears or Nsync).

The disappointing thing is that so many very talented artists are left to fiend for themselves because the record companies only want the big artist they can promote to sell millions of cds. But even this is going to change, IMO because I think the days of big music are numbered. Witness the RIAA and their threats as a last gasp of a dying industry. What the music industry winds up looking like in the future I do not know but my hope is that it returns to a focus on the music, not the business. I hope that artist have more control over what they produce and that they are adequately compensated so they can continue to produce new and creative things, and that they embrace the fans, not sue them.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming…..

 

[bralack42]

Quote:

Originally posted by Nexus6 Thank you, Clear Channel, for removing all variety and originality from this world!

Thank you, community radio!