[newzooreview]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/old-music-killing-new-music/621339/

From the article:

"Old songs now represent 70 percent of the U.S. music market. Even worse: The new-music market is actually shrinking."

And

"The 200 most popular new tracks now regularly account for less than 5 percent of total streams."

And

"Only songs released in the past 18 months get classified as “new” in the MRC database, so people could conceivably be listening to a lot of two-year-old songs, rather than 60-year-old ones. But I doubt these old playlists consist of songs from the year before last."



There are certainly good new groups and existing groups making good new music. However, streaming allows easy exploration and re-discovery of older music, and the amount of older music that is fantastic is statistically larger than the amount of new, fantastic music. The could be part of the reason, at least. The article suggests a number of possible factors (including the pandemic).

[Phil A]

Nice article - thanks for sharing!

[Mike B.]

Well I am a geezer so the following comment should be viewed with this in mind
I find much of what is deemed popular music now unnatural, and lacking a memorable tune and lyrics.  Often over produced and dominated with added effects.

[Carlman]

Most new music is lazy at best and usually very formulaic and inoffensive.  Can't say that about the 42nd Street Harlots.

[bkatbamna]

Surprised it is that low.

[SteveFord]

I believe it.
Most of the albums I've been buying were put out by people who are either dead or getting closer!

[VinceT]

I am always on the search for new music

There has not been much innovation IMHO musically. Most of the innovation has been with tones (electronics) which like a lot of people I do not find musical. A lot of the popular groups of today, still have the old school vibe going on. Silk Sonic, BTS, etc. I listen to most of the new Jazz that comes out, it doesn't do anything for me. Its like everyone just pitter patters around a sax or piano riff, or plays some electronica in the mix. Soul, rhythm, harmony, .. where did it go? A lot of the new stuff is so dumbed down, it is boring. Simple bass lines, boring looped drum tracks, samey vocals, no timing changes. I think as an older guy that is what bothers me the most. I want to like it, but after listening to all jazz, fusion older rock, soul, funk, blues, rap and hip hop from 1940-2000 ... most new stuff doesn't move me at all, and Yes I am old too that doesn't help

[dB Cooper]

Today's music ain't got the same soul.

[WGH]

The 1970's must have had something magical in the air that made the music special.

Since it has been 50 years since the last good music was created, I went back 50 years to 1920 to see if any popular music of that era survived. Nope, it didn't.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1920_in_music

In 50 years none of the music created today will survive. Inspiration must happen in 100 year cycles.

[Freo-1]

There is some new music that I've had pop up on YouTube that is pretty good.  However,  it's not top 40 genre.   It's more specially music,  such as French Jazz, Blues, Latin Flamingo, classical cello from Hauser, etc. 

[Tone Depth]

I predominantly purchase classical music, so off the charts.

[timind]

I'm 67 and rarely listen to any music I grew up with. How many times can you listen to the same songs? Most of what I listen to was produced within the last 25 year, give or take. Old geezer who refuses to listen to geezer rock here.

[Les Lammers]

Well I am a geezer so the following comment should be viewed with this in mind
I find much of what is deemed popular music now unnatural, and lacking a memorable tune and lyrics.  Often over produced and dominated with added effects.

Watch the documentary Sound City.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kREXK5sVjQ4

[charmerci]

I'm 67 and rarely listen to any music I grew up with. How many times can you listen to the same songs? Most of what I listen to was produced within the last 25 year, give or take. Old geezer who refuses to listen to geezer rock here.

Are you familiar with all the album cuts and not just the hits? There's still a ton of good old music that doesn't get much listening to. Yeah, the Beatles and Stones have been done to death but there's Atomic Rooster, Love, Wishbone Ash, Humble Pie, etc.

[dB Cooper]

I'm 67 and rarely listen to any music I grew up with. How many times can you listen to the same songs?

Quite a few, apparently. I know people our age who still listen to a steady diet of the local 'classic rock' station with its highly predictable playlist- when you hear 'Stairway', you know 'Maggie May' can't be far behind.

Most of what I listen to was produced within the last 25 year, give or take. Old geezer who refuses to listen to geezer rock here.

I don't 'refuse', I still listen to oldies from time to time, but, like you, mostly more recent releases, jazz I overlooked back then, classical I wasn't open to at the time. And not the 'hits' that have been long since run into the ground.


By the way, there is actual scientific evidence that today's pop music actually does suck. Maybe the trend is actually healthy, and the music industry will be forced to look beyond insipid, soulless swill, as it was during a brief period in the 60's-70s.:
https://therooster.com/blog/experts-confirm-music-really-does-suck-now-more-ever

[Tyson]

I lived through the 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and up through now.  I can say this with confidence re: music quality in every decade.  Sturgeon's law holds true for every single decade, without exception. 

What is the law?  It states that 90% of everything is crap.  And thinking back to the music of every decade, that was certainly my experience.  The giant majority of it was just worthless drek best forgotten. 

Which means we only focus on and remember the 10% that wasn't crap.  In fact, I'd actually say it's a smaller percentage based on my observations.  More like 1% is what we remember.  So I guess you could say there's a Tyson's Law and is says that 99% of everything is crap.  We only remember the 1%, and this is why everything seems better in the past.  You are comparing the very best of all prior decades to the unfiltered 99% crap of today. 

I've also noticed that many people develop a deeper emotional connection to music they were exposed to when they were young.  That music became a part of them and thus it was 'real music' and 'they don't make great music like that anymore'.  That's not a function of culture, it's a function of time (and age).  You'll never be young again, and thus, no new music will ever affect you like that again.  Sorry, thems the facts...

[Freo-1]

I think it's a combination of many things.  Whilst I on occasion listen to music from the 60s/early 70’s,  the vast majority of which was referred to as underground (emphasis on hard rock, British Blues), tastes evolve over time.  Nowadays,  listening has evolved to Jazz, of various forms, standards, big band, Classical guitar,  and classical.   Would say 60% to 70% of current listening is symphonic/classical. 


There is a whole world of music genres out there to explore.  I have heard newer music from the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Hauser, Guitarra Azul, Avalon Jazz Band as examples. 


Almost forgot to mention the James Hunter Six.  He makes some excellent R&B that takes one back to the 60s, with newly written music.

[Elizabeth]

Classical Music is all old music. 99% of Jazz is all old music. Most music is old music. The only 'new' music is called rock and roll or pop. SO most of that is also old music. or rehashed music. Really new original music is non-existent. Where is the beef?
Like all air is old air where is the new air I want new air... ??None of those pig farts mixed in.. old ones too.. Dinosaur farts are mixed in.. I bet there are a billion tons of dinosaur farts still floating around in the air now..
Same with old music. it's all old..
New music is like tiny speck on my windshield..
From my Covid addled brain.   

[Carlman]

I lived through the 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and up through now.  I can say this with confidence re: music quality in every decade.  Sturgeon's law holds true for every single decade, without exception. 

What is the law?  It states that 90% of everything is crap.  And thinking back to the music of every decade, that was certainly my experience.  The giant majority of it was just worthless drek best forgotten. 

Which means we only focus on and remember the 10% that wasn't crap.  In fact, I'd actually say it's a smaller percentage based on my observations.  More like 1% is what we remember.  So I guess you could say there's a Tyson's Law and is says that 99% of everything is crap.  We only remember the 1%, and this is why everything seems better in the past.  You are comparing the very best of all prior decades to the unfiltered 99% crap of today. 

I've also noticed that many people develop a deeper emotional connection to music they were exposed to when they were young.  That music became a part of them and thus it was 'real music' and 'they don't make great music like that anymore'.  That's not a function of culture, it's a function of time (and age).  You'll never be young again, and thus, no new music will ever affect you like that again.  Sorry, thems the facts...

That's it.  Great summarization of it.

What's more... There is a LOT more new music coming out (accessible? over multiple platforms, channels, venues, etc.) now than there was in the past as well.. so it would be impossible to even hear 1% of all the music being produced this year.... There were 97 million new songs released in 2021.  I think the entire 70's probably had a few thousand worldwide?

[Tyson]

That's it.  Great summarization of it.

What's more... There is a LOT more new music coming out (accessible? over multiple platforms, channels, venues, etc.) now than there was in the past as well.. so it would be impossible to even hear 1% of all the music being produced this year.... There were 97 million new songs released in 2021.  I think the entire 70's probably had a few thousand worldwide?

Not only that, but every decade before now was very US-centric.  So as an American you only had access to the 1% of great music from America (or Great Britain).  Now you have access to the top 1% of art/music/movies from WAY MORE countries, so the total amount of great new content is available that simply wasn't before.  In fact my favorite recent TV series is Korean (Itaewan Class) as is my favorite new music group - BTS.