# Pop Doesn’t Suck, You’re Just Listening to the Wrong Stuff



## hardasmum

I quite enjoy Shawn Hammond's editorials in Premier Guitar magazine. His latest from the May 2013 issue "struck a chord" with me and thought I would share.

http://premierguitar.com/Magazine/I...You_re_Just_Listening_to_the_Wrong_Stuff.aspx

"Y’know what I’m sick of hearing from guitarists? “Man, pop music sucks—it’s not like the good ol’ days.”

I know it’s not a majority of us (thankfully), but it’s enough to make you want to periodically shriek.

The selective rememberers who say crap like this inevitably lament mythical bygone years when pop bands like the Beatles and the Beach Boys—the ones that were “real” musicians—apparently played 24/7 on every radio station. If they’re not too young to have been there, they either conveniently forget or have lost too many brain cells to remember that Engelbert Humperdinck, Tiny Tim, the Association, Captain & Tennille, and Rupert Holmes—the lovely gent who gave us “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)”—raked in plenty of royalty checks during the supposedly amazing ’60s and ’70s, too.

To save a little face and show how open-minded they are, these same musical bigots/flat-earthers might be so bold as to admit they (now) like Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” or maybe “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield. (“At least those tunes had a little guitar in ’em, y’know what I’m sayin’?” ’Cause if they didn’t, that wouldn’t be manly … or something.) If they’re slightly more up-to-date, they might even cop to being able to listen to, say, a little Pink—but there again, is it really just because she has a badass guitarist by the name of Justin Derrico?

Let’s just admit it: It’s not about pop or any “good ol’ days”—there always has been and always will be the same basic ratio of detritus to genius (with a middling majority) in human-produced audio compositions. So if you’re one of those who feels compelled to slam everything past a certain date, everything that comes out of the mouths, brains, and bodies of those who don’t look like your particular musical heroes, or everything that doesn’t live up to your canonized definitions of radass guitar tone and thundering drums, just summon the intestinal fortitude to say, “I can’t stand drum machines.” Or “I only listen to guitar tones that bear the blessed all-tube ‘brown sound.’” Or “Any tune in my ears has gotta have at least one wailing minor-pentatonic solo.”

Otherwise, just start listening to stuff that’s outside your comfort zone. Yeah, it’s going to take some effort and some getting used to, but there is so much cool music out there. A lot of it is going to be stuff you just stumble upon, maybe while you’re at the grocery store or enduring a commercial on YouTube. (Helpful hint: Get a smartphone app like Shazam that can listen to the tunes, tell you who they’re by, and even help you purchase them.) Or maybe your significant other shares your iTunes account and puts something on there that starts playing unexpectedly when you’ve got it on random play—and then, boom, you’re caught unawares and hooked.
This last scenario happened to me as I was typing this screed. Months ago, my wife downloaded an album by a British trio called Friendly Fires, and their tune “Lovesick” came on for the first time that I can recall as we were about to send this issue to press. It’s chock-full of synth pads, funky clavinet, Nintendo-style 8-bit blips, hand claps, fantastic singing, and an eminently danceable groove from (gasp!) some evil electronic contraption. Intertwined with it all are ingenious, taut-toned guitar parts—twangy lower-register riffs, glissando licks sliding up the neck, tick-tock-ing palm mutes, and rattlesnake-like atmospherics—that add a delectable organic touch to the pop glitz. The lines are so good I immediately googled the band to see who the guitarist is (it’s Edd Gibson).

But this example almost undermines my argument—because guess what? A song doesn’t have to have guitar to kick your ass. Check out something by the Presets, Shiny Toy Guns, Ladytron, DeVotchka, or a bazillion others to see what I mean. You don’t have to give up anything you love—you can still idolize Zakk Wylde or Satriani or SRV. Just add to it. Let the glorious variety of innumerable different consciousnesses and sensibilities—including unabashed pop freaks—enrich your being … and your own music."


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## Option1

Great and pertinent article. Amazing some of the stuff I end up stumbling on just surfing around on EweChewb - music I would never have listened to otherwise.

Neil


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## 4345567

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## Option1

Mine too, but without Mr. Grohl's street cred I do feel compelled to remain guilty about it. :tongue73:

Agree 100% with the rest of your points.

Neil


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## NGroeneveld

There's a time and place for every kind of music IMO. I get sick of listening to the cerebral stuff, the blues, the jazz, the classical, and especially the classic rock. Sometimes I just put on the radio station that plays the Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Jesse J, whatever. Ya gotta have some fluff now and then. It's all good!


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## Guest

NGroeneveld said:


> Bruno Mars!


We're doing Locked out of Heaven with the band and man...first time I heard I was all, "About damn time someone borrowed heavily from The Police and knocked the BPM rate up a bit!" Damn good stuff there.

OP: Good article. Pop never stopped being good. I like the Grohl line nkjanssen posted: it can just be about _pleasure_.


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## hollowbody

iaresee said:


> We're doing Locked out of Heaven with the band and man...first time I heard I was all, "About damn time someone borrowed heavily from The Police and knocked the BPM rate up a bit!" Damn good stuff there.
> 
> OP: Good article. Pop never stopped being good. I like the Grohl line nkjanssen posted: it can just be about _pleasure_.


Totally agree. That song is catchy as all hell. I like a lot of Bruno's stuff. He's one of the best artists to come out in the last 10 years.


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## FrankyNoTone

hardasmum said:


> I quite enjoy Shawn Hammond's editorials in Premier Guitar magazine. His latest from the May 2013 issue "struck a chord" with me and thought I would share.
> 
> http://premierguitar.com/Magazine/I...You_re_Just_Listening_to_the_Wrong_Stuff.aspx


Man that article sucks. They just don't write editorials like in the good old days.


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## Steadfastly

FrankyNoTone said:


> Man that article sucks. They just don't write editorials like in the good old days.


There is some truth to the article, however, today's music is different from 20 and 30 years ago. It's not just your average listener or player that says it. Even some of the pros who have been in the business have spoken out about the lack of musicianship there is in today's music. Much of the sacrifice has because there is a certain formula that is being followed by the music labels who are more interested in money than they are in music. That doesn't mean there isn't some good music out there because there is. It's just getting harder and harder to find.


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## hardasmum

Steadfastly said:


> Much of the sacrifice has because there is a certain formula that is being followed by the music labels who are more interested in money than they are in music.


Ah come on! Labels have been ripping off musicians and manufacturing artists for over fifty years.


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## OldGuitarPlayer

I don't listen to current or modern "pop music" and never will. In my younger days I made the mistake of playing in a rock & roll band. These days I currently play in a swing/blues trio or perform solo acoustic. I do enjoy american folk music and some of the popular music of the 1920's 1930's and 1940's.


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## djmarcelca

There's a couple of bands I think have great pop songs out there that are squarely Pop...

[video=youtube;W8iWSaM12io]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8iWSaM12io[/video]
Had a steady drum machine intro for Club DJ friendly beatmixing. Production planning at it's finest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSBFehvLJDc
This one is a Blatant ripp-off of "The Phantom Of The Opera" melody line in the first 2 vocal lines of the verses. But still a catchy fun song.


On the other hand there is an over abundance of absolute tripe out there
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wjFahULCK8
I do not have the words to describe how bad I think that song is.


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## sulphur

This is about a pop as I get and I'm not sure if this is even considered pop...

[video=youtube;8bdeizHM9OU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bdeizHM9OU[/video]

Yo Yolindi


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## Guest

sulphur said:


> This is about a pop as I get and I'm not sure if this is even considered pop...
> 
> YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bdeizHM9OU
> 
> Yo Yolindi


I don't think Die Antwoord gets enough radio play to be labelled pop. Awesome though they are...


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## sulphur

iaresee said:


> I don't think Die Antwoord gets enough radio play to be labelled pop. Awesome though they are...


True, I'd only heard of them myself through the internet.


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## guitarman2

sulphur said:


> This is about a pop as I get and I'm not sure if this is even considered pop...
> 
> [video=youtube;8bdeizHM9OU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bdeizHM9OU[/video]
> 
> Yo Yolindi


That is godawful garbage. I guess having an open mind to modern music means tolerating trash. I've said it before, it seems the aim of todays entertainers is to get by on as little to no talent as possible. We see it in the never ending garbage of reality TV shows and in the musical artists that are bold enough to call them selves artists.


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## 4345567

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## guitarman2

nkjanssen said:


> Having an open mind doesn't mean liking everything. It means being open to the possibility of liking something outside youre comfort zone


When it comes to music why would I be outside my comfort zone? I don't listen to music to be uncomfortable. I listen to music to be inspired. I'm not inspired by a young girl repeating mindless childish lyrics and sitting on a toilet. To give it a chance means having to knock your IQ down quite a few points. I appreciate that others may find that entertaining or inspiring much like I can appreciate some find amusement in mindless life wasting activities such as mastering the newest blood and guts video game eight hours a day.


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## Guest

These threads are awesome for updating my ignore list.


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## 4345567

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## guitarman2

nkjanssen said:


> Some people find it interesting, exciting and often _inspiring_ to get outside their comfort zones. Some people would be happy eating the same meals every day of their lives; some like to try unusual foods they've never experienced before. It's the same thing. Does that really even need to be said?



I love to try different foods and live outside my comfort zone like that. But that video above is analogous to eating poop.


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## Milkman

To tell the truth, pop is about the only new music I find entertaining these days.

If anyone ever heard what I have playing in my earbuds at the gym every day I'd get laughed right out of the building.


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## Milkman

guitarman2 said:


> When it comes to music why would I be outside my comfort zone? I don't listen to music to be uncomfortable. I listen to music to be inspired. I'm not inspired by a young girl repeating mindless childish lyrics and sitting on a toilet. To give it a chance means having to knock your IQ down quite a few points. I appreciate that others may find that entertaining or inspiring much like I can appreciate some find amusement in mindless life wasting activities such as mastering the newest blood and guts video game eight hours a day.



While I completely agree with your statement, at the end of the day it comes down to what you like, for whatever reason that may be.

I don't go looking for new music often. Enough of it seems to find me and whether it's rock, pop, country, opera....whatever, if I like it I buy it. 

The variety of genres and artists on many of my playlists could be grounds for a psyche evaluation.


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## Roryfan

hardasmum said:


> Steadfastly said:
> 
> 
> 
> Much of the sacrifice has because there is a certain formula that is being followed by the music labels who are more interested in money than they are in music.
> 
> 
> 
> Ah come on! Labels have been ripping off musicians and manufacturing artists for over fifty years.
Click to expand...

Every decade has had its' own fair share of crap (Chad & Jeremy, Pat Boone, post-army Elvis & Air Supply come to mind), even some of the good stuff like Motown was formulaic. Mind you, how great was What's Goin' On, esp. when compared to pablum Berry had Marvin crank out in the early yrs?

This being said, there does seem to be more crap on the radio now, but that may be because the mainstream media is getting more & more pigeonholed, so interesting new artists don't get much airplay. Also, I think the concept of a label supporting artist development is rare & bands who write entire albums are a dying breed, we're back to cranking out hit 45s like they did in the early 60s.


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## hardasmum

guitarman2 said:


> nkjanssen said:
> 
> 
> 
> Some people find it interesting, exciting and often _inspiring_ to get outside their comfort zones. Some people would be happy eating the same meals every day of their lives; some like to try unusual foods they've never experienced before. It's the same thing. Does that really even need to be said?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I love to try different foods and live outside my comfort zone like that. But that video above is analogous to eating poop.
Click to expand...

I think it's funny. Satire though I think they deny it. It's no different than Alice Cooper or KISS in my books. Theatrics above substance. Music to piss off old folks.


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## guitarman2

hardasmum said:


> I think it's funny. Satire though I think they deny it. It's no different than Alice Cooper or KISS in my books. Theatrics above substance. Music to piss off old folks.


Not so much Kiss but with Alice Cooper there is talent there. I can't see one positive thing about that video that I would consider talent. Great so she can say the F word. And we see her sitting on a toilet. Nothing that dazzles me. And to be honest what kind of old guy would I be if I enjoyed watching a young girl sitting on a toilet?


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## sulphur

guitarman2 said:


> Not so much Kiss but with Alice Cooper there is talent there. I can't see one positive thing about that video that I would consider talent. Great so she can say the F word. And we see her sitting on a toilet. Nothing that dazzles me. And to be honest what kind of old guy would I be if I enjoyed watching a young girl sitting on a toilet?


You need to get out more.

Check out some of their other vids if you really want to be offended.


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## Frank Fargon

[video=youtube;Qsy7kJyizoc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsy7kJyizoc[/video]


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## FrankyNoTone

Frank Fargon said:


> ...


Bah, my daughter is playing that all the time and its driving me batty. It just shows how music has degenerated and just can't compare. Sad the kids today will probably never see true art like this:

[video=youtube_share;etviGf1uWlg]http://youtu.be/etviGf1uWlg[/video]


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## hardasmum

FrankyNoTone said:


> Sad the kids today will probably never see true art like this:



Or this...

[video=youtube_share;SSyMxJDaK90]http://youtu.be/SSyMxJDaK90[/video]


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## FrankyNoTone

hardasmum said:


> Or this...


Okay... challenge: here is pure pop from 1961 yet it transcends time. One of my favorite songs of all time... 

[video=youtube_share;_yIaelSVhyM]http://youtu.be/_yIaelSVhyM[/video]


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## FrankyNoTone

...will any pop today stay relevant over 50 years:

[video=youtube_share;cfwXfRlh6Go]http://youtu.be/cfwXfRlh6Go[/video]


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