There are very rarely these days any posts about music; specialisation has worn away mass interest; easy availability has worn down depth of interest; music is now a fringe activity. And even love for it is the same as love generally - a brief fling, scarcely more important than masturbation. As for the industry? Just a way to make money to pay for more important activities. The world has changed and not always for the better.

JK2006 wrote:
There are very rarely these days any posts about music; specialisation has worn away mass interest; easy availability has worn down depth of interest; music is now a fringe activity. And even love for it is the same as love generally - a brief fling, scarcely more important than masturbation. As for the industry? Just a way to make money to pay for more important activities. The world has changed and not always for the better.

So are you saying music is dead like Ricky Gervais music career ?

To be honest "More To Lose" is great track.

Pretty much everything has been done in music. Most music is about love and there is only so much you can say about it and the best stuff was taken very early. There are so may chords, and limited melodies that you can make with chords. I can't think of one tune in the last year that was worth remembering. In film we are still dining out on Abba in mama mia 2 and bohemian rhapsody, and rocket man. Very little from the past 20 years is worth rememebering, Maybe a little bit of Arctic monkeys or the libertines, but not much. Look at the headliners for Glastonbury this year The Cure, The Killers, Janet Jackson, all stars from the past. Music is dead, there is nothing new to say.

There is a lot of good new music, but the best stuff is buried away from the main stream. I'm encouraged by the number of young singer / songwriters, and are there still a few older artists still knocking out decent tunes.
The amount of boring tripe you have to wade through to find the good music can be a bit off putting, but it's worth when a good song breaks through.
Shows like xfactor and The Voice don't do much to take music forward. Each new act is expected to sound like the old.


some examples of new singer / songwriters

Tyler Lorette


Griffin Tucker


Louise Steel



People have become numbed and have lowered their expectations, but music will never die. It's what keeps some of us alive.

robbiex wrote:
Pretty much everything has been done in music. Most music is about love and there is only so much you can say about it and the best stuff was taken very early. There are so may chords, and limited melodies that you can make with chords. I can't think of one tune in the last year that was worth remembering. In film we are still dining out on Abba in mama mia 2 and bohemian rhapsody, and rocket man. Very little from the past 20 years is worth rememebering, Maybe a little bit of Arctic monkeys or the libertines, but not much. Look at the headliners for Glastonbury this year The Cure, The Killers, Janet Jackson, all stars from the past. Music is dead, there is nothing new to say.

I thought The Killers broke up.

Later in year I'm going to my 60th Ted Nugent, gig the man is 70 and still a phenom. Then after that I'm off to see Stryper for 6th time.

Blackie from W.A.S.P still has it.

Even the 1980s pop stars are worth seeing like Howard Jones still has it and so does Midge Ure.

There is lots of great new music and there is also an important and influential music business. It’s a generational thing with each older generation not understanding or appreciating the new music. I’m guessing the average age of the posters on this board is somewhere in the 50’s or 60’s so not really a surprise there aren’t many posts on any of the new genres or new artists.

Blue Boy wrote:
There is lots of great new music and there is also an important and influential music business. It’s a generational thing with each older generation not understanding or appreciating the new music. I’m guessing the average age of the posters on this board is somewhere in the 50’s or 60’s so not really a surprise there aren’t many posts on any of the new genres or new artists.

I'm finding it harder these days to be exposed newer music. All I hear is bland generic rock or awful pop music.

If you want A listed country music come to Ireland.

I don't think music will ever die and there's still some good stuff around - the problem is - with such easy access to distribution, creative musicians don't bother to hone or perfect - or listen to comments - so much is not as good as it could be. Second - because there is less need for A&R and promotion is far more difficult, the industry attracts less competent or inspired people (breaking a difficult hit was always a creative art - and I was good at it). So the Tipsheet, which was mainly for and by people interested in those black arts, is less relevant.

JK2006 wrote:
I don't think music will ever die and there's still some good stuff around - the problem is - with such easy access to distribution, creative musicians don't bother to hone or perfect - or listen to comments - so much is not as good as it could be. Second - because there is less need for A&R and promotion is far more difficult, the industry attracts less competent or inspired people (breaking a difficult hit was always a creative art - and I was good at it). So the Tipsheet, which was mainly for and by people interested in those black arts, is less relevant.

I remember when Ed Sheeran was doing the club circuit near where I used to work, performing in a room Infront of about 20 people.

It's a generational thing. My grandparents said it about my parents music and my parents said it about mine.

When you're growing up, "your" music is new and exciting to you but to an older generation they've heard those melodies, lyrics, chord progressions, sounds etc. before... or they *think* they have and in some cases they're correct, but in others they're not relating to it in the same way as you are.

"Your" music forms the backbone to your youth and is key to new experiences and memories you're making.

As they get older most people settle into a mundane existence of work, TV, going to the same pubs, same people, same restaurants, same places for holidays, nothing is new anymore. New music is just a background noise to them, but play them something old and they're reliving their younger days.

Rarey Tipper wrote:
It's a generational thing. My grandparents said it about my parents music and my parents said it about mine.

When you're growing up, "your" music is new and exciting to you but to an older generation they've heard those melodies, lyrics, chord progressions, sounds etc. before... or they *think* they have and in some cases they're correct, but in others they're not relating to it in the same way as you are.

"Your" music forms the backbone to your youth and is key to new experiences and memories you're making.

As they get older most people settle into a mundane existence of work, TV, going to the same pubs, same people, same restaurants, same places for holidays, nothing is new anymore. New music is just a background noise to them, but play them something old and they're reliving their younger days.

I have to concur with that.

I only hear Maroon 5 in supermarkets deli counters yet in Tesco they are blasting out the normal 80's classics. I do like that 80's superstars are making a comeback and are touring.

Paul Young sounds better with age these days, Kim Wilde still has it and looks amazing, Blancmange are doing okay but a national tour is definitely needed rather than the club circuit, Squeeze are doing fantastic at the moment, Pet Shop Boys are doing a new album. I do agree that some people are set in their ways but if you're favourite singer or band from the past is making new music and touring then it's great.

I have just just listened to snippets of the charts on Spotify, most of the songs sound the same than the last as it did 15 years ago - with same generic beats and lyrics.

My children have just discovered the mid 80's band Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 - they think they are best thing slice bread.

When I go to the record store he said "old vinyl sells great so do reissues but newer bands are harder to shift". Older people have more disposable income and probably still collecting and younger generation probably prefer to stream because it's free. I guess those are in their 30's are probably still buying the stuff they grew up also ?