Oh Sh*t. It's Even Worse Than We Thought.

[@JustinHawkinsRidesAgain]

I am going on tour with The Darkness this year in the USA, Europe & UK! You can check out the dates and get tickets here: www.thedarknesslive.com/tour-dates/

[@okafala605]

Damn it! Gutted that Bristol is already SOLD OUT. Been waiting to see you play live for about 20 years!!

[@CorkElectric40]

Yes.

[@ssfollettjr]

Just bought my plane tickets, hotel, and concert tickets to see you in Denver in October. Can't wait!

[@Shamus-v5s]

Lovely. Ty❤

[@KB-eu5xi]

Australia needs The Darkness too. Bring The Darkness Down Under!

[@rachelfox1993]

The real question is, why is there a bent fork around the top of the mic? 😅

[@stacksmalacks8826]

It's a bangle and I think it's from a cornish artist

[@ganjiblobflankis6581]

It's an analogue auto-tuning fork.

[@lindapeterson1554]

I’ve always wondered that … is it just keeping the cable secure?

[@kimrice394]

It’s a wave, that will crash. Guitars sell like mad still. The kids will always find a way to make it their own.

[@santosmadrigal3702]

Are you familiar with a song called " six months in a leaky boat " ? Hmmmm . It is a melody I grew up with . Only to hear " shake it off " . Is she that creative ?

[@fallenpetal1188]

I had some construction workers working at my apartment complex last week. They were listening to Santana. It was awesome.

[@1968spikey]

We're they accompanied by a policeman, a native American Indian, a cowboy and a leather-bound guy?

[@walkawaycat431]

​@@1968spikeyA guy from the YMCA was there.

[@1968spikey]

@@walkawaycat431 I've heard it's fun to stay there....

[@walkawaycat431]

@@1968spikey 🤣😂

[@StackhausLive]

Santana, or, 'Smooth' with Rob Thomas and Santana. Pleae confirm. GIMME YOUR HEART. MAKE IT REAL.

[@LettersofVerax]

Fascinating stuff. I've always been struck by that Zappa interview where he talked about those old-school, 'cigar-chompin'' record industry types being more open to unconventional music than the young 'hip' execs that run things now. Let's get more 'out of touch' old guys (me!) in the industry today!

[@brutallyremastered4255]

Yeah but then he ruined it all by being all humourless European and snide about Punk.

[@smithjedediah]

I think about that clip all the time.

[@oliviertruchon5648]

​@@brutallyremastered4255Punk is crap anyway, prog is much better.

[@oliviertruchon5648]

I saw that video too, Zappa was so clever, we need more Zappas and less Taylor Swifts.

[@felicitymcdonald6673]

I just watched that interview yesterday. Perfect timing

[@timothysnave]

Speaking to the originality of your theme music, I absolutely love the fact that you play it live every single video, and don't just roll a clip. I don't know of anybody else who does that, and it's awesome.

[@brutallyremastered4255]

But it's awful.

[@jayboy2kay7]

It’s not awful. It’s terribly original. That’s the point.

[@brutallyremastered4255]

@@jayboy2kay7 It's awful.

[@VonBlade]

@@jayboy2kay7 Always sounds like Queen's Melancholy Blues to me. Not that that is a bad thing.

[@jrawk4140]

​​What are you? "King of opening theme music" or something?​@@brutallyremastered4255 yet it will continue to live in your head rent free...

[@VerushkavonDunajew]

I used to work on construction sites during covid. Not wanting to listen to the radio, I have tried multiple times to put on some half-decent music on my speaker, trying to accommodate what everyone else on site would want to listen to. We ended up putting on the radio every single time, because people's music tastes were so widely different that no consensus could be found on even one song, let alone a whole album or playlist. In the end, I found myself humming along to shallow pop songs while bricklaying, listening to easily digestible melodies, singing along to lukewarm lyrics while working the physically hardest I have ever had. Haven't listened to the radio much since.

[@caliblue2]

Agreed! Everytime I turn it on I turn it off within one song or less

[@brutallyremastered4255]

That's interesting. In the UK I hear the gayest girly Pop muck being played by, well you know, men. It's fvcking bizarre.

[@ScoopyMcEyeballEater]

Yeah haven't listened to the radio since I worked in a sheet metal shop, at work it gets to the point that I could usually predict the next 3 songs. Thankfully it was only 3 people and eventually I brought my stereo and showed them King Gizzard and they loved it. After that we all kept bringing in random stuff, lucky we all had similar taste.

[@TECHNOIR]

I feel your pain. I worked in two factories as a teenager (chemical and chicken). The local radio was unspeakable, so I popped the Stone Roses debut on cassette. The workers were up in arms - what the fook is that shite? putfookinradiobackon Cannot remember what they went back to, 'chart dance', Technotronic, Snap, god knows. I think it was weirdly even worse, - the sort of shite they played at the local neon vomitbox nightclub, nth grade 'overground' "rave' ;areuarighthavinagoodtimesmokemachinewoot! Fuck me, still got PTSD

[@buddybeetle]

Ouch.

[@ClockAgentOfficial]

Rick Beato's excellent occasional series 'checking out the top 10' is eye opening in how similar modern music is. I think the top 10 pop chartvhe did had 4 songs with the same chords, 3 with the same vocoder effect, 5 with the same drum loop and only 1 that he went 'oh, that's interesting'

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

The charts of the 1950s were even more similar because 12 bar blues was so common.

[@667neighbourofthebeast]

That dude is Beatles, Beatles, Beatles. If there's a miniscule resemblance to a two bar Beatles' phrase, then it's s#¡t hot.

[@jimmcdougall9973]

His show is great! He is an extremely knowledgeable musician. In response to one of the other responses you received . Anyone who thinks the 12 bar blues constituted 1950’s music needs to do some research before they comment 😉

[@shavedraven]

Modern music and modern music made for the charts are two entirely different things. There's an ocean of variety and experimentation out there. Late stage capitalism dictates all of our industries of culture will have homogeneity at the "top" whether thats movies, games, music or books. Dig beneath the corporate veneer and there is far more variety, innovation and timbre than there has ever been in music. Beato, like many of his generation, are incapable of doing that so they spend their time yelling at clouds which is ironic considering how derivative likes of Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones or Elvis Presley were.

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

@@jimmcdougall9973 a lot of early rock 'n' roll was essentially the same chords

[@Parula06]

Anybody with ears to hear has noticed this sameness trend in big label pop music and mainstream radio since around the turn of the century. This is why (well, along with the unlistenable use of compression and autotuning) I long since quit listening to radio almost altogether, except for the indie station in my area on occasion. I find my new music through Spotify suggestions based of my playlists and KZbin -- including you, Justin. You gave me Ren, who is the most significant musical discovery for me in decades.

[@markcobb9466]

I’m a songwriter (62 years old), not a great musician. I remember going to a symposium and sang a song I wrote a cappella. It was a song called “I Knew It Was Time”. After I finished, this young woman exclaimed: “That’s not the formula” Formula? Evidently there’s a “formula” for writing pop music today. Sad, sad, sad.

[@splitimage137.]

I'm 62 too (as of last weekend) and a songwriter as well, and I'm also not a great musician (does this sound familiar?) and if someone gave me "the formula" I'd have trashed it right away. (Also, almost no-one has heard my music - am I missing something?)

[@stephenriggs8177]

This is why I appreciate the fact that reactors are introducing new generations to older music (and why I appreciate all the music my older brother introduced me to).

[@boltron7674]

This is exactly why I love King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. They do everything themselves. They play what they want, release what they want and don’t have to answer to label executives.

[@Freehardy]

They are the most amazing band in the world right now. I'm off to see them for the 3rd time in Manchester 2/9/23... Woooo

[@alejandralaguna3730]

I´m seeing them tonight! I can not wait @@Freehardy

[@Freehardy]

@@alejandralaguna3730 you're in for a treat. I nearly travelled to Spain this month to see them, then they announced the Manchester show in England. The only band I will cross borders to see live. I live in Edinburgh and so far seen them in Glasgow (2019) and London (2023)...enjoy

[@Jamesp1972]

they're ok, sort of all things to all people

[@alejandralaguna3730]

@@Freehardy I couldn't see them last year in Cologne because they cancelled the show, I think the lead singer was sick. Glad they're back 🙌 they're like a festival in a band, they just do whatever they want 👌

[@mattloftin8870]

In the last five years the music industry could have saved themselves so much time by simply releasing one fast song and one slow song and just putting everyone’s name on those two.

[@jamescameron6819]

Man you are such a fun presenter. Im so pleased i found your show

[@ToMPaSHKoV]

The enshittification of all things, like music, is why independent artists like Ren are so important.

[@gwynethzen77]

Amen brother!!!

[@pinkyndebrain4578]

*YES* Thank you! 🙏

[@newsoftheworld]

TRUE!

[@JD-vj4go]

Ever since Stimpy left just hasn't been the same.

[@aidanmv137cw]

Pop music was starting to sound like phone ringtones now it's gone to sounding like doorbell tunes.

[@muskratdove]

Boredom with pop, and a period of unemployment, gave me time to delve deeply into classical (which I've always loved). By 2017, I was ready to dive into opera. By lockdown 2020, I was enthralled with opera, and collecting various productions of the same opera. It's an embrace I'll never completely leave. I'm nearly ready to deep dive into Wagner, and I hope, one day, to visit the Bayreuth Festival to hear the complete Ring Cycle. After a constant six years of exploring this genre, I still have no idea who my absolute favorite composers or singers are! I stopped listening to radio in 2000.

[@Bigandrewm]

Don't forget about American musicals! Some of these are actually operas, re-branded as "musicals" because of stupid cultural preconceptions. Les Miserables, for example.

[@muskratdove]

@@Bigandrewm Good point. I grew up with musicals, starting with Oliver! and Oklahoma, and Porgy & Bess Jazz version. My whole family support live theatre and musicals. They have become pretty boring in the past 20 years though, sad to say.

[@Mikearnoldphoto]

About 2 years ago I decided I would deep-dive into Classical. As you are well aware, I could dedicate my life to it and I would never stop learning. What I miss is having someone to chat about it with. So far, I am listening and reading. However, there is nothing like being able to sit and talk with someone with similar interest. Feel free to connect and share if you have anything I should be aware of.

[@donpietruk1517]

​@@BigandrewmLes Mis is no more of an opera than Porgy and Bess is. Not saying they aren't great music but it isn't opera. They're musicals. The structure is different from Opera. The type of signing is different from Opera. Not to say they aren't even performed by opera companies. It's like saying that Bowie or the Beatles are symphonic music if performed by a symphony orchestra.

[@tonywolfe9513]

Classical is the only good station on radio. Period.

[@richardcarr6715]

30 years old and I've never chosen the music I listen to from what's on the radio, I've always taken the time to discover artists/bands I like for myself

[@VonRibbitt]

Same, and im 25

[@garyb7575]

It's a parallel to what has happened in the movie industry - endless reboots, sequels, etc. All the independent movie and music studios have been bought out by Disney, Warner, Universal, Sony - those companies just want more of the same.. until everything becomes so bland and uninteresting

[@common-girl]

The music/movie industry wants a guarantee not a gamble, that's why they keep doing sequels, prequels....all the music sounds the same.

[@brostoevsky22]

Art is more interesting when the artists and producers take risks and push their creative and expressive boundaries.

[@waverlyking6045]

@@common-girl Look at what happened this summer. Not even the “guarantees” are guaranteed. Movies that the studios geared tons of money into flopped or were disappointments at best. Indiana Jones, The Flash, Mission Impossible, Transformers, etc. People are having blockbuster fatigue which means that they are tired of these overinflated franchises delivering more of the same. Everything Everywhere All at Once succeeded because it gave audiences a heartfelt story and original ideas.

[@common-girl]

@@waverlyking6045 indeed, it's also a millennial problem, millennials don't have money but they have internet and they download everything for free. The reason for massive decline in attendance! The new generation is broke they don't drive cars, they stay at home, and most still live with there parents, and new normal living on technological devices. That's the reality of the new world order.

[@MichaelRoyal]

Ya, like Barbie.

[@aaronwarner06]

I live in Scotland. This is what I wrote my Higher English Folio Essay on - How music is becoming worse, and why - in regards to sampling, recycled chord progressions, lack of impressive or interesting harmonic features being utilized and boring uncreative melodies as well as electronically generated drum beats and instruments etc. Just got my results a few days ago and got an A and I suddenly have a newfound respect of sorts for the Scottish Qualifications Authority 😅

[@moxydon2610]

My 10 year old Daughter is obsessed with 80s music (I’m a 51 year old Dad) and I’m so proud. 😀

[@craigmelville7336]

Well done, my three boys all have a dislike for modern music as it’s so similar to itself. They like 70s 80s 90s, and not just one genre they listen to everything.it’s great for road trips as their is no whining about what’s on the radio.

[@sfarr2921]

Thank goodness that means at least one kid has been saved from a life of musical blandness😊

[@murrylancashire]

While it’s good to encourage kids to listen to old stuff, It’d be good to get them to also look into a lot of good contemporary music. Old music is outselling new music, by a huge amount, and there is legitimately so much good stuff coming out these days in every genre, but it seems like people just don’t have the stomach to search it out?

[@ladylisaromance8129]

I'm 51 and have a 10 year old son that I've educated. I was that teen listening to Janis Joplin, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, etc while my friends were listening to New Kids on the Block.

[@DanielEvansMusic]

Good job fella!! There is hope!! 👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏

[@christypeterson817]

My husband and I are huge music heads, and we raised my son listening to 70's, 80's, and 90's music. He's 19 and in college now, and into vinyl, and has collected a vast amount of records from Hall & Oates Greatest Hits to heavy metal bands like Metallica and Megadeath, and even some Crosby Stills and Nash. We're super proud of him. We don't listen to anything on the radio either. Its crap.

[@AcidifiedMammoth]

Raised him well indeed! Metallica and Megadeth are absolute rockers. Metal, Rock, Punk, forever 🤘🏻

[@tnatstrat7495]

What local stuff do you guys like?

[@NikosKatsikanis]

legit

[@brubeck1]

i feel the same but i likes some from 2000s.Modern radio makes me feel sick , it only a matter of time till i projectile all over the place

[@anngulliver5964]

​@@brubeck1the 2000s weren't as bad because the 90s was still a great decade for music and there will also be some crossover from the previous decade at the beginning of the new decade. Music just abruptly change its sound at the start of a new decade.

[@elezsmusic]

How do we not get depressed about this? I was a teen in the 90s and spent many a happy hour in the record shop looking for new music. There just isn’t that variety today. Luckily, I come from a musical family, so I make a point of exposing my kids to as many different genres as I can. My seven-year-old’s favourite song is Edge of Seventeen! But I worry about everyone else, and the future of music 😢

[@grassscary5137]

I disagree. 'There just isn't that variety today'??? I'm sorry, how closeminded can you be? It is so much easier now than it was in the 90s to find new music and new genres. Young people are exposed to music from all across the globe, not just what is on the radio. And u know this might sound completely bonkers, but, yes! There are still record shops!!!!! shocker.

[@Ukraineaissance2014]

There was some bloody awful 90s music, and around 1998 to 2003 was so, so bad for music.

[@adamgates1142]

My guess is you only listen to mainstream music. That would be your fault.

[@Thrivinginthespotlight]

Give the record shop another go

[@lynxlubbpeeps]

Every year there's like dozens of new genres comin out. U just gotta go looking. Who even listens to radio anymore. It takes me the same amount of effort to look up mainstream music as non mainstream cool shit. Keep digging.

[@jsp2866]

I’m so happy to hear this. I thought that it was just me and I was turning into an old fart that goes around saying ‘music was better in my day’ as my parents and elders said to me when I was young. I can now feel less old and more that I just have a discerning ear 😂

[@dCip77]

I mean if you grew up and have consumed music in the last 50 years it is likely the music of your day that started this decline and your generation that profited the most off of the homogenization of music...

[@refusederivedfuel6112]

How does anyone profit from the homogenization of music? Except for some industrie CEOs?

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

@@refusederivedfuel6112 yes - apart from some massive industry, with billions of dorrar in the game, very few people profit from it. Wait what.

[@jhmi7877]

This is how I've felt for awhile. On top of feeling like I must be doing something wrong for not loving Taylor's music, or other popular songs within that genre, regardless of how many times I've actually tried liking them. But I've always had a sensitive ear, and have often disliked repetitiveness. I also listen to music with a lot of intention, and I'm learning that other people simply enjoy music differently. So it's nice to additionally know from videos like these that my preference for other types of music is not because I'm getting old or that I'm wrong somehow!

[@perlundgren7797]

As long as you realize that it's a radio/mainstream thing. If you're one of those persons insisting that there's no good music anymore full stop, you probably _are_ turning into an old fart. 🙂

[@cherylwitter5038]

You introduced me to Hi Ren back in April and i have been down that rabbit hole since thank you! Love your music and your channel

[@inkysteve]

We used to have John Peel, having people like him on the radio is how to spread a true love of music. Today I have listened to The Who, Tuba Skinny, Bolt Thrower and Pink Floyd. I am an old git and I think can genuinely say that they don't make it like they used to.

[@alfsmith4936]

Put "Sierra Ferrell" in your searchbox and press the picture of the magnifying glass. They do.. 🤔

[@brutallyremastered4255]

Peel was fantastic. Like a great, unorganised museum of a different era, not "curated" one was open to anything. He had great taste. Going from NZ Oi bands to The Four Brothers to Ivor Cutler - always interesting and inspiring. 👊🏾

[@jono_young]

Great Video Mr Hawkins! I spent 20 years on building sites up and down our land, I can confirm the same tune was played the entire time, I went Bluetooth and played Death Grips just to make them all go away 🤘✌️➕❤️🕺🙌

[@Nick-H-77]

I agree with this, and can personally relate. I was in the car today and Jaded by Miley Cyrus came on, a song I've never heard before. Yet when she got to the chorus I felt I could almost sing along to the melody because every note she hit and the pattern of notes she sang, was so obvious and predictable. It was weird. It sounded so much like every other churned out, highly produced, mass market, pop chorus in the last 5 years. It was really dull to hear tbh. It's a shame because there's so much great original stuff out there but the charts are dominated by this bland cookie cutter style of modern pop.

[@bjarnyg]

the reason it sounds so predictable is probably because it's the same songwriters who writes pretty much all of the songs for the superstars.

[@Oran_Lee_Bass]

@@bjarnyg Darn! You beat me to it. Lol It is so sad, really. Music has truly gotten so bad and I know it's not just "my age" as I see a lot of younger people listening to what I listened to 20-30 years ago. THEY don't even like today's music which is being "purchased" by bots or some friggin' AI bull💩 or something.

[@MrDrewseph]

Sadly, that song is one of the better ones these days 🙄

[@carmengrauwels]

There is so much music, so I see it as there is something for everyone! I'm not a Taylor Swift fan either but I respect the way she makes her music, just like a respect others but therefore I don't "love" Miley Cyrus i do love , her lyrics & sound is more me 🤔 I also don't just love a type of music: from Nirvana to Metallica to The Cure, Depeche Mode, Spice Girls, Prince, .... But Beyonce is the only one who i'm a fan of since the beginning 💁🏻‍♀️ 🫶🏻🌸

[@annanitschke6727]

It's unfortunate because she does have a nice voice

[@jamestanton7424]

I am approaching 40 and will forever be grateful of the 90's and growing up being able to hear a wide variety of music genres. There was dance, trance, acid house, hip hop, grunge, rock, pop, U2 coming out of a lemon. It seemed anything went and enjoyed by all. I couldn't even tell you now what is in the top 40 let alone the top 10.

[@samsara3694]

In fairness, this could be said of any time since the 50s, from which you can trace the roots of all genres in all decades up until the time that pop died in the 21st century.

[@magicknight8412]

these days the top 10 or 40 is made up of new stuff and old songs. old songs that were last in the charts 30 or 40 years ago, but appeared on a tv show or tiktok video

[@zeejay4458]

@@samsara3694wrong. I knew which songs were hits of the past even as a 9 year old.

[@samsara3694]

@@zeejay4458 ? Maybe you're read something into my reply that isn't there, as I can't make sense of your comment, and I don't mean that impolitely.

[@zeejay4458]

@@samsara3694 I misinterpreted your comment

[@jamiepenfold3182]

About a month ago, I stumbled upon your channel after seeing you featured on the Charismatic Voice(which I randomly came across in my feed). Then, it led to Rick Beato….which reawakened my limited appreciation/knowledge of music theory. Love your energy, Justin! Great topic today….I was just bemoaning the homogeneity of current pop music.

[@tdh1990]

How funny, I found the same three in the exact opposite order 😂 as the exact opposite of a muso, they have each given me a new and different appreciation of all sorts of music. Happy exploring!

[@seanwebber7206]

Haha, I came across those three in the same way 😅 not sure who was first, but they're like a holy trinity of music and music industry knowledge.

[@ellet6560]

Virgin Rock is very good, also.

[@AcidifiedMammoth]

We all are in the same circles so not too surprising hahah

[@gwynethzen77]

It’s not just me!!!! I’ve been gravitating towards independent artists for a while now. K.flay, grandson, and more recently- Ren!! Oh he is something else. Thank you for sharing the hi, Ren video and shedding light on the travesty that is the music industry now.

[@toolrjm]

This is why I love Prog Rock/Metal. It almost by definition can't sound the same and there are some absolutely incredible bands emerging.

[@Budsport_TV]

Umphrey’s McGee?!?

[@garytorresani8846]

This is because Europeans are raised with classical, jazz, folk, blues etc. it shows up in progressive and symphonic metal

[@lowenbad]

Rick Beato agrees.

[@bartpander]

But most modern prog, no matter how I like it myself, all sounds quite similar, highly compressed crisp recordings. Little real variation of timbre, melody, or harmony, and melodies are quite short and repetitive mostly with only some rhythmic variation nothing wrong with it, but it is bloody elitist to think it is so much better than pop in that regard.

[@stephss]

I just discovered Lorna Shore with Will Ramos, and I'm gobsmacked. Diversity of sound is out there... people need to ease up on the snobbery. It's art, it's suppose to be fun & entertaining.

[@AdamSaylor]

I am in my mid 30s but I have noticed that most people in my generation or a little younger have very little interest in music. That is the scariest side effect of the normalization of boring music.

[@squeakycleannnn]

Funny isn't it, and yet everyone seem to have s* in their ears at all times as it's as necessary as drinking water. I think it's more like people have little interest in what they are hearing that the music itself.

[@The_Knight_Mayor]

I like to find huge festival line-up posters and one by one go through every band on every stage. I have find so much good new up and coming stuff that way.

[@thebluestgiraffe7160]

That’s why I keep thinking all the pop sounds like jingles! Thanks so much to you and Jenny for getting the research on this. It might be fascinating if you could dig up an older song that’s been covered in pop style for a rather direct illustrative comparison…I’ve wondered if and how it could be that people are liking all this pop music! For me it’s low-key felt like some kind of soundtrack for falling asleep in totalitarianism. I don’t think I’d primarily fault all of the artists participating though-I think many of them are manipulated towards creating in that way.

[@vurogj]

Dancing In The Moonlight is a great example. The 1970 original by King Harvest is sweet and lovely, the 2000 version by Toploader is pretty mid but you can tell they are trying. the 2018 dance version by Jubel ft. Neimy is unlistenable excrement.

[@aimeekeel]

Extremely interesting.

[@thebluestgiraffe7160]

Thanks! I remember the original-I’ll have to check out the new ones and brace myself. I don’t remember what else King Harvest did, but now Muscrat Love is popping up in my brain-the brain often stores things in entertaining ways, lol.@@vurogj

[@SandrineAnterrion]

You speak like Alan Partridge. Suscrrrribed

[@Lynds77]

This is why we love @RenMakesMusic and his art - the same reason we continue to love the Darkness and some handsome bloke Justin Hawkins 😉

[@FloydPaterson-vy1ob]

when you said "artist and repertoire" I instantly went and listened to solid gold.

[@choranalaice]

Zappa was talking about these problems in the '80's. He's probably rolling in his grave over how much worse the problem has become in the 40 years since.

[@gonufc]

Theodore Adorno was fundamentally right on this one- popular music encourages people to produce music similar to that which the audience already like. The way modern pop music is composed and produced takes this to the absolute extreme. In some cases just literally sampling a whole verse/ chorus and "Fiddling with the knobs" (I.e. the Elton John "Covers" recently) or just re-writing lyrics (The "Blue da ba de dab a" thing with re-worked lyrics that came out). Harmony is almost seen as a nuisance in much modern pop (including "Pop Hip hop" stuff)- it's just a 2 or 4 bar loop with sometimes literally no harmony, sometimes just simple chords (we all know which two chord sequences....) as the "Music" element is nothing but the canvas for someone to rap over- rather than vocals being part of the music. I always think the term "Artist" encourages acceptance of this. They're not "Musicians" any more (because they can't logically or reasonably be labelled that) so they are now the "Artist" representing the production of those songs. TV Karaoke contests (tight contracts, free advertising and "Voting" boosting profit) have made this sort of acceptance even worse where musicianship is utterly irrelevant. Originality is seen as a negative and imitation, rather than singing, is the desired thing. And a sob story of course! The real issue with all this that I see is the death of local live music scenes. How many people go to some small venue on a random friday without knowing who's playing? Not many, which is why the venues are dying. Venues in trouble mean less gigs and less bands coming through. Less bands coming through mean less variety which means even those actual record labels are less likely to sign more "Out there"/ original bands/ musicians. Plus, Internet musicians who never play live is a real thing now- nothing wrong with them but it once again makes the demand for live music even smaller.

[@paulwilson6357]

The A&R taking less of a risk and pumping out the 'safe' music sounds very similar to what's happening in Hollywood.

[@nunyabusiness6691]

You could change this argument to the movie industry and it would match up. However, they (the ones with all the money and power) are also using both industries to push their agendas on and control us.

[@johanneschristopherstahle3395]

While the movie industry still has quite some influence (replace movie with video streaming btw). For music it's different even many kids don't follow what's given to them but rather pick whatever they like from what is already there.

[@BruceWayneAnderson6685]

As a person of 56, almost 57, I have been a lover of music since the age of 3. Have been in bands and seen many of my favorite artists over all the years, and have noticed the decline in quality of the recordings with newer artists. The high end audio game is getting mute, as when you put on a new recording it does not show the depth of sound that used to be there. I just have the hope that there are some up and coming young people that will just go back to the good old four track recording system and put things right. Cheers all.

[@eonisone]

I think a lot of this can be contributed by the quality of speakers now vs older speakers. I was trying to wrap my head around why almost no album sounds like it did even as far back 2000s. I learned speakers have been streamlined with cheaper materials and doesn't have the same quality as speakers that used more power to operate. These $300 to $500 speakers are low end.

[@scottjones7005]

1966 here, the young gen need to treat the DAW (laptop) as a tape machine. Create in the room, learn basic mic frequency responses and placement. The depth you mentioned is in the recording space , not in the box. ✌️

[@joelbates87]

Yes, I still use the radio on the job site. Admittedly, some of the new stuff is decent, but I usually wind up listening to 90's & 2000's Alt and rock. Love these videos, very glad you started doing this!

[@cafe.cedarbeard]

Repetition of things that suck is called torture.

[@cafe.cedarbeard]

Shite-geist! LOL! Nail on the head.

[@hanleypc]

This will be why I keep playing stuff like 1970s era Jethro Tull rather than what's on the radio.

[@ZuzuTheLemon]

We had the roof done quite recently. The scaffolders seemed to communicate in some kind of grunt language and were blasting a f*cking awful dance radio station. The actual roofers were a lovely bunch of lads and had Planet Rock, including a few tunes by your good self!

[@MarkHarrop]

HAHA - our neighbour just had some scaffolders around, and we said exactly the same. They seem to have their own language.

[@JimHansen-h1y]

5:38 😊 5:38 😅 😅😅😅

[@jamescameron6819]

​@@MarkHarropthere are 2 types of scaffolders. Guys who could have an advanced degree but don't fit in school , maybe 20% the majority however struggle with velcro

[@MarkHarrop]

@@jamescameron6819 My Dad was a scaffolder in the 70's and 80's, he went back to school and got some more qualifications, and moved on. He did take me and my brother on various building site, and very tall buildings in London. I loved it! And it got me over my fear of heights

[@I_Don_t_want_a_handle]

I worked in an office across a corridor from a factory floor. They had R2 on all day. It was horrific. I had to buy ear plugs or go mad.

[@whatwhatyep]

The good thing is not all kids succumb to this formula. I have a musical daughter whose interests vary from folk to classic rock and she finds music much the same way I do. Soundtracks being a big part of that. It's great being able to share new things with each other. As a former hip hop producer I don't turn my nose up at anything.

[@TheEWFX29]

Can it be said the rise of hip hop has had a negative effect on music overall. It made a performing art much less than and turned it into a reactionary art. Not so much enjoying the music itself into only reacting to beats and rhythms and in turn made it less diverse and more homogenized. Any music without a rhythm is discarded but many pieces that are famous and loved songs would be discarded. It has limited that which had a lot of different genres. Now music is background because it isn't important to listen too and go on a journey with. Its just a rhythm that either carries one up or down. Either energized or relaxed. But of itself it isn't that different in make and texture. Using the same two or three instruments and timed rhythms. There can be no Captain Beefheart or the Moody Blues in hip hop. There is no room for the offbeat and varied array of music. And that which isn't open to being varied limits itself to a sameness that makes it bland and easy to disregard.

[@stevescuba1978]

My teenage daughter hates most modern music, and love classical. Not because I encouraged it, but because I exposed her to great music across genres and eras. She found some of the best and latched on.

[@whatwhatyep]

@@TheEWFX29 I don't think Hip Hop can be blamed. If anything Hip Hop expanded my very narrow minded view of music into something much much broader. Hip Hop is a vast genre and what you hear in the charts is usually the tip of the iceberg and usually focused upon a particular trend of the times. The one thing that's great about Hip Hop is that producers are always striving to find that thing that separates them from the rest of the pack be it a sound in the samples, a new piece of technology such as synthesis or a new rhythm entirely. Learning how to produce 30 years ago had me digging in the record crates and listening to all sorts of music that I would never have listened too without it. And of the two things you mentioned I know for a fact that the former Captain Beefheart has been sampled by many Hip Hop artists and the moody blues have also been covered along with every other genre possible. There is a plethora of Hip Hop that never makes it anywhere near the top 40. Hip. Hop is celebrating 50 years this year but the truth is it's probably much older than that and it's style has changed so many times throughout the decades. I agree that what ends up in the charts can often seem basic and lacking in any type of musical depth because the stuff that ends up In the charts is often loop based or instantly recognisable due to a simple hook or likewise. Can you blame the production or is it the simple fact that the average fan of music likes to latch onto the simple catchy sounds that plague the entirety of modern popular music today and for the last few decades even. I remember my parents saying that all music sounds the same when I was growing up and Hip Hop wasn't the main genre that I listened to back then either. The Hip Hop that I did like back then was pre gangster rap and I liked it not for the beats but more for the conscious story telling aspect of the lyrics that were prevelant at the time with groups like Arrested Development being at the forefront. Also Hip Hop was the first genre that I ever heard move away from the simple 4/4 drum pattern that plagues most industry laden music. It taught me about off beat rhythms, slowing the drums down or speeding them up by playing slightly outside of the time signatures to create a different sounds. Playing 8ths, 3rds etc all of this I learned without any formal music education and because I was trying to figure out what it was that certain producers were doing. I still have every little talent when it comes to playing real musical instruments but when I am making my mixes I place the sounds as though they were being played live on a stage from a band for example the bass player and his speakers may be off to the left of stage with the lead being on the right. Things like leaving distortion in the mix. There are so many elements that add to a song sonically and we're it not for the depth of Hip Hop and it's influences ai doubt I would have ever have learned about them without a formal education. I don't think it's the genres themselves that have made the music industry lack diversity of sound. I think it's the average human ears and the marketing departments ability to figure out what does best. The industry is bout making money. It's a business model and if a simple 3 chord sound is what makes money then that is what is going to get promoted.

[@TheEWFX29]

@@whatwhatyep Very well put and shows what the non mainstream is in that genre. I have always like R&B and Soul music as a child of the 70s there was so much greatness that couldn't be ignored. And I don't hate Rap or Hip Hop I want to make it clear. I think punk rock helped homogenize rock music and feel the same as I do about hip hop and punk. But see the good in both. But just think they were the tools that made it easy to marginalize music. But I am one man who doesn't pretend to be the be all end all about anything. I loved the big Arrested Development album. Great songs on that. Of course one of the songs that affected me as a kid was Rappers Delight as its newness as to everything else around. And I enjoyed Dr Dre's Chronic album and the first Snoop Dogg album as great pieces of music. I am glad it took you out of a spot and broaden you, that is what art is supposed to do. It leads you on your own journey that makes you appreciate art and music more than just a backdrop. This was a nice talk and I am glad I had it. It helped me understand a enthusiasts insights into the music itself outside the image. Thank you for explaining your story and journey. It made me think about and understand things that can be over generalized at times. And see someone who studied something beyond the base knowledge. Hope you have a great day.

[@whatwhatyep]

@@TheEWFX29 Thanks. Appreciate your comment. I too have a love of punk, particularly independent bands that do low numbers but have enough of a following to be able to tour the country at small festivals and music venues. I agree that there are similarities between the two but having grown up in England feel Punk has more in common with Reggae and Ska as the two genres would often be billed in the same venues at the same time. When it comes to my narrow mindedness that was my teenage Drum n Bass era. If it wasn't underground DnB I wasn't interested for a few years but the truth is I grew up on 50s,60s and 70s music via my parents and that was through the 80s and into the 90s. Musically and technology wise I was fortunate enough to have been born as the last of gen x so have lived both analog and digital eras. It has been a blessing. I haven't really got more to add. I just wanted to say thanks for the compliment. You have a good day too. As Nardwaur would say. Keep on rocking in the free world and doot doot da loot doo, doot doot yeayahhh.

[@theoriginalbluey]

Things have really changed haven't they over the years. At school all we talked about was music, going to record shops, buying vinyl - really to the point of obsession. I was bought a little radio when I was 12 and that lead me to John Peel and Annie Nightingale. I was really into Joy Division, The B-52's, The Clash. I get the feeling that very few 12 year olds do this kind of thing today.

[@mrredisa.d.d.8566]

I get what you're saying. To be fair, there's no MTV/ VH1. Sure there is the radio, but as we found out, most stations just play the same 10-20 songs over and over. Everything is set up in a way that makes it difficult for kids to discover music other than the billboard top 20

[@kmhob]

I think he is absolutly right about the generic mass produced music that are made today. Everytime you are out on the town in a training center or similar, then you hear the same type of music, where nothing really stands out. I noticed that my kids are getting more and more into older music from the 1980 -1960s. And there is still much Great music made in the indie industry.

[@alessandrogiacomini6853]

"There are people doing great stuff ".... for instance.... The DARKNESS!!!

[@SampleRate-w2w]

Bring back the darkness

[@raquelsnt]

Of course!

[@davidorduno2968]

But not many

[@stevenfunderburg1623]

The Warning (3 Mexican sisters) are doing it at muthf*ckin' Jedi levels 🤘

[@raquelsnt]

But the trouble are not the artists or musician, i think there will always people doing good things, the trouble is the behaviour of the industry. This is my conclusion of all this.

[@JamesRamboPearce]

You've marked the point that I always think is the issue, if people are being fed the same songs, they're inevitably going to become popular. It's very sad that there's so little diversity on the radio, not just the individual songs that are clones but also no diversity in genre

[@WasiwasTV_IcemanTrips]

Hello Justin! I've been following you for a few months now and you're amazing! Love the channel too! First time I've heard heard your song "Love is only a feeling" and it is incredible!!! Me and my guitarist friend had to play it multiple times in a row! Killer solo too! Such an original! Sending good vibes from the Philippines!!!! Rock on!!!

[@kedomat]

It’s almost as if having profits driving creativity is a bad idea.

[@kurtisorcher797]

The "sheitgeist" is my new favorite term! Thank you Justin. Back when The Darkness was "new" (to me, anyway), I missed out because you were different from what I was primarily fed by the radio at the time (although, today I couldn't tell you what that was). I didn't stray far from the middle of the rock radio spectrum. I'm glad to have come across your channel and been led back to your music. The Darkness' energy is infectious, and skill is amazing! I wish I had a time machine ..... Keep on doing this. Your knowledge and style are both impressive.

[@zeikerd]

ha, I am gonna steal that! Great stuff, sheitgeist! SHITEGEIST!

[@deadlyfremen7447]

We have a radio in our office. My music taste is too “weird” for everybody else I work with. But I must hear the same Ed Sheeran and Taylor swift songs like 20 times a day. The songs are boring and inoffensive at first but when I’ve heard them so many times I actually hate them so much I want to bite my own ears off. There’s so much good music out there but the stations just want to play the same 7 songs on rotation. Reminds me of the scene from blues brothers “We got both kinds! Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift!” Edit: I should also add Lewis capaldi to the list

[@markmartinblacksmith]

There is still very good new music out there, but you'll never hear it on the radio. Sad but true.

[@stevemorano9317]

Thanks 🙏 I’ve stuck to my guns as an artist. Can’t really listen to much new stuff but there will always be good new music just harder to find. Just finished watching Blur on bbc2 Iplayer. Absolutely Amazing 🤩

[@ibpants]

In my living memory I feel like good music has always taken a little bit more effort to find, but I'm at an age now where the effort it takes outstrips the reward. That's the sad part. Good music can be transcendental, but I can't be mithered wading through through the amount of manure I'd need to find those transcendental moments.

[@GizzyDillespee]

Ren actually has kinda a common contemporary style of rapping... it's not such a unique style, unless you never listen to British rappers... but he's really good at it. He's pushing boundaries with lyrics and imagery more than an experimental or "different" musical style. And that's a good formula for popularity, which, people need all the help they can get, I guess.

[@zaktoob]

I disagree, and he also has skills beyond rapping - his vocals and guitar playing are really good. To pigeonhole him as merely a rapper is a grave injustice to his talents.

[@kathleenbresnan114]

Dig a little deeper into Ren's catalog, he is definitely more than rapper.

[@MichaelRoyal]

REN is a musical artist that can rap.

[@RosieHarp]

If it's harmonic complexity we need, I'd recommend'Paranoid Android'. Particularly the 1997 'Later' BBC video. It's sublime.

[@VonRibbitt]

I think everyone that follows justin knows about Radiohead. Im gona recommend something completely different. TOE - Goodbye__check our ther live version, its one of the most incredible musical performances i have ever seen.

[@RosieHarp]

@@VonRibbitt Yes I'm sure they do. I'll stick with my recommendation though thanks

[@lescorlett4133]

Let's be honest? The typical listening public are thick as mince and will generally swallow what ever crap they're served because they are led to believe it's good because it's on the radio. There's so much great music from the past yet to be discovered and I use KZbin and Soundcloud like I used to go to record shops back in the day. In the faint hope I might find something to peek my interest. Great as always Justin. ❤

[@sc2057l]

On the flip side, if people enjoy it then what's the harm?

[@nunyabusiness6691]

@@sc2057l You've obviously never worked in retail. That's like what leads to the setting of almost every dystopian sci-fi movie/twilight zone episode ever made.

[@nunyabusiness6691]

Feel the same.

[@sc2057l]

@@nunyabusiness6691 could be worse. Could be those retail covers of pop songs.

[@jameshisself9324]

Thanks for the Fletch reference T shirt. A true connoisseur.

[@Dibbdroid]

This is why, as a 60 year old, popular music has been off the radar for at least 15 years. Even rock and metal has became samey.

[@stefaniekasal8620]

There are a lot of good news and different rock and metal bands out now...

[@Skittenmeow]

Try out Ren - wildly diverse genre bending and fun

[@non-reflector7399]

67 and I can tell you that there is lots of stuff out there.There are many many sub-scenes struggling below the homogenised garbage. The stats quoted here reflect the mainstream "pop" but who cares? Feel young and explore the reaches of "modern" music like when you were 25. PS: there was lots of garbage back in the day!

[@Dibbdroid]

@@non-reflector7399 I have over 10k albums, music is life. The comment I made is a bit ambiguous. Yes there are new bands to discover but also a lot of generic vanilla.

[@Dreyno]

I find a lot of new rock is ok until the vocals start. The lead singers tend to sound like they’re in a boyband. No character.

[@djuengst2000]

Thanks Justin, I think this is a little bit of why I like reaction vids. Between you and several others I’ve found tons of music I like that I wouldn’t have heard otherwise😊

[@TimothySSwan]

Great video. For years I have felt that we are missing out on great bands too because of this type of risk aversion. Even if your label does have an A&R guy, which artist has more risk, a band that could break up after 1 album, or a solo artist that can just work with different producers, musicians, or collaborators if their records aren't moving? Cheers, keep up the good work.

[@SarahFrancos]

Thank Christ someone has finally proved that modern "popular" music is basically shite! At 49 I thought I had turned into an old lady with this opinion, as a 70s baby who grew up listening to Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin Gary Moore and Queen with a bit of The Beach Boys, Bee Gees and Patsy Cline thrown in, I literally cannot STAND listening to the radio these days. Funnily enough the first time I became aware of The Darkness was seeing you open for Deep Purple at the old Wembley Arena. Good times.

[@chrisbyrne5358]

Tune in to Dublin Radio Nova and you will hear all the greats. Queen,Zep,Purple,Lizzy.....

[@the_algorithm]

Polyphia: Playing God Oh sorry. You probably like "Come on Eileen" and think it's a masterpiece.

[@stephaniefield5524]

Most new music (at least what’s popular) today sounds to me like it was written by committee, de-fanged and de-clawed, then run by focus groups. Can’t abide it. My whole body reacts badly - it gives me an actual headache in addition to making me low grade angry. My Nana used to say “the masses are asses”, and was she ever right. Excluding The Darkness, naturally! Justin, thanks for this; and letting me know it ISN’T ME!

[@-naomi-8294]

timbral diversity refers to the types of sounds (i.e. variety of instruments) found in a song! In classical music we refer to the specific tone quality and distinctive "sound" of each instrument in the orchestra as its timbre so this is likely what it refers to.

[@Shelly-op1kx]

You are SO correct about “often times”! Thank You!😃

[@hurricanev6]

So, in terms of self-expression, we don't want the bland, repetitive music, but we do want bland repetitive speech? And you don't see the hypocrisy in that? Just because it isn't the most efficient doesn't mean it shouldn't exist.

[@Shelly-op1kx]

Have a fun rest of week!😀Many thanks to Justin for sharing, for joyful conversation and for the smiles brought to the whole lot of us who love to smile!👍🏼😊

[@hurricanev6]

@@Shelly-op1kx coward.

[@mikesveganlife4359]

The saddest experience I have is when I find a new band that I like their music, only to find out yeah, they made great music back in 2015, and no longer are a band... I'm lucky to work somewhere that has slack, and an active music channel where it turns out we have a bunch of people with a variety of favorite types and styles of music and love to share it. Including a few who are actually in bands.

[@SuziQ.]

Yes! I discovered Aaron Buchanan, and realized that both of his bands are defunct now. Why?

[@jcoffeycup]

Same here, thought Dry Cleaning’s Scratchcard Lanyard was new but came out in 2017.

[@LoudModeOn]

@@SuziQ. I discovered him around the same time. I seem to remember reading an interview where he said he basically formed "The Cult Classics" to make the point that he could make a great rock album, which he did. He seemed to lose faith in the rock music industry and went off to do something different. I hope he gets back to making music because the man can seriously sing!

[@SuziQ.]

@@LoudModeOn , I don’t know which came first (without checking iTunes), but his music with Heaven’s Basement is just as good as his music with the Cult Classics.

[@alandesgrange9703]

She was placed into a slot that must be filled. How does someone so average, become so popular? The masses are sheep that will suck up any slop fed to them.

[@michael1]

You could say the same about every rock band. The fact is many 70s and 80s rock bands are still touring. If they weren't, if they'd been replaced with modern rock bands those modern rock bands would be playing music that didn't diverge from what 70s rock bands were playing. In the same way that ELO repeated the Beatles in the 70s and Oasis repeated them again in the 90s. Simple truth is music is made of relatively simple component parts bass, melody, harmony and rhythm and although people will waffle that there's "an infinite' amount of music that can be created in effect there's a much smaller finite set you can create before you start repeating yourself and each other and, in terms of what makes music 'popular' is even a smaller subset. You can't just throw a random set of chords together that have never been used and imagine that will be successful because you've decided it is original. Most will listen to it and think it sounds awful and that's why the chord progressions that are popular are popular - because they sound good to the largest set of people. Whilst for hundreds of years musicians had the opportunity to research and discover all the possibilities once people start writing down music it instantly became more difficult to repeat, and later still once we developed the technology to record music this was compounded further. Perhaps the final nail in the coffin were (a) The ability to make perfect copies of recordings and (b) The development of technology to distribute these recordings more or less instantly for next to no cost. Now anyone could copy and distribute recorded music and the copies were perfect reproductions. At this point recorded music became literally worth nothing. The only value remaining was popularity. Anyone can create songs - there are thousands of artists and musicians all producing music of roughly equal quality - but the difficult thing is what Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran have achieved - popularity. Millions and millions of people who want to watch and listen to you - and obviously there are other artists who can still earn a lot of money with a smaller audience. But to consider their music as the key thing is missing the point entirely. It's not about the music. Most record producers have vaults full of bands they've recorded all trying to make it - their music is no better or worse than anyone else's. The music isn't the valuable thing. This is no different to the idea that before television many performers had acts that they would tour around and around the country effectively doing the same act for decades. Then TV was created, they did the act a few times on TV and once an entire nation had seen it, they grew bored of it and the guys career ended. You have stand up comics whose act was killed by TV just the same as recorded music has largely killed popular music. At one point numerous acts have been hugely popular and made themselves a ton of money. So if pink floyd fans or Zepp fans think they're above Taylor Swift fans then you're just deluding yourselves. If you're going to call it 'slop' and the people who enjoy it 'sheep' well you're no different. That's what 'popular' in popular music means. Enjoyed by a large population of people.

[@Perspectiveon]

Nice to get an explanation why I stopped listening to popular music around 2000. During the last couple years discoveries of some new extraordinary talents has restored my interest in music broadly. Thx to the young talented artist who persistently pushes to get heard despite the industry obstacles.

[@laurawattles]

Thanks so much for this. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around what happened to rock and roll, where it started to go away and why, and this helps explain it. I’ve always blamed MTV because mid 80s it seemed they started relegating it to headbangers ball and putting in pop and rap instead. Like a big shift. Maybe they were seeing hair metal bands out of control, and many were because they started being about the look and letting the music slide. But grunge with Stone Temple Pearl Jam Garden was turning out good rock again, and then that also got pushed aside. There are still good rock bands out there but they aren’t getting air play. I still radio, though. Anyway, I’ve learned some things that I’ve been waiting to have explained to me, so thanks.

[@RTCPhotoWork]

In the US, a major shift came when Clear Channel started buying up the radio stations. The number of rock/alt stations in a given area were cut by 1/3 to 1/2. What was left was ruled by the same policies of "repeat the favorites" as the stations of other genres. It's why we heard the theme to Pearl Harbor on both pop and rock stations all day long.

[@DanFedMusic]

Thank you. I’ve been listening to a lot of music spanning from the 1960s up until the present day. All of this reaffirms my thoughts and discussions. While many people strive to be positive about music and talk about songs they adore, I dare to say that 99.9% of music is truly dreadful.

[@YourFriendJacob]

While this is undoubtedly true in many ways, it is worth noting that there is a more diverse array of music overall. Why? Because it's easier to make and release music than it has ever been. Does that mean we'll get more formulaic music and more "bad" music? Sure. But there are more bands and artists out there that have ever been. Within the mainstream, particularly in pop music as outlined in this video, we are fed very similar singles all the time thanks to algorithmic dependency from services like Spotify, KZbin, and iHeartRadio controlling the majority of radio stations at least in the states. However, we're becoming worse at discovering new music by the minute. One example is my father, who recently exclaimed that there was no good new music. But he never tried to actually discover new stuff. He was conditioned to have the radio give him new stuff from DJs that had autonomy on choosing what to play like deep cut hours back in the day. Those DJs don't really exist anymore. Instead, the radio is the same handful of songs over and over again everywhere. I told him to give me some time to find songs for him. In the past month I've created multiple playlists spanning close to 100 tracks and almost all of them have been released this year. He loves Americana, alt country, folk, and some classic rock (along with the occasional soul track from time to time). I found so many incredible new songs from bands that wouldn't be played on the radio or in a store. He was floored. I told him that people have over time stopped trying to find new stuff because they just want it to be fed to them. Like how all services are being algorithm driven, it takes out the thought, but it takes out the effort and active participation in many ways. We're so used to our digital lives being hand fed to us that it has poured into the practice of seeking out and discovering new music or art or games or whatever entertainment you choose. I've discovered just as many if not more great new bands than I did before. But it's because I always put in the effort to discover and play new music. From being a music director for a college radio station back in the day, to scrolling through every music blog I could when blogs were huge, I always had the thrill of discovering new bands. Now we have to try a bit harder. Here are some tips to find new bands and quality new music that will not make you think all modern music sounds the same. 1) Festival Tour Posters (and tour openers) - Scroll down through these and play all the bands on there. Get to where the logos and names are so small it feels like a bad eye test. You'll find bands on the rise and taking musical risks that have smaller but dedicated fanbases. They're either on the cusp of blowing up, or becoming the next band with a cult following. National tours often bring on bands that are more unknown as well so check them out. 2) Music sites - we have less of these than before but I love going through Brooklyn Vegan's New Music Archive and while much of it is not my cup of tea, I've found a lot of songs through there that I love. The Obelisk is great if you love heavy blues, stoner rock, etc. You may need to search for websites that cover your preferred genres but there probably is at least one out there for you. 3) Bandcamp - Bandcamp rules! While quite a few mainstream bands and artists are on there, Bandcamp is a great place for discovering independent music. Search through Bandcamp's tags. Like alternative rock for example? Search that tag and sort by both best selling as well as most recent. It'll take time to wade through some stuff that isn't as good, but I've discovered a lot through Bandcamp. Also Bandcamp does this thing called Bandcamp Fridays, where on specific Fridays, all revenue goes to the artists, so if you buy an album on that day, you'll make a massive impact on a band that way, much more than streaming a song ever could. 4) Live in-studio performance KZbin channels - KEXP is a wonderful human-driven radio station that features so many diverse bands and uploads live performances on KZbin. Audiotree, KCRW, Little Elephant, and From the Basement are others you need to check out. 5) Bands - The best bands and artists promote other music. Find bands that share the love and you'll find new music easily. They tour with other bands, share practice spaces, are indie label mates, and share band members. They're more plugged in than any major label would be in these times. 6) Indie labels - I am of the mind that record labels are mostly obsolete in 2023, with many acting as a predatory loan more than anything, but independent labels still have a purpose for the most part. If they're run properly, they can help facilitate similar bands into growing a following together. As an example, if you're into emo and post-hardcore, Run For Cover Records is one to follow. Alive Naturalsound would be a good one for really old-school sounding classic rock and blues. Follow them on social media or subscribe to their mailing lists. 7) Producers/Mixers - If you look into who is behind the board of your favorite records, find what else they've worked on and follow them on social media (or subscribe to them or their studio's mailing lists). They always promote what they're working on and you'll discover new stuff that way. As an example, I love the way Will Yip mixes and his drum sounds are so good. Following him lets me in on stuff I wouldn't otherwise know about. 8) Last FM - Remember LastFM? They still sort of exist shockingly and their 'similar artists' tab is surprisingly good. Type in your favorite bands in there and go down the rabbit hole. 9) College Radio charts - College Radio does have some of the issues mainstream radio has with promoters influencing music directors in shady ways (I know from experience) but as a whole, college radio charts are a great way to find those "on the bubble" bands that aren't mainstream necessarily but have great songs and growing fanbases. Look up NACC 200 which is available to everyone. 10) Reaction channels - These are hit or miss and many reaction channels are incentivized to cover mainstream music but I'm sure quite a few of you have discovered some music on this channel right? Find ones that cover new stuff and you might be rewarded from time to time. So there you go. While yes, in many ways mainstream music all sounds the same (at least as far as pop goes and loud rock on the radio goes), it doesn't mean ALL modern music sounds the same. In some ways, music is more diverse that it has ever been. Unfortunately, it's going to require more effort from the listener to discover the modern music they like. Times have changed, and you either change with it, or you stick to listening to the same stuff you have been in perpetuity. Like eating the same meals every single day, that's not the life I want to live, but it's fine if you do. If any of this helps you though, let me know and I hope you discover some quality new songs that do NOT all sound the same. :) "There IS good music being made, but we're just not hearing it as easily as we would like." This is the ultimate takeaway from this video for me and I'm happy it's included in the description.

[@the_algorithm]

You're not allowed to question or use rational thought and critical thinking. You're supposed to just say "back in my day" and I'm glad I listen to prog rock etc. etc. all while ignoring that the Beatles started the formula trend and the only difference between then and now is that the industry studied music scientifically and figured out what works. Capitalism won the main genre. But these same people like to discount Polyphia, who actually went mainstream "pop"

[@eldeek3256]

Great comment, hope people read the whole thing. I'd add one more: record stores! A bit thin on the ground these days but still a decent resource

[@YourFriendJacob]

@@eldeek3256 Very true - record stores are awesome. Now that my nearest one is gone I find myself watching @amoeba "What's in My Bag" videos way more often. If anyone reading this has a record store nearby, go and buy something. Help those treasure troves stay alive!

[@eileenmcchrystal8471]

Essay much?

[@YourFriendJacob]

@@eileenmcchrystal8471 👍

[@lesleyhogg376]

The ad I got in the middle of watching this basically said “you could spend an hour this week learning these four chords on the piano and you could play 100 songs!” The guy then did a medley of various songs with the same chord combo and order. It really brought home the point of this video lol.

[@rhino9094]

OMG! Besides the great subject and video, the fantastic Fletch Lives (Bibleland t-shirt) reference just made this that much better!!

[@rubenfranco9046]

Top of the charts is about two steps away from Baby Shark 😂

[@mikemoosetoday]

I’m saddened by the news of Robbie Robertson passing today. I was listening to some of The Band’s music earlier, specifically “I shall be released” from the Last Waltz concert. Seeing all those musicians on stage from varying genres is truly awesome in the sincerest form of the word. Now watching this video makes the reality hit home that something like that cannot happen now. Artists today don’t make art. Music isn’t beautiful anymore. It’s more corporate and cookie cutter than Frank Zappa’s worst nightmare.

[@forestramsey8972]

A friend of mine (and Darkness Superfan who the lads would immediately recognize) has posited that 1984 was possibly the best year for pop music ever, based on sheer variety and the general quality across various genres. It is definitely not now. Anything interesting doesn’t chart, and if someone somehow manages, they will grab them and make them sound like everyone else.

[@IgorsDen]

1984 was also an amazing year for mainstream films; Gremlins and Ghostbusters released on the same day, and that's just the start

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

The charts themselves are totally unrecognisable though. They are nothing like they were in 1984. In fact, I might even go so far as to say that charts are almost impossible to compile because nobody can agree on what to include (streams? sold streams? iTunes?) nor in what proportion. Basically, they're an anachronism aren't they?

[@Erichwanh]

@@Unfunny_Username_389 Charts are weird. Like, the week Dave Matthews released his new record, the band was #1 in physical sales. But he lost the #1 spot (and a 25 year #1 streak), because of streaming. I'm not saying he did or did not deserved #1, just that charts are weird nowadays like you said.

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

@@Erichwanh Yeah - physical sales! They're totally anachronistic too. I'd love to see a vinyl chart. And a CD chart. Both separate. It'd be really interesting to see how much overlap there would be. Probably not as much as may be assumed.

[@JohnLnyc]

@@ErichwanhWhat charts are talking about? There is no catch all chart. There are myriad charts covering the myriad niches and genres in music.

[@brandtelrod3391]

On the commercial/industrial job sites in the Pacific Northwest of the United States that I’ve been on over the years, most ban the use of radios now days. Though if you keep it down, you can get away with it. It’s mostly Bluetooth speakers and playlists these days, otherwise the majority seem to have an earbud in listening to podcasts. Love your channel.

[@Fozzie1481]

One song that for some reason always comes to my mind when I think about how much more complexity in sounds and textures and arrangements there used to be, is "Stoned Me" by Van Morrison. It's so lush and varied and yet has a kind of simple elegance to it. Just marvellous and a sure example of "they don't make 'em like that anymore".

[@BurningMan-gc3uk]

Once in a lifetime talking heads / brown eyed girl come to mind for me

[@michaelfelsinger-k2i]

What a blast from the past ! I couldn't stop playing that great album . Even with songs like 'Moondance', there was this ethereal, time-lost quality of 'Stoned Me' which made it my favourite. Gotta go hunt for my old CD in the spare room ! Thanks for your comment !

[@bridder01]

Great video, Justin! I don't listen to any music of today. 70's/80's rock still excites and thrills me. Today's music is not only repetitive, it is too negative and depressive. It's also crap :)

[@patrickdevlin594]

You've chosen the wrong bunch of today's music!

[@purefoldnz3070]

music has always elements of being negative. The blues, grunge etc.

[@MW-dd8vk]

If you look outside of the charts you’ll find plenty of great music.

[@troysmithfr]

Every era has garbage music. Look outside of the charts too.

[@lilybee7334]

I’m 50 and I love 70’s and 80’s pop, rock, new wave, and I agree with you if you look what’s in the charts, but if you look beyond that you will still find plenty of interesting and unique artists. You might want to check out BBC radio 6, where they play alternative Pop, Rock, Dance, Electronic, Indie, Hip-hop, R&B, Punk, Funk, Grime, Metal, Soul, Ska, House Reggae, Jazz, Blues, World, Techno, Experimental, etc… Also, check out Ayreon (progrock), Dewolff (Bluesrock) and Public Service Broadcasting, just to name a few. Believe me, there is so much interesting stuff out there. Just don’t expect it on your standard music channels.

[@LindaAcd65]

As a woman growing up with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Yes, I didn’t realize how fortunate I was to grow up in such a great era of music. You can not in any way compare the crap being put out today to any of this great music. Are we really going to hear this shit 50 years from now? That’s a no-brainer. Just a quick note, I loved the broadcast with Jenny on Monday and may I just say, you are not an acquired taste. Well, maybe you are. But I will be enjoying my view from the chasm in Chicago.😊

[@LordPerrin]

There's so much great music happening every year, just cause you're not aware doesn't mean it's not there.

[@peacefulpossum2438]

We actually had better music variety on WLS back in the day. Never thought I’d say that.

[@Freehardy]

As a lover of Floyd, Zep and Tull I can assure you, you will absolutely adore King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Greatest rock band of the last decade or so by far.

[@maaruz1979]

The stuff 20 years from now may be so bad that today’s garbage may be considered good then

[@oliviertruchon5648]

You're so lucky.

[@jenniferfoster1692]

I watch a lot of music reactors, usually younger people. The vast majority of them, after listening to music from the 60s, 70s & 80s, say 'They don't make music like that anymore!'. When they hear the wide variety of excellent music available back in those days, usually made with real instruments (!), they're usually really shocked and totally get into it. I can't count how many young reactors have said the older stuff, up through the 90s, is way better than music today.

[@Seamus.MacLeod]

Part of the purpose of sweetening sound in ads, is people tend to run to the fridge/toilet during them, and forget to mute. I grew up on the music of the 70s, teenagered through the 80's, then spent my 20s and 30s listening less to the radio and rediscovering artists from the 50s and 60s. Yes was amazing. This decline is part of why I gave up on listening to new music. Thanks to Ren, I'm now finding new, independent artists on KZbin, and only listen to the news on the radio.

[@willasbury]

You need to get on BBC radio 6 bro

[@drdellaman]

The simple fact is most people don't care about music all that much and will accept whatever they are fed. They like what they know and they don't know much.

[@ioeee7563]

Around 2015, I saw Belgian singer Laura Tesoro singing live. I was blown away by her voice, it was really great! In 2016, she sang at the ESF, did very well. 2 years later, she released a new song, and she sounded just like all the other "posers", that you hear today.

[@svenjansen2134]

Sad. The business got to her. For money. That sweet sweet money.

[@GullibleTarget]

​@@svenjansen2134job security.

[@erinmoriarity4775]

I have never found Taylor Swift's music the least bit enjoyable. I just can't understand her success. I know this is an unpopular opinion. But I don't feel anything when I hear her songs.

[@jesclifford88]

Witchcraft 😅

[@RB-oc7ti]

I’m in my late 50’s now. I grew up a lover of classic rock and 80’s metal, and even loved grunge and indie when it hit in the 90’s as well. I mistakenly assumed that no good heavy guitar based - yet melodic music was made anymore since the late 90’s, because anecdotally- nothing new was being played on radio. Just rap, pop and hiphop, or the same old classic rock stations retreading the same old rock songs, or the occasional new one from established ‘legacy’ artists (Metallica, Foos, Disturbed etc…), all of which I want to make clear, I do like a bunch of it. But it wasn’t until late in the 2010’s that I happened to hear Slash (with Myles Kennedy etc) and subsequently went down the Myles Kennedy rabbit hole because I loved his voice so much! (It is second to none - with only Chris Cornell being rated alongside in my humble opinion) It was only then that I discovered his solo stuff, the Mayfield Four, and best of all… AlterBridge! This band had everything I loved in hard rock/metal music! A top tier vocalist and guitarist in Kennedy; to go with a killer lead guitar player in Mark Tremonti. Plus a more than capable rhythm section, amazing soaring melodies, harmonies, and choruses; as well as killer guitar solos and both simple and intricate song structures that infuse Myles’ obvious love of classic rock and blues based music, combined with Mark’s ear for modern metal. Their mix is as good as it gets for my ears! And they are now easily my favorite band ever (!) , after only discovering them about 6 or 7 years ago - no thanks to mainstream sources such as radio…. 🫤 I feel blessed having relatively recently discovering them, as well as being somewhat miffed at having missed out for so long before then! I’ve since also discovered other amazing 2000’s era heavy melodic music that is really very good too (many have been mentioned in these comments), so I am quick to say ‘bollocks’ to any of my fellow ‘old’ peers who commonly cite that nothing good has come along since the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s! You don’t know what you don’t know is all I can say (and I direct that at myself also!). Keep finding new music through alternate mediums to radio, and you will be pleasantly surprised!

[@davidlinehat4657]

here, in washington dc, we still listen to the radio on a job site. At 2:00, we always hear "Living on a Prayer," followed shortly by, "TNT."

[@orlock20]

While the Hot 100 is bland, very few people are listening to it to the point that Billboard hasn't published the listening and sales numbers for years. The last time Billboard was publishing numbers, a song could be number one with 60,000 sales in a week in the U.S. Imagine the sales number for the 100th song.

[@douglassloan6831]

We're getting farther and farther away from having a musical community who remember what it was like to record to tape and have to play it correctly. There was a reason that the studio musician clique was so small in every era, whether it be the wrecking crew or the Porcaro gang. Music was hard to get right. It took time and the dynamic range of a song was what was so great. "Brick Wal"l mastering has become the norm and it is depriving today's listener of any sort of musical texture or sonic variety. Anyway, that's just the opinion of one old guy who misses when mixing was an art and musicians and singers were developed as artists, allowing them to blossom and find who they are. Good luck to us all.

[@slavmeister73]

Hello Justin. Hope you're doing 'Marvellously' well. It's hard to make sense of what is happening with today's Pop music scene. I myself, being a musician who has been writing and recording his music for years with hardly any recognition, sometimes wonder if someone like myself is doing the wrong thing by not succumbing to the formula and following the trends. However, as soon as I start to dive deeply into those thoughts, I realize two things: one, I should make the music I want to make without any compromises and two, mainstream music has simply become what it has always been planning to become - a money-making machine. Serious musicians, who focus on their craft, the artists who constantly search for new boundaries, will always have a difficult time pleasing the masses. Why? Because most people out there are not listeners of music. They only want to experience the sensationalism of something easily accessible. They don't care about the structure of the song, as long as it's something that will grab their attention instantly. You've got to remember that not everyone out there has been fortunate enough to grow up listening to music. Not everyone has been brought up in a house environment where music plays an important part. Being a lover of music is an acquired taste which most people unfortunately do not experience. These people's only exposure to music is whatever the industry makes. Industry music is played everywhere, so it's easily accessible, hence the reason why the industry is about to rake up a $1bn profit on the Taylor Swift tour. This has nothing to do with Taylor herself. She simply agreed to go along and be the face of the product the industry is promoting and it's a good face because it's a young woman who is pretty, who is musically talented and is a genuine person, hence making the product behind the Taylor Swift brand more believeable to the public. The question I have for all those music buffs out there who are becoming increasingly concerned is: what are you afraid of? If you're making your music, your way without any compromise and without being tied to the industry, you're succeeding already doing it your way. Playing your music your way in front of 50 people who are into every single note you play and sing in a small, intimate venue is so much more fulfilling than playing some huge arena or stadium where you are under control of the industry. Anyway, I can go on all day about this, but all I really wanted to say was just for all of you not to worry about the mainstream music. It is more or less exactly that - mainstream. So long as it's making money and has a formula that works, that's all the industry wants. If you don't want to hear any of the music the industry creates, don't listen to it. Don't even hit the 'Play' button on KZbin, change the radio station. Listen to what you want and if you are making music, make the music you want.

[@caprise-music6722]

This is so true. Music was MUCH more sophisticated AND interesting back in the day. Modern popular music is 99% the same regurgitated shite

[@NikosKatsikanis]

❤

[@mikehosken4328]

The best thing growing up in the late 80’s was discovering most excellent music by word of mouth or hearing playing loud from your neighbours. My favourite band was never played on the radio

[@deblordoutdoors5783]

Spot on. Backs up what I thought all along. Lots of shite. As a musician, I felt really disconnected from music for a long time. Finding my way back in now with new ways to be creative. Very sad that this is the state of play.

[@Suejd1001]

Swift is a HUGE NO for me.

[@Microplancakes]

Yes indeed!! Blues Travellers said it best in their song Hook!! It’s music is basically Pachelbel’s Cannon (in D) as so many others are!! The words to Hook speak about how it doesn’t matter what the singer says as long as it’s a popular tune which most people get excited about!!

[@staceyn2541]

My 21 yo loves that song! I played it a few years ago, only to find out her sneaky *ss has been listening to Blues Traveler ever since. She always has headphones on so she can be all secretive. Turns out, her favorite band is Fall Out Boy. She was barely a toddler when they were popular. Smh.

[@Microplancakes]

@@staceyn2541 Too funny!!!

[@scottwalters624]

I was discussing this with a friend. I don’t think we will see another meaningful musical movement that captures a generation again. This coincides with social media explosion and streaming

[@weedian710]

I think we might, if humanity manages to survive. I certainly hope.

[@mynameisnotcory]

You really ought to broaden your horizons if you dont think its happening right now…

[@bknight3391]

@@mynameisnotcory Yeah people just gotta stop listening to the radio and go out searching for stuff. The internet has allowed a lot of good (and bad) experimentation to flourish, mostly due to you actually being able to reach a much more varied audience.

[@J.PC.Designs]

@@weedian710 I still believe nu-metal is going to remain the last great musical movement in a sense. It died out the same reason grunge did: oversaturation.

[@dariuscoates894]

@@J.PC.Designsyou’re joking right 😂, nu metal was the last zeitgeist but we’ve had dozens of interesting music movements since

[@s30vguy8]

I can honestly say I never heard a taylor swift song and I listen to the radio all day long.

[@jgonsalk]

You're on point about modern music. I would argue, however, that "often" is an adverb of frequency and "oftentimes" is an adjunct. The difference is that "often" modifies a verb and "oftentimes" modifies the whole sentence. At least, in the more appropriate usage. For example, "they would often write generic pop music" vs "Oftentimes, they would write generic pop music". But you can also say "they would oftentimes write generic pop music" and that is redundant. My big gripe is people using the word "societal" when "social" almost always works perfectly fine. "Social" can refer to both society and your social group/life but I still think the context makes it clear (i.e. "social life" vs "social studies"). Anyway, thanks for stopping by. If you're reading this, Justin, reply "spaghetti". Love your work!

[@cryptidsntunes]

One current pop artist who bucks this trend is Miley Cyrus. She's a student of great pop/rock over the decades, and her ubiquitous hit "Flowers" went to #1 precisely because it does sound different - with elements of disco, real instrumentation, and an actual melodic and catchy tune. The album, Endless Summer Vacation, did less well, paradoxically because it was criticized for not being "cohesive" enough. Multiple styles and unique arrangements make it hard to pin it down in a genre. It certainly does adopt sounds from other music, but mostly from past decades. Miley seems to have settled, finally, on just making music she likes. And it's pretty darn good! Check out some of her more recent unreleased tunes leaked on YT - notably "Mirror" and "Goodbyes and Vibrations"