Music has dumbed down - since 1950

[kfbkfb]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertain...ree-stages-since-1950-study-finds/ar-BB1pqbIK

IMHO, it would have been interesting to forecast where this trend is going.


Kirk Bayne

 

[Simon A]

Don't you mean 1750?

 

[Dynamic Editor]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertain...ree-stages-since-1950-study-finds/ar-BB1pqbIK

Clickbait title that's tantamount to lying. The content of the article, however, I believe is vaild.

From the article:

Ms Hamilton investigated the melodies of every top five song for every calendar year from 1950 to 2023. She said the modern listener wants catchy songs and this necessitates a less complex melody.

“We’re not sure why melodic complexity is decreasing in the most popular songs,” she said. “We would need to conduct another scientific study to say for sure. The most probable theory is that complexity is leaving melody and going somewhere else in the song.

“So while the complexity of melodies may be decreasing, maybe the complexity of other aspects of the songs, like the chord progressions or sound textures, is increasing.”

Why do I call the title, "Music has dumbed down in three stages since 1950, study finds", tantamount to lying? Because it gives the readers the impression that music as a whole is necessarily "dumber" than it was beforehand, when in fact it's the melodies specifically of popular hits in the US that are found to be simpler, not music as a whole.

Titles like that MSN one are geared towards outrage, to curmudgeons saying, "Music wasn't like the trash that it is now back in MY day," when in fact the discussion behind it is much more rich and nuanced.

This is a more appropriately-titled article ("Melodies in chart-topping music have become less complex, study finds"):
https://www.theguardian.com/music/a...lodies-chart-topping-music-less-complex-study

 

[key_wiz]

Weren't the 1950s the decade of "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window", "The Hokey Pokey", and "Hound Dog"?

Uhhh...sure. OK.

 

[Simon A]

Weren't the 1950s the decade of "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window", "The Hokey Pokey", and "Hound Dog"?

Uhhh...sure. OK.

Every decade has its myriad of novelty songs.

70's = Disco Duck
80's = Shaddap Yo Face
etc...

 

[JohnN]

1950's = Your hair is too short and neat.

Today = I'll judge you all and make damn sure that no-one judges me.

 

[jimfisheye]

Yeah, just the bubblegum pop. That was always cheap and cheesy though. Now it's completely devoid of substance because they don't need musicians anymore. Bits of creativity used to wear off despite the best efforts of the producer. That has been remedied now.

There's some insanely complex music out there and we have 12 channel mixes now!

 

[hirez]

Weren't the 1950s the decade of "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window", "The Hokey Pokey", and "Hound Dog"?

Uhhh...sure. OK.

Hokey Pokey was a 1940's song

It always got people on the dance floor when I DJed parties in the nineteen eighty's and ninety's.

So did the Chicken. Lots of great memories for both those songs.

 

[key_wiz]

Hokey Pokey was a 1940's song

It always got people on the dance floor when I DJed parties in the nineteen eighty's and ninety's.

So did the Chicken. Lots of great memories for both those songs.

It was a 1940's song, but didn't become a hit in the US until 1950, with the biggest hit version being the 1953 Ray Anthony recording. A follow up to his earlier big hit, "The Bunny Hop".

But yeah...dance craze songs are always ripe for being hits. Especially if the melodies stay very simple, like nursery rhymes. See also: The Twist, Achy Breaky Heart, Macarena, etc.

 

[hirez]

It was a 1940's song, but didn't become a hit in the US until 1950, with the biggest hit version being the 1953 Ray Anthony recording. A follow up to his earlier big hit, "The Bunny Hop".

But yeah...dance craze songs are always ripe for being hits. Especially if the melodies stay very simple, like nursery rhymes. See also: The Twist, Achy Breaky Heart, Macarena, etc.

Agree and Those Were The Days

 

[ar surround]

Hokey Pokey was a 1940's song

It always got people on the dance floor when I DJed parties in the nineteen eighty's and ninety's.

So did the Chicken. Lots of great memories for both those songs.

Pain...reminds me of when my parents would take me a relative's wedding and drag me out on the dance floor. This, when I'd rather stay on the sidelines and drool over my hot second cousins out there.

 

[barfle]

Weren't the 1950s the decade of "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window", "The Hokey Pokey", and "Hound Dog"?

Uhhh...sure. OK.

What if “The Hokey Pokey” really is what it’s all about?

 

[barfle]

IMNSHO, most “music” these days isn’t musical.

I recognize that styles change with time. My parents’ music is different than my music, and Gen X etc. have their own eras.

I was exposed to a lot of 80s music when I was trying to develop a video juke box. I might have liked one hit in 10. Maybe that makes me a fuddy-duddy, but something about music changed sometime around 1975. MTV’s fare rarely floated my boat.

Does that mean it’s getting dumber? That’s a pretty nasty accusation, but it’s definitely lost much of its appeal to me.

 

[Dynamic Editor]

What if “The Hokey Pokey” really is what it’s all about?

Then what was the point of any of this? Just give me its surround sound mix!

 

[ar surround]

IMNSHO, most “music” these days isn’t musical.

I recognize that styles change with time. My parents’ music is different than my music, and Gen X etc. have their own eras.

I was exposed to a lot of 80s music when I was trying to develop a video juke box. I might have liked one hit in 10. Maybe that makes me a fuddy-duddy, but something about music changed sometime around 1975. MTV’s fare rarely floated my boat.

Does that mean it’s getting dumber? That’s a pretty nasty accusation, but it’s definitely lost much of its appeal to me.

Dumb music? My father comes home from work one evening in 1967 and immediately says to the family, "Did you hear that new Beatles song? Oh my God! Hello, goodbye...yes, no." He is shaking his head in disgust while saying this. He was correct. It is a dumb song. It is a generational thing.

 

[barfle]

Dumb music? … It is a generational thing.

“Woo-Hoo” by the Rock-a-Teens. Hell, it charted sometime in the late 50s or early 60s.

“Chooin’ Gum” by Theresa Brewer. Big hit for her in the 50s.

“Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley. Another charted song that’s not exactly intellectually stimulating. Both before I started listening to pop music.

Every generation has silly stuff. Kids like the silly stuff that comes out when they’re listening. Others, not so much.

 

[GOS]

I hate silly music.

 

[jimfisheye]

A lot of those songs were intended to be children's songs, weren't they? Purple People Eater sure was. If that's not right then I need more contextual continuity clues!

 

[4-earredwonder]

I hate silly music.

Maybe because you're a CAT LOVER, Gene

 

[ar surround]

I hate silly music.

Well, that kills off much of The White Album along with good bit of Abbey Road, not to mention a massive chunk of the McCartney solo catalogue. Well, all I can say is, Ob-la-di Ob-la-da.