Mainstream Music

[Fun]

@OP:


Honestly, I don't understand why people, in this day in age, make such a big deal about mainstream music. To be completely honest with you, most of the "mainstream" music you see are usually directed towards a younger crowd - a crowd of people who are not (YET) capable of forming a unique taste of music.

You have to think about the technological advancements we've made when considering something like mainstream music. Not too long ago, before the internet was prevalent amongst the general public, usually what you heard on TV was, more or less, all that you really had a choice of listening to. Now with the internet, more musicians have the possibility of being discovered. More musicians are capable of self-promotion without some giant record label assisting them. Before the internet was relevant, you never ran across people ranting about how bad mainstream music is.

I have such a wide variety in terms of taste of music. I listen to, and thoroughly enjoy everything from classical music, to rap, to dubstep, to classical rock, to folk, to jazz, to instrumental music, to culturally themed music (ie. Icelandic music, polish music, African music, japanese music). Some young people I know haven't yet developed a true understanding for what music is. Most people listen to a certain band as a way to ultimately fit a certain image. I don't do that. I listen to what makes me happy. My music taste is so personal and often times people become confused (to say the least) when they take a look-see through my iPod. Usually people who feel the need to boast to others or imply that they have a better sense of music are the ones who contribute to this problem.

The mainstream artists you mentioned: Lil' Wayne, Lady Gaga, Chris Brown, Rhianna, Katy Perry and so on; while these artists produce what most would consider "generic" music, it gives young people a place to start on their journey of music. How many people in their 30's do you know of that exclusively listen to mainstream music? Little to none. Mainstream music is no different than mainstream fashion. Young people are likely to be seen wearing things like Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch, New Era, North Face, American Eagle etc.

Mainstream things give young people a foundation to begin as they grow older, they develop a more personal and unique sense of music.



In the end, I don't really see what good it does for someone to complain about it. As long as there's media, there will be mainstream music. The fact that you're aware of this is a good thing, I suppose, but arguing about it and pointing out how "bad" it is won't do you any good. The whole argument behind what's "good" and what's "bad" is, needless to say, completely subjective. Different music serves beneficial purposes depending on the situation. I'd gladly listen to one of Lil Wayne, or Lady Gaga's songs at a party - this isn't to say that I'd prefer the same when I'm on a subway ride across the city, in which case I'd prefer to listen to something like Explosions in the Sky, Radiohead, etc. It's all relative.


When it comes to this topic of debate, there's are two extremes and a medium, in my opinion.

On on of the extremes, you have like-minded people who all too often listen to what everyone else is listening to and very rarely have respect for those who have a unique or "deviant" sense of music.

On the other extreme, you have pretentious, elitist, music snobs who are so close-minded when it comes to music. To them, anything mainstream is worthless. They rarely even bother to give it a chance - and oftentimes INTENTIONALLY seek out to find/listen to musicians that very little people are aware of.

In the middle, you have what I would like to consider people who have a fundamental understanding for what music really is. These are people who understand the benefits of submerging themselves into both a mainstream music culture as well as a non-mainstream music culture. These are people who listen to certain music because of how it makes them feel, not how it makes them appear (to everyone else). These people embrace the diversity of everyone's music tastes and don't subject themselves to one or two genres of music exclusively.

Once people realize that there is no definitive answer to what "GREAT MUSIC" constitutes - there is no one genre to what the best music falls under, they will develop a true understanding for what music really is.