Popular music is nowadays about selling units. There is little that is emotional ....this, of course , being subjective. Classical , jazz and blues are all emotional but not really populist. My favourite classical composer is Olivier Messiaen who was extremely complex but very emotional/ moving at the same time
It's really not about selling units, sadly (streams though, yes to an extent). In fairness, "popular" music has always strived to be just that - its purpose has always been to make money and to shift sales. That's been the case from the 1950s on. There's good pop music, and an awful lot of trash. There always has been. The trouble now is that it's not realistically a sustainable way of making a living, so people who have inventive ideas quickly fall by the wayside and go on to do other things with themselves.
And that is pretty much down to the streaming services and the pathetic fees that musicians receive from them. I read a report that physical sales showed an upturn in 2024 mainly due to the increased Vinyl sales and for the sake of hard-working creative artists, I hope that continues. unfortunately though, there is a lethargy among most of the music-consuming public that means it probably won't, especially given the relatively high price of a vinyl record (it's too convenient to tap a mobile screen and listen to any song you want without making too much of an effort). And then there's AI...
No, popular music is about going to watch individual artists or bands, or orchestras live, and experiencing the thrill of sharing a unique event with the others in the audience, as no two performances are ever exactly the same. I accept different people take different things from music, whether it be the skill of a virtuoso guitarist, or the sheer emotionally-charged delivery of a singer or a sax player, or the theatrical harmony of a band completely in tune with each other’s individual contributions. Last month I watched one of my favourite performers at a gig, and the time came for him to sing a well-known folk song. Before he began he warned us it might be difficult for him, as two days previously he had attended his mother’s funeral, and on her playlist was a recording of her son singing the same song. Predictably, his voice gave out almost immediately, but the whole crowd of about 200 people just sang the entire song back at him as he stood there in tears. Maybe not the best musical experience, but as a memory to treasure, it was beyond words. As Laces implies, to a great extent popular music has returned to the time when artists make the bulk of their income from playing live. Streaming services like Spotify have completely skewed the market against the artist, especially those trying to break through. As an aside to this discussion, if you buy a CD from an artist’s merchandise stall at a gig, you contribute hundreds of times more to the artist’s income than by streaming the same album on Spotify.
It was Damh the Bard, playing to about 200 Druids. The song was Wild Mountain Thyme, his mum’s favourite. Sadly I don’t think it’s on YouTube
Saints Alive Everyone will agree with those sentiments. All music needs to communicate but I think you need to work on listening to some kinds of music more than others. Sometimes I takes years to appreciate something bur conversely music that is simple can lose it's appeal quickly ...again, my example of Mompou.
I think that I already have a pretty broad taste in music but Jazz has never really excited or stimulated me although I can appreciate the skill in performing it.
Saints Alive I grew up listening to jazz so I am comfortable listening to stuff that may baffle others. However, it did broaden my ears to other types of music like classical and blues.
This is a great story about ex member of the fantastic Badfinger, Bob Jackson's long quest to release their long lost album, Head First. The master tapes were lost until a few months ago but the album has now been remixed and the tracks have been ordered by Bob himself 50 years after it was originally finished. It was the last album that they recorded before the tragic death of singer/songwriter and lead guitarist, the wonderful Pete Ham, and it's brilliant. Here's the story... And here's the album opener...
I once bought a Natalie Cole CD, a Louis Armstrong Live at Paris in 64, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis A compilation (THE BEST CD I have!!) and a Guns n Roses CD all in one purchase. Think I show a bit of variety there lol EDIT: I forgot about the Mozart thrown in the same purchase.
This is wonderful. Written by Gershwin, trumpet by Armstrong and vocals by Ella & Louis. The most wonderful version of this classic IMO.
One of the first Lps I bought was Louis Armstrong's All stars. Got it in Woolworths in Eastleigh in the early 1970s. That said , I have a box set of his Hot 5 and 7 from late 1920s with the last disc being the early 1930s big band recordings. I find this to be the apogee of his work. The music is so arresting that I cannot drive with it on in the car. A milestone in musical history and perhaps the prime example of high art meeting popular music.
