What's going on in the music industry nowadays? You hear it every day, "Pop music is going to bust! Any day now! It'll be gone!" Of course, these prophets are countered with screaming little girls hungering for the next boy band release, waiting to help them sell a million copies in the first hour.
So, really, what is going on with the music biz? Why is it that so many people are so frustrated, so sick of the scene? Why is it that collections of singles such as Now That's What I Call Music! and WOW repeatedly climb to the top of the once-coveted Billboard Charts? Is pop music to blame? Is Britney Spears evil? Will the real Slim Shady ever shut up? And what ever happened to real music?
The answer is surprisingly simple. For a noticeable amount of time now, music has become a dividing force as opposed to the uniting monster that it was in previous times. People today seem more concerned with whether they should hate N'Sync or if they wear a leather jacket if others will think they're a punk, than whether they really like the music that they're listening to.
Music elitists are all around us, telling us that Radiohead will save the world and give mention to rock music. And if Radiohead is going to save the world that obviously means that the Backstreet Boys must be comprised of pure evil material.
What these people fail to realize is that music is supposed to be something that brings people together. It doesn't matter if music has a message, or if it's deep, or if it's pure drivel. The fact that the boys in 98 Degrees make the people that listen to them happy is just as important as the feelings that U2 impart upon their listeners. Maybe the music isn't as complex - OK, for sure it's not - but why should it not be counted just for that reason?
Music is a distraction, something that people use for relaxation. Yeah, sometimes it takes the form of art. No one can argue that The Dark Side of the Moon is comparable to Hit Me Baby, One More Time or Nevermind is equal to Blonde on Blonde. But just because some people are able to take music to that level doesn't mean that that's what music is. Music is made for the masses.
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Too many people have fights over whether a group has "sold out" or not. Here, let me help you: If they've signed a record contract, they've probably "sold out." Everybody aspires to make art. But that doesn't change the fact that everyone wants to make money while doing what they love.
Moby practically licensed his whole Play album to commercials and it was not until he did this that his album started seriously selling. Maybe he "sold out." But maybe he also increased global awareness of a new music that allowed others to slip in the door behind his "selling out."
I'm not saying that I don't enjoy Radiohead more than I like B2K. And yeah, I'll take the occasional jab at the boy bands for their lack of substance, lack of control and lack of skill.
I think the important thing to realize is that music makes people happy. Pink Floyd makes me happy. Maybe Christina Aguilera makes your little sister happy. What's wrong with that? There's always hope for when she grows up.
And let's never forget: The Beatles started with "I Want To Hold Your Hand."
