Are modern pop artists worse or better than some metal

[ScOoTeR1992]

G'day guys

Ok here is the question that I'm hotly debating at the moment with all my friends, are modern artists like "Lady Gaga" worse or better than some metal bands like say "Nightwish", personally from my gf and I we'd much prefer children growing up listening to "Nightwish" we're they can actually sing, play proper instruments and not some computer, write deep meaning ful lyrics and also same the sound when live. Like I'm not saying that children should grow up listening to Manson but I mean some of the symphonic metal bands like Nightwish, Epica, Lacuna Coil. Also I don't know if the same applies across the pond but we NEVER hear any Nightwish or that on the radio seriously Lady Gaga lyrics are pretty much ALL about sex and none seem to make sense to me, anyway I'll post these to vids and see which one you'd much rather your child listening to, based on lyric content, video clip, instruments and so forth

YouTube - Lady GaGa - Love Game [Official Video]



YouTube - NIGHTWISH - Nemo

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Most of those metal bands that your mentioned are great bands. I have seen most of them in concert including Nightwish (once with the original singer and once with the new singer), Lacuna Coil, Epica...

[Lucky13]

How many of todays 'artists' can sing or even play an instrument? How many of the the songs that you here on the radio today are covers? I believe that many/most are using covers of old classics because they know that they'll sell, so that they at least get some records sold....just look at the X-Factor cr*p!

I can bet any money, that, as per usual, this years Christmas #1 will be the X-Factor winner (here in the UK)....why are we that gullable and stupid, buying this mince?

I also believe that todays 'artists' are lazy, hence the covers, and that in x amount of years, people will remember some bands, not for their music, but for their names....



Simply put, good music today, is as rare as a rocking pile of horse sh*t!

[Maximowitz]

Pop music is what it always was. Bland, lowest common denominator stuff for teens and the musically challenged. Stuff that goes in one ear and straight out the other..completely disposable.

That said I've always thought Nightwish were f*cking awful.

[Lucky13]

I don't know about the heavy metal stuff here fellas, but for the music that I listen to, Rockabilly, Surf, Instrumental, 50's and 60's stuff and some later....music was better before!

Chris and others, how do you compare todays heavy metal etc., the stuff that you listen to, how do you compare it to what came out in the 70's and the 80's, when those longhaired icons of yours were.....well young, is it better, worse or not much of a difference?

[Messy1]

I can't say all pop has been terrible, but most new stuff today is all mapped out on computers, most artists do not play, and their voices are usually "fixed" or enhanced. Pop was once what actual music. Keep in mind Stevie Wonder and many others from the 50's, 60's, and 70's were considered pop music.

[vikingBerserker]

It's the electronic correcting of singing that really bothers me. There seams to be a real genuine lack of talent abound.

[Heinz]

You really cant compare pop and metal. There really are too many compositional differences.
However as much as I hear people berate pop and I do listen to some of it, you have to realise the key to a pop song is essentially the magic 3 chord hook. Now there are only 8 natural musical notes, theres only so much you can do. SO more mixing and electronica is being used to substitute or avoid copying or sounding similar to other artists because lets face it every chord progression has been written, recorded and sold.

As for Jans comment IM sorry but thats woefully ignorant and again rose tinted glasses are being worn. There is MORE good music than eveer in my honest opinion. In fact some of the greatest musicians in contemporary music is being written as we speak. How can musicians like Steve Vai Joe Satriani be considered lazy? These men are dedicated soley to their instruments for example and they are very current. 50s rock and all is fun but more bands back then were formed for the factor being in a band than really making music and its the same today. Theres nothing better, worse or different about todays music its just taking different forms.

As a whole the argument of pop VS fabricated underground alternative music is more music elitism than a true example of having statust. Infact this whole area has been studied quite comprehensively in social studies. Its a new class called 'High Pop' which isnt suggesting its dealing with pop only its the distinction of being into something that is seen as better or more intelligent while also not being mainstream.

Anyway Im off now to play my guitar.

[109ROAMING]

I'm with Alex , well said mate

[stona]

I've worked on the live side of the music industry for over 25 years so I do know what goes on.You can no more compare different genres of music than different animals! I have worked with many well known rock bands and it is essentially true that they play "live" but don't imagine that things,particularly vocals are not enhanced. Nearly every drummer now plays to a "click track" removing one of the fundamentals of good drumming, the ability to keep time. Digital technology allows many effects,sounds and tracks to be synched to the click and they all do it.The worst thing that can happen on any live show,of any genre, is a hard drive failiure!
Pop acts adopt a different approach. Many are infact perfectly competent singers and some do sing a significant percentage of their shows "live" It is difficult to sing and do energetic and complicated choreography simultaneously,something most rock artists don't need to worry about! The musicians who back the pop artists and do play live are without exception superb.They have to be,it is a VERY competitive business. Pop artists agonise over the live issue. I have worked with a well known British all girl group for the last five years. They are competent, not great, singers. If they dance and mime they are "cheating" and if they sing live...let's just say it's pretty average in a 15000 seat arena! They sing about 75% live and I reckon they'd be better off miming!They really can't win.
I'm currently working with a young,up and coming band from the US who have a female lead vocalist. In the UK they have broken into arenas (on the back of a popular romantic vampire movie!) and too say she is struggling would not be too harsh. She is still a pretty good singer, it is not as easy as many may imagine.
Steve

[Lucky13]

How am being ignorant? I know that I wear glasses, but they're not rose tinted...

[vikingBerserker]

It's interesting to take the music away and just read the lyrics, at times they have more in common then not.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Chris and others, how do you compare todays heavy metal etc., the stuff that you listen to, how do you compare it to what came out in the 70's and the 80's, when those longhaired icons of yours were.....well young, is it better, worse or not much of a difference?

There are some great metal bands out today such Trivium, Mastadon, Godsmack etc..

However all in all, I think the metal bands of yesteryear were much better such as Metallica, Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Slayer, etc...

These bands made more than just Heavy Metal but great ****ing music all in all. I think the problem with a lot of newer metal bands today is that they all try and be "Too Extreme". The more extreme the better. The more you yell, the louder you are the better. I do not agree with that. I prefer the old school meta. Don't take me wrong though, there are a lot of great bands that have come out of the last few years as well.

On a side note, I have tickets to go and see the Big 4 of the 80s together on one stage next year. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax! Together with them Mastadon and Heaven and Hell will be playing.

[Marcel]

Well, I never was a big pop fan but I don't think today's pop is worse than it was before. Just listen to the '80ies pop and it's just the same crap with sometimes a good song.
Although I really like metal, I'll be the first to admit that in metal there's also a lot of crap music. A few bands stand out and make really good music.
I agree with Alex(Heinz) that it's all been done before and now song will ever be original like things used to be some decades ago. No song that is made today will ever be a classic like some Beatle songs, Bohemian rhapsody, Stairway, you name it. Doesn't mean there's no good music at the moment.

[Lucky13]

Just the same old music moguls, getting fat on their massfabricated dravel for brainwashed people.... Something good coming out of X-Factor etc., is as rare as rocking horse sh*t! People are that desparate to get famous they'll do anything, those that win are gone and forgotten before that final is even over...