The Demise of the Musical Message: Why has our Music Gone Down the Pan?

By Caroline Knight

Want to be famous? Then leave your talent at the door...

As someone who was around to experience the tail end of seventies music and, albeit belatedly, appreciate the music of the 80s, I have had plenty of time to witness the degradation of the quality of music that makes it to the mainstream. There has always been plenty of cheese out there, but there was also never any shortage of talent finding its way onto our cassettes. Yet while the quality of musical apparatus continues to progress, the quality of the music itself appears to be on a gradual decline. In recent years it has all but dropped off a cliff, with an onslaught of discordant auto-tuned drivel taking its place.

Talent is no longer a prerequisite for fame. You only need to tune into any mainstream radio station to notice that what is apparently popular these days is mostly devoid of any musical ingenuity. Diversity appears to be disappearing, lyrics have been thrown together with minimal effort and the end results are at best catchy, at worst, inane.

It seems that the majority of music has been produced electronically and there is not so much as a hint of the kind of effort made by the bands of the previous generation to create something remotely memorable. What’s even worse is that there seems to be a trend for taking such classic hits and essentially destroying them with insulting, cringe-worthy attempts at modern remakes; think Professor Green’s version of INXS ‘Need You Tonight.’

Take your pick: cheese or sleaze

The general theme of pop music these days mainly points to trivial or base values; songs are written on mindless topics and peppered with meaningless lyrics such as ‘shorty on the dance floor’, and repetitive lyrics about not a lot: ‘Tonight’, ‘the DJ’ and ‘in the club’. The vast majority is unimaginative, derogatory or romantic hot air.

Although there are undeniably still a few genuinely talented, unique bands producing music, they are becoming a minority and only seem to be given airtime when they’re a dead cert for raking it in for their big-name label. Even then, they tend to appeal mainly to the older generation, while youngsters’ attention is caught up with so-called ‘modern’ music.

Dumb and dumber: a slippery slope

Some may speculate that this musical demise has been purposely created in order to ‘dumb down’ the masses, alongside various other tactics. Have you heard about the creepy 440hz frequency? A few minutes listening to a UK mainstream radio station alone might convince you that this makes a lot of sense. Inspirational music may well be a thing of the past; not so much is particularly memorable these days and the most that such repetitive beats and empty lyrics seem to manage is to entice some less discerning individuals onto an urban bar’s dance floor after one too many Blue Wikids to imitate the ‘twerking’ and grinding they saw on MTV.

Some believe that the modern urge for instant gratification rather than intelligent appreciation is the reason for this decline. Apparently, in a world where convenience is prized above all else, we don’t want to bother having to figure out intelligent messages anymore.

Spreading an important message through music is a becoming a thing of the past, and I suggest that this is in perfect alignment with the erosion of freedom of speech. Sing about love, sex, dancing, ‘bitches and hos’ or murder… no problem. But try to highlight anything about the world’s issues or societal weirdness and you’re going to have to work immeasurably harder to get that message into the spotlight - no matter how appealing your musical talents are.

Muse is a good example of a current, better-known, talented band that have always been less than cryptic with their political messages. However, according to NME, they sold out when they signed up under the Warner Brothers label. As Matt Beaumont of NME quite rightly said at the time, “It seems very uncharacteristic for such a hegemony-shattering band to be held under a major label’s yoke for too long – it has felt a bit like Che Guevara taking a middle-management role at Starbucks.” Interestingly, that article has since disappeared from NME.

Is meaning next on our extinction list?

Dave Matthews band, although apparently less popular in the UK than the US, come across as an exceptional group bringing various insightful political messages; although where their loyalties lie is not always entirely clear in their music.

Regardless, Matthews’ cleverly written songs implore the listener to apply critical thinking. ‘Dodo’ highlights how bizarre a concept it is to ‘play by the rules’ in a world where nothing is sure, while ‘Seek Up’ reminds us how flawed our thinking is and that we can’t take our material possessions to the grave; quite the opposite of the ludicrous values encouraged by modern pop music.

It is hard to know whether most people have even heard of the unique and interesting Fiona Apple, who mocks the mindlessness of the masses with her ‘Please, Please, Please’ lyrics: “Give us something familiar, something similar... to keep us steady – steady going nowhere.” The ‘artist formerly known as Prince’ (although not always taken too seriously for obvious reasons) had a sound musical message in ‘Sign of the Times’, which although nowhere near new, says it all about modern living, even now. You can also find intelligent lyrics and insight in hip-hop, even if you have to dig for it (in the archives).

Fortunately there are iconic bands whose music has not yet faded completely into the background, such as Simon and Garfunkel with ‘Sound of Silence’; David Bowie’s ‘Slow burn’ appears to be an accurate prophetic offering, suggesting that our privacy and quality of life is being gradually eroded, while John Lennon was famous for his blatant political messages urging uprising, and we all know what happened to him. ‘Working class hero’ gives a painfully apt depiction of current times and attitudes.

Get cryptic or get censored

There are still modern offerings that have slipped through the net into popularity, perhaps because of debatably ambiguous lyrics. Sbtrkt brought out ‘Trials of the Past’, a cool, engaging tune that refers to ghostly enemies and loyal soldiers who act without asking.

It’s the kind of song you might sing along to for years without noticing a deeper meaning, should you not be of an inquisitive enough mindset to try deciphering it. Although interpretations will be subjective, it does seem that there are still at least a few bands out there with something original to say.

The last song that deserves a mention for its noble lyrics and audio appeal is Maxwell’s ‘Help Somebody’, an apparent attempt to evoke selflessness and appreciation for our source of life; something we could all do with. Here’s hoping that a few more musicians of their calibre make it through the haze of vacuous waffle and noise and signpost the way back to meaningful musical experiences. If not, perhaps the sound of silence is a safer bet for your long-term sanity after all, and earplugs a better investment than earphones.