Music is one of the most popular art forms and has been a part of human culture since time immemorial. Over the years, music has evolved into a wide variety of genres and styles, each with its own sound and message. Even though music has changed a lot over the decades, one thing has remained constant: the way people perceive it.
We often hear people say that the music of the past was better than the music of today. Whether it's classic rock, '70s disco, or '80s pop, there's a common tendency among many listeners to prefer music from decades past over music of today. But why does this happen?
Here are some of the reasons that explain why we have this belief.
Nostalgia
The music we listened to in our youth or at significant moments in our lives can be associated with happy and positive memories, which can increase our preference for that type of music.
Therefore, when we hear a song that reminds us of a special moment in our life, we are likely to perceive it in a more positive light.
It's important to note that music from bygone eras is often associated with significant cultural events and movements, making it more emotionally significant and memorable to the people who lived through it.
Innovation and originality
Music from decades past is often characterized by innovation in terms of experimentation and mixing of different genres. For example, in the 1960s and 1970s, progressive rock and psychedelic rock incorporated elements of classical music, jazz, and folk music, giving rise to new sounds and styles that had never been heard before. In the 1980s, electronic music and hip hop also emerged as new music genres that challenged the popular music conventions of the time.
Advances in music technology and globalization have allowed artists to have access to a wide range of sounds and styles from around the world, leading to a mix of genres and styles that can seem more diluted in terms of originality.
This has led to a greater uniformity in the sound and production of today's music, with the use of technologies such as autotune and the mass production of commercial songs.
Lettering quality
Song lyrics from decades past may have been perceived as having greater depth and meaning than today's songs, which often focus on more superficial and commercial themes. Songs from before often dealt with political, social, and cultural issues, and focused on telling complex, emotional stories that could be interpreted in many different ways.
Oftentimes, early music and its lyrics were more focused on the artist's vocal ability and interpretive ability, while today's music places more emphasis on rhythm and the use of production effects.
Musical style
The music of the previous decades used to be highly influenced by the cultural and social movements that were lived in each era, which resulted in the creation of new musical styles. For example, the music of the 1960s was influenced by the hippie movement and psychedelic rock, while the music of the 1980s was influenced by the new wave movement and punk rock.
Currently, there is a trend towards musical homogenization, where commercial music focuses on following a pre-established formula to ensure its success on the charts. This has led to more repetition of musical styles and structures, which can make today's music sound less original.
Production quality
Music production in previous decades often focused on capturing the musicians' live performance and creating a recording that reflected the energy and emotion of that time. Sound engineers strove to capture the natural sound of the instruments and the acoustics of the space in which the music was recorded, resulting in rawer, more authentic-sounding recordings.
In contrast, today's music production is often focused on creating a seamless, polished recording with an abundance of studio effects and digital techniques. Producers can use audio editing tools to adjust and correct the pitch and timing of vocals and instruments, which can result in a more artificial-sounding, polished recording.
It is important to note that these perceptions are subjective and largely depend on the personal preferences of each individual. What for some people can be a deep and meaningful song, for others it can be a superficial and uninteresting melody.
In summary, taste in music is highly personal and subjective, and there is no objective answer to whether music from before is really "better" than music today.
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