Eagles? :lol:

 

I love the Eagles. Went to their concert a couple years ago in Columbus. The place was full...full of a more mature audience, but full. For the most part, we could actually sit in our chairs and listen.

 

I have heard it said that if the Eagles started out today, they would be considered country, and I would agree with that.

 

As far as the thread goes, and here I go showing my age.....BUT, when I was young, there was only a handful of radio stations for us to listen to. We couldn't wait to hear the next song or wait for the next album to come out. I think today's world of endless radio/tv stations with 24 hour music videos, leads to quantity, not quality.

 

Habib, as someone who listens to 70's on sattelite radio, I respectfully disagree with your statement about 70's rock bands. Granted, there were a lot of one hit wonders, but this old girl will likely never lose her love of 70's music.

Eagles? :lol:

 

Actually, given the schlock that dominates the charts today, the Eagles would probably fit right in and do just as well.

 

If pressed, I could probably come up with dozens from the '70s that wouldn't have a fighting chance today to enjoy the popularity they did in their time. Acts that straddled different genres are the most obvious ones, though.

I am on tangent here but in my experience young people today think good music is music that contains a lot of profanity and racist comments.

 

I have to agree with this. It seems that this has replaced actual talent.

These are a few bands that come to mind when I think of forgettable 70s music, but make up a considerable portion of the classic rock playlists and were very successful acts during their day. I think they are all definitely 70s. With the exception of a couple of songs I think they are all easily forgettable. And while tastes certainly differ (I’m some will bristle over who I’ve included or excluded), I think comparing any of these to the Stones or Zeppelin is like comparing Blink 182 to Nirvana:

 

Kansas, Styx, Foghat, Nazareth, Joe Walsh, Golden Earring, Meatloaf, Chicago, Boston, Molly Hatchet, Bad Company, ZZ Top, Foreigner, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Ted Nugent, Jethro Tull, Supertramp, Guess Who, Rush, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Ram Jam, REO Speedwagon

 

I can think of several other artists who I still listen to, but don’t think would make it in today’s environment, including: Thin Lizzy, Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc.

 

I’ll give the 70s Springsteen, Petty, Queen, Neil Young, the Clash, David Bowie, Zeppelin, etc. But, as I said, people will always listen to the greats, and these artists were successful and acclaimed well outside of the 70s. They didn’t fade away with the transition to hair bands in the 80s. So, I think the artists who defined the genre of “70s rock” have much less appeal today, particularly outside of those who grew up listening to them.

Many of the giants of the '60s and '70s would be relegated to indie rock stardom nowadays. The best example is Lynyrd Skynyrd, who would probably enjoy popularity of the level of a Drive-By Truckers, if they were birthed in the mid-'90s the way the Truckers were. By extension, DBT would be huge stars had they come out in a less fragmented time on the radio, such as the '70s.

 

I agree with that to a certain level. But IMO the overall quality of music back in those days far exceeded what you hear now. Back then you had artists making music and doing their own writing and making music because its what they were feeling. Now its record label execs saying heres this song so and so wrote, its going to get lots of radio play, we are going to make lots of money with it, thats whats going on the record. I mean its just so watered down commercially that all music in all genres has been effected. Back in the late 60's and 70's though it was just about the music.

 

Think of all the truely great bands and musical genus' of that time. You had Jimi, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Black Sabbath, The Stones, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Skynyrd, Neil Young, (CSNY, Buffalo Springfield, etc.), The Beatles, I mean I could go on and on and on and on. That's just from like a 15 year window, at most 15 years. I couldn't name that many great bands that has came out in the last 15 years, I'd be lucky to be able to name 5 that was anywhere close to that realm. Music has lost a lot of substance and integrity lately and until musicians start being more aware of their musical integrity it will not change.

Ultimately, here's the problem: rock music has already been done. Ask yourself if any of these are topping the musical charts today: madrigals, piano sonatas, operatic arias, classical symphonies, light pieces for lute and drum, big band tunes...

 

And yet, in their own time, they were massively popular. Heck, Enrico Caruso's first ten-song recording of operatic arias sold over a million copies... in 1902! How many people are buying those now? Maybe rock is finished, and maybe that's just the natural evolution of music. Just as my grandmother thinks rock musicians have to play rock because they aren't good enough to play anything else, so people in their 50s decry the lack of talent among people in their 20s. Is rock music dwindling in popularity because there aren't any good artists out there, or because those to whom the mass marketing of music is directed are no longer interested in hearing them. I think it's the later. Tastes have perhaps changed and that's something that's simply going to happen.

I agree with that to a certain level. But IMO the overall quality of music back in those days far exceeded what you hear now. Back then you had artists making music and doing their own writing and making music because its what they were feeling. Now its record label execs saying heres this song so and so wrote, its going to get lots of radio play, we are going to make lots of money with it, thats whats going on the record. I mean its just so watered down commercially that all music in all genres has been effected. Back in the late 60's and 70's though it was just about the music.

 

Think of all the truely great bands and musical genus' of that time. You had Jimi, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Black Sabbath, The Stones, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Skynyrd, Neil Young, (CSNY, Buffalo Springfield, etc.), The Beatles, I mean I could go on and on and on and on. That's just from like a 15 year window, at most 15 years. I couldn't name that many great bands that has came out in the last 15 years, I'd be lucky to be able to name 5 that was anywhere close to that realm. Music has lost a lot of substance and integrity lately and until musicians start being more aware of their musical integrity it will not change.

 

I do think that music has sold out today. Especially rap, which for the most part the artist do not make their own music anyway. Lil Wayne is a great example. I think his studio albums suck, they're made for a mainstream audience and made to have a catchy song or two to make money. His real music along with just about any other rap artists music today is in the mixtapes. Raw, unfiltered by producers, not as mainstream.

 

Rock/Metal is the same way though. Every heavy band has slowly begun to sell-out. The heavy guys I listen to like Lamb of God, Slipknot, and even Avenged Sevenfold to a degree have sold out. MUsic is about money and fame now, which it probably always was but the guys of the 70s just hid their intentions better.

Think of all the truely great bands and musical genus' of that time. You had Jimi, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Black Sabbath, The Stones, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Skynyrd, Neil Young, (CSNY, Buffalo Springfield, etc.), The Beatles, I mean I could go on and on and on and on. That's just from like a 15 year window, at most 15 years. I couldn't name that many great bands that has came out in the last 15 years, I'd be lucky to be able to name 5 that was anywhere close to that realm. Music has lost a lot of substance and integrity lately and until musicians start being more aware of their musical integrity it will not change.

 

Music is very fractured now and the shared experience that made a lot of those bands so huge doesn't really exist anymore. By the time I was 16 or 17 I had stopped listening to top 40 radio completely and thanks to the internet, expanded cable and satellite television and public radio, I could get music from a million other places. The music I listened to in high school and college will always be precious to me and I like them a lot more than a lot of the bands you mentioned.

 

Let's not forget about the subjectivity of music. For example, you listed The Doors, and while I understand their place in music history and appreciate it, I find them to be very boring and Jim Morrison's "poetry" strikes me as more pretentious and annoying than revolutionary. I get it, but I don't like it. On the other hand, I love the Beatles and Pink Floyd, but at the same time, they're not "mine" and they'll never be mine in the way that Radiohead, The Dismemberment Plan, The Flaming Lips, The White Stripes, The Black Keys or the The Shins feel like "my music."

I am the only BGP member who cannot stand the Beatles? I don't think they hold a candle to the other greats of their generation.

I am the only BGP member who cannot stand the Beatles? I don't think they hold a candle to the other greats of their generation.

 

Yes.

 

I would argue that The Beatles' pre-drugs era music is grossly overrated. They improved a great deal with the "Help!" album, and from then on were flat-out amazing.

I am the only BGP member who cannot stand the Beatles? I don't think they hold a candle to the other greats of their generation.

 

Yes.

 

I would argue that The Beatles' pre-drugs era music is grossly overrated. They improved a great deal with the "Help!" album, and from then on were flat-out amazing.

 

Couldn't agree more.

I am the only BGP member who cannot stand the Beatles? I don't think they hold a candle to the other greats of their generation.

 

Yes.

 

I would argue that The Beatles' pre-drugs era music is grossly overrated. They improved a great deal with the "Help!" album, and from then on were flat-out amazing.

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

 

I used to hate the Beatles. HATE THE BEATLES! I mean I really had a strong dis like for them. One night at a buddys house we were spinning some vinyl on a turntable they had. Well after a little while he pulls out a copy of Revolver and I was like man I am going to leave if you play that, I hate the Beatles, they are just a bunch of British Pop Hipsters. Then they started hounding me with just give them a chance, the pre drug stuff sucks but the music after they made is what the Beatles is all about. Well I gave in that night and gave them a chance, I can remember "Tax Man" being the first Beatles song I had really ever liked. I started out slow, but over years have came to realize the greatness of the Beatles and how important they were to music.

Or will we yearn for the days of "classic hip-hop"?

 

That time is already here.

Let's not forget about the subjectivity of music. For example, you listed The Doors, and while I understand their place in music history and appreciate it, I find them to be very boring and Jim Morrison's "poetry" strikes me as more pretentious and annoying than revolutionary. I get it, but I don't like it. On the other hand, I love the Beatles and Pink Floyd, but at the same time, they're not "mine" and they'll never be mine in the way that Radiohead, The Dismemberment Plan, The Flaming Lips, The White Stripes, The Black Keys or the The Shins feel like "my music."

 

 

All the bands you mentioned though started predominantly in the 90's. There was a lot of great music that came out during that decade, especially early to mid, but what I am referring to is lack of a true legendary band to come out over the last 5-10 years. A band who put its first album out after 2000. For me it would be almost impossible to label such band in the same class as some of the bands I mentioned, and even some of the bands you mentioned.

 

 

I as well am a pretty big Radiohead fan and one thing I really liked about the 90's, specifically early 90's was the re emergence of psychedelic music. Bands like Primus, Radiohead, Tool, among others had a lot of 60's psychedelic influence in it, but was also meshed with other genres as well and I just loved the result. Personally I consider a band like Tool a modern day Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd. It is my opinion that the closest thing my generation has to having a band like that would be Tool, just the musicianship, the musical pieces they construct, just the entire style of the band. To me Tool is like a modern day (harder more 90's version) Led Zep or Floyd. From the 10 minute songs to the stage show. Other than that I do not see a Black Sabbath in today's music. I do not see a Rolling Stones. I do not see a Jimi Hendrix Experience. All these ground breaking bands, its as if most bands in today's music can't get on that level.

Yes.

 

I would argue that The Beatles' pre-drugs era music is grossly overrated. They improved a great deal with the "Help!" album, and from then on were flat-out amazing.

 

That's about what I figured. I've never liked any of their music, just never been as impressed with them as their peers. To me, they along with AC/DC & Metallica, while all great are the 3 most overrated bands of all-time. But I have a weird taste in music.