I agree with basically everybody else. 2011 has been a terrible year for music, and the worst I've witnessed in my lifetime. I've been very disappointed.

 

HOWEVER, the article does seem to be written by a Lady Gaga fan who's bitter that she hasn't had much success, and thinks Adele is to blame for You and I being released as a single. That's the vibe I've been getting from it.

 

And I got a bit confused at the point where he had whined about boring Adele and Ed Sheeran songs being hits this year, and that he wanted something more upbeat, exciting, electronic, and THEN says Champagne Showers is one of the worst songs he's ever heard. Surely isn't Champagne Showers exactly the sort of thing he wanted?

 

But other than that, I agree in general. I've said many times on here the past few months, 2011 has had practically no variety at all. It's all female europop/club bangers or female piano ballads. It's been awful. I thought 2009 was the worst year for music ever, but I think it's actually got worse.

 

You've made the same mistake as many in assuming that the generic club banger is the ONLY way of getting something more upbeat, exciting and electronic. The article even states that the female electropop thing was fun before it morphed into the club banger.

 

And yes, the writer does come across as a GaGa fan but they have a serious point, premiering "Born This Way" at the BRITs would have probably launched it off to a start similar to the one that "Someone Like You" got (I know that week wasn't SLY's actual release, but you get my drift). Admittedly it probably wouldn't have held up as well, but it would have sold more than 600k by now and would have been a far more effective means of getting the album off the ground.

You've made the same mistake as many in assuming that the generic club banger is the ONLY way of getting something more upbeat, exciting and electronic. The article even states that the female electropop thing was fun before it morphed into the club banger.

 

And yes, the writer does come across as a GaGa fan but they have a serious point, premiering "Born This Way" at the BRITs would have probably launched it off to a start similar to the one that "Someone Like You" got (I know that week wasn't SLY's actual release, but you get my drift). Admittedly it probably wouldn't have held up as well, but it would have sold more than 600k by now and would have been a far more effective means of getting the album off the ground.

 

Yeah, true I guess. It's just such a shame though, and I agree with his point about female electropop "used to be fun" aswell. I feel exactly the same way. The female pop stars used to release a variety of music, and even late 2008, when Katy Perry released Hot N Cold, and Britney released Womanizer, I was like "Wow, this is awesome". I had no idea it would lead to On the Floor, S&M, Party Rock Anthem and Give Me Everything. :( And honestly, I'd hate Hot N Cold and Womanizer if they had been released now. It's just too much, and they're honestly all sounding the same to me now.

 

I mean, just the other day on here, we were counting how many singles a pop star had, and I looked at the list at the end, and it was like 14 electropop club bangers, and a country-rock-esque ballad. That just shows how bad it is now.

 

I think some other songs are to blame though, going even further back, like Smack That by Akon/Eminem, Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado/Timbaland, SOS by Rihanna, and mainly Low by Flo Rida/T-Pain. Especially in the US, where everything was urban dominated before, I think it's songs like those that slowly introduced them to club bangers, paving the way for Disturbia, then for Poker Face, then for Tik Tok, then for Party Rock Anthem. It's getting more and more dancy. I dread what's going to happen next year. :(

Edited November 8, 201113 yr by Eric_Blob

The first 4-6 months this year were horrendous. Since then I think the chart has had much more variety and is a lot less boring.

I dread what's going to happen next year. :(

 

I'm actually looking forward to next year. Hopefully some producers like Avicii can get big hits without a cheap rap (his "Levels" is getting more pre-orders than Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" despite "Levels" not being released until January whereas "Good Feeling" is out next week) I'd also like to see Wolfgang Gartner, Afrojack and Deadmau5 get hits but that might be asking too much.

 

Remember guys this is coming from a person who campions LMFAO, Rihanna, Lady GaGa and near enough all dance music

The first 4-6 months this year were horrendous. Since then I think the chart has had much more variety and is a lot less boring.

 

I agree with this. It has definitely got better in the later half of the year, to be fair. Especially the Don't Go/Heaven top 2, was a major " :o " for me. Just because I'd honestly started thinking songs like that would never be successful ever again, let alone the top 2.

 

I'm actually looking forward to next year. Hopefully some producers like Avicii can get big hits without a cheap rap (his "Levels" is getting more pre-orders than Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" despite "Levels" not being released until January whereas "Good Feeling" is out next week) I'd also like to see Wolfgang Gartner, Afrojack and Deadmau5 get hits but that might be asking too much.

 

Remember guys this is coming from a person who campions LMFAO, Rihanna, Lady GaGa and near enough all dance music

 

I don't want Afrojack, deadmau5, etc. to be successful anymore tbh. I like a lot of deadmau5's songs, for example, but they're just not going to inject any variety in the chart, which we need (unless they replace the even worse dance producers, like RedOne, David Guetta, etc, in which case, that'll be fine). I want Timbaland, Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, will.i.am (his urban beats, not his dance beats), DJ Premier, Just Blaze, etc. to be successful again. Just so we can have something different.

Edited November 8, 201113 yr by Eric_Blob

RIHANNA AND LADY GAGA ARE NOT DANCE.

 

 

Anyway, I do like chart music as much as I usually do but I still do feel it's more repetitive, fingers crossed for a new different dominant sound in 2012, something radically different like country or proper R&B :P[/asif]

Statistically, 2011 has been everyone's least favourite year of music and 2012 will be worse for everyone.

Statistically, 2011 has been everyone's least favourite year of music and 2012 will be worse for everyone.

 

I kind of know what you mean there. And to be honest, this does happen at the end of every year. :lol: But usually, I've been the one saying what you've been saying. But I agree with the masses this time. I don't know how to describe it, but I just feel like, nothing has happened, I guess.

I think the main reason music has been so samey now is that so many genre's have now been fused together everything has become one. Dance, pop and urban all seem to have become on and the same this year, a dance song seems to feature a rapper, pop stars have seen that pop by itself doesn't sell like it did, it now needs dance beats, everything seems to have to appeal to the dancefloor far more than it ever did.

 

You can't have a big selling rap song without a female chorus as the hook. It's less common but after Airplanes, Love The Way You Lie, Coming Home and I Need A Doctor I thought we'd got rid of them, now the number one is Read All About It which is exactly the same, it's like there's been no progression in the last 15 months,

I think some other songs are to blame though, going even further back, like Smack That by Akon/Eminem, Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado/Timbaland, SOS by Rihanna, and mainly Low by Flo Rida/T-Pain. Especially in the US, where everything was urban dominated before, I think it's songs like those that slowly introduced them to club bangers, paving the way for Disturbia, then for Poker Face, then for Tik Tok, then for Party Rock Anthem. It's getting more and more dancy. I dread what's going to happen next year. :(

 

They're not "to blame" though! They were all great songs that helped bring more great songs into the charts (mostly in 2009). I think Sexy Bitch and I Gotta Feeling (and maybe TiK ToK) did the most damage. But it has to wind down eventually. I can't imagine 2011 being any worse anyway.

I think the main reason music has been so samey now is that so many genre's have now been fused together everything has become one. Dance, pop and urban all seem to have become on and the same this year, a dance song seems to feature a rapper, pop stars have seen that pop by itself doesn't sell like it did, it now needs dance beats, everything seems to have to appeal to the dancefloor far more than it ever did.

 

You can't have a big selling rap song without a female chorus as the hook. It's less common but after Airplanes, Love The Way You Lie, Coming Home and I Need A Doctor I thought we'd got rid of them, now the number one is Read All About It which is exactly the same, it's like there's been no progression in the last 15 months,

 

Yep. Very true.

 

Your bit about the rap songs aswell, I agree with. It seems that most of the hip hop songs that have been popular in the past couple of years have been like ones with the emotional lyrics, and ballad-like chorus, etc, like the ones you mentioned, and other recent ones such as Fly and Lighters. It makes a change from the club bangers and female piano ballads, but I'd still like more variety in the hip hop singles too. Some with rapping all the way through, like Lose Yourself and In da Club, would be nice to have back imo.

Edited November 8, 201113 yr by Eric_Blob

I'd agree that popular mainstream music has mostly consisted of pop/dance/rap fused together and that a lot of it sounds completely generic and similar. There have been some very successful and non-generic examples of this but they have been relatively rare sadly and usually have fared badly in the charts.

 

There hasn't been a #1 this year that I really loved like in previous years, such as "Fuck You", "The Fear", "Bad Romance" or "Viva La Vida".

Edited November 8, 201113 yr by Doctor Blind

the homoginsation of genres has been around for decades but in the download era the unlimited availability makes them perfect for multiple demographics. If a song has three genres or three major selling points then it gains a lot more exposure - many more music channels will play it.

 

I was actually thinking the other day that "someone like you" is really tedious and over-rated, but even worse are the succession of mindless club bangers which have reached no.1 this year. I would go as far as to say that 2011 is the worst year ever for no.1 singles; there is not one that I would buy or even choose to listen to - a dreadful selection.

 

Looking at the current 20 best sellers of the year, I'd say "Moves like Jagger" and "Rolling in the deep" are head and shoulders above the rest, in fact they are pretty decent pop songs in any era.

Edited November 8, 201113 yr by Phil 20

I was actually thinking the other day that "someone like you" is really tedious and over-rated, but even worse are the succession of mindless club bangers which have reached no.1 this year. I would go as far as to say that 2011 is the worst year ever for no.1 singles; there is not one that I would buy or even choose to listen to - a dreadful selection.

 

Looking at the current 20 best sellers of the year, I'd say "Moves like Jagger" and "Rolling in the deep" are head and shoulders above the rest, in fact they are pretty decent pop songs in any era.

 

 

Didn't like Moves Like Jagger for ages. I like it now. 2010 was shit for singles in general too.

I'd just like to warn anyone that this is a distinctly Rustt / Mushymanrob post that will cumulate in namedroping credible artists from yesteryear now. If this will antagonise you then please look away now.

I'm less worried about 'beige pop' than the utterly offensive sleugh of 'club bangers' which are utterly bereft of any musical value. I may not like Ed Sheeran, but at least I can see some appeal in his music, unlike stuff like LMFAO which is just tuneless, mindless drivel.

At least LMFAO are vaguely exciting! I honestly find Adele, Christina Perri, etc. etc. to be self absorbed drivel. Maybe they have more credibility than generic club bangers, but I find them to be lowest common denominator. They have may have a voice, but the 'talent' seems so forced / out there to sell records JUST as much as your average Pitbull song is. At least the latter would admit to that. When put alongside genuinely talented artists that are interesting to listen to and won't worry about alienating their audience (okay, I won't namedrop, I'm sure that was snobby enough), I fail to see how these 'New Boring' artists have much musical value. Maybe I've just been spoilt.

 

Now I don't have the arrogance to educate anyone, but these are what I'd consider to have musical value, and ultra-mainstream equivalents could easily be picked out.

 

An 'authentic tearjerker' that Adele or Ed Sheeran wished they could write:

A creative 'club banger' (not that you'd hear it in clubs):

Couldn't most acoustic artists be viewed as self-aborbed?

Looking at the YTD top 20, you've got:

 

Team Somone Like You:

 

1 - 1181000 - Adele - Someone Like You

2 - 942000 - Jessie J ft B.o.B. - Price Tag

5 - 828500 - Bruno Mars - Grenade

8 - 760500 - Adele - Rolling In The Deep

9 - 705500 - Ed Sheeran - A Team

12 - 590000 - Bruno Mars - Lazy Song

15 - 556000 - Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar

17 - 516000 - Christina Perri - Jar Of Hearts

 

And Team Party Rock Anthem:

 

3 - 941000 - LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem

4 - 842000 - Pitbull - Give Me Everything

6 - 807000 - Maroon 5 / Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger

7 - 763500 - Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor

10 - 627500 - Rihanna - S&M

11 - 594500 - Lady Gaga - Born This Way

13 - 570500 - Chris Brown Ft Benny Benassi - Beautiful People

14 - 561000 - Example - Changed The Way You Kiss Me

16 - 548500 - Snoop Dogg & David Guetta - Sweat

18 - 489000 - Alexandra Stan - Mr Saxobeat

19 - 472500 - DJ Fresh - Louder

 

And then the only song that I think is unique enough that I can't place it in either group is:

 

20 - 470500 - Jessie J - Do It Like A Dude

 

and that was released in Autumn 2010 I think anyway.

 

It's just a bit annoying really. And people were saying the merging of genres is a large cause of this. Which made me think, perhaps that's why rock artists have pretty much disappeared from the singles chart. They largely excluded themselves from all this genre-merging, so perhaps that's why they're gone from the singles chart.

 

I guess that's a silver lining for my favourite aritsts really. While I'm very pissed off that Snoop Dogg, Nicole Scherzinger, Chris Brown, etc. have gone and released a load of europop songs this year, at least when the charts change so that they can start releasing urban music and have them be successful again, they'll still be "popular" as artists, so can switch back to releasing the music that they're truly passionate about again quite easily.

I certainly wouldn't call 'I Need A Dollar' biege pop, it's different from just about everything doing well at the moment. Price Tag isn't really in the same category either, it's not quite in the club banger group either but it's closer to that.

it's not quite in the club banger group either but it's closer to that.

 

It's not anywhere near the club banger group. And I'm not sure if Moves Like Jagger belongs there either. I'd put:

 

Do It Like A Dude

I Need A Dollar

Price Tag

 

..all in there own group. Don't know if MLJ should be with them.

Edited November 8, 201113 yr by Umi