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Pop Music and Shock Revolution
Dec. 7th, 2009 04:16 pmIn the mid-70's, disgusted by the over-polished, dance-heavy sounds dominating the airwaves, some people started creating music that smacked pop music in the face and went in the exact opposite direction. Thus was born punk rock, and it was a revolution in pop. It didn't last long, but it shook things up, and echoes of punk can be heard in pop music today.
In the late-80's, disgusted by the over-orchestrated, synth-heavy sounds dominating the airwaves, some people started creating music that smacked pop music in the face and went in the exact opposite direction. Thus was born grunge music, and it was a revolution in pop. It didn't last long, but it shook things up, and echoes of grunge can be heard in pop music today.
Both these revolutions came as shocks to the system. Unlike slower changes in pop music, such as the evolution of Rock in the 40's, 50's and 60's, or the emergence of hip-hop into the mainstream, these revolutions came about very quickly, displayed a powerful burst of creativity for several years, and then burned out and fragmented. These 'Shock Revolutions' came about for one reason: the means of production were held by a few powerful parties with set views regarding the nature of pop music, and there was no mechanism to get new sounds into the ears of the public. The only way this music could emerge was from the grassroots, where a huge following bubbled up in local regional areas until local radio could no longer ignore it; when they finally played the music on the radio, the sounds were so fresh and different that demand quickly went nationwide, often before the major labels could catch up and get artists signed. Once the major labels got control of this new sound, they commercialized its production and basically killed it.
Things are different today. File sharing, satellite radio, Facebook music and internet radio stations have decentralized the means of production. The big labels are fighting it, and they are still powerful, but if there is a really good, overlooked musical idea out there that the big fish aren't exploiting, there are mechanisms for that music to escape into the public's perception. The day may very well come when the major labels die, or cease to exist in any recognizable form.
There is therefore no way that a musical Shock Revolution can ever occur again. Pop music can and will change over time, but it will be gradual. As soon as something new comes up, the Zeitgeist sweeps it up and it's instantly absorbed into the global musical conversation. There is no chance for something awesome to build up and build up and build up and finally explode.
For those of us waiting for the next Punk Revolution, wait no more forever.
In the late-80's, disgusted by the over-orchestrated, synth-heavy sounds dominating the airwaves, some people started creating music that smacked pop music in the face and went in the exact opposite direction. Thus was born grunge music, and it was a revolution in pop. It didn't last long, but it shook things up, and echoes of grunge can be heard in pop music today.
Both these revolutions came as shocks to the system. Unlike slower changes in pop music, such as the evolution of Rock in the 40's, 50's and 60's, or the emergence of hip-hop into the mainstream, these revolutions came about very quickly, displayed a powerful burst of creativity for several years, and then burned out and fragmented. These 'Shock Revolutions' came about for one reason: the means of production were held by a few powerful parties with set views regarding the nature of pop music, and there was no mechanism to get new sounds into the ears of the public. The only way this music could emerge was from the grassroots, where a huge following bubbled up in local regional areas until local radio could no longer ignore it; when they finally played the music on the radio, the sounds were so fresh and different that demand quickly went nationwide, often before the major labels could catch up and get artists signed. Once the major labels got control of this new sound, they commercialized its production and basically killed it.
Things are different today. File sharing, satellite radio, Facebook music and internet radio stations have decentralized the means of production. The big labels are fighting it, and they are still powerful, but if there is a really good, overlooked musical idea out there that the big fish aren't exploiting, there are mechanisms for that music to escape into the public's perception. The day may very well come when the major labels die, or cease to exist in any recognizable form.
There is therefore no way that a musical Shock Revolution can ever occur again. Pop music can and will change over time, but it will be gradual. As soon as something new comes up, the Zeitgeist sweeps it up and it's instantly absorbed into the global musical conversation. There is no chance for something awesome to build up and build up and build up and finally explode.
For those of us waiting for the next Punk Revolution, wait no more forever.
