When do you all think music started to go downhill?

I'd say around the 1990s...

Because sampling became a huge thing and artists of that generation lacked creativity and they kept relying on old music of the 70s, they no longer played instruments, you could become a singer without having to actually sing, Soundscan became a huge culprit (basically it was all about how much you can sell within 1 week and it was no longer about your artistry).

The majority of the genres were no longer at it's peak. E.g. R&B, when rappers got involved with R&B music, sampling, the lyrical content was literally just about bedroom music and nothing more anymore.

Rock music. It was all about noise and lack of guitar riff raffs and grunge literally copied everything that 70s rock did and all grunge music was about was men crying about how miserable their lives were and they wanted to kill themselves.

There was exactly a brand name that represented their decades (even David Bowie said this)

Many more I can list.

What about you ?

I love music from up to the 90's. So I think I agree. Music now is just atrocious. Mass produced. Boring. Soulless. Fake. Might be some creative bands out there still, but they're completely drowned in the sea of crap.

2011, but it's headed back up again.

*edit* mid 2017 was a lull though.

@Litchie:

I didn't say anything about today's music... I was asking when do you all think music went downhill.

I said the 90s (weakest decade next to the 2000s).

Read before posting

@sancho_panzer:

2010s were terrible musically.

Honestly. Prince was right when he said the 60s, 70s and 80s were the best period for music

Music has gone downhill?

When?!

I wouldn't say it is atrocious, just commercialized. You have to wade through a sea of shit to get to anything good, but it 's out there.

Just stop listening the the radio and put a little effort into looking for artists and songs you'll like.

I don't think any time period really has better or worse music, and it is pretty ignorant to imply. Music has changed but you will always have folks that try to revive certain subgenres (surf rock, for example, is still really popular) while still evolving. It's a pretty great era right now if you can get past the manufactured nonsense.

I love music from all time periods. I think the 1600's to the 2020's is a pretty good time period for music :)

80s was no doubt mostly horrible, thankfully once music became more independent in the 00s the quality outside the mainstream it's pretty impressive.

But every decade has good stuff, even the 80s.

Late 90's although I did like some bands at the time but the rise of boy bands and Britany Spears was the start of the downfall it just got worst in the 00's. It pretty much died for me in the late 00's I'm old and can't relate to the music these days I was in my early 20's in the beginning of the early 2000's I pretty much fell out of touch with new music in my late 20's like most adults do. The voices of my generation where gone or yesterdays news the music for the new kids where speaking to them and I couldn't relate I remember it started with the autotune crap.

@mike1964: Ah, I was just kidding about with that 2011 bit.

TBH I don't know that I can really place a time things got worse because I'm not sure they did. There was definitely a period when distribution was all over the place and I had to dig really hard to find new music I liked, but it's getting easier again.

Probably mid-00s is where things started to go downhill. Not sure if you lot agree, but I find modern music to be too sexualised and it's worrying.

The 70s-90s music had the best music.

the day after i graduated high school

@omegamaster: music being way too sexualised has been happening for years though.

It started to get worse around the 90s I feel. Especially when you have a hit song called "I Wanna Sex You Up" LOL.

@warmblur: that whole boy band era from 1994-1999 was horrible. Take That, Backstreet boys, East 17, Nsync, 98 etc etc

There was something from that 94-99 period that was bad lol.

When it became about technology and not talent. So recently in the grand scheme. I wish people would demand better music and not the formulaic pop crap that's mainstream. There is still good music but it doesn't get notice.

I never understood this mentality.

For the entire time there has been music, there has been good music and bad music (spoiler: most of it's bad). People are very susceptible to marketing - that's why 'popular' music is usually considered bad by those who think of themselves as music connoisseurs.

I can never come up with a favorite time period for music because when I start thinking there's just too much good stuff from every decade/era/whatever. I used to think classic rock was the best time in music, but now I know that is a very flawed view.

It took me about 20 years to appreciate alt-rock/grunge from the 90's. I mostly listened to thrash metal and classic rock back then and ignored pretty much everything else. I know more about 90's music today than I did back then.

Hot take: music has only gotten better, and if you disagree I'd argue you're just not making an effort to listen to new stuff. It takes more and more effort as time goes on because the effective number of artists making music is always increasing.

Maybe I do understand the mentality - I just flat-out reject it.

Yeah. The same goes for music videos and lyrics. The 70s and 80s, in particular, were less sexualised with lyrics and music videos - which I prefer.

Funny but very true in a way the majority of the music I listen to these days is the same what I listen to when I was in school and some stuff a little later but not much more then that. Music really got me through some growing pains in high school.

I was agreeing with the 90's, and added some of my own thoughts. I read your post just fine mr. grumpypants.

It started going downhill in the mid 90s I think.