Staff Editorial: A letter to pop music: We've had enough!
Issue date: 6/16/09 Section: Opinions
Dear Pop Music,
Please stop assaulting our ears. We've had enough of your oligopolistic control of the airwaves. Everywhere we look, whether it is television, radio, the Internet or our classmates' ring tones, we just can't seem to get rid of you.
In economics, an oligopoly is when a few firms - or, in our case, bands or record companies - dominate the industry. They create "barriers of entry," which means that they have so much power in the industry that it is nearly impossible for anyone else to enter the market.
Bands like Hinder, Buckcherry and Nickleback are especially ruining things for anyone trying to enter the world of rock 'n roll. How many times can you write a song about trying to get your woman back or life on the road? And yet they sell more records than any rational music lover could find feasible.
This week on the Billboard Hot 100 list, the top 10 artists are The Black Eyed Peas, Pitbull, Keri Hudson, Jeremih, Lady Gaga (who has spots 5 and 6), Shinedown, Beyonce, Sean Kingston and Jamie Foxx. There is only one rock band on the list, and most rock music listeners would agree that Shinedown isn't really a rock band; more of a pop band trying to be edgy without it really working.
This whole concept is blinding the "MTV generation" into thinking that, if a band has tattoos, black hair and wears their guitar at their knees, they're worth listening to.
Before the movie Twilight came out, how many people really listened to Iron & Wine, Mutemath or The Black Ghosts?
The situation boils down to this: it is now nearly impossible for bands like Charleston's pop rock band Firesky Future, to break into the industry, even though they're good enough to have opened for bands like New Found Glory. And though their predecessors - like Green Day and Blink 182 - have a huge following, the whole genre of pop punk rock seems to have become one big joke.
"If you're trying to be a musician that plays pop punk music there just isn't a whole lot of enterprise. That's sort of what the whole record is about," said Andy Long, bassist for Firesky Future, in the April 17 issue of the Daily Eastern News. "Local Tragedy" (the name of their album) is about people that I know that I feel there is so much lack of support. It's nothing against them, but they just don't understand. It's almost as if people can't wait to see you fail. It's not exactly easy telling Mom and Dad, 'Hey I'm going to be in a band.'"
When will it stop? It won't until big record companies remember why they began in the first place: to allow the public to hear some small town's best-kept musical secret. Music shouldn't be about the money. It should be about the invocation of moods and the application of creativity and artistry in a completely unique way.
The editorial is the majority opinion of The DEN editorial board. Reach the opinions editor at: DENopinions@gmail.com.
Please stop assaulting our ears. We've had enough of your oligopolistic control of the airwaves. Everywhere we look, whether it is television, radio, the Internet or our classmates' ring tones, we just can't seem to get rid of you.
In economics, an oligopoly is when a few firms - or, in our case, bands or record companies - dominate the industry. They create "barriers of entry," which means that they have so much power in the industry that it is nearly impossible for anyone else to enter the market.
Bands like Hinder, Buckcherry and Nickleback are especially ruining things for anyone trying to enter the world of rock 'n roll. How many times can you write a song about trying to get your woman back or life on the road? And yet they sell more records than any rational music lover could find feasible.
This week on the Billboard Hot 100 list, the top 10 artists are The Black Eyed Peas, Pitbull, Keri Hudson, Jeremih, Lady Gaga (who has spots 5 and 6), Shinedown, Beyonce, Sean Kingston and Jamie Foxx. There is only one rock band on the list, and most rock music listeners would agree that Shinedown isn't really a rock band; more of a pop band trying to be edgy without it really working.
This whole concept is blinding the "MTV generation" into thinking that, if a band has tattoos, black hair and wears their guitar at their knees, they're worth listening to.
Before the movie Twilight came out, how many people really listened to Iron & Wine, Mutemath or The Black Ghosts?
The situation boils down to this: it is now nearly impossible for bands like Charleston's pop rock band Firesky Future, to break into the industry, even though they're good enough to have opened for bands like New Found Glory. And though their predecessors - like Green Day and Blink 182 - have a huge following, the whole genre of pop punk rock seems to have become one big joke.
"If you're trying to be a musician that plays pop punk music there just isn't a whole lot of enterprise. That's sort of what the whole record is about," said Andy Long, bassist for Firesky Future, in the April 17 issue of the Daily Eastern News. "Local Tragedy" (the name of their album) is about people that I know that I feel there is so much lack of support. It's nothing against them, but they just don't understand. It's almost as if people can't wait to see you fail. It's not exactly easy telling Mom and Dad, 'Hey I'm going to be in a band.'"
When will it stop? It won't until big record companies remember why they began in the first place: to allow the public to hear some small town's best-kept musical secret. Music shouldn't be about the money. It should be about the invocation of moods and the application of creativity and artistry in a completely unique way.
The editorial is the majority opinion of The DEN editorial board. Reach the opinions editor at: DENopinions@gmail.com.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 8
a notice to the DEN
posted 6/16/09 @ 1:23 AM CST
no one cares what you think
Kelly
posted 6/16/09 @ 8:40 AM CST
How is this newsworthy? Do you really think what's dominating pop charts is the factor that is keeping Firesky Future from ruling rock music? Doubtful. (Continued…)
Julian Russell
posted 6/16/09 @ 4:32 PM CST
ahh looks like we have some pop music fans, AMEN to this article if you ask me, someone needed to say something lol, oh and Kelly it isn't news worthy, again it is an OPINION, you are college students do we need to tell you the difference between fact and opinion? Firesky Future won't make it because that style is slowly fading out, it was a fad just like disco man, everyone tweeked their voices to sound sappy and put on the girls pants and just like hair metal they realized how ridiculous they really look, good bye pop crap
Jim Thompson
posted 6/16/09 @ 8:04 PM CST
I am a little confused as to the intentions of the editorial.
I've gathered that you don't like pop music. You mentioned the Billboard Hot 100 which is pop music, (pop music meaning popular) describing music that the masses are listening to. (Continued…)
Julian Russell
posted 6/17/09 @ 10:20 AM CST
I think everyone missed the humorous intentions of this article lol, Firesky Future isn't on the charts because they aren't at that skill level yet and if they are they haven't been signed (that I'm aware of, everyone likes different music, if you want I'm sure you could just as easily write an opinion on country or rock or rap music, as for the music business stopping- it is if you haven't noticed, with all these free sharing websites and what not no one buys cd's anymore, bands make their big income off touring anymore and that is hard without that album revenue, you are right about the definition of popular music though
Pop Music Hooray!
posted 6/17/09 @ 2:10 PM CST
I've been in Charleston for two years now and never heard of Firesky Future sorry. I've been to local/campus open mics...I've heard of Staff Band Blues and LBJ, but no Firesky. (Continued…)
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