Discontent with Content

It's no big surprise that content in popular music today seems to be lacking originality. Terrestrial radio more or less rotates the same 10 songs, and these songs more or less use the same themes and harmonic structures. There's nothing particularly outrageous or radical.

Music is becoming background, not forefront, attention-grabbing entertainment. We listen to it in our cars, while we converse on AIM, while cleaning the house, during parties, during homework, but not usually as a singular form of entertainment. Gone are the days of gathering around a record player to really listen to music.

Why is this? Does music no longer have anything to say that's worth focusing for? Is it boring? Why has content lost its edge of twenty years ago?

In my studies of 1960's and 1970's classic rock and folk music, I've learned that songs used to say something. Whether it was through the act of listening to certain types of music (like Elvis Presley) or actually listening the lyrics of the music (Frank Zappa, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, etc.), music was culturally and politically relevant. During times of the Vietnam War, music was consistently being released by artists like Sgt. Barry Sadler and Bob Dylan to comment on the war abroad.

And artists like this were actually popular. They created Top 40 hits with their songs about peace, about foreign policy, about reactions at home. Artists and musicians had strong opinions for or against the war, and both were equally well-received in the eyes of the public.

This is not so today. To not support the war is to be deemed un-American (look at the Dixie Chicks). While some concede that they support the troops, just not the war - it is still taboo to publicly proclaim this. In a post-9/11 America, it is not socially acceptable to act in a way that does not necessarily support America.

Popular music of the 1970's that clearly did not support the war in Vietnam or the President was widely accepted. Perhaps because the draft directly affected the young adults of the nation, it was natural that music would also directly deal with this issue. For the young adult generation today, the only music that directly discusses the war is that of fervent pro-war, pro-Army, pro-America country music artists (like Toby Keith or Darryl Worley).

I believe musicians have a responsibility to their audiences to be honest and write music pertaining to all aspects of their culture. In America, they have the right to freedom of speech and should take advantage of it, whether it be for or against American political and foreign policy. They should not feel penalized or persecuted for proclaiming an unpopular opinion. Artists like Toby Keith or Darryl Worley are misleading their audiences by singing songs about lives they have never lived. By releasing songs that promote the glamour and excitement of fighting the front lines, defending American pride, is irresponsible and ignorant. I'm sure if they had experience fighting in a war they would understand and release more informed records.

Musicians should examine their content and begin covering topics that our generation can relate to beyond sex, drinking and love. We can handle more than that, and I truly believe we are worth it.