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Why are 80's vocal just so much more powerful than most modern pop
- Thread starter Benji
- Start date
You're talking about the very peak era of pop music. The 80's took everything about the 60's and 70's and mashed them together and made some great music. Tons of artist from Europe too.
You simply won't find a better era of pop music than the 80's.
You simply won't find a better era of pop music than the 80's.
Nah, it's quite different today.
Yup, exactly. There was way more musical diversity in the charts back then - you'd have pop, metal, folk, soundtracks, reggae, instrumentals, country, adult contemporary, r&b, blues, new wave, soul, etc. all sitting side-by-side in the charts. When we say "pop music" today it's a very particular dance/diva sound people think of and the charts reflect that today. Back then if you said you were a "pop" fan it really could mean anything.
You can't be serious. Eurodance was trash and everyone knows it.
Because you have terrible singers like Ariana and Miley and shit. There are exceptions, like Lorde and Co... but overall Instagram/Twitter followers are more important then talent these days. And they can hide this lack of talent behind technology like Autotune etc.
I know of the Bee Gees but always think of them with the stereotypical falsetto songs. Good GRAVY the guy in your song has a good voice.
I also agree with the sentiment several people have expressed that, although there are creative and talented performers in modern times, music has become very overproduced where it's hard to even hear the human voice and whether the person can sing well.
The music industry, like the games industry and the movie industry, has optimized around blockbusters and megastars to the detriment of the good low, or middle-tier artist.
The difference between then and now is that now there is even more diversity in music today but you dont have to rely on radio to find it so those who like certain genres never have to interact with radio. You had to actually listen to radio back then to find anything now the only people who touch radio are old people who are stuck in their ways. There's alot of popular music that never gets on radio but since record companies still want to pretend like they have any real control you'll never hear it unless you go online. Back in the day when DJs still controlled things you might have found alot of it on radio. If you wanna see what radio back then would have looked like with todays music look at official spotify playlists. Spotify playlists have weird experimental music mixed with pop music unlike radio now does.
I mostly agree that pop singers in general are required to have less talent thanks to production techniques. But there are artists today that are just as talented.
For some reason the pop music people consume the most these days is very formulaic and no one cares if someone cant sing live. I really cant even put a finger on what society as a whole enjoy about the huge songs these days. Most of them aren't my cup of tea and it leaves me scratching my head but I try not to be a hater.
Here is an example of an actually talented artist these days: Jason Derulo. Some of his most successful songs lyrically are trash and meant to be club bangers but then he had this song and of course it didnt do near as well.
For some reason the pop music people consume the most these days is very formulaic and no one cares if someone cant sing live. I really cant even put a finger on what society as a whole enjoy about the huge songs these days. Most of them aren't my cup of tea and it leaves me scratching my head but I try not to be a hater.
Here is an example of an actually talented artist these days: Jason Derulo. Some of his most successful songs lyrically are trash and meant to be club bangers but then he had this song and of course it didnt do near as well.
Also call me crazy or super narrow minded, but I just can't help but feel that bar a few exceptions, a lot of music records and management focuses too much on appearance and not talent. I'm not saying there weren't good looking people in the 80s, just that they were in a majority of average looking talents. Nowadays its all pretty faces and glamour, something to slap the music onto. I mean I wasn't around for that era but looking at music videos and the like I cannot help but feel marketability has played too big a factor this last decade
Yes. I'm glad his finally getting an audience even if his still a niche artist. His been on the road for 3 Years straight
There is a lot of talent today and a lot of shit in the 80's. But as many of you have said, the top had more variation. I am not that well versed in modern music, but I find that although there are good singers, there has been a sort of a homogenization of the singing style. You have to sound a certain way to complement the production.
In 80's synth pop you could go from Jimmy Somerville
to Serge Gainsbourg
two totally different vocal performances on songs that could well be played back to back at the same club.
In 80's synth pop you could go from Jimmy Somerville
to Serge Gainsbourg
two totally different vocal performances on songs that could well be played back to back at the same club.
Exactly this. With Spotify, Soundcloud and other services there are plenty of interesting smaller acts out there if people are willing to dig. If the Top 40 ain't doing it for you fam do some actual work to find some interesting stuff. There is more choice than ever and something out there for everyone but people wanna act like because its not on the radio that it isn't relevant or something.
MTV launched in 1981.
VH1 launched in 1985.
MuchMusic launched in 1984.
"The Box" launched in 1985.
Nobody was totally reliant on radio for the vast majority of the time period we're talking about.
Current terrestrial radio looks nothing like radio of the 80s and 90s. Back then you had multiple rock stations and multiple hip hop stations with different playlists in addition to the top 40, smooth jazz, and adult contemporary programming. Currently in my market most of these are either dead or useless, and many of those FM stations have switched over to either Talk or Sports.
Modern charts that determine what's "popular" don't rely on radio playlists. It's a complicated blend of music sales, radio plays, youtube plays, and streams from places like spotify and apple music. It takes all of the different outlets you're talking about into account when looking at the Billboard 50 or 100 or whatever and is STILL demonstrably worse.
how much worse? Well, "Baby Shark" made it's debut at #32 recently. https://www.billboard.com/articles/.../baby-shark-billboard-hot-100-top-40-pinkfong
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I don't know, I was a teenager in the 80s and those who were really into music hunted for records in the store and did not rely on radio. There was still a lot of anti-radio/MTV sentiment back then as well, with plenty of talented artists that were shunned by airplay. "Hunting" for your musical preference was still very much a thing back then. This idea that older folks had radio serve them up their tastes is a bit misleading.
Radio was still probably primary for "most" people- but yeah if you were well outside the mainstream you were hanging out in record stores or going to local shows.
College Radio is probably underrated here though- I spent a couple of years as a college radio DJ and the amount of shit I had to play with absolutely positively no oversight for several hours a night was mindblowing.
edit: This was around the time when I discovered Industrial Music so there was a shitload of Wumpscut, Nitzer Ebb, Einsturzende, Frontline Assembly, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Revolting Cocks and Velvet Acid Christ getting airplay.
You had to generally be within a couple miles of a university to hear THAT stuff though, almost all university radio is pretty low power.
It may be shocking to find out, but record stores would routinely actually play stuff if you bothered to ask them to hear something, and give recommendations based on what you said you liked.
I told a guy once I was looking for Metallica and he whipped out bootleg versions of Garage Days from behind the counter that were completely out of print and damned near impossible to find in 1995.
Yup, blind purchasing was definitely a thing. There was a fantastic element of mystery and anticipation.
Getting burned on CDs with exactly ONE good song is absolutely, positively not something i will miss. Especially when CDs were still $20+ due to price fixing.
You should be aware that I wasn't even born at that point before you throw out that defensive insult.
For sure, but at least it always taught you something and helped build your musical vocabulary in establishing what you do or don't like.
The problem with the backlash sentiment is that it's a blanket statement too. You might be offended by the notion that popular musicians, on average, had more vocal talent in the 80's than what was popular in the 2000's.
However, if you paint it with the "the notion that things were better back whenever is just false" and "the current generation of pop music is no different" brush, you've basically both-sides'd the situation and dismissed everything with no evidence whatsoever.
Multiple people have been posting concrete examples in the thread of top-60 lists, people who weren't traditionally attractive yet were very vocally talented, the change in production, the change in media ownership, and so forth, contrasted to your claim that there's no difference.
The American media and popular landscape alone has MASSIVELY changed from 1980 to today, almost 40 years later. Technology has massively changed. Media and smartphones and the internet and everything else has massively changed. Are you truly suggesting that despite enormous upheaval over 4 decades, this ONE THING hasn't changed at all for some reason and remains the same over time? I'd say it is ludicrous to suggest that every generation is the same on average about almost anything. The world changes.
User Warned - Thread Whining
Oh another one of these old people threads.
We're getting dangerously close to someone saying "rap is crap," aren't we? I know some of y'all are thinking it but you know you can't say it.
We're getting dangerously close to someone saying "rap is crap," aren't we? I know some of y'all are thinking it but you know you can't say it.
Yeah the world does change and so do standards and what people expect out of things. So judging current music by the standards of the 80's is ridiculous. That's my entire point. The music game is entirely different these days. And that isn't and inherent negative like so many people are painting it as. Good music exists these days outside of the bubble of radio airplay and mainstream top 40 hits. That wasn't as true in the 80's as it is today. And to be clear I like a lot of stuff from the 80's. I have Micheal Jackson on my Apple music playlist right next to current K-pop hits. Y'all need to expand your horizons if you think current music is bad.
Radio is less relevant now. Thank god, I'd much rather be drowning in wavy trap and angular guitars then 80's pop cheese
Your cousin is talented and it's great that people are getting introduced to him!
However, I want to point out that this is basically what the OP is talking about. The question the thread asked was about 80's vocals compared to modern "pop music". As in, popular music that is widely known and listened to. I mean no disrespect to your cousin, but I had never heard of him before today, despite his clear talent and the fact that people in this very thread are admiring him. Why? Because, on average, your cousin ISN'T making what is considered "pop music" today, I would argue, nor is he being pushed by giant media networks that have consolidated compared to previous decades.
So yes, there are absolutely talented and/or hardworking people who are doing good things...but you don't necessarily hear them in the pop music sphere on the radio or whatever.
Isn't that what's popular on the radio now? I basically hear Post Malone-ish stuff when I do listen to pop radio.
Third Stage was an awesome album. My favorite was Can'tcha Say (Still in Love)
I fondly remember listening to the whole album on repeat as I was drawing for this space opera anime (Macross/Robotech-esque) comic me and my friends were making in middle school. A lot of that 80s (and 70s) powerful music really got those creative juices flowing for me! Damn, good times!
I wonder if it has anything to do with modern "wall of sound" mixing that prevents the singer from standing out as much against the backing.
I am a sucker for the 80s sound to be honest. I agree, the songs feel like they had IT.
Some examples below.
That song murders me every time, and its that combo of Ceteras voice (He had a truly unique and powerful voice) along with Chers.
Yes I am a sucker for Duets
But if you just look at the voices of that Generation. Both male and female voices arguably had some of the greatest of all time. Particularly voices that conveyed the emtion you are talking about.
Freddie Mercury
Steve Perry
Meatloaf
Cindy Lauper
Whitney Houston
Michael Jackson
Sting
Bon Jovi
Aerosmith
Prince
Each and every single one was unique and allowed to be unique. Nothing cookie cutter about their voices or their presentation.
Some examples below.
That song murders me every time, and its that combo of Ceteras voice (He had a truly unique and powerful voice) along with Chers.
Yes I am a sucker for Duets
But if you just look at the voices of that Generation. Both male and female voices arguably had some of the greatest of all time. Particularly voices that conveyed the emtion you are talking about.
Freddie Mercury
Steve Perry
Meatloaf
Cindy Lauper
Whitney Houston
Michael Jackson
Sting
Bon Jovi
Aerosmith
Prince
Each and every single one was unique and allowed to be unique. Nothing cookie cutter about their voices or their presentation.
I read a theory years ago that pop culture is basically like xeroxing a xerox. And how each time you make a copy of a copy the quality gets a little worse.
80's artists grew up on power vocals of the 60's and 70's. And those men/women had grown up singing in choirs and jazz/blues clubs.
Multiple generations later you have artists who grew up listening to Britney Spears. Of course there are other factors and people who break the mold, but it seems plausible to me.
Edit: this "theory" also works for guitar players. No matter how cheesy you think 80's hairbands are, you have to admit they had some talented lead guitarists. Not many bands these days can shred like that.
80's artists grew up on power vocals of the 60's and 70's. And those men/women had grown up singing in choirs and jazz/blues clubs.
Multiple generations later you have artists who grew up listening to Britney Spears. Of course there are other factors and people who break the mold, but it seems plausible to me.
Edit: this "theory" also works for guitar players. No matter how cheesy you think 80's hairbands are, you have to admit they had some talented lead guitarists. Not many bands these days can shred like that.
I'm always surprised by all of these posts in these thread. In 2019.
The whole album is great. Gotta give it for Amanda.
I wouldn't know. I dont have to listen to radio or even pay attention to the charts other then in the broadest strokes to be up on what's exciting about current music
Thats an interesting look at it. We could also attribute it to technology. Technology has advanced so much when it comes to producing music that artists no longer need to be perfect or strive for perfection since it can all be fixed in Post production.
Don't get me wrong, there are still masters of their craft out there. David Grohl is a fucking musical GOD and every performance by him and Foo is freaking amazing.
I love in 2019 ageism is still expectable with any thread that goes back a few decades. Like Rap wasn't around in the 80's?