How has music changed society?

[Mr Angry]

I was thinking the other day how much people love thier music.
A young kid today is practically pigeon holed by the music he/she listens too.
The thing is I like music, but hate with a passion the corrupt music industry, and thanks to SJ's clarification on royalities I dislike it even more.

To put it another way 50-100 years ago music was not as relevent as it is today. No radio, no cds/records etc just live performances?

So my questions are
1. How would you have survived 100 years ago, when music was something you could only hear live? ahhhh... no walkman.
2. How do think this has effected society?

 

[Once Dead]

1) Yeah, just because we never had walkman's etc in the first place and live performances would be like CDs are to us today...then again, would i be a peasant or a member of the upper class - that's what would stop me from being able to see live shows etc.......if i was a peasant, i'd start a Peasant Metal or Peasant Punk band hehe

2) Music is now widespread and beliefs, attitudes and statements not only reach the people in the audience at live performances but almost every corner of the world with a record store, a cd player and electricity.........some would say that this is akin to the spreading of a disease - with some of the crap that is spat out in songs, but some would just say, its natural progression

Can we say that music unites people? Maybe? I mean, i saw a guy with an Embodiment shirt at uni and was like "Dude, cool shirt" and even though i've never seen him before and haven't seen him since we yapped about the band for ages........look at the crowds at gigs, people talking to other people they'd never even seen before simply because of the similar musical tastes they share

Then again, music also drives a wedge between people with the projection of beliefs and ways of life etc, but all in all, it gives EVERYONE in society and outlet for emotions, fears, hopes etc - which, if it didn't exist, could mean we'd have a lot more people flipping out and having breakdowns because they only had certain ways to deal with things

Yeah, so that's it, hope i'm not too philosophical here lol

 

[Weasels Ripped My Flesh]

Oh no, im not doing your school assignments for you

 

[Anonymous]

To put it another way 50-100 years ago music was not as relevent as it is today

I expect that people will disagree with this and try to say that music has been an integral part of peoples lives forever, but I agree totally. The idea of music as a popular phenomenon is really only about 100 years or so old, and I'd say that music as we know it, right down to it's most fundamental attributes, is an even more recent idea.

Basically I think music is nonsense, and the only effect it can have on society is to cause conflict and bullsh*t. To me it is something that has always been entirely about projecting an image, regardless of what you listen to. But who am I to try and change the world.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Rap does that though ;-) , i don't get the same ideas while listening to the Police or The Church.

 

[Anonymous]

In complete disagreement to Thierry, I think music is more or less a constant dating back thousands of years. Wide spread distribution of music is a modern phenomenon, but music itself has been a part and parcel of all walks of life for as long as you'd care to look back.

Basically I think music is nonsense, and the only effect it can have on society is to cause conflict and bullsh*t. To me it is something that has always been entirely about projecting an image, regardless of what you listen to. But who am I to try and change the world.

Maybe amongst angsty pimple-faced teenagers who get into 'my music is better than yours' arguments. Other than that, I can't see how music is divisive at all.

 

[blackfriday]

no more people now have access to listening to music and hence more music. then the quality of music gets diluted and people just blindly accept it.

 

[fosie]

1. How would you have survived 100 years ago, when music was something you could only hear live? music bak then would have been more relaxing, more instrumental, which i don't have a problem with at all. Seeing live mita been abit boring.


2. How do think this has effected society? where do i start? So many songs have swearing these days.....i know i'm a teen, but its disgraceful. Because these songs are allowed to be broadcasted, it gives the impression that swearing is accpetable, i dun swear cuz its just.....so....i dunno. So therefore we are going up and gettin old in a world where swearing is literally part of teh dictionary, considered acceptable AND making ppl dumber. (word 'crap' can be substituded for many other words)

music: melody of harmony; the science of harmonious sounds; the written or printed score of a composition.
That is not what music is today, melody of harmony made from computerised sounds.....great harmony. Singers with their voice being fixed up.....thats not harmony.

Filmclips: shake ur ass, its like porno for lil kids. I personally dun like them I know it adds interest and all to the song but sometimes, you know, it goes just a tad too far.

Ahhh......thats all i can think of atm. Musics changed i think for the worst.

 

[blackfriday]

the reason why songs are successful is because of a good flim clip, usually one that involves scantily clad female celebrities

 

[fosie]

Not really. Songs are played over the radio more. Filmclips these days don't even really go with the song.
Shannon Nolls been sucessful and he doesn't have half naked women in his filmclips.

 

[Mong]

Film clips mean nothing to me, if the song has an affect on me in any way then i will listen to it (no matter who performs it). Music is an outlet to many people, i don't buy into the argument that certain types of music casue people to do certain bad things, a few people might do something becasue of lyrics to a song (though i am sceptical about that) but i know many people who are in tough times and are having bad thoughts often relieve the pain by listening to music that moves them and inspires them. Without this outlet many of them would more then likely rebel in a fashion of random violence or similar. Music will always be an outlet for the relief of angst i have lived that myself as i am sure many on here have. My choice of music that got me through the tough times especially as a teenager was Metallica, when ride the lightning came out my life changed and i can now relate a metallica song or album to all the major events in my life since. Might sound silly to some but i bet many know where i am comming from with this.

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe amongst angsty pimple-faced teenagers who get into 'my music is better than yours' arguments. Other than that, I can't see how music is divisive at all.

And what about wanky so-called music experts who make fun of angsty teenagers?? An appreciation of something as arbitrary and shapeless as, well, noise, requires one to take a side.