Music Evolves!

If you have ears, then you've probably realized that music changes over time. I think changing trends in music usually have to do with which intruments or aspects of the music artists decide to emphasize. I also think that artists have been emphasizing drums more and more since the 50's.

In the 50's, melodies were the centerpiece of pop music. Beats were limited to simple, quiet configurations that merely provided timing and tempo for the more important vocal and instrumental features.

In the 60's, percussion started to gradually take on a more prominent role. Vocals, melodies, and harmonies remained the centerpiece, but rythem started to become the drummer's responsibility.

In the 70's, percussion finally made some headway, and beats and bass were for the first time on equal footing with vocals and melodic/harmonic instruments.

In the 80's, something strange happened. Namely, the guitar went berserk. I point to the 10 minute guitar solos of hair metal bands, the most vivid harbringers of this change, since they contain some of the most excessively wild and ostentatious demonstrations of the new direction pop music in the 80's. The guitar and vocals tried to reclaim their old dominant position over the drums and bass by overshadowing them.

In the 90's, people got tired of all that showmanship. That's why bands like Nirvana and Ace of Bass became popular, because they represented a simple alternative that simultaneously acknowledged that these changes in music had occurred, but consciously rejected them in favor or simple, moderate instrumental configurations.

What is happening in the millenials? Beats the shit outta me...

Oh yeah! I remember where I was going with this! Nowadays, hip hop is pop. Can't argue with that. That's just a fact, like in the same way chocolate is better than vanilla. Ethical parallel? Not on my watch. For anyone reading this, I smoked a LOT yesterday and my thoughts are kind of migrating around a lot, which is typical of the devil's leaf. Also if your in need of a cheap laugh, which I suspect most of you are, compare the writing in beggining of this article to that in the end. (I started this post yesterday before I started sour diesel). Getting back on track! Pop (hip hop) music today consists almost completely of vocals and beats.