Music Scenes: Have Genres Lost Their Meaning?
Music Scenes Are Constantly Segregating Themselves
Music scenes over the past decade prove that times are changing. And with the existence of subgenres, have genres themselves lost meaning? Well, that’s what we’re going to be investigating in this article. However, we’re going to leave it up to you, to decide for yourselves. Here’s a link for a discussion on Reddit that inspired this article.
https://www.reddit.com/r/LetsTalkMusic/comments/1w77lx/subgenres_are_they_necessary_or_not/
But, before we get started, I would like to thank our sponsor 7th Dimension. And they have a trial coffee that is now available called Red Fred. So, start your day off right with the brand new flavor from 7th Dimension and fite back against exhaustion!
Where Did All Start?
In order to truly evaluate this question of genres, let’s look back at the 2000s. Now, you’re probably thinking to yourselves, “Why the 2000s?” Well, in order to look at this from a retrospective, it only makes sense. Look back at the top charting albums and overplayed singles. And this includes songs used in movies.
There is quite a bit of history to go through. XXX had Feur Frei from Rammstein, White Noise had Our Lady Peace in their soundtrack as well. However, there was a time when Staind Break The Cycle really set the tone for a very particular sound. And it almost became a cliché.
And this is where things get interesting. Bands began mimicking multi platinum songs. Now, when you listen to the music, it’s nostalgic. Back then, we mocked popular music, because everyone and their dog was listening to it. So, where do the genres begin to split off?
Well, I’m sure you remember Nu Metal. System of a Down, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Rammstein, all fell under that category. And this is where opinion comes into play.
Trying Too Hard To Be Different
Artists in their selected music scenes eventually tried too hard to be different. And as the old saying goes, “You don’t have to ask, they’ll just tell you.” However, this is where subgenres and music snobs truly thrived. Not to mention, to the casual listener, everything was considered alternative. And in a sense, it still is.
But, when you throw in something like Nu Metal, you can arguably determine that this is where genre affiliation mattered. “We aren’t heavy metal or rock, we’re Nu Metal.” To which I ask, at one point does it sound pretentious to determine what music scene you’re involved with?
Now, we have death metal, hardcore metal, thrash metal, gospel metal, (yes, that’s a thing) and probably 50 or more others that I don’t care to list. And the same goes with punk rock too. In fact, the underrated sequel to SLC Punk titled SLC PUNK 2 Punk Is Dead touches on this fact. At one point, it was simply punk rock. Now, it’s street punk, steam punk, gutter punk, hardcore punk, oi, ska, Celtic and on and on.
Why is this such an issue? Because by having a million and one subgenres, music scenes have now become poisoned. And if there is one thing I cannot stand, it’s someone introducing themselves by what they are, rather than their name. Trust me when I said it, it’s only going to get worse.
Once you have a million and one different genres of music, it gets old and a stretch. And this is made clear in interviews. The film the Onion News for instance, did a bit on pop artists from the late 90s. Even though their lyrics were mindless, they wanted to try and tell about a deeper meaning. And if you have to do that, then it doesn’t matter. Your music is flawed in that regard.
High School Cliques For Adults
As previously mentioned, this fed some sort of ego. And believe me, it’s there. I’ll even go further and say, you’re probably guilty of this too. “I’m far too good to listen to that (insert genre/band here) because I’m a hip hop head.” And that enrages me. Because guess what? Your genre is just as guilty. Horrorcore, hip hop, rap, mumble rap, acid rap, crunk, southern hip hop, club rap, trap, and it goes on. Biggie and Pac are probably rolling in their graves.
And of course, thanks to social media it’s only gotten worse. Saturated market aside, now we have the ability to form special interest groups. Hurray! Now we can all preach to the choir every moment, of every single day. Rather than listen to new music, or hear suggestions, we can remain in a small bubble. And on the weekends, we can go to one of the five hundred shows this month.
How is this any different than high school? Remember when the preps would listen to Down With The Sickness and we’d laugh at them? I do, because I was one of the ones laughing and mocking them. Or how about the goths mocking you for wearing a Mushroomhead hoodie because, “You don’t deserve to wear that!” Well, I do!
Generalizing Music
Here’s something music scenes are all guilty of. And it’s the simplification of a song. It’s audio old maid, for adults! They listen to two songs from two bands and say, “Yep, they’re the same.” Well, odds are you’re wrong. But I don’t have to explain it to you, let one of the subgenres chew you out for making such a mistake.
In all actuality, this does sound slightly ignorant. And you should be ashamed of yourself. Especially, when someone tells me System of a Down is in the same subgenre as Limp Bizkit. So, Toxicity is the exact same thing as Chocolate Starfish and Hot Dog Flavored Water? Should we do a lyrics comparison for this? Or can I just say with absolute certainty that Toxicity had a lot more substance to it?
And this is why over generalizing is a crime. And leave it to the casual listener to label everything alternative. Simply because, they’re knowledge in music is too damn narrow. Are subgenres important? To a certain level of degree, yes. But, we don’t need six million of them. Not just for the integrity of the music scenes, but for the sake of our sanity. “Oh you’re a metal head.” To which, they reply. “I’m a power violence, with a bit of grunge metal head.”
No, you’re trying too damn hard to be different. Much like high school! When people say things like this, I respond with. “An apple is red and it is delicious. A firetruck is red, therefore it is also delicious.”
Final Thoughts
If there are a million subgenres, how many fans would be at each show. A statistic would need to be conducted. And in my honest opinion, it is part of the oversaturation. Not to mention, the choice to segregate yourself to forcefully be different. And for what reason? What purpose does it serve? And more importantly, does this add to the hatred between music scenes? The answer to that is a simple, yes.
May I remind you this is personal choice. No one put a gun to your head to make this choice. And guess what? We’re all suffering because of it. Narrow minds are a downfall to music. And how does that get you new fans? Perhaps a change in perspective is just what the doctor ordered.
My advice is this, stop being closed minded. Because it’s not about you or me. There’s a generation that’s following the path that we pave for them. And the last thing we need is to poison the well of the music scenes, before the genres and subgenres we love, go extinct.
BobRoxxx@RoxxxTv.com
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Written By: Sid Jones
