As the worst decade in the history of popular music draws to an end...

With all due respect to platypus, this has easily been the most forgettable decade in the history of popular music. It's had glimpses of brilliance along the way, but only that: glimpses. No landscape altering genres or trends have emerged and very few artists likely to shape the history and course of popular music have made their mark. This isn't about individual records or artists - this is about music that defines a generation and influences generations to come.

• The 50's witnessed the birth of rock n' roll
• The 60's had Motown, the British Invasion and the rise of music as a means to protest
• The 70's had Guitar Rock, Punk Rock and, yes, even disco
• The 80's saw the emergence of the Alternative and Hip-Hop genres
• The 90's had grunge and the rise of "indie" music

The only lasting influence this decade is likely to have is the use of technology as a means to promote and distribute popular music. Examples include the rise of programming such as "American Idol" as a means to discover new "talent"; an artist like Colbie Caillat who used "viral marketing" to land a record contract; and the end of the dominance of record companies as a means of distribution (major artists such as Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead have released new albums for free over the internet).

Just look at the facts: MTV doesn't play music anymore; record sales have plummeted (file sharing not withstanding); and top 40 radio is littered with one hit wonders. And if you need any more proof, just look at this year's Grammy nominees for Record Of The Year (Beyonce, Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas, Kings Of Leon and Taylor Swift).

It's easy and convenient to use the "Good music is out there... You just have to look for it" argument but, you know what? If it was that good, it would have forced its way into the mainstream already.

This decade has been positively the worst. Here's hoping the next decade turns things around.

Nothing Earth moving ...I concur...

There is some good stuff being released but they are from bands from 70s - 80s not the crappy new bands that play 3 chords.

Good post.      

Kinda hard to see what the next "big thing" should be..
It seems like all there is left now will be minor spinoff of something that already has been there.

I agree with this thread 100%

Nothing can "force itself into the mainstream" unless the record company dopes and this nation's sheep get on board with it.  And the discerning listener wants nothing to do with 99% of that dreck.  If Zeppelin came along today, they would have a tough time breaking out because everything is different now.  So live with it or look outside of your radio dial and look for something more fulfilling on the internet if you have the fortitude to wade through the 8 million bands out there.

And get yourself some Porcupine Tree already.

Definitely a very poor musical decade.

I blame George W. Bush.   

Yeah, in 20-40 yrs can't see anything having made much if any impact which is probably a good thing. Some gold nuggets out there if you got the time & money to weed thru all the BS though -

Won't argue with you one bit

I would say that's only partially true. Don't forget, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" took awhile before it finally broke. People kept requesting it, radio stations started picking it up, MTV put it in heavy rotation and the rest, as they say, is history. Christ, I remember the local rock station in Montreal wouldn't even play it until it had no choice.

I know I'm living in the past here, but where has the excitement gone? I remember lining up at the record store in the mornings (and there were actual line ups!) to get my hands on CD's like "In Utero",  "Vs", "Use Your Illusion" and "Mellon Collie". I know the internet and file sharing has changed alot of that but, geez... I think the last Metallica album was the only one this decade that I was even remotely excited about.

I hate to say it, but this isn't the nineties.  Things are substantially different from even then.  The download culture has seen to that.  AI has seen to that.   MTV never playing music as seen to that.  A handful of corporate radio conglomerates has seen to that.  Its lowest common denominator now and only getting worse.

This generation of music will be known as the generation controlled by the industry.  There is plenty of music from this generation that I listen to all the time and it is almost never in the top 10 list of any category.  It is ok with me since I know in my heart that the best music comes from those artists who truly want to express themselves and not sell out their skills.

 I agree wholeheartedly that music as a whole has gone to shit.  And American Idol, which I have watched a TOTAL of one hour my entire life, is the main culprit.  It is amazing that those three "judges" dictate what is good music.

I think Blink-182 (sometimes corny lyrics, but also good guitar riffs and serious themes), Cold Play and Disturbed put out some decent music this decade, but I have to think hard to name many others.  If there is good recent music, the radio stations are obviously too scared to play it.  Everything seems to be geared to the teenage crowd who virtually have no clue about anything. 

Red Hot Chili Peppers were also very good. 

In Rainbows by Radiohead was a bright spot.

yeah this was a pretty putrid decade. worst since the 80's. that said there was TONS of GREAT music released this decade, you just gotta seek it out.

What blows my mind  is when i discover a band that has had an album out for over 30 years as opposed to 3.  Thats a real gem. Case in point: Stack Waddy from the UK.  Good stuff originally released on John Peel's label

The Black Keys... Newer band older vibe, Check'em out..

if you like them, you might want to discover LIBERTY LEG from Iowa City.

www.myspace.com/libertyleg

Radiohead had a pretty good decade:

2000 Kid A
2001 Amnesiac
2003 Hail to the Thief
2007 In Rainbows

I agree with this post.  I think that technology wrecked the music industry.  For the most part, artists are no longer looking to put out an album of good songs, because it falls on deaf ears. 

The attention span of younger people is much shorter now.  They're looking for instant gratification, and aren't willing to listen to a full album anymore.

the worst has to be the economy that's one
sometimes things  change

jmw59 and MUGG,

I'll get back into things after shit settles down in a week or so.

We'll get more active music stuff, eh fguys? I think with my Mac, I can drag tunes right to you. I've seen it done before, but it was always to an email.

It'll work, and I'll get in confirmed by my best friend in front of me while I lived for a short amount of time in Venice Beach, Cali

Talk at ya tomorrow.  

Tool's Lateralus, Salival, and 10kDays albums are all fantastic IMO

Mastodon's newest album "Crack The Skye" is one that I think will  become timeless as well